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[The next few weeks were... Well "less than stellar" would be a severe understatement. It was no surprise when pretty much everyone in their circle learned about the giant mess of a fallout that occurred between the two. Understandably, Leia had the sympathy and Alvin the flack. Even Jude confronted him and punched him when he couldn't explain himself. What confused everyone was that it was clear the two did have mutual feelings, but the one who was supposed to be an adult wasn't acting them. Rowen tried to reason with him, to give him that elderly mature advice and remind him that this was not the path he had chosen and was one they all thought he had left.

Time and time again, Balan, Rowen, Jude, and even Yurgen asked him the important question: Why not? And all Alvin could say was that it just can't. Eventually they stopped asking since it was clear that Alvin had made up his mind. They didn't agree to it, but there wasn't much they could do. Elize again did not want have anything to do with him, both hurt and disappointed by his actions.

Only Elle contacted him again, and with her usual forthright attitude, remark how stupid he was being. Perhaps it was because Elle didn't have as many deep roots with them that she was able to not be as adversely affected by Alvin's action. She had never seen him before, so it just seems weird to her. And it was to Elle he eventually caved and told about he didn't think he would be a good match for Leia—that she deserved more. When he started to say he wanted her to be happy, Elle was quick to point out that what he was doing now wasn't really helping that. It was a fair point, and one he knew himself, but he just remained silent. He was using the logic that it might be painful in the short run, but it would be better in the long.

While Alvin was on his GHS, Elle had wandered into his office and was just being a nosy pre-teen, looking through his desk. It was there that she stumbled across the long forgotten tickets, and when she pulled them out, Alvin had caught her and was about to give her a playful smack on the head as punishment. But when he saw the tickets, he froze. He remembered the circumstances as to how he acquired them...and more about that particular day. When he saw Elle notice a particularly worn and old looking letter, he quickly shut the drawer, telling her to quit being nosy. But when she asked about the tickets, he told her the truth—they were for him and Leia. The deal was if she didn't miss her deadlines, he'd take her up there. Of course...that plan was shot now, so if Elle wanted to, she could go with Leia in his place.

Of course the girl would have none of it. She quickly pulled out her GHS and called Leia, asking where she was. After that, she grabbed Alvin's hand and forcefully dragged him out, even kicking at his shin when he tried to protest (and damn did that hurt). Not long after, they were at Helioborg, and again Alvin hesitated. He knew what the girl was trying to do, and somehow his feet actually allowed his body to be dragged to it. He had avoided Leia as much as possible, keeping only minimal contact and giving her short replies to any texts or calls she gave him. So seeing her there talking with Jude and Balan made his blood run cold.

It was awkward—he could see Jude giving him the cold look and even stepping closer to Leia, as if to help protect her for whatever pain he might dish out next. Balan on the other hand was a bit intrigued (of course he would). And then Elle was shoving and pushing him toward the group. The topic of the hot springs began, and even though he tried to just give the tickets to Leia for her to do what she wanted, she refused to take them. But he was refusing to go with her because it would be a bad idea. In the end, Balan settled it by taking the tickets and actually calling the hot springs.

"You're lucky, Alfred," Balan said after he hung up. "Those almost expired and that would have been a waste. But you're both good to go now! One honeymoon suite for just the two of you. It was the only one left, so you only have yourself to blame," he added when everyone gave him incredulous looks. "Anyway, it's about time we got back to work. Let's go, Jude."

Alvin could feel the intense look his old friend was giving him. Jude would later call him not to yell, but in a tired and somewhat pleading voice told him, "Just don't hurt her anymore, okay, Alvin? I know you're better than that, so...just try talking it over?"

The days leading up to that overnight trip were heavy for him. Several times he thought about just canceling, but the pressure everyone was giving was more than even he could take. And really, he did owe Leia at least something. He had asked for time to think. Hadn't he thought enough? The very least he could do was at least finally tell her what his thoughts were about this. To apologize. But all the endings that came to his mind after that...they didn't exactly leave him feeling all that good.

