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Walking around the ramparts of Revenant's Toll, hand in hand. Slowing to watch the Aetheryte plaza from high above. A woman in pink and red appeared, and walked into the Seventh Heaven, and Thancred was suddenly adorably awkward. "Her outfit reminds me..." He smiled bashfully. "It's almost Valentione's... do you have any plans?"
The memory of Thancred's smile, of his kiss, evoked a sigh from Ester. Her shield felt heavy. Her sword felt leaden. Her armor felt burdensome. She remembered how light she had felt in his arms. She remembered how he, and he alone, made her feel like she could deal with this strange world she found herself in...
By the twelve, she missed him.
And Yaana was at her throat, feinting and jabbing as she forced her back across the training room floor. The Black Cat's claws squealed off of her shoulder pauldron, drawing blood as she slashed her neck.
The pain, bright and sharp, briefly cleared the fog that had wrapped around her mind. She brought up her shield, parrying Yaana's next strike, and then she was on the offensive. The bright light of Confiteor erupted from the floor of the gym as the aetheric blade pierced the Black Cat's aether, stunning her. She followed it up with Blade of Faith to knock her opponent into the air and then she was launching herself forward, she was slamming into her adversary, her blade was at her neck and the queer little projection that ringed Yaana's regulator was wobbling as the feral souls she had channeled were drawn back from whence they'd come.
The athletic Hhetsarro didn't seem to care. Her eyes were drawn to Ester's neck. "Shite!" She sighed. "I am so sorry."
"It's fine." Ester slung her shield and sheathed her sword, freeing her hands. She pulled off a gauntlet, and pressed her bare hand to her neck. In a bright flash Clemency pulled her separated flesh back together, without so much as a scar. Plenty of blood, yes, but the Arcadion had showers, and a workshop for cleaning her armor. She wasn't worried. She had something else on her mind right now. Someone else.
"It is not fine," her sparring partner objected. "We didn't agree to blood. And your head is in the clouds. You're a thousand malms away. What's wrong?" Yaana nodded towards the exit to the locker room.
Everything was wrong. She was alone on Valentione's.
"I don't have plans," she answered. "Should I? What is Valentione's?" It seemed like something Elyn might know...
"It's a reason to be romantic," he smiled warmly, boyishly.
"You don't need a reason," she smiled impishly as she tugged on his collar. She leaned down, nipping playfully at his earlobe.
She missed him.
Ester felt like a gawky schoolgirl every time she kissed Thancred in public. He made her giggle. He made her blush. He made her feel young. She hadn't giggled or blushed in moons. This sun she felt every sun of her age. Not the age of the young, fit body that she found herself in. The age of the body she had left behind.
"It's nothing," Ester sighed. "It's..." She frowned, and bit her lip.
"You can talk to me." Yaana gazed up at her, concern etched upon her brow.
"It's... This sun's a romantic observance in Eorzea," Ester sighed again. She felt blood on her neck, pooling around the collar of her practice armor. "I need to get cleaned up."
"You can talk to me," Yaana repeated as she held the door for her. As they passed out of the gym and into the locker room, she murmured "If you can't talk to me, you should talk to somebody."
"I would," Ester snapped. "But he's not here." She regretted her tone. She took a deep breath, and made an effort to control the sorrow welling up inside of her.
"Oh..." Yaana nodded sagely. "Boy problems. It's a romantic observance and you're missing your romantic partner. No wonder you wanted to spar this sun. No wonder your heart's not in it." The Light-heavyweight fighter patted her back soothingly.
"Yeah." The beleaguered Paladin felt like she was going to cry. "Yeah, that's why."
They split up. Ester grabbed a towel, and cleaned the blood off of her neck. She stood in front of the mirror, and she wondered what Thancred saw when he looked at her. She felt lost, and vulnerable. She felt sad, and lonely.
Numbly, mechanically, she doffed the layers of her practice armor. She hung the components in her locker, and she grabbed a towel, and she padded over to the showers. She lost herself in the heat, in the steam. She tried to forget just how lonely she felt.
"You have the most exquisite scars." A low, sultry voice murmured from behind her. She felt a finger on her back, tracing the fruits of a particularly nasty labor. She felt a presence draw close. She felt breath on the back of her ear.
"I'd like to add to your collection" Vamp Fatale purred.
"Oi! Swive off!" Yaana yelled from across the locker room. "You can read a crowd but you can't read the room? Can't you see she's not in the mood?"
"My offer stands." The red-haired Eldite withdrew, leaving Ester to dry off, and dejectedly make her way back to her locker.
She was half dressed when she finally noticed the slim jewelry box, perched on the little shelf next to her practice armor. That hadn't been there when she'd gone to shower...
