Completed A Private Lesson (Rinya)

[Jorin Ertihan]

Season of Fall, Day 40, 513 AV

Jorin's head sprang up when Rinya snapped "Well I’m glad you finally get the feeling then!" At first he couldn't understand what she was referring to. When had she... then he remembered when Farline had practically thrown herself at him at the Grotto. And then there was Farline bringing up their dancing during he and Rinya's little week of... separation.

And he could see how much that would have hurt her. Did hurt her, now that he recalled. He'd not paid attention with Farline and Rhys both standing there, but Rinya had not been happy to hear about Farline's dancing lessons with him.

Jorin sighed softly. Really, neither of them behaved well that week. He had nobody to talk to, nobody that he really knew that well. Kirsi didn't seem an appropriate person to confide in, and Dust was a nice girl but she didn't seem like she'd understand. Krima was not a close enough friend, and so that really only left Farline.

Jorin realized that, in all probability, Rinya had been spending an equal amount of time with Rhys during that week. Who else did she really know that well in Riverfall, besides Dust? Jorin really didn't want to think about what went on that week. For once, he didn't want to know. Ignorance was bliss, and all that.

Jorin barely registered it when Rinya apologized a moment later. He was too busy thinking about how, despite their bond, despite their trust, despite their love, they could've come to this. Everything he'd done up until that point was in the hope and effort of avoiding a situation like this and now here they were. Right in the middle of it.

When Rinya knelt down in front of his seat and put her hands on his knees his own hands reached out and covered hers. The warm contact with his mate comforted him and he realized, neither of them were really being fair to the other. The anger from earlier had already begun to ebb. Really, Jorin was not a man who could stay angry or depressed for very long.

Rinya spoke softly, telling him how she didn't mean to keep it from him, just that it had slipped her mind. He could understand that, they'd been... busy, these last few days. And truthfully, he himself hadn't really thought about Beautyfest much. He realized with growing shame that he'd taken Rinya for granted. He'd assumed they'd go together, so he never even bothered to actually ask her. This was as much his fault as it was hers.

In his musings, Jorin almost didn't notice when Rinya had gotten up, and silently padded to her own room. He waited a tick or two before getting up himself and following her. She was brushing the sand from the beach out of her hair with her hand, his shirt was tossed carelessly across her bed. Jorin came up behind her and wrapped his arms gently around her, just under her breasts. He rested his head in the crook of her neck and sighed.

"I'm sorry, Rinya," he murmured quietly into her ear. "I guess we both behaved pretty badly that week. We never really talked about it because we knew this would happen. So we basically just agreed not to think about it. But that doesn't really help, does it?"

Jorin sighed heavily hugging Rinya closer to himself. "It wasn't fair of me to blame you for this. It's both our faults; but really it doesn't even matter."

Jorin released Rinya, and gently turned her around by the shoulders to face him. He shifted his gaze so that he could look Rinya in the eyes, hands still on her shoulders. "I know Farline isn't easy for you to deal with. And I guess you can imagine, I'm not exactly Rhys' biggest fan," he admitted, with a small smile.

"But I'm in love with you, Rinya. Every day I fall more and more in love with you. And that means I trust you completely." Jorin grimaced. "I do know you better than that. And I want you as much as you want me, you know that. It isn't you I don't trust. It's Rhys. I don't trust him not to drag you off somewhere, whether you let him or not. Tell me, Rinya, would you trust Farline with me?"

Jorin sighed, and snaked his left hand to Rinya's waist and drew her close, pressing their chests together. He rested his forehead on hers and closed his eyes. "I-I'm sorry, that wasn't fair. I'd never hurt you, Rinya. Especially not like that."

Jorin pulled back, and his hands went from Rinya's shoulders to her waist. He pulled her forward, leaned in and kissed her. He wanted to just forget the day, forget Farline and Rhys and the whole Beautyfest debacle and just feel like they did on that beach. Content. Playful. Happy. He just wanted to see a smile on Rinya's face again.

Jorin felt a familiar heat radiate from their kiss, warming his insides and washing away the negative emotions. Sure, kissing Rinya didn't actually fix the issue. She was still going to Beautyfest with Rhys. But at least, here in their condo, she was here with him.

