Drift Away Together

She looked back at him then, and the moment his eyes met those green jewels, he felt his breathing stop. He couldn't look away from her even if he tried. She had him totally hypnotized with nothing other than a simple glance and he couldn't understand it. Why were these things manifesting themselves seemingly out of nowhere? What was he supposed to do about any of it? Gods, Bowen would be so disturbed if she knew what he was grappling with right now, the visions his imagination was crafting. Yet he still couldn't look away from her. It was as if he was afraid that the moment he stopped looking at her, he'd lose her all over again. Bowen saved him from himself by being the first to avert her gaze, allowing him to breathe freely again. His pulse was racing as he struggled to keep his breathing even and not make it obvious that he'd been holding his breath.

No, he had to keep himself in check and hide what he was feeling. He couldn't risk "partaking of any forbidden fruit" as Chimera had put it, lest he drive Bowen away and frighten her off. She was only just now getting accustomed to being back in the Hallows with her family. What would Bowen think if her own brother started coming on to her, especially after she'd confided in him the sort of abuse she'd endured? Fuck, was he really this depraved? Artorias loved his little sister so much... His family was all important to him, but Bowen had always been special. She held the biggest portion of his heart, a piece he thought he'd lost forever when she vanished from his life. Now, lying here with her, he was reminded of why that was. Bowen was just like him in her desires to explore, to roam and be free, to seize life when they could. She was loving and affectionate and genuine. That's why they were lying next to each other on a previously unexplored beach, both soaked from the sea, her fur clinging to her feminine form so perfectly that she looked like a work of art, only a mere stretch of a paw away...

Again, Artorias snapped himself out of his roving thoughts with a shake of his head. It was fortunately timed with a grimace from Bowen, though he suspected she might have caught him. He gave her a concerned look until she mentioned she had a bit of a headache. He nodded, then stayed quiet while Bowen looked away over the bay to begin her story. She relayed her experiences, detailing the pirates and their intentions. The captain liked her. He called her his Little Bird. He couldn't see her face, so Artorias couldn't discern whether she liked the nickname or not. Would she like if he called her that? Would she want that? Wait, why was he considering that in the first place? Artorias mentally chided himself again.

Bowen's story continued through her time with the pirates: working on the ship, being offered her freedom for the price she'd fetch at market. The captain liked her, and it seemed she held a bit of a soft spot for him too. Well, the main captain, at least. The second captain sounded like an asshole. But when she explained that both captains were brothers and lovers, Artorias froze in surprise and stared at the back of Bowen's head. She'd been the plaything of two incestuous brothers? This was nothing new or startling to her then. But... that was different. She wasn't involved in the incest—just a bridge between it. That didn't mean she'd be receptive to a touch that lingered a little longer than it should have, or a lick or nibble against places to draw sighs... Shit.

Despite having known Bowen had been used as a whore by the pirates, hearing it out loud still evoked a twinge of anger and jealousy in Artorias. Wait... jealousy? No, he meant anger. It evoked anger in him. Just anger. Fortunately. Bowen moved on to his question about places she'd been, describing a beautiful island that was covered entirely in white ash from an active volcano. Artorias closed his eyes and tried to picture it, a world blanketed in white like eternal winter. He hummed softly in his throat. He wished he could see the world as she had. "I wish I'd been there with you," he said, his voice a low, rumbling baritone. "I wish I could have seen the places you did, seen the world with you like I promised we would. Sometimes I fear I never will." His duties and responsibilities to the Hallows did keep him tethered to Auster. It was a bit of a shame. When they were pups, he'd promised to explore the world with Bowen. Somehow, he would find a way to keep his promise.

Bowen went quiet after that. Artorias watched her for a long while as she gazed longingly out at the sea. He glanced at the glistening waves, picturing Bowen standing on the deck of a ship as it cut through the surf, going wherever her heart desired. Captain Bowen Carpathius... It did have a nice ring to it. Reaching forward, Artorias ever so gently ran his muzzle along the side of Bowen's neck in an affectionate nuzzle, only for a moment and then he was pulling back. He couldn't risk getting caught up in her. Too dangerous... "We can do things like this more often if it helps." He tried to give her an encouraging smile, hoping it came through in his voice even if she wasn't looking his way. "We can explore all over Auster. Boreas too. See the world like we said we would, just you and me. Maybe we'll find you more treasures too." He shifted a little more, trying to get comfortable and keep his eyes off of her stunning body, lest some very noticeable things start happening to his own.

"Artorias" | "Corbin" | "Argent"