Trash Panda

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Crow looked away guiltily when Penelope said she wished he had come to her sooner. Reflecting back on everything, it probably would have been the better move to tell her what had been happening, so they could have worked on finding a solution together. However, at the time, he had been too worried about her safety to even consider doing that. It had seemed safer to go along with what Jaxon had wanted to keep the murderer from killing her. He supposed his fear of losing her had blinded him to making the more rational decision, and Jaxon had used that to manipulate him.

As she went on to bring up the alliance he had been willing to make with the Younisian baron, he shrank a little beneath her words. He was well aware that working for the enemy kingdom was far from the most honorable thing to do, but again, he had been afraid of losing her. Even though it pained him to turn on his homeland—especially the people of the outer villages—he cared more about ensuring his future with the knight than he did about fighting a losing battle to make sure everyone would be safe. Besides, his skill set didn’t do much for the battles anyway. Sure, he could fight decently enough, but he was just one man on the battlefield. He could do much more in the shadows, stealing from or sabotaging the knights.

The thought made him pause. He and his companions had been prepared to work for the Younisians because the baron had offered to pay them, but if he was honest, he didn’t really care about the money. All he wanted was his future with Penelope. Even though the Brerratic knights had made no such offer to form a real alliance, what was stopping him and the other thieves from simply working to sabotage the Younisians by themselves? They had made it this far without the help of their own kingdom. They didn’t need it now. His heart began to beat a little quicker as a plan started to piece itself together in his mind.

Crow glanced back at Penelope as she apologized for everything she had done to him on the night she had found out about his dealings with Jaxon. When she brought up his wound, he frowned and pulled her closer. “You can’t say that,” he murmured. “There’s no way we could know if anything would be different, so you can’t blame yourself for what happened.” He offered her a smile. “I was the one who decided to stand in the way of that sword, love. It was my decision alone, and I’m not going to let you try to pin it on yourself when it had nothing to do with anything you did.”

“As for everything else,” his smile faltered. “I understand why you would have been upset after everything I kept from you, so I’m not angry.” He sighed. “You were right that I should have come to you about it. In hindsight, I wish I did.” Holding her gaze, his expression softened, and he reached up to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m just glad everything seemed to work out on its own, regardless of the choices either of us made.”

Feeling a burst of affection for the knight, Crow leaned up slightly to meet her lips in a kiss. He closed his eyes and trailed his hand down her back, losing himself in her touch. After a moment, he pulled back again with a grin. “I guess there’s one perk to getting impaled,” he said jokingly. “Because now I get to see you more often.”

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

She's got Crow a little freaked out now ^^;

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Crow closed his eyes peacefully as he enjoyed resting with Penelope. Even though the circumstances weren’t the best—his body still ached, and he hated the feeling of being put in chains yet again—he was glad that she was by his side. Her presence made the discomfort easier to bear. However, the moment of respite was short lived as he heard her murmur that she hoped he was right. He frowned, wondering why she wasn’t as optimistic. His wound was healing, and as long as he rested, he felt sure that he would eventually make a full recovery. He was just about to express this to her when she spoke again, telling him that her barons hadn’t decided what to do with him yet.

I guess that explains these, he thought, his eyes drifting down to the chain cuff around his wrist. Though he kept a neutral, contemplative expression, the news that Penelope hadn’t convinced her leaders to let him go when he recovered was concerning to him. He hadn’t realized it until now, but he supposed he had just assumed that she had taken care of everything and that he would be released to go home whenever he had healed enough to move on his own. To find out that his freedom was on the verge of being taken away again was unsettling.

Oh gods, I don’t want to go back to prison again, he thought, closing his eyes and letting out a long sigh. The last time had nearly driven him mad. He couldn’t even imagine how torturous it would be to wind up back in a cell after tasting freedom for the last two years. Just the thought of it made him feel sick.

But he didn’t want to worry Penelope.

“I’m sure we’ll figure something out,” he met her gaze again to offer her a reassuring smile. “We always do.” Lifting his head slightly, he met her lips in a tender kiss and then pulled back, looking off to the side as he prepared himself to speak to her about why he had been sneaking around behind her back lately.

“So… about what happened,” he shifted uncomfortably. “I was being honest when I told you Jaxon had been threatening me... The day we got back from Aramoor, I stayed in Myrefall for the night, and Jaxon showed up at my house.” He turned back to meet her gaze somberly. “He had found my companions somehow while we were gone on the trip and forced them to tell him where I was. That was how Simon died: He killed him even after Hazel told him about our meeting spot in the village.” He winced at the memory. “Anyway, he showed up and told me that if I didn’t cover his tracks from all the knights, he would kill you. He also told me not to say anything to the same consequence.”

