The Sweet Taste of Disappointment

[Draconian]

The images sent blood right to her head.

Though instantly her hands let go of his and she froze in her seat. Was that... Was he trying to tempt her or something? Because that was just really weird! "You're not even wearing a belt!" Varali practically yelped, looking at him like he'd burned her by pushing his fantasies into her head. Apollo was, if anything, intent on his goals.

Determined.

Stubborn.

A bit of a sleaze, but... Varali had some idea of the... Goodness... He could portray. Her wings a good example. He'd dropped everything to help her with her wings and only went for a boob grope after the fact. The memory of it sent a shiver down her spine but she squeezed her eyes shut. They jolted open again when she felt his lips on her cheek and she blinked at him with wide eyes.

"I..." Varali blinked at him mouth open before she moved her hands to catch his cheeks, tilt his head and kiss his forehead. "No," she whispered before pulling away and looking into his eyes, breath short before she stood up and away from the table with her arms open, "All you're getting out of me is a hug," she said softly, "So keep your dirty thoughts to yourself."

[Lion]

The blood going to her head was meant to be sent elsewhere. Or perhaps that's just where he wanted it to go. Apollo didn't want to give any true thought to what he intended with that pressing thought trick. Apollo just liked being close to her, and liked the little jolts it sent into his belly when he was. And why not?  She was single, she was beautiful, and sweet as cherry pie.

She was so close, her lips were right there. Apollo's eyelids fluttered shut and he leaned in intent on planting his lips to hers agian. when she...  She was fucking kissing him all right!

ON THE FOREHEAD!!!!

"You...what?!!"  He blinked at her stupidly, jaw half-dropped and he saw her arms stretched open. "Oh... Well don't mind if I do. Seriously. Because I'm gonna hug you until just wanna kiss me all over."

Waste not want not, right. So he swooped in and wrapped them around her in a yanking tackle. Apollo picked her up from the floor, keeping his arms at the base of her waist and squeezing her too him. "Wanna kiss me yet?" he said, twirling her around.

[Draconian]

Varali made a face and pushed at his shoulders, trying to get down. A little wiggle and she just stared at his face, looking worried. Fingers held his shirt and she just frowned at him, leaning in to press her forehead to his to make the twirling sensation not so bad.

"If I kiss you will you stop spinning?"  She hissed, pressing her lips to his cheek again, arms curling around his neck and squeezing her eyes shut.

[Lion]

"Hell yes!" he hissed and did stop. And before she could rescind any promises to the matter, Apollo leaned in and kissed her, sweetly but hotly and he plucked at her lips until his arms felt the need to give her some air. He didn't wanna kill the girl after all.

"There, now was that so difficult!?" he snorted. He was relatively close and his heart was beating a goddamned mile a minute. "You know, you have nice lips. You should share them more often."

[Draconian]

Varali squeezed her eyes shut during the kiss, trying not to whimper into it before he pulled away. Slowly her eyes opened and she breathed, flushed, squinting at him. Licking her lips and looking at him.

"Share with who?" She whispered, "a nice boy at the brothel?"

[Lion]

Apollo giggled out loud. The snort was rather unbecoming but he was far too giddy to give a shit. Right now, he had something gorgeous in front of him with an ass he could bounce a quarter off of. He'd caught that little noise she made during that kiss, and he could feel the need for sleaze about to rear it's ugly head.

Apollo gave a grumble, feigning disappointment.

"Why bother with a brothel when you can exercise those lovely lips with me? I'm much closer than some stupid whorehouse. I'm cleaner too. I swear," he said with a purr. Apollo tilted his head, taking his time about it, pressing a curved index finger underneath their chin and coaxing her head delicately upward.

He kissed her a second time, this time slower, focused and curling his fingers into the side of her head, into her hair that he wanted to bury his face into. No dirty thoughts, nothing else that required any intonation beyond the curious touches he gave to her face and lips.

[Draconian]

The second kiss was slower. Nicer. It sent her heart reeling and she felt it speed up her pulse. This was normal. Her hands moved to his elbows and she gave his arms a squeeze before she gently pulled away. Flushed. Heated.

"Apollo," she said softly, pulling away. Distance. Varali needed distance or things would move too fast. Too soon. While she was a rational adult, in a world over saturated in everything else Varali didnt want it to feel cheap. Didn't want it to feel like everything else.

"We should go back to having conversations. Like adults," a few more steps away and while her face didn't display her emotions her wings gave nervous impulsive movements, "I want to be your friend. I can't do that if you keep kissing me."

[Lion]

Apollo leaned backwards, taken aback by the abrupt parting. It wasn't at all unexpected, and he released a soft whine when she pulled away. Such sweet sorrow indeed.

