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2:43am Aug 14 2012
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She didn't notice when Xavier tensed and his eyes widened. She was too focused on trying to control herself, yet somewhere deep inside her, she yearned to let go. Burn the place to the ground and see how Xavier liked it when she did something impulsive. The half-baked analogy between kissing and destruction would be lost on anyone but herself.
Fists were tight, knuckles white from the strain and effort as Akeli's muscles trembled and shuddered, gray eyes corkscrewing shut tight, tight, tight as a lid on a pickle jar. Tighter, even. Perhaps the fire lowered an inch in that moment, shrinking back into itself as Akeli shrunk back into her own body, shoulders hunching away from Xavier. She didn't even notice when he tore off his shirt and stalked over to her, towering over like some expectant thundercloud.
"What do you want, Aki? Do you want me to stand here and tell you how sorry I am for kissing you, for turning everything 'upside down'? Do you want me to spell it out that I have feelings for you? Does it even matter? Do you want to know how badly my chest ached when I realized that the kiss might now have been such a good idea? Do you understand that I was tearing myself up on the inside because I thought I might lose you because of some stupid mistake?"
Another deep breath, sucking in a lungful of crackling, white-hot air, eyes flickering open and bright with tears and unspent anger. "Well, we all regret mistakes we make, but yelling at me for something I didn't do won't change anything." She rubbed a hand over her mouth, feeling the last vestiges of heat leave her skin. The flickering embers were now extinguished, but the fire still lingered, it's glow now more blue and red and gold than white.
"I'm sorry I yelled at you, but I don't think you're sorry at all. You're so cocky and self-sure and it makes me feel stupid and inept and so--so unworldly. I can't even be sure that you really mean what you say because I don't know anything about anything! Xav, you're acting like I'm just supposed to understand this and move on and kiss you some more or something. I don't even know." Aki's voice grew quieter and quieter with each word, the syllables tumbling out behind each other as fast as they could, often tripping over each other in their haste.
"I realized this a few seconds ago and decided 'hey, maybe I can't fix this after all. Might as well forget about it since she seems to want that' and here you are, screaming at me because I don't know what to do."
She glanced up, caught his eyes and fought to hold them. "Yeah, well, you know better than me." Akeli shook her head, uncertain of how to go on. She knew it wasn't Xavier's fault--just like it wasn't hers. But she refused to admit the fact, feeling that it would be the same as conceding defeat.
And if there was one thing that Akeli was, it was as stubborn as a mule and twice as argumentative.
"There. We talked, if that can count as talking. Now go to bed, damn it,"
"I'm not your dog," she mumbled, but she lay down anyways, turning over so her back faced him. "And it was talking. Words were coming out of our mouths, weren't they?"
With a final sigh and humphing noise, Akeli curled up in a ball and covered her head with her arms, blinking away her tears under the shadow of darkness.
