Bad luck charm (closed, for Nouh-Bdee)

[Nouh_Bdee]

When Bin heard Rowen curse behind him, he relaxed just a bit. He could let his eyes roam and as long as he didn’t turn around, he wouldn’t have to creep her out by seeing her breasts.

Breasts.

Bin suddenly had a minor problem. Well, it wasn’t minor, but the part about it being a problem was. Luckily, he was facing away, so all he had to do to hide his growing erection was take a seat on the grass.

It really was a very nice day. The lake was still and clear, the sun was partially obscured by fluffy white clouds. The clouds themselves were fluffy and round, like Rowen’s boobs.

Dammit! Now the erection was even less minor. Hopefully she was almost changed. Or could she be waiting for him to say something?

“Yes! Just let me know if you…” need anything? What in the world could she need from him? She was an adult, and she knew how to change her own damn clothes. Just keep your mouth shut, moron.

 

[Evayla]

A quick look over her shoulder learned the girl Bin was actually being nice. She could only see his back. Good.
Very good.
He looked very tense though.

Either way, he wasn't looking at anything but the clouds, so it was safe enough. Quickly Rowen grabbed her spare set from her bag and stripped. First the pants, which...did not go half as smoothly as she wanted. Cursing, growling and kicking she all but tore the sticky cloth from her legs to exchange it for something dry.

Ah.
Dry, which would get wet if she did not dry off first!

An honest to gods eyeroll and a sigh. "Ey, Bin? Really stupid question but...ya got a towel?" She hid behind the horse.

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Huh. It turned out Rowen could use some help after all. You were still being a dolt, however.

“Uh, yes, I do.”

Bin turned around to help, and quickly noticed Rowen’s bare legs. His head jerked away and he sat back down, hoping against hope that she hadn’t noticed.

“It’s, ummmmmmmmmm, uh, in my pack, under my spare clothes. It’s the blue one.” His voice wavered like Rowen wouldn’t have heard before. He wasn’t sure what he felt: nervous, guilty, embarrassed, and something else all at once.

His towel was a rough, humble cloth, but it would get the job done, and they didn’t need it to be dry for the rest of the day, unless some other unfortunate happenstance got one of them wet again.

His cheeks were warm. He couldn’t believe he’d turned like that, and seen her smooth, curving legs.

Well, there’s the stiff cock again.

Dammit!

 

[Evayla]

Thank the gods for prepared travelers, even if he was acting mightily weird. "Blue. Gotcha."

Blue towel, red guy, red cheeks.
Now why was she thinking stupid things?

Rowen tried to remove the towel without upsetting too much of his belongings. She couldn't help being curious. Her eyes moved over the clothes and some of the items in there. No touching though, if she could help it...who knew which one was dangerous or not?

"Thank you!" She sounded utterly grateful as she rubbed herself down. Not that she was cold, nope. In fact, the girl felt suspiciously warm under the hot flashes of embarrassment. Quickly she slipped into her dry pants. Next up her shirt.

Of course it was just as sticky as the wet pants had been! She scraped it off with a vengeance, accidentally hitting the poor horse with a sleeve! The horse whinnied and moved, leaving her to yelp and try to jump behind it again! Where was that towel!

Ah yes, on the horse's back, of course.
Where was the dry shirt!
Shit, same place.

"Stand STILL, you damn beast!" She chastised the poor animal, trying to grab it before he would really bolt and leave them in a pickle far worse than being half naked.

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Bin tensed when he heard Rowen yell at the horse, but he didn’t want to turn around now, without knowing what kind of state she was in.

“Do,,,do you need any help!?” he called out, ready to spring up, although he wasn’t sure what he would actually do. Why was the horse moving in the first place? Oh, chaos, hopefully it wasn’t spooked because of some predator nearby…

Should he get up?

No. He should wait. He definitely shouldn’t take the opportunity to look at Rowen’s exposed body. Not the he wanted to. HIf he did, he would probably remember it for later, the mental image ready call up into his mind, and that would definitely be a goo--bad! It would be a bad thing.

“Um...how’s it...how’s it going?”

 

[Evayla]

Uncomfortable did not even begin to cover the myriad of feelings rushing through Rowen as she tried to get the horse to stand still and remain hidden enough for the poor guy not to feel *too* bad.

"Stand....STILL, blimmin NETHERBATS!" She all but growled at the animal, who suddenly looked at her in surprise and stopped prancing.

