Serious:"Brief Interlude" Chapter for Avery Crusher and Arianne Greyson: "Just What the Doctor Ordered- Separated from the Crew, in Windmill Village" (Open to James. D Cook)

Arianne quietly ate the beef and sipped at her hot chocolate. Worry began to settle over her as silence had quickly set in and Avery seemed to not want to even look at her.
She stole a few brief glances at his firelit form, his eyes fixated on the flames before them both, in the fire-place. Was something preying on his mind? Had she done something wrong?
Arianne knew that she often had the capacity to insult or disturb people involuntarily with her aloofness. She did a frantic back-track of the last few minutes to identify what exactly she could have possibly said to have driven one of the few people that she deeply cared about to wanting to ignore her.
She briefly recalled Elsinora once saying something in the vein of: "Men would be so much easier to understand if they came with instruction manuals..."
Though she, at the time, had no idea what her twin sister had meant by that- she was now starting to see the sense in her younger sibling's rather odd observation.
Suddenly however, the sound of Avery's voice brought her back to reality and quelled her worry. She was slightly taken aback by his question, though. She lifted her legs, curling them beneath herself under the seat and looked to him, surprised.
"You...want to know about my foster father?"
Arianne placed her cup aside for a moment, looking down at her lap before answering quietly. "Yes, his name is Eric. Eric Greyson." A faint smile crossed over her lips. "He's one of the kindest, most generous people that I know...he truly embodies all of the teachings of Faith...which isn't what most people expect of a pirate. Even a retired one."
She slowly lifted her eyes to look to Avery as she spoke. "After my mother and her second husband were killed, my sister and I..." She shrugged. "We had nowhere to go. We knew how to do nothing for ourselves. We had been raised by servants who catered for all that we needed...and now finally we were exposed to the harshness of the real world without a clue of how it worked. A kindly woman took us in for a while and gave us food and lodgings. But, that year when Elsinora and I turned sixteen, she revealed to us that she was....involved with a very unsavoury type of work for women..." Arianne squeezed her eyes shut briefly, shaking her head. "...she expected my sister and I to take up that kind of work ourselves to earn our keep. She just thought...since we were twins...blondes, maybe...Ok, I don't know what she thought exactly. I've never been very...attractive so...I don't know why she thought that men would want to-" Arianne dropped her head, suddenly looking down, shame coming into eyes. Pulling herself quickly back together with a sharp inhale, she went on. "Anyway, the thing is, Elsinora...stayed on and took up the work that she was offered. I just couldn't. Maybe that made me an idiot at the time, but I just couldn't give myself up like that. So, I started travelling with almost no Beli in my pockets." She sighed. "When Eric found me, I was starving to death, alone. He took me in...he said I reminded him of one of his old nakama. Another blonde girl whom Eric said he looked after like a daughter. I told him all about where I'd come from and I honestly thought he'd kill me. Pirates and marine nobility tend not to mix very well. But he didn't hate me because of my parentage...he just said that he wanted to look after me as he had, his old crewmate." A smile slowly returned to her face. "I started helping
him out as his apprentice. He was the scientist of his old crew, you see and he desperately wanted to pass on the skill to someone. Eric built on what knowledge I already had, allowed me to wear what clothes I wanted, read what I wanted and he also trained me in archery and swordsmanship..."
Arianne briefly glanced over to her sabre, resting atop her clothes, folded at the foot of the bed. She smiled warmly again. "He also got me interested in piracy. I had always dreamed it to be so evil and full of nothing but violence...but the freedom, the exploration, the discovery, the refusal to follow the World Government or the Marines..." She gave a small laugh. "I suppose it all just appealed to me. Eric's stories were always so wonderful and I used to spend hours just reading his old charts and logs from the Grand Line. After a few years of masquerading as his illegitimate daughter from a previous flame, I took on Greyson as my new surname. Another year later, Eric convinved me to start my travels while I'm young and to find a crew of my own to join to make some adventure stories and logs of my own. I'm also furthering my research in the Akuma no Mi during my travels...It was hard to say goodbye to him but as he put it: "Well, it's not goodbye forever...it's just bye-bye for now"...."


Arianne looked to Avery, the tone of her voice becoming much softer. "You should meet him sometime. I think you'd both get along very well..."

Avery felt sorry at first for even having asked the question. Some of the memories he had revived sounded like they could be painful. He almost reached out to touch Arianne on her hand or shoulder or something, but he thought better of it after hearing about her sister's career choice and Arianne's own aversion to it. Avery just thought it would be a bit awkward.

Her 'father', on the other hand, seemed like a great guy. Not to mention just a bit frightening. He sounded like the kind of father who would make sure his daughter was happy and if Arianne's fighting ability was any example, this man was a dangerous person to cross. He was probably as good as, if not better than, Arianne herself. Of course, Avery was just basing this under the assumption that Eric had been a pirate for a while and that he had been the only one to train Arianne.

Then Arianne brought up the fact that Avery should meet her father one day and that they would probably get along well. Avery smiled and blushed slightly. Wasn't meeting someone's parents, or in this case parent, supposed to be a part of dating someone? Either he was thinking way too much, or he had just received another hidden indication that Arianne liked him. That is assuming that any of these 'hidden indications' were not simply figments of his imagination.

"I'd like that," Avery said after a moment. "And Arianne, I don't think you're an idiot for getting out of that kind of situation when you did. If anything, it shows a strength of character and self-respect that not everyone possesses."Avery quickly looked over at her. "No offense to your sister intended, of course." Thinking it was time to change the subject to a lighter tone he said, "Anyway, maybe you can meet my siblings one day." Avery paused for a moment and then laughed softly. "Oh, wait, hang on. I'm getting ahead of myself. I don't think that I've mentioned it before, but I have a brother and a sister. They're both nine years older than I am. And twins, like you and your sister. They moved out of the town where I lived, so they weren't killed along with my parents."

For once the mention of his parents' deaths did not depress Avery as they once had. He was a little bit sad, but as he had told Arianne before, he had found something better. Besides, he could still see his brother and sister whenever he wanted to, so it wasn't like he had lost everyone precious to him. And he had just gained a few more.

Arianne listened to Avery's comments after she had finished and felt something in her chest, something heavy that had been weighing her down for a long time, suddenly get quite a bit lighter.

She liked him.
That much was now obvious to her. Avery was a kind, gentle, understanding and polite gentleman, while at the same time he was also strong-willed, courageous, intelligent, brave and an excellent fighter.
Not to mention that he was also rather handsome.
Arianne silently hoped that in some shape or form, he had picked up on her tiny hint of her liking him in her suggestion that he should meet her foster father.
Truthfully (and a little shamefully), Arianne had never really liked any boy in such a way before and as such, hadn't a clue how to subtely indicate her feelings. All she knew was that whenever a man had liked..no, not liked... desired her as a wife before, the first thing that they had done was to meet and talk with her parents.
It may have been an awkward and rather bad deduction on her part but by that logic, Arianne felt that offering him the chance to meet and talk with Eric was the best way of implying that she had feelings for him.
Feelings that both frightened her and amazed her in many ways.

Arianne blinked at his words for a moment, taking in his comforting words and then replied quietly. "Gracias...thank you..." She thought for a moment and then decided to add. "If you're wondering why I sometimes let gratuitous words of Spanish slip out, my step-father was Hispanic by birth and the main language used around his household was Spanish. Also, my earliest tutors all taught me through a mixture of Spanish and English...so it's a habit of mine to speak it sometimes..."

