Rhydar made his way up to the underside of her jaw with his lips while his other arm snuck over to Lily's free arm. He lightly grabbed her arm and slowly ran his hand up and down, feeling her silky skin with his fingers while his lips tasted her sensitive neck.
With Lily pressed against his chest and practically melting in his arms, asking him to kiss her, this morning was by far the best morning he's ever had. He would give anything to live this moment every morning, but that wish was entirely up to Lily. He wouldn't ask that of her without her first voicing a similar wish. He cared about her too much to put her into that situation.
Lily's head tilted back just a bit, almost immediately, giving him full access to her neck. And then his hand was on her arm, and it took quite a bit of effort not to let her legs give out completely. Fates, she couldn't even be embarrassed, too focused on the feel of his fingers on her arm, his lips on her neck, then her jaw. What a way to start the day. Something you could get behind.
Rhydar hummed as he trailed his butterfly kisses down to the base of her neck, very lightly nipping at the skin before simply pressing his face in the crook of her neck. His fingers continued to glide up and down her arm in a methodical manner as he breathed in Lily's scent for a few moments.
She was incredible, and he was still wondering how he had gotten so lucky as to catch her eye and keep the attention. Sure, he was the crown prince, but it was clear that she didn't see him that way. She saw him for who he was beyond the fancy crown.
He resumed his kisses, though they somehow had more tenderness and love behind them as he covered her neck with his assault.
Lily let out a small and surprised noise when Rhydar's teeth grazed her neck, the color painting her cheeks brightening a bit. His being buried in her neck gave her the chance to breath, and to thank the Fates. For directing her to a man who she could let touch and hold her, without the self-loathing that usually came with that kind of contact. She huffed a small and light laugh at the change in the kisses once the were resumed, leaning back into him a bit more.
"You're so adorable…" Rhydar mumbled once he was pretty sure he had peppered her poor neck with kisses twice over. His eyes were closed, and his head was tilted towards her touch from the hand still framing the side of his face. "An' cozy…" Yes, despite her issues with touch, she was incredibly cozy. If he could, Rhydar would love to just cuddle up with Lily all day, possibly take a nap, and simply enjoy her comforting presence.
Lily returned to running her thumb along his jawline, as though she wasn't blushing profusely and still a bit weak in the knees. "Cozy?" She repeated, tacking a questioning tone onto the word, looking for clarification. What exactly did that mean, comfy? She wasn't aware people could be comfy in any way, since they weren't exactly the same as pillows.
"Yes, cozy," Rhydar said matter-of-factly, despite his sleepy voice getting progressively sleepier. "Like a teddy bear." That was the best way he could describe how easy it was to cuddle with Lily—when she could handle it, that is. That isn't to say she wasn't like a prickly cactus when she couldn't handle it, as she wasn't. "Huggable," he finally concluded, "Soft. Warm. Comforting."
“I think y-you’re the first person to ever call me comfy.” She said, smiling softly. She turned her head, pressing a lingering kiss to his cheek. “Actually, for sure. What an odd thing to call someone.” She huffed a laugh, her thumb running circles over the space just behind his ear.
"I'm an odd person," he said with a breathy laugh, turning his head just enough to kiss her jaw before settling his chin on her shoulder. "Mmm, I could get used to his," he hummed with a small smile, his thumb running circles over her wrist, then the inside of her arm, then along her shoulder, then back down to do it all over again.
“You do know you’ll have to let me go eventually, right?” She asked, resting her head against his anyway and making it obvious she was in no hurry to do anything else. “My hair is likely reminiscent of a briar bush minus the thorns.” She continued tracing her own circles into his skin, at ease even with his thumb brushing over scars on her arms.
He jokingly wrapped his arm just a tad bit tighter around her and pulled her as close to him as possible, then let go before she could freak out as he dramatically whispered, "Never~" in her ear. "And your hair is gorgeous at all times, briar-like or not." He hummed to himself as a thought came to him. He could offer to do her hair again, as she seemed to like it the last time, but he also considered the possibility of him sounding unable to leave her side. Not exactly untrue…
Lily gasped softly as he pulled her closer, not quite fear but more surprise, her cheeks heating up as he whispered in her ear. Fates, he had absolutely no clue just how much his voice that close to her ear affected her. “I highly d-doubt that. I’m p-pretty sure looking in the mirror would prove that false.” She wasn’t exactly wrong. Her hair was a complete mess.
"Mirrors lie," he said, still speaking right next to her ear with absolutely no idea how much she was affected by it, "Traitorous bastards that make lovely ladies like you think less of yourselves." He curled his nose in distaste to enhance his dislike for mirrors even more, though he was being dramatic as always. Her stutter was adorable, even if he didn't know what he had done to create it.
It took everything she had not to shudder, suffering silently(not in the worst way, of course) as he spoke in her ear. "T-traitorous? And do you r-really have that much of a g-grudge against mirrors?" She asked, amusement mingling with her flusteredness. It was kind of funny, between his dramatics and his obvious dislike for them already.
He nosed the back of her ear. "Not necessarily mirrors themselves. More like the standards people set that make people look in them and hate themselves for not meeting said standards. I, of course, look amazing in any and all mirrors, and no one is going to tell me otherwise. Same goes for you, and anyone and everyone. But a lot of people don't think of them that way, and that's what upsets me."
After a short pause, he quietly murmured, "But there are some cursed mirrors that I have a distaste for for specific reasons I care not to get into."