Jorin would have continued the kiss, but the drying sea-salt itched uncomfortably, and the sand made both their skin feel gritty, making their embrace less than comfortable. Breaking off, he looked Rinya in the eyes and winked, feeling a bit playful himself. "Wow, we're both filthy," he noted with a grin.

"Let's both get cleaned up," he suggested as he smiled down at Rinya and winked again.

[Rinya]

Day 40, Season Fall, 513 AV

Rinya did not honestly expect Jorin to follow her right away. While he had gripped her hands in his, he seemed so lost in his own thoughts. It had seemed like a good idea to let him be—he could always come to her later. So Rinya was lost in her own sort of thoughts, debating if she should really back out of the Beautyfest all together. She didn’t enjoy the thought of breaking her word, but Jorin was far more important to her than a debt. She would just have to tell Rhys he would have to pick a different payment. She just dearly hoped he didn’t try to talk her into taking him up on the Nakivak status. Not that she would do it anyway.

Rinya jumped as Jorin slipped into her room and up behind her. He pressed her face into her neck and she let out a long sigh, leaning back against his body and rested the side of her face against his. Her chest seemed to feel lighter, even with Jorin’s embrace. He wasn’t mad enough to hate her in the very least, which she counted as a plus. Perhaps not even really mad at all now that she focused on him. He spoke in a soft tone, apologizing himself. Their avoidance of separation—in her opinion—may have actually caused this problem. They had just wanted to be happy, without thinking of the consequence of her actions.

Jorin released her, turning her around so she could face him. But it was hard to look at him, because regardless of how easily he would share the blame—a lot of it was still her fault. In her opinion anyways. She was no good at this… being so close to someone. A small part of her wished Jorin would realize that before she could end up doing something really stupid.

"I do know you better than that. And I want you as much as you want me, you know that. It isn't you I don't trust. It's Rhys. I don't trust him not to drag you off somewhere, whether you let him or not. Tell me, Rinya, would you trust Farline with me?"

Rinya really didn’t want to answer that—didn’t have to actually. The fact she decked Farline twice kind of spoke for itself. But in her own defense the first time she really was afraid that Farline might have been able to pry Jorin away from her. There was always that chance in her mind—a flashback of sitting at Sylira’s docks staring at the water in the pure shock that she was alone. Jorin would never do that to her, she knew that much. But it was a hard fear to get completely over... the idea of someone being better for Jorin than she was and being left alone. She really thought she had gotten over it too, even before meeting Jorin. She had cried over her father only once, swearing she wouldn't feel like that again.

Their first real tangible argument where Jorin was as upset as she was. Rinya realized she might be over doing the blame on herself just a little. Rinya breathed in several deep breaths as Jorin pressed his forehead to hers. He smelled masculine, an odd scent she thought that would be calming, but it was Jorin after all. Some things just really shouldn’t have surprised her by then.

"I-I'm sorry, that wasn't fair. I'd never hurt you, Rinya. Especially not like that."

Rinya frowned slightly, she didn’t quite understand what he meant by that. Hurt her by leaving her, or hurt her by blaming her? It didn’t matter either way, she would believe him regardless. She didn’t resist his kiss in the slightest. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she just let herself try and feel something other than fear and doubt. His warmth filled her, love and all the gentle emotions she was growing quickly accustom to. But he pulled away much sooner than she would have liked.

"Wow, we're both filthy, let's both get cleaned up,"

Rinya shot Jorin a weak smile, but she figured at this point it really was better than nothing. She wanted so badly to forget the thoughts in her head, but it would take time—and probably his help to do it. So the idea of getting clean and doing it with Jorin was far more pleasing than she doing it by herself. ”Okay.”

Rinya suppressed a wince. She sounded weak—and if she was honest the hollow feeling was still there. Something left over from thoughts of her father no doubt. But at least her chest wasn’t aching anymore. Rinya curled her fingers around his, staring up at his face. ”We’re going to have to talk about that week aren’t we? I mean—while we may be well past that point, I still haven’t told you why.” Rinya didn’t relish the thought, but apparently it was going to haunt the both of them until they did.

