"Leoriness. Keep your focus. You keep looking at me."
Her throat caught.
For a breath, she almost raised her hand to sign a reply. But then she looked up and saw it again: that perfectly still profile.
He wasn't teasing. He wasn't interested. His words were just a statement of fact, said in that same calm voice as always.
He didn't see it.
He didn't see what was growing inside her.
Of course, she thought bitterly. To him, it's normal. People admire him. His beauty. His strength.
But to me...
She clenched her fists at her sides.
It's not like that.
-------
The camp was quiet that night. Elarion had already set her tent aside. A proper distance. A proper boundary.
And like always, he stood guard in the middle of the night. Mask on. Silent.
Leoriness didn't sleep. She sat inside her tent, watching his silhouette through the fabric.
Her thoughts stayed there until dawn broke.
Her mind repeating only one thing:
One day, you won't stand that far away from me.
One day, you'll look only at me.
------
The next morning:-
Both of them outside for hunt.
The rain had started without warning.
It came down in sharp silver lines, cutting through the quiet forest as Elarion and Leoriness moved beneath the trees. The sky had turned a deep slate gray, heavy and low.
Elarion glanced up once. His mask caught the rain, droplets slipping down its black steel surface.
Leoriness walked behind him, her hood already soaked through. Her steps were steady, but she kept glancing toward Elarion's back, as if unsure whether he would notice the sudden storm.
He did, ofcourse.
Without a word, his gaze which was already from earlier, sweeping the surroundings found a shelter: a narrow cave entrance half-hidden by moss and stones.
He gestured once with his hand, and she followed.
By the time they stepped inside, the rain had thickened into a curtain. The sound echoed against stone, steady and relentless.
Inside the cave, it was cool and dry. Elarion set down his sword first, checking the ground before moving toward the fire pit left by someone long before them. Within minutes, he had sparks dancing against dry bark.
Leoriness stood quietly nearby, pulling her soaked cloak off. Her fingers trembled slightly as she wrung the fabric, her eyes flickering between the fire and Elarion's silhouette.
He crouched beside the flames, mask still on, movements precise.
A long silence stretched between them.
Then, to her surprise, Elarion spoke:
"You should dry your hair too."
Leoriness lowered her gaze.
"You should too, dry your hair."
" It will dry on it's own"
"Still.."
Elarion didn't answer aloud. But his gaze shifted toward her for a moment, as if noting the effort.
The fire warmed the cave steadily. The scent of burning wood mixed with rain-soaked air.
After a while, Elarion set aside his clothes he took out from his bag, Herua had packed too many clothes which were now coming in handy. During all this time,tbey used them.
His gloved hands moved up to the black steel mask.
Leoriness's breath caught as he untied the thin thread holding it in place.
The mask slid free.
For the first time, she saw his full face. Pale skin untouched by scars. Sharp jawline. Sharp beautiful almond eyes. Lips moist looking kissable.
The water dripping from his jet black hair.
One eye blue as a frozen lake.
The other red as fresh blood under snow.
Her fingers tightened around her sleeve.
It wasn't just beauty. It wasn't something ordinary.
It was unreal. Ethereal.
Elarion glanced toward her, expression calm.
"Is it distracting?" he asked softly.
Leoriness didn't answer. Her heart had started beating faster. She hated that she couldn't control it.
Slowly, she raised her hands again, forming signs: Why now?
His voice was quiet, matter-of-fact.
"Because I thought you were ready. And because it's inconvenient to keep it on while we're not in public."
He set the mask beside his sword.
Leoriness swallowed.
Ready... That's what he thinks this is?
Elarion began preparing herbs from his pouch, kneeling beside the fire with calm, exact motions.
Leoriness watched him without moving. Her mind repeating:
This face... No one else will see it. No one else. Only me.
-------
She sat down slowly across from him, her eyes never leaving his face. Her mouth moved slowly:
"Will you wear it again?"
Elarion answered without pause.
"If it's not needed anymore"
A quieter moment passed between them.
Then Elarion set a flat stone over the fire and laid thin cuts of seasoned meat upon it. The cave slowly filled with the hiss of sizzling fat and the warm, earthy scent of cooked herbs and smoke.
When it was ready, he slid a piece toward her without a word.
Leoriness picked it up carefully, the warmth sinking into her fingers. Her first bite was cautious, almost unsure.
At first, her expression remained unreadable. Then she stopped—mid-chew—eyes lowering. She held the piece of meat loosely between her fingers, breathing shallow.
Without thinking, her hand rose. Fingers brushed lightly against his cheek, as if to confirm something not yet spoken aloud.
"…Is it real? Really?"
Elarion's gaze followed the movement of her hand. He didn't flinch. Didn't smile. Just nodded, once—quiet and certain.
Leoriness pulled her hand back slowly and finished the rest in silence. Each bite steadier than the last.
But her thoughts refused to settle. Her eyes flickered between the fire's soft light and the face across from her—pale, calm, unchanging.
No one else will touch it, she thought again.
Only me.
-----