The Beginning Or End? {Zi/Korvin}

[Akira]

Naosk looked up at Korvin curiously at his words. My girl as you call Mine is upset because she believed that you hated her for finding you that day in the wild and bringing you back. Even though her voice was gentle, her tone was still slightly matter-of-fact. She wasn’t accusing Korvin for causing all of this. Oh no, she actually agreed that Naomi wasn’t quite stable but neither was she weak. Nask crept up towards Korvin, Naosk, and Naomi, looking like he was ready to jump out of his hide. Akela and Sarabi were just about at their wits end. It didn’t seem to help the matter that the black and white canine was pacing back and forth a little ways away from where her owner was now laying passed out on the ground being smacked in the face by the same man that had caused this trouble the first day they had met.

Naomi slowly started to put the pieces of the puzzle together. She was still passed out, but at least the fog was starting to lift from her mind. It seemed that almost at once things snapped into place and she woke up with a gasp and a groan. She blinked rapidly and looked around her. Korvin was carrying her again. I...I’m sorry Korvin. You can put me down now, I can walk on my own. Her voice was soft, but it was obvious in her tone that she didn’t want him carrying her, she was just being polite, and if he tried to refuse to put her down his back would get another pummeling while she did her best to kick his head and chest. Why did you come back? If you don’t like it here, why did you come back to me in the forest? The only comprehensible emotion in her voice was total confusion.

[Zirin]

Korvin rolled his eyes as the wher seemed to accuse him, though the tone seemed more informative than blaming. Did he hate Naomi for finding him in the forest? Not particularly; he hadn’t been trying to hide from her after all, and her dragging him back had saved Boar’s life, even if the old canine wasn’t quite the same anymore. He was, perhaps, bitter about being stuck in the Weyr with duties he would rather not do, but he had his canines and whers to look out for, and as much as he hated to admit it, the Weyr was a safer place for them. He simply hoped he would be able to sneak out and hunt again once Korvisk was old enough.

“I ain’t puttin’ y’down girl. Did tha’ already an’ y’went and passed out.” He replied gruffly, more annoyed than anything else. He just wanted to get her to her weyr and be done with it, that way he could return to what he was doing with a clear conscious. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye as she started asking question. “Don’t you be kickin’ girl. Lemme get ya to yer weyr and I’ll be outta yer hair again okay?.” He groaned as she kicked again and tried to shift her to an easier to carry position, though no doubt he would be beyond bruised by the time he was done.

“I ain’t heartless, stupid woman. Besides that, there’s no doubt y’would find some way t’blame me if somethin’ happened to ya out there.” Of course he wasn’t about to tell her it was because he cared at all. It was something he felt she didn’t need to know and that was that. “How I feel ‘bout the Weyr’s got nothin’ t’do with you. Why does it matter if I came back?”

[Akira]

Naomi growled softly when he said he wouldn’t put her down. She started to hit and kick at him again, she wanted down, but decided to give his back a break and stopped fighting him and just hung limply from his shoulder. I know you’re not heartless Korvin, Kosk is a perfect representation of that. Well...that and the fact that you didn’t let that bronze of yours kill me or Naosk. She didn’t know what else to say. The fact that he hadn’t brought up the fact that he had admitted to thinking of her as attractive stuck to her mind like a bur in a dog’s fur. I...I guess it doesn’t. Her voice was soft, and a little depressed but despite all of that, her voice was strong, just as it normally was. Ok, it should be obvious by now that she really isn’t her normal self.

But maybe this new Naomi wouldn’t be so bad would she? Anyways, Naomi turned her head a little so that she could see the back of Korvin’s head out of the corner of her eye. Why did you say I was attractive when I wasn’t a sniveling, pathetic blob? I’m just curious. Again her voice was soft, but instead of being depressed it was now curious. She didn’t know if she could get him to admit that he liked her by bringing this up, but she figured it wouldn’t hurt to try. Then again, he could just drop her on the ground for asking, that would hurt. But she didn’t think anything could really damage the already slim thing that most people might be tempted to call a “relationship” between the two of them. Especially since she had already done a very good job of breaking it down herself by crying in front of him.