She was right though. Apollo really didn't give two fucks if she was kissing him or touching him. Hell just being in the same damn room was enough to send shivers up his spine. He wanted her more than he could consciously think of. And if Apollo was truly considering it, he might tell himself that being all caught up with one person wasn't anything at all like he was used to.

And he'd be right. This wasn't normal for Apollo in the slightest. And yet...Varali looked like she could use a friend.

"So what were we conversating about? Something to do with our neat abilities. And why they mesh so well together, I think," Apollo murmured.

[Draconian]

How they mess well together?

Varali just blinked at him for a moment before she turned ro the table to grab the dishes and stack them up. Stack the cups. Everything was brought to the sink and she paused there for a moment, glancing over her shoulder at her... Friend.

Confused. Varali was just really really confused.

He didn't get all handsy. He'd touched her boob once. Apollo went in for a lot of kisses thoigh. Maybe that was his version of a hug? Varali cleaned the dishes while she though, careful with the cut on her palm. Careful with the knife in her sink.

Carefully she examined it before she put it into the dishrack. "They don't mesh," she said softly, "our abilities." Still she once she was done she dried off her hands and leaned on the counter, watching her guest.

"I... Understand that you're... Free with your affection," she said softly, glancing away, flushing at the idea of Apollo with anyone - mostly because of the images it gave her, "but... Are you afraid of me? Do I repulse you? You come on to me like I'm water and you're a fish but when you... Make attempts at seduction - I'm assuming here - You can't be done with me sooner." A little frown, "was it the panic attack? Are you not wanting to send me into the wrong kind of convulsions? Because i'm getting mixed signals and the sooner i figure out if the kisses are because you're a slut or because you genuinely like me the sooner I can stop over thinking them."

[Lion]

Apollo took a seat back at the table, wishing she hadn't clean up the food just yet. He'd only just gotten around to enjoying it. Whatever brew she had, he'd have to start investing in if he was intent on getting her inside his apartment more and more often.

The silence fell for a long moment, and he watched Critter playing with Tix, running back and forth furiously again and Critter finally stopping long enough to pin Tix to the carpet and nipping at his long ears. Floof and floof and more floof. Just everywhere.

Apollo snorted at the sight. They were so damned cute he just wanted to capture that image in mind forever.

"And you know all this becauuuse?" Apollo murmured, relaxing in his chair and crossing his legs. He gripped his knee and tried for a moment to be a serious adult about this. He disgusted himself for trying. "Varali I don't really know how much simpler I can make it. I like you. That's all. There is no ulterior motive here. If we sleep together and enjoy it, that would simply be one side-effect by how much I enjoy your company. I have a feeling you overthink a lot of things. Not just relationships with people - or lack thereof."

He sighed and moved over to where Tix and Critter were wrestling, kneeling down to watch them until Tix jumped up around Apollo and wrapped his tail around his neck. Apollo cackled at the sensation when Critter decided he was material enough to land on as well.  With a thud, he slammed down onto the floor, as Tix wiggled his way into Apollo's shirt.

[Draconian]

Varali watched with a little smile on her face. Processing Apollo's words. Maybe... She should stop over thinking things. Just... let things be. How ever they were meant to be. Even if there were consequences. Varali chewed on her lip before she moved to kneel beside Apollo, resting a hand on his shoulder.

"Tix," her voice was firm and she pulled Apollo's shirt to look down at him, "that's rude." Though, Tix ignored her after casting her a glance. Letting go of Apollo's shirt she just remained kneeled on the ground. Watching. Curious.

"You're good with animals," she said softly, "Critter really loves you." A little smile and she placed a hand on his leg, giving it a squeeze, "is she the only pet you've had?"

[Lion]

He was giggling and cackling all the while until Varali went about freeing Tix from the confines of his shirt. The sobering effect of having her touching him caused Apollo to relax enough on the floor and lean back on his elbow. Because damn did he like the thought of her touching his clothing in any manner.

"I've only really been allowed to keep pets after I graduated. I had a cat I really loved from way before my dad died.  But after that, me and Hektor moved around a lot. We uh, focused more on staying together I guess," Apollo shrugged as Critter came around to Apollo to check on him, make sure Tix didn't rough him up too much.

She mewled and rubbed her face against his hands and chest and neck, trying to climb into his shirt as well. But she was just a little bit too fat for that.

[Draconian]

A glance to Apollo from her seat on the floor and she pursed her lips, glancing away. Watching Critter make her way over, protective and playful. Varali smiled at the absolute love the creature had for her human. Her hand trailed over the kitty's back while Apollo spoke though she froze.

"Your dad...?" She whispered, watching Critter move to get snuggles and try to fit herself down Apollo's shirt. "Apollo," She said, moving to rest a hand on his knee, thumb brushing slowly. A tilt of her head, "Hektor," She glanced away. There were too many people for her to remember them all by name. Co-workers Sort of. 

