Private Needing A Hand Or Two

[Alina Tremiru]

A very nervous laugh escaped Alina as Darth Strosius asked what ideas she might have. There was no fighting back the blush this time. She cleared her throat before her gaze fell to the table. "I uh, wouldn't mind doing more of what we did this morning.." That's all she dared to say on it. Her gaze flicked up to watch him, just for a moment, before she found something interesting on the table to watch instead. She'd never actually talked about that sort of thing before.

At least, not with someone she cared about. That she wanted. Ah, there were too many thoughts going through her mind. "How much longer until the food gets here..?"

 

[Darth Strosius]

"...Oh." Well that would explain the blushing then. He cleared his throat and shifted in his seat as he felt the heat rise up in his own cheeks, finding his hands to be rather interesting to stare at all of a sudden. Alisteri merely gave a small, almost imperceptible nod in response. He didn't trust himself to say aloud what he meant of course.

"Ah food yes!" Eager to change the subject, his head swiveled around just in time to see the waiter approaching with their meals in hand. Perfect timing. Note to self: leave a good tip. And thankfully the waiter brought them some water as well, a perfect distraction from the now-receding blush that still occupied his face.

The waiter said nothing, merely glancing between the young man and Alina Tremiru before departing again after the food had been set down.

 

[Alina Tremiru]

Food was a wonderful distraction. She turned her gaze to the waiter, smiling kindly and nodding her thanks. But then it was right to the burger. A large grin spread across her features as she lifted it up. It smelled divine. Wonderfully cooked. She took a bite immediately. It was as good as it smelled. Alina focused on the meal itself, sighing with delight.

"The food is great! We'll have to come here more often."

 

[Darth Strosius]

Alisteri wasted no time in digging into his steak. Eager for a distraction and hungry, it was just what he needed. Cooked to perfection as well, a good bit rarer than he was used to but he had wanted to try it. Hope for a little blood in it maybe, but he doubted it. "Agreed! I'll make sure to get a reservation around the same time for our next visit here as well." Not many people, good service, this restaurant had turned out even better than he had hoped. Not to mention the good food as well.

It proved to be well worth the cost, of that he was sure.

Alina Tremiru

 

[Alina Tremiru]

Alina flashed Darth Strosius a smile before focusing on the meal itself. She didn't eat too quickly, but how hungry she actually felt had her devouring it in silence. Only when she actually finished did she realize that she'd been rude with how exactly she was eating. She cleared her throat, taking up a napkin to wipe off the mess on her cheeks. "That.. Was good. Yeah."

 

[Darth Strosius]

Alisteri did his best to eat his meal gradually, but having not eaten for the better part of a day now, he didn't take his time nearly as much as he would have usually. He hardly even noticed how Alina Tremiru ate hers, he was far too focused with devouring his own meal. "That it was. By far the best steak I think I've ever had." It hadn't taken him long at all to finish his meal either, but he did make sure that he hadn't gotten too messy with it of course. "I'm glad you enjoyed it."

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"I'll have to try the steak next time. It did look pretty good." She leaned back in her chair, looking more than satisfied with the meal. She sat like that for a little bit longer, then finally stood up from her chair. "Well. We should get going to that walk, right? I'm actually really eager to see where exactly we're supposed to be heading. You ready to go?" She glanced to Darth Strosius with an eager grin. Thus far, the date had been spectacular.

 

[Darth Strosius]

"It was. I wonder if they take requests to leave a bit of blood in it..." He idly licked his fangs as he spoke, taking a moment to sit back as well. It was a filling meal indeed, he almost hated to just go and walk it off. Alisteri blinked in surprise at how excited Alina Tremiru sounded, a grin soon spreading across his face as well. "Of course, I'll go pay real quick and we can be on our merry way."

He slid out of his seat and took a moment to stretch. "We can pay at the door though, thankfully."

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"No no. I didn't kick your ass or anything, so let me pay. You should save that money for thay charity of yours." She smiled kindly. There was nothing malicious about it. Her money wasn't going towards anything important, so why not spend it on Darth Strosius ? Alina didn't take no for an answer either, pulling out the credits as they approached the door to hand them off. Once that was done, she walked out into the street with a big smile.

She really was looking forward to the walk.

Unfortunately the weather had different plans. No sooner did she step out than did the stormy skies above open up. It was immediately a heavy rain. Alina's smile didn't fade though. This was something she was used to. Her eyes fell back to her date even as the rain completely soaked through her dress. A hand raised, held out for him.

"We should probably head back, huh."

 

[Darth Strosius]

For a moment, his only response was to stare at her in surprise. Had it not been for the warm feeling that bloomed in his chest at her words, he probably would've argued with her about paying. Oh well, there was always next time. "Kick my ass? I personally thought that our sparring match was too close to call it that..." Alisteri muttered under his breath, a small smirk forming in his face.

Said smirk faded a bit as they stepped outside just in time to catch the rain.

