[Sultros Blades] This Graceless Heart (Orion)

by **Hadyn Skellig** on August 20th, 2013, 4:50 am

What was this? tenderness from Orion Michaels? It left her momentarily speechless - his hand covering hers, assisting her in standing, nearly sentimental words. She half expected him to pull her up from the ground only to push her down again for a laugh. Surely there was a joke nestled somewhere in his display of kindness, waiting for the right opportunity to make her feel foolish. But it never came.

"I've known for a while," she admitted with a frown as she stood beside him, one arm wrapping around her and holding the opposite arm. Protectively. "Wasn't entirely sure. Actually thought I'd lost it after that mess in the woods." Avoiding his gaze her voice softened. "Should've told y'earlier I s'ppose. Wasn't sure just how to go about it."

Silence hung thick in the shop between them. She finally raised her eyes to his, personal condemnation for waiting to tell him making her uneasy. He seemed ready to depart. Dropping her arm from her side she offered him a slight smile of reassurance. He didn't need her emotions to deal with. He had enough to worry about with his four year old. A girl, was it? she hoped he would take her up on her offer to help, if only because that was the only way she'd ever see him. He didn't seem the type to go out of his way for a woman. But she barely knew him. As he made ready to leave Hadyn bit her lip, trying to avoid speaking the words that inevitably flowed out.

"I'll keep you updated on... it." She moved without thinking, embracing him quickly. It was not a lover's embrace. Not even a friendly one. It was the briefest moment of two people closing the negative space between them. His body was warm and the obnoxiously emotional side of her wanted hold him longer but she retracted almost as swiftly as she moved forth. Holding his gaze there was no indication she was embarrassed. Instead she canted her head and took a breath, voice calm and unabashed by the previous display of intimacy.

"Thank you for stoppin' by. Y'let me know if there's anythin' I can do."

Then he would be gone and she would return to her life in the forge. Gods only knew when she'd see him next. But at least the hardest part was over. He knew. The rest she could do on her own if need be. Brown eyes watched the man she could barely understand, hoping he'd find some peace to collect his thoughts.

by **Orion Michaels** on August 20th, 2013, 7:58 pm

The shock on her face wasn't unexpected. Neither was that on his. If he tarried any further, he would end up undoing all of this 'progress' he'd made. The squire was so far out of his element, and he was more confused that she hadn't brought her wrath down upon him. With Emily's mother, with Roxy, it hadn't gone nearly as smooth. She'd been demanding, would have bled Orion dry if he'd rolled over for her. Hadyn hadn't expected a thing of him. What did that mean?

He nodded solemnly as she explained the situation. She hadn't mentioned it in the forest, but he could hardly blame her. What would she have done? 'Oh, Orion, there's these kidnappers! The woman you left crying in her room after bedding her has been taken along with me. And I'm carrying your child.' Yeah. That horse he rode would have learned to obey him real fast as he disappeared from the face of the planet. It was a terrifying experience for all those involved. That the child could have been lost..Orion wasn't sure how he felt. Again his words failed him.

Hadyn's embrace caught him off guard. A kick to the ass would have been more suitable. His arms instinctively wrapped around her: Hadyn Skellig, mother of his unborn child, woman he hardly knew. When she tried to retreat from him, he held her only a moment longer before releasing the embrace. He could put on a good show, right? Orion wondered if he would just disappear from her life after he walked out that door. No one would call him out on it, no one would complain. But he would know, and he didn't know if he could live with it again.

"..Yeah. See ya, Hadyn." What an impersonal goodbye.

He filled his lungs with a deep breath and exhaled before nodding and walking past her towards the door. He didn't look back at her. He had to push this aside for now, even if it was the most horrible thing he could do. He wasn't deserting her, but Emily was his priority. Their agreed upon priority. He'd have to juggle her and his training. He wasn't ready for them to throw another ball into his act.