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1:04pm Aug 14 2012 (last edited on 1:06pm Aug 14 2012)
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Xavier was sulking. He wasn’t mad at Akeli anymore, never really was as a matter of fact. Maybe he’d thought he was but now that’d he’d taken the entire situation into some sort of perspective (which basically circled around how clueless Aki really had been), he was really just angry with himself. Okay well, he was a bit irritated that she didn’t seem to understand him, at all. “I’m sorry I yelled at you, but I don’t think you’re sorry at all. You’re so cocky and self-sure and it makes me feel stupid and inept and so—so unworldly.” He stared upward at the ceiling, hands behind his head and elbows jutted out on either side. One leg was bent, the other straight out as he thought. Nope, Xav definitely wasn’t getting any sleep anytime soon. Did Aki really think that he could help his personality? He hadn’t meant to hurt her or make her feel stupid. Jeez, she was blowing this entire thing way out of whack. She’s just confused because of you. Xavier sighed and moved one hand from behind his head to throw his arm over his eyes. The room was insanely hot, what from Akeli’s fire that she’d started right in his cabin. It was stuffy and uncomfortable, and it burned his nose. If Akeli had fallen asleep, good for her. If not, well he hardly thought she’d follow him outside. Xav rolled onto his feet and gently touched his hand against the cabin door. Pulling it back, he slipped outside as quietly as he could and made sure the wood didn’t slam shut behind him. The storm had passed over, leaving the smell of fresh mud and wet greenery. A water drop from a pine needle dripped from its perch and landed right on his nose. Xav’s cheeks scrunched up and he wiped the water away. He unfurled his wings from his bare back and stretched them out, rolling his shoulders to release some of the tension in his muscles. The boy was still sore from their heavy flying earlier but he had too much on his mind to stay grounded right then. Once up in the sky, he felt a little better. The thumping as his wings beat down against the air was reassuring in a way, something familiar. Xavier scratched at his neck and glanced over his shoulder, back at the cabin he was leaving behind for now. She was tough, could survive on her own out there if she had to. But back in civilization? She’d be as lost as a tiger in the desert. He rubbed his face and hovered in the air, looking between the expanse of forest that lay blissfully peaceful ahead of him, and back at the cabin. He knew despite the trickle of doubt running through him, that he could never leave Akeli. In a way, he was as stubborn as her. Although he didn’t move any further away from the cabin, Xav stayed in the air until sunrise came (hey, it had been extremely late when they’d landed in the first place).
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2:35pm Aug 20 2012
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Aki's nose twitched in her sleep, a dribble of drool coiling from her mouth as she let out a sleep-smudged mutter. "No Xav, you are the stupid one here. It's not my fault you ate the last chocolate bar, dammit." Another grunt and she rolled over--
--and promptly fell off the bed. Letting out a girlish shriek, cheeks flushing with embarrassment, Akeli flailed off the bed in a tangle of wings and limbs. Thudding onto the floor, she lay there, face pressed against the rough wooden floor, feeling a bruise already beginning to spread on her thigh. Okay, I suck. What kind of stupendous scientific invention am I if I can't even get out of bed correctly. "Stupid scientists. Forgot all the important things," Akeli grumbled. Pushing herself up, muscles in her back pulling uncomfortably as they woke up, cramped from the night on a bumpy cot.
From the tiny window, Aki saw a glint of red and gold haloed against a gray sky. Morning already, she thought. 'Kay, then. She stood, arms clasped above her head as she let out a monumental yawn. Stretching for a few more minutes, then checking all her vitals to make sure she was still actually alive and stuff (the cut on her ribs ached, but she'd live), Akeli finally made her way over to the door. She pushed it open warily, flinching back when it swung out on loose hinges. She already knew Xavier wasn't in the cabin--after all, where would he hide? In the pot?--so she dreaded the moment she would have to face him. Unfortunately, he was probably standing right between her and the freedom of solitude.
Butthead.
And what do you know, there he was, glorious and beautiful against the rising sun, his jay-blue wings stark against the peach sky. Cursing her luck with a few choice words (all quietly), Akeli leaned on the door frame and hugged her arms against her body, staring up at Xavier with wide gray eyes. She was content to stand there, silent and admiring, letting go of the tension from the previous night.
How could she hold a grudge against him? He had been there from the start, and had been there until the end. The cages, the tests, the escape. Everything. Xavier hadn't abandoned her or demeaned her once. Until now. Not that kissing was demeaning, but it was the way that he had done it. Expectantly, waiting for her to respond in kind. Aki had, sort of, but thinking about it, lucid and clear-headed, she didn't really know what to do next. Maybe she should just grab him, plant a big one on his lips, and then fly away like the socially obtuse ass she was. Oh yeah, that would go over well.
Her head tilted downwards, titian curls covering her face, gray eyes pointed unobtrusively downwards. If he wanted to talk, he could be come down and do it himself.
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9:57pm Aug 20 2012
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Xavier was almost dead on his feet, well wings, by the time dawn came. His blue eyes had half closed and the thought of keeping himself aloft sort of drifted to the back of his mind. Jay-feathered wings still beat down hard and strong, running on pure instinct. When Xavier flew into a thermal though, and the brush of warm air against his feathers jarred him back to full consciousness. When he snapped his eyes open again, it took him a moment to realize where he was.
