Afternoon Delight - Luc & Sophine

[Sophine Shahrizai de Amodour]

I laughed, thinking about Denyse. "I have. It drives my sister crazy, but I can't help myself. She's so sweet!" I remembered her words in the parlor, then shook my head. "Although she can be a little trying at times."

I heard the fountain before I saw it, and I felt a little thrill of excitement at seeing another new thing. Today was rapidly becoming my best day in the city so far. First the delicious Caisse de Pomme, and now Elua's Square. As we continued to walk, the fountain finally came into view.

"Oh look!" I exclaimed, pointing at it, as if he could possibly miss it. "There it is!"

[Luc Bradamante]

Laughing, I watched as her expressions changed while she talked, going from mirth, to a sure look of adoration for the little child, to mayhap one of mild displeasure, and then to excitement. She was so expressive, so pure in the way she emoted. No games, no hiding. I smiled at her and looked towards the fountain.

"And that, my dear, right in front of you, is the infamous fountain." Tugging gently on her hand and feeling rather light at heart I pulled her along as I ran towards it, not at full speed, but playfully.

[Sophine Shahrizai de Amodour]

I laughed aloud with exhilaration as Luc and I ran to the fountain, like larger versions of the children that had run by us earlier. It only took us moments to reach it, and when we stopped I was only slightly out of breath. I plunked myself down heavily on the edge of it, leaning forward to look at myself in it's depths. Of course, being a fountain, the ripples were too many to allow any sort of clear view, so instead I trailed my fingers in the wake. It was cold, but it felt good after our long walk and short run. "It's beautiful." I said to Luc, though I felt that it was the company I was in that made it more so.

[Luc Bradamante]

I followed suit, sitting beside her and laughing. It was nice to let go sometimes, just to enjoy the moment. She looked into the fountain, her hand sifting through the clear water. I put my hand in as well, feeling the coolness of it surround my hand. As she spoke, I looked to her. With a soft smile, I moved an errant curl, my hand brushing her soft skin.

"Yes," I replied softly, "it is." I kept my eyes on her, watching her in her happiness. I doubt she knew how beautiful she was like this.

[Sophine Shahrizai de Amodour]

I was happy when Luc sat next to me, and a I smiled at his agreement. The light breeze blew through his dark hair and without thinking I reached up to smooth it out of his eyes. It was soft, and I had the sudden urge to bury my fingers in it. I had to force myself to lower my hand and I knew I must be blushing from the sudden heat in my cheeks. I looked back at the water and cast about for a new topic of conversation. "Do you like to swim?" I asked, the water having reminded me of swimming with Maric and Lilli. It was one of my favorite pastimes, and indeed I should have liked to strip down to my shift and splash about in the fountain. The mental picture of that was enough to pull the corners of my lips back up into a grin.

[Luc Bradamante]

I smiled as her fingers brushed my hair aside, delicately, and resisted the urge to take her hand and kiss her fingers. I watched her as she turned away, a faint pink colouring her cheeks before she started speaking again.

"I do enjoy a good swim," I said with a smile, thinking back fondly to splashing around in lakes and rivers when I was younger. "I take it it is something you indulged in?" I questioned as her lips curled up into a rather intriguing little smile. "What is going on in that head of yours?" I asked, before thoughts of my own paraded through my mind, wondering at what Sophine would look like under the cascading water of a short waterfall. I pushed the sensual image from my mind, clearing my throat and replacing my own impish grin with a soft one.

[Sophine Shahrizai de Amodour]

I decided I could trust Luc with even my silliest of thoughts, so I grinned and answered him honestly. "I was just imagining myself playing in this fountain." I laughed before continuing. "I imagine it's frowned upon for people to strip down to their skivvies and splash around in the middle of Elua's Square, wouldn't you say?"

[Luc Bradamante]

I smiled at her carefree nature, even though it got shot down by her logical side. "Well you know, there's not always people around at night, it's still summer, so the summer nights are warm... mayhap we wouldn't get caught," I said pensively.

[Sophine Shahrizai de Amodour]

"Oh no, you're serious, aren't you?" I had to admit that I got quite a thrill out of the idea of secretively splashing around in the fountain in the dead of night. I grinned widely at him. "I'm in if you are!"

[Luc Bradamante]

I laughed. "I am in," I said, sticking my hand out for her to shake it.

[Sophine Shahrizai de Amodour]

I laughed, shaking his hand. "We should meet tonight ... at midnight." I said, warming to the idea immediately. This was exactly the sort of thing I would have thought up in Kusheth, but never executed. Something about Luc made me feel fearless, and I wanted to experience everything with him. "That is, if you aren't afraid."

[Luc Bradamante]

I shook her hand then released and laughed at her challenge. "Hey, I'm not the one who's going to be in a shift and nothing else! I can still wear breeches, though if you are lucky..." I said with a wink. "But if you get scared, you will owe me a boon, and it won't be anything small." I flicked water at her, my hand still in the water, and laughed. "Midnight is perfect." I grinned widely.

[Sophine Shahrizai de Amodour]

"I won't get scared!" I said indignantly. Now that he'd challenged me, I had my pride to contend with. I was already thinking about how I would get out of the house night, since Denyse usually ended up in my bed at some point. "Fair is fair, if you get scared, then you owe me a boon. Deal?"

