| |
 |
Jora leaned against the doorframe, watching Sage relax in the warm water, her gaze softening. She could tell from the way his shoulders loosened, the way he just... settled into the quiet, that he was starting to feel it—the relief, the safety, the stillness he needed. She didn’t say anything at first. He was quiet, contemplative, and she didn’t want to disturb that space. But the simplicity of his words hit her in ways that made her heart swell. She could hear the weight of it, all that was unspoken. "I know," he said, and it wasn’t just a statement. It was everything. She could feel the trust there, the openness. It wasn’t often someone let themselves be that vulnerable, not like this. Not like him. She smiled softly, her fingers brushing against the wood of the door as if to touch him without physically interrupting his moment. "You don’t have to thank me for that," she whispered, almost to herself. "I meant it... all of it." She could tell that in the quiet, in the warmth, in the way he’d allowed himself to be real with her, something was shifting. She wanted him to feel that, to know that this was a space where he didn't have to hold anything back. Where he could just be. And she would be right there with him. |
|
|
| |
|
Sage had hummed softly as she spoke up again, nodding along softly, sinking back into the water as she'd finished washing his weary body. He might have been a little self conscious if he wasn't quite so tired...the thinness and paleness of his skin. The way the bruises and cuts always seemed to be there. There didn't seem to be a patch of skin that hadn't been tampered with by another pair of human hands. But with Jora, he didn't need to hide any of that. She'd find out anyway.....she always did. And he truly cared. He knew that. He settled down into the water with a sort of sigh, closing his eyes again, just trying to soak up as much warmth as he could from it. He wasn't sure how long he lay there...he drifted off at some point...but as he sort of came to later, the water had cooled off a bit. Just enough so that it wasn't really keeping him warm at all, so he moved to sit up and get out in order to dry off and get dressed into clean clothes. Jora had moved to help him pretty much right away, and he murmured out a small thanks as she took his arm, a steady presence as he moved to step out of the tub and wrap himself in a nice warm and comfortable blanket. |
|  |
|
| |
|
As Jora helped Sage step out of the tub, wrapping him in the warm blanket, she heard the soft cry of their baby, Lyra, drifting through the quiet of their home. She immediately paused, her concern shifting to Lyra as the sound tugged at her. "I'll be right back," Jora murmured, glancing at Sage, her voice soft but firm, like a mother’s instinct that couldn’t be ignored. She moved quickly, her bare feet making soft padding sounds on the wooden floor as she headed to Lyra’s room. There, she found the little one fussing, her small face scrunched up in that unmistakable cry. Jora’s heart fluttered in response, and she gently scooped Lyra up from her crib, cooing softly as she began to change her into her warm sleeping clothes. The soft, cotton onesie hugged Lyra’s tiny frame, and as Jora adjusted the fabric, Lyra’s cries began to quiet. "Shh, little one, Mama’s got you," she whispered, the sound of her own voice calming both herself and the baby. Once Lyra was settled in her fresh clothes, Jora cradled her close, letting her little fingers curl around her thumb as she returned to Sage. When she stepped back into the room, she couldn’t help but smile as Lyra’s fussing turned into little sleepy coos, already comforted by the warmth of her mother’s arms. She moved over to Sage, who was wrapped in his blanket, and gently sat beside him. Lyra, now content, nestled against her chest. “There we go,” Jora murmured, her eyes soft as she met Sage’s tired gaze. “All better. She’s ready to sleep now.” |
|
|
| |
|
Sage had heard the baby's cries, and he'd nodded with a soft chuckle when Jora mentioned she'd be back. "Go on, I'll be fine," he mused lightly, sort of nudging her towards the door. He moved to get ready then, drying off and getting dressed, and then slowly making his way back to the bed. Luckily, the bedroom was jointed to the bathroom, so it wasn't far to go. Once Jora for back, he just offered her a grin and a soft hum, nodding along. "She just wanted to be with someone," he mused lightly, exhausted himself but feeling...better. the bath had definitely helped. (Short I've got three tests to take and two papers all due tmrw xD...I'm crazy busy lol) |