His comment about him looking good in any mirror drew a laugh from her, the sound just slightly weak thanks to the state of fluster she was in. Though, his decisiveness in telling her that she did as well made her heart flutter. "C-cursed mirrors?" She repeated, not to ask for details. He had just said he didn't want to get into that. "I g-guess those would make most people hate mirrors."
"Not cursed in the sense that some supernatural being possessed it a thousand years ago and yadda yadda yadda," he clarified, "More cursed in the sense that I had bad experiences with certain mirrors in my lifetime—mostly embarrassing experiences, but experiences nevertheless." He lifted his head and rose a brow as she kept stuttering. She didn't usually stutter that much, which made it weird, though still endearing.
She released a small breath when he lifted his head, an inaudible sound and generally unnoticeable thing. "Ah. M-makes sense. Embarrassing experiences might be some of the w-worst." Lily was glad the stuttering seemed to be lessening, partly with time and partly because he had moved so that he wasn't speaking in her ear anymore.
He hummed and pressed a kiss to the side of her head, speaking against her hair as he said, "I'm thinking. . . It wouldn't be a proper date if I forced my lady to remain in the clothes she wore the day before. I'm also due for a wardrobe update." He didn't outright say it, but he figured the implication was clear enough. Shopping with Lily would also give him an idea of what she liked, both for clothes and just anything in general. Maybe she had an eye for neat knickknacks; perhaps she adored individual flowers.
Her eyes drifted shut as he kissed the side of her head, a smile flickering onto her lips. "Noble and all, but I can't afford new clothes." She pointed out, almost apologetically. "I would be happy to tag along though, to keep you company." She wrapped her free arm around herself for something to do with it, careful not to disrupt his hand.
"Not to worry. As your noble date, it's on me. You can make it up to me some other time, not necessarily with money." He looked down at her, almost worriedly despite the easy-going tone he had set when making his statement. He didn't want to make it seem like she was in need of handouts, but he also wanted to do something for her on this sorta-date.
"Not necessarily with money." Her eyes snapped open a bit too quickly, despite her attempts to remind herself that wasn't what he had meant. Right? "And what exactly do you mean by that? How do you suggest I pay you back?" She asked, her posture just a bit too stiff now.
Rhydar immediately let go and backed up, sensing he had said something wrong. It took only a split second later to realize how his last statement could've been interpreted. "That's not what I meant, Lily," he said softly, his chest twisting with guilt. That reaction… A muscle in his cheek feathered as he clenched his jaw. He could connect most of the dots he had been given to come up with a ballpark guess.
“I-I know. I’m sorry, I just-“ Lily shook her head, wrapping her arms around herself as she turned to look at him, avoiding his eyes. “I keep trying to remind myself, but…” It’s too ingrained to get rid of that easily. “I’m sorry.” She repeated, closing her eyes and taking in a shaky breath. “I’m trying.” The words were whispered so quietly that they’d be hard for anyone to pick up, but audible enough.
His eyes softened with sadness at seeing her like this. He wanted to reach out and hold her close as he whispered, "I know baby. I know." Whoever did this to you is going to pay. I promise you that. Someone had scarred Lily to the point where it was a fight to simply embrace someone and make her think he wanted to use her to his own gain. He would never, but that doesn't mean someone else would gladly take the chance to do such a blasphemous thing to such a sweet and amazing woman.
He wished he could erase all the hurt in her past. However much the progress she's made so far, it would never be the same for her. She'd always have the memories—the lingering ghost of her trauma. No amount of patience and time would erase all that.
Well, there was one option, but he doubted Lily would want to do it.
"Can I-?" She unwrapped her arms, one coming up to trace the brand on the back of her neck, as she pointed at the door to the bathroom with the other. "I-I should be fine in a minute." She said, as though that was what he was worried about, was how long she would take to collect herself. "I just need-the water helps." Shifting on her feet, she finally met Rhydar's eyes, her own swirling with guilt among the sort of haunted look that only came from going through as much trauma as she had.
He tilted his head towards the bathroom and stepped away another foot, hands sliding into his pockets. "Take as much time as you need." Normally, he would joke about her leaving his rings and piercings alone, but now wasn't the time for jokes. So he just stayed silent and let her work things through—the only thing he knew to do at the moment. He was still figuring her out—figuring the dos and don'ts out.
She forced the corners of her mouth up into a strained smile, her hand reaching towards him for just a moment before she dropped it again. "It's not your fault." She said, her voice quiet as she took a step towards the bathroom. "Don't think it is, please." And then she was slipping into the bathroom, almost going to close the door fully, before pausing and leaving it open a crack. A show of trust, even if it didn't look like much.
Rhydar watched her go with a whispered, "I don't," then groaned and ran his hand over his face, fingers digging into his hair as he turned back and forth, not quite pacing but not sitting still either. Today had been fine up until he had opened his big mouth and triggered something in Lily. He didn't blame her for one second—what had happened to her in the past wasn't up to her—he blamed himself for not being careful. He hadn't been thinking and just spoke.
Lily turned to the sink once in the bathroom, running the water and cupping her hands to catch some. She splashed her face with it, using the shock from the cold and the memories of her sisters doing the same to wake her up, to snap her out of the other memories fogging up her mind. Focus on now. Focus on where you are, who you're with, what you're doing and going to do. Rhydar. She was with Rhydar, who would never hurt her. Rhydar, who held her like she was someone important, someone to be treated with care. At an inn, planning on going out. On a date. That was good to focus on. Going on a date with him, something normal people, normal couples, did.
It took her a bit longer than a minute, but not by much, before she pushed the door open quietly, her eyes searching for Rhydar.