She gave Avery a faint smile, the corners of her lips curving slightly with mirth. "Offence? None taken. Elsinora was always very..."loose" with men even before she decided to make a career out of it. To this day, she maintains that it was her own choice of lifestyle and she proudly defends it as if she's a member of the World Government..." Arianne sighed, rolling her eyes. "If anything, she needs a bit of ridicule and forced self-respect..."
Suddenly he offered for her to meet his siblings. Arianne's interest suddenly flared at this new information, her smile widening. "You have siblings too?" Avery went on to tell her about his older brother and sister- also twins just like she and Elsinora. Arianne nodded. "I'd like to meet them sometime. If they're anything like you, they must be truly wonderful people..."
Arianne took a sip of her hot chocolate, self-conciously realising that she might have just said a little too much. Over-complimenting someone- after all- often made them feel uncomfortable.
Suddenly, though, a new thought struck her and caused her heart to start thumping like a timpani drum in her chest.
He had offered for her to meet his family members too...was that an acception of her feelings and a possible hint that he returned them?
Or was she just reading into it too much and over analyzing her own far-too-obscure-and-unclear implication?
He had also accepted her invitation to meet Eric at some point, she remembered with concealed joy. Did that mean something too?
Arianne's head was swimming. Like any scientist, she didn't want half-proved theories and hypothesising. She wanted concrete evidence...which could only be obtained by experimentation.

She noticed a touch of sadness in Avery's eyes when he mentioned his parents' death and that pulled her out of her mental tussle.
Her eyebrows furrowed. He had been through so much.
Tougher times than her, if anything. It saddened her to think that such awful tragedies had struck such a good and noble person.
And through it all, he hadn't been made a horrible person or a hardened monster.
In Arianne Greyson's eyes, Avery Crusher was nothing short of perfect.

She gently lifted her hand and carefully placed it atop his hand, her soft fingertips lightly stroking the skin of the upper part of his hand before she delicately took his hand in her's, looking to him.
"I'd really like to meet your brother and sister sometime, Avery," she said with a smile. "One day, anyway..."

Avery blushed at her compliments and the touch of her skin. He turned his hand over and wrapped his own fingers around her hand.

"Thanks," he said. "But I'm not really all that special." He grinned. "And, honestly, my brother and sister are both a little boring. They picked jobs that take a lot of hard work to get into, but are safe and you don't travel much. They don't really like what I chose to do with my life, being a weaponsmith and liking pirates and all that, but they don't complain. Much. It seems kind of funny now, looking back. They acted more like my parents then my parents did."

Lawrence had finished his meal and now wandered over to stare piteously at Avery's other chicken sandwich. Avery ignored him, as usual. So the dog listened in on their conversation as best he could. He didn't totally understand it all, being a dog, but when Avery started mentioning his siblings, Lawrence's tail wagged. Soon after he and Avery had left their home island, they had gone to visit Avery's siblings to tell them what had happened. Lawrence loved Avery's sister. She gave him lots of treats. And Avery's brother had a son who had played with Lawrence. Admittedly the siblings had tried to stop him and Avery from leaving on their own, but the rest of the visit had been fun.

"More seriously though," Avery said as he absentmindedly shifted over a little bit closer to Arianne so that they did not have to reach as far to hold hands. "My siblings and I get along fine, but we were never all that close. I suppose that's why I didn't stay with them after I left home." He glanced over at Arianne and smiled. "Uh, well, heh...I guess, I'm rambling. Sorry about that."

Avery thought about taking a sip of his hot chocolate, but he decided against it. After all, he only had one hand to use right now and even if he was a little bit thirsty, it was no big deal. Not if the alternative was remaining in contact with this wonderful girl. Other than that hug he had given her, which he didn't count since he had done it solely to calm her down, this was probably the longest they had been in contact like this. He didn't want to let go of her, but he knew he would have to eventually. The weight of the day's events were starting to crash down on him harder than ever. A moment after he had thought about this, he had to stifle a sudden yawn. He did this by simply keeping his mouth shut and waiting it out.

"So...um..." Avery wasn't quite sure what else he should ask her. There were a dozen things he could have asked, but he didn't think this was the right time for any of them. "...I guess I'll go back on the roof...we'll need to catch up with the Milky Ways tomorrow...and they've got such a head start, we'll need our rest..."

That last thought left a bad taste in his mouth. Not that Avery had anything against the Milky Way Pirates, but a part of him wished he could just be alone with Arianne. To learn more about her and maybe admit to her sooner, rather than later, how he felt about her. Going back to join a pirate crew made things so much more difficult. But she had joined the Milky Ways and he too had promised Saki he would help her. There was no backing out now. He would just have to wait for another opportunity. A better opportunity. Today was the first day he had spent with Arianne. Things could only get better from here. He hoped.

The young scientist's heart gave a leap as Avery's hand suddenly moved beneath hers, moving to wrap his fingers around her hand.
Holding it gently.
She took a breath and let it out slowly. "Calm yourself," she warned herself silently but no sooner had the internal warning been issued, Arianne was both stunned and delighted to feel Avery move closer to her. Instinctively, she moved closer to him too. After all, it was much easier to hold hands this way.

Arianne listened to all that Avery told her, regarding his older siblings...but truthfully, what took the bulk of the attention of her senses was the close proximity of his body to hers. His skin was warm from the fire, but something beneath Arianne's own skin began to heat up at the feel of his bare skin gracing hers.
She swallowed, letting her fingers relax around his but continuing to hold his hand as if she never intended to let go.

"Mmm...they certainly don't sound as adventurous as you," she said in response, a slight smile coming to her lips. "But by the sounds of it, they do care about you...even if you aren't all that close. I can relate to that. Elsinora and I have grown apart but we still keep in contact through letters, when we can." She shook her head. "No, you're not rambling." Arianne gave a small laugh. "You should hear me when I ramble...Eric says that I become a "mine of useless information"..."

"His presence prompts me to want to smile and laugh more," thought Arianne, her smile softening. It had been so long since she had felt the genuine desire to smile. Ever since she had met Avery Crusher, smiling suddenly had become so easy for her to do.
She gave a mostly silent but rather happy sigh and felt a tiny bit of blush creep back on to her face when she realised that this was the longest period of body contact that she and Avery had had all day. The spot on her forehead where he had kissed her still tingled slightly as she looked to him, noticing that he was stifling a yawn.
Ah, he was feeling the impact of the long, turbulent day too?

Arianne nodded at his words, understanding his tiredness. "Alright...I suppose...yes...you're right..."
Was it such a sin to want to spend more time with him?
Even if Arianne desperately wanted nothing more than to repeat the past twenty four hours and spend another day with him, duty and promises to a new nakama dragged them both forward like the ocean dragging a bobbing dingy out to into its tides.

Reluctantly, Arianne slowly let go of Avery's hand, folding both of her hands in her lap and looking down. Suddenly something had ignited in the pit of her stomach...worry mixed with a kind of restlessness. Living with the Milky Way Pirates would make it difficult for the two of them to steal some "exclusive Avery and Arianne time" whenever they desired it. They would both have new jobs to attend to and Arianne hated the idea that Lawrence would feel neglected if she continued to steal Avery away.
Well, if this was the last chance she would have in a while, she might as well have made it meaningful.
Feeling both foolish and slightly nervous, Arianne looked up at him suddenly. "Avery? I just want to say...thank you...for today." She smiled. "For agreeing to "date" with me...for fighting off all of those bandits...for comforting me after..." She took a rattling breath. "....Slavo....for taking on this night-watch position and also, well...just for being there for me to talk to. You're a wonderful man, Avery Crusher. I mean that. In all my brief eighteen years, I've never met a man with such a strong and compassionate heart as yours..." Her gaze lowered. "You're right, by the way. We should both get some sleep..." She coughed and looked down, her voice becoming very quiet. "...I just...wanted to ask you...though...could I...give you...a goodnight...kiss?"

