PrimeTime Apology (Evony)

[Evony Vasiliev]

Evony usually wasn't the sort to dive straight into the emotional significance of events and relationships in her life, often finding it a lot more easier to keep the good without questioning the bad. What was the point of risking her pride and threatening the scant few blessings she had because her consciousness demanded she pay attention to the details? But with Lucy it was different. No matter how hard the Blue bird tried to deny it, she knew that there was no avoiding the unspoken obstacles that hid in their fleeting glances and tender touches. Now was a time for evaluation and reflection but the thief wouldn't allow it, she wasn't going to take that metaphorical step further into whatever this was with the lingering guilt that weighed heavily in her chest. It loomed over every word, every promising gaze because it was so horrible. Evony's biggest sin was still a secret and she cursed herself for forcing Lucy into a minefield of emotions.

So the porcelain skinned girl sat with arms across her lap and hair whipping the supple contours of her fawn like face, remaining attentive to the baffling beauty in front of her. Every word she spoke was true, honest to the core and yet she felt like that was all trivialised by her direct assault on Lucy's trust.

Anyone would hate to hear of what she had done, what would make Lucy any different?

If she wasn't so paranoid about the venomous guilt that possessed her Evony might have reached out and hugged the girl, knowing full well she could express a point better through the physical rather than the verbal. The dainty damsel could only offer a faint smile and nothing more, hoping that she wasn't alienating the poor girl by refusing to be as touchy as she usually was.

Once Lucy's voice uttered into the cool afternoon air Evony felt her skin tingle with bumps, shivering from the weight of the posed question. Lucy was clearly not going to leave anything to chance and the Blue bird sat still, biting her tongue for fear of letting out the pained whimper that was so close to escaping. Why was the tattooed beauty so oblivious to this all? Why was she taking this gradual step into something Evy had passionately dreamt about from the moment she saw the girl?

"You're fine the way you are Lucy..." Evony quietly reassured, clenching her fists around the edge of her dress before glancing back upwards. "Neither of us are perfect, I'm...I'm definitely not perfect...at all and I try to accept that. Lucy, I just..." Evy's voice gave way, shrivelling into empty air as her mind desperately tried to catch up with her words. Trying to make sense of what was coming out of her mouth.

"I just want you to be happy..."

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

On the contrary, Lucy was appreciative of the fact that Evony wasn't reaching out to her. It was just something she wasn't used to; Evony was a physically affectionate person, and Lucy was not. At least, not when underneath the eyes of other people. But she knew, secluded in the surroundings of foliage and the simple light of the near-faded sun and risen moon, she didn't have to worry about that. She knew.

It just wasn't that easy.

Lucy was, evidently, oblivious to many things when it came to her encounters with Evony. Feelings flew astray. The truth often did too. But somehow the latter didn't cross her mind anymore; not since last they spoke. Or rather, Lucy shouted and Evony was forced to listen. Though the religiously practiced the art of a successful lie, she found herself clouded amidst the realisation that she had never really lied to Evony. And little did she knew, Evony had frequently lied to her. And still was, guilty by charge of keeping a secluded secret.

They say ignorance - or in this case, obliviousness - is bliss. And they're right to.

Perfect. Perfect was the way she spoke, quietly reassuring the flighty tattooed Australian. Perfect was the way she formed the word itself - the way she declared that if nothing else, she wanted Lucy to be happy. She; the one so seemingly content to be surrounded in her own anger that even the thought of registering happiness seemed obsolete.

"I-" A falter in her voice as she stepped ever closer; a break in her demeanour, "I'm not ready."

Why, she couldn't say.

[Evony Vasiliev]

Evony shimmering gaze did little to brighten up her view of the terrible mistake she made all those weeks ago, simply gazing upon the tattooed beauty broke her heart and plundered every safeguard into oblivion. Lucy didn't deserve someone who lies and steals, especially not someone who was such an ecstatic mess of a human. The temptation to tear away her gaze shuddered in the back of her mind, reminding the petite thief that she only had so much time before Fate caught up to her and stuck her down with her past failures.

