Ravenna stirred awake when the sun was high in the sky. Her eyes were still closed as she groaned and stretched herself, her body still wrapped in the comfort of her sleep. As she stretched, her foot accidentally nudged sothing solid.
A deep exhale startled her before her mind registered. Alaric was there.
His was low, a bit laced with sleep, "I like the way you say Good Morning, Love."
Ravenna blinked, still groggy. "I didn’t kick you..." She yawned, shifting slightly. "It was a nudge."
Alaric turned to look at her, amusent flickering in his eyes. "A nudge that could bruise."
"You bruise now?" She smirked, following the sight of her leg, and in deed, it was sowhere dangerous. "Oh."
"You want to kill our babies before they’re even born? Hmm?" Alaric chuckled at her shocked and flushed face.
Ravenna, on the other hand, wanted to escape but was caught before she could even make a move.
"Want to run away after provoking ?" Alaric reached out and tucked a hair strand behind her ear. "Shouldn’t you take responsibility?" He held her hand and slowly, with a mischievous smirk, dropped to his lower part, precisely to his hard manhood.
Ravenna’s brain snapped and tried pulling her hand away, but it was all in vain. "Ala... ric...why are you being like this?"
Alaric chuckled, "Like what?" He murmured and pecked her chin twice.
Ravenna swallowed silently. There was sothing different about him today. The cold, calculating sharpness in his eyes was nowhere to be seen. The air of danger she rembers he always carried around him was oddly absent. He was... warm.
Weirdly too warm.
"You are being too... nice and... even joking around." She narrowed her gaze slightly. "Did you do sothing wrong? It has only been one day, and you’ve started again? You better tell now, or I’ll really be mad. Did you cheat on ? Don’t you want anymore? Or did you..."
Alaric unannounced kissed her and lightly bit her lip. "Can’t I be in a good mood or tease you?"
She eyed him and rubbed her temple. "No. It’s illegal for you to be this... this... friendly."
He sighed, pulling her closer. "Then I suppose I should warn you... it’s going to get worse."
Ravenna warily put her hands on his chest. "Worse?"
Ravenna tucked her strand again, his fingers lingering slightly longer than necessary. "Let’s go on a trip."
"A trip?" She raised a brow.
"Mm. Isn’t your birthday next week?"
Ravenna nodded, a slight pain flashing in her heart. Her birthday was not a happy occasion for her. It was a day like that she was cast away from her ho by her own father and council. But now that Alaric was with her, she suddenly felt excited about it.
"It’s a part of your birthday gift. Call it an advanced gift." He t her gaze, his expression unreadable.
Ravenna was silent for a mont. This was unlike Alaric. The sa Alaric who barely talked or had a real-real conversation with her wanted to go on a trip with her.
"Who are you? Where’s the cold Alaric?"
Alaric smirked, "He’s still here," he leaned in slightly. "I rember soone said she’s still angry with . So I thought of sothing special before your actual gift."
Her eyes narrowed further. "So, I get a trip... and a real gift later?"
"Mm."
Ravenna crossed her arms and watched him. "What are you really planning? I hope it’s not so other crazy plan?"
"Still suspicious of ?"
Her lips pressed together and nodded. "Very. Aren’t you the one who’s acting suspicious?"
Alaric exhaled, "It’s okay if you don’t believe ." His eyes fell and released her from his arms, about to leave.
Ravenna grabbed his arm and effortlessly pulled him back. "Are you... serious? We... are going on a trip?"
Alaric just gazed into her eyes without saying a word.
"Where?"
He sighed but still kept silent.
"I’m sorry, alright? I didn’t an to be suspicious of you. It’s just too unbelievable for you to ask on a trip when you’ve never even taken out on a single date."
Alaric chuckled, putting his hands behind his head as he laid down beside her. "Then, where do you want to go?"
"I can choose?"
"Mm."
Ravenna sat up excitedly, taping her chin thoughtfully. "Maybe sowhere... where there’s only the both of us?"
Alric nodded. "Done."
"Just like that?" She blinked.
