I've just learned to be careful."
“Then be careful. I’ll be here when you’re ready to be a part of my life too. Right now I’m just enjoying being with you,” she admitted to him. “Do you want to talk about it? Your past and what happened?”
Swallowing, he shrugged and looked down at his hands in his lap. "Her name was Marissa," he murmured. "I met her when I was six and ten summers, barely old enough to know anything and yet feeling like I knew it all. I was an idiot and then some," he let out a breath. Dropping his head onto the back of the couch, he closed his eyes. "I’ll spare you all the gory details but she left me thinking she was having my child to marry a Duke or some such thing. The child wasn’t mine or his; it was the baby of some other man she'd used to get a little closer to what she wanted. Wealth and power, those were her goals in life."
“I’m so sorry,” Snow whispered. “Even though I’m fighting for my throne, it’s not for power but rather to save my people. I’ve never wanted power but as soon as that woman killed my father, I knew that I’d have to take it from her. I’m not happy about it but such is life.”
"Your reasons are just and right and for the betterment of all peoples within your kingdom, Snow. Entirely different," he told her, rolling his head and opening his eyes to stare into hers. "You’re thinking of others before yourself and always have been. I know you’re nothing like Marissa but my heart cautions me to go slowly and take care. Once burned and all that," he murmured quietly.
Snow nodded and laid her head on Baldric’s shoulder, "I understand. Do what you need to do to ensure your comfort. I’ll be here when you’re ready for me, and if that day never comes, at least we’ll always be friends, won’t we?”
"We're already friends, Snow, but I do want more with you," he said softly. Wrapping his arm around her, he pulled her in closer, "Maybe not today but definitely soon," he murmured, pressing a kiss to her hair. Stroking his hand up and down her arm, he squeezed her closer.
“When you’re ready I’ll be here for you, Baldric. In the meantime, I’m very happy where I am. I happen to really love being held by you like this. It’s comforting and relaxing. I like both of those things, a great deal.”
"I'm glad," he said, resting his cheek to her hair. "I used to be like Nik and Dierk, open and easy going, but Marissa killed that from inside and left me reserved and suspicious. Considering their pasts, I don't know how Nik and Dierk did it, but they obviously found something that gave them the push to get beyond the lessons."
“Well whatever their reasons, I’m happy they found them. I’m happy they’re able to accept me into their lives as they are. I’m just honestly happy to be here. A lot of ‘happys’ I know, but there you have it. I’m happy and that’s the only word I can come up with.” She was stumbling over her words because she wasn’t sure what to say to Baldric.
"You’re acting very nervous," he commented softly, leaning back so they could see one another. "Why are you acting so nervous around me now?" he asked quietly. Lifting a hand, he stroked his fingertips down her cheek.
“I have no idea,” she admitted softly. “I really don’t know why I’m acting the way I am but I do feel a little nervous, a lot nervous actually,” Snow stumbled over her words. “It’s not that I don’t trust you because I do. Goodness I trust you with my very life but for some reason I’m very nervous.”
Frowning, he rubbed his thumb to her lower lip, "Would you feel better if I kissed you? I have to say I might feel better if I kissed you too. You have a gloriously shaped mouth that just begs to be kissed for hours."
“I’d feel much better if you were to kiss me,” Snow whispered softly to Baldric. “I really do think you should kiss me. You should spend hours kissing me,” she whispered softly to him and pulled him
“Then be careful. I’ll be here when you’re ready to be a part of my life too. Right now I’m just enjoying being with you,” she admitted to him. “Do you want to talk about it? Your past and what happened?”
Swallowing, he shrugged and looked down at his hands in his lap. "Her name was Marissa," he murmured. "I met her when I was six and ten summers, barely old enough to know anything and yet feeling like I knew it all. I was an idiot and then some," he let out a breath. Dropping his head onto the back of the couch, he closed his eyes. "I’ll spare you all the gory details but she left me thinking she was having my child to marry a Duke or some such thing. The child wasn’t mine or his; it was the baby of some other man she'd used to get a little closer to what she wanted. Wealth and power, those were her goals in life."
“I’m so sorry,” Snow whispered. “Even though I’m fighting for my throne, it’s not for power but rather to save my people. I’ve never wanted power but as soon as that woman killed my father, I knew that I’d have to take it from her. I’m not happy about it but such is life.”
"Your reasons are just and right and for the betterment of all peoples within your kingdom, Snow. Entirely different," he told her, rolling his head and opening his eyes to stare into hers. "You’re thinking of others before yourself and always have been. I know you’re nothing like Marissa but my heart cautions me to go slowly and take care. Once burned and all that," he murmured quietly.
Snow nodded and laid her head on Baldric’s shoulder, "I understand. Do what you need to do to ensure your comfort. I’ll be here when you’re ready for me, and if that day never comes, at least we’ll always be friends, won’t we?”
"We're already friends, Snow, but I do want more with you," he said softly. Wrapping his arm around her, he pulled her in closer, "Maybe not today but definitely soon," he murmured, pressing a kiss to her hair. Stroking his hand up and down her arm, he squeezed her closer.
“When you’re ready I’ll be here for you, Baldric. In the meantime, I’m very happy where I am. I happen to really love being held by you like this. It’s comforting and relaxing. I like both of those things, a great deal.”
"I'm glad," he said, resting his cheek to her hair. "I used to be like Nik and Dierk, open and easy going, but Marissa killed that from inside and left me reserved and suspicious. Considering their pasts, I don't know how Nik and Dierk did it, but they obviously found something that gave them the push to get beyond the lessons."
“Well whatever their reasons, I’m happy they found them. I’m happy they’re able to accept me into their lives as they are. I’m just honestly happy to be here. A lot of ‘happys’ I know, but there you have it. I’m happy and that’s the only word I can come up with.” She was stumbling over her words because she wasn’t sure what to say to Baldric.
"You’re acting very nervous," he commented softly, leaning back so they could see one another. "Why are you acting so nervous around me now?" he asked quietly. Lifting a hand, he stroked his fingertips down her cheek.
“I have no idea,” she admitted softly. “I really don’t know why I’m acting the way I am but I do feel a little nervous, a lot nervous actually,” Snow stumbled over her words. “It’s not that I don’t trust you because I do. Goodness I trust you with my very life but for some reason I’m very nervous.”
Frowning, he rubbed his thumb to her lower lip, "Would you feel better if I kissed you? I have to say I might feel better if I kissed you too. You have a gloriously shaped mouth that just begs to be kissed for hours."
“I’d feel much better if you were to kiss me,” Snow whispered softly to Baldric. “I really do think you should kiss me. You should spend hours kissing me,” she whispered softly to him and pulled him
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