Ishgardian ear cuffs. Simple, and understated.
A note, written on a tiny slip of paper—
The Mosaic. 18th bell. Wear these.
"Eee!" She squeaked as she gazed down at the gift.
The note was in his handwriting!
And suddenly she was no longer depressed, and dejected. Suddenly she was giddy.
He was here! He was in Solution Nine!
The chronometer on the wall by the exit to the gym read around sixteen thirty. She had ninety minutes to fill. She took the long way to the apartments, using the time to walk off her nervous energy. She fretted about the condition of her apartment. She changed into the white silk kimono-like dress that she had found at the market in Kugane. She donned the ear cuffs, and a matching necklace that he had given her some time ago—a simple bar of platinum attached to a thin chain. She dug out the sandals that matched her dark brown hair, and she took everything off and laid it all out on the bed and she showered again, using a sea salt-scented body wash.
This time she dried her hair with a device that harnessed fire and air crystals, and she thought hard about putting on makeup.
No. If she didn't put it on, she wouldn't have to take it off later.
All that and she still arrived at the Mosaic half a bell early.
The wait was frustrating. She wasn't sure if she should stand, or sit. She wasn't sure where she should stand, or sit. She had no idea what direction he'd come from, or what he'd be wearing...
Oh, but he was here, and that was what mattered! She focused on the fact that her aether-sealed love interest had made the journey. And it was a long journey, especially if you couldn't teleport.
He was here... wasn't he? That was his handwriting? She nervously plucked at an ear cuff, and wondered if she had walked into a trap set by someone else. She wouldn't put it past Vamp to do something like this, just to swive with her...
Familiar looks, familiar nods. She was a familiar face in these parts. The residents left her alone; she wasn't in her usual adventuring garb, she wasn't her usual confident self...
Please, don't ask me what I'm doing here or who I'm waiting for...
Ester gasped as she felt a hand on her shoulder. His hand.
Thancred smiled warmly as she turned to behold him. He wore his Gunbreaking attire and his usual boyish smile. His armor had been cleaned and buffed; his overcoat had been bleached a brilliant white.
"Hey, sweetness" His lips parted invitingly. "It's been awhile."
She hugged him tightly. He patted her back, and he stood on the front of his feet to nuzzle her ear, and kiss her cheek.
"Why did you come all this way, you ass." Tears blurred her vision as she gazed down at him. Gods, his eyes... She could see in his eyes that he had missed her dearly.
"You're worth the effort." He smiled warmly, winsomely. "I've reserved a table. Mind you, this isn't the most romantic of venues..."
"That doesn't matter." She allowed him to take her hand and guide her into the seating area, to a small table for two.
He pulled out her chair, and she allowed him to seat her. Instead of menus their waitress brought them platters of seasoned rroneek steak and eggs, along with glasses of a red wine with a most peculiar bouquet. Something from the Ninth, perhaps? She wasn't sure. She didn't care, really. He was here. That was all that mattered.
She wished they were alone. She wished she was laying next to him, combing her fingers through his ash blonde hair as she kissed him tenderly.
"Can you stay?" She had other questions, none of which mattered more.
"Just for tonight." He smiled rakishly, guiltily.
"Will you still be here when I wake up?" That mattered almost as much. She was used to him disappearing in the night. She expected to wake up alone.
"Of course." His smile became hesitant; his eyes became guilty. He had a habit of leaving in the night, and he knew that every time he disappeared into the darkness, he was hurting her.
The steak was delicious. While the eggs were a bit strange, they paired surprisingly well with the wine. The waitress swept in for their empty plates as soon as she had finished; she squeaked like a surprised mouse when the uniformed woman returned with two servings of...
"Rolanberry cheesecake?!" Ester's eyes widened in delight. "I didn't know they had rolanberries here!"
"They don't." Thancred grinned confidently. "Urianger teleported to Mor Dhona for me." He nodded over her shoulder; she turned and beheld the lanky Astrologian, standing at the bar.
Ester waved, and caught his eye, and enunciated a silent 'thank you.' She blew him a kiss, and then she returned her attention to Thancred, and their dessert.
"I still can't believe you're here." She took a bite, savoring the thick, creamy texture of the cheesecake and the cool tartness of the rolanberries. "I must be dreaming."
"Maybe you are." He shrugged nonchalantly.
She pointedly pinched the back of her hand.
He was still here. Still smiling.
The Warrior of Light bit her lip, and closed her eyes, and sighed. "I've missed you so much. Especially the past week or so. It's been moons since I've heard so much as a peep from you." He had sent her a note through Urianger. A note that had read I love you on one side and I miss you on the other.