[Jorin Ertihan]

Season of Fall, Day 40, 513 AV

Jorin tried to encourage Rinya's weak smile a little more by smiling back at her. She wasn't happy yet, but at least the harsh emotions they'd both felt seemed to be fading somewhat. There was still a hollow empty feeling coming from Rinya, and Jorin just had no idea how he could make that go away, replace it with happiness and love and joy, like they had felt not a Bell ago. But he'd try. He wouldn't give up until Rinya was smiling and laughing again.

"We’re going to have to talk about that week aren’t we? I mean—while we may be well past that point, I still haven’t told you why." Rinya mentioned, and Jorin nodded as he quietly picked up his shirt and slipped it on, noticing with a smile that it smelled vaguely of Rinya now.

"Well, yes," Jorin agreed, to Rinya's question as he sat down on her bed and waited for Rinya to get dressed. While Jorin had absolutely no issues with Rinya's nudity, he presumed she would not want to walk naked all the way to the Moonstone. "But we can talk about it more when we're at the Moonstone and not covered in sand and sea-salt," he added, as he waited patiently for her to get dressed.

Once Rinya had slipped on something, he took her by the hand and led her gently to the Moonstone Bathhouse. The walk to the facility was quiet, but it wasn't the tense silence of before. Jorin made sure to walk by his mate's side, never letting go of her hand, and squeezing it every so often if he felt any twinges of sadness or loneliness in her, even planting a light kiss on her cheek once.

As they entered the facility, an attractive dark-haired woman approached, and smiled gently at the two of them. "Hi!" she chirped cheerfully, as she waved them inside. "Welcome to Moonstone Bath and Massage! I'm Tara Vantis, how can we serve you today?"

Jorin blushed a bit at the enthusiastic greeting, and cleared his throat slightly. "We would like a private wash room, please," he requested. Tara nodded.

"Of course!" she nodded, as she began to lead them further into the back. "Would you like the bath to be attended?" she asked. Jorin shook his head, as he released Rinya's hand and snaked his arm around her waist.

"No, thank you very kindly, but I don't think it will be necessary," he replied. Tara glanced down to where Jorin's hand was, and back up.

"Ah, I see," she laughed, with a twinkle in her eye. "Well, anyway, it's two gold Mizas for a private bath, payment up front when you're done." Tara smirked.

"You two have fun!" she called out in a sing-song voice as she skipped back to the reception area. Jorin grinned sheepishly as he held the door of the private bath open for Rinya to enter first. Closing the door behind them, Jorin sighed as he quickly stripped his clothing off his body. The sea water and sand was really starting to irritate his skin, but he waited for Rinya to get into the bath first.

There were a few soaps available along the edge of the small bath, and Jorin chose one at random before stepping into the bath with his mate. The bath was not huge, and it was somewhat tight with the both of them in there, but it was still manageable.

More importantly it was private. Jorin smiled at Rinya as he just let the warmth of the water seep in. It wasn't as nice as the warmth he felt when he kissed Rinya, but at least this had the added benefit of cleaning the salt and sand off his body. Leaning forward, Jorin touched Rinya's arm lightly.

"Do you want me to lather you up?" he offered. "And don't worry, Rinya. We can talk about that week at your own pace. Or not at all, if you're not comfortable about that yet."

Ledger-2GM Private Bath (Unattended)

[Rinya]

Day 40, Season Fall, 513 AV

Rinya already knew the answer to her question, though she wasn’t terribly fond of hearing the answer out loud. She remained still as Jorin picked up his shirt and pulled it on. She really wasn’t feeling up for leaving the condo, but she knew she wasn’t going to be able to sleep feeling like she was. Besides it was still fairly early—even if turning in for the day was starting to sound like a wonderful idea. As Jorin settled onto her bed, Rinya snagged her peach colored dress. She wasn’t thrilled about dressing while dirty but there really wasn’t much choice. She didn’t bother with undergarments either, they would just annoy her skin further.

For once, Jorin was the one taking the lead. He held her hand, as she let him lead her through the streets. Even with Jorin’s steady presence though, her mind wouldn’t stop churning. The day had started so nice… a bit of fishing, and trying to teach Jorin to swim. And somehow Farline and Rhys managed to rip happy out of her hands… again. Only this time they really managed to bring Jorin with her, though in the very least he seemed to be in higher spirits than she was. Her mind shifted over her mistakes in a loop… Jorin however kept close, squeezing her hand through her shifting emotions.