[Zirin]

He couldn’t help but roll his shoulders when she finally stopped fighting him. On the one hand, he was glad she stopped, as it meant his back got a break from her insessent hitting, but on the other hand it seemed she was simply giving up again. It was unlike her, and it worried him slightly. Her voice too, only pushed home the idea that she was sick or something; she just wasn’t herself.

“Kosk is nothin’ like me.” He retorted. Sure, they had their similarities, but Kosk was much kinder than he was, at least as far as Korvin could see. She was strong though, he had made sure of it. He felt a burst of love from the white wher and gave a brief smile back at her; the tiny wher he had hated at first had become exactly what he wanted in a partner. She was strong, loyal, and intelligent. He looked forward again, only to falter in his steps as Naomi called him on his ;attractive’ comment. Shards, he had said that, hadn’t he. He continued walking, stepping into the caverns of the Weyr before answering.

“There ain’t nothin’ attractive about a cryin’ mess of a girl.” He replied after a moment, looking back at her as if his answer was the most obvious thing in the world. “Or is it ya thought a wildlin’ like me woul’n’t know a pretty girl when he sees one?” He wouldn’t put it past Naomi to think he was too stupid to have an opinion about appearances anyways.

[Akira]

Naomi rolled her eyes, balled up a fist, and hit Korvin on the top of his head as hard as she could. I still don’t see why such a sweet wher like her chose a Neanderthal like you. She sighed and shook her head as she spoke. The pity she felt for the little female evident in her voice. At least she has been a good influence on you. The smile in her voice was as plain as the smile on her face as she looked down at the white wher. She was quite fond of Kosk, and had a feeling she would still be sitting in the forest crying if it weren’t for her and Nask. She would have to remember to thank them properly later. When the two of them had hatched, neither of them looked like much, but looking at them now no one would have thought that they still played together like hatchlings.

Naomi felt Korvin falter as she called him on his statement. She shook her head and rolled her eyes once again at Korvin’s words. She turned her head and gave him an exasperated expression, not really caring if he saw it or not. Why couldn’t he just admit that he liked her more than he was letting on? Did he think she would think less of him for it? Or did he think that he might look weak because of it? She wasn’t sure but she was getting annoyed with him again. No but for the longest time I believed that for a female to get your attention they had to have four legs and be able to hunt with nothing but their claws and fangs. Her voice was just as sarcastic as the innocent expression on her face. She still wouldn’t put it past him to agree with her words either.

[Zirin]

Korvin ignored the insult, simply growling and rubbing the spot she hit, bumping his shoulder up in the hopes it would make her uncomfortable on his shoulder. As if Kosk had influenced him! He had taught the wher how to behave like she did. He glanced back, noticing then that the wher was no longer following them Kosk home.[/b][/color] Was the only answer he got when he mentally called to her. Really, he hadn’t expected such an intelligent wher to come from that tiny egg.

“Which one o’ these is yers?” Korvin asked, pointing haphazardly to the weyrs in the corridor. He knew roughly where Naomi’s room was, he just didn’t know exactly which one it was. He supposed he could just put her down and let her go the last little bit on her own, but he was (usually) a man of his word and he intended to make sure she was in her bed before she pulled another fainting stunt. He groaned though, as she decided to start pestering him about women, of all things.

“It ain’t got nothin’ t’do with the claws an’ fangs idiot. They gotta be strong and easy t'train.” He retorted, though in truth he had caught the sarcasm in her voice and was well aware she wasn’t necessarily referring to hunting partners. He sighed and figured he should actually answer her with a bit of honesty. “Why’s it matter to ya how hard it is fer a female to catch my attention? It ‘appens from time t’time. I ain’t different from any other guy out there y’know. Cept I’m better than ‘em all o’ course.” Korvin had never placed too much thought on girls, having been too focused on keeping himself alive to worry about the fairer sex. Even still, it wasn’t unusual for him to at least notice girls.