And now, they are at the hot springs. He tried to keep a normal facade, smiling and being as casual as possible with her. But he still maintained that distance, both physically and emotionally. Of course they were mistaken as an actual couple, particularly when they were rung up and led to their room. Of course that would just...bring a lot of awkwardness to stay, so he suggests they walk around, check the place out. As is the protocol, they had to change into the yukata-like robes provided and seeing Leia...well he tries very hard not to think too much about it, for once not commenting on how she looks.

The resort is rather large. Not as large as the water park, and it has a very old, traditional Kanbalar flair. But because of the season, there are plenty of people, both from Rieze Maxia and Elympios. There are families, singles, couples. It definitely had a relaxing atmosphere.

Now if only he could actually feel that way.

As they walk, he finally glances over to her.]

So...what do you think? I have to admit it's pretty nice.

[Small talk. Small talk is good, right?]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Why are they always interrupted, anyway. But he nods, moving to stand.]

Sounds like a plan. I'll get it started in the room, and if there's anything else you want to bring in, go ahead. I don't think either of us are going to be wandering back in here if it really does get as bad as they say.

[There's another loud rattle as if to emphasize his words.

As the woman had said, the fireplace is one that is shared between the main room and the bedroom, so it made sense that the wood bins would also be shared. The fireplace itself was a rather simple hearth with a door on either side which could be closed. He closes the side on the main room, which should help allow the heat of the fire to focus on the bedroom they would be residing.

The bedroom itself is as traditional and simplistic as everything else, and is actually three-quarters of the size of the main room. Part of it is cut in for the outside veranda and neighboring bath. But it's still rather spacious and plenty for two people sharing the floor—which, again going with old tradition, is how they will be sleeping. Instead of a raised mattress as most beds are now designed, there is one large futon with two pillows. He does seriously wonder how warm such a simple "bed" can be so he's glad they have the fireplace and extra blankets. He also notices there is a tea set, so if they ever want a hot beverage, that should be doable.

While stoking the fire, his mind does drift a little. The day had been...rather stressful, so the fact that they could start acting like normal and flirt like they are is probably a miracle as well as telling of their own strong bond. Even though he had jeopardized it and even tried to sever it, it just wouldn't break. Neither Leia nor his true feelings would allow it. And now they're in this relationship. He still has his doubts about himself, but the more he just lets himself give in to his true feelings and desires, the easier it seems to come. Of course being near Leia with all these stimulations and tensions had made it difficult to resist, so now that he is separated from her...

The fact that they will be sleeping together and as a couple starts to sink in a lot heavier than it did before. It's not that he didn't see or thought about the implications, but given how they were acting just minutes before, and how close they had been, he does wonder if maybe he should sleep in a separate room. Maybe he can just take some of those blankets, open the other side of the fireplace, and try his best to stay warm. It's like now that his mind is no longer fighting against what he really wants, there seems to be a lot less restricting him from acting out on them. And after all this time and their current state of dress and after what the staff woman had said...

Yeah, that temptation is going to be really strong, especially since the girl herself seems more receptive to it than she should.

Healthy adult male mind his ass he really does need to try and keep his own mind out of the gutter and urges under control or he might screw this up in a completely different way. At least he can find some solace in knowing that he would never do anything against Leia's wishes (except when it comes to initially accepting her feelings, apparently) since he doesn't want to hurt her again (and maybe actually do it right this time).

With all those thoughts being shoved to the back of his mind, he glances over at Leia whenever she enters.]

So think we have enough blankets?

[ she takes her time in gathering up the blankets (and maybe having a quick snack as she does, because she can and she doesn't want to haul a bunch of food into the bedroom), and... well, her mind wanders, too.

the fact that they're together— not as best friends, but as a couple— honestly feels a little surreal. even though they were flirting and exchanging kisses not too long ago, now that she's alone and getting ready to head into the bedroom to spend the night together (as a couple), she almost can't believe all of those things actually happened. especially not all the flirting.

