Disclosure

[Caleb Hash]

One of the double doors creaked open, allowing Caleb and his company passage into the warm space. After Aurelie had entered, Caleb tugged his hand in toward himself, effectively shutting and locking the door from afar. Caleb, keeping his distance from her, gestured out to the tables and booths. “Up to you. Once we sit, we’ll talk.”

The lion behind the bar was grooming in the foreground; the air in the bar faintly hummed as the barkeep waited on his guest.

[Aurelie Enchantez]

Aurelie took in the bar's atmosphere, the hanging fabrics, the low seating again for the first time in a long while. But it seemed different, warmer. She unconsciously slid her right hand up her left arm, tilting her head down to make one fluid movement as she removed her hat, followed by her sunglasses. She held both in one hand in front of herself before letting her curls down with the other, allowing them to be her shield as the fell around her face and slightly obscured her view as she slid her gaze over to Caleb. She eyed her usual booth, but let her gaze slide back to the last spot she'd been in here.

Taking a slow, steadying breath, Aurelie slid her way over to the bar and sat on a stool, setting her bag and accessories down at her feet. She settled the small basket of cherries between her spot and a spot to her left on the bar, inviting Caleb to join. She eyed a particularly ripe cherry and held it up by the stem, plucking it off and slowly eating it as a bundle of nerves began to form in her stomach. She wasn't going to speak first, so she waited. But she also had an apology prepared, she just needed enough courage. Perhaps the lion could give her some, she thought, eyeing the golden beast behind the bar. Though she had hopes she wouldn't need to apologize for her feelings, just her previous actions.

Aurelie couldn't possibly apologize for being entranced by Caleb. Not ever.

[Caleb Hash]

His jaw clenched, nostrils flaring to take in the scent dispersing from her freshly-released curls. Vividly he heard the storm from their last encounter crashing overhead. No such storm was present, of course, but Cal saw stars from inside the memory.

While lost, Aurelie moved soundlessly to the bar. Blinking hard, Caleb returned to the present. First, a steadying breath; then, he followed her, sitting next to her so the cherries were equidistant between them on the bartop. His arms lay close to him, hands clasped in his lap. The wix sat with a slight slouch, the top of his back rounded and shoulders hunched with anxious weight.

“When you left,” he began softly, gazing at the dark wood of the bar, “I didn’t want you to go. I lied to myself for days. I wasn’t sure... of what to do... of any of it. And you didn’t come back.” It was a bad habit, but Caleb ground his teeth, the pit of his stomach turning to stone within him. “I didn’t even know where to start looking for you.

“But now you’re here again.” The man swallowed, the corner of his mouth tugging up again. “Aurelie... I’ve never had feelings like this before. I just want to see you... again. More. It’s new for me...I- I’m not good with this sort of thing.“ Obviously. His mouth was so dry. His gaze moved to the basket of cherries. Quickly, he popped one in his mouth after removing them stem, distracting himself from his newly bared feelings. It felt raw and strange... but there was a sense of relief. He just hoped she wouldn’t run again. Please don’t run again. Bow his gaze studied her face, attempting to gauge her reaction.

[Aurelie Enchantez]

'When you left...' Aurelie's eyes glazed as she looked into the past, sitting right here with Caleb's arms around her, warm and safe. Her lips parted, remembering the feeling, as she half-listened to Caleb. She half-mumbled a very quiet "I'm sorry..." with tears pricking her eyes before she heard a clearing in Caleb's voice, a change of atmosphere.

He wants to...see me? Caleb had never really acted like it before. She had thought he was oblivious or uninterested. When he said it was new for him, and he wasn't good at this kind of thing, Aurelie looked at him in mild disbelief. And then, she began laughing.

Aurelie's eyes crinkled at the corners, her mouth turned into a smirk of disbelief. "Are you serious..?" Her voice came out happy. "You've never...?" She laughed again. "That explains so much! Oh my god.." Aurelie playfully swatted Caleb's arm, leaning over the bar in a fit of giggles again. Her heartbreak had been because Caleb was innocent, not because he wasn't interested? Good grief.

"I thought.. I thought.." Aurelie laughed again, a tinkling musical sound. "I thought you didn't like me!" She giggled between breaths. "I left because I thought it was one-sided, or because you were toying with me.." She was laughing so hard it hurt. "I...I...I'm sorry, it's just so funny now- looking back - I was so upset...because...I thought you hated me!" Aurelie steadied herself on the bar and her laughing slowly subsided back into mere giggles as she looked to him with sparkling eyes. She finally blushed, and looked coyly to the side, a small sly smile on her lips. She felt shy and flirty at the same time. So he really liked her?

"So..." Aurelie started slowly, "When should I come by..then?" She tilted her head down shyly and looked up at him. Then a sly thought kicked in, and she got cheeky. "Though I'm only coming back if you play for me." She smirked, biting her lip, before turning her head to hide behind her curls as she tried to hide a giggle and her blush again.

