One arm hangs free. Just the one. 

She punches the divan so hard the whole thing creaks in protest, but it yields her some leverage. Willow-thin arms squeeze tight. Venus [i]pulls.[/i] And still she pushes, and presses, her muscles bulging, straining.

And Han, impossibly, rises an inch off the girl.

An inch is all she needs. She looms over Lotus of Tranquil Waters. Cascades of deep auburn hair come tumbling down to pool around her head. None hangs in front of her eyes. Nothing hides Lotus from the piercing gaze of the dragon. Nothing stops the wash of her breath from sweeping over her face, hot and hitching. In and out. In and out. Her eyes dart over her. Refuse to stay still. Piercing her through in a hundred different places as they search her.

Her shining teeth clench.

“Oh [i]bud…[/i]”

Side to side, she shakes her head. Waves of heat and hair ripple around them. “You don’t know how easy I [i]could[/i] break you. I could snap you like [i]that,[/i]” And *snap* go her jaws. “I wouldn’t even know I’d done it until it was too late. You haven’t seen the half of what I can do. You haven’t seen the half of what I’ve [i]done.[/i] You’ve only see the Han who’s been on her best rotting behavior to make good on a promise. You can’t-” She sniffs, and she wills her eyes to steam if that’s what it takes to keep them from leaking. “You [i]can’t-[/i]”

But "can’t" is such a perilous word.

Can Lotus of Tranquil Waters help but love everybody she sees? Of course not, because she’s a silly little demigod, with a heart of pure spring water, and when she turns it on you, somehow, all that gets reflected is someone worth loving. Nevermind that she’d been through Hell itself. Or kidnapped, several times. Or watched a dragon lie through her teeth to keep her from worrying over her. Didn’t matter. She found a way.

The will, the possibility never lay with a demigod, but a dragon. She could break Lotus’ heart. Or she could speak her own. 

She can’t do both.

So. Han of the Highlands. Han of the Dragons. Which would it be? And which, mighty Venus whispers, does she [i]want[/i] it to be?

“But.” 

She swallows. She gulps. She sits very still, and makes all manner of noises with her throat, none of which help at all.

“I…you…”

She is the heart of the inferno. She is the doom of kingdoms. She is burning so hot that she might explode into a thousand pieces at any moments. And. And. 

“Okay, you know what? You know what?! Words are [i]stupid[/i] and they [i]suck[/i], so, here!” She slams her fist down on the divan. The cushion makes a lovely *poomf*. “Here’s what I’m gonna do. I’m gonna burn the Dominion right out of the Kingdoms. I’m gonna burn the N’yari until they learn to [i]behave themselves[/i]. I’m gonna burn the Kingdoms until they finally stop being so [i]stupid[/i] and [i]selfish[/i] and start doing their wilting job so I don’t have to keep doing it for them! I’m gonna…okay, well, I’m not gonna burn any priestesses, but I will, I don’t know, put them up a tree or something if they turn their nose up at us, until they go tell your mom she’s just gonna have to learn to [i]deal[/i] with it. Us. Deal with [i]us.[/i] Because! Because that’s what it’s gonna take to show you all the stuff you want to see, without you getting your pretty little butt kidnapped every other damned day! That’s what it’s gonna take for me to have you, forever!”

A faint wisp of smoke curls from her clenched fist. The fabric around the skin chars lightly.

“That’s what I wanna do. I wanna make a home for you…for, us?” She pauses. Lotus nods. She continues. “For us. Because. Because…” Okay, yes, she did say words are stupid, and she shouldn’t have to say any more. But, dragons also want the best promises, the best confessions, and she can’t stop now. “Because…bud, I…I tried as hard as I could, but. But, dammit, I went and fell in love with you too. When you look at me, when you say I’m a hero, I think, maybe it could be a little bit true. I want it to be true. You’re the sweetest, kindest, most honest and real thing I’ve ever known, and. Out of everybody in all the world, you’re…you’re the only one I don’t have to fight.”

She wants to grab her and pick her up! And! Kiss her lots. And feel her heartbeat. Hold her in the palm of her hand and purr with triumph and keep her all to herself.

She wants to surrender without a word, letting worry and pain and even her very thoughts slip away. Under her care. Under her voice. Under her lips.

She wants to…she wants…

Han’s lips curl in the slowest, bravest smirk of her entire life. “Do you know,” and her voice is dry in her mouth and she is burning up all over again. “How [i]gorgeous[/i] you look right now?” The fire beats in her heart, pumping through her veins, running down her limbs. Warming her hand until it is unignorable against Lotus’ chest.

She squeezes. Muscles that could rip mountains in half press in, unstoppably, with all the weight of falling petals. Lotus placed her here. Lotus said this was okay. Maybe she could dare to go farther. But this is as far as her courage and comfort can take her today, and she wishes with all her burning, fluttering heart it is alright.

“I wanna look at you like this some more.” Those piercing eyes come to rest on hers, drinking in the sight of the priestess laid beneath her. Of the most beautiful, most lovely girl in all of the Flower Kingdoms. And she’s the lucky dragon who she lets hold her. Look at her. [i]Love[/i] her. “My little bud. My…” She inhales deep, hungry breaths. Eases off the pressure. Then squeezes anew. “[i]Treasure.~[/i]”