... which just brings all of the places their current situation could go to the front of her mind. the kisses they shared hadn't been chaste, and they even even briefly touched on more intimate topics, so knowing that they'll be sharing a room is sort of... a lot to deal with. there were already points in the night where she probably would've happily gone along with anything alvin could have initiated— there were even points where she thought of initiating things— and that was while they were hanging out together casually, sitting side by side. if they were both tempted like that without adding a bed to the mix, what would happen once they were laying together in the dark?

the thought that they can't go all the way, anyway, since they weren't planning on ending up like this and likely aren't prepared for the risks that would be involved does cross her mind, but that's... not something she should be thinking about, anyway.

after taking just one more moment to make a futile attempt at wrenching her mind out of the gutter, she forces herself not to dwell on it any longer as she nudges the bedroom door open, arms full of blankets. ]

You betcha! I've got three here, and there's one more back in the other room if we end up needing it.

[ between the fire, the blankets, and the body heat they'll probably be generating, though, she suspects it won't be necessary.

so, after she gets that out, she's going to carry them to the futon and start spreading them out over it while he works on the fire. ]

Should be plenty then.

[He nudges a few logs into position, the low, glowing embers burning slowly beneath. But after a log finally catches, there's the telltale pop and crackle before soon a small blaze of fire started to rise and grow, the sounds growing just as strong. Alvin can feel the heat spreading outward, so with this, those blankets, and each other, they should be set.]

Kind of wish we had some marshmallows. [A small joke as he puts up the tools and steps back, examining his handiwork. Yep, that's definitely a damn good fire. He might not have had to make one in a while, but old skills are hard to lose.]

That'd be pretty nice, huh?

[ she turns her head to look back at him for a moment before folding the blankets back a bit, a sign that she's probably done with her half of this, too. ]

I guess if we ever get the chance to come out here again, we can try to remember to bring some along.

[ and... well, now that everything is all ready, she might as well give the futon a shot, right? so she's going to go ahead and slip under the blankets now, pulling them over her lap as she does. ]

To bring marshmallows to a hot spring? Seems a little odd.

[So he says as he starts turning around to face her, but then he has to pause a bit because...she's already in the futon. She's...already in the futon. Somehow the image of that is sending an awkward vibe through him. And why does she oddly look both cute and attractive at the same time how does that—

At any rate, it's only going to be more awkward if he just...stays standing there so he'll...move to...his side. Of. The futon. And sets himself down next to her.

Don't think about it, Alvin, just don't think about it.

EXCEPT NOW THAT THEY'RE BOTH HERE IT'S AWKWARD IT'S REALLY AWKWARD. (Of course he thought things how could he not.)]

So... Tired?

[Yes, that is so smooth, Alvin. So smooth. (Not.) Actually he really doesn't know what time it is, is there a clock—okay not that late.]

[ once he's on the futon with her, she feels the awkwardness, too. it was one thing to think about sleeping together, and it was another to actually sit on the futon by herself— sitting beside him is in a completely different realm than both of those things, though.

that feeling of being acutely aware of where this could go comes back, and she shifts around, fidgeting awkwardly and smoothing the blankets over her lap in an attempt to control the nervous energy that she's starting to feel.

and when he asks his question, she immediately wishes her GHS weren't in the other room now, just so she could check the time, or... do something, because she's definitely not tired. ]

Nope, not really. [ cue a little more fidgeting as she continues: ] I don't usually go to bed until way later than this.

[ because she gets distracted by work or— on days where she's procrastinating— funny shows on TV, or even going out places with him.

which just loops her mind back around to the tension between them. ]

What about you? Feeling ready to turn in yet?

Not really, no. I'm also a night owl.

[Even if he were tired, he has a distinct feeling that he'd stay up due to nerves. Which is really odd if he thinks about it. He's never been nervous or this awkwardly tense around a woman before. Not even Presa. It's also strange since they've chilled in beds before. It's just... They had only been friends and there weren't any meanings or possibilities back then.

First they were awkward because of the distance he had put between them. Now they're awkward because there's no distance between them. Is this what people mean when they talk about how having actual feelings for someone would be like?

