Elunara whistled on the way to the training yard. Heading for the platform, she was shocked to find arms around her. "ACK! STOP! NO!" She whacked Gerald with her board. "NO HUGGING!"
"You gave me my wife back!"
"Oh, geez. This again?" She shoved at his face. "Let me go." She snorted at him. "I didn't DO anything; she talked herself out of her funk.
He snorted back. "Sometimes, it's just fun to irritate the shit out of you, Nara."
"Don't call me "Nara"." She growled. She made her way on to the platform and flopped down.
"I don't care what you think you did or didn't do. You exist, you let her work it out, I don't care... Thank you."
"I am genuinely glad she feels better." Elunara popped open her board."Now, get."
"Sometimes it's entertaining to watch you interact with other people."
Elunara jolted and looked back. "Don't do that."
Varian gave her a wicked grin. "I don't know, I kind of like seeing you startled."
"I'll startle your ass." She snorted. Turning back to her intended work, she began to sketch out lines.
"Now, I would really like to know... how one startles someone's ass."
"I'll figure it out." She muttered.
"Someone's in a mood."
Elunara sighed. "I'm always in one mood or another; I don't mean to be snappy."
"What was Captain Gerald thanking you for?"
"His wife recently found out that she cannot conceive. Her body is just not right. She's been extremely depressed the past couple of weeks. She spent time with me yesterday, and is back to her old self again."
"You're a kind person."
"All I really did was let her talk herself out."
"That's still a kindness."
"Yes, I know." She smiled up at him. "Did you need something, Sugar?"
"Just enjoying your company." He smiled.
"Right. Some lunatics actually do that." She grinned.
"You know, I thought the Junior Warriors thing was nuts... but I'm actually seeing progress."
"Yeah, Jordan's a knack for it."
"Your own boys seem the best." He murmured as he watched them.
"When your dad is the trainer, you're expected to be better than everyone else."
"Speaking of sons... mine is trying to understand us better."
Elunara rolled her eyes. "He should stop... he's just going to hurt himself."
Varian laughed. "Would you like to see the space where we're putting your project?"
She closed her board. "Sure."
They walked through town. "Is it on the spot of land I scouted?"
"Yes."
"Any questions?"
"None."
She eyed him. "Suddenly, I'm suspicious."
He laughed. "Can I not just enjoy your company?"
"Maybe..." She eyed him askance.
He brushed his fingers through some of her hair. "It's entertaining, bringing out the different sides of you."
She shook her head with a laugh. "Sometimes, I just don't get you."
"I believe the appropriate phrase is... "Look who's talking."
"TouchΓ©." Elunara rolled her eyes and looked over. "Oh, hey Lucy."
"I... didn't expect to see you here." Lucy blinked.
"I'm having Varian build me a place to sing." Elunara grinned. "Sorry, Varian, this is Lucy. You met her in Draenor. She's living with me right now."
His eyebrows shot up. "Is that so?"
"Eh, it's both more and less complicated than you might think. She's the one who made my belt."
"Oh, I remember now." He smiled and nodded.
"This is Lucy's dad." Elunara gestured.
Lucy blushed. "Thanks to you, we've taken to having a picnic out here once a week, just to talk."
"Good girl." Elunara kissed Lucy's cheek, and Lucy preened.
Varian waited until they were out of earshot. "So..."
"We have sex, but aren't exactly what you would call, "in a relationship". It's a little odd, even for me." She shrugged. "I don't mind being used for sexual release while she figures out what she wants in life."
"I guess you wouldn't." He murmured. "How does Tulani feel about this?"
"She giggles. She genuinely thinks it's adorable."
"Will you ever...?"
"Take her into my family? Hell if I know. Meanwhile, she's taught ME a few tricks, being a set in stone female set, and I've only been at it for a few years."
"I guess you CAN teach an old dog, new tricks." He grinned.
She cracked him in the back of the head. "I can, and will, hurt you."
He laughed. "I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself." He gestured. "Here we are."
She looked around, popped open her board, and began to sketch. "Yes, coming along nicely."
"I have to ask... why the grove?"
"Do you remember what I said of South Orchard?"
"Mostly..."
After she explained, he blinked at her. "You are... kind of crazy."
With a grin, she shook her head. "You just figured this out?"
"I thought you said you got overloaded in town as it is."
"It's leveling out, I'm getting better at filtering, and this is something completely different." She shrugged. "It's just something I really enjoy doing. Grogek gives it to me because he likes seeing me happy, and he benefits from it. The rest of my family avoids it."
"Even Jordan?"
"That modest streak, remember? He's participated in South Orchard, but he prefers to keep it as private as I get."
"I can't say I blame him." He brushed his fingers across her cheek. "I like having you all to myself."
"Also, the semblance you have of control... having me visit you, as opposed to you visiting me." She shrugged. "We all have our little quirks."
He dropped his hand and stared.
"I didn't mean that rude. I was just stating a fact."
"I've never thought of it in that light."
Kissing his cheek, she grinned. "What did you tell me before, about bullshit?"
"How easily you cut through it." He brushed her hair back. Before she could react, and certainly before he could give himself time to think about it, he captured her mouth with his own.
Several workers stopped and stared, and a few even elbowed others to get their attention.
She placed her hands on his breastplate and gladly returned the affection. When they broke contact, her eyes glittered. "You wear entirely too much."
He groaned. "This stupid armor weighs like two hundred pounds."
"Should we... go remove it?"