His muscles burned and not just on his wings. Shoulders, lower back, all of it ached as the auto-pilot from before fell away. He groaned and stretched out his arms, then gave himself some more altitude and banked to his left, until he spotted the cabin below him. And there was Akeli, leaning against the door frame, with her hair falling in her face, eyes down on the ground. Is she still upset? he wondered.
Xav was too tired to care, really. His muscles felt leaden, loose and definitely not as pitifully unused as before, but still, he thought he ought to fall out of the sky at any given moment. Xavier circled around the cabin, losing altitude with each turn, and eventually he landed rather clumsily on the ground. Folding his wings against his bare back, Xavier did his best not to stagger over to where Akeli was.
After flying through that storm, fighting with Akeli (and being forced to eat a measly scrap of dinner that did nothing for the amount of calories he should be taking in, but he wasn't complaining), and flying around all night, Xavier was completely and utterly exhausted. He approached Akeli slowly, then instead of lifting her chin up with his hand so he could look at her--figuring that was a bad idea since she might think of it as another attempt at a kiss-Xavier only wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned against her.
His shoulders sagged and he yawned in her ear. "Mornin' Kitten," he mumbled and rested his chin on her shoulder. The embrace was longer than it should have been, but that was alright for him at least. Xavier leaned back again and stretched out his arms. His shoulders popped. "Cook up as many cans of whatever I have as you want," he said and walked the rest of the way into the cabin. He lowered himself onto the cot Akeli had slept on last night and swiped a hand over his face in an attempt to wake him up.
"We're staying here longer too, as long as the food lasts."
There. No hint of last night. It definitely wasn't Xavier's typical flirty banter but it wasn't cold and clipped either. Shouldn't have flown all night, he thought.
hello my name is elder price
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1:32pm Aug 22 2012
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"Morning," Akeli mumbled, refusing to let her stomach flutter and her heart jerk when Xav's arms wrapped around her. It was hard to deny how good he felt, his body leaning against hers, his ridiculously manly scent in her nose. Aki had watched him land with wary eyes, noting the exhaustion that had etched lines into Xavier's face and made his wingbeats slow and heavy. She steeled herself, holding herself solidly to give Xav and anchor to lean on.
But he moved away too quickly. Stifling a frown that showed her disappointment, realizing only now that all of yesterday's anger and frustration were gone, Akeli did her best at a casual grin. "'Course. Do you want anything to eat, or is my cooking more likely to kill you?" With a self-deprecating chuckle, Aki followed him into the cabin. Staring at the pot, Akeli, lacking a solution, finally just wiggled her fingers and set the contents on fire. The dried ravioli crumbled into ashes within seconds. Flinging what was in the pot out the door, Akeli opened a new can and dumped it in the pot, then gathered up some logs for a makeshift stove. Lighting them with another thought, she stuck the pot on the flames and then let out a loud yawn. Stretching, back cracking and arms flailing, Akeli let rip a second one before she managed to calm down.
"We're staying here longer too, as long as the food lasts."
She glanced over a Xavier and nodded. "Sure thing, Xav. We probably have another two or three days with the supplies we've got. Provided we have only two pots of ravioli a day." Moving hesitantly, she sat down next to him and raised two hands. "I...uhm, I can give you a massage if you like. I dunno how long you were flying for, but I owe you at least something, right?" Aki smiled nervously. "You can sleep after brea--lunch, Xavvy."
It was nice, she reflected, now that the whole argument was out of the way. She liked it when the two of them could bicker and banter like usual. It felt normal, real. And at the moment, stability was everything Akeli needed.
Somewhere nearby, a pot of ravioli bubbled and burped cheerfully.
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3:47pm Aug 23 2012 (last edited on 3:55pm Aug 23 2012)
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"Two pots a day? I could eat them all right now," Xavier snorted. And to prove his point, his stomach gave a loud groan. The scraps of dinner he'd been forced to eat last night weren't exactly filling and he was running low on energy. The pizza from their time in the city seemed forever ago and Xav's head whirred at the thought of the greasy, cheesy food. Flying all night had been a mistake. He knew it. Now he was even more hungry and dern near exhausted. His lips quirked up though, when Aki offered to give him a massage. He didn't like the hesitant way she spoke to him, but the sound of his nickname made him crack a smile.