At this point, her voice was so quiet that Avery could have pretended not to have heard her, her head dropped, her reddened cheeks covered by the veil of her hair.

Avery looked over at Arianne, his mouth dropping open in shock. He wasn't quite sure what to say. It was like all of his mental functions had momentarily shut down. He was virtually frozen to the spot, which was ironic because his cheeks choose that moment to begin burning.

Slowly, cognitive thought returned starting with the most basic pieces of what she had asked him. She actually wanted to...to...kiss him? Even with the hints she had dropped about her interest in him, this still blew him away. It was like all of his dreams had suddenly come true and his parents had somehow returned from the dead. That was how he felt right at that moment. Nothing else mattered to him except Arianne.

Avery wasn't even thinking about Lawrence, who had oh so appropriately decided to step into the bathroom to search for any intruders the moment after Arianne mentioned the kiss. Not that he expected to find anything, but the dog believed it was his duty to make sure. Especially when his master was currently occupied with something that Lawrence deemed to be a private matter. Though why humans pressed their mouths together at all astounded him. Licking was a much more effective way of demonstrating affection.

Avery carefully reached up with his hand. He hesitated. This was a first for him. How should he approach such an action? He guessed that maybe he should just wing it. Then again, considering that it was her suggestion, maybe he should just let Arianne make the choice for herself.

Thinking that the last option would be the best, Avery continued moving his hand up to Arianne's face. He delicately brushed aside her hair, parting the veil for the first time, before reaching out to stroke her cheek. He took his hand and slid it under her chin, gently lifting her head back up so he could look into her beautiful blue eyes. He leaned forward just slightly so that their faces were only inches apart and then he stopped, hovering on the brink.

"Can you give me a kiss?" he repeated, his own voice very quiet. "That depends on whether or not you beat me to giving you one..."

Arianne's heart was beating so fast, she could have sworn that it was almost humming in her chest, accompanied by a burning fire that had just ignited there.
This wasn't happening. This couldn't be real. She had to be dreaming.

Yet despite her trying to remind herself that this was only a fantasy, Avery's warm hand suddenly touching her face and drawing her chin up so that their eyes met was enough to convince her of the reality of the situation.
"He...wants this too?" Arianne thought, shocked to the point of disbelief but also feeling a sudden, wonderful, beautiful lightness within her.
She could feel his soft breath gracing her lips and the warmth radiating from his skin against hers. His words met her ears and seemed to wash over her, cloaking her in a kind of heat that she had never felt before, shivers automatically running up her spine.

Arianne had never done this before...and part of her was terrified of doing something wrong and destroying any chance that she would ever have to feel this magnificent sensation again, however just looking into Avery's charming, gentle silver eyes made her feel secure and suddenly much braver than before.

All of a sudden, she leaned forward and closed the gap between them, her lips gently meeting his and her own smaller, silk-clad body moving close to his larger, strongly-built frame. Arianne had only intended it to be a brief peck, but something about the way their lips- their bodies- seemed to fit together so perfectly, caused her to remain there.
She closed her eyes, allowing herself to become completely engulfed by this new sensation- his scent immersing her, his taste overwhelming her.
Not quite knowing what to do with her hands, she hesitantly slid her hands to his chest and around his neck (as she had accidently seen Elsinora do with an ensign once or twice).
After a few more moments of tenderness, she parted her lips from his- but only a few inches, her gaze lowered, unsure and timid. Perhaps he didn't want to continue? Arianne suddenly felt selfish for pushing Avery beyond his comfort zone and she slowly looked up at him.

Avery wasn't quite sure how to describe the sensations running through his body. It was...like a kind of pleasurable thrill, he supposed, if that wasn't just repetitive. Or maybe it was more like a bolt of lightning had just shot through his body. Every one of his senses felt more alive than ever before and they had all focused in on the girl in front of him. He had even forgot about taking security precautions and staying aware of his surroundings. It was like she had shattered his ability to think logically with this one action. And Avery was kissing her back. That also made it hard for him to concentrate on anything else.

Despite Avery's lack of experience in the art of kissing, he was doing his best according to what he had seen his parents do and the one kiss he had received from the girl who had broken up with him. Unfortunately, that one kiss wasn't the best point of reference he might have used. It was nothing like this one. This one possessed a kind of passion that one had not, could not have had.

When Arianne broke away, most of Avery's logical thought returned. However, a large chunk of it remained AWOL. She was, after all, still right there in front of him and she had her arms wrapped around his neck.

"Whew!" Avery gasped. He hadn't realized it, but he had been holding his breath as they kissed. "That was, without a doubt, the best goodnight kiss I've ever received!"

Avery grinned at Arianne cockily, trying to hide the bundle of nerves that had suddenly settled in his chest. He wasn't sure what he should do now. He wanted to kiss her again, but he wasn't sure if that would be appropriate under the circumstances. She had only said kiss, not kisses. Then again, she was still right there with her face right in front of him. Perhaps if his head wasn't whirling, he might be able to think up something really intelligent to say that would 'earn' him another kiss.

Then he caught sight of Arianne's face, staring up at him. She looked just as nervous as he felt. Avery's expression softened and he smiled in much more heartfelt way than his previous goofy grin. Avery cautiously reached out with his good arm and wrapped it around her waist. He now pulled her against him like she was pulling him against her.

Very carefully, he leaned forward, pressing his lips against hers once more. The thrilling sensation returned, though he managed to keep his head this time. Then, just as carefully, he withdrew, leaning back against the back of the sofa behind him. Since they were holding onto each other, Arianne was now slightly leaning over him.

"I'm sorry," Avery said, the words slipping out before he had a chance to think of what he was going to say. "I'm sorry if I'm scaring you..."

He blushed. That wasn't quite what he had wanted to say, but a part of him was afraid that it might be true.

(OOC: The blessing/curse of the writer-type mindset...I feel like I am Avery and so every sensation he is feeling is running through me as well. That's what I'm trying to use to describe this scene. Only problem is, his loss of logical thought is affecting me as well.)

Arianne kept her arms around Avery's neck, her eyes glazed with a kind of suppressed passion blended with newly awakened longing. She felt like a slave, eating for the first time after months of starvation; some kind of void inside her had been filled in one of the most indescribably beautiful ways possible.

She had previously been rather passive towards the idea of kissing. It wasn't something that she opposed, but the idea of letting a man simply slobber all over her like a ravenous dog, (no offence, Lawrence), was not one that she found particularly appealing. On the contrary, it had seemed grotesque to her, not to mention somewhat immoral.

But this.
This.
This feeling.
It was nothing like she could have ever previously imagined. When Avery kissed her and she, him in return, it wasn't with mere lust (though the obvious guilty desires still hung in the air surrounding Arianne's thoughts) - it felt as if they were both trying to pour every drop of this new burning emotion into each other's body.
Avery's lips felt soft against her's yet at the same time, laced with power. It was as if his very kiss embodied his own personality- caring and gentle yet undeniably strong and filled with a fiery determination.
She had never kissed a man before this, but as she parted his lips for that brief moment, part of Arianne's mind had decided that as Avery was the first man she had kissed, she also wanted him to be the last man that she ever was to kiss.

