Rabbit Eyes and Elvish Proverbs

Life, Relationship change

Natalya and Fenneck spend the evening talking and a storm hits causing them to spend the night wrapped in each other's arms to keep warm.

Natalya pushed the pelts aside as she entered the cave and smiled when the smell of Fenneck's carrot stew hit her nose. He was sitting in the corner reading and he nodded to Natalya as she entered. She dropped her gear and sat down to skin the four rabbits she had shot. "I see you had a successful hunt?" Fenneck commented. "Indeed. They're plump too," she said as she carefully cut into the first one. "What are you reading?" she asked. "A collection of Elvish proverbs," he said as he turned a page. "I'd offer to read some aloud but they'd probably bore you," he teased her with a playful glance. She smiled at his cheekiness. "Especially with you reading them." He feigned offense. "What is that supposed to mean?" He plopped the book down and gave her a dramatic gasp. She giggled at him. "You're always so dramatic when you read. You take five years to spit out a single sentence." He rolled his eyes. "Forgive me for practicing my acting skills," he said as he dramatically waved a hand in the air as if he were giving a monologue. "You should leave the acting to Jasna," Natalya teased him. "You're probably right," he said, giggling at their playful banter. "How did you're meeting with Dimitri go last night?" He sat his book down to give her his full attention. "You got back pretty late, it must have been a fun evening." He raised his brow at her expectantly. "Oh please," she waved him off. "It's been strictly professional for a while now," she said, showing her annoyance at the situation. "He's stressed." Fenneck sighed heavily as he considered this. "Well, I'm no expert, but I have heard that a romp in the snow tends to help with such ailments," he said, trying to lighten the conversation. "I have to respect the man for being able to fuck under such extreme conditions and not feel incredibly self conscious," he teased. Natalya rolled her eyes at him. "We haven't fucked for quite a few months now so you can stop your vulgar prodding," she said, sounding annoyed. "Clearly Dimitri shouldn't have have stopped his vulgar prodding," Fenneck said under his breath as he picked his book back up. Natalya found herself wanting to laugh but not wanting to give him the pleasure. She carefully flicked the rabbit's eye off of her dagger at Fenneck, hitting him squarely in the forehead and causing him to leap up in fear. "You're disgusting!" he exclaimed, chucking the eye back at Natalya. She batted it out of her face and laughed. He wiped his face off and sat back down feigning anger by crossing his arms and pouting like a small child. Natalya went back to skinning the rabbits. "Pussy," she poked fun at him. He sighed and set his book down and came over to where she was working. He sat down across from her and picked up one of the rabbits to help her. "Baegla asked me to invite you to the Winter's Eve Festival this year," he asked, yet again. "I told her you would probably say no but that I would ask anyway. She seemed to want to speak with you about something." They focused on the rabbits as they talked. "Do you know what about?" Natalya asked him. "I don't. Jasna also wants to see you though. She considered coming out here with me just to see you again." Natalya hesitated as she considered what it would mean for her to return to Flottenheim after all this time. Besides, it's not like she had anything keeping her here now that Dimitri wasn't willing to risk seeing her. "I don't want them to hate me for leaving," she said, throwing out one of her usual excuses as she realized how vulnerable she was and how a trip there, with the festival and magic would definitely open herself up to Fenneck. He tried to reassure her. "They don't hold that against you." "I'll think about it, but it's probably a 'no'," she decided, not wanting to mess their system up. Fenneck nodded and seemed disappointed but not surprised by her answer. "I understand. I just feel bad leaving you up here alone during the winter months," he said sadly, clearly understanding how lonely she was becoming. "We could get a pet or companion to keep you company. Maybe try to catch a rabbit next time instead of shooting it," he suggested sweetly. She gave him a stern look. "I don't need a pet," she assured him, finding the idea silly. He smiled at her and they continued to skin the rabbits in silence. They ate dinner and night rolled around with a brisk wind and snow storm. "Shit! It's really picking up out there," Fenneck commented as he got into some of his warmer night clothes. Natalya was also in her comfy, blue rabbit fur lined pajama's Fenneck had made her a few months ago. She walked toward the entrance to peak out right as the wind picked up and blew open