Post by Arkturas on Jan 2, 2010 21:05:01 GMT -5
Tohu led Arkturas back down the stairs, to the bedroom off the hall from the door. They bid each other good night, shy smiles and burning eyes, but she turns back to the stairs, and Ark closes the door, slumping against it, the shakes he'd been holding back overwhelming his control. Swiping a quivering hand over his face. Emotions roared through him, until he felt like he was in the middle of a tornado of fear, love, anticipation, lust and nervous embarrassment.
Slowly, his heartbeat slowed from it's frantic tempo, his breathing deepening. Shoving the crazed and tangled emotions back, he waited until he was calm, collected. Upstairs, he could hear Tohu preparing for the night, hooves sounding from the stone floors. Mirroring her, he removed the armour encasing his frame, setting it carefully aside, he couldn't deal with it now, though he knew he had to eventually.
Crossing to the bed, he slid beneath the sheets. And reassured by the essence owner of the room, he closed his eyes, and with the skill known by soldiers across the universe, slipped into slumber.
The dreams began later.
It began with a slight crinkling of his brow, worry and pain condensing in a line. Shifting slightly, as if to release the discomfort of an awkward position quieted him for a time. But the line deepened, and was joined by others, brethren of suffering. He muttered under his breath in Draenic, deep voice just barely disturbing the silence. Massive hands clenched into fists, clutching at the fabric of the sheets, as if to provide an anchor. He became still for a time, though not the stillness of slumber, but the tension wrought posture of the wounded. Then a low cry of pain wrenched it's way past his lips.
Tohu sat upright in the darkness, ears straining. But nothing came, and she started dismiss it as a figment of her imagination. As she lay back down, though, it came again. A low sound, muffled, but from within her house. Fear spiked her heart, before she remembered. Ark was in the house. And she bolted from the bed, wrapping a robe about herself before hurrying down the stairs, fear turning to concern. As she pushed open the door to the room Ark was in, she gasped. His eyes shut tight, he trembled, clearly gripped in the throes of some terrible nightmare.
"Arkturas," She breathed, crossing to his side, and laid a hand on his cheek. "It's just a nightmare, wake up."
But as she finished, and made contact with his skin, one of his hands shot up from the bed, clamping about her wrist like a manacle. She yelped in sudden surprise, and pulled back in shock, but ceased as the grip on her wrist, as abruptly as it had land, eased, though Ark still held her wrist. The lines on his brow eased, and a certain amount of relief entered his expression, and he tilted his head into her touch. After a long moment, frozen in that tableau, his hand faltered, and fell back to the bed. Tohu breathed a sigh of relief, and made to take her hand from his cheek. As she did, Arkturas shifted, pain and loneliness returning. Tohu bit her lip, she could stay here, but was it too forward? Would he be offended? Fear gripped her, but she stomped on it, resolutely deciding. slipping the robe from her shoulders, she slipped beneath the covers, and cuddled up against Ark's chest.
One of Ark's arms slid around her slim waist, drawing her closer. She tucked her head into the crook of his neck, feeling his now calm breathing in her hair. Absently she ran a hand down his side, feeling the scars and marks of a lifetime there. She shivered, fearing the morning. Ark's arm tightened for a moment, a brief squeeze of comfort following her tremor, and she smiled in the darkness.
No, everything would be alright.
Shifting a little, Tohu settled to sleep, listening to his breathing, until she slid from consciousness, wrapped in his arms, listening to his heartbeat, a contented smile on her face.
Slowly, his heartbeat slowed from it's frantic tempo, his breathing deepening. Shoving the crazed and tangled emotions back, he waited until he was calm, collected. Upstairs, he could hear Tohu preparing for the night, hooves sounding from the stone floors. Mirroring her, he removed the armour encasing his frame, setting it carefully aside, he couldn't deal with it now, though he knew he had to eventually.
Crossing to the bed, he slid beneath the sheets. And reassured by the essence owner of the room, he closed his eyes, and with the skill known by soldiers across the universe, slipped into slumber.
The dreams began later.
It began with a slight crinkling of his brow, worry and pain condensing in a line. Shifting slightly, as if to release the discomfort of an awkward position quieted him for a time. But the line deepened, and was joined by others, brethren of suffering. He muttered under his breath in Draenic, deep voice just barely disturbing the silence. Massive hands clenched into fists, clutching at the fabric of the sheets, as if to provide an anchor. He became still for a time, though not the stillness of slumber, but the tension wrought posture of the wounded. Then a low cry of pain wrenched it's way past his lips.
Tohu sat upright in the darkness, ears straining. But nothing came, and she started dismiss it as a figment of her imagination. As she lay back down, though, it came again. A low sound, muffled, but from within her house. Fear spiked her heart, before she remembered. Ark was in the house. And she bolted from the bed, wrapping a robe about herself before hurrying down the stairs, fear turning to concern. As she pushed open the door to the room Ark was in, she gasped. His eyes shut tight, he trembled, clearly gripped in the throes of some terrible nightmare.
"Arkturas," She breathed, crossing to his side, and laid a hand on his cheek. "It's just a nightmare, wake up."
But as she finished, and made contact with his skin, one of his hands shot up from the bed, clamping about her wrist like a manacle. She yelped in sudden surprise, and pulled back in shock, but ceased as the grip on her wrist, as abruptly as it had land, eased, though Ark still held her wrist. The lines on his brow eased, and a certain amount of relief entered his expression, and he tilted his head into her touch. After a long moment, frozen in that tableau, his hand faltered, and fell back to the bed. Tohu breathed a sigh of relief, and made to take her hand from his cheek. As she did, Arkturas shifted, pain and loneliness returning. Tohu bit her lip, she could stay here, but was it too forward? Would he be offended? Fear gripped her, but she stomped on it, resolutely deciding. slipping the robe from her shoulders, she slipped beneath the covers, and cuddled up against Ark's chest.
One of Ark's arms slid around her slim waist, drawing her closer. She tucked her head into the crook of his neck, feeling his now calm breathing in her hair. Absently she ran a hand down his side, feeling the scars and marks of a lifetime there. She shivered, fearing the morning. Ark's arm tightened for a moment, a brief squeeze of comfort following her tremor, and she smiled in the darkness.
No, everything would be alright.
Shifting a little, Tohu settled to sleep, listening to his breathing, until she slid from consciousness, wrapped in his arms, listening to his heartbeat, a contented smile on her face.