[Luc Bradamante]

"But of course, though I will not be worried, because I will be here, right at this spot, at midnight. I suggest you don't wear anything that will take too long to take off or put back on," I said with a laugh. "If we get caught, you don't want to be worrying about relacing the bodice."

[Sophine Shahrizai de Amodour]

I laughed, already thinking about what I would wear. "Well, now I wish it was later in the day." I teased. "We could already be wet by now." I knew that was something he could take any number of ways, which was of course the point.

[Luc Bradamante]

I laughed out loud, looking at her with keen interest. "Now is that a promise for later?" I said with a smile still on my lips.

[Sophine Shahrizai de Amodour]

"Maybe," I said, tossing my hair back with a sly grin. "If you play your cards right." Saying things like that would have been out of the question with anyone else, but with Luc it just felt right. "So, tell me..." I said, grinning, "Do you do this sort of thing with all the girls?"

[Luc Bradamante]

"Midnight rendezvous ni Elua's Square to go for a splash in the fountain?" I asked opintedly. "No, I definitely haven't made that part of my regular practice. In fact this will be my first tie accomplishing such a feat. Although I could have lied, mayhap you would have been a tiny bit jealous?" I smirked at her, running my hand through the waters still. It had been in there so long that the water felt to be the same temperature as my hand. It was a sort of numbing weightlessness sort fo feeling.

[Sophine Shahrizai de Amodour]

I laughed, but if the truth were told I might have been just a little bit jealous. "Mayhap. A girl does like to feel special after all." I grinned and flicked water at him the way he had done to me earlier. "Perhaps I'm the one who does this with all the boys."

[Luc Bradamante]

I splashed her in earnest this time, the water trickling down her arm as I grinned mischievously at her. "Really? In the how many short days or weeks you've been ehre? You must move through us poor boys quickly. I will be sure to guard my heart from you," I replied, my hand clutching at my shirt above my chest. "And I thought that I might have been special!" I faked a pout, knitting my brows together.

[Sophine Shahrizai de Amodour]

I giggled, shaking off the water droplets from my arm. "Now, now save something for tonight!" Then I smiled and leaned into him - what had gotten into me? - "It's not your heart I'm interested in." I winked and then leaned back again, letting my eyes roam suggestively over his body.

[Luc Bradamante]

I watched as her eyes made a play at devouring me, and couldn't help but laugh. I leaned in to her, so close that I could smell her, fresh and sweet. "And what part of my anatomy are you interested in, dearest Sophine?" I asked tilting my head to the side inquisitively.

[Sophine Shahrizai de Amodour]

Oh Blessed Elua, how was I going to answer that? Luc was obviously much better at this little game than I. Still, I had to at least make a show of it. "Hmm, well, that depends, what part of your body would you recommend?"

[Luc Bradamante]

Leaning forward still, I placed a finger under her chin, tilting her head up towards mine. I grinned wryly at her. "Well, maybe you would like to take a tour of all that it has to offer? I hear I am good with my hands, rather amazing with my lips and well," I said glancing down then back to her eyes, "there are other things that you might enjoy as well."

[Sophine Shahrizai de Amodour]

I knew I was blushing now as he tilted my face up to meet his eyes. I realized at that moment I would love a tour, as he put it, and it was like everyone else in the square disappeared and there was only Luc and I. I was at a loss for a witty response, caught as I was by his warm, dark eyes. "I'm sure I would..." was all that came out, in a rather breathy tone.

[Luc Bradamante]

My lips curved into a wry grin. "Well, mayhap later when were both completely drenched by fountain water, hmm?" I asked pulling back only slightly. It took everything within me not to kiss her, right then and there, and I wanted to so badly. I could only hope that something would happen later, even if just to kiss her, feel my lips pressed to hers. I resisted the urge to shake my head and run my hand through my hair as I felt my cheeks heat.

[Sophine Shahrizai de Amodour]

I was gratified to see that Luc appeared just as discomfited as I was, and I felt a surge of affection for him. "We might be too cold and wet to enjoy ourselves then." I said with a little laugh. Now I had the vision of our bodies pressed together, drenched and only in smallclothes and I felt the heat rising to my cheeks yet again. If there were such a thing as a permanent blush I would be wearing it now!

[Luc Bradamante]

I smiled at her words, moving my hand so it cupped her reddening cheek as I chuckled. I let my thumb pass over her skin, it was so smooth. "All the more reason to take a very vigorous tour," I said with raised brows. My eyes never left hers, the dark and warm depths of them.

[Sophine Shahrizai de Amodour]

I closed my eyes for a moment, enjoying the feeling of his hand on my cheek. When I opened them again, Luc was still looking at me and I smiled softly. "My, what my brother would say if he knew his advice would lead to us discussing future wet, naked adventures."

[Luc Bradamante]

I withdrew my hand, not from fear or anger, just because, and waggled my finger at her. "Now now, don't get ahead of yourself, you will be wearing your shift, I will be wearing my breeches. What happens afterwards," I said with a playful shrug, "only time will tell. Besides, I'm not so sure he'd be terribly upset," I winked at her then.

Noticing the carriage in tthe distance behind Sophine's shoulder I sighed. "Well, mayhap we ought to get back to our respective abodes to ready ourselves for the evening. I am not so sure taking the carriage tonight would be a good idea, seeing as we want to be as discrete as possible. I could meet you outside your home, or I could meet you here. Which would you prefer, oh adventurous one?"