The feeling of lightness in her chest had now spread to her head and she felt dizzy, as if she were about to faint. But it was strange because rather than losing the control of her senses, every single sense seemed to be working overtime- taking in every aspect of Avery with new vividness.
The sight of his handsome face near her's. The sound of his voice, his breathing, his heartbeat. The scent of his skin. The feel of his warm body- his good arm pulling her against him. The taste of his lips...

She couldn't help but smile at Avery's comment, her own lungs crying for air. Arianne could feel the blush on her cheeks but for some reason, it didn't feel as strong as before. Perhaps it was because now she new that he was enjoying this as much as she was?
She managed to whisper breathily in return, trying to regain the oxygen that she had been deprived of. "I'm glad that the feeling is mutual..."
Arianne could feel herself trembling slightly- though whether it was from first timer's nerves or their previously intense display of intimacy, she wasn't sure. Either way, Avery was all that mattered at that very moment.
His cocky grin seemed to soften as she looked up at him and suddenly, as if an angel had heard her internal wish, he placed his lips on hers once again.
The smouldering fire inside her began to burn higher once again, seeming to want to climb to a blazing conflagation.

When Avery drew back, his next words stunned her.
Scaring her? She was visibly nervous, there was no doubt about that. But was Avery really worried that he was the one making her so anxious? She blushed a little more, realising that she was leaning slightly over him but really couldn't bring herself to care anymore. She needed to show Avery that she wasn't afraid. That he had no reason to be afraid either.

Arianne shook her head, moving one of her hands to stroke his cheek but keeping her eyes locked on his. "Don't be sorry. Please, don't be sorry," she begged, breathily. "If anything, I want to thank you." She smiled softly. "This is the best "good-night" I've ever received too..."
Taking chances, she moved to stand up briefly. She could vaguely imagine a way that this might be easier for the two of them but she could only hope with all her might that Avery wouldn't mind what she was about to do.
Very tentatively, she sat down in his lap, careful not to put all of her weight on him at once before replacing one arm around his neck and bringing the other to cup his cheek again. Arianne looked him firmly in the eye, her own gaze warm and reassuring but also glinting with the overbearing emotions that she felt inside. "You're not scaring me...if anything...you're giving me courage..."
And with those words she carefully resumed their kiss, gently moving her untrained lips against Avery's and gently tracing the line of his jaw with a single fingertip, marvelling at the feel of his skin beneath hers.
She waited for Avery to respond, lingering against his lips for a few moments, letting him decide whether or not their intimacy should continue.
At the moment, the scientist had lost all ability to make rational decisions for herself.

(OOC: Ah, you're a method-writer too! Good, I thought I was the only one who envisions themself wholly in the place of their character and actually makes an effort to feel exactly what they feel. Don't worry, there's actually nothing wrong with anything that you wrote in your above post, so the lack of logical thought doesn't seem to be affecting your ability to write well, Daniel! I know the feeling though, I write the same way, so I apologize if I get a bit carried away or suddenly stop making sense too.)

(OOC: No, you're doing an excellent job at describing everything. While I am not nearly as good. I've never done a romantic scene like this one before...)

The feelings and sensations were all surging back. Though the kiss Avery had given Arianne had not felt as powerful to him as the one she had given him, all of that excitement was returning with this latest one. In his fear of upsetting Arianne by being overambitious, Avery had unintentionally kept himself from enjoying the intimate moment like he had before.

Since Arianne had stood up for a moment, Avery's arm had dropped back down onto the sofa as he watched her, curious as to what she was doing. When she sat on his lap his eyes widened in surprise, but he did nothing to stop her as she leaned in, spoke, and kissed him again.

He was a little bit hesitant at first, but that didn't last long. It seemed that she really did want this, and who was he to stop her? Not to mention he wanted to do it as well... A light crimson touched his cheeks at that thought, but he was too busy to even notice its heat.

Once again he had lost himself in the moment and was responding even more enthusiastically than before. Avery looped his good arm around Arianne's back, pulling her down so that her full weight was now sitting on him. He didn't mind this in the slightest. To him, she was as light as a feather. Less, even.

Avery ran his hand up her back, feeling the soft, silky nightgown. He slid his fingers into her hair, briefly intertwining them with her golden tresses before bringing them down and brushing them against her throat. They reached her shoulder, but he quickly moved them away, remembering that she had been injured on one of her shoulders. He just couldn't remember which one it was, so he decided not to take the risk.

Avery didn't ever want to let go or have this moment end. But as with everything in life, it couldn't go on forever.

Avery finally surfaced, his head still spinning. He took a moment to regain his focus and then smiled at Arianne tenderly. There were no more doubts in his mind. Even so, his heart still felt like it was beating like a drum.

"I wasn't sure...I just hoped...but I couldn't be certain unless..." Avery took a deep breath. "What I'm trying to say is, I didn't know if you felt the same way about me like I did...about you." Avery blushed brightly, somehow feeling even more nervous than he had before they had kissed. "I-I mean...that is...unless I was mistaken..." He laughed softly. "...it's just that...that wasn't quite like any goodnight kiss I've ever had before now." He realized how that might have sounded and he quickly amended: "Not that I'm complaining, of course. That was...wow..." He grinned. "I'm afraid that is the best I can come up with in short notice."

(Awh, thanks for saying so. But, seriously?! Your romantic writing skills are extremely good! If that was your first time writing a scene of that nature...well, I certainly can't wait to read your experienced work! )

Arianne felt Avery's good arm wrap firmly around her waist and pull her further into his lap, accepting the full weight of her form and causing her body to press against his.
She gave a soft, almost comical squeak of surprise that suddenly melted into a gentle murmur of ecstasy as Avery began to return her kiss. "Mmm..."

Coaxed by his enthusiasm, Arianne returned each of his passions as best as she could, allowing herself to become as enraptured by the kiss as he was.
She felt Avery's hand slide up along her back, each trail his fingetips left, leaving pleasurable tingles on the surface of her rapidly heating skin. His hands caressed her throat and hair and it wasn't long before part of Arianne- an excited but rather guilty part- was practically begging for him to continue to touch her, anywhere he wanted.

In response, Arianne, moved her own hands to lightly stroke Avery's chest and broad, strong shoulders. He felt so perfectly warm, even through the material of his clothes.
When Avery finally dissolved the kiss, it took a few moments for Arianne- dizzy and breathless- to be able to think properly again.
Of course they couldn't spend the rest of the night doing this (even if that was exactly what Arianne wanted nothing more than). Avery had already made up his mind about keeping watch on the roof and what about poor Lawrence?

Arianne listened to his words and an uncontrollable smile suddenly blossomed on to her face too. It was true. Avery felt the same way that she did...and all along, to think, their fears had been the same.
"I...I...was afraid that you wouldn't feel the same way...that you wouldn't have the same feelings for me that I do for you." She looked up at him, still smiling as she moved closer to him, deliberately pressing her chest against his so that he could feel her quickened heartbeat- letting him know that he was not the only one who was nervous. "But...I had to try something...Avery, you're the first person to ever make me feel like this..." She looked down, a little sheepish. "You're the first person that I've ever kissed goodnight...my mother was never one for physical contact..." She blushed a little more."And you're the first man that I've ever kissed...so I was afraid that I'd ruin everything with my lack of experience...but..." Arianne smiled wider up at him, clearly at a loss for adjectives too. "That kiss was so...yes...wow..." She touched her forehead gently to his. "I'm so happy that are the first to kiss me...I've always wanted to receive my first kiss from a man that I would be willing to give my heart to..."
She felt a sudden blazing burn in her cheeks following her confession.

