What Now?

[Nox]

The anger in her voice made Nox pause. It was different than her usual tone. More finite, more fragile. The wrong thing would end things before they began. Her hand at his throat was oddly intimate, different than before. Not about pain or more the control of things. She was always in control even if he pretended otherwise. And the truth was it was the way they both preferred it. Nox flicked his eyes and the song ended. She didn't like him without the horde, didn't really want more when it was just him, but he gave her what she wanted. He'd always do that.

Nox stared back into the fury in her eyes. He might have flinched if he felt the fire, but it just glanced off the emptiness. But he saw into her as much as she saw into him. The emptiness was strange yet with Oriena that was more. Much like there was with Lily on his chest. She was not the love of his life, she wasn't even a close tenth. She was his friend. She was family. But more importantly Oriena knew his truth. Everything about him she could know. A best friend in a strange way. It wasn't completely empty as he leaned forward and pressed a gentler kiss to Oriena's lips. It wasn't fueld by the anger, the horde, or anything more than what he felt what little he could feel.

Oriena never wanted fake. He knew it. But there was a tinge of fear that even reality might push her away. But he kissed her, touched her in ways he hadn't done before -- softer, gentler. He wanted to show her she mattered in this moment. She mattered to him -- always.