Rinya barely even noticed when they had arrived at the bathhouse. Jorin smiled and conversed with the beautiful woman, arranging a private bath for both of them. Though she couldn’t quite stop the flush across her face as the woman glanced between the two of them, she obviously got the hint they wanted to be alone for one reason or another. For some reason, it didn’t bother her that Farline had indicated they were doing something “improper”, but a woman she didn’t even know made her turn red.

Flashing Jorin another watery smile, Rinya slipped through the door as he held it open for her. Almost instantly Rinya pulled the dress over her head and tossed it off to the side, turning to look at Jorin. Tilting her head slightly, Rinya watched Jorin undress. He wasn’t nervous this time, about being naked in front of her. She was rather impressed actually, it took her several times of shifting in front of him before she was even comfortable with the idea—but Jorin did have the slight advantage that they had become intimate as well. Forcing her eyes away from his body, Rinya lowered herself the warm water. Almost instantly her skin felt better, no longer feeling dry from the salt stuck to her skin. Curling her knees towards her, Rinya did her best to make room for Jorin. He touched her arm and Rinya jolted slightly in the water.

"Do you want me to lather you up?" he offered. "And don't worry, Rinya. We can talk about that week at your own pace. Or not at all, if you're not comfortable about that yet."

Rinya sighed slightly. She hadn’t spoken a word since they had left the condo, but the issue wasn’t going to just go away either. Licking her lips, Rinya nodded. Since the bath was so small she wasn’t sure how to go about letting him bath her though. All she knew was she wanted to be close, and for her mind to stop moving. While she knew Jorin wasn’t going to push her away, she shifted cautiously towards him. Much like she had when she first met him—the first time he had asked to hold her hand.

Sliding between his legs, Rinya let her back come in contact with his chest. Laying her head back against his shoulder, she realized the bath really wasn’t meant for two people, but it was still far more comfortable than before. With the plus that she could feel him, but not see his face. She had no idea where this conversation was going to go—she didn’t want to see his pain as well as feel it.

”I don’t know where to start honestly.” If the room hadn’t been so small, Jorin probably wouldn’t have heard her whisper.

[Jorin Ertihan]

Season of Fall, Day 40, 513 AV

It really was rather cramped in there, and really the only way Jorin and Rinya could have fit was the way they were, with Rinya sitting between his legs and her back pressed against his chest. Jorin began to quietly lather her arms and chest, the soft soap leaving trails on her skin. As he started to wash her, Rinya whispered that she didn't know how to begin. Jorin sighed.

"You know, I'm not sure where to begin either," he admitted softly. Jorin picked up a small scrubber that looked to be made from some sort of sea-sponge. He used it to gently wipe away the soap he'd put on Rinya's skin, carrying with it the day's salt water and any sand that had clung to her. He couldn't help running his hand along her skin, feeling its soft, warm texture under his fingers. It was always so nice to just be alone with Rinya. He really wished they didn't have to talk about something so hurtful to both of them.

Realizing that Rinya's own hangups were probably giving her trouble, Jorin decided to take the lead in this conversation. "I didn't really flip over a table you know," he tried, with a forced but somewhat genuine chuckle. "That was a total exaggeration."

Jorin sighed, as he brought the sponge to Rinya's chest. On any other day, the idea of washing soap off her breasts would have been titillating, but given their current state of mind, he almost did it absently, his thoughts elsewhere as he made little circles with the scrubber to get the soap off of her.

"But I wanted to," Jorin admitted. "I don't know if I've ever felt so... lost, before. When you cut me off, it felt like a piece of my soul was missing. Before I met you, I'd been alone before and I never really liked it, but I could deal. That week..."

Jorin sighed and rested his chin on Rinya's shoulder. "I couldn't really concentrate on much of anything. I... didn't know where else to turn. I didn't know Kirsi well enough, Dust didn't seem like she would understand, and Krima I didn't even know very well at all. Duce wasn't anywhere to be found, so all I had was Farline." Jorin knew this admission would not be something Rinya would want to hear, but he felt she needed to hear it, so he rushed on ahead before she could say anything.