"Was flying since our argument," he said, but most of his words were garbled up in a wide yawn. Bringing up their argument wasn't weird to Xav, not in the least. They fought. It was stupid. He was over it. Xav was a pretty simple minded guy and he just didn't see the point in continuing to brood over the fight. Actually, he sought to do just the opposite--well, his sleep deprived brain did, at least--.
Another yawn escaped him as he rested his chin on Akeli's shoulder. He closed his eyes only to bl[injection]ink, but the heavy lids failed to open again. Limbs sagging, all of Xav's body weight fell against Akeli's side.
hello my name is elder price
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2:17pm Aug 25 2012
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"What? Argument? Xav, are you crazy? It's been...been hours!" Akeli snorted in disgust and placed her hands on his neck, cupping his jaw. The skin there was smooth and hot, slightly tacky with sweat, and Akeli rubbed the balls of her fingers into the tight knot of muscle at the back of his neck. "Jeeze, you've always been a crazy one. But that is what makes you you." Akeli fought to hide a smile, a corner of her mouth quirking upwards. There was no denying that Xav was somewhat addled in the head, but, Aki reasoned kindly, in a positive way.
The titian-haired girl leaned forwards as Xavier slumped against her, bearing his weight easily. Her hands moved from his neck to one around his shoulder and the other hovering just above his head. Finally, relaxing slightly, Akeli ran her fingers through his rough locks. The fact that his weight was negligible to her was worrying, though. He wasn't eating enough. They weren't eating enough. Aki wanted to wake Xavier up and make him eat before sleeping, but her heart wasn't in it. He looked so peaceful, sleeping on her shoulder.
Cursing under her breath, Akeli extinguished the flames under the pot, leaning forward to grab it. In the process her shoulder slipped out from under Xav's body, removing whatever support he'd had. Letting out a yelp as her fingers touched the hot pot--mostly from reflex than actual pain--Akeli jumped to her feet.
"Dammit, dammit, oh jeeee--ze."
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3:11pm Aug 25 2012 (last edited on 8:50pm Aug 26 2012)
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"Dammit, dammit, oh jeeee--ze." Xavier heard Akeli's almost-yells as his face mashed up against the cot. He was disoriented for a minute, after all he had only really dozed off from the rest of the world and not truly fallen asleep. Xav's tensed up muscles relaxed against the cot and he readjusted himself so he was lying more comfortably. Turning on his side, his blue eyes stared upward at Akeli. One brow was cocked upward and that flirty smile was back on his face. He was still mighty exhausted so said flirty smile was a bit lopsided, said blue eyes half-closed.
"Kitten," he said and paused for a yawn. "Is it even possible for you to burn yourself?" Another pause as he pretended to contemplate something. "Not including if you're laying next to me," he finally said with a wink. Xav eyed the pan, the reminder of his hunger coming back with a low grumble. "Can I have some of that?" he asked and jerked his head toward the pan, then glanced back up at her. Resting his head on one folded arm, he brought his other arm up in an invitation. "How about I get that massage you promised too?"
hello my name is elder price
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12:43pm Sep 1 2012
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"No, of course not," Akeli retorted, aiming a glare in Xavier's direction. He should know this by now! She had removed a freaking white-hot collar from his foot. Which reminded her--they ought to check on their wounds now, while they had food and rest and all that. As if on cue, Aki's side began to ache. "I was just startled," she added blithely. "I'm fine."
"Can I have some of that? How about I get that massage you promised too?"
"What if I say no?" Akeli asked, lifting an eyebrow at Xav even as she leaned over, hefting the pot in one hand, bringing it closer to the other mutant. "Careful--it's hot. And let me just clean the spoon real quick." Holding the spoon in one hand, Akeli manoeuvred the other underneath and lit a small flame on the tip of her finger, singeing off any remaining bits of lasagna. "Here you go, good as new! Just don't burn your mouth on it." She tossed the spoon at Xav, remembering at the last second that it was still hot from the fire.