A huge sigh of relief followed from the human girl. "ALL GOOD!" She yelled over at Bin, perhaps a little too loud. But she did NOT need him over here! Nope! No no no! Not now! There was way too much actual mannishishishhsomething about him to be allowed near while she was in a state of disdress....distress....something!

"Goin FINE!" Ohhhh yea, she finally got the shirt! Perfect! Oh, towel. Yes. Towel first. Finally back to something of a normal state the girl moved up to Bin and tapped his shoulder, walking around the *other* side to make him turn the wrong way. "All safe. No more scary." Rowen grinned.

"Kay...so...fish!" Best to move on to something mundane, right?

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Bin let out his own huge sigh of relief when Rowen said she was all good, but when she tapped him on the shoulder, he jumped even though he’d heard her coming. She must’ve noticed because she said “No more scary.” Had it been that obvious that he’d been worried she would catch him looking? Not that he’d been looking, of course. Well, he would’ve looked, if he were the type not to worry about being seen as a creep. Although, he did actually look a little bit, but not on purpose. He’d wanted to look on purpose, but that would’ve surely creeped her out, to have this big red guy with horns leering at her.

Fish. Right. “Umm...I w...I mean...Fish. Yes. Let’s clean the fish.”

Bin took out their knives and started showing Rowen what to do, making sure she could see how much care it took to get all the bones out. He was also still avoiding looking at her, hesitant even to make eye contact. He didn’t really have any visible blushing for her to notice, but he was sure she would be able to see in his eyes the guilt he felt that he could still remember the shape of her breasts, the curve of her hips, the sight of her smooth legs.

“Alright, now that we’ve got one of the fillegs--AYs! That, um...we’ve got...one of the filets, we just turn the fish over and do the other f--one. The other one.”

Bin had never been so embarrassed in his life. He had no idea why he’d thought about her legs when he was trying to talk about that pink, meaty, delicious-looking piece of...oh. Well, that made a little bit of sense when he thought about it. Still, he’d completely forgotten to turn the fish over like he’d described, just sitting there with his eyes boring holes into the ground next to the flesh--FISH! Son of chaos!

 

[Evayla]

Rowen eyed the red man. He was acting weird.
Weirder than weird!
She could handle weird, but...he did not even seem at ease with himself right now. A shame, cause he really did look like a nice guy. Looked nice too. Who cared about colour?

Fillegs.
Oh yeah, she picked up on that little booboo. Funnily enough her own legs were not the thing she thought of. The girl giggled. "Fillegs? Ya seen fish that I dunno about? Well, I guess it's possible! I mean...tadpoles? Hmm them ain't fish, technically...still..."

She eyed his knife work. "Damn...tha's skilled work there...can I try? Or...would ya rather not mess up this great catch?"

The girl wanted to poke him in the side, but thought better of it. The guy was holding a knife! No messing with the knife!

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Rowen leaned toward Bin’rahl, and he leaned away, trying to keep at least a few inches between the two of them. He was nervous, and very thankful that his flushed skin didn’t really change color like the pale humans he was related to. Rowen leaned further as she asked if she could try, and Bin was all too happy to give her a shot.

“Yup!”

He dropped the knife on the rock in front of them like it was white-hot, and quickly bounded to his feet.

“You, um, can do...the, uh, the cutting! Thing!”

He turned away, nearly whistling as a distraction before he realized she probably wanted him to watch and help her. He was breathing heavily, struggling to think of anything but the shape of her body under her wet clothes before she’d changed.

Bin tried to angle his head to see the fish without seeing Rowen, but it didn’t really work and it just made him look odd, contorting himself to keep his head turned.

“Yeah, you’re just...going to, uh, you’re doing it.”

 

[Evayla]

Up went her eyebrow. Dropping the knife? THAT deadly guy?

She took the knife, but seeing him crane his neck like a drunk giraffe made her very uncomfortable. "Okaaay...I'll ...just....do this..."

The girl did her best, trying to angle the knife like she'd seen Bin do, hoping to remove it from the bones. It wasn't a total disaster, but not very neat either.
First time for everything, after all. Rowen frowned at the fish as if it had called her names.

"Hrm...I guess it's good ya did the other side. Ya got a sore neck?" Yep, up went the other eyebrow, a sure sign she realized something was not entirely right.

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Bin’s eyes went wide. He was so embarrassed. He couldn’t stop thinking about her in ways that travelers traveling together shouldn’t. He knew what his mother would say.

Just take her. You’re just pent up. Enjoying her may not feed you, but it’ll clear your head.

Maybe his mother would be right.