"I never forgot you, Rinya. In fact it was just the opposite. I couldn't think of anything else. It was so distracting, I didn't even notice that Farline had fallen until her body was literally dragging me down with her." Jorin's eyes had a faraway look. "Like I said at the hospital, I was distracted at the Kendoka the day before your visit. Most of my fights don't go quite that badly."

Jorin shrugged, and pushed Rinya gently so that he could have access to her back. Even despite the cramped quarters, he was able to lather her smooth back, soap running down her spine in a small waterfall as he made little circles with it. Then Jorin wrung out the scrubber, dipped it back into the water and used it to rinse her back off, and then wrapped his arms around her chest and drew her back, leaning them both back again.

"I should have thought of you more, that day at the Grotto," Jorin admonished himself. "I was just... I didn't know about Farline, she'd just come back and I didn't know what was happening... everything happened so fast..."

Jorin knew what he was saying was beginning to sound like excuses. He cleared his throat, then rested his chin on her collarbone again leaning his head against hers. "I chased after you, you know," he murmured into her ear. "That day, after you ran off, I ran and ran, and called your name but you were gone. I don't know if I'd ever felt so alone..."

[Rinya]

Day 40, Season Fall, 513 AV

"I didn't really flip over a table you know,"

Rinya opened her eyes, not even fully realizing she had closed them as Jorin started rub the soap across her skin. It felt nice… being taken care of. She might have even been able to fully enjoy it were it not for the conversation. Her eyes settled for the ceiling as a point of focus. Jorin kept his fingers moving, and Rinya sighed into the warm air.

”I kind of figured that was a lie…” There was a hint of humor in her voice, but volume barely changed. She felt like something might shatter if she spoke too loudly—maybe even them. Jorin bravely charged on, trying to explain how he felt… what she had cost him over her choices. Back then Rinya had figured Jorin would be just fine. They weren’t entirely anything beyond bondmates at that point—well in the sense that neither of them had spoken up about their true feelings. Her eyes burned from behind, she hated that tell tale sign that she was going to cry. Thus far only Jorin was capable of bringing her tears since her father.

"Like I said at the hospital, I was distracted at the Kendoka the day before your visit. Most of my fights don't go quite that badly."

Rinya took a sharp breath. It had been her fault. The idea made her entire being cold, despite how close she was to Jorin and the warm water. Even with Jorin being fully healed without any permanent damage—it was still her fault. The first few tears came without surprise really. She wanted out… the small room suddenly felt suffocating. She hadn’t felt the need to flee this badly since the grotto. Run away from her problems and maybe they would go away. Which was ridiculous because here was one issue they ran from and look where it left them.

"I should have thought of you more, that day at the Grotto, I was just... I didn't know about Farline, she'd just come back and I didn't know what was happening... everything happened so fast..."

Rinya shook her head slightly. The words felt stuck in her throat, too thick to even choke out. She wanted him to be mad at her, for causing such distress in his life. She had no claim on him then—she probably shouldn’t even have claim on him now. The thought burned worse than she would have liked. She drove him to a woman that wanted to use him like a toy. She thought only of herself and Jorin ended up hurt. It was a startling thought actually. Probably the most painful. She left him alone—abandoned him like her father did to her.

It took so much control not to break. Jorin rested against her, murmuring how he chased after her, tried to find her but just ended up alone. The general act would have normally sent shivers down her spine, but she couldn’t feel much of anything beyond the weight pressing against her throat. It took her several deep breaths to push the breaking point down into her stomach. This was so much harder than she thought it should be. She had been right… she should have told him no. And she had two choices even here and now. And she hated that she was selfish enough not to turn tail and run.

Even if she ran, the only place she wanted to go was to the one person who loved her and she had so blatantly ignored because she wasn’t capable of dealing with her emotions. She was no good for Jorin, and she hated that she knew that. But she was far too deep to just let him go now. She would just wound him over and over again until he decided it was enough. Swallowing thickly, Rinya cleared her throat and ignored the tears trailing down her skin.

”It was my fault you got hurt.” It felt better, to say it out loud even if he wanted to deny it. ”I didn’t want to love you, you know.” It sounded harsh, but it was the truth and he had already trusted her enough with his. Rinya swore she almost sounded broken though. Tired and used up. ”If I loved you, it meant that… one day you could leave me. It’s hard to hurt over someone that you don’t love.”