| |
|
| |
|
Jora felt a small smile tug at the corner of her lips as she stepped back into the room, watching Sage dry off and get dressed. His presence was steady, even after the long night they'd had. She was grateful for that—grateful for him. She crossed over to the bed, her gaze shifting from Sage to Lyra, who had already calmed in his arms. The little one was nestled comfortably against him, her wide eyes already half-lidded as she found her spot. She laughed softly at his words. “Guess she really knows when she’s got someone who’ll just… hold her,” she murmured, reaching out to gently stroke Lyra’s soft hair. The night had been chaotic at times, but in this quiet, everything felt right. “She’s lucky to have you,” she added, her voice a little quieter, more tender than she meant. Sage might’ve been exhausted, but she could see it in the way he looked at Lyra—the kind of exhaustion that came with the depth of love and care. And for a second, Jora forgot about everything else, the weight of the world outside just fading. |
|
|
| |
|
Sage chuckled softly in response to Joras comment and just nodded along. "I'm just glad she lets me hold her without a fuss," he mused lightly. Lura was a wonderful baby, really....she wasn't always crying or fussing about something. She was pretty quiet, unless she needed something. And when she did need something it was fairly easy to tell what she needed or wanted. In this case .. she was just lonely, he supposed. He understood that. The baby against his chest was a comforting presence for him, too. So really any excuse to cuddle up and hold her was more than fine with him. |
| |
|
| |
|
Jora watched Sage with a soft smile, feeling a familiar warmth spread through her chest. She knew exactly what he meant. There was something about holding a little one—something so pure and grounding. She chuckled quietly, running a hand over her hair. "Yeah, she’s always been a peaceful soul. You two seem to have a connection," Jora said, her voice soft with a touch of affection. "I think she knows you’re the one who’ll always be there for her. Babies have a way of sensing that." She glanced at Lyra nestled in Sage's arms, the baby’s little hand curled against his chest. |
|
|
| |
|
Sage hummed softly in response to Joras comment, glancing down at the little girl nestled happily in his arms. "We'll both be there," he noted with a chuckle. A soft smile lingered on his face, and despite how weary his body still felt, he just felt... Good. He was where he was supposed to be.... With Jora and his baby. Of course, he missed their home, and the ocean, more than he could express, but as long as he had the two of them, they could handle anything. |
| |
|
| |
|
Jora's eyes softened as she watched Sage with Lyra, her heart swelling at the sight of the little girl nestled so comfortably in his arms. Her gaze drifted out toward the horizon, where the ocean was just a whisper in the distance, a longing ache pulling at her chest. "One day," Jora murmured, her voice quiet but firm, "When Lyra's old enough, we'll go back. Back to our island." Her eyes met Sage’s, the familiar warmth of their shared dream flickering in her gaze. "I can almost feel the sea breeze on my skin again, taste the salt on the air... It's been too long." She smiled softly, reaching over to brush a strand of hair from Lyra's face. "I want her to know it, to grow up surrounded by the ocean, the way we did." She shifted slightly, a small sigh escaping her lips. "But for now... for now, we’re here. And I’ll make this home too, as long as I have the two of you with me." |
|
|
| |
|
Sage had looked back at jora when she spoke up again, though her gaze pulled his own to the window, where he could barely make out the vastness of the water they called home. "We'll go back," he murmured in agreement. "She needs to know where she came from," he added softly, stroking the little girls head gently, silently pondering the sea and their place on it. With it. Lyra would be part sea nymph too...she likely wouldn't have any powers or anything like that, being on a quarter or so in that manner. She certainly didn't have pointy ears. But he had no doubt she would long for the ocean just as much as he and Jora did. It would be her home, too. And he couldn't wait to teach her everything he knew about a life at sea. |
| |
|
Sunny
