Checkmate

Counterplay

I lay on the grass, looking up at the purplish-blue twilight sky as I waited for my breathing to even, listening to the sounds of the night forest coming to life. The windrush gently rustling leaves, the quiet hooting of evening birds, a distant howl from a wildling.

And from beside me, the sound of him, breathing hard.

Just that sound was enough to stir my senses again. But I focused on the windrush instead, enjoying the feel of the cool breeze on my heated skin, cooling my body and my senses down.

A night bird lazily fluttered across the sky above me.

I'd been meeting him here at the lake every twilight for the past seven days. It had become part of my routine, whatever I was doing during the afternoon, I found myself walking the path into the forest and towards the lake where he was always waiting for me.

My reaction was always the same - my breath catching when those unparalleled ocean eyes locked on me, body tensing and every nerve ending alive when he smiled and stepped towards me. 

There was a soft rustle beside me. I turned my head towards him to see that he had propped himself up on an elbow and was staring at me, a smile playing on his lips.

"What?" I asked, my voice still a little uneven, breathy.

"I like looking at you." He said simply and I laughed.

"Vargan directness." I said, smiling a little.

"We have to be direct to get what we want." He said, smiling back. "You weren't about to make the first move."

"I did make the first move." I reminded him, drily.

"I would have." He protested. "You just--"

"--moved faster?" I finished, grinning.

"--surprised me." He corrected, grinning as well. 

"You surprised me." I said. He gave me an enquiring look. I folded one arm under my head, continuing to look at him.

"I wasn't expecting to see you again."

"While I believed I would." He smiled again. "And here we are."

"Here we are." I echoed softly, smiling briefly before turning my head up so I was looking at the sky again. 

We lay like that, not speaking, in comfortable silence, for a little while longer. It was nice, I thought to myself. I'd never had a partner who was content to be quiet, who was peaceful to be around. 

But then, you've never had a partner like him before.

I heard movement by my side and turned my head to see him sitting up and looking around.

"Time to go?" I asked as I propped myself up on both elbows.

"Unfortunately." He glanced at me with a quick smile, reaching for the thin drawstring bottoms that lay where I'd carelessly tossed them earlier. 

"Hot date?" I sat up and stretched, then glanced around for my own clothes, spotting my own inner wear caught on a bush. 

"Work." He replied briefly, standing up to pull his bottoms on, tying a neat bow and adjusting them on his hips, drawing my attention to his taut stomach muscles and bare torso. With effort, I dragged my gaze back to his face, to catch his amused expression.

"What? I like looking at you too." I said, shrugging, as I stood up, naked, and headed for the bush, very much aware of his swift intake of breath and his eyes following my movements. I took my time wearing my bottoms and didn't turn around until they were on. His eyes had gone a deep green, the way they did when he was feeling something intensely, I now knew.