Rinya snorted slightly. That idea had worked out just so well for her—she just fell harder. ”I told myself you’d figure out that I wasn’t a decent choice for a lover anyways. So it was better just to think of you as a friend only…” Rinya forced herself to breath, she just wanted to rattle on and on and break. ”But every time any female touched you I couldn’t help but feel possessive. And I knew why, but if I said it out loud it would ruin everything. But when Farline threw herself at you after I hit her… I realized how easy it would be for me to lose you. You had every reason to believe her, you knew her better than you knew me. And technically she wasn’t lying. So when you looked at me like… I couldn’t take it.”

Rinya shifted slightly, one hand pressing into the basin below them so she could face him. ”It hurt, to think that someone else could take you. Someone you had a history with—or had familiar artistic hobbies. So I… I thought I could cut it off. Go back to being alone, when things made sense and didn’t confuse me. Only it made it worse. If I wasn’t at work complaining to Rhys about Farline I was… alone. And I felt it in ways I didn’t before. I couldn’t eat, and all I had was nightmares.” Shrugging slightly, Rinya stared down at her hands.

”And then I just fell back into spending more time as a bird. I ended up at Rookery Park just… trying to figure out how I ended up here. How I ended up being so blindly in love with someone who had every right to hate me by that point. By the time I opened up the bond, you had already gotten hurt.” Using her hands to brush away her tears, Rinya finally looked up at him. ”I am terrible for you Jorin. I abandoned you. Because I didn’t want to be abandoned first.”

There was no worse excuse to do that to someone in her opinion. Especially to someone like Jorin. Everyone was always hurting him, and he never deserved it. But the break was set; Rinya could feel the lump in her throat. Like someone wanted her to suffocate. Dropping her eyes back to the water, Rinya felt shame, it was a miracle she wasn't sobbing like she wanted to be, just tears. Apparently her father had taught her well.

[Jorin Ertihan]

Season of Fall, Day 40, 513 AV

This wasn’t how this was supposed to go. When Jorin had first started this thing it was with the intention that it help Rinya feel better. He thought if they both got this off their respective chests, she’d realize that she had nothing to feel bad over. It was all in the past anyway, and in the end it did draw them closer. But Rinya didn’t seem to be responding to anything. Not to his words, or to his touch. And she started to cry, which just made Jorin’s heart clench. He really hated to see her cry. But it seemed like she really needed to say what she was saying.

Jorin could feel a sharp stab of emotional pain from Rinya as he mentioned how he’d been distracted at the Kendoka, and immediately he realized he’d done the wrong thing. He had only wanted her to realize just how important to him she was, but he’d inadvertently caused her more pain by implying that she was the cause of that injury. Which she wasn’t. Distracted or not, at the Kendoka you fight your best and leave any personal issues at the door.

”It was my fault you got hurt,” Rinya insisted, tears still streaming down her face. Jorin wanted desperately to argue with her, but she plowed on. Jorin was actually not surprised when she told him she didn’t want to love him, at least until she mentioned why. She… thought he could leave her? That would never happen. He loved her far too much. Even a week of separation was hard, and they hadn’t even admitted their feelings then. For her to be gone now… he couldn’t even imagine it.

And as Rinya’s emotions kept going further and further down into its spiral, Jorin could help feeling guilty himself. It was clear to him that he was the reason she was hurting, and it seemed everything he did just made it worse. Was coming here with her a bad idea? Rinya went on, talking about how she was a bad choice for a lover. Jorin snorted. That was patently untrue. He’d never experienced happiness like he did these last few days, just being with her. But it was something that Rinya said after that caught his attention.

”You had every reason to believe her, you knew her better than you knew me.” Jorin could help it. When Rinya stopped to take a breath, shifting herself to face him, Jorin looked in her eyes. "Rinya, he insisted, gently but firmly, "that is absolutely not true. If there’s one thing I’ve learned these last few days it’s that I didn’t know Farline. I didn’t know her at all. I thought I did, but everything she said, everything she was, it was all a lie. By the third time I met you I already knew more about you that was true than I did Farline."