Hah. That’ll be the day

He didn’t know what the alternative was, though. He needed someone to talk to, someone to help him make sense of the swirling chaos taking up residence in his mind. When he realized the person that could help the most, the person he was closest to, was Rowen, of all people, an ugly snort came out of his mouth.

That’s what I get for taking the easy road, huh. Living out on my own. Never spending more than a few hours with anyone else, not even other non-humans. Not since I was a child.

“I don’t know what to do about this, Rowen. I’m sorry.”

He shrugged, deflated. “I can’t seem to clear my head.”

 

[Evayla]

That hesitation...the wide eyes...
Rowen tilted her head. That guy was seriously disturbed by something. By now she did not dare assume a blimmin' thing anymore, but it was typical how he had suddenly changed again after the fishing fiasco.

Ey, fiasco? I GOT the sucker!

"Do about what?" Her voice softened. He looked so defeated! So different from the stubborn, stiff red head she had gotten to know.

"Clear yer head?"

Oh boy, was she talking too much again?

"Well...clear it from what?" She ventured. "I mean...when i need to clear mine...I run. Ya know, just runnin. Anywhere. An back. Or not back. Depends. You wanna run? Might help. I'll run with ya. Or...not?"

Okay, it might be a serious suggestion but she felt like she was babbling. Somehow, somewhere she just wanted to step up to the guy and hug him. Give some comfort.
For whatever reason.
Why?

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Bin looked at Rowen incredulously, his lust temporarily forgotten. “You don’t feel it? Of course you don’t. It’s my broken mind.”

A run sounded like a novel idea to Bin. He’d never run for anything other than physical necessity, but he was willing to try. He definitely didn’t want Rowen running with him, though.

“No! I, uh...I’ll go by myself.”

He takes off without a word, jogging along the edge of the mountain lake.

 

[Evayla]

Feel what?
Instantly the urge to hug the guy was gone. He much looked like she was being ridiculous.

"Feel...oh come on!" But before she could question the guy further, he trodded off.
Alone.

"Friggin NETHERBATS!" She scolded the air around her and kicked up the dust. This was going nowhere very fast. One second the girl actually felt closer to the big red and the next he just drew conclusions and pushed her away again!

Wouldn't be fair to run after him now. She'd offered after all. All Rowen could do, was hope the run would indeed clear his mind cause this was definitely getting out of hand.

Okay, back up, What happened...fishing, then he went weird. So...

A thought struck her. What if she was not the only one uncomfortable with the fact she'd had to change gear?
What if he decided that humans were scary creeps after what he saw?

She flushed.
The girl wasn't particularly proud of the way she looked. If anything her budding curves were nothing but a nuisance in dealing with other people, since most 'other people' of notice in this world were male. Had she just managed to creep Bin out?

Stop thinking.
Stop it.

Rowen regrouped.
Yes, on her own. She was very good at regrouping on her own. The girl started to gather up enough sticks for a small fire to prepare the fish. She might not be an expert filet-person, she damn well knew how to fry a fish. Maybe if she could get dinner ready before he returned, he might remember she wasn't all that bad.
Maybe.

It still sucked she had not hugged him.
A deep sigh escaped her.
It had felt nice.
But no more, prolly.
Not after today.

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Running along the edge of the mountain lake actually helped. Great, another thing to thank Rowen for, along with not slapping me in the face. As he ran, Bin realized that he must just be having these thoughts about Rowen because he was half-incubus. It was his nature, and his long isolation hadn’t allowed his human side to build up its resistance to the lust that his demonic genes predisposed him to.

It was a long run, at least two miles until he reached the narrow river that fed the small lake, and then nearly three to make it back to their humble temporary camp. His heart jumped into his throat when he saw Rowen, and he almost abandoned his plan, but he knew he couldn’t. He just needed to be upfront with her, let her know why he was struggling.

He walked up to her, noticing that she had actually prepared a nice meal of braised fish on her own, and he felt so embarrassed about running off.

“Oh, Rowen, I’m so sorry. I should not have left you to do this by yourself. It looks like you’ve done a fantastic job, though.” He didn’t bring up his earlier odd behavior, but he was about to get to it…

 

[Evayla]

Rowen was just about to turn the fish a last time when Bin returned. His reaction was totally worth it. She beamed! "I know I didn't have to. But..**** stuff. Nice stuff. An ya needed the run. Did it help?"