She had smudged the ink with her tears.
"You know how it is." He obfuscated his guilty expression by eating a few bites of cheesecake.
"That doesn't make it hurt any less, you ass." Gods, this cheesecake was delicious and he was here and all she could do was complain about him not being here. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be—I'm glad you're here. I'm grateful that you've made the effort. I am so happy to see you! I just... I wish we had more time together." She knew that he'd leave in the morning. He always did.
"We have tonight." He nodded towards the apartments in the distance. "To the extent that Solution Nine has a night..." He looked around, indicating the bright pastel blues and purples with his eyes.
"The apartments have blinds," Ester smiled suggestively.
"You'll have to show me how they work." Thancred's eyes twinkled as his lips curled into a boyish grin.
They took their time walking to her apartment. Ester stiffened as she neared the door. Something was wrong. She had closed it and locked it when she had left for the Mosaic, and now it was slightly ajar.
Her aether twisted briefly as she slipped into Iron Will. The air around her and Thancred sparkled and sparked as she silently cast Divine Veil. She readied Confiteor as she lay her hand on the door, and then she was pushing it open, she was stepping through, she was ready for anything, and—
Roses!
The entire living area of her apartment was covered in roses! Every shelf. Every table. The blinds had been adjusted to near darkness; the apartment was lit with the warm glow of a dozen or so candles.
Ester jumped as she heard Thancred close the door. She relaxed as he massaged her shoulders. She released Iron Will, and Confiteor. She allowed Divine Veil to dissipate.
The air smelled wonderful.
She had been half a bell early, at most. "How in the hells did you—"
"—Sssh." He kissed the back of her neck. He was a master infiltrator, an Archon, and every so often he'd remind her of that fact with a demonstration of his affections.
She took his hand and guided him into her bedroom, which had been given a similar treatment. Dozens of roses occupied the dresser and nightstand, along with half a dozen or so candles. The bedding had been a mess when she had left; it was now neatly made and folded down, awaiting them. She turned, and took his head in her hands, and she leaned down and kissed him tenderly.
They slowly helped each other out of their clothes. She fought to resist the urge to quickly strip him down, to feast on him. She had no idea when she'd see him again; she was not going to rush this moment. She pulled off his gloves, and she unbuckled his breastplate and his thighboots. She unfastened his trousers, and knelt as she tugged them down. He unbuttoned his shirt and cast it aside as she hooked her fingers beneath the band of his smalls, tugging them down, down...
Her sandals came off easily. Her dress pooled around her ankles like water. She bit her lip, frissoning as he lowered her smalls over her thighs, allowing them to slide down her calves to the floor as he stood, and kissed her tenderly.
He looked like a golden god in the candlelight. His muscles, his scars, his smile... She guided him to the bed, and she kissed him deeply. She explored his mouth cautiously, then eagerly as she realized that this wasn't a dream. He really was here, he really was wrapping his strong arms around her, he really was reciprocating her affections...
Her lover guided her to lay face down on the bed. He massaged her long, graceful neck with his strong, lightly callused hands. He massaged her shoulders, and her back. He worked his way down to her bottom, and then he took his time with her thighs, her calves, and her feet. He worked his way back up, lingering over her backside, and as he reached her shoulders again, she felt his readied length sliding slickly and suggestively between her cheeks.
Ester moaned happily as she felt his slickness, his readiness. She rolled over beneath him; she wrapped her arms around his neck and she kissed him hungrily, needfully. He teased her entrance with his tip, and then he was stroking her with his fingers, he was making sure that she was ready for him and she wanted him now, she needed him now.
She guided his hand away, and she moaned quietly as he slid between her folds.
It was their first time together in moons. When they were caught up, when her deferred need for him had become less urgent, she would ride him, or he would take her from behind. For now she craved the ancient, the simple. She needed him to have control. She cried out as he thrust himself into her; she adjusted her angle, she rolled her hips, and they fit together so well that she felt like she had solved some sort of cosmic puzzle. She wrapped her long legs around him, and she closed her eyes, and she begged him not to stop.
He took his time with her. She gave herself to him, and he satisfied her with his length, and his hands, and his tongue.
Slowly, they exhausted each other. She wanted to couple with him all night, but eventually the need to rest and recoup her stamina became stronger than her need to feel him inside of her. She needed to save a little bit of herself for tomorrow, just in case he was still here in the morning.
"Thank you," she murmured quietly as he nuzzled her ear. "Thank you for coming here."
"You're worth the effort." He kissed the back of her ear, her neck, her shoulder.
They drifted to sleep in each other's arms.
To her grateful surprise, he was still with her in the morning.