First Kiss

Amia’s hooves clattered down the hallway as she walked briskly away from Mosur.  She’d stolen his prayer book.  It had only taken her five days to get her hands on it and she wasn’t giving it back any time soon.  Her fingers gripped the book so tightly, the already pale blue skin was nearly white with her effort and her stomach was filled with butterflies.  Would he be angry?  Amused?  She forced herself to focus and slipped into her room where she closed and locked the door, then stood leaning back against it, slightly out of breath.

Amia giggled uncharastically and clutched the book to her chest a moment longer, then hurried to her desk and flipped it open to the very first page, one he was sure to see on a regular basis. She wanted this message read sooner rather than later.  Grabbing a pen, she dipped it in ink and began writing, careful to keep her script elegant, slightly slanted. 

Mosur didn’t notice the book was missing for some time. He was working on his Temple duties and focusing, for a change. Amia had asked him to try being more studious.. less rambunctious. He told her he would try; today he’d been rather successful. Besides maybe if he succeeded, she’d finally say yes and begin dating him, stop all these silly, single dates and just say she was his. 

When he did finally notice the book was gone, his brows knit together in thought. He was sure he had brought it with him, and took the time to searched for it around his station. He gave up after a while, thinking he’d just left it in his room. It was rare for him to forget things like this. He headed home once his duties were finished to search his room. Once there, however, he discovered no change. The book was still missing. It simply wasn’t there.

Mosur frowned and shook his head. How could he have misplaced that. He’d have to get another. Maybe Amia would help him pick out a nice new one. He scratched the back of his neck, thinking how very uncharacteristic this was of himself… Obviously he was trying this pay attention to his work thing too hard. He should start slacking off again, besides what would Ty say to him about actually ‘trying’ to do his work. He rapped on Amia’s door. 

"Ami?" He called.

Inside the room, the raven haired priestess jumped nearly a foot out of her chair, hand flying to her chest as she squeaked in alarm.  She glanced toward the door, then back down at the book.  If she gave it back to him now, would he open it in front of her?  That was something she wasn’t sure she wanted.  Better to let him stew about the new addition for a day or so.  He had been distracted, after all. Pulling in a deep breath, she replaced her pen in the holder on the desk and closed the book, standing and smoothing her white and gold temple skirts before opening the door with a smile.

He grinned wide when he saw her. “Hey there Ami. I was going to the market and thought I’d take you with me. I figured you’d be able to help me pick out a replacement,” he said not bothering to offer her any more explanation. He acted like he assumed she was coming with him. He knew her schedule, knew her duties were done for the day. 

"Mosur!" she said brightly.  It was usually a draw whether she was happy to see him or annoyed.  Today looked good, though, as had most of the days before.  He was growing on her against her will. 

“I was actually just stepping out to look for you… I think this belongs to you?” she said, pulling the book around and holding it out for him to take or examine as he wished.

"Oh," he stated simply, looking down at the book. "Well I guess I don’t need to travel all the way to Shattrath after all. Thanks," he said, taking it in hand. He thought nothing of her having it and tucked it under his arm.

Amia physically relaxed when she saw him tuck the book away without bothering to open it and look inside. She blinked at his next request. “So.. dinner?” he asked, changing the subject. The smile grew on his face again, it did seem like she was in a good mood today. Maybe he could weasle a kiss out of her tonight. She was turning out to be such a prude.

She smiled rather dazzlingly and nodded her head.  ”Anywhere in particular?” she queried.  ”Do I need to change out of my temple robes before we leave?”

He lips turned upward in a crooked, cocky grin. “Only if you don’t plan on putting anything else on afterwards,” he said, waited for the indignation to spout from her, chuckling and glancing to the corner of the room. 

She shook her head, reached out to smack his arm as she pushed him out of her room with a laugh.  ”You’re impossible,” she said.  She had made her decision.  There was no real reason to run anymore. 

"No, just some nice little place in the valley, nothing too fancy."

"Some little place in the valley?  What… you didn’t have to rob poor Ty and Rea of their date this time?" she teased, locking the door behind her and turning to follow him.

"Who says I’m not?" He waited around in the hall, pondering how they could get there in style. "Right this way," he commented when she had finished locking her door. He led her down the corridor toward the animal stables.

Amia followed along, reaching up this time without having to be offered his arm, and slid her fingers around his elbow as they walked side by side.  There was still work, she decided, he was still arrogant as could be, but she found that quality was growing on her more quickly than it had before.  ”How was your day, Mosur?  You seemed a little busy,” she said with a sly smirk.