The girl tilted her head, momentarily forgetting about the fish. He did look a little better. He looked good too. Something about his physique and the fact that she'd felt his strength made her a very willing participant in watching him. The man was simply so different from the simpering idiots trying to corner her!

"Alright, siddown then! Le's eat!"

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Bin’s face fell. He couldn’t escape this any more. He needed to come clean.

“I...first, Rowen, I need to apologize. We are traveling companions, and my reaction was inappropriate. I...need to learn how to better control myself. I’m sorry.”

He didn’t know how she was going to react, so he didn’t approach. He was clearly very nervous and embarrassed. His large frame made it hard for him to make himself seem small, but he still folded his arms in, shrinking away from her.

He was just so ashamed of his lust, so guilt-ridden that he’d finally lost control after all these years.

 

[Evayla]

This had all the makings of a classic moment of miscommunication, without Rowen realizing it. Had she noticed lust?
Well, the morning had proven to be interesting. But had she noticed his arousal when she got ambushed by the fish?
Nope.
That was just...well, a logical reaction! She'd felt stupid too!
And since the poor, embarrassed man did not mention it as such, the girl had no clue what this was actually about!

"Inappropriate?" Blinketyblink. "Ya went fer a run cause I suggested it. Wha's wrong about that?"

Still, he looked so bad. She felt for him. Rowen stepped up. "Hey..." Her voice softened. "Whatever happens here, is new to the both of us, alright? I never traveled with anyone either. An I get it if I drive ya nuts. It's fine. We're workin it out. Come on, it's fine. I don't hate ya. Not at all. Yer nice. An yer control is FAR better than mine."

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Despite her rough edges, Rowen once again reminded Bin why he’d agreed to travel together in the first place, that she was a kind person. He was really starting to enjoy having her around, and that was a big part of why the flare-up of his demon side had made him so worried. Humans didn’t like that part of him.

Maybe Rowen would be different? Maybe she could be his friend even if she knew this demonic lust lived inside him like a parasite, making him keep thinking about the shape of her body, wondering what it would feel like to put his hands on her, to feel her hands on him? She certainly seemed alright with it so far?

He looked at her with wide, watery eyes in his cherry-red face. His hair was slick with sweat. His fingers played at the stubble on his chin. Getting this question out from his lips was like cutting out an organ. It took everything he had, and it hurt.

“Even if...I can’t stop thinking about you? Even if I can barely control my lust?”

 

[Evayla]

The girl looked up at the red man. He definitely looked troubled. Yet at the same time that run he took seemed to have made some kind of a difference. Bin much resembled a cat about to cough up a hairball.

Cough up he did.
Not quite a hairball.

Rowen blinked. So that was what was bothering him! It wasn't her talking. It wasn't the fact that he was stuck with her for the duration. It was simple, human...uh...demon...urges.

Well feck. Now this was odd. She should feel threatened. Big, strong, massive demon telling her about his troubles to control himself! HUGE PROBLEM!

But he told me.
Wow.
Tha's even more huge.

Big so called bad told her and was actively trying to keep sane where most of the idiot guys she'd met would have just tried to nail her up against a tree.
Not that they'd succeed.
They hadn't.
Knee.
Sensitive bits.
Goooood combo in her eyes.

The hyperactive youngster realized she was staying quiet for an awfully long time, looking at him, wondering why it felt oddly complimenting to have him see her like that and still respecting her enough to not just outright attack her.
Wondering why it felt kinda warm inside.
Surely she wasn't having these kinds of itches herself? Rowen had never been interested in laying with any guy. They were all idiots or wussies. Not exactly a turn on.

She blinked again. "Uh...okay...so..." The girl scratched her head. "Ya didn't corner me. Ya could have. Ya didn't. Tha's not barely controlled. Tha's...friggin awesome if it's the problem ya say it is..."

Again the girl tilted her head. One big bad ass demon being more of a gent than anyone. "Guess that means givin ya a hug is out?" An insecure grin there. She had absolutely no clue how to move from here!

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Bin just gasped air like the fish she’d caught earlier.

“Friggin’ awesome?”

What the fuck does that mean? Does she have...urges... as well?

Bin couldn’t process that. All he could think about was that she wasn't angry. She didn’t hate him. She could work with him, with this. He’d been right to trust her. A small smile spread across his lips. A warm one. She was his friend. He hadn't lost her. Yet.