[Akira]

Naomi grunted uncomfortably when Korvin bumped his shoulder up. Why must you behave like a brute when you have the strange notion to carry me like this? If I didn’t know any better I’d start thinking you enjoyed having such a nice view of my ass. The last bit of her sentence sounded quite sarcastic, in fact, it was sarcastic. But she didn’t understand why that thought made her feel like there were butterflies in her stomach. She felt her cheeks redden and was suddenly glad Korvin couldn’t see her face. She shook her head slightly, trying to rid her mind of those thoughts. How would I know which one is mine when I can’t see it you twit. Unfortunately for her, Akela and Sarabi were already trotting off down the hall to the fourth door on the right. Nask and Naosk soon followed the two canines, and as soon as they found their beds were fast asleep.

Naomi rolled her eyes and shook her head at Korvin’s words. In other words I wasn’t far off. She felt like hitting him again, and was actually about to when he started speaking again. Her red face darkened as she blushed harder at Korvin’s question. I guess it doesn’t does it? In truth she had been trying to get him to admit that he liked her, but once again it seemed as though he had foiled her plans. Korvin, you couldn’t be more different from other men if you had gills a tail fin and lived in the ocean. She wasn’t exactly sure where that comparison came from, and the mental picture that came with it made her giggle. She wasn’t so sure why it was funnier than it was scary looking, but she didn’t really think that much into it either.

[Zirin]

As sarcastic as Naomi’s comment had been, it did cause Korvin to glance at the afformentioned butt and flush slightly. Lucky for him, Naomi wouldn’t be able to see it because of the way he was carrying her and for once he was thankful she wasn’t fighting him. Well, not that he’d ever tell her, but he certainly didn’t have anything to complain about when it came to the view. “Oh yeah. I’m th’brute. This comin’ from the chick who ‘as been hittin’ me since we left th’forest.” He rolled his eyes as she continued to be difficult. Seriously, why did he put up with her?! He didn’t bother commenting on her ass comment, nor did he bother giving a retort about her ability to see her own weyr; he could find his with his eyes closed and simply assumed everyone else would be able to as well. He chuckled to himself as her partners led the way, glad it was turning out to be so easy anyways.

“I’ll take tha’ as a compliment?” He replied, a hint of confusion in his voice. He couldn’t tell if that was a good thing or not, and her giggling made him a tad worried about it. Well, if she was going to be like that and laugh at him, then he was definitely going to get his revenge somehow. How? Well, with a smirk, Korvin lifted a hand to slap her ass softly before flipping her off his shoulder to carry bridal style before heading into the weyr her partners had gone into. “Is tha’ better? Now stop yer bellyachin’, yer home.” Stepping over to her bed, he unceremoniously dropped her there and crossed his arms.

“I take it yer feelin’ better at least? Or am I gunna be stuck taken care o’ ya too?” He stared down at her, his green eyes showing a hint of concern despite his ‘I could care less’ attitude. She seemed to be back to her normal self, give or take, but he couldn’t help but wonder what had happened to cause such a breakdown. “Y’gonna tell me why y’were actin’ like a whiny, spoilt brat or what.”

[Akira]

Naomi heard the confusion in his voice and shook her head. He was hopeless and there was nothing she could do about it. HEY!!!!!!!!!!!! She jumped, squeaked, and screamed when Korvin slapped her ass. She squeaked once again when he flipped her off of his shoulder, she felt he was going to drop her to the ground, and a very small sigh escaped her when she realized that he was still carrying her. Ooof, do you really have to drop me every single time you carry me? She sat up on her bed, the same bed that she had shared with Korvin for one night that neither of them remembered very well, and rubbed gently at the base of her back. It was a little stiff but that was about it, then again, if someone had just been carried on another person’s back for as long as she had their back would be a bit stiff as well.

Naomi glared up at Korvin as he stood by her bed with his arms crossed. Thank you very much but I can take care of myself just fine. Her voice and tone softened when she saw the concern in his green eyes, and she sighed. She looked down at her bed and twiddled her thumbs at Korvin’s question. It’s...what’s it matter? She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs while resting her chin on her knees. It’s not like Nask hasn’t already told the entire forest. She glanced over at her sleeping blue wher as she spoke and sighed once again. He was worried about her, which had been why he hadn’t kept his voice to himself. She sighed, turned her head just enough to look at Korvin out of the corner of her eye and tried to think of a way to tell him the truth.