So there was nothing more she could do but absorb herself in the moment, drinking in the Australian's beauty and shivering from the mere exchange of glimpses they gave one another.

Once Lucy crossed over the threshold Evy instinctively froze, listening to the beating throbs of her heart in her ears. She was right there. Right in front of Evony with confused eyes and hair as black as the night sky. Evy felt the warm rush of body heat drift across her porcelain skin, soaking her body in the zesty scent of the brown eyed beauty. So close, yet so far. The Blue bird felt the small gap between them shrink as the heavy mood began to settle in, intensifying now that they were in such a close proximity with one another.

But Lucy finally spoke and Evy released the breath that was caught in her throat.

She wasn't ready. What did she mean? What was she supposed to be preparing for? Evony attempted to backtrack to what she had said and scrutinised every little message her words and body language could have communicated. Was she being too imposing? Had Lucy become intimidated by the mere mention of happiness? Such questions ravaged the Blue Bird's mind as she attempted to map out everything in so that it could make sense. Maybe Evony was the one who wasn't ready. But then again, she herself had no concise understanding of what it was they weren't ready for.

"I...don't understand." The thief whispered, frowning at herself for potentially making herself out to be the fool. She needed a clear answer. "Did...did I scare you or is it something else? Do you need space? Because...I understand if you do..." Evony murmured, glancing down at her hands before returning her gaze to Lucy's face, not knowing how to make sense of this all.

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

Lucy had a number of complexities, most of which she found herself acutely aware of. But this was different. Her inability to speak properly was a very annoying thing to have to deal with. She wasn't used to it. Hell, she couldn't remember the last time she'd struggled this hard to explain herself. Her mind was racing. Her heart was racing. She felt some kind of aching sensation so intensely in her arms that she was sure that whatever it was coursing through her veins and burning her skin. The more she spoke, the more obvious it became that there had been a miscommunication. And it'd been her fault.

Lucy waved her hand idly to one side, "No. Shit, I just... I don't know. Just listen to me for a second!" Her fingers curled themselves into the web of her hair, running a quick line as if smoothing it out would soothe her own confusion. "I don't even know what I'm saying anymore. Your not even asking me to be anything." She looked back up again. At most, she felt she could only handle the intensity of eye contact in small doses, else she might lose herself in the magnitude.

"You're making me stumble over words like a fucking moron." She started, preparing herself to whether the proverbial storm that came from looking right back at her eyes. "Because I... I care what you think. And I feel something for you, and I know what it is but I can't even figure out how I'm supposed to tell you without sounding like a bigger fucking moron than I was two seconds ago!"

And with that, she exhaled the rest of her breath on a sigh. How did other people do this? "And even if you can't believe that, do you at least get that I want you around?"

[Evony Vasiliev]

It was a heavily accepted fact that Evony could handle an awkward situation or two, finding an almost childlike joy in the the spontaneous moments of free spiritedness and improvisation. She grew up in a circus, there should have been little that could remotely surprise her and yet Evy was completely out of her element. Keeping her fragile gaze on Lucy whilst attempting to calm the bittersweet maelstrom of emotions that churned deep in her soul was an exhausting challenge, one which could shatter at any given moment. But she remained strong, remained poised for the girl in front of her. Lucy needed some stability and even if the Blue bird could only offer the smallest shred of encouragement she remained attentive to whatever it was the Australian needed to say.

Like a gushing river the frustration from Lucy's words swept over the the dainty acrobat, forcing her to pay extra attention to what Lucy so desperately wanted to say.

"I...I don't want you to be anything other than yourself..." Evony stammered back, hoping to cease the Australian's worries as best she could. No matter how desperately she wanted to comfort the girl right then and there Evy knew she had to give Lucy time, time to say what needed to be said.

And once it had finally broken forth out of Lucy's lips Evy felt a rush flood her body like nothing she had ever experienced before.