Rowen’s hug question turned his smile into a laugh. Still, he stayed several dozen feet away. “I don’t know, Rowen. I’ve always controlled this part of me by staying away from everyone, but I..don’t want to do that now. I...enjoy having you around. I don’t want to lose that…”

 

[Evayla]

"Awesome, yes." Rowen acknowledged, bobbing her head. "Ya been super careful an all that. An they call YOU a demonish person? HAH! I can count more than a dozen so called humans who are way closer to that title than ya. Yer nice. An shit."

Her face fell. He didn't know about hugs?
She wanted to hug him. It felt *nice* close to him.
And now she couldn't cause he was afraid to loose his cool.

"Wait, always kept yer distance? Ya never...ya know...ever? An come ON, you know by now I'm harder to get rid of then sandfleas. Don't worry so much." A smile at the guy.

"I don't wanna loose ya either, alright? Yer nice. Ya stood up fer me. Tha's friend-stuff. So, suck it up."

And with that the girl just stepped up and threw her arms around the big man.

"Well lookie here. Ain't that just adorable." A voice drawled.

"Regular love struck...cutey an the beast." Another added. "How about we take the cutey and shoot the beast? Looks like he's about to devour her. Should save her, yep."

The typical *click* from a crossbow getting ready. Two men stood looking at the hugging pair, still at a safe distance. The light leather outfit might be why Bin nor Rowen had noticed them coming within hearing distance. They looked to be roamers, no obvious sigils or colours on them.

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

And just like that, all that good work his run had done for him was undone. Rowen’s warm body pressed up against him and her arms wrapped around him made him want to feel what her hug would be like if they were both undressed.

No time to object, though. Dammit! He’d let them get snuck up on. Shit! Some protector he was turning out to be.

Think quickly. Do I have my weapons on me? Yes. But, my sword is sheathed and my bow is on my back. At least I hadn’t left them here to go running. Heh. How to get them out, though?

Better to go along for now, not make any sudden movements. Maybe find a way to separate them? Maybe if they thought he didn’t want anything to do with Rowen, they wouldn’t kill him immediately?

He shoved her away. “What’re you doing, woman!? Who said you could touch me?”

Bin looked at the men. “You want her, take her. She’s been nothing but trouble.”

Come on, just stop paying attention long enough for me to get an arrow nocked.

This is why he knew he should never let his guard down.

 

[Evayla]

Yep, it felt good.
Very good.
Even if it was very short before some random idiots came to disturb the moment.

Rowen felt herself being shoved aside. For a moment she was confused, caught off guard. Then the words of those brigands registered: they wanted her. More importantly: they seemed to think they had an excuse to attack Bin!

Well that wasn't going to happen on her watch! In fact, Bin's ploy gave her a good idea of what he was after.

The girl huffed and put her hands in her side. "An WHO said I was yers to just give away! What do I look like? A blimmin BUN to be handed over to some starvin idiots? Are ya NUTS?"

Oh yes, she was going to work up a li'l show if only to get the men's attention on her instead of on her red friend!

"An I'll tell ya somethin else," She continued, now using her arms in big gestures. Gestures caught attention. Even if people didn't want to. They drew eyes. "I'd rather BE with them anyway!"
Another big wave of her arms, pointed at the brigands, NOT Bin. Attention away from Bin. Yep.

Now this was risky, but she took a step towards those men. Not too big. Not too fast. Just...wanting them to look at her.

The twosome looked slightly baffled at the sudden scene, then turned their attention on Rowen. The bearded one grinned. He was missing a tooth here and there. "Well then we'll have the perfect welcome for you, missy, you come right over here..."

When it seemed she actually was walking in their direction the hungry gleam in those men's faces was clear as day.

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Bin froze, watching the two men, overjoyed that it seemed like Rowen had read his mind.

She’s perfect.

NOT THE TIME!

He watched like a hawk for that one moment when their eyes left him, and when he got it, he moved like lightning. His arrow was out of his quiver and silently nocked in a single second, his eyes focused down the shaft on the man with a crossbow.

Bin was a good shot. Perhaps not a great one, at least compared to the elves he’d encountered. Those pointy-eared wraiths, at least the rangers among them, could take off a beetle’s wing at a hundred paces while doing a backflip up onto a tree limb. It was ludicrous. Still, he’d picked up a few tips from the friendly ones, and if he was standing still, shooting at a motionless target, he almost never missed.

He wouldn’t miss this time either. His arrow sunk deep into the man’s throat. Thankfully, the other man hadn’t raised and cocked his own weapon, but it wouldn’t be long.

Bin took off toward him at a brisk walk, trying to keep his breathing and movement steady, another arrow in his fingers moving toward the bow.