It Is Love We Must Hold Onto

Odette had focused so intently on her own mirror image that she'd nearly forgotten Gwydion was still with her. It wasn't until she saw his movement behind her and heard him speak that she snapped back to reality. She glanced over her shoulder at him and offered a smile, though there was a weariness to her expression. “So long as it doesn't alarm my customers, that's all that matters to me really." She turned back to the reflection and studied the rest of herself aside from the damage that had been done. She inhaled and released a sigh through her nose. “Not looking to impress anyone anyway..." She muttered to herself and then tore her vision away from the woman in the mirror before she could find any other faults.

Odette picked up the cloth, dipping it in warm water before drawing it over the wounds that she could see. She sucked in a hissing breath, grimacing and trying not to whimper in response to the sting as she cleaned the blood away. She blinked and placed the cloth back into the water to address Gwydion. “Uhm...yes, actually...I, uhm, can't really reach the wounds on the back of my neck..." Odette admitted awkwardly, ashamed she couldn't clean up all of the remnants of this mess herself. “Only, if you don't mind, of course!" She added quickly, looking up to meet his blue eyes, wanting him to know that he did have a choice.


@Gwydion

As she looked back at him he could see the weariness in her eyes and yet she was concerned only about her customers. "If anyone gives you any lip about it, I'll bite 'em." he said with a smile. His ears flicked at her muttered words and he wanted to say something but couldn't find the words. How did you tell someone you just met that they'd already managed to impress you, that despite the wounds you thought they were still lovely? You didn't, especially to a girl who just went through whatever fresh hell Odette had endured. So he sucked in a breath and kept his thoughts to himself. He was never really good at sharing his thoughts anyway, at least not without sounding like a fool.

His ears perked forward at the pained hiss as she wiped the clothe over the wounds on her face. She stumbled a bit before conceding to him, accepting his offer to help her get the ones along her neck and back. "It's no problem at all," he promised, still smiling. He moved closer, grasping the clothe and running over her wounds slowly. He wanted to make sure he didn't hurt her but he also wanted to make sure the wounds were thoroughly cleaned. Once he was finished, he set the cloth down but did not back away. He blinked as he looked down at her, suddenly realizing how close they were before he cleared his throat and took a step back, heat began flushing his cheeks. "Good as new." he murmured, a nervous chuckle escaping him.

"Should we clean up and... go?" he asked. It was getting late and he wanted to make sure she got home safe before he left. He just hoped they didn't run into the same beast that had attacked her before.

Odette turned the cloth over to him when he agreed and then turned so he would be able to clean the wounds. She was already trembling lightly, anticipating the pain as she knew those wounds were like the worst of them. Squeezing her eyes shut, she grit her teeth and as cloth made contact she flinched, a whimper escaping her before she could stop it. It has to be done. She reminded herself, knowing that if she didn't allow him to do this, she could wind up with an infection which would be far more painful. “Don't mind me...just, keep at it." She told him, not wanting him to shy away, because of her reaction.

Eventually, he stopped and she heard the cloth drop back into the bowl, yet he hadn't moved away. She opened her eyes and Odette turned to look at him, nearly brushing noses with him before he withdrew. She could see he was flustered and that only inspired her own face to redden. She cleared her throat and dipped her head. She spoke softly. Even as he asked if they were going to be leaving, she remained staring at him with an unreadable expression before the sound of a whistle in the kitchen interrupted her thoughts.

“Ah! My tea!" Odette hopped up and grabbed the supplies shed brought out, rushing them to the back and going to remove the kettle and pour herself a spot. “Are you certain you don't want any before I use the rest of this hot water to sanitize everything? Oof...Papa would give me a stern talking to if he knew I'd bled all over the dining room..." She grumbled as she started to gather cleaning supplies from behind the counter.


@Gwydion

He had paused when she whimpered, wondering if he'd been too rough, and then she told him to keep going. He'd done as instructed, trying his best to be gentler than before. The unpleasant moment was all but forgotten by the time they stepped apart; was that a blush upon her cheek? He swallowed the lump in his throat, his gaze falling to the floor momentarily before the whistling of the kettle had him starting.

