Ask Something Different

[Altair Din]

Altair certainly didn’t expect this turn of events when he invited her out, especially not when she was always habitually closed off and guarded. There was something exhilarating about this, and it was compounded by the fact that they were outside and in a stunning location. The tiefling leaned into the kiss, savoring the taste and getting a hint of that expensive whiskey he bought her. In turn, she would get a taste of the rows of studs along his tongue, likely a first for her. His hands traveled of their own accord, snaking around her and tugging her close. He pushed her back gently until her back pressed against the tree behind her, his body up against her own.

Altair’s hand reached down and slid along the slit of her dress, brushing against the soft skin of her thigh. His heart was pounding against his chest, and he was sure she could almost hear it. Through it all, thoughts of her other identity, her alter ego as an executive, none of that registered. It was just the two of them here and no one else. He didn’t think about his ascension through the Sith ranks or all the missions and work to be done. He didn’t care about anything beyond the taste of her lips and her touch.

For all the ways she was intimidating and terrifying, she felt so fragile and delicate in his arms. It was like cradling a rancor that had its teeth and claws retracted just for now. It sent his blood boiling, but he was respectful enough to keep that from manifesting. Altair drew back gently from the kiss only when he realized he began to slide his hand slightly beneath the flap of her dress along her thigh and higher up.

Altair grinned, the fire burning in his eyes, “M’am,” He said teasingly as his accent came out fully, “This ain’t no five star hotel out here,” He reminded her, “But you got me wantin' you somethin’ fierce right now,” He half spoke and half whispered, leaning in to trace kisses along her neck and down towards her exposed shoulder. That farmer boy side of him wouldn’t take it further unless she made it clear it was what she wanted. But if she did, they would cross that line right there and then under the stars and the moon and on that bed of soft grass with the salty breeze along their skin.

@Mockingjay

 

[Vex]

Vex was utterly transfixed. She had not expected the night to go this way, either. Though she was not displeased by the development. In fact, she was utterly invigorated by it. Against the night he had brought her out into, Altair looked like a daeva, his black hair shining, fires blazing in his eyes, like the warriors of legend on Serenno. His accent, though, reminded her of the farmers in the countryside. He had every bit of their charm. It made for an odd combination, but one that pushed all of the right buttons.

Her decision took seconds. Seconds Altair would not notice, but she felt them stretch out into what felt like hours. It was reckless, she knew. Reason should tell her to at the very least get them to a hotel. Some place they might not be seen. A increasingly smaller, quieter voice was telling her not to do it at all. Let her feelings settle. Assess what those feelings were, and move from there. But that voice was nearly a whisper now, devoured by a louder one that said she'd never gotten to have the reckless teen years that most human children did.

She was the heiress to her father's company; and then she was a Sith apprentice for a man whose bitterness towards romantic relationships was only matched by the revolting reality that was his face, checkered by scars in some prior battle with another he had barely talked about.

This is your chance, that voice said. Live a little. You like him. He likes you. Does it need to be more complicated?

No, she decided. It didn't.

Vex caught his hand trailing beneath her dress, stopped him from withdrawing it. As he kissed down her neck and onto her exposed shoulder, her breaths became more labored and ragged. "You're right," she said, breathless. "This isn't a five-star hotel. It's better. So, why don't you show me what it is that you want?"

And with that, and a hand that slipped up the back of his neck, fingers tangling in his hair, she gave her consent to whatever it was he wanted to do. @Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

—​

A fair amount of time had passed since they arrived at the seaside spot. He knew it wasn’t long until dawn began to rise and they would have to clear out from here or risk discovery. There was something exhilarating about what happened between them and where. Altair certainly didn’t hold back, exploring and tasting her in every way he wanted, stripping away all her walls physical or otherwise. In those moments there was nothing but passion with every inhibition relinquished. He remembered every sigh and noise, the way she gazed at him, her touch and all the ways she made him feel as if no other man existed.

The tiefling was lying on his back against the soft grass, his clothing strewn around the ground beside him. He still had an arm around Vex, her body woven with his as if fitting like the perfect puzzle piece. The stars were beginning to fade above, the skies slowly blending towards a blue hue. His chest slowly rose and fell, the remnants of sweat on his skin kissed away by the wind that would leave behind goosebumps.

He tilted his head to look at her, giving a tired smile before he leaned in to kiss her briefly, “What do you want me to call you?” Altair asked softly, “Vex or Nahri?” The hand that was wrapped around her lazily brushed up and down the length of her bicep, “You shouldn’t have to hide what you are..” He muttered quietly. He knew it was easier said than done. It was unthinkable in his family to pose as if one wasn’t a Force user. He couldn’t imagine living a life like that.

