All By Yourself

Part of her had almost hoped that Irilyth might sleep through her intrusion, feeling a bit of guilt for disrupting her lover's sleep, but she knew Irilyth wouldn't mind. She gently nuzzled into the smaller woman's cheek as she started to wake and squeezed her a little tighter with a heavy sigh. The warmth and familiar scent of her handmaiden turned lover chipped away at what resolve and strength she had left, quickly and easily dismantling the walls she usually kept in place to hide how she was really feeling. She didn't really know how well she was doing in that regard or if her attempts at making it appear as if she was weathering this storm fine were in vain, but here with Irilyth in her arms everything crumbled and the exhaustion she felt was clear to see. When Irilyth asked if she was okay, an almost sarcastic chuckle escaped her before she could stop herself, her ears flicking back against her head as she felt Irilyth's pale paws moving through her fur.

She wanted to at least give a half hearted assurance that she was fine, but even that was hard to get past her lips. When Irilyth's gaze searched for hers and her aqua gaze connected with the concerned, raspberry eyes of her sweet Irilyth it became impossible to lie to her, even if it was just to ease some of Irilyth's worries. She gave a small shake of her head as she quietly replied, "No... No, I'm not okay..." Her voice was thick with emotion and she only barely kept her tears of exhaustion, frustration, and anger at bay. With another sigh, Manea dipped her head pressing her face into Irilyth's neck and letting her eyes close as she held the small healer tight, letting her sweet scent of berries and herbs fill her nose and chase away this deep feeling of isolation. She could have gone to Kavik and he certainly would have kept her company and probably fucked her woes away, but she didn't feel comfortable with him the way she did Irilyth. She couldn't show him this vulnerability and let her walls down like this. What Irilyth offered was cathartic in a way she didn't realize she needed until she was here. "I'm sorry..." she said quietly, nuzzling gently into the side of Irilyth's neck while her large paws rubbed along her back. "I didn't want to wake you up I just... I just needed someone..."

"Manea" & "Irilyth"