Evony's breath caught in the back of her throat. A weak gasp escaping her opened lips as she was thrust into momentary limbo. Her heart slammed against her chest, pumping the blood faster and faster till her cheeks burnt with red and her limbs tingled with a newfound energy that tickled just underneath her bruised skin. The girl tried to form a proper response, attempt to keep her cool even if her heart had plunged into a rosy cauldron of ecstatic joy and throbbing affection. Her breaths were short, sharp and her shimmering eyes fluttered in an attempt to wipe away any smokescreen, any possible hint that this was just a mirage.

But it was real. This was actually happening.

Evony's mouth was already open but she could offer nothing more than her frenetic breaths. Well, she had to say something right? With little regard for how stupid she might look Evy vigorously nodded her head, silently agreeing wholeheartedly to what Lucy just revealed. Yes, she understood completely. Her eyes locked onto the Australian's and she could not help but smile, taking in a deep breath just in case she'd faint from the frantic shock of it all.

"You...you actually like me...?" She gasped, swallowing the excitable tremors in the base of her throat. Now this was coming as more of a surprise than she ever thought it would, if it were to ever happen...which it just did.

For once, in that small space of time Evony forgot her gnawing guilt and the painful memories that ravaged her mind. For once she was undoubtably, unquestionably and irrevocably happy with life...

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

Lucy wasn't sure what kind of response she was expecting. Usually, these things would be filtered with sarcasm and a clever exchange of quips. It was a shroud of sorts, but by no means were those altercations fake in any way. They were just simplistic and easy to manage. But this was raw. And it was emotional territory, the likes of which both seemed to feel out of their elements in. Lucy felt like she was drowning, losing her sensibility under a rush of water. Becoming weightless in time. Suspended in motion.

What happened now?

When Evony responded, Lucy realised that saying something that simple would have been easier. But it didn't feel fitting. Like it wasn't enough, because the words were too small and would lose their meaning. Their strength. Lucy decided to, at the very least, take a sliver of a step forward. Any closer and she'd be stepping on the other girls toes, literally. But it was the most she could offer as she maintained the all important eye contact and offered a small nod with her head.

"That's what I was trying to say," Lucy admitted, dropping her shoulders slightly and exhaling on a smile word; "Yeah."

[Evony Vasiliev]

The rush of warmth that surged through Evony's body was enough to physically make the girl jitter in genuine delight. It was like an electric tremor careening down the length of her spine and sparking life into her porcelain limbs. For once, her inhibitions were no where to be seen, the toxic guilt and paranoia temporarily taking the back seat to the utmost joy of having Lucy open up to her. She could feel the warmth of Her body exude into the chilled afternoon air, the sounds of her ecstatic heartbeat drumming its celebratory song through the foundations of her skinny body. Lucy actually liked her. Lucy actually liked her! The petite thief attempted to stifle a grin, tried to remain composed even if she shivered with a newfound energy that swept her mind into a blissful wonderland. Her cheeks burnt with an affectionate pink, but Evony did not care. All she wanted was this to go down as the happy chapter in a story full of heartbreak.

The sky glowed with a subtle violet and orange streaks, a marvellous canvas of ephemeral colours which only seemed to heighten the magic of the moment. But even the majestic sky could not sway the Blue bird's attention. It was just Lucy, it always had been.

Taking in a deep breath and lightly slapping her rosy cheeks Evony thought it best to come back to reality just in case she made herself look like a charmed fool. Clearing her throat, and tugging at the hem of her dress the porcelain skinned girl gazed into those comforting chocolate eyes, knowing full well that Lucy was being as sincere as possible.

"Well..." She started, shaking the smile off her face before lightly grabbing Lucy's hand. "I...I don't actually know what to say now..." Evony sighed, pursing her lips and tugging the girl a little closer, close enough so that their knees touched and only a few safe inches rested between them. Her hands were so warm, so strangely familiar but wholly new because of this new development. With a little smirk and a twinkle in her shimmering eyes Evony brought the girl's hand up to her lips and lightly kissed it, not bothering to hide the chuffed giggle that followed soon after. A spark of heat bloomed across Evony's lips as they came into contact with Lucy's skin, sending ribbons of energy into her body. Well, she needed to do something to diffuse the awkwardness. Kissing her only seemed necessary.

