Forbidden (EyesoffirexOfelia)

Delilah looked over at him once more as she wrung the water out of her hair, looking over his body as he took his top off. Again her eyes wandered over his body, nicely toned and something she never saw before. But it was nice, that's what her mind told her at least. Not wanting to be caught creeping, she looked around when he asked her of this place. Glancing around, she raised an eyebrow where she realized where they ended up.

"This is where one came to really be in touch with my Mother. When you had many problems or when one was sick, they came here to relax." She said, remembering how being so close to everything here calmed the nervousness of many people. This was also where married couples had come back in her group to be alone, but she didn't mention that little fact.

"It's nice." Gideon said, barely above a whisper. He liked the place, looking around at the ceiling made by trees, the leaves preventing the rain that had fallen from wetting the earth. He took a deep breath, the air smelt so fresh. Slowly he was warming up again, he turned his head to Delilah, Gideon smiled. She looked gorgeous with her hair wet. Taking a step forward Gideon placed his clothes on the floor and walked a little, feeling the cool grass beneath his feet. "Seems like a place where someone would come to be alone, or to think by themselves." He looked back to Delilah. "Have you always come here by yourself? Is it...rare that two people come to a place like this?"

Looking around, she sat with her legs tucked under as she rolled her neck. This guy was really impressed with her nature and seemed to adapt to it easily, Delilah wondered just how easily he would fit in with her group. Looking about the area, she didn't make eye contact as she tried figuring out a way to answer his question.

"Well.. Yes. When two people got married in my pack, they would spend three days here. It was their own little getaway." She said, running a hand over the soft grass. That was also another custom she remembered because Delilah was arranged to be married to another boy in her group. When they reached the age of thirteen it was to happen but then the whole incident went down. Now that she thought about it, she was thankful on that part that it did.

"So is this our little getaway?" Gideon grinned. He stopped pacing and looked at Delilah. "I see no animals, I don't even hear birds. This place seems so secluded and yet in the middle of it all. So...if we are alone...there's something I want to tell you." He walked up to Delilah and crouched by her, trying hard to make eye-contact. He remained there, silent for a moment. Then he spoke. "I'm-" But before he could go any further he stopped, a sudden fear came over him, it was only for an instant, it left him as quickly as it came but it had changed the course of what he was going to say. Gideon crouched there, looking at Delilah, mouth agape. It was a moment before his body was no longer frozen, he stood up and turned his back on her. "Never mind...I...I have nothing to say."

He sure had a way of making her interested in what he had to say. Tilting her head slightly, she listened to him begin his sentence than stop midway, as if the courage left him. Delilah wondered what he feared that he would pretend that he had nothing to tell her. This guy who didn't fear what was lurking in the forests to come see what actually lay beyond it, the one who didn't fear the answers to his questions had suddenly gotten cold feet and turned his back to her. She rose from her spot and walked around his turned back, so that she looked into his face and his eyes, her own swirling as her curiosity got the best of her.

"What is it?" She asked, folding her arms so that he knew she wouldn't leave without finding out what he wanted to say in the first place.

Gideon couldn't look at her, he gave her eye contact for a moment, but that was all. "It's nothing...you know it's nothing. Just wondering that's all but, forget it." He looked around, Gideon had no idea how many hours he'd spent with her already. And time seemed to go by very, very slowly here. "It's probably late...listen...maybe we should sleep-or-something, you know? I'm sure you're tired after all this and I can't find my horse so is it alright if I just sleep here...tonight?"

"Only if you promise you'll tell me what you wanted to say." She said, trying to get eye contact as he tried to ignore her. Walking to the middle, she raised her hand up, where the ground beneath them trembled slightly. A mound of Earth popped up, with roots encircling it to make it look like a bed, blanketed by fresh soft grass. She stepped in the middle and yawned, laying on her stomach on the soft green before turning her eyes impishly towards the other guy.

"You can lay here if you want. You just got to tell me what you wanted." Delilah said, smiling sweetly. Every time Gideon would try stepping her way, towards the bed of grass, roots would spring up from the ground and hold him in place so he couldn't walk her way. Oh yeah, Delilah had her ways of getting info.

Gideon bit his bottom lip. He was surprised to see the bed in the middle of the this place, and that Delilah intended to sleep here, with him. He was shocked and for a moment, had no words to say. "I-" He stopped, noticing that something grabbed his foot when he made a move to the bed. He looked down and frowned at the root that held him in place. "Delilah I-" another step with the other foot, another root came to hold him. Gideon swallowed and looked up, he'd forgotten she did things differently.

"This is a little extreme, just to get an answer...don't you think?" He gave her a half smile, a little unsure of the situation. Regardless of that he tried to make the best of it. Gideon swallowed his pride and stood properly, as best he could with the roots wrapped around him. "Delilah I...I wanted to tell you that...I don't think there will be another woman who's right...for me." He swallowed again. "I realized that...once I saw you." Gideon's eyes met hers.