He tiled his head, gazing at her warmly. "It’s your birthday trip, after all."
Ravenna bit her lip, feeling shy. She already loved this sweet of his. Moving closer to him, she tugged his tee before whispering, " Can it be by the sea or sothing like that?" She blinked her eyes expectedly.
"Okay." He replied instantly.
Ravenna grinned widely, already picturing them there. "When are we going?"
"Today."
"Huh? Today?" She questioned, surprised.
"Mm. I want to be alone with you as much as you want," Alaric pulled her waist and made lie on top of him.
"Who wants to be alone with you?" She rolled her eyes, restraining a smile.
Alaric chuckled, pulling her into a hug. "Even if you don’t, I’ll just kidnap you and hide you away."
Ravenna rubbed her head onto his chest with a pout. "Whatever."
Though she believed he really wanted to take her on a trip, the feeling that he was hiding still lingered in her chest. The way he was looking at her... it was different.
As if he was morising every part of her. And that, more than anything, made her wary.
But for now, she let it slide. She would enjoy this trip. And she would figure out just what Alaric was hiding without letting him know.
Half an hour later, Ravenna slipped away from him and ran to the bathroom.
Alaric watched until she disappeared into the bathroom, before he called Finn, who answered almost instantly.
"I’ll be borrowing your island for the next three weeks. I expect no one there so have it cleared within the the next one hour." Then hanged up without waiting for a reply.
****************
The sea stretched endlessly before them, only the vast blue visible, reflecting the golden hues of the sun. A warm breeze carrying the scent of the salt, rustled through Alaric’s half-unbuttoned black shirt, which bellowed slightly as he steered the boat.
Ravenna sat at the side, her gaze drawn to him, more than to the horizon. The way his dark hair tousled slightly in the breeze. His sleeves were lazily rolled up, revealing his strong forearms. The way his fi gers gripped the wheel effortlessly, as if controlling the world ca naturally to him.
"You are good at this," She stated captivated by the mont.
"There isn’t type of machine I haven’t been in contact with. I’m old enough to be your ancestor." Alaric looked free, a genuine smile on his face.
Ravenna went silent, gazing at his physique with desire to touch him. Before she realized, her feet carried her forward. She stepped behind him, hesitating for only a mont before her hands slipped on his waist, and pressed her cheek on his back.
Alaric stilled. A heartbeat passed with no one saying a word.
Then, he exhaled, his free hand covering hers where they rested against his stomach. "What is it?" His voice low, amused.
Ravenna closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth radiating from his body. "Just making sure you’re real," She murmured.
Alaric chuckled, the deep voice vibrating through his chest. "Don’t I look the sa as before?"
She smiled against his back bur didn’t let go. "Mm. You feel different."
"Different?"
She tiled her head slightly. "Lighter and easy to talk to."
Alaric didn’t respond instantly. Instead, he gently pried her hands off him, and brought her close beside him. Then, with a smirk, he took one of her hand and placed it on the wheel.
"Would you like to steer?"
Ravenna blinked. "?"
"Why not?" Alaric stepped behind her, his arms caging her as he guided her hands over the control. "I’ll be here."
Ravenna hesitated but still nodded.
Alaric chuckled and leaned down so that his lips nearly brushed her ear. "Just trust ."
His breath was warm against her skin, sending an involuntary shiver down her spine.
Swallowing, Ravenna refocused. Her fingers curled over the wheel as Alaric’s hand covered hers. Slowly, he guided her movents. The boat sliced smoothly under the sea.
Minutes passed like that, their breath in sync, the space between them disappearing.
"There." Alaric’s voice even softer.
Ravenna followed his gaze, and her lips parted. She could see the island from afar. Ravenna’s grip tightened on the while, excited.
Alaric standing behind her, rested his chin lightly on her shoulder.
Ravenna turned her head inly to find him closer than expected. Her lips parted but no words ca out.
A mont of a beautiful silence took over as they gazed at each other. The island lood closer, but in that mont, nothing existed but the space between them.
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