Belladonna had avoided Eli for as long as she could, until that afternoon in the sheds. He had stepped in some minutes after she had. Disoriented by the shock of seeing him, and trying to find a way to escape any conversation that might develop as a result, she had asked, "You are here for some tools? I will stay out of your way, just--"
He blocked her path easily.
"I am here for you."
"Oh," she picked at the short sleeves of her brown ankle-length gown, futilely searching imperfections where there was none.
"I have been looking for you since we returned from the hunt." He already had his bath but she could still catch that slight whiff of the forest smell on him. His brown shirt was stained with charcoal, with the sleeves rolled up. His pair of black trousers concealed the charcoal stains. The string of the woven straw hat was across the base of his neck, along with... her necklace.
"I wanted to give you this, just in case you are battling with a headache."
The bottle looked like the one Jazliy had given to her.
That reminded her of Jazliy. She had been the one to drag her here so they could fetch some supplies they would use to skin the hunt together.
The men had taken longer with the hunting today, therefore, coming back with more meat than usual.
Suddenly, Jazliy had felt a need to go out and pass water. She was always doing that, as if a river simply existed in her bladders!
That was some minutes ago, Eli had come in almost as soon as she left.
Was she still passing water?
"I'm alright." She did not accept the bottle. "Also, do not let yourself ponder over what happened last night too much, it was a mistake."
Heavy words, but they needed to be said.
"If it was so much of a mistake, you would not be wearing that."
She twisted the ring around her finger, the sun from the window hitting it in a way that let it sparkle even more.
"It is so irrelevant, I forgot all about its existence."
"You wouldn't be trying to avoid me." He continued, like she hadn't said anything, to begin with. "It means something."
"No, it doesn't." She let out a frustrated huff, letting her fingers run through her short curls. They felt longer than they were last night. "You have to stop with this obsessive behavior, Eli!" His stunned reaction, earned him more words of clarification from her. "Observing every move and thinking it is directed to you is clearly obsessive, don't you think?"
"I have many feelings for you, Donna. Love, lust, insane attraction..." he trailed off with the list. "If we want to add "obsessive" to the list, I will happily oblige."
She rolled her eyes. He was different with this confrontation; instead, of her words pulling him under like they used to, it just drove him to remain even more adamant.
This must be because of last night.
Great.
"It was a mistake." Her voice was low. "It won't happen again, I promise you."
He didn't talk and she made the mistake of holding his gaze.
Those brown smoldering eyes of his.
Then his gaze shifted to her shoulder and the look in them made her tense up.
"What?" She wanted to look back but his voice stopped her.
"Be still, there is something on your shoulder."
She froze.
Was that a spider?
That had better not be a spider!
Or a cockroach.
Even worse.
Those things with their wings were the most terrifying. Ahhhh!
By Ignas, what had she done to deserve this?!
Her breathing increased.
"Is it still there? Is it gone? Is it--- Eli, take it away for goodness sake!"
"Be still, and I will." He leaned in, his fingers pulling down her high collars, trailing a line down her skin. "They look so beautiful on you. You make them beautiful." His warm breath fanned the side of her face, his husky voice seeping straight into her ear.
"There was no spider, was there?"
He chuckled and she would have smiled, if only things were different.
"I made a painting of you, last night. Do you want it?"
"Am I naked in it?" Great. She just kept talking herself into it.
"No. You were in my shirt."
"I've seen that."
"I was hoping you would."
"Well, I don't want it."
Once again, she made the mistake of turning and holding his gaze. Her eyes instinctively glanced at his lips before she looked back up at him.
By Ignas, if either of them moved ever so slightly, the distance between them would be gone.
"You want one in which you would have no clothing on? I can do that," his voice was breathy now, his eyes glazed, as he mentally peeled her dress off her; Belladonna could see it.
An interruption would be greatly appreciated right now.
Where was Jazliy?
Was she passing every river in Ignas?!
"You know I can."
She cleared her throat, and attempted to shove him away but he held her wrist instead, pressing her palm against his chest.
"I don't want it." She snapped, her voice a little shaky, more from fear of her capability, than the anger that sharpened her features. "I don't want anything. Also, you can have your shirt back, and your ring."
"Keep it, keep them all. Just as I will be keeping the necklace. Consider it a gift for the Rain wish. You do not return gifts given for the Rain wish. It is bad luck."
He pulled her hand, lower and lower. Her palms tingled against the warmth of his defined body beneath his shirt. Her heart was racing and this time, she couldn't blame it on the alcohol.
"You can feel me again, if you want. This time, if you command, even merely ask, or whisper, I will obey with no hesitation."
When her hand wandered too far, she realized what exactly he was talking about. She snapped her hand away from him.
"Have you gone mad?!"
She would have thrown some distance between them if what was behind wasn't a wall where different supplies were hung.
Jazliy was certainly passing the great ocean at this point.
"Very much so. I am insane. That can be added to the list as well. Everything can be added to the list, whatever you say."
She shook her head, running her fingers through her hair in frustration. She paced around, he didn't stop her. "You seem to think one night of drunken mistake has wiped your slate clean."
"I would be a fool to think that," his gaze followed her and he fought the urge to move and go to her, "but what I am most certain of is that last night gave me the answer I was looking for. It gave me hope that there is still something to fight for. It made me know that there is still something in your heart for me. You still love me."
"I don't!" She snapped, turning to him. "Please, stop saying that."
"You do." He moved, cupping her face between his palms. "You are just really angry and I understand. I understand," he said as he slipped to his knees and his arms went around her knees. "I deserve it. Punish me, for as long as you want to. I will take it, I will take everything..."
Tears fogged her eyes and she bit her lips to concentrate on that pain instead of the one in her heart.
"...but you will not stop me from trying to attain your forgiveness. I will fight for it till my last breath, and if that is what it demands, I will give it."
"Eli---"
"Forgive me, please. I will do anything, you know I will."
Someone ran in at that moment.
"Bella, I'm so sorry-- Sir Eli?! I really thought I stayed away long enou---" Jazliy's voice trailed off abruptly and she smiled at Belladonna.
"Stayed away?" Belladonna asked. "Was this planned?"
Jazliy chuckled nervously, looking from Sir Eli, who was still on his knees, to Bella, who was now staring daggers at her.
"I must pass water."
"Again?"
"Yes, in fact, I will be passing water for the rest of the day!" With that, she dashed out.
---
((It is not yet midnight here, so this chapter made it. Thank you for waiting.))