"So...what now?" Evony whispered with a smile, keeping Lucy's hand in her own and flickering her gaze from the churning chocolate eyes down to the supple lips. In all honesty, she was completely content with everything that had happened up till that moment, she would happily oblige for whatever came next.

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

What happened next was even more newfound territory for the Australian. Okay, so she'd found the means to figure out what was going on in her head. But that just felt like a single step. The larger picture was much more terrifying; it was hard to know what was waiting for her around the next corner. Her admission was out there, but if nothing else she hoped guidelines and boundaries were still clear. She wasn't a different person. More advanced, maybe, but not different. And it didn't change the fact that she didn't want people to know. But that was her own problem to deal with, as far as she was concerned.

She felt a hand reach out to her own, and she let the idle contact happen. It felt almost necessary - important to the admission. Like an static lifeline, surging electricity into her skin. It was a strange feeling, but by no means was it a bad one.

"Now?" She asked, rolling her shoulders back once with a small sigh. She felt exhausted; were emotions always supposed to be so exhausting? Oddly enough, she found herself able to find some comfort in Evony's physical interactions. But god knows the acrobat was probably just going easy on her.

But she knew that look. The not-so-subtle way Evony's eyes instinctively turned to trace their gaze around the curve of her lips. She was guilty of that look before. "Don't ask me." Lucy replied with a small shrug, "I barely understand anything I've said since I got here." And with that, the corner of her mouth slowly twisted into an amused grin. "I'm not going to high five you. Don't ask me to."

[Evony Vasiliev]

The overall scenario was like one morbidly beautiful display of affection, something which actually seemed fitting for the zany circus freak and the tattooed Australian. The final melodies of the native bird life rose and fell in a grandiose symphony of sweet sound and bliss inducing chaos. The wind picked up fallen leaves and brought them into a midair waltz, twisting and turning as they flitted across the field of wild flowers, careening through the fading violet twilight. The battered and bruised acrobat felt a chilled tingled run down the length of her spine, naturally forcing her squeeze Lucy's hand when the cool rush of wind slipped down the back of her outfit.

The porcelain skinned girl had allow a gentle snicker to cross her lips at the delivery of her question, and as expected Lucy had little to offer in that department. But it was always pleasant to listen to the accented words and fawn over the no-nonsense tone that pounced off the brown eyed beauty's tongue.

"Aww...what? What a party pooper..." Evy pouted, furrowing her brow as she momentarily wiggled Lucy's hand in her own. High fives were safe, they were the standard option when she had no idea what was appropriate for the situation. Evy knew what she wanted, but did Lucy? Sure, a mutual smack of hands wasn't the most romantic of gestures but she had never really discerned when and when she couldn't simply kiss the girl without weirding her out.

But then again, it was always fun taking a risk here or there.

"Fine then...maybe, you know. Why not, umm...kiss me?" She murmured with cheeks blushing and lips curled into a semi-awkward smile, she wasn't sure how that was supposed to work. Evony was often the sort to kiss first and ask questions later but she didn't want to be hasty and wreck the moment. Besides...Lucy was an amazing kisser, might as well give it a shot.

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

"No." Lucy articulated the simple word clearly, squeezing her hand for good measure. Her fingers were trapped between her own and unable to move; no dumbass high fives here tonight.

Oh, it was hard to resist the urge to react the way she normally would to a question like that. So inviting, so promising. She ran her tongue across her lips and pressed them into a line, desperate to stop the sound that threatened to fly out of her mouth. Serious moment never really had suited her, and she'd somehow managed to claw her way out of a downward, somewhat pathetic spiral. All from a little question like that. Because relief tore a stressful weight from her shoulders. Whatever it was, it was out in the open, and she still wasn't forced into anything too heavy. Her tone of voice lightened somewhat, as if picked up by a second wind; "It's never as fun when you ask for it."

a hint of a smirk played onto her face as she made the motion to bounce back a step, careful to maintain the hand she held; "I knew it. You are afraid of me!"