Delilah only shrugged, smiling at his awkwardness. She figured he would tell her that he was uncomfortable sleeping with her or that he wanted to go home instead. She wasn't prepared for what he really did say. Sitting up, she couldn't really think of a response. How did he not want to be with anybody else after meeting her for only a couple of hours? Maybe the magic got to his head, maybe he was so sick of his own village he found a better way out. Either way, Delilah released his feet from the roots and looked downwards, then back at him before nodding slightly, telling him she understood what he was saying. She couldn't quite decipher how this made her feel though and she was afraid she would say something wrong. So instead she laid back down, resting her head on her arms and allowed him to walk forward towards her. Delilah didn't mind Gideon sleeping with her because out here it wasn't always sexual. Animals slept with each other all the time, near each other as a comfort thing, something they did to keep one another feeling safe.

Gideon fell to his feet the moment the roots let go of him. His mind was still on what he'd just said. Wondering if he did the right thing. Bringing himself up he walked towards Delilah's sleeping form and climbed onto the 'bed.' It was unusual for him, though it was warm and dry, a place he could get rest. "It would be nice if you could say something." Gideon said slowly, almost chuckling. "So you know, I don't feel like such and idiot regarding what I just told you...it's true...but I feel like...well, could you say something please?"

His eyes roamed over her body, he was slightly uncomfortable sleeping by her side, though he couldn't say it was something he didn't want. How could he not want it, especially after admitting his feelings. Gideon wanted to do more than just sleep with her, but he kept those thoughts to himself.

Delilah laid on her stomach, head resting on her arms as he nervously tried to get her to respond. Say something, say anything she tried thinking of something that could comfort him. But her mind blanked on her and she couldn't think of anything. Delilah wanted to know more of him and what he was like but she was afraid of letting her emotions get the best of her and major changes coming into play. Changes always did affect her and she didn't like them, but supposed they had to happen right..

"Good night Gideon.." She said softly, knowing that's not what he wanted to hear but it was the best she had at the moment. Delilah turned those cloudy gray eyes to him for a moment, looked at the spot next to her and shut her eyes. This is something better reserved for the next day.

Gideon remained on the bed, slightly surprised by her response. It was something, he'd asked for it and gotten it, it just wasn't as long as he'd have liked. Slowly he lay down beside Delilah and listened to her breathing for a while before the events of the day began to weigh down upon him. He woke from time to time, part of his mind still wondered what Delilah meant by her words 'good night,' was she fine with what he said, was she purposely ignoring him?

The darkness and silence of the surrounding area finally took it's toll and Gideon drifted off into a dreamless sleep. The man was a heavy sleeper and somehow, yet not surprisingly, he found Delilah's presence to be comforting despite the strange forest.

Delilah slept peacefully throughout the night, her sleeping deeply although her dreams were confusing. It was her and Gideon, then her old village again, greeting them both. Then it was her Mother, smiling at her but saying nothing as if that smile meant everything she didn't have to say. Waking up, she looked to her left to see Gideon sleeping deeply, his chest rising and falling steadily. She took the opportunity to sneak away to a hot spring not too far away. Stripping down, the girl settled in the warm liquid which instantly relaxed her muscles. She tossed her hair over one shoulder and reached behind a rock which she held something equivalent to shampoo, rubbing it into her hair filling the air with a scent of wild berries. Grabbing a wooden bowl, she scooped water out and poured it over her hair to wash away the remnants and wake her up. After he relaxing bath, she got a 'towel' made from plant fibers and leaned near a tree where the sun rays could still hit her, drying her skin and hair.

Gideon woke up with the scent of something almost completely alluring. He stifled a yawn and got out of the bed. He looked around, it was still the dark, comforting space he'd remembered since last night. Looking around some more he realized Delilah was nowhere to be seen. The smell lingered and that suddenly become the first thing on his mind. He followed it to the trees and close to a hotspring. He knew what this meant and immediately became cautious. He moved slowly, looking before he stepped and was as quiet as he could be, which, compared to the silence of the forest, sounded like a drum being hit.

He turned and his eyes widened when he saw Delilah. Again he was speechless, his eyes roamed over the parts of her body where the sun hit, illuminating her skin, making the woman glow. He stood there a moment, then took a step forward, his mind trying desperately to find ways to apologize sincerely, would she even believe him? Despite all of this thought all Gideon could utter was "You're...so beautiful."

Delilah looked at the other guy, knowing he was coming but couldn't really do anything about it. His statement made her squirm slightly, hugging the towel to her body. She smiled softly, standing up as she walked towards her dress hanging in the branches. Removing it, she walked towards where there were a group of trees gathered to block off lingering eyes. She slipped it on and had her hair put up in a bun, tendrils of hair framing her face. She walked back to where Gideon was and smiled again, stretching to relieve the tension in her muscles.

"Aren't your people worried about you by now?" Delilah asked, worried that his father and mother would be sad over his absence. She loved being near him and learning new things but at the same time Delilah didn't want to keep him from his village.

