Our new lives

It wasn't really until after the words left her lips that Briar fully realized what she had offered and heart skipped while she watched Lia for her response, her face flushed. She had only ever been intimate in any way with Artorias and now in her haze of constant desire and hormones she found herself holding Lia the way Artorias would usually be holding her, offering her best friend and handmaiden intimacy that she wasn't even sure how to give her. Even still, as Lia responded with an adorable shyness that she would like something like that a lot Briar didn't regret it in the slightest. She had only ever wanted Lia to be happy and feel loved and even though she knew that sex wasn't at all the only way to give her those things, she felt like if that was something Lia wanted then there was no reason for her not to. She cared for Lia deeply, would protect her without a second thought, wanted her to continue being in her life forever if Lia allowed it... She didn't see anything wrong with their relationship developing in this direction.

She pushed away her nerves and shyness as she shifted a bit to hold Lia more easily to her chest, both of them laying on their sides with Lia's slender form wrapped up in her forelegs and their heads resting on one of the pillows. It was a small bed so there wasn't much room to move, but she didn't mind. She didn't know how far the two of them would go right now anyway, she was mostly just happy that the realization and the shared attraction had come to light at all. She had worked her jealousy over Artorias and Bowen out of her system, but it had crossed her mind a few times that in the times where he was spending time with Bowen she was left alone. She didn't necessarily feel like she needed someone else and it wasn't like she didn't feel satisfied, but she did feel at least a little bit happy over the fact that now she would have Lia to be with in those moments whenever she needed someone to hold.

Briar experimentally left a gentle trail of kisses across Lia's brow and down over her temple, slowly starting to introduce them both to affections that went beyond the simple cuddling and little taps of her nose to Lia's cheek. Her paws gently rubbed Lia's back, tracing up and down from shoulder to hip through flame marked fur, feeling how soft her coat was under her paw pads. Her light kisses moved across Lia's cheek and along the top of her muzzle, her heart beating hard in her chest all the while. This nervous, excited feeling reminded her so much of the first time she had messed around with Artorias and she didn't know if it was because it was just a feeling that came with being with a new partner or because it was the first time she was doing anything like this with a woman—or maybe both. The side of her muzzle brushed lightly against Lia's for a moment before she finally allowed herself to gently bring her lips to Lia's, her heart feeling like it might jump out of her chest as she kissed her.

"Briar Fatalis"