"Oops."
She dove forwards, probably tumbling into his lap in her efforts to save Xavier from a not-very-serious burn. She felt bad about the whole situation, though it never occurred to the mutant that she could just draw the heat out from the spoon mentally. Then again, no one ever said that Akeli was a fast thinker. She was more of a non-thinker. Life was easier that way. More... exciting.
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8:43pm Sep 11 2012
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Xavier's eyes widened as Akeli careened toward him. Instinctively, he opened up his arms to catch her. She tumbled right onto the cot and squished against him, pinning his back a bit uncomfortably against the wall. Having bulky wings folded against one's back and then pressed against a wall wasn't exactly leisurely. All the same, Xavier caught Akeli and wrapped his arms around her in a vice-like grip. His chin rested on his shoulder, eyes half closing as he drew in her scent.
"Way better than a massage," he said, though the words simply tumbled out in a small breath from his lips. Half-asleep Xav nuzzled the side of Akeli's neck. "Thanks for flinging a hot spoon in my face. Really, thank you," he said cheerily and squeezed her for good measure before relaxing his arms again. He hesitated for a moment, then raised the arm that was thrown over her side. "You can get up and er, go if you want." His voice leveled out again, becoming deeper and a bit steadier as his exhaustion fought for control. "Not going to make you stay, Kitten," he said.
hello my name is elder price
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3:31pm Sep 28 2012
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They collapsed in a rough, unready embrace. Akeli's cheeks flushed from the closeness of it, and the reminder of the past night, but this time she refused to be shy. They were past the innocent stage--she was past it. And right now she liked exactly where she was. Very, very much.
His arms clasped her, pressing against her wings uncomfortably, but the girl just let out a loud squeal of delight and pressed her cheek into his. Her heart was thumping erratically and her face was a startling shade of crimson, but nonetheless Akeli sought comfort in this. It was nice to be able to joke around with Xav again.
"Way better than a massage,"
Another breathless giggle as his nose tickled the soft skin under her jaw. "Are you sure?" she teased, lips curving upwards. "I might have to change your mind about that..." Akeli trailed off, doing her best to melt entirely into Xavier's hug.
"Thanks for flinging a hot spoon in my face. Really, thank you,"
"Hey," she said, pouting. "It wasn't on purpose. That would really suck." Akeli wasn't quite that angry with her lovable jaybird. Not yet. "And I mean, what if I'd thrown the...pot or something? I bet that would've hurt more."
"Although..." Gray eyes flickered shut, lashes tickling against alabaster cheeks. The girl sucked in a breath, then turned her head to brush her nose over Xavier's temple. "Then I might have had to make up for it even more." The words were more squeaky than she intended, but Akeli was above all a survivor and quick learner, and this flirting thing was coming quickly to her.
"You can get up and er, go if you want. Not going to make you stay, Kitten,"
Akeli chuckled. "Nah, no need to make me, Xavvy." With that she shifted, pulling against his grasp so that they would be seated in a more comfortable position, Akeli's legs tucked against his sides, ankles crossed behind him. She blinked again, slowly, before smiling shyly.
"You sure you want to sleep?"
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11:08am Sep 29 2012
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Xav had sort of drifted off when the warmth of Akeli’s cheek touched his but bleary eyes popped back open when her teasing tone registered in his sluggish brain. “Are you sure? I might have to change your mind about that…” Akeli pressed closer to Xav then and he could only stare incredulously at her change in attitude. She continued to ramble on about the spoon and how she’d have to make up for it even more if she’d thrown the pot.
“You know, now I’m sort of wishing you had thrown the pot,” he said and made a satisfied mm sound in the back of his throat when Aki nuzzled his temple. By that time he honestly didn’t care whether or not she agreed to get up and stop whatever the hell she was doing, because Xav was already dropping his arm back around her waist and pulling her closer. But of course, Aki already beat him there.