But Rinya wasn’t done. She looked down at her hands as she continued to talk about how she’d spent more time as a bird to try to get away from her feelings, how he’d already been hurt by the time she reopened their bond. How she was “terrible” for him, because she’d abandoned him. Tears were streaming down her face as she looked back into the water. Jorin put the soap aside and wrapped Rinya in a hug, holding her tightly to himself. He truly didn’t know what to do, what he could say to refute her. She wasn’t terrible for him, she was perfect, in every way. At least in his eyes, she was.

"Rinya you didn’t abandon me. You came back, remember?" he whispered to her as he rubbed his hand gently up and down her spine. Jorin’s own anger, frustration, and jealousy over Rhys faded into the background. Right now Rinya needed him.

"And I said it before, you’re not terrible for me. You’re perfect to me. Always have been. Always will be," Jorin insisted. "And even if you weren’t, I’d still want you."

Jorin leaned back a little so he could kiss the top of Rinya’s head. "Let’s not focus on the past, huh?" he suggested, as he resumed the hug. "What happened, happened. We both did things we regret. But look at the good that came out of it! If it had never happened, then we wouldn’t have had our moment in the hospital room. I wouldn’t have had a chance to tell you I was in love with you… who knows where we’d be now?"

Jorin release the hug, and brought his right hand to Rinya’s chin to lift her head, so he could look her in the eyes. "That lost week, Beautyfest, none of it matters. What matters is the day at the hospital. Or that night when we first moved in together." Jorin blushed. "That night after our first archery lesson, two days ago… and even the quiet moments, like when we’re in our home, just enjoying each other’s company. No single event, or even series of events, is going to take that away from us. Not unless we let it."

Jorin shifted his right hand from Rinya’s chin to her cheek, wiping away her tears with his thumb. "No more tears, Rinya," he comforted as he continued to stroke her cheek. Then he smiled, snaked his left hand to her waist, drew her close, and kissed her.

[Rinya]

Day 40, Season Fall, 513 AV

Jorin wasted no time in taking action. Even with her opinion of herself, she knew telling him wasn’t going to change his mind. She really was not even trying to change his mind actually, but her mouth just relayed everything in her head. Somewhere down the events of the day she cracked far more than she had intended to. Jorin pulled her to his chest and Rinya didn’t resist. She wrapped her arms around him as best she could and fairly clung to him. Of anything she could have wanted at the moment, this was it.

Her tears slowed, cheek pressed up against his chest over his heart as his hands tried to sooth her. Jorin tried to assure her that she hadn’t abandoned him, but returned to him. Rinya sighed roughly, closing her eyes. ”I did abandon you Jorin. But there was no way I could have stayed away—even if you had chosen someone else. Unless of course it would have made you happier if I was gone, but I knew that you wouldn’t have bonded to me if that was the case.”

Her voice was stronger, still soft and slightly choked, but stronger. His claim that she was perfect generated a small snort from her, but he did still want her and that was all that mattered in her tattered mind. But she couldn’t deny he had a point. Maybe they would have ended up here regardless, in each other’s arms. Or maybe they would have still been suppressed into the friends category and she’d be watching him with someone else. But it had happened none the less, and she really couldn’t entirely hate the way things turned out. She had learned her lesson.

Rinya wasn’t sure if it was because she got the feelings off her chest, or if it was Jorin’s easy acceptance, but she felt lighter. The tears had stopped and her throat no longer felt like she was going to stop breathing all together. She was nowhere near being alright with what she had done, part of her probably never would. But she was always the type of person to cry over something once and accept things as they were. She couldn’t have accepted it until she told him the truth—even if he didn’t agree with her thoughts.

Jorin pulled away from the hug and lifted her face. The touch felt more intimate for some reason, but it was the words that settled deep in her chest. He was always so confident about them. So sure. She didn’t doubt him honestly—not anymore. At times she still believed she should have given him up, but she hadn’t. And until he wanted otherwise, she’d depend on him to bring her mind back from the breaking point.

"No more tears, Rinya,"

She nodded against his fingers. ”Okay.” He smiled at her and this time she gave him a genuine smile in return. Small, but content, and she returned the kiss as gently as she could. She was intent on feeling the tender emotions he brought out in her, and she wasn’t disappointed. If there was one thing she didn’t doubt about herself, it was the emotions she felt for him. Their first spat hadn’t even lasted that long, which Rinya was eternally grateful for. ”I’m sorry Jorin.”