The smile pressed into his face as she took his arm without having to offer it, progress he thought his words echoing in his head. ‘one day you’ll simply want to be with me.’

"Eh?" He questioned as she mentioned how busy he had been, she must have snuck by and seen him, well he’d let her know just what he thought of that. "It was horrible, dreadful.. too much work. I think Taeriix would agree and who am I to turn down my brother’s opinion that I shouldn’t work so hard?" They arrived at the stables and Mosur smiled kindly at the attendant, asking the stablemaster for Kass. He wasn’t even questioned as the stable master turned to fetch the beast.

Amia had once disapproved of this particular habit of Mosur’s.  The beast in question was not one that belonged to the priest and they both knew he had not asked permission to use it. Just as he did not ask permission to do so very many of his other daily routines. But she so dearly loved to fly on the back of the ray.  Kass was one of her favorites.  So tonight, she decided, she’d just smile and play along.  Mosur, she thought, was a very bad influence on her.

He thanked the stable master and took the ray’s reigns. He helped Amia up into the saddle, surprised that she hadn’t protested. Once he had climbed up after her, they took off shooting straight up into a corkscrew before leveling out high above the valley. Mosur wrapped an arm about her waist to keep her from falling off the ray’s back.

Amia gasped in delight and held tightly to the arms wrapped around her.  She was suddenly sorry she hadn’t pushed him to open the book while they were standing outside her room.  Time enough for that later, she decided, grinning as she leaned forward against Moe’s arms so she could see the scenery pass by. 

"I thought you might like to watch the sun set first," he said, wrapping his arms tighter around her and setting his chin on her shoulder so she could hear him over the rush of the wind.

"You’re becoming difficult to resist, Mosur," she said over her shoulder.

He grinned leaning his chin over her shoulder. “Told you,” he replied letting the ray hover in the air. He faced them toward the sun just as it started sinking down under the horizon behind the peninsula.

Amia only laughed, shaking her head and turning to press a kiss against his cheek.  The first kiss she’d ever given him. She was too distracted to turn her gaze toward the colors the sun painted against the sky.  ”So you did,” she said, more quietly than before.

His smile pulled wider; now was as good a time as any, he thought. He turned his head and leaned it forward a little trying to catch her in a kiss, a real one.

Amia should have seen this coming, she realized. Her eyes were wide open in surprise as she felt his lips seal against hers.  If she wanted to pull away, she risked toppling over the edge of the mount.  His lips were softer than she’d imagined they would be, and after only a moment’s hesitation, she let her eyes close on a soft sigh, and kissed him back.

He moved his hand up her back, curled his fingers around the nape of her neck. Her black hair was soft against the back of his hand. Mosur wanted the kiss to last, but he pulled back after a moment, smiling more gently now. He didn’t want to push his luck too much. There would be plenty of time for more.

Amia was rather breathless when she opened her eyes to look at him. She licked her lips, unable to stop herself, and actually blushed.  Again, most uncharacteristic of the feisty priestess.  He tasted good, but she’d be damned if she’d inflate his ego any more than she already had.  The soft words she might have uttered to any other man died on her lips and reformed as her silver eyes glinted with mischief.  

"You’re blocking my view of the sunset, priest," she grinned.

His smile widened even more. In his mind then he’d won. If she didn’t want to talk about it, he had won. He only nodded and tugged the reigns gently causing Kass to rotate. He savored the moment for more reasons than just that. He had enjoyed it; she tasted delicious.

Amia had also enjoyed it, but she knew that talk of it would come soon enough.  Leaning back against his chest, she turned her gaze toward the oranges, yellows, purples, and blues that covered the horizon as the sun sank down, down, down out of sight.  ”Come,” she urged at last.  ”Let’s go grab that dinner you were so eager for a moment ago.  And while we do, you should make sure nothing is missing from your book,” she suggested without looking back at him.

Mosur let his arm snake around her stomach again, his left hand still holding the reins of the nether ray. He watched in silence till she spoke. His gaze dropped to her and the smile returned. “I was really hoping to have a repeat course of the dessert I just sampled.” Maybe he should have saved that line for after the meal. “The book is fine, if anything’s missing I’ll just get another one.”

She rolled her eyes while he couldn’t see her.  Of course.  It would likely be days before he found her note.  But at least she’d left one for him.  ”Hmm… perhaps again in a month or so,” she teased, knowing there was no way either of them (especially Mosur) would be able to wait that long until their next taste.  ”Dinner for now, we’ll see about the rest later.”