[Caleb Hash]

As she batted at his arm, Caleb’s lips tightened. The stone within his gut abruptly grew a grip and twisted around his insides. He went cold at her laughter. Her words did sound mirthful, but at the barkeep’s personal expense. He’d gone so long wanting to talk to her... and he’d fumbled horrifically, it seemed. The idea of rejection stung him like barbs stepped on in the dark. As Aurelie continued, Caleb stiffened. I am really that... abnormal? he thought. That stupid? And then...


“Hated you?” he parroted, brows hooding his dark gaze. His mouth hung open slightly. While the real meaning of her reaction registered, he felt his shoulders releasing, sloping more easily into his familiar slouch. Caleb’s face eased into a small, mystified grin. “Aurelie...”


Now his nausea took on a different feeling. Instead of churning downward into mortified oblivion, his stomach began defiantly testing gravity as a lump formed in his throat. Caleb did not think. He reached out steadily and touched her hand. “Now.” A strangely intoxicating edge found its way into the singular word. Her curls smelled so good... no, better than they did last time. The scent electrified the man, but he had his patience.


With a quiet eagerness, he squeezed her fingers.

[Aurelie Enchantez]

Aurelie blanked for a moment or ten at Caleb's touch and his singular word, spoken with such calm confidence and a tinge of..authority? A deep blush hit her cheeks hard and she had to turn away as her eyes widened and a shiver slipped down her spine. She glanced at Caleb's hand on her own before chancing to look back up at him, eyes wide, through her curls, her lips parting on their own as her breathing became shallow before she managed to shut her mouth and swallow her breath.

"Well..then," Aurelie managed to keep her voice even, smooth and low, and continued softly, "..Ah, my ..condition..still stands." Aurelie stumbled over her words shyly, suddenly a bit unsure in her flustered state. Was he being genuine when he said he'd never dated before? His smolder and the way he spoke with..authority..made her wonder. Her eyes fluttered as she tried to look up at Caleb, but she couldn't manage to keep eye contact with him touching her; his skin was too hot to the touch but not for any obvious or unpleasant reasons. Perhaps it was her skin that was too hot. She licked her lips, looking at the bar and moving her hand from his to pluck another bit of fruit from the little basket. Relief.

"I..could sing. Yknow.." Aurelie began, but spoke too quickly when her nerves hit the rest of her sentence, "I mean, if you want, I mean I'm not that good but at least it's something, right? So you won't be..embarrassed or anything, not that you should be embarrassed because you're good, I mean I'm just shy too, so I understand if... " She stopped herself and cleared her throat, her fingers finding their way to curl into her hair quietly as she stared at the bar and lightly swung her legs like a child again. Well.

[Caleb Hash]

As Aurelie spoke, Caleb couldn’t help himself. He drank her in, consuming as much of her as he could with as many senses as possible. The warm, lingering scent coming off her curls, the curves of her face as she spoke, the dips of her honeyed voice, and the warmth of her hand... until she pulled it away in favor of a cherry.

Cal quirked his head for a moment, looking at her expression as she continued. He sat still, quietly listening as his heart began to thud. What was so uncertain before, even at the lake from the last time they’d seen each other, was so clear to him now.

Once she had finished, softly swinging her legs, Caleb placed a hand on her knee. Gently, he made to slowly turn her toward him and leaned forward toward her ear. Everything within him was so still - it invigorated him. Very softly, he spoke to her. “I know." Here, he moved to place his other hand on her other knee. "I understand. But right now...“ Caleb went to apply a gentle pressure to both her knees as his face slid a little closer. “I don’t just want to see you. I want to feel you. Could I...?”

Before pressing on, Caleb calmly waited for her response. Well, the man was a bit breathless... but he would wait for her.

[Aurelie Enchantez]

Aurelie drew in a small gasp of air at his bold touch, eyes blinking widely down at his hand, a shiver and blush shooting over her. She felt like she was being toyed with again. How could he insinuate he'd never felt this way, done these things, and have such an affect on her, seem so confident? Her lips stayed parted, eyes doe-like and open, as he moved his other hand to touch her knee, his lips far too close to her sensitive ear. Her breath was shallow and his touch was definitely too hot for her skin and her poor soul to bear much longer. Why, why, why did he have to move so close? She was about to lose all ability to breathe if he kept this up.

Sweet brown eyes flashed surprise as Aurelie nearly choked on air. "feel?" she squeaked out, her breath stuttering slightly as she shyly pulled her head back, eyes fluttering in shy surprise before she looked down to his lips. "I-I..." Her lips parted with another shaky breath in and she swallowed her sudden nerves, trying to pull out her faux confidence again and not mess this up.

With the flick of a tongue against her lips, Aurelie glanced back up at Caleb and melted with a small sigh, nodding her head yes, brushing her nose shyly against his, unsure exactly what he wanted but giving permission for him to demonstrate.