@Mockingjay

 

[Vex]

Vex rested her head on his chest and let the rest of him fit into her like the puzzle pieces they had become. In her head, she replayed the nights events over and over again. It would be dawning time soon, and though some might find it ridiculous, she almost lamented the fact that they would have to get up soon. She was remarkably cozy here with him. The silence was not the tense or awkward kind. He had his thoughts, she had hers, and she was happy to let it stay that way for awhile, while she drew circles into his chest with the tip of her finger.

After a time, he spoke, and she considered his words. Vex was the name she gave to her true self. The word that encompassed the word she had made herself into. Nahri was the mask, and yet, it was also the name her mother had given her. Try as she might to hide it, she was partial to her birth name. "Vex is who I am," she said, so there would be no misunderstanding between them. "But you may call me 'Nahri.' You're the only one in the Empire other than the Empress who knows that name. It would be... special."

And it would.

It felt like giving away a piece of her. An act more intimate than the one they just did together. But he had earned it, along with her trust. She laid her hands flat on his chest and perched her chin atop them so that she could look up into his amethyst eyes. She smiled softly at him, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "So, what happens now?" she asked. "Is this a one time thing? Or can we see each other again?"

Vex wouldn't hate him if it was a one time thing, even if part of her feared that it was. She didn't think intimacy had to be reserved to one partner. And she didn't want him to shackle himself to her if his heart led him elsewhere. But, all the same, she couldn't shake the feeling that she wanted to get to know him more. To get closer to him. There were other women, yes. She had seen that on Alderaan—though she didn't know what their relationship to Altair was. But that didn't have to mean he wouldn't want to get to know her too.

She masked all of the disquiet in her the same way she masked everything else and added, "That invitation to the world fair on Serenno is a standing one," @Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

He was content to simply lay there for hours, savoring the warmth of her skin and the way she drew circles on his chest. It was a simple gesture, but it felt just right and cozy, as if it always belonged there. Altair closed his eyes for a moment, sighing softly in contentment. His hand came up from her bicep to very gently brush along her hair, careful not to tangle it, “Nahri,” He said quietly, repeating the name. He knew she was a very private person, and it meant the world that she trusted him with this.

Altair felt her plant both hands on his chest and he opened his eyes to gaze into hers, still getting used to seeing the piercing features she worked so hard to hide normally. Her question surprised him, but he couldn’t deny the slight flutter in his chest as a result. The tiefling said nothing for a moment, and then he answered by suddenly flipping over so she was on her back. Altair gazed down at her, watching the way her hair splayed out around her head, having come undone throughout the night. The slightest hints of dawn illuminated her skin. He smiled down at her, leaning down to brush aside a strand of hair from her face, “I like seeing you like this. Not that you ain’t stunning all dolled up…but I like this. ‘Cause I know only I’m seeing it,” He said quietly. He leaned down to kiss her again before he trailed them down along her neck and further down still.

The tiefling didn’t stop, making his way down to please her and building up before he came up to give into passion again. This time, it was with the salty breeze and the first rays of the sun beginning to slowly rise. He took his time nonetheless, savoring each moment and allowing it to weave more into lovemaking than a simple carnal release. By the time they were done, the sun was well over the horizon.

Altair reluctantly peeled himself away and reached down a hand to gently help her up, gathering up her dress and clearing the twigs and grass off it, “Come on, I don’t wanna have to kill a nosy jogger ‘cause they saw your face,” He grinned at her as he got dressed as well. Only after that did he finally properly answer her.

“I wanna see you again,” He said as he looked at her, “So we can go to Serenno or I can go help you bash some more old sorcerers somewhere,” Altair gave her a grin, “You pick the place this time, ‘cause I picked last!”

@Mockingjay

 

[Vex]

She sighed. It was time to get up. Time to get back to life—or lives, in her case. But there was a slight spring in her step as she scrambled to put her clothes back on next to him. Perhaps the Empress had been right. Perhaps there was merit to finding someone she could care about. And if that person was Altair? Well, she wouldn't complain at all about that outcome.

For a moment, she lost herself in a daydream about what future dates could look like. Imagine that: a Sith power couple who bashed heads and sipped wine afterwards. It sounded positively glorious. When she was finished dressing, she turned to him, her face shining in the light of the new sun. "Then you will see me again," she said warmly. "I have a few missions to take care of when I get back, but the festival on Serenno is coming up. And I'm sure I can wrangle up a few skulls for us to crack."

She conjured a pen with a flick of her hand and took his arm in her other. On his wrist, she wrote the number to her Sith phone. She checked it often enough that she would see if he tried to contact her—if he needed something, or just wanted to talk while they were apart. "Use this," she continued, "if you ever need me. Or just want to talk, I'll be there."

Vex took the moment of closeness to flick away the pen and draw a hand across his cheek. He was taller than her by some amount, and she absolutely relished the distance between them. She teased him with one last long, drawn out look, ended in a crooked grin; and then it was time to go. "Keep yourself safe," she added before she left. "No more prisons, yeah? Because the next time someone catches you, I promise, I won't be late." @Sreeya