So he's silent for a few moments and he's considering suggesting they talk about...work or something, but then there's a large rattle, a bang, and then the power flickers before it cuts out entirely, a cold draft immediately creeping in.]

Guess we set up just in time.

[ she was on the verge of saying something, too, when the power cut out. even if they had been warned about this being a possibility, she had been clinging onto the hope that they'd manage to get through the night without that happening, but... no such luck, apparently. ]

Yeah! Talk about awesome timing.

[ except she can already feel the chilly draft coming despite of all of their preparations, so she's going to pull the blankets up a bit and (very, very tentatively) scoot closer to him. ]

I guess we should try and get cozy 'til it passes.

[ she's still hesitating to actually make contact with him, but. she's trying, okay. ]

[It's probably a good thing the power went out because he is sure he probably looks a little awkward at the thought of "cozying it up."

But in the end, he just mentally pushes those thoughts. He's an adult, dammit. They've hugged and "cuddled" before. Just because they do the same thing here doesn't mean that things have to happen. Plus, he really does want to hug her close to him. Darker desires aside, he missed being close to her, and now he can in a different way.

So when she scoots over, he moves to actually lie down, turning his body to face her, and just reaches an arm out to be around her and firmly pull her to him. It does feel a little awkward since he's so self-aware, but at the same time...it feels nice to be able to do this. He's sure if they loosen up a bit, they'll probably go back to that bit of flirting before, getting lost in the moment and stop being so self-conscious. And already this is starting to feel natural.]

Wh—

[ she definitely wasn't expecting to be pulled to him, but it's probably good that he broke that barrier because she wasn't getting anywhere fast.

she has to shift around and pull the blankets up a bit before she can really feel comfortable (physically, at least, because being this close to him has definitely left her feeling frazzled), but she's actually pretty quick to settle down. she might even curl a little closer to him, one arm coming up to loosely drape over his middle, after a moment.

her heart is racing and it's an effort to keep her mind from wandering too far, but being close like this definitely isn't a bad thing. so, she even manages to keep from sounding too painfully awkward when she finally speaks up. ]

You know, you're actually pretty warm.

What, did you think I'd be cold?

[A light remark back, but he just keeps his hold on her. He's glad she didn't pull away and instead seems to be settling in next to him.]

I guess you're okay as a body heater.

[ settling back into their typical banter like this calms her nerves a bit, so she ends up relaxing against him even further as he says that. ]

Just "okay"? Gimme a little more credit than that.

[ she's warm in her own way, okay. especially when she leans in, holding onto him tighter as she buries her face against his neck— which is exactly what she's going to do now. ]

[Feeling her face against his neck like that is...oddly both comfortable and stimulating at the same time. Fortunately it's more of the comfortable kind of feeling at the moment, and he tilts his head slightly to better rest against the top of hers.

He closes his eyes, the smile clear in his voice.]

Okay, I guess this is better.

[ even if he's still not quite giving her the credit she deserves, she can tell he's smiling, and that alone is enough to make her smile in response (even if he can't see it because her face is still hidden). ]

Aw, c'mon! Just admit it— you totally love cozying up like this.

[ this time when she speaks it's actually a little muffled, and he might even be able to feel her lips brush his neck as she does, because she isn't going to bother pulling away. laying like this is... actually more comfortable than she would've expected, especially now that some of the awkwardness is starting to fade away, and she's not quite willing to give that up. ]

[When he feels her lips brushing against his neck as she speaks, he actually tenses just a bit. He knows she's not doing it on purpose and it's more incidental than purposeful, but still. The neck is a sensitive area and they're already holding each other close like this. He is acutely aware that if either of their robes loosen, there could be some more unintended skinship happening. The risk being far great for her than for him.

So he doesn't respond at first, trying to simmer the urges that started to spark.]

Well I can't really complain. I bet you're enjoying it more, though.

[Deflect and tease! Deflect and tease!]