Arianne took a breath, visibly reluctant to move but sliding from his lap to sit beside him, all the same, allowing him to move if he wished to. She couldn't help but give a small soft laugh, looking around, despite her own nerves. "We appear to have frightened Lawrence off..."

(Heh...thanks...I'm blushing...but I'm not sure how much more I can improve. Stuff like this makes me so nervous. Maybe once I read some of your work I'll be better at it.)

Avery was stunned. In fact, he was so stunned, he didn't even feel disappointed when Arianne slipped off of his lap. So she thought that he might be a man she could give her heart to? The night was just full of surprises. Kisses and now this...

The biggest issue was if he felt the same way. Sure, he was interested in her, but his heart? That was a big deal. Something that he wasn't sure if he should just hand out after the course a single day. Avery looked over at Arianne and his worries fell away just like that.

On the other hand, he didn't have to make any decisions just yet. It wasn't like Arianne had said she would give her heart to him, just that she was willing to do so. And for now, that was good enough for him.

Avery reached out and brushed a few stray strands of her hair out of her face. "I guess..." he began slowly. "...I might also be willing to give you my heart. I just...well, I'm hardly what you would call an expert in romance. A lot of this is all new to me..." He pulled back and stood up, looking around for his dog with an exasperated expression. "Where is that useless animal? Lawrence!"

The dog came slinking calmly out of the bathroom. It was, as he had expected, intruder free. Although the hotel had apparently had a bit of a rodent problem at some point, if the rusty mousetrap under the sink was any indication.

Lawrence looked up at Avery and sneezed in his direction, which was his way of dismissing Avery's rude comment. His master could be so childish and overbearing. If it wasn't for the fact that Avery couldn't survive without him, Lawrence would have left a long time ago. That was the kind of haughty air the dog was exhibiting right now as he pranced across the room, head and tail held high.

Avery rolled his eyes at the dog's display. "Come on you crazy mutt," he said. "I'm taking you outside. The lady said to make sure you wouldn't spoil the carpets and I intend to do just that."

Lawrence looked scandalized by Avery's words. He wasn't a moron! He wouldn't go around messing up the carpet like that! Not that Avery took any notice of his expression. Instead, Avery scooped Lawrence up in his good arm, gave Arianne a wink and a wave, and left by the window, jumping back down to the ground below. There he set Lawrence on the ground and let his thoughts wander back to Arianne as the dog sniffed around.

( Now, I'm the one who's blushing. :3 You flatter me entirely but I'm not really that good. I do adore the romantic scenes though.)

Arianne felt as if her heart had only started beating for the first time at Avery's words, as if each sweet, little "thud" was reborn and brand new.
She mannaged to say, quietly but firmly as she gazed up at him. "I'm no expert with romance either. In fact, this is all so new...it almost frightens me..." She gave a small smile, just to reassure him that it was most definitely an "almost." "And this is all new to me...s-so I'm sorry..." She looked down. "If I'm awkward...Emotions are a difficult science to study..." She gave a small, ironic laugh.

Arianne watched the master and loyal companion's playful banter and affectionate rough housing. Despite their acts of exasparation and airs of superiority, she could tell that they cared about each other very much and it warmed her heart to see such a relationship. She giggled softly at his wink, feeling like a little girl again.
She sighed a little after he left, running her fingertips softly over the places where his own fingertips had traced the skin of her face- brushing the loose, fair tendrils from her face.

Arianne rose, back-tracking on Avery's words for the first time.
"Might."
Suddenly the young scientist felt a weight come into the pit of her stomach. She had only known him for a single day...and already she was practically confessing her love for him.
Love?
That was such a frightening word...and one that Arianne had sworn that she'd never ever use. She had never seen romantic love for herself before this. Her father's marriage to her mother was an arranged one- there was no love in it. Only resent. Even after he died, her mother was sad but not powerfully heartbroken.
Her mother's second marriage had been a strategic means of keeping wealth in the family.
Elsinora's escapades were nothing but disgusting displays of lust.
Sometimes Arianne when prayed to God, she wondered whether real "love" even existed.

Arianne felt a stinging sensation in her eyes as she placed the grate over the fire and walked over to the bed, but she refused to let the emotion take her over, refusing to let a single tear spill. She had decided to cry her last tears on the day that her mother and step-father had died.
Maybe she shouldn't have given such a blurted-out confession and put Avery on the spot in such a way. They had plenty of time to get to know each other. That gave her some hope.
And "might" meant that one day, maybe he'd feel the same way about her in return. But who could ever really bring themselves to want such a stoic, boring set of damaged goods such as her, she wondered.
She peeled the covers back and gently slipped into the bed, enjoing the feel of the cool, silken sheets against her bare legs as she laid back against the pillows. The feeling of his lips lingered against hers. She hadn't expected anything more than a brief, nervous peck between them at most.
And then...that...
She rested back in bed, tired but unable to coax herself to sleep.

(Oh, come on now Lore! Humility is all well and good, but this is too much! I'm just giving credit where it is due! Heh...I had trouble trying to think up details you hadn't mentioned so that my posts would be at least a little bit unique for Avery.

Oh, this is changing the subject, but I was wondering about that MSN thing Lost keeps mentioning. I've asked for the link to it, but when I go there I don't see any messaging system, just a generic homepage for the website itself. Maybe that's because I don't have a hotmail account. I'm more of a gmail kinda guy. Anyway, I was wondering, what kind of messaging system is it really? Do people just send messages like we do in the chatbox? Or does it use a video phone, like Skype?)

Avery closed his eyes, enjoying the night's cool breeze once again. He preferred mornings, but nighttime also had its perks. For one thing, there was nothing to look forward to except many long hours of rest. For another, it made everything so quiet and peaceful. And yet, not even this could make him forget for one instant the girl he cared so much about.

Avery felt a tugging on his heart and he looked back up at the room where he knew Arianne was. He hoped she would be able to sleep. He probably wouldn't. Not after everything that had happened. Maybe he should go back, tell her exactly how he felt, or rather how he thought he felt. It all came down to that one truth: Whether or not he really...loved Arianne in that way. He thought he did, but could he just trust his gut on so basic an instinct? He had just met the girl! Why was he even thinking about these things?

Avery forced himself to look away from the window. He felt angry at his indecision, his stupid overly logical brain, the fact that he had to feel this sort of thing at all...it was almost too much to bear. He was even angry with his injured arm. It was so useless, and it was slowing him down. Both in battle and, in a way, with Arianne. He had been able to touch her with one hand, but he had wanted to hold her with two.

Avery kicked at a tree with his mechanical leg and glared at it. Why did he have to be such a cripple? First his leg, and now his arm! Maybe he should just tear his arm off and replace it as well! Then, if it broke, he could easily put it back together again.

Almost immediately, Avery felt sick at the thought of cutting off his own arm. And he felt stupid for having thought any of those things. He could not stand to lose another limb. Sure, he would replace them if he did lose them, but he could never inflict an injury like that on himself.

Avery felt Lawrence brushing against the back of his legs. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, calming himself. Then he opened his eyes and smiled at Lawrence.

