Crow grinned happily when Penelope said she thought the lake was beautiful. He was glad she enjoyed it too, since it was a place that meant a lot to him. When he was younger, he had spent quite a few nights sleeping on the top of the ridge where they were currently standing. It was close enough to Farhill that he could find sanctuary with the villagers there, yet far enough away that he didn’t have to adhere to their rules about following the law. Additionally, he had never seen anyone else in this particular spot before, so he was fairly certain that it wasn’t very well known.

Most of the people in Farhill went to the northern side of the lake, where the ground met the water in a rocky beach that was good for docking their fishing boats. The only ones who climbed up any part of the cliffside were the young men who jumped off it into the lake to impress village girls. The thief smiled to himself as he remembered a few times when he had joined them in the more shallow parts of the lake that he was able to get out of with minimal swimming. While he hadn’t been trying to catch anyone’s eye, he enjoyed the rush of free falling through the air before he’d hit the water. It was an exhilarating feeling.

When he wasn’t using the cliffside for thrills, Crow found it a peaceful place to rest and clear his head. The view was beautiful, and at night there was never anyone close enough by to interrupt. In fact, Penelope was the first person he had ever brought there with him. He closed his eyes, holding her close as he leaned his head against hers. He hadn’t told her, but this was the place where he had wanted to ask her to marry him two years back. It was strange to think how differently everything had turned out since then.

For a moment, he toyed with the idea of asking her now, but quickly put the thought aside. Between the complication of their lives, the ongoing war, and the illness he had yet to figure out, it didn’t feel like the right time. He let out his breath in a peaceful exhale, nestling a bit closer to her. He didn’t have to make any grand gestures to enjoy his time with her there. As long as she was at his side, he would be content with the way things were for now.

After a short silence passed, he felt Penelope turn and kiss him along his neck. He sighed softly, melting into the touch of her lips against his skin. “No, thank you for coming here with me,” he shook his head and smiled. Leaning in again, he briefly closed the distance between them with a gentle kiss. “I love you, Penelope,” he murmured before meeting her lips again more passionately. Snaking his arms around her, he ran his hands sensuously over her body as they kissed, subtly guiding her away from the edge of the cliff to protect both of them from falling in their distraction.

Once they were comfortably far from the overhang, he shifted to stand in front of her, pressing one hand to the small of her back to hold her body against his while he caressed the back of her neck with the other. Feeling a bit flirtatious, he took her bottom lip between his teeth in a soft bite and then moved to kiss her along her jawline, reaching around to toy with the fastening of her clothing in an unspoken hint that he wanted to take things farther.