"We can agree on a lot of things," Talhan mumbled to himself.
Silence hung between them for a moment, and they knew it was true. Neelo and Talhan had always gotten along. During all the parties and weddings and celebrations of their childhood, the unlikely friends always seemed to end up in a corner somewhere. The Golden Eagle would bring Neelo a tray of food he'd stolen from the banquet and Neelo would sit beside him, dancing and reveling. The life of every party.
But there would always be that moment between them. Always. Where it was just the two of them tucked in a corner, sitting quietly enjoying each other's company. Neelo could never admit how much they cherished those quiet moments together, nor admit how they regretted how often they'd push him away.
He was just a friendly person. Just pitied them. He was just that nice to everyone.
Just.
They had a million reasons for it, excuses they could use to deny what they felt, but there was a little spark, a little question that lit within Neelo every time Talhan sat beside them: Maybe he likes me. Maybe he really does just want to be here. With me.
And...
"I could like dancing," Neelo hedged. "If people weren't watching me, maybe."
"We need to find a dark corner some time to test out that theory," Talhan said with a grin. He swirled his bread in his stew again, before adding more quietly, "I like being touched."
Neelo frowned, staring straight down at their bowl and they knew Talhan's statement was, in fact, a question. A thought popped into their mind and before they could think better of it, the words came spilling out. "I don't like being touched...by most people." Neelo's hands stilled and they whispered, "But...I think I'd like it if you touched me."
Talhan paused for so long that Neelo's stomach sank and embarrassment burned through them. But Talhan finally flashed a shy smirk and bit into his bread. "I think so too."
Neelo's toes curled in their boots.
The underlining emotion in the scenes between these two, HELP MEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
DAMN
ReplyDeleteSexual tension WITHOUT EVEN A WHISPER OF TOUCH, they haz it.
YES! There was a scene, in a LIBRARY no less, that gave me those delightful spine tingles. It is killing me that I can't recommend this book without the caveat that you probably shouldn't just jump into the series with this one.
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