:: THE SIDE YOU DON'T SEE :: Author :: amatorculi Heavyarms Warily Gau glanced quickly back towards the firelight glow that gave away the location of the group's small camp. Back towards Elle. It had been a good day for them - they had covered quite a distance. A good day, but also a long one. And at the end of a long hard day, he knew all too well now, his 'sister' Elle was given to indulge herself a little - or sometimes a lot. Alcohol was her poison and she drank it up like a drowning man would drink in oxygen. And while Gau was all for his 'sister' relaxing a little at the end of the day, the change the alcohol brought about in Elle had always been a little frightening to him. In a sense he also felt something akin to jealousy, in that drink seemed to have a better relationship with Elle than Gau himself. Alcohol never had to do anything to please her, beyond simply existing, it never angered her or incurred her scorn, and she constantly desired it. The recent transformations caused by her drinking had become progressively worse and the personal nature of the experiences only served to further upset Gau. This was why, at night when Elle started drinking, Gau had taken to slinking off, the shadows offering him a secret haven in which to hide and escape his 'sister's' drunken outbursts. And it was not the violent ones that kept him in hiding through the night, but behaviour more disturbing still. Again he raised his eyes back towards the firelight, certain that he had heard her voice, though distant, calling him. He shuddered and crawled back further into the bushes surrounding him, hugging himself in an attempt to ignore the cold. He fairly jumped out of his skin as an arm snaked over his shoulder, crossing the upper part of his chest, the hand clasping round the opposite shoulder. "Gau…" she breathed huskily into his ear "…so this is where you disappeared off to?" "Lemme go!" Gau struggled violently to get out of the grip, whipping his head round, away from the stench of booze that lingered on her breath. But the element of surprise was hers and she made good use of it, enclosing him in a bear-hug from behind. His 'sister' was strong and skilled at using that strength to the best advantage. Under normal circumstances Gau would at least have stood a fighting chance against her, but he was frightened, caught off-guard, his senses at once in disarray. Up until recently, until these last few days, she had never been this way with him. This was something new - foreign and fearsome - and he had no idea how to react to it. He whimpered as she nuzzled his cheek, his struggles ceasing as he unhappily accepted the fact that he was trapped. She seemed pleased with his submission, quickly nipping his earlobe before trailing kisses down the pale column of his neck. Her grip loosened a little, since she was no longer fighting to hold him, but she nevertheless pulled him closer to her, albeit more gently this time. "That's it," she murmured, carefully guiding his face towards hers, before pressing her warm lips fiercely against his. Gau spluttered a little, ducking his head away, but her fingers under his chin soon raised it again. "Practice makes perfect, Gau." So Gau stole himself, trying his best to imitate the actions of Elle's mouth as she kissed him. But he struggled to maintain any concentration. "Elle…?" he gasped, when at last they separated. "Ssh," she commanded, hands sliding down over his chest, exploring every curve and contour of his body, "it won't hurt, Gau, I promise." Her nose rubbed against the back of his neck, nuzzling his spine. "I'm afraid…"he whispered, voice pleading. "Don't be - there's no need. I'll guide you, but you'll find it's really not that difficult. Hell, you might even enjoy it…if you'd just relax a little…" She kissed him more softly this time, as she moved around to crouch in front of him. Carefully, she pushed him down into prickly grass, to lie on his back, hands gliding down towards his hips. He lay still, unresisting, as her body moved over his, to cover him. "Trust me, Gau." Gau awoke to stinging sunlight, from which he immediately recoiled. Both his eyes and his whole head felt sore, and as his gradually became more aware he noticed that some other areas of his body ached as well. His breath caught in his throat as he registered the body behind him, naked, pressed against his bare back. Elle! Gau swallowed a yelp and attempted to slow his breathing, to calm himself. He could feel her arms wrapped around him, encircling him - whether protective or possessive, he was not certain. Carefully, very slowly, he attempted to free himself from her grasp, and she groaned quietly, tugging him back. But it was a half-hearted attempt to keep him, and the weak grip broke easily when he stood up. He spotted his clothes lying a little way off and hurried to get dressed. The others would be waking soon, if they were not already up, and were sure to come looking for them. He did not know what Elle planned to tell them, if anything, and thought it best to be prepared. Once he was dressed, he headed out towards a cliff nearby, to wait. "So…" Elle strolled over, pausing when she reached the cliff-edge, to stand at his side, "how was it for you?" "Terrifying…" Gau kept his gaze steady on the far side of the gorge, observing her reaction only out of the corner of his eye. Her eyes widened in shock before her gaze dropped to the grass at her feet. Her mouth worked, attempting to form several different answers, but finding none anywhere near sufficient. "…at first. But by the end of it, I think…amazing…might have been a better description." "Amazing?" Elle gasped, staring in astonishment at him, uncertain if she had heard correctly. "Yes." "Gau…you-you really mean that?" "I do." He turned to face her at last, to see a weary smile finally gracing her sunlit features. "That…no one's ever…that means a lot to me, Gau…" He returned her smile, offering his hand to her, which she took without hesitation, her eyes never leaving his. "I'm glad." "Good…great! But don't go getting any ideas, okay? This is strictly a one-off thing. I mean, I was drunk, and some things happened but…even though I won't forget…it doesn't change anything. You got that, Gau?" She levelled a hard gaze at him as she awaited the response. "Always, Elle." "And stop smirking like that!" "Like what?" "That! Stoppit!" Gau ducked and pivoted out of reach as Elle swatted at him. "I'm warning you Gau." Gau just grinned. He never would forget the 'other' side of Elle.