His attention was drawn to her still as she rushed to get her tea, asking him again if he wanted any. "Sure," he conceded, not wanting to deny her a second time. She had to clean up after herself before they left anyway so he might as well have something to drink on his way out.

Gwydion tried not to let his mind wander to the prior moment they'd shared, Odette was but a stranger to him and he to her. It was nothing but embarrassment, he told himself.

He lifted his gaze but made no move to follow her. She'd return to the room soon enough and they could drink and clean this mess up and go. He would return home and that would be the end of that. Would he ever see her again? Maybe, perhaps he would visit her shop during the day and see what she had to offer. It would be nice to see her again, he thought, she seemed like lovely company.

Odette brought out two servings of tea and set them down on a table opposite of the one they'd just used to clean her up. “There you are, kind sir. Chamomile Lavender to soothe the nerves. Cream and honey are on the side so you can sweeten it to your liking.” She pointed out, gesturing with a paw. She then turned towards him with a pleasant smile, radiating sunshine in the middle of the night.

“Is there anything else I can get you?" She asked cheerfully am before that same paw she had held out came to her lips to stifle a giggle. “Whoops, it's hard to turn off server mode." Her cheeks grew warm, but she attempted to turn away before he could see her embarrassment.

Trotting back towards the kitchen, she called over her shoulder, “Really, though! Let me know if you need anything! I'm certainly indebted to you!" She grabbed up all of the cleaning supplies and moved into the dining room, starting to scrub and sanitize, every once in a while stealing a glance at Gwydion to gauge his patience. She surely didn't want to keep him longer than he was comfortable with.

@Gwydion

A warm smile lit his features as she offered him the tea; he drank it without saying much more as she asked if she could offer him anything else. "No, I'm fine." he said. He chuckled a little, she seemed so kind and giving. Why would anyone want to hurt her? He just didn't understand the world some days.

She began to clean the room, calling back and telling him that she was indebted to him. He followed after her once he finished his tea and shook his head while standing by the door. "You don't owe me a thing, Odette." he promised.

After a few moments, he joined her in the cleaning but there wasn't too much of a mess so it didn't take long.

Once everything was in order, it was time to go and he would offer his guidance home so that she could make it there safely. He felt like a guard or something, which was amusing because he'd hardly ever fought in his life. He didn't even like fighting yet he was offering to protect this woman... why? Because it was the right thing to do.

...

It wasn't long before they were on their way and eventually they would reach her home. He hoped her father wouldn't be too upset though he knew if he had a daughter and she came home hurt he would be furious. Not with her, of course, but with whoever had hurt her. Gwydion had never imagined having kids himself but his sister already had three. It made his head want to spin, sometimes. But he pushed thoughts of her away as he bid Odette farewell and then headed back towards his own home, all the way in Perth.

exit gwydion

As Gwydion brushed off her willingness to repay him, she decided not to argue with him. She intended to keep a mental note that if ever he was in need, she would drop everything to help him just as he had. Odette was determined to keep that promise to him even if only she knew about it. She'd find a way to see the debt payed somehow...perhaps a lifetime of free pastries would do?

After she'd cleaned everything up, they left for her home in the woods just outside of the bustling city. Odette forced herself to go along the path she had taken before, her ears flattening when they'd come across the torn earth and spatters of blood her and the man in the shadows had left behind. She pressed herself closer to Gwydion until they passed it by and when she saw the light of her family cottage up ahead, she felt like she could finally breathe again.

It was there that she parted ways with him, albeit a bit awkwardly seeing as she wasn't sure embracing him was entirely appropriate. Instead, Odette dipped her head and smiled sweetly at him before bidding him farewell. She raced back to the safety of her home, where she did find a loving father who fussed over her instantly when she arrived, especially after he'd seen what looked like a boy walk her to the edge of the property. She would tell him everything once morning came, but right now, she lacked the energy to do much more than curl up by the hearth and sleep.

[Exit Odette]

@Gwydion