I Like You

Writers: AL, Kaysea
Date Posted: 16th July 2008

Characters: Alydelle, Mordin
Description: Mordin sneaks up on Alydelle as she sits by the sea.
Location: Dolphin Hall
Date: month 10, day 26 of Turn 4

"You're always on your own." he had stepped lightly so as not to give the girl a chance to get up and walk away. He got a perverse thrill to see her jump when his voice sounded behind her. "Sorry," he grinned, plonking himself down on the sand beside her. "I didn't mean to startle you."

And jump she did when Aly had first heard him. She relaxed when she saw who it was and managed an awkward smile. "Oh, no it's okay." She wriggled a bit and lowered her gaze. "I uh...yeah."

"You don't mind some company?" he asked, "though I haven't seen you around for a few days, if I didn't know better, I'd think you had been avoiding me?"

"No, no, it's..." Alydelle flushed and looked away to stare down at the sea. "You...yeah, company is fine."

"Are you sure you don't mind me keeping you company?" he asked, his finger tilted her head up to face him. "I can leave, if you'd rather be alone?" he flashed her his infamous smile again, knowing she'd probably feel flustered again at the attention, but enjoying her reaction, regardless.

"No, no...I mean...not that I don't...I mean...it's okay, you staying."
Alydelle struggled to form a coherent sentence but it seemed to escape her. She honestly wasn't sure what to say. Most other apprentices didn't care to stay around her, and this was a _journeyman_!

"Well, that's a relief." he chuckled, his arm sliding back and around her. "So, what have you been up to?

Alydelle stiffened at the feel of his arm around her, unused to such intimacy from anyone, much less a man. "I...been fine. Fine...um, you?"

"Working hard, as usual." he smiled, "But missing you around the holding."
he said softly, almost - but not quite intimately. He knew he would have to go slowly with this one, he didn't want to scare her away. He body wasn't too bad, her face was passable if she smiled - but her lack of confidence was really what let her down, and for that he was grateful. If she had had more confidence in herself, she wouldn't be sitting here with him.

"Me?" Alydelle blinked and looked up at Mordin. Her face contorted in confusion. "W...why would you miss me?"

"I like you." he said simply, feigning an embarrassed shrug.

"Me?" The admission fairly made Alydelle dizzy. "But...but why?"

He laughed, a deep pleasing laugh, at her words. "Why not? You're not full of yourself as most of the girls in the Hold are. And.... well, I sense you like me - just a little?"

Alydelle looked down, her cheeks turning crimson. Well, she had to admit, he had been nice to her and none of the apprentices had done that. All of the other journeymen were either just teachers to her or paid no heed to her at all. And why would they? She was just a silly little apprentice at all. "Well...you're very kind and..."

"And....?" he gave her a cheeky girn, "Just...and?"

"Well...I hardly know you and you hardly know me so..." The girl squirmed, still a bit uncomfortable with his intimacy. "How can you say you like me when you don't really know me?"

"I just know - there's something about you. Instant attraction?" she wasn't as easily convinced as he had thought she would be, he would have to work a little harder than he had hoped.

"You're...you're sweet." Aly was pleased. He was attracted to her?
Her? Homely little Aly. It felt good to be liked.

He almost heaved a sigh of relief, but stopped himself in time. She was gullible, but then again, those with little self confidence often were - he had discovered a long time ago. "So... you do like me?" he asked, his eyebrow lifting.

Aly lifted her gaze and offered him a small smile along with a soft, "Yeah."

"Good!" he leaned over and dropped a quick kiss on her cheek.

Alydelle couldn't stop the colour from coming to her cheeks and she squirmed, though inwardly she was delighted. Maybe...just maybe things were going to change.

He took encouragement from the response she gave, and his arm slipped further around her waist. He leaned in closer and kissed her on the cheek again, this time for a little longer.

It was so odd, yet so appealing. The attention he was giving her was so strange yet it was something Alydelle had longed for. Not necessarily in the romantic sense, but attention of any sort, friendship. Romance had never been anything she thought would come her way, but now...maybe. Just maybe. She turned her head and lifted her gaze, cheeks still flushed, but she dropped her eyes again.

"Look at me Aly." he said, his voice barely a whisper.

The girl hesitated, but after a moment she complied, struggling to keep her gaze locked with his own.

While holding her gaze, he tilted her face towards him, and kissed her on the lips. He watched as her eyes fluttered closed, and smiled deepening the kiss a little more. His arm hugged her closer, his hand slipping from her chin to her throat as his thumb softly stroked the fine thread of pulse in her throat.

That pulse quickened under the ministrations of the journeyman and Alydelle found herself leaning into him, shivering from the strange sense of desire that seemed to course through her. When his hands began to wander, however, her eyes flew open and she pulled back abruptly. "I...I should go. It's almost curfew."

"I er, sorry." He pulled himself upright, "I ...I shouldn't have let it go that far, please don't hate me?" he asked, his eyes looking to her in a sorrowful way.

"No, I don't." Alydelle slowly slipped from his grasp, cheeks still aflame, but her lips couldn't help but tug upward in a smile. She fiddled after a moment, then asked softly, "See...see you tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow? Yes!" he laughed softly. "I'll meet you here?" he asked, hoping she would be agreeable to taking things a step further, he had an itch he desperately needed to scratch, and she was the only one he had who was even partly willing at the moment.

"Yes. Maybe....a candlemark earlier?" Alydelle suggested shyly, glancing back toward the hold.

"Okay, I'll see you then." he nodded, "Go on, get back to the Hold, sweetling." he motioned for her to scurry with his hands.

The colour remained in Alydelle's face, but a surge of pleasure at the name he had called her merely put a spring into her step as she hurried back. Someone noticed her. Someone _liked_ her! _Her_!

Last updated on the July 16th 2008

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I Like You