Varali hadn't even known Apollo's name before she'd asked for sugar that one day. Not really. "Is he a Pilot too?" She smiled, moving her hand away and shifting so she was laying on her stomach, wings spread and resting against the ground while her feet kicked up in the air, "Name sounds familiar."

[Lion]

"My dad. Yeah, Captain Richter Everard Hecates," he said with a mild shrug. "He died when I was really youn back during the Great War. After that my...mom kind of just lost it. She couldn't take care of us anymore. So we moved in with our aunt and she threw us into Candidacy the first chance she saw to get rid of us. I mean, we were family and all that, buuut..I guess we were more of a bother than guests in her home."

He pet Critter and the cat settled for nestling in the crook of his shoulder and arm began to Pur.

"Yeah my brother Hektor. He's an asshole. But he is well-meaning, i suppose. If you're into that sort of thing I mean," he said. "He make sure we didn't get separated more than we had to. But he's in Inquiry and used to having a stick up his ass. And frankly, talking about him is just bringing me down."

He shrugged and tilted his head. "How about yourself? You got any siblings?"

[Draconian]

Varali had never really planned on having children.

Being a Pilot and being in a country like Aedolis - where the values were so different from the ones that ran deep in her family. Still, while she watched Apollo snuggle the kitty and Tix she trailed her fingers in a circular pattern on the fluffly cream coloured carpet. It was at that moment that should she have a child, Everard would be in there somewhere. It sounded nice. Like the name of a tree. A teal glance to him and she blinked widely for a moment.

"Me?" she said softly before she licked her lips and glanced away. Of course her. "I.. No. No siblings. Just mom and dad. Grandma. Grandpa. Great grandma." Varali frowned for a moment, thinking clear on her face, glancing away and shrugging, "I... Won't talk about your brother anymore," She said softly, glancing at him and offering a small hesitant smile, "Tix was a gift. When I got picked by Doeshe. Some strange exotic animal my parents picked up for me. I guess he's kinda like a little brother. That likes it in your shirt." She teased, glancing away, "Do you want a minute alone with him? I'll try not to get jealous."

[Lion]

No siblings then. And little more than her grandparents and Tix and Doeshe. No wonder she was very much the way she was.... Just little more than plants and her animals to talk to. While they were great and all that and nobody would replaced Critter in his life, there were few suitable substitutes for people. Sometimes there were just moments where he would rather just be alone, stew deep in thought.

Apollo shifted around to accommodate all the animals that were trying to get comfortable in his clothing.

"You know...you don't have to stay all the way over there, Varali. I mean...why don't you try getting closer?"  He shifted himself so that he had his hand held out to her.

"I mean, we're friends. No kissing, promise. Just...touching. Seeing what it's like. Because, honestly, I find it really hard to keep my hands off you. I just like you that much."

[Draconian]

An exaggerated roll of her eyes and she shuffled closer to Apollo, legs tucked to the side and wings held to her back. A quick awkward flutter of her wings and she moved until her knee was touching his leg, her hand resting on her thigh. "Touch," she said simply, tilting her head to look at him, smirking ever so slightly.

"No kissing. Just touching. Which is the more dangerous of the two, I think," Varali leaned forward slightly and shifted her shoulders, extending a brightly coloured wing, "Was there anything specific you wanted to touch?"

[Lion]

"Touch, something simple." The words, honestly, were going to be so much easier said than done. Apollo tilted his head. Because he couldn't exactly move with those two little critters huddled up against him. He was warm and inviting and he was wondering why Varali didn't find him such either?  Gods, it was like pulling teeth from this woman to get any response.

But perhaps this approach would garner him more honey than vinegar.

Apollo stretched his arms back against that plush rug so that he was just a lump there. "Just...cuddle with me! Like Tix and Critter! They love it, you will too," he chuckled. "It won't kill you now."

[Draconian]

Varali gave Apollo a skeptical look.

"How about..." She slowly stretched out beside him on her stomach, resting her head on her elbows and kicking her feet back and forth, wings stretched out. Her hip touched his leg and she looked at him and poked at Tix in his shirt. "Why do you want to cuddle so much. Didn't you get enough of that in the past twenty-four hours?"

[Lion]

"Nope. There's never enough in the way of cuddles," he said and shifted around so that Tix was on his chest and his hand slowly pet his fluffy tail. The buttons his shirt were stressed with the two critters inside of it but there was no look of concern on his face. None at all.

Shirts could be replaced after all, but times like these, they were meant to be treasured.

Apollo opened up his arm and motioned for her to tuck her head against it. "I showered like you said. Now I smell like roses and bread. A great smell," he snorted. "I mean, I smell like whatever junk is in my body wash. I like it. What about you? Do you have another suggestion on what I should smell like?"