He lifted his right arm slightly to show her the still-healing cut on his forearm, “Also… I lied about this too. I didn’t get it from a bounty hunter. It’s the mark Jaxon puts on all his followers as a sort of symbol of our agreement to work for him.” He studied Penelope’s face, hoping the wound would be proof enough for her to see that he wasn’t lying to her now. “As for the rest, I think you already know... Gavin was right about almost everything.” He lowered his gaze shamefully. “When we were in Wheldrake, I did tamper with the food, and I was the one who spread the word to the villagers that you and the other knights were coming to question them.

“But I only did it because I didn’t have a choice,” he went on. “Jaxon has ears everywhere. If I didn’t follow his orders, or if I tried to tell any of you that I was working for him, he would have killed you. I had to do it.”

He closed his eyes, “As for the request I made of Jaxon the night you followed me… All I can say is, I’m sorry. It was starting to look like Younis was going to win this war with Jaxon’s aid, and I was afraid of losing our future together. I just… I just thought that if there was a way to prevent you from being imprisoned and me from being enslaved, then it was worth the sacrifice.” He shook his head dully. “I guess it doesn’t matter anyway, since Jaxon was just planning to kill me for my bounty near the end of the war. Gods, I was a fool to turn to that bastard for help.”

Crow looked up again to meet Penelope’s gaze apologetically. “I think that’s everything you didn’t know about… I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me for being such a bad partner, because I really do want to try harder to get better at this.”

Match Up in Malibu [Bee & Summer]

Jett couldn’t remember the last time he’d had this much fun dancing with a partner. Sure, he’d had other talented partners in the past—he’d even had plenty of attractive partners—but the routines had all been for performances. It was hard to let go and just lean into the music when he’d had to keep track of an eight-count in the back of his head. Being with Anna was something else entirely. Aside from the fact that he didn’t have choreography to stick to, he also didn’t have to worry about dumbing down any of the steps he led her through. She was a talented follow, and she kept up with his moves with a level of confidence he’d only seen in professional dancers.

She was also hot. Like, really hot. In fact, Jett was starting to find it difficult to focus on anything else with the way she brazenly moved her body against his. He could feel the sway of her hips beneath the hand he had so coyly slid down her backside, and with her face no further than an inch or two in front of his own, she took up the entirety of his vision. Usually, he had no problem being this close to a woman, since he’d been dancing platonically with partners for the last seven years, but there was just something captivating about Anna that was different than anyone else he’d been with before. The way she moved wasn’t just smooth, it was sexy. And, if he was honest, it made his heart race with an excitement that wasn’t just because of the dancing.

Anna continued to further impress when she didn’t shy away at the crowd of onlookers. Performing in front of audiences for a living, Jett was used to being the center of attention, but he was well aware that most people got stage fright when other eyes were on them. He was surprised that she didn’t seem bothered by it. As she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, he didn’t skip a beat, adjusting his hold on her so that both of his hands were resting on her waist. He slowed to a gentle sway as the music changed, stifling the urge to roll his eyes as he realized that someone from production had probably told the DJ to put on a slow song for them. They must really be hoping for something romantic to happen, huh?

“I’m thinking we should kick this one old school,” Jett murmured in her ear with a mischievous smirk. “They’d like that… Ever tried blues dancing before?” He slid his left hand up to her shoulders and offered his right hand for her to take as he proceeded to change up his footwork. While it was an old form of dance, he’d found that blues was sort of timeless by itself, since it could be reworked to fit nearly any song with a steady four count. Being well-versed in the steps, it wasn’t hard for him to make it work for this one. He could see a cameraman homing in on them from off the corner of his eye, clearly eating up the intimate dance. I’m getting the feeling we’re going to have a lot of screen time in the pilot episode, he thought as he led Anna into a smooth turn.

As they worked their way around the dance floor, Jett put a little drag into his step, showing off for the audience that stood watching from the side. Whether Anna had tried this style before or not, he thought she was keeping up with him quite well. The longer they danced, the more she proved to be able to match whatever he threw at her. He liked her tenacity. Closing his eyes, he let himself sink into the music and allowed it to guide him through the motions to create a fluid sequence of moves.

Eventually, the song came to an end, and he concluded the dance by lowering her into an easy dip. “That was fun,” he said somewhat breathily as he raised her up again and took a step back to part. After dancing with her for a few songs in a row, he wanted to take a short break. Turning to the side, he picked up two Old Fashioneds—he had strategically lingered close to the drink table by the end of the song in order to grab some when it was over—and offered one to her with a wink, “Thanks for humoring me, Anna.”