[ she feels him tense and even notices that it takes him a moment to actually respond, but she doesn't really know why. in fact, the thought that maybe it's because she's not that far off from actually kissing his neck doesn't even cross her mind. if anything, she assumes it's because of the cold, and she shifts closer to him as a result.

on the plus side, though, the fact that she's more or less pressed flush against him at this point means that her robe probably won't be in danger of slipping again unless they start moving around. ]

Oh yeah? Why's that?

[ she's not pulling away this time, either, so there's bound to be more mouth-on-neck action. ]

[Leia, why are you making this difficult for him. The fact that she's not even intending to do this actually makes it even more aggravating. He can't even readjust his position to even subtly move out of the way. So he tries to do his best to not visibly react, although she will probably notice him tense a little again. Fortunately she only said four words so the sensation isn't prolonged.]

I might have made the first move, but you're the one hugging me tightly with your face against my neck. Guess you wanted to be that close, huh?

[ that gets her to pull away slightly, her face scrunched up so she can try to see him in spite of the dark. the moon shining through the window provides some light, so hopefully he can see the face she's pulling at him (and hopefully the fact that it's not too bright will keep him from being able to see that she's getting a little red in the face). ]

I thought you were cold! I was just trying to warm you up a little!

[ the fact that she was definitely enjoying being so close to him was a nice bonus, but since he's being a jerk she's not even going to acknowledge it. ]

[He can vaguely see her expression, though even without the faint moonlight he could easily imagine it.]

Are you sure that's really all there is to it?

[A small teasing smirk.]

But I will say you were successful.

Why couldn't you just say that from the get-go?

[ for the millionth time: why does she even like him. ]

If you felt comfortable, you could've been nice about it and I would've stayed where I was, you know.

[ not that she really went too far— she may not be as close as she was before, but she still has an arm wrapped around him loosely, at least. ]

Actually, even if it was comfortable, it's probably better that you moved.

[Should he outright tell her or give her a taste of what she was doing to him? Well normally he'd just gun for the latter option because it's more fun that way. He only doesn't do so immediately because he's actually considering the potential risks (that is, him getting carried away). However...that little desire is starting to win over caution, and it would just be a teasing gesture.

So after a moment of shifting himself slightly he leans back toward her, face close to her neck as his lips lightly brush against the skin as he speaks.]

Unless you really do want to test me like this.

[ ... and now his reactions make a little more sense.

a shiver runs down her spine when she feels his lips brush against her neck, and her fingers curl into his robe slightly, like she almost wants to hold him there. she's not going to yank him around much if he tries to pull away, but she's definitely having some complicated feelings. ]

That's seriously all it takes to test you?

[ she's trying to joke around, but it lacks her usual enthusiasm because. well. she gets it. she's feeling pretty tempted herself, at this point. ]

[He doesn't move...at least not away. The arms around her shift slightly, a hand rising to the back of her neck, fingers lightly threading through those long strands before brushing against the base of her head.]

Honestly? [His voice is a little softer and lower now, becoming more of a murmur as his lips travel a little upward.] With you and our current situation... [There seems to be less "light" brushing this time around, his mouth pressing more firmly against her skin in that pause. He's at the crook of her neck, near her jawline, and she might feel a light graze of his teeth before his voice is at her ear.]

Yes.

[And then there's light, playful nip and nibble before his mouth returns to that small space between her neck and jawline to tease her further.]

[ she has to actively work to try and keep calm at this point, and spirits is he making it difficult for her. her impulse control has never been great anyway, but add the way he's teasing her to the mix and it's a wonder she hasn't tried to either drag him up for a proper kiss or push him away so she can reverse their positions and get back at him.

especially when she feels his teeth on her neck, and then that nip.

it's a small thing, but it's starting to fire her up, and she makes a soft, frustrated noise in the back of her throat in response. ]

If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were trying to test me a little, too.

[ her voice comes out quieter than usual, and as she speaks her hand moves from his side, up his back, to card through his hair. ]

And if I am?

[Hearing that sound of frustration does nothing to stop him. If anything it just makes him want to do more. So now instead of just teasing kisses, more skin gets between his teeth as he starts to slowly travel a little downward. He's not biting her hard enough to leave marks, but it is noticeable.]