His lips parted in surprise when she hitched her legs around his and crossed her ankles behind him. He stared, blinking quite a few times before he got a hold of himself. “Aki, what are you—“
“You sure you want to sleep?”
Xavier graced Akeli’s sides with his fingertips, running up past her shoulders to loop under her neck and tilt her chin up. He stayed quiet for a long time until in all seriousness, he murmured, “Who are you and what have you done with Aki?” When he pressed his lips against hers, he let go of her chin and rested his palm against her thighs. Shifting just a bit to catch her calve, he loosened up her grip around his waist to give them some more breathing room down there.
If Aki could catch on, she’d probably guess why.
“I could think of a million other things I want to do right now other than sleep,” he said, lips moving against hers and almost muffling his words. “But you’re in charge here.” He paused and brushed a thumb against her cheek. “I don’t want to scare you away again.”
hello my name is elder price
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3:52pm Oct 4 2012
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"No, because then I would have to nurse you back to...being healthy or whatever, and I'm more likely to kill you than help you." Akeli said this matter-of-fact, raising any eyebrow at Xav's foolish opinion. Men. They just didn't think things through, did they?
They moved and shifted, the girl flushing a hot red when she realized what she'd been doing. But Xavier's hands felt warm and good against her waist, and he really was quite comfortable. For once, rather than moving away, Akeli allowed Xav to chuck her under the chin and kiss her, even moving her own lips a little in return.
"Mmm...I ate her up," Aki hummed. "Omnomnom. Just like that!" She giggled and tossed her head, titian hair wafting over Xavier's face gently, the tips barely brushing his skin. "This is a new and different Aki." She leaned forwards to bop her nose against his, feeling something in her chest loosen. This--this felt good. When she wasn't tense and worrying, being with Xavvy was wonderful. It was like they were two puzzle pieces, or a lock to a key.
“I could think of a million other things I want to do right now other than sleep,”
Akeli just made a little noise and crossed her arms over his shoulder, body arching above his. "That's a lot of things, Xav. Care to share?"
“But you’re in charge here.”I don’t want to scare you away again.”
"You can't scare me! I'm not afraid of anything." Brave words, and Akeli's lips twitch a little at them. "Not really, but...I like this. A lot." It's a heavy admittance from the girl and she purses her lips afterwards, moving her head away from Xav, letting her hair cover her face.
"Maybe more than a lot, but y'know. We should probably get some sleep." Akeli attempted a grin. "Correction, you should get some sleep."
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5:53pm Oct 4 2012
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"You're not afraid of anything?" Xav repeated wryly and hushed when Aki spoke again. A drowsy smile moved his lips and he breathed out a deep sigh. Akeli's previous words, one that stirred that innate cockiness and rashness in Xavier made him swallow the grubby fingers of sleep that were trying to tug him down back into peaceful oblivion. It was obvious to Xav now how much Akeli was okay with; when she'd said "I like this. A lot." it sort of cleared it up for him. No longer tentative, Xavier tensed and went to roll right on top of Aki.
Instead of forcing all of his body weight against her (which sadly, wasn't much because of his shrunken stomach), he braced his forearms on either side of her and smiled down. "I can wait five more minutes to sleep," he said fuzzily and dipped his head down to nuzzle her neck. "Besides," his lips mumbled against her skin, "what if you wake up and decide to go back to being a prude?" He breathed out a chuckle and let his lips trail up her jaw until his mouth settled over hers.
Xavier paused, muscles aching as he held most of his weight over Akeli, lips lightly caressing hers. He craned his neck back and flexed his biceps to move forward so he could tenderly press a kiss on Aki's forehead. Weariness made his limbs shake and he settled back on his side, throwing one arm loosely around Aki. He would have said something, maybe, if he hadn't dropped his head against the pillow and passed out.
hello my name is elder price
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4:57pm Dec 8 2012
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"You're not afraid of anything?"
"Nothing at all," she whispers as his lips brush against the tender skin of her neck, tugging her chin up just a tad. The corner of her lips tug up, ghosting a smile, cerulean eyes fluttering closed.