the pelts. She jumped back and they quickly scrambled to tie them down. "Looks like winter is coming early this year!" Fenneck shouted over the storm as they tried to seal off the entrance and move any loose rugs and blankets to the back of the cave. The temperature dropped significantly and Fenneck pulled Natalya away from the entrance where she was focused on trying to tie down one of the pelts. "Come on, Nat! We need to take cover!" he told her as he gently pulled her away from the harsh wind. She gave up on the pelts and Fenneck pulled her back to her corner of the cave. Just then a huge gust of wind sent a flurry of snow into the cave and their fire went out, leaving them in the dark. Fenneck waved his hand and created some magic balls of light for them to see. "Behind the barrels!" he told Natalya. They sat down between the barrels behind her bed and the back of the cave and bundled up together under a pile of furs and blankets. The wind was viciously loud and Natalya started shaking from the cold wind and ice that was making it's way into their corner. Fenneck wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against him. "Does this happen a lot?" he asked her, sounding horrified. When I'm not here during the winter?" She looked up at him guiltily and nodded knowing he would use it as an excuse to convince her to leave. He shook his head and pulled her close to him and nuzzling their cold faces together. Natalya nuzzled him back and felt herself growing scared and confused by the feelings inside her. She pushed against him, grateful for an excuse to feel their bodies pressed together, hating herself all the while knowing that Dimitri was right. Fenneck slid down a bit to get comfier and Natalya moved with him. Soon they were laying down together in their little corner, wrapped in each other's arms. Natalya cuddled against Fenneck, allowed their legs to intertwine and their bodies to embrace each other. It was wonderful to be with him again like this. To feel his comforting, gentle presence again. To feel his love and affection that Natalya had selfishly shoved away for the last ten years. He was also being affectionate with her and Natalya couldn't help but enjoy it. She was laying with her head on his chest and she glance up to see if maybe this was the moment. His eyes met hers for a moment and he seemed nervous and cautious about this sudden development. Natalya looked away and felt him clutch her close, shivering from the cold. He gently kissed her forehead and Natalya closed her eyes to meditate and shove the confusing feelings away. When Natalya opened her eyes she was still curled up in Fenneck's embrace under the mountain of blankets. The storm was over and they were covered in sweat from the furs and their closeness but Natalya didn't mind. She slowly looked up at up him and started to pull away from him. His face was impossible to read. "Sorry," she muttered as she sat up, reluctant to leave his warm embrace. He shook his head and sat up next to her. "It's... okay," he told her. He looked conflicted and like he was bottling up his real emotions and feelings about the situation. "Why didn't you tell me it gets that bad sometimes?" he asked her, growing concerned for her safety. She shrugged and looked down to avoid his eyes. "Because I knew you'd throw a fit about it," she said honestly. He took a deep breath. "Look," he told her. "I'm not going to force you to do anything but I just want to make sure you're safe." His beautiful green eyes looked lovingly into her own and Natalya felt herself growing angry for her desire to love him and accept their fate together. "I know, I know!" she exclaimed, using anger to mask her pain. "I'm fine, Fenneck!" Fenneck nodded and looked down, clearly hurt by her sharp words. "Okay. I'm sorry," he told her, not pressing her. He looked up at met her eyes for a brief moment before trying to move passed the awkwardness between them. "I guess we should clean today and then tomorrow we'll make it to the checkpoint at the border to wait for the refugees," he commented. Natalya nodded. "Yeah, sounds good." Fenneck started to move and stopped himself before turning to Natalya. "Look, about last night-" he started nervously. She cut him off. "It was nothing. I get it. We don't need to have some awkward heart to heart about it, okay?" she said harshly. Fenneck frowned. "Very well," he huffed. She sighed with guilt at her behavior. "I'm sorry," she said. "I just want to get moving, okay?" She gave him an apologetic look for snapping at him and he nodded. "Okay." They got up and cleaned up the cave that was now a disheveled mess. The next few days they focused on getting their next family safely to Flottenheim. Like always, when they reached the edge of the Vallee, Natalya said her goodbyes and headed back to the cave to endure the cold harsh winter alone.