I guess I just felt that you wanted an excuse to leave the Weyr again...leave me again. Naomi wasn’t sure how Korvin would react to that round-about admission of her true feelings for him, but at least it was out there now. I know you think feelings like these make a person weak but I just can’t help it Korvin. She turned away from him, a single tear slowly making its way down her cheek. I love you Korvin, but I will understand if you want nothing to do with me after what happened in the forest. She still wasn’t looking at him, and she choked back a sob that threated to race through her body. She was trying to stay strong, but she was suddenly feeling exhausted after having admitted to so much. She clutched her arms around her legs tighter as she waited for Korvin’s reaction.

[Zirin]

“I’ll stop droppin’ ya when you stop hittin’ me.” He replied gruffly, not at all caring if she was sore from being carried. He had no reason to handle her gently; she was strong, even if she wasn’t acting it, and he knew it would take more than a couple drops to actually cause her harm. He rolled his eyes as she mentioned being able to care for herself. “And yet I had t’carry ya back here ‘cause y’fainted.” He shook his head disapprovingly, wondering again how she managed to get herself into such a pathetic state. A she began explaining – or at least trying to – he found himself running a hand through his hair tiredly. With a sigh, he threw himself onto the bed and stared up at the ceiling; as he saw it, he may as well be comfy if he had to explain himself. He didn’t care if Naomi had a problem with him being there either.

“Look ‘ere you. If I wanna leave th’Weyr, I ain’t gunna need an excuse fer it. I’ll leave when I damn well feel like leavin’, no ifs ands or buts. Boar ain’t what he used t’be anymore though, an’ I can’t deny th’Weyr makes a better home than a cave out in th’forest.” He ignored the comment about leaving her; as he saw it, she was the one constantly avoiding him, so the words confused him somewhat.

“O-oye! Don’t you be cryin’ again! I told ya, none o’ that!” He sat up and pushed her down, pinning her and pointing a finger at her accusingly. “Yer a strong girl, but ya look like an idiot when ya let yerself cry. ‘Specially over somethin’ as stupid as me goin’ huntin’.” He rolled his eyes, not realizing she thought he would be leaving permanently. No, having a home in the Weyr had become an advantage to him. It gave him a place to keep his partners safe and sell his wares without needing to hide his goods in caves. Her confession though, cause him to freeze where he was, a light red spreading across his cheeks. He was too surprised to even answer, instead simply hovering over her in shock.

[Akira]

Naomi didn’t care if he was on the bed or not, after all, they had done more than just talk on the bed before so what did it matter if he wanted to lay on it? She sighed when he still didn’t get it. Oh well, she figured there was no way to change his mind anyways so there was no point in trying to tell him. She squeaked loudly when Korvin sat up and pushed her back, effectively pinning her to the bed. Her light smoky grey eyes were wide with shock as she stared up at his face. She saw his cheeks start to redden at her confession, and she stared at him, just as frozen as he was on top of her. She searched his green eyes for any sign that he felt even the slightest bit like she did for him. But she couldn’t get over the fact that he was still hovering over her, which made her cheeks redden once again.

Korvin? You can stop staring at me now. Naomi turned her head to the side as she spoke, avoiding his gaze for fear that her voice and her words would wake him from his frozen stupor and that he would start yelling at her for admitting how she felt for him. She wasn’t fighting him though she could still feel him pinning her to the bed even if she could only barely see him out of the corner of her eye. She was starting to feel a little awkward laying there beneath him. It was bringing back the memory of that night that the two of them had gotten drunk and had shared more than a few firsts. Of course those thoughts only served to help make her cheeks even redder. Which was actually something she probably could have lived without at that exact moment.