"Besides, what if you wake up and decide to go back to being a prude?"
"What," Aki says, a hint of a grumble in her voice, "is a prude?" Any further complaints are halted with a kiss, the breath stolen straight from the source as Xavier presses his lips against his. "Y-you know...what...never mind." It can wait, her mind says, and Akeli concurs. She accepts the chaste kiss to her forehead before pressing her lips once more against Xavier's mouth, trailing them down his cheek until she reaches his jawline.
"Sleepy time now, big boy," she murmurs, laughing when all she gets from him is a heavy breath. She snuggles close, not tired, but content to lie and watch his face change with sleep--to see his brow smooth out and his mouth relax, reddened from their kisses.
Still, Akeli isn't one for patience and long-suffering, and after a few hours she slips from his grasp, tugging a frayed blanket over Xav's chest. Aki peppers him with air kisses before sneaking back to the outside world. The sun is shining and the air is alive with chirps and chatters.
She lets out a laugh and spreads her arms, whirling around a few times before collapsing in the warm grass. A ladybug buzzes in the air above her before settling on Akeli's nose, prompting a sneeze.
"Ah-ahhhh-CHOO!"
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7:08pm Dec 10 2012
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It was just what Xav needed, that short little catnap to replenish his stamina--even if he felt he could sleep for days longer. Akeli's laughter is what woke him, her sneeze only making him chuckle to himself. Too-blue eyes blinked sleepily as the boy on the bed stretched. His arms came over his head, joints popping as he loosened himself up. A heavy breath whooshed from his nose and he turned onto his side, burrowing his head under his arm for a few moments to capture however much more rest he'd be able to get. There was no telling where they'd go from here. It scared him that he didn't have a plan. This safe house was the only one he knew and as long as they were healthy, he wanted to get out of there as fast as he could, if only to keep it safe.
Another troublesome thought was of how little Akeli knew of the real world. She was perceptive, yes, but only if you could get her to focus in the first place. Xav wouldn't mind spending some time out in the wild, but both of them needed other people, real food, showers, and other necessities only found with other humans. Not to mention Xav needed a hair cut, and badly. His bangs hung down in his eyes and the long hair tickled the back of his neck. He could only imagine how both of them looked.
When he stood up from his bed, he raised his shirt. All rib bones were prominent and his skin had a sallow look to it. Lifting up a pant leg, he was pleasantly surprised to find that the wound around his ankle had all but disappeared. So bird kids did heal fast. That was good to know.
Done checking over his body, Xav kicked open the door to the cabin. Bright sunlight made him wince and he raised a hand. A grin curved his lips when he saw her sitting there, back to him and recovering from her sneeze. "Catch a cold?" he said as he plopped down beside her. He paused. "Can we even get colds?"
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6:23am Jan 10 2013
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"Noooo," Aki drawled, pursing her lips and tweaking Xav's nose when he sat down. "I don't think birdies get sick. We do, however, attract little red bugs quite professionally." She glanced around the clearing, but her little friend was gone, clearly startled away by Aki's sneeze.
"Lemme see your ankle. If it's alright, maybe we can keep moving. There wasn't much food left after last night's dinner, anyhow." Aki gently touched Xavvy's shin, crinkling the pant leg. "If you don't mind, I mean," she added, suddenly embarrassed by her touchy-feely-ness.
Gods, how did she do this again?
Hesitantly, but without thinking much about it, Akeli touched her own ribs, feeling the ridge of her days old wound. It, too, was healing well. In private, she might have checked it more thoroughly, but she wasn't that comfortable around Xavvy yet. Not if she thought about it, at least.
"But where will we go?" Akeli's eyes wandered, staring at the sky and then into the woods. They didn't look so forbidding in daylight, and for a second she believed that she really was safe and okay. "Where can we go?"