"Thanks buddy," he whispered. "Ready to go back?"

Lawrence gave a small bark and wagged his tail. Avery grinned. Lawrence couldn't have conveyed his answer any better, had he been able to talk.

With his dog once more tucked under his arm, Avery made his way back up to the room. He dropped in through the window and set Lawrence down. The room as dark, but Avery's eyes had adjusted in the gloom outside and he could sort of make out the outline of Arianne on the bed.

"Arianne...I..." Avery began, his voice barely above a whisper. "...I just wanted to say...that I...I..." He paused. He knew what he wanted to say, but he just couldn't bring himself to say it. "...goodnight. And thank you for the wonderful time. Today was the most fun I've had since...I can't remember when..."

Hating himself for his own cowardice, Avery waved Lawrence away to a corner before slipped out the window again. He dropped down on the roof and lay on his back, staring up at the sky.

(Once again, everything was taken from my own personal experience. Personal relationship stuff frustrates me for some reason when it doesn't work the way I think it should. But then I remember why I'm doing it...

Oh yes, and do you think we should do a timeskip now? Or do you have something else to write?)

(As am I! Ok, let's end this war of niceties and say that the romantic side of this thread is pretty awesome on both of our parts. Though once again, you are too kind, Mr Haught. Avery's posts are already quite unique in my eyes, but I must say that this one in particular strikes a chord with me. I've felt the same way too, admittedly. MSN is very like chat-box only it's a one on one messenging service, though of course, you can add other people to one single conversation and start a group conversation.
Personal experience, I feel, is the most important, powerful resource that any writer has.
Oh, and there's one more thing thing that I'd like (Arianne) to do before we time-skip )

Arianne heard Avery slip back into the room, also hearing Lawrence as he padded across the room to a corner.
His words, though quiet, met her ears with perfect clarity and after he had left the room once more, Arianne found herself rising up from the bed and walking across the room to the window and balcony.

Maybe it was a bad idea, but she felt that it all had to be done or else she wouldn't sleep soundly that night.
It was so unlike her. That much was certain.
The chilling night air nipped at her skin, the night-gown clearly not made for such manouveres. But, all the same, Arianne found herself climbing up on to the roof beside Avery.
She felt herself starting to shake a little; her agility wasn't bad but she had never been one for heights.

Swallowing, she leaned over him, one arm over him to steady herself and her face above his.
"I...I...I'm glad you enjoyed yourself today. I...had a wonderful day today too. Thank you for helping me smile again.," she said quietly, giving him one of those very smiles. "And goodnight. I'll see you in the morning..."
Quickly, before she could change her mind, she lowered her lips down and kissed his own, softly and sweetly before slipping away again, down off the roof and back into the room.

(Shall we timeskip to when the three of them are on the journey to Orange Island?)

(Okay. I just thought MSN might be something different because Lost was making such a big deal over it. Maybe she just likes the fact that it is a more private place for talking.

So I'll guess I'll start off the timeskip! And then I guess we'll be off to join the others in just a few posts...)

It was a beautiful day on Windmill Island. There were only a few clouds, the sun was shining, and a gentle breeze blew through the town. Although it was still early in the morning, many people were already up and about, dealing with their daily business.

Avery was standing near the entrance of the docks. Both his good arm and his damaged arm hung loosely on either side of him. He had tested his damaged arm earlier that morning to see how well he could move it. It was still in terrible condition, but he could at least move his fingers without feeling intense pain running through him.

Avery was dressed in the same dirty clothes he had been wearing yesterday, though admittedly he had taken a shower that morning. The problem was that he didn't have a lot of clothes and what he did have he had accidentally left on the Milky Way ship. Avery resolved to go and buy himself a couple new outfits on the next island. Surely there would be time enough for that. The crew's luck couldn't be so bad that they would be involved in another battle right off the bat.

Next to Avery was Lawrence. His ever present, canine companion was enjoying the fresh air after having been cooped up in a corner all night. He really hated staying alert like that, even if he was half-asleep the whole time, but when Avery gave him a command, he followed it. He did not question his master when his master was being serious, in spite of the uncaring attitude he normally displayed around Avery.

Avery's thoughts were not on such mundane matters of how much sleep he had gotten. Admittedly he hadn't been able to get much, but he didn't mind it. It had given him time to think about Arianne's final actions. That kiss had felt so great that he had almost followed her back into the room to ask for another.

A goofy looking grin crossed Avery's features, but he quickly shook it off. There would be time to look like a lunatic later. Right now they needed to find some sort of transportation. Preferably something fast, since the Milky Ways had such a large head start on them. Since he wasn't sure how much Arianne knew about ships, if she knew anything about them, Avery figured it would be up to him to find something for them to use. He did have some skill as a helmsman, so he knew what to look for.

Just in case he was wrong about Arianne, he asked, "What do you think? About the boats, I mean."

(No, MSN is pretty simplistic But the privacy is always a major plus. Ah, thank you for starting the time-skip. Sorry, I just didn't think it would be very in-character of Arianne to not return Avery's final word- the secretly passionate gal that she is. Yep, then we can hop into the Milky Way thread. We'll have to notify Lost first though.)

Arianne Greyson lifted a hand to shade her eyes from the sun. It was a truly beautiful day- complete with a nice even wind and a following sea. Surely catching up with the Milky Ways wouldn't be too difficult.
She shrugged her coat up on to her shoulders and adjusted her spectacles on her nose.

Ugh.
The good weather was such a mixed blessing. True, they could reach Orange Island in less than twelve hours but that also meant that in twelve hours, she would have to share Avery's attention with not just Lawrence (though she didn't mind the loveable, loyal dog), but also with an entire crew of pirates. It made her feel ridiculously selfish but then again, it would be worse to lie to herself about how she felt.

Arianne couldn't help but let a small smile creep across her face at the memory of the night before. Mental images of the two of them...together...kissing...flitted through her mind and warmed her faster than any rays of midday sunshine.

Avery's voice suddenly pulled her back like a wake-up call.
"The boats, hm?"
She looked around Windmill Village's docks, scanning the potential candidates. "Well, we're going to need one with a strong rudder to make up for lack of size...because, I presume since there's only three of us, we won't be getting anything large and fancy...That said, a nice big sail span wouldn't hurt, considering that this nice breeze mightn't hold up when we get into open water..."

Arianne took out a small leather book of old charts from her strap bag. "I've been reviewing Eric's old logs and charts. I'm no navigator but Orange Island isn't too far from here. Judging by this, we should be able to get there without the need for a pit-stop or many impediments..." She looked to Avery with concern, her tone softening. "Is your shoulder feeling any better?"

Avery was pleasantly surprised to hear Arianne talking about ships like that. Perhaps he shouldn't have been surprised, considering that she liked to read and had probably read up on ships at some point, but he had figured she would have found them boring since she specialized in science.

"My shoulder is still feeling pretty bad," Avery reported. "But I can move it around some. And I can move my fingers without any pain at all, so that's a huge plus. Seems like that doctor knew what she was doing after all." He grinned at Arianne. "Thank you for asking." He looked back at the ships and nodded. "As for the ships...that sounds logical. Let's see here..."

Avery walked onto the docks and looked over the closest vessels. Some were much too large, one was ridiculously small, and many others had minor problems that Avery could see from where he stood. He didn't want any of those. The majority of the problems were not bad, they just were and he wanted better than that.