[Zirin]

She was correct in thinking her words would snap him out of his stupor. He blinked down at her, watching the way she avoided looking at him and how red she was becoming. She was serious wasn’t she? Or was she maybe still not feeling well. That seemed to be the most likely explanation. Obvious she was terribly sick, and her mind was making her do weird things. Nodding to himself, Korvin seemed to decide that that was the truth. Even still, he didn’t seem to realize he was leaning down towards her until his lips were grazing her cheek while he spoke.

“Y’sure y’didn’t hit yer head when y’fainted…?” He murmured, his eyes never leaving her. Of course he liked Naomi. He enjoyed their spats, enjoyed watching her go from strong woman to flustered girl. He wasn’t so fond of seeing her cry and act like a weakling, but it certainly didn’t make him hate her. It was the fact he cared about her that kept him from just avoiding her outright, though he wouldn’t admit he liked her. As if realizing how close he had gotten, he pulled his head away slightly.

[Akira]

A shiver raced over Naomi’s skin when Korvin’s lips grazed her cheek, which made her gasp slightly. I...I’m sure I didn’t hit my head thank you very much. She was certain that she would remember the pain of getting her head hit if it had happened, but seeing as her head didn’t hurt, she was certain that she hadn’t hit it. Her heart beat raced with the closeness of Korvin, her breathing had quickened, and her cheeks had gotten even redder. She lay beneath him, a little stiffly and not really certain about what she should do. Actually, she wasn’t sure she wanted to do anything about it really. She actually liked having him that close, but at least now she could understand why she had butterflies fluttering around in her stomach, but that realization didn’t help calm them any.

(((OOC: Sorry it's short, but it was either leave it like this or have her attack him >.> )))

[Zirin]

He almost felt… awkward… leaning over her like this. He felt her shiver, heard the catch in her breath, felt the heat from her cheeks. “Are ya sure? Yer… blushin’ like a lil’ girl.” He replied lamely, a pinkness to his own cheeks. On the one hand, he wanted to give in, to kiss her and show her he cared but… Oh just kiss her Mine! Kosk thinks Kosk’s being silly about this fear thing.. Korvin froze again as Kosk spoke for both him and Naomi to hear, well aware that her words would be more affective if he couldn’t ignore them.

With a grumble and a groan, Korvin rolled off the huntress, Stretching out beside her as if he didn’t have a care in the world. He was trying his best to pretend Kosk hadn’t said anything, and if not for the redness of his cheeks he probably could have pulled off the look of nonchalance.

“Good t’hear then. Last thing I need is fer you t’be losin’ yer mind.” He grumbled, throwing his hands behind his head lazily and trying to ignore the memroies that being in this room brought. Was he being difficult? Completely. Yet, he just couldn’t get over the fear that getting close to someone would only bring pain.

[Akira]

Naomi nodded her head in answer at Korvin’s question, but she was grateful that her face couldn’t get any redder, or it would have. Her eyes widened and she gasped at Kosk’s bright voice inside of her mind. She felt Korvin freeze once again and wondered if he was going to listen to his wher. She felt Korvin’s weight shift and felt him rolling off of her just to stretch out beside her as if nothing had just happened. Apparently I’m not the only one that might have hit their head, because I am not the only one blushing. She turned her head to face Korvin as she spoke, and smirked at the blush that colored his cheeks. She was now using his own logic against him. Which made her feel a little less embarrassed about her own red cheeks. She just didn’t know if he’d get mad at her for it.

Oh well, Naomi had started and now she wasn’t going to stop. I wouldn’t be too sure on that one. She sat up onto her elbow as she spoke, bent forward, and kissed Korvin right on the lips. Yep, she was sure of it now, she really had lost her mind. She pulled away, looking a little embarrassed, and then turned away from him once again. What in Faranth’s name had she been thinking?! She sat on the edge of her bed, back straight, trying to figure out what had compelled her to do something like that. She wasn’t sure what the answer was, but it didn’t matter. She didn’t feel bad about kissing Korvin, in fact, she actually liked it. She just wasn’t sure if he felt the same way, she also didn’t know if he would be upset about it. She didn’t know what it was, but she knew there was something that he was keeping from her.