[Evony Vasiliev]

Wrinkling her nose and furrowing her brow, Evy wrestled with the notion that she just asked for a kiss rather than simply give one. Spontaneity was her strength and yet she still retained some level of caution around the Australian, because seriously the poor girl had just admitted to liking her, Evy didn't want to make the entire situation more overwhelming. The Blue bird thought it justified and tugged at the end of her ponytail with her free hand, whipping the piercing on her tongue against the roof of her mouth.

"Urgh...just...you know. I'm not sure if you're into all that stuff..." She mumbled, pursing her lips and slowly tugging for Lucy to return to her. Evony was enjoying the warmth. "I mean c'mon, you could've pushed the crazy circus girl off you and made it all awkward again!" Because hypotheticals always seemed to make things better.

Lucy's jab at Evony's apparent fear only forced the porcelain skinned girl to frown, puffing up her lower lip. Lucy had the gall to insult her like so! If Evony wasn't so stricken with bliss she may have jabbed the girl for the remark. "I'm just being cautious! I...you, I don't know...I'm not as good at this stuff as I want to be and the only thing scary about you is Henry!" Evy stated with a brisk nod, pointing her finger at the tattoo of the sabre-tooth tiger, now named Henry because why not?

"Just...tell me if I go to far okay?" The petite thief whispered, letting a stream of air pass over her lips before glancing back at the girl.

She was rather flustered with the notions of kissing Lucy, now that the situation had turned to that it only seemed necessary. But what was she supposed to do now? Evony often went with her instincts and just leant in, but would that look too desperate or petty? Is Lucy just gonna laugh at her? The girl's gaze intensified as she glared at Lucy's lips, gnawing on her own as she considered all the options she had left. It was no lie, the Blue bird did want to kiss them but some part of her wanted to wait and see if Lucy would initiate it. The other side of the girl simply ordered she just dive straight in and drown in the girl's embrace...

But instinct always seemed to win and after several seconds of deciphering the mystery that was Lucy's mouth Evy found herself slowly pulling inwards, the magnetic allure of those smirking lips snagging what was left of her urges.

The rest was all gonna be improvised...

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

Lucy couldn't halt the exalted laugh that fell out of her mouth. It was forced from her in a sharp moment of surprise. "I kissed you once." She stated flatly, "Jesus, it's like you fucking forgot already." She instantly pressed a free hand to her mouth. Forgettable, huh?

"Caution is super romantic." She pointed out with intended sarcasm. "And no. No, don't call her Henry." She almost spat those words. Hey, those were her tattoo friends she was trying to name! And the sabre tooth tiger had been firmly basking in the sun on her shoulder blade until the sun went down. Now she was peeking out, making the bold move back to her original place.

Lucy pressed her lips into a line briefly, losing her amused grin with each passing moment as her features boiled down to something a little more genuine. "I'm not new to the concept of physical affection, you fuck." She said quietly, her frustration mild in comparison to how it could have been. She was simmering down, and if nothing else it was just a quiet snap. She preferred the moment to be taken, not talked about. But she could hardly find the words to articulate that. And as much as it wasn't clear, she didn't always like to be the overly assertive individual.

Few people did.

By now she was too exhausted to even think properly. So she let herself be kissed, and if nothing else she noticed just how different it felt. Last time Evony had been so forward, it was abrupt and chaste. As if something had been stolen from her without warning. The difference was so shattering that she almost didn't expect it. And after a moment of feeling suspended in time she seemed to come to her senses. Her fingers curled into the fabric at the other girl's waist as she drawled herself closer, pressing up against her; throwing herself into whatever fray this was as she opted to actively kiss her back.