"Later?" he asked, "are you sure you can wait that long?" Actually he knew she could, but he couldn’t help himself asking. Even as he spoke though he pulled gently at the beasts reigns till it flew down towards the draenei city built below. Crystal Steakhouse, a rather ridiculous name, but good food nonetheless.

She laughed and settled into the saddle as they lowered the mount to the ground.  ”I know I am more than capable of waiting.  The question is… Are you?” she asked, turning her head and glancing quickly over her shoulder so that he didn’t have the chance to kiss her again.

"You know, I don’t think I’ll be able to," he commented, his tone softer than normal, but not quite a whisper. His arm tightened around her midsection, pulling her close to him once again.

She cuddled back against his chest and rode the rest of the way in silence, a small smile curving her generous lips up at each corner of her mouth.  

The rest of the evening passed quickly, and slowly all at once, and she was standing at her door before she had much time to dwell on the events of the day. Mosur enjoyed dinner, behaving himself for the most part. They had dropped Kass off upon their arrival; Nikkoli would be none the wiser. He walked her to her door and paused.

"Thank you for everything, Mosur," she said with a smile, standing just inside her doorway. He still hadn’t read the writing on the first page of his prayer book, but she supposed he’d had to wait on her for all those months.  It only seemed fair that she have to wait on him now as well.

"Thank you for coming to dinner with me.. and for saving me a trip to Shattrath. That time was much better spent with you, than with a salesperson," he said, raising the prayer book a little.

She smiled her secret smile as she glanced at the book, gone almost as quickly as it arrived.  ”An evening well spent,” she repeated, pulling in a breath before holding her fingers to her lips and blowing him a kiss, then disappearing inside her room and closing the door quietly behind her.

Mosur smirked, knowing he wouldn’t be getting anymore kisses this night. The one was well worth it though. He turned back towards his room and hummed an upbeat tune, slightly off key. Once in his room he tugged off his robes, pulled on a clean pair of pants, and laid down in his bed, one knee propped up. He flipped the prayer book open, checking a few of the pages with a quick, cursory glance. Yep, definitely his. 

He flipped back to the front to confirm, a little symbol he’d drawn and his initial. 

And then he noticed it.

He sat up and read the words a second time.

Once in every life time, someone special comes along…You are that someone special, to me.

He was familiar enough with the handwriting to know it was Amia’s. He didn’t question why or how or when. He held his finger in the book and left his bedroom, walking briskly down the corridor. He thought nothing of his half clothed state and even less about anyone he passed in the hallway. 

Once he reached her room, he knocked on her door louder than he intended to. He didn’t really know what he was going to say at that moment.

Amia didn’t expect to see him again so soon, hadn’t expected him to read the passage she’d written in the beginning of his book.  She had changed into loose fitting cloth pants and a comfortable, sleeveless shirt, black hair down and curling over her shoulders, down her back.  Once she pulled the door open, she blinked at the priest filling her entryway.  

"Mosur?" she asked, glancing behind him to see what the problem was.  "What’s the matter?"  She hadn’t noticed the book in his fingers.

He lifted the prayer book up into viewing range. “Did you mean it?” He asked, waiting uncharacteristically breathlessly for her response. It seemed like such a departure from how she’d acted all evening.. or had it?

Amia blinked once more and lifted her gaze to the book now precariously close to her face.  It took her a moment to realize what he was talking about.  Once she did, however, she blushed, then paled. Swallowing, she stepped out of the room and left the door open.  

"Yes.  I meant it," she said quietly, meeting his gaze. Her heart fluttered against her ribs, but she forced her hands, her fingers, to remain at her side, untrembling.

His face softened and his smile grew, happy, crooked, and boyish, watching her face darken to a purple then pale again to her beautiful blue tone. He didn’t have any words to say, nothing profound to utter, not even an arrogant quip. He stared down at her a moment, reading the honesty on her face.  After so many months of chasing her, all his prepared speeches, all the words he’d rehearsed in his mind, should this moment ever arise, fell from his thoughts and he remembered none of them.

The book fell to the floor with a quiet clatter and he stepped to her, slipping one hand around the nape of her neck to pull her gently against him as he laid his lips over hers, completely lost for words.

Amia gasped against Moe’s lips, let her hands slide up to curl in the snow white hair that fell over his shoulders, then up to wrap her arms about his neck.  He’d read it, and as with everything else to do with Mosur, she found she had nothing to be afraid of.