His gaze shifted up and sent a glare to the clouds above, as if he hoped that would dispel them. Of course, it didn't. He looked back at Alina Tremiru as she spoke, feeling his breath hitch again. Something about the rain made her look stunning, but he was quick to recompose himself and take her hand. "We should indeed." Doing his best not to waste any time and get even more soaked as a result, he rushed back to the academy alongside her. At one point he almost couldn't help but laugh as he hurried through the rain.

Soon enough they were back in the dry academy and he was relieved to be out of the rain. By now he was soaked to the bone from the heavy rain, but it didn't really matter. He had a good time with his date, and that was all that mattered.

 

[Alina Tremiru]

Alina seemed just fine being in the rain. She didn't feel any need to rush, but the moment Darth Strosius took her and and dragged her along she laughed and followed him. Her eyes stayed on him as they rushed back to the academy, never really looking away. He knew where they were going, so she wasn't really caring about watching anything else. When they finally made it back into the academy she took over leading them.

Her grip tightened around his hand as she pulled him along, back towards her room. She smiled over her shoulder to him now and then. Alina had never actually been this happy before. Even though they were soaked by the rain, there was no where she'd rather be than here with him. She ignored the fact her room was a mess as she opened the door, pulling him in along with her. "Thank you for today. And.. Yesterday. Just.. Thank you for being here with me." She smiled softly as she closed the door before walking over to start packing up the clothing she'd thrown around to at least somewhat tidy up.

"We should probably take a shower or something. Do you think we can catch colds now?"

 

[Darth Strosius]

Alisteri had no problems following Alina Tremiru as she lead him back to her room, still shaking off the cold rain and chuckling. He wasn't really sure what was so funny, perhaps that the date had gone off without a hitch even with all the obstacles? Perhaps he was glad to have made it back to the academy without slipping and falling into a puddle? Who knew.

By the time that they got back to her room however, he was just glad to be with her. The mess was hardly even noticed, and the still soaked clothing did nothing to hamper his mood. He couldn't help but smile and turn a little red at her thanks though. "I feel as if I should be the one thanking you Alina, but I'm very happy to have you say that." Time, nerves, and courage had all been spent on just showing up at her door ready for a date, and it had all paid off. She had enjoyed the date. A little bit of pride felt warranted, not that he was going to say anything of course.

"I...hm...good question. Personally, I'd rather not find out just in case." He was quick to help her clean up a bit, eager to do something with his hands to get his blood flowing and warm up a bit. The soaked clothing had cooled now, and it would be a lie if he said he wasn't occasionally shivering from it.

"Well, I guess I'll leave you to your shower. I think a nice warm one sounds perfect right about now, hopefully I won't drip too much on the way back to Saket's."

 

[Alina Tremiru]

There was no hiding the smile she had as she listened to Darth Strosius turn around her thanks. It wasn't a surprise, given that's how he'd always been. Even when they first met. Her smile faded a little as he mentioned leaving though. That was the last thing she wanted, especially after the lunch they had. She wanted to spend way more time with him. And she didn't want him to leave, either. Before he could even think about leaving she stepped over to him, reaching out to take his hand.

"You could always use my shower. I.. Don't want you to go yet." Her voice was much softer than it had been before. There was a faint bit of red on her cheeks, but only from the embarrassment that she really didn't want him to go. The fact she couldn't meet his gaze was more about her unwillingness to let him go and leave. Even for a short while. Her clothing still dripped with rain. Thankfully not enough to soak the carpet, but enough to leave some damp spots.

"Can you stay? Please..?"

 

[Darth Strosius]

Alisteri thought little of leaving at first if he was honest. Lunch was over, they were both soaked and eager to get dry, and Alina Tremiru had enjoyed her time with him. In his mind, he had succeeded and assumed that was just that. Now that he thought of it actually, dating tips had always been vague on how to end the date. All of his thoughts were put on hold however as she took his hand.

...She acts like I could say no...

Something about her voice made any thoughts he had about leaving melt immediately. How could he leave when she asked him to stay and stirred such a fluttering feeling in his chest? His face grew a slight bit red as he wrapped his arm around her, pulling her into a hug and gently pressing his forehead against hers. "Of course I can stay..." Those words were soft, meaningful. He did let out a small chuckle however. "You have no idea how glad I am that you haven't tired of me yet."

 

[Alina Tremiru]

Her hand slipped from his as she settled her arms on his shoulders. Having him like this, forehead to forehead. That safe feeling was there again. Of all the things she felt for Darth Strosius , the safety was the best. A bright smile formed as he said he'd stay. Good. Honestly, she might of made him stay otherwise. She really didn't want him to leave.

"I will never grow tired of feeling like this.."

Alina's voice had softened into a whisper now that they were this close. Her eyes were closed as she simply savored the feeling of being this close to him. Minutes would pass by of her being content with this, but eventually her eyes would open once again to find his. There were no words. The faintly glowing yellow had a new emotion obvious in them. Desire. And fear. Her hands lifted up to run through the hair on the back of his head.