Even if he insisted that she never needed to apologize to him, he deserved it in so many ways. She had abandoned him, even if she did return. And she was never going to willingly do it again. Leaning back from the kiss, Rinya tilted her head a little and tried to lighten the mood. With the best mischievous smile she could muster, she cleared her throat. ”So… do I get to wash you as well?”

[Jorin Ertihan]

Season of Fall, Day 40, 513 AV

”I’m sorry Jorin.” And there Rinya went again with her apologies, even though Jorin had told her oh so many times she never needed to. He loved her, he trusted her, he wanted her. She never needed to apologize to him because he accepted her, all of her, including her hangups and her mistakes. Nobody was perfect, but she was the only one for him. Still, he just smiled and lightly scolded, "Now, now, Rinya, none of that," before pressing another kiss to her lips, letting more of his emotions flow through to her.

Rinya seemed to have calmed some, when he'd told her no more tears she'd agreed with a small, but contented and genuine smile. He was glad to see it; finally a smile on her beautiful face. He would do anything to keep it there. Jorin's right hand dropped to her shoulder, and he rubbed her skin there, noting now pleasantly smooth and silky it felt now that the sea salt had been washed off, and the restorative soap had moisturized it once more.

”So… do I get to wash you as well?” Rinya asked, with a small but mischievous smile. Jorin could tell Rinya was trying, attempting to restore some of her earlier levity. So he decided to play along, darting in to grab her by the waist and hugging her.

"Well, I don't know," Jorin replied, returning her smile with a grin of his own. "Maybe I should torment you like you did to me on that beach earlier today," he replied with a wink. Hey it was only fair! Rinya had her chance to be playful today. Now it was his turn.

Jorin thought for a moment. "How about, for as long as you are able to resist kissing me, you can wash me," he suggested, as his grin grew wider. His left hand went up to her bellybutton, tracing small circles around it, as his right picked up a small piece of soap. Pressing it into Rinya's hands, he leaned forward and started planting kisses on Rinya's collarbone, working down instead of up this time, toward her chest, as his left hand started working its way up as well.

"Let me know when you give up," he murmured into her as he decided to do what Rinya did to him earlier, nibbling slightly on her skin.

[Rinya]

Day 40, Season Fall, 513 AV

"Maybe I should torment you like you did to me on that beach earlier today,"

Rinya couldn’t help but cock an eyebrow at Jorin. Apparently Jorin was in a playful mood this time. Not that she minded in the least. While she was feeling better, she really could use a nice distraction. But the fact he wanted to play the same game they did on the beach intrigued her slightly. The game had been fun being the one in control, but now she was on the other side. Anticipation of feeling what Jorin felt earlier bubbled in her chest.

But Jorin was catching on quickly. Her stomach muscles clenched as he teased the skin around her bellybutton. Drawing a sharp breath, Rinya took the soap from his hands. Jorin pressed his lips against her collarbone and she sighed softly in response. Her body hummed with energy, and for a moment she forgot what she was supposed to be doing. And then Jorin started to move across her skin. Immediately the warmth across her skin sparked into fire.

"Let me know when you give up,"

Jorin nipped her skin and Rinya gasped, her back arching on its own violation. But Rinya always accepted a good challenge and she figured if she was going to build up some self control this was one of the best ways to do it. And she had a slight advantage that Jorin didn’t before. She could touch him. Gritting her teeth against the gentle assault, Rinya rubbed the soap between her fingers before reaching out with her left hand to his neck. Lathering his skin, Rinya worked her way down his left arm, before dragging her fingers across his chest to the right arm. ”What if I don’t want to give up?”

Her right hand placed the soap off to the side and slipped under his arm to his back. Trying to concentrate however at the task at hand was proving difficult however. Jorin already knew how to make her shiver despite the heat of the room. Which had gone back to being stifling hot, but for entirely different reasons. Snagging the sponge, Rinya began to slowly rinse the soap from his skin. Clearing her throat, Rinya made a huge effort to focus on the words about to come out of her mouth. ”You know J-Jorin…” Rinya stuttered slightly and she bit her bottom lip for a moment before trying again.

”I love you.” It came out as a breathy whisper, and completely not what she meant to say. But it worked well enough and that was all that mattered.