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5:21pm Jan 10 2013
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Normal User
Posts: 3,828
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Xavier shifted his leg under Aki's touch, preparing to twist on his butt and throw his legs over hers. He stopped and sighed, also rolled his eyes, when she added, 'If you don't mind, I mean.' He dropped his head to the side with brows raised and just stared right at her. His lips thinned when Akeli poked at her stomach, giving way to how malnourished she was. There was nothing he could do to change it, but the sight still made him sick. Goddamn white coats, he thought. He pursed his lips and blew upward to push his hair out of his face, and then decided he would toss his legs over Aki's own after all.
He tugged up his pant leg to reveal the slightly pinkish yet all healed wound on his ankle. "Cool, huh? I guess we do heal pretty fast. How's yours anyway?" he said, gaze dropping from his eyes back down to her stomach. Akeli had said something else, something about going away from the cabin and wondering what was going to happen next. He tried not to sigh. They'd have to find civilization first. Xav had some money stored in the cabin. It wasn't much but at least it would get them on their feet and buy a bit more food before they had to start scrounging in dumpsters. His wings ruffled at the unpleasant thought.
"We'll find someplace safe," was all he said.
hello my name is elder price
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8:57pm Jun 22 2013
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Normal User
Posts: 9,641
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Akeli felt Xav's stare, blushed and ducked her head. She couldn't say that she minded the attention--no, not in the least. It felt comfortable, to have Xav's eyes on her, though she felt her cheeks blush as the look reminded her of the night before. The kiss, the fight, and then the ease of the next morning. She leaned back easily when Xavier covered her legs with his own, resting a hand on his knee. Hair covering her eyes, she sneaked a glance at Xav. He was looking down now, not at her face but at--her stomach? Another beet-red blush.
"Xav, quit staring," she chided, poking his thigh. "I'm doing just fine and I swear, I can hold out for another couple of days. 'Sides, it's almost gone." Aki lifted her shirt higher, revealing a pale strip of her torso. The cut curved up her ribs, skin shiny and more red than pink. It was tender to touch.
"Someplace safe, huh?" Akeli asked, one side of her mouth twitching upward. "You think we'll ever find that? Sometimes I think we'd be safer in death..." Aki trailed off, not wanting to go in that direction. She lay back down on the grass, sneezed when the grass tickled her nose.
"No--scratch that," she amended. "We're going to find that safe place and we'll be free from the Erasers and whitecoats forever." She could imagine it to some extent. She didn't know where it was or what it looked like, but there would be Xav and...it shocked her to realise that that was all she needed.
Akeli turned her head and smiled, reaching up a hand to toy with a lock of Xav's hair. "Should we leave tonight? While we still can?"
And she wondered if he caught her meaning, realised that what she was trying to say was--Can we find the will to leave this place, where it's just you and me and maybe even safety? Can we?
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9:40pm Jun 22 2013
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Normal User
Posts: 3,828
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Xavier missed Akeli's blush, what little attention he had was diverted between the hand she'd pressed against his knee and the sight of her ribs underneath her shirt. He knew he didn't look too good himself, but Aki was different. His scowl twitched at her nonchalance, but there was nothing he could say on the matter. It's not like there were any words for it either. He just needed to do something.
"Sometimes I think we'd be safer in death..." Xavier's eyes flashed, chin snapping up as she pulled him from his thoughts. His nostrils flared and he opened his mouth to say something to her--but she'd leaned back on the grass, sneezing when some grass tickled her face. His hardened ex
pression softened as he chuckled. He didn't feel like she needed an answer to the question, not wanting to tell her a lie anyway.
"Should we leave?" he repeated and caught her wrist where she'd reached up for him. The scowl slipped from his face and was replaced with a half-smile. His fingers were gentle with her wrist, raising her arm so he could press her fingers against the back of his neck. He leaned over her, noses brushing, his eyes wide. "I don't want to. God knows I don't want to, Aki," he said and instead of kissing her, he closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against hers, took in a deep sigh.
"But then again, I want you to see the things I've seen, feel the things I've felt. I want you to know what freedom's like. The cabin may feel like home now, but soon it will feel like a prison." He paused, smiled wider. "Although I think we can stay a bit longer if you want..."
hello my name is elder price
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