In his heart Gideon didn't want to leave. He wanted to say that he'd rather stay here, the place was gorgeous, relaxing, peaceful. He wanted it all to be part of his own life. But he knew, he knew that sometime soon he'd have to go back to his city. That was that whole reason for him coming out here, to eventually go back, with a message. He had his information, Delilah, 'the evil in the woods' was certainly something he was not expecting. It wouldn't be far from the truth to say she'd left a lasting impression on him.

"I...You're right." Gideon said quietly. He didn't move, his eyes only lingered on the piece of woodland she'd entered into. He wanted to see her one last time before he left. "..I should go." He said, in the same tone. Turning, looking back over his shoulder he saw nothing of Delilah and left for the road. His horse was not there. Taking a deep breath he turned South and headed back to Cannes.

Delilah watched him turn away and felt something inside her tug. She didn't want this to be the end, she didn't want to see him go or stop learning about new things. But she felt that is was selfish on her part that she kept him away from his village and turned to disappear with the forest, no sound detecting her vanish. Once secluded in her section of the forest, Delilah leaned against one of the trees and felt a sadness sinking in her chest. Rubbing her eyes, Delilah sighed and looked at the familiar trees sprouted up around her, wondering how it would be like to trade it in for a life with houses, leather clothing and different customs.. It was a scary thought indeed. Delilah figured though, she would truly say goodbye to Gideon. She thought it mean to just disappear like she had done. Walking to where her forest pointed her, she also ran into Gideons horse grazing in an open field, grabbing the strange leather reigns and tugging him along. The forest showed him walking South, towards his village.

"Hey I think you forgot something." She spoke softly, unsure he heard her. Delilah was nervous, wondering if he took her last statement as her dismissing him. Like he was nothing but a waste of her time when in reality he was the complete opposite.

Gideon turned when he heard Delilah's voice. For a moment he thought he was dreaming, but seeing her and his horse brought a smile to his face. Reaching out he took the reigns. "I didn't think you'd bring him back...I mean I didn't think you'd come after me, especially after I've been walking so long." He stood there a moment. It started to rain, grey clouds dropping cool water in the warm weather. Gideon watched Delilah for a moment, then his hand moved up and his hand curled around her arm. He pulled her closer. "I just want to say thank you, for helping me out, keeping me company, showing me...everything. And...and ensuring I meet someone like you."

He pulled her closer until his lips touched her cheek. She felt soft, smooth, tasted sweet. Pulling away Gideon didn't smile, but instead locked eyes with the girl. "I hope I'll see you again, Delilah." With that he turned and mounted the horse. "Very soon." He urged the horse to speed down the road, it's hooves kicking up water as it splashed through the puddles.

Delilah nodded to his statement, unsure of how to respond. She had shown him the wonders of the forest and magic but yet he still traveled back to his village where her mind told her that was a good thing but her heart wanted him to stay longer. Wanted to get to know him more even though he had his own life and she would feel guilt from keeping him away. Then his lips brushed her cheek and the sensation sent little jolts from where his lips lay. How would they feel... On her own mouth? The thought sent her heart racing as she watched him mount his horse and take off. Would this be the end of it? Did he get what he wanted and left, or did he mean what he said about seeing her? It was confusing.

Weeks had passed and Delilah had returned to her duties even though Gideon stayed in her mind constantly. Him mixed with the growing unease with her Mother had that feeling of anxiousness filling her chest. Lately the storms had been getting worse, her Mother expressing rage in the form of vicious thunderstorms as her precious forestland was cut and burned, leaving Delilah trying to calm down the vengeful Earth. To make matters worse, she heard news from her animals that people from a nearby village were thinking of cutting down her section of the forest to put in more town. The thought alone terrified her as she looked at the ancient trees around her that provided a lovely home and taught her things others were unfortunate enough to not learn.

"So, did she whistle and call forth the animals of the forest?" Horses' hooves splashed in a few puddle as Gideon's friends seemed to ceaselessly tease him about what he had to say. The three of them were walking through the marketplace. It was one of the few days where there was no rain, yet everything felt cold and damp. Gideon had looked up to the sky and always wondered why this was happening. His thoughts were never far from Delilah. He felt like he should have made the farewell more...memorable. For weeks the thunderstorms had come and gone, the longer they stayed the more Gideon thought about Delilah. Finally, after days of trying to convince his son to speak to him, Gideon's father heard what his son had to say. The man was sickly, old and weak. He couldn't believe that his only child would lie to him at this point in his life. Little did he know that everything Gideon had said was true. He didn't reveal much, rather that there was a girl in the forest, but she was one with nature and did not seek to kill humans.

His friends heard the same story, but made fun of him for it. "Did she spread her legs for you?" They asked many times. Gideon only remained silent. Another week went by before he was back on his horse once more, tearing down the same road as before, running between the trees on a familiar path. He couldn't find Delilah anywhere. The ground was soaked from the rain, though everything felt and smelt fresh here. "Delilah!" He called again and again, pushing past branches, bushes, rounding trees. He had his reasons for returning, but they were for her ears.