"No matter what happens, it's us against anything that'd threaten it. Right?"

 

[Darth Strosius]

His eyes slid closed as they held one another, his free arm soon joining the other in wrapping around her as a small sigh left him. Alisteri was all too happy to stay, and he had no problem showing it. Here they were just the two of them all alone, and yet he felt...content. Safe, complete, whatever words that could describe the feeling she gave him. It mattered little, they were together and that was all that he could care about in this moment.

He gave no audible response, but his smile did grow a bit as his eyes opened ever so slightly just to look at Alina Tremiru . Soon enough he was staring back into her eyes, yellow on yellow, and doing his best not to shiver from her touch and the look in her eyes. It was difficult to discern anything but adoration from his gaze. "No matter what. You and I, against whatever would try to get in between us." His words were whispered, sincere and sweet as if they were for her ears only. To be fair, they probably were.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." The smile twisted into a small smirk. "I think that party that we met at was the best thing to ever happen to me."

 

[Alina Tremiru]

A deep blush formed at the mention of the party. That was one of the lowest points she had been in. No power. Being shown off as a potential trophy wife by her mother. Wanting nothing more than to get drunk and even making Darth Strosius go get her a drink. To think that was how the first time they met. She hadn't even thought much of him at that point. A masked acolyte that had ended up at the party. He kept her company, but she didn't think they'd end up anything like this.

"I'm not so glad you saw me in that dreadful dress, but.. I am glad you were there." Her words were just as soft as his. Alina didn't look away from him, even though she was plenty embarrassed by the memory. She wanted to be here with him. And she certainly didn't want to hide away from him. Still, she wasn't sure what to do now. Her eyes searched his, memorizing all of his face.

He was beautiful.

"Ali, I.." No words came to mind. Instead she just tilted her head up to brush her lips against his, if only for a moment. She pulled back almost immediately, though. Almost like she was hesitant for what was going to happen. What she wanted to happen. She was nervous, for sure.

Alisteri mattered to her all too much. The kind that made her not want to mess things up.

 

[Darth Strosius]

That party had been a variety of things for Alisteri. A reprieve from war. A reward from some impressed officers. Even a spot of embarrassment as he realized just how underdressed he was. Most importantly though, it had been a chance meeting with Alina Tremiru . He chuckled at the memory, idly recalling how he had lied to her about why he was there. He still didn't know why, but it was funny now regardless.

"Really?" A smirk cropped up again. "I thought you looked good in that dress."

He wasn't joking, but he did speak in a teasing tone. He fell silent though, as she stared at him. Were it not for the wet clothes, he'd have nothing else to blame the small shiver on besides her gaze. Something about the look in her eyes, about the way that they looked into his, made his heart beat faster. Perhaps it was anticipation, perhaps it was just the mood in the air.

The moment that her lips brushed his, his eyes nearly closed. They were half-lidded when she pulled away though, an undertone of desire burning beneath his gaze. He could tell that she was nervous, and a small part of him was as well.

"You don't have to say it...bit I'd love to hear it." That part had little to no bearing on him however, especially when he moved forward just enough to capture her lips in a kiss.

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"It wasn't my kind of dress, is all. If I'm going to wear a dress, it's gotta be something like this. Or more punk. I like punk." Not that she even wore such clothing to begin with. Still, hearing him say he liked it made her heart flutter. Their first meeting wasn't as bad as she'd like to imagine. Though it was hard to really think about that after the brief kiss. The fact he was starting to get more comfortable with everything this was becoming had her heart pounding in her ears.

What was it she was going to say? She had no idea, at first. It was just something to fill the silence, but as Darth Strosius once more took her in a kiss it became incredibly obvious. Her eyes closed as she pulled him further into the room, towards the bathroom no less. They were still dripping water on her carpet after all. Her hands stayed in his hair, tightening their grip as she leaned further into the kiss. This. That's all that mattered right now. She broke from the kiss once she backed into the door.

A soft smile was once more on her lips as she leaned comfortably against the metal door behind her. "Will you take that shower with me now..?"

 

[Darth Strosius]

Punk huh? I can see it. Although imagining Alina Tremiru in various dresses was tempting, he had far more pressing matters. Such as enjoying the kiss. He was surprised that he had been the one to start it for a moment, but that thought and any concerns simply melted away. Had he been told just this morning that this was how the two of them would end up, he had little doubt that he would've laughed at the idea. Yet here they were, and they was little room for laughter now.

There was no hesitation as she pulled him along, hardly even realizing where they were going until she had broken the kiss. A look of surprise crossed his face, quickly followed by a bright red bush as she spoke. That was a very good question. They were both soaked and eager to get warm in a shower, and he knew that he was eager to continue kissing her. 'Tempting' did little to describe the offer in his mind, and it didn't really take long to come to a decision on it. He glanced away, his face still burning as he replied.

"...I think I will finally take you up on that offer Alina..."