Take me somewhere new

This was.. nice. Okay, maybe that was an understatement. Steel didn't realize until now, suddenly, how much he cared about Esarosa. It was a painful realization for him. She had been a constant in his life for some time now, and even when everything else crumbled, it seemed that she was still there. It was comforting and unsettling at the same time. The last woman he'd care for this much had all but ditched him the moment she reunited with Mithras. At the mere thought, he almost frowned, feeling an knot in the pit of his stomach. All those nights they spent together, traveling the world, existing as though each other were all they had. And she had dropped that life quickly, instead chosen to have Mithras’s children, before disappearing. Presumably with him. It hurt like hell, and he wasn't stupid enough to let it happen again.

Strangely, he didn't care to think about the future too much right now. He knew he needed to protect himself, and to ensure he didn't get hurt again. But lying here with Esarosa was soothing and he felt a warmth spread over him - not only because of her close physical proximity, but that didn't hurt things.

Though he felt relaxed as he lay there, eyes closed, he felt a similar sort of panic rising in his belly. The feeling was both pleasant and uncomfortable at the same time, and he swore he heard the pounding of his heart quicken, the sound echoing inside his head. Not wanting to shift too much and disturb her, he'd flick his tail from where it lay behind him, finally curling it up tight against his hindquarters. She shifted too, quietly against the backdrop of rain that had worsened outside, and he felt her nose behind his ear. Steel flinched, involuntarily, as he didn't expect her touch, but quickly he would relax. It'd been a long time since he'd been touched by anyone, and he felt almost euphoric at the gentle pressure;  he felt like he could lie here with her forever, and everything might be okay.

And he did for awhile, his eyes briefly opening, and a smile resting on his own lips. A genuine one, too, one that painted his features a shade of happy that he was so unused to. But it drifted away slowly as he laid his head on his paws, his head tilting slightly as he turned to watch her. "Why?" he asked, quietly, after a long moment of thought. His deep voice held a touch of sadness, and confusion - he couldn't help himself. "Why are you so nice to me, I mean? I don't deserve it."