Then Avery saw it. The perfect ship. It was the right size, shape, and looked at least moderately clean, which was more than Avery could say for the other vessels in the dock. Some people just had no idea as to how to take care of their property. There were no cannons on board to slow them down and it looked like it had been used before, but still was very much seaworthy. The ship even had a nice name. It was the 'White Hart'.

"That one," Avery said, pointing at the ship. "We should see if we can buy that one. Or rent it. That would be cheaper."

Arianne felt a pang of relief, knowing that Avery could still move his fingers, even if his shoulder still hurt quite a bit. That meant that no infection had spread through his arm, ergo, his wounds were starting to heal.
She smiled gently, nodding. "That's good to hear. It would appear the doctor did do her work very well."

She watched Avery examine each vessel near to them, with eyes that showed experience. Naturally since Avery had skills as a helmsman and had travelled as a lone sea-farer (not counting Lawrence- who due to a lack of opposable thumbs, didn't quite count as an extra hand on deck), Arianne supposed that he would know exactly what to look for.
Her own knowledge was largely centered around Eric's notes and what he had told her from his travels. She, herself, had hitched a ride to Windmill Village in the first place, on board a merchant vessel and as such, hadn't sailed herself.
Long story, short- Arianne knew a lot about ships in theory but she had yet to put any of these skills into practice and still had yet to gain any experience of her own.

Sure enough, Avery soon pointed out the perfect vessel and Arianne took a step forward to examine the candidate.
"Sì, sì, sì...yes, it seems perfect," she mused, admiring how well-kept the boat was and how appropriate it was in size. "The White Hart, hm? El Corazòn Blanco...I suppose renting it would be cheapest. But then again, renting requires us to bring it back and we don't have any guarantee that Saki will be passing by here again." She shrugged. "Then again, we could always pay someone on the next island to take it back for us, if they happened to need to get to Windmill Village themselves. Then it would be in all of our interests..."
She stooped briefly to stroke Lawrence's ears and then stepped down on to the lower portion of the dock, standing next to the vessel and getting a closer look. "Everything seems to be in order. The mast is lovely and strong too. Do you see the owner around anywhere?"

Arianne pivoted on the spot, looking for any potential owners of the vessel.

Avery smiled at Arianne, watching her look around for the owner or owners of the ship they wanted to rent. The memory of her sitting on his lap and her lips on his returned. A part of him wanted to talk to her about what had happened last night, but now was not a good time. Maybe while they were on board the ship he could say something. Surely there would be time for that in between checking the tiller and making sure that they were on course.

"So you like the White Hart, huh?"

Apparently a nearby worker had overhead Avery and Arianne's conversation. He was wandering over, wiping away the sweat on his face with a towel.

"Yeah," Avery replied, forcing himself to look away from Arianne. "It's a nice ship. Do you know who owns it?"

"Sure do!" the man replied. "See those two over there?" He pointed towards an elderly man and woman, who were standing side by side, conversing with another dock worker. "They're a husband and wife who share ownership of this vessel." Avery gulped. That's what he had been afraid of. It was a private ship, which meant there was almost no chance of just renting it. "But...they might let you two take it out for a spin," the man continued, winking at Avery and Arianne. "They have a soft spot for young people. Especially couples."

Avery's eyes twitched as the man turned away, chuckling. "You've got to be kidding me..." he muttered. "First that hotel lady and now this?" Suddenly realizing that Arianne was within hearing range, he quickly changed his tune, but still kept his words honest. "Then again, I suppose last night was pretty fun...so I can't really knock it."

Stupid, stupid, stupid! Why couldn't he just keep his big mouth shut? At least he had sort of saved himself...

At the revelation of the White Hart's ownership, Arianne too, felt a bit of a sinking sensation in her stomach. If the vessel was privately owned, it was going to be tougher to convince the owners to let them take it for any reason.
She was just looking over at the elderly couple when the dock worker added that they had a soft spot for young people...especially couples.

Arianne raised her eyebrows, still not shifting her gaze, even though her thoughts were suddenly racing again- flitting away from the subject of the boat and back to the much more important-seeming (not to mention appealing) subject of she and Avery's relationship.

Did they really look like a couple?
Truthfully Arianne, though she loved to observe natural phenomena, had no idea what a conventional "couple" was supposed to look like. Though, considering that this was the second time that someone had mistaken she and Avery for one...it seemed highly likely that the two of them met most of the basic "couple" criteria.
Whatever on earth they were.

Suddenly she heard Avery mutter something as the man turned away.
"You've got to be kidding me...first that hotel lady and now this?"

Arianne then felt another sinking sensation- only this one wasn't in her stomach but in her chest. Was it irritating for Avery that they had been mistaken for a couple?
"Then again," a scathing little voice in the back of Arianne's mind sneered. "Who could blame him for not wanting to be associated with an awkward, bookish, boring girl like you?"

However that little voice was promptly shut up and drowned out by Arianne's own pounding heartbeat when Avery suddenly added: "Then again, I suppose last night was pretty fun...so I can't really knock it."

Wait.
Did that mean that he actually wanted the two of them to be together?
Words like "suppose" and "pretty" and "can't really" seemed a little bit vague...but then again, maybe he was just trying to cover his tracks up and not reveal how he truly felt?
Arianne sighed, biting her lip.
Being Avery's girlfriend was something that Arianne had fantisized about from the moment his hand had first taken hers, from the moment that she realised how perfectly their two bodies seemed to fit together.
She could feel her face heating up and immediately she swallowed, attempting to quell any potentially immoral thoughts that might suddenly taint her mind...
...though a guilty little side of her only needed the memory of sitting in Avery's lap, his arm around her waist and their lips delicately massaging each other's to suddenly not care about being so "tainted."

Either way, it seemed logical that the two of them at least pretend to be a couple in order to have a better chance at being allowed to take the boat. A trifle hesitantly but with fresh memories of the night before giving her a little more confidence, Arianne took Avery's hand...gently interlocking her fingers with his.
She spoke quietly, starting to tug him to walk with her along the docks to the couple. "So, they have a soft spot for couples? Well then, it makes logical sense that we should pretend to be a couple in order to better our chances at persuading the owners..." She sighed a little, her hand holding his a little tighter, gently squeezing. "But, the thing is...I don't like lying...and I also don't like that kind of "friends with benefits" thing that Elsinora used to talk about...I..." She could feel the colour in her cheeks. "I...really enjoyed last night too. And...I was thinking...thinking that if we were to do it again...I'd prefer it if we were a definite cou-...I mean I understand if you don't want me in that way...I don't want to put pressure on you or anything...I just...just really like you...and want to have more nights like last night...and I think the old couple would be more convinced if we were a genuine couple...and I think that you're the most intelligent, friendly, strong, loyal, kind, courageous and handsome man that I've ever met...and I really do like you...and I'm rambling again and blurting out needless information and ...forgive me."

Arianne dropped her head, falling silent, her face burning and her hand going a little limp in his. She was getting ahead of herself again. At this point, she wouldn't have been surprised if Avery thought that she was insane...still, getting all of her emotion out in one single, heartfelt (though slightly rambling) monologue had a kind of lightening effect on her.
Fearfully, she awaited Avery's response, swallowing again and looking ahead.

Another revelation. This one wasn't quite as shocking as the previous ones, since they already insinuated most of what she had just said, but parts of it about him being 'intelligent' and 'strong' and 'courageous', not to mention 'handsome', just about floored him right then and there. He had never thought of himself as any of those things.

