RP with black_jacques
Jacques ascended the steps leading up to the castle's main double doors. He glanced up at the darkening sky, his face placid but his eyes narrowed and worried. He heard a door open nearby and turned to his left, only to see Aila step out of the tavern. She closed the door slowly and ran a soft hand through her brown locks, sighing heavily. "Aila." Jacques murmured, his voice barely audible but full of concern.
Aila was coming out of the tavern, listening to herself think when she heard the sound of her name. "Hmm...? Oh...hey." She smiled a little.
A heavy sigh escaped Jacques lips. She's doing it again. 'She's smiling but her eyes are full of hurt; full of pain. And anger as well. Yes, I see anger as well.' . Jacques walked towards her quickly, stopped several feet away to stare up at her perfectly pained smile. "Come here..." he half-whispered, and then her emotions finally did show. She raced towards him, collapsing into his arms with an stifled sob. "It's alright..." he whispered, stroking her mid-back.
Sniffling, her voice came out muffled against his chest. "I'm sorry...I said I wasn't going to cry about it anymore..."
Jacques smiled faintly and he moved his head slightly so that he could whisper into her ear soothingly. "Like your grandmother always says: you are healing. These tears are tears that heal.". He held her tightly and began to rock her in his arms slowly. Her breathing became less strained after a while and then she was only sniffling quietly.
Aila leaned back from him and wiped her eyes. "Okay. I'm...I'm good."
Blue eyes dance around her features, not fully reassured. "Are you? I am here if you want to talk about it." Jacques said, his eyes still searching her face.
Sighing, she searched for words. "I..." She paused, wondering how exactly to tell this story. "I had a run-in with Nash today. Some..." No matter how hard she tried to say it, the words didn't feel as if they were coming out in the right way, but she still had to try. "Nash and I were a bit of an item, a while back. But he was less than honest with me and never gave me a reason why he treated me that way. Until today. And he says he's sorry about it but I can't forgive him and..." Her lower lip quivered again as she began sniffling.
Something flashed through Jacques eyes briefly, but it disappeard just as quickly as it had come. "Yes, I remember you mentioning him before and how he had hurt you." he said. Aila was resting her head beneath Jacques's neck and as he spoke his voice reverberated deep in his chest so that Aila could feel in tingling through her. "News travels fast around here. I heard you were at the tavern so I came to see if you were well.". He took a deep breath. "I know how tough this is but I understand that you needed to know. You needed to know why he ran off without saying a word.".
Aila only nodded.
Jacques opened his mouth to speak and closed it quickly. He took a deep breath and did speak this time. "Before I returned to Budehuc. I... I was lost. I... I didn't know who I was and I was just as confused as Nash had left you.". A wan smile played on his lips, but his eyes glinted with a bit of nostalgia. "I think... finding..." he hesitated, "I think finding my love for you is what helped me heal completely.". Aila looked up at him, tears still glistening in the corner of her wide eyes. "You helped me find myself. You healed me.".
Aila looked up at him and wiped her eyes again. "I guess it works the other way around, too...you happened to come back when I needed you most, even if I didn't know it at the time...." She tried to smile and succeeded, if only a little.
"I'm glad." Jacques murmured with a content smile on his lips. He leaned down at placed a kiss on her forehead.
She put her arms around him and held him tightly. "You know, you have this way where you're always there when I need you. And for [that], I'm glad. I love you."
"I love you too." he whispered, hugging her just as tightly. "I'll always be around. Even when you don't need me. I'll always be here to watch over you. I'll never let anyone hurt you again.". He said the last sentence with such conviction that his voice was somewhat shaky. It surprised even him.
Aila heard his words and it warmed her up inside to know that here was someone who would be there for her no matter what happened. She just nodded and exhaled, her sniffles finally fading away.
They stood there, holding one and other until the sun had completely set. The held hands as the descended the steps leading down to the courtyard just as the bright white moon began to rise in the distance. They would spend some time down by the lake, away from constant din of the castle's inhabitats. And only the moon would bear witness to their binding love.