---

Poke

Here's a contemporary blues example, just for reference. One of the sexiest forms of dancing around (skip to 1:00 in)

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

He started to realize he was wrong on his own lol

Yay cx

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Penelope’s reaction was confusing to Crow. For a woman who had decided to leave him, she was acting much more affectionate than he’d been expecting. As she pressed a kiss to his cheek, his heart began to beat a little quicker in his chest as another thought came to him. What if she’d changed her mind? Given the way she was treating him now, it almost felt like nothing had changed between them. What if she had decided not to leave him after all? The thought made him feel warm with relief. Still, it didn’t change the fact that he wanted to make sure she knew he hadn’t been lying to her out of ill intent.

“Well, I had to get your attention somehow,” he said teasingly, casting her a lopsided smile. “I just saw an opportunity, and I took it.” Now that his internal fears had died down some, he found that he was beginning to relax in her comforting presence. He ran his hand gently down and up the length of her back, gazing at her with affection. “All joking aside, taking that sword was worth it if it meant you would live,” he added softly, shuddering at the thought of what might have happened if he hadn’t made it to her in time.

As she told him that she would listen if he wanted to explain, he nodded, glad that she would let him speak. However, before he could even utter a word, he frowned as he heard her voice tremble when she added that she was glad he was alive. He didn’t like seeing her look so sad. So, instead of jumping right into his defense, he took a moment to pull her closer to himself, resting his hand on the back of her head and pressing a soft kiss to her cheek as he let her lean on his chest.

“I am alive,” he murmured, stroking his fingers through her hair. “And I’m not going anywhere anytime soon, so you don’t have to worry.”

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Crow's still under the impression that Penelope's planning not to be with him anymore :'c

Okay! I finished a lot of my homework early, and my husband works until midnight tonight, so I'll be around for the rest of the day xD

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Crow glanced between Penelope and the physician until the latter turned away from her lieutenant in defeat to begin redressing his wound. Since he was unable to sit up on his own, she helped him by bracing one arm behind his shoulder and clasping one of his hands in hers. With her support, he managed to lift himself upright but grimaced as the motion sent a fresh wave of pain through his body. He could already tell it was going to be a while before he recovered from this injury.

As the physician got to work unraveling the bandages around his middle, he leaned back on his hands and looked up to listen to Penelope give him an explanation about what had happened after he’d passed out at the battle. Her voice was a welcomed distraction from the sting of his wound, which seemed to get worse as the noblewoman tended to it. He eyed the woman annoyedly, feeling quite certain that she was being rougher with him than she needed to be.

When Penelope mentioned that Gavin had been one of the knights to help him get to their camp, Crow raised a brow in surprise. Gavin was the last person he would have expected to keep him alive, especially after the knight had caught him working for Jaxon. He was just beginning to wonder if the man had helped him because Penelope had ordered him to, when the physician added something that dismantled that theory. He insisted? He mused curiously. Since when did he start wanting me to live?

“He knows we wouldn’t have found those thieves without the help of this one. He’s just repaying a debt like I am.”

Now it made sense. Crow frowned slightly and lowered his gaze, pretending to look over the sutured wound in his abdomen as the physician unraveled some clean bandages to redress it. During all the madness at the thieves’ camp, he’d forgotten about everything that had happened between himself and the two knights. He had gotten his hopes up again after Penelope had said she loved him, but he supposed she had just been caught up in the heat of the moment after all. He had still lost her trust. Nothing there had changed.

When the physician finished bandaging his wound, she helped him lay down again, so he wouldn’t accidentally reopen the injury. He was expecting both of the noblewomen to leave again, now that they had seen he was in a stable condition, but instead, he glanced at Penelope in mild surprise as she said she wanted a moment alone with him. Unsure what to expect, he just watched as the physician—whom he now knew was named Jane—left to care for her other patients.

In the next moment, Crow blinked as he felt Penelope throw her arm around him and bury her head against his neck, murmuring about how she’d thought she was going to lose him. Having been certain that she’d wanted nothing more to do with him after he’d lied to her, the gesture caught him off guard. After a moment of hesitation, he slowly lifted his unbound arm to hold her, averting his gaze to look off to the side. Just because she still had feelings for him didn’t mean she still wanted to be with him. Her words to Jane could still have been true.

“I thought so too, but apparently the gods are intent on keeping me alive for some reason,” he said with a faint shrug. Falling quiet for a moment, he bit the inside of his lip. Even though he knew he’d hurt her badly before, he still felt a strong desire to tell her his side of the story. At least then, if she still chose not to be with him, he could know it wasn’t because of a misunderstanding.

“So…” he started hesitantly, glancing back to meet her gaze with a wistful expression. “Have I earned a chance to explain myself? I promise I won’t lie this time.”

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

I feel like Layth is gonna be a problem too ^^;

I’ve got class until 2, so I won’t be able to get a reply up for a little

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Well, part of their secret's out now xD

I'm really curious to see how this is gonna play out with the other knights, haha