Arianne's embarrassment at saying these things out loud to him was obvious. She also seemed afraid that he wasn't interested in her. Avery thought back to the night before, wondering what he might have said that would have made her think that. Had it been his hesitation to commit himself to her? He hadn't meant for her to take it that way, though he could see now why she might have thought that he wasn't interested. Avery felt like such a moron. Here he was being all logical and careful and he was only driving her further away from him than she already was. There was only one way, that he knew of, for him to right this wrong he had committed before it was too late.

"Okay, stop right there," Avery said, pulling coming to a halt and gently pulling Arianne back towards him. "We've got to get some things straight. First of all, I have no intention of lying to these people. Second of all, I would absolutely love it if things between us were official and not this game where we are both to afraid to say anything. Third, I wish it wasn't the fact that we needed a ship that would make us say these things, though I guess I shouldn't complain since it sped things up. Fourth, I really, really, REALLY like you as well. Fifth, I think you're beautiful and...and...great...and...fun to be around...and...and...ugh, I'm terrible at compliments. Let me just put it this way."

Avery closed the distance between them and planted a kiss on her mouth. His good arm slipped around her back, like before, pulling her against him. But then, face turning white from the pain, Avery forced his damaged arm up and placed his hand on the side of her waist, just above her hip. He held onto her like this for almost ten seconds, putting everything he was feeling into the kiss. He didn't care if anyone saw them like this. He didn't care how much this set back the healing process of his arm. All that mattered was that Arianne understood exactly how he felt about her.

Finally, Avery pulled back just a little, his face still close to hers. His good arm stayed around her while his damaged arm had dropped back to his side. It was throbbing with pain because of his action, but he ignored it.

"Arianne..." Avery whispered. "...I've been such a fool. I never intended to make you think that I wouldn't want you as something more than a friend. I've just been trying to handle this relationship like I would deal with anything else in my life." He laughed weakly. "That was my first mistake...I guess I still have a lot to learn. And I suppose...no, I know that I want to learn it with you."

Arianne felt light-headed as Avery spoke to her but at the same time she had no intention of losing conciousness. Her eyes were wide and she instantly sought to engrave every word that passed his lips into her memories.
He actually...returned her feelings.
It was real.

For once, she wasn't blushing madly- but rather shivering and trembling as a new kind of sensation ran through her body. It was like an interweaving mixture of relief, a desire to please him, longing, immense happiness and undulating shock.
Beautiful? She had never been called "beautiful" before.
Fun? Now there was a word that no one had ever used to describe her prior to this sudden revelation.
And this was all being said by Avery Crusher.

Before Arianne even had a chance to pinch herself to ensure that it all wasn't some kind of cruel dream, Avery's lips were on hers. She felt herself let out a breathy gasp against his lips- in both surprise and joy. She returned his tender kiss, her hands coming up to his shoulders. Arianne felt the power of his feelings seep into her through the kiss and she did everything she could to make sure that he felt the power of hers in return.
The feeling of his warm lips against hers was enough to confirm that this was all real. The scent of his skin ensnaring her senses. The feel of his two strong arms holding her close to him.
Two.
Arianne was almost so completely enraptured with the kiss that she didn't realise that Avery was using his weak arm to hold her too. Avery resiliently held up the kiss for a full ten seconds and Arianne could feel his facial muscles starting to tense with pain.

When they parted, Arianne ran her hand down his bad arm, saying softly: "Avery, your arm. You didn't have to use it." She placed a brief, gentle kiss on his lips. "But it means a lot to me, that you did."
She placed a second, gentle kiss on his wounded shoulder and gently started to stroke his arm, massaging the muscle as best as she could. Her other hand remained resting on his good shoulder as she spoke in return: "Avery...while I wish that we were saying this to each other in different circumstances, I am grateful that we are finally saying these things to each other..." She took a deep breath. "I like you more than any man I've ever met before. I want to be by your side...I want to be yours..." Arianne smiled widely, looking up at him, her eyes locking with his.
"I'm no expert on this either. This feeling is so illogical...and yet I'd love to learn more about it with you...we can teach each other..."

Her voice trailing off, Arianne reconnected their lips in another deep but soft kiss, wrapping one of her arms around his neck. The other hand found its way down to the hand of Avery's bad arm and she gently interlocked his fingers with hers.
Finally, after a few more moments of gentle kissing (and a few more passers-by), Arianne parted their lips, chuckling softly under her breath. "Perhaps we should go and talk to the owners of the White Hart now?

If fireworks had been fired into the sky right at that moment, Avery wouldn't have been surprised in the slightest. Everything that had happened was so much more than he could have ever hoped for. She didn't just care about him, she also wanted to be with him. Not just be with him, but become his...did that mean that she...? But no. Something like that would have to wait. Even if it was only a matter of weeks or as long as a few years. He would stay with her from now to then, and beyond. The thought was just a frightening to him as it was exciting.

Avery laughed lightly at Arianne's last words. "What's the rush?" he asked her. "I'm fine with staying right here. But I see your point." He leaned into her and whispered, "And for what it is worth, I would like to be yours as well. No one else has ever mattered to me as much as you do."

"How...how...beautiful!"

Caught off guard as he was, Avery turned and stepped in front of Arianne, half-expecting to see another snide bandit standing there, ready to attack them. But it wasn't a bandit. It was the elderly couple that owned the White Hart. The husband was the one who had spoken. Tears were pouring down his face as he pulled out a handkerchief to blow his nose. His wife also looked a bit teary-eyed, not to mention a touch amused by her husband's reaction.

Embarrassed for having jumped to conclusions, Avery moved out from in front of Arianne. Lawrence looked up at Avery and smirked in his own doggish way. Had he been able to, he would have been laughing at his master.

"Sorry, but we couldn't help overhearing your words," the wife explained. "We were passing by on our way to see our ship for the last time." She looked past Avery and Arianne and smiled wistfully at the White Heart. "It's been a good ship, but we can't take care of it anymore..."

"You're going to sell it?" Avery asked.

"Yes," the wife replied. She shrugged. "We just made the decision yesterday. But it's for the best. We never sail on it anymore anyway."

Arianne felt a warmth rise inside of her once more at his softly whispered words. She would have never in a million years dreamed that she would ever have met a man as wonderful as Avery and now here she stood, wrapped up in his warm embrace, her lips mere inches from his.
Her smile widened and her eyes fluttered shut again. "Oh, Avery," she breathed, lifting her other hand to stroke his cheek.
Arianne was about to go in for one more kiss when suddenly, they were interupted.

"How...how...beautiful!"

Arianne's eyes snapped open and she skittered back a little as Avery stepped in front of her. Though, to her surprise- it was not someone (outwardly) threatening or jeering that had made the declaration- but the elderly owner of the White Hart.
Arianne couldn't help but smile a little more as Avery stepped back. Even if there was no actual reason for his protective stance, she still felt touched that he wanted to defend her. In her experience, she had always been the one protecting someone else from harm and it felt rather nice to be looked after for once.

She raised her eyebrows as the old woman spoke, in complete disbelief in their luck.
"That's quite a coincidence," Arianne interjected, though in a polite tone, bowing her head slightly to them. "My boyfriend here and I..." She took Avery's hand once more, looking up at him briefly at the word "boyfriend", trying it out for the first time. If fitted perfectly on her tongue, even if it felt a little bizarre to be saying aloud. "...we're actually looking to buy a small vessel at the moment." She smiled. "We think the White Hart is perfect. May I ask what the asking price is?"