Letting Go

[Xarae]

Delaney blinked slightly, her eyes suddenly going wide. Her irises had suddenly gone doe-eyed and she looked quite confused. The fact that he was responding to her - and responding quite well - both shocked and pleased her. She smiled shyly, enjoying the feeling of his hand cupping her chin. Her eyes had already gone half lidded, but she was comfortable enough that they were drooping further. "I knew that," She mumbled quietly when he spoke, a light blush creeping across her cheek bones. He always knew just how to frustrate her, something that both amused and annoyed her.

Delaney laughed softly and shook her head, but still murmured her consent, "Apples she'll be." As he leaned in she tilted her head to the left shyly and licked her lips quickly. He was making her increasing nervous, but there was little to be done about that. Jason had always managed to make her nervous.

She averted her eyes briefly, then shrugged her nerves off and carefully leaned forward. The first time her lips brushed his (a chaste, closed-mouth kiss) it was nearly electric. Laney closed her eyes, giving him almost completely control. After a few seconds she wrapped her arms around his neck, feeling his pulse against her forearms. Delaney pulled back, blinking her eyes wide open. "Oh."

There was little else she could muster. After a second or two of pondering, she got off of the chair and situated herself on the ground in front of him. Laney leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his waist, grinning foolishly. "Not a rude cowboy, eh?" She snickered, tilting her head to the side and pressing her lips to his neck.

[Tiggs]

Permission granted, Jason took the lead. The whiskey made him a little clumsy, and he lacked the finesse that he might usually have when sober. The was aware that he was drunk, and that the young woman was not, but inhibitions had no place here. He helped her down from the chair with one hand firmly on her waist, and he pulled her closer now the height of the chair didn't separate them.

He smiled against her hair as she leaned into his neck, and pulled her in against his chest with both hands. Her warmth and smell were masked by the strong scent of liquor but it was more than a pleasant feeling to hold her close. The rough stubble on his jaw caught strands of her flaxen hair as he murmured against her ear. "Def'n'ly not." He kissed her cheek, then raised her face to his.

She didn't have much choice but to comply, as he had fastened one hand at the back of her skull, and his other arm circled her waist. The kisses were careful and soft but for the scratching of his facial hair. It was new and exciting, and even through the drunken haze, he enjoyed discovering how they tested each other.

[Xarae]

Delaney was more than happy to let him take the lead. Though he was guiding her through an alcohol induced fog, she wasn't sure where to take this new experience. Jason, however, seemed to know exactly where he wanted this to go. More than happy to submit than to play dominant, Laney merely kept her own body in check and tried not to let her lips quiver too much.

The proximity was quite new. Laney cast her eyes up to his, biting her lower lip. "Should we really be doing this when you're...?" She trailed off, motioning to the whiskey bottle. However, this didn't stop her from cuddling closer when he tilted her chin up. Laney smiled absently, her mind floating somewhere high above the clouds. "Oh..." She mumbled under her breath as he placed a hand at the back of her head. Now fixed into a set position, there was little she could do to resist his advances. Not that she wanted to.

Delaney smiled nervously as he kissed her several times, each gentle caress exactly what she would have hoped for (despite the scratching of his five o'clock shadow). She grunted softly after a bit and pushed his head away, laughing under her breath before she kissed his forehead. "You have to shave, cowboy," Laney muttered, kissing the edge of his jaw playfully.

[Tiggs]

The wrangler huffed as she pulled away, stroking a hand over her light blond hair and down to her cheek. He rested his forehead on hers, and despite the spinning of his head, he kept his eyes open and locked to hers. She was wondering if doing this while he was quite definitely drunk was a good idea. To him, it was a good idea, intoxicated or not. As she had gone along with it so far,sober, then she could not be all that worried about it. It was only fair then that she was drunk too. It would put them on a level playing field, was his reasoning.That would stop her worrying, among other things.

He loosened his grip on her, moved her out of his lap and sat her facing him. He leaned over to get the bottle, took a sip and handed it to her. He gave her an encouraging smile, and settled his hand on her leg. "Maybe not. I ain't shavin' now, so you better get some of that down ya so you can't feel it no more." He grinned, rubbing his palm over her knee against the fabric of her jeans.

"Lets talk. Tell me somethin'. Anythin'. Somethin' that don't matter if I can't remember it come mornin'." He glanced to the window, watching the clouds darken as they readied for rain. Too bad, he thought to himself, she can't get home in that. He turned his eyes back to her, that same half-lidded gaze that held a raging fire of anticipation. It had started as sparks, but the man was sure now things would work out well. He smiled, letting his eyes roam over her, taking in insignificant details that only served to make in insides warm further.

[Xarae]

Delaney rolled her eyes, stroking his chin briefly. "Really?" She frowned, tickling her fingers beneath his chin before pulling her hand back. "You're like a downright animal," Laney said, laughing under her breath before she leaned in for another whiskey-scented kiss. With a bit of hesitation, she took another sip of the bitter drink and tried to stomach the scorching whiskey before she coughed.

"Not my bowl of rice," She admitted, wincing at the taste. Delaney handed him the bottle again and settled back into a more comfortable position in his lap. She cradled her body against his chest, closing her eyes lazily and listening to his lungs reverberate as he spoke. "Anything?" She repeated, tilting her head to the side. "Well, I could sure use some help rustling up another brumby... I'm a bit short handed with just my two boys," Laney admitted, yawning softly.

However, she quickly grew bored with the insignificant details of her life. Delaney focused her attention back on Jason, stroking his cheek absently before her fingers found their way to the first few buttons on his shirt. "Mmm... how about you tell me about yourself..." She murmured, working through most of the remaining buttons on his shirt.

[Tiggs]

Jason automatically folded his arms around her, resisting the urge to keep on kissing her while she was so tantalisingly close. At the mention of 'animal', he raised a brow. The temptation t respond with something inappropriate crossed his mind, but he settled for letting his thought flare in his darkening eyes.

"Rustling I can do, girly. Don't you fret." He patted her waist, his other hand absently stroking the nape of her neck. When she began opening his shirt, he grinned, and stopped her hands when she reached the base of his sternum. "Nuh-uh. Fair go, my beaut." He captured her hands in one of his, lacing one of her hands with his. "There's not much to tell." He murmured, stealing a kiss while she looked so lovely.

The rain began to pitter-patter on the tin roof, and his eyes never left hers. Not until late afternoon when they fell asleep did he finally look away.

[Xarae]

Delaney awoke completely naked and shivering in Jason's arms. Apparently the man hadn't really thought the entire situation through, because bedding hadn't yet been placed on the sparse mattress. Laney blinked her eyes open and rubbed the sleep from them, trying as best as she could to completely rouse herself. The sun was high in the sky, so it was safe to assume it was some time around noon. She waved a hand casually in front of her mouth as she yawned, her eyes falling half closed once again.

After she had sufficiently woken up, Laney rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling. Jason still slumbered at her side, apparently oblivious to her movement. Delaney glanced over at him, noting his apparent lack of clothes as well. Apparently she'd gotten far more than she bargained for - but truth be told, it really was quite lonely at Cascade Hut. "Jay?" Laney murmured, laying her head on his chest and playing with his hair. "C'mon..."

[Tiggs]

Jason threw a tanned arm up and over his face, groaning in pain as light stabbed through his eyelids and through to the back of his skull. He tried lifting his other arm, only to find it pinned. Wondering if it was numb, and that was why he couldn't move it, he cracked one eye open experimentally and peeked out from under his forearm. Seeing a pair of paler than pale blue eyes looking back at him had not been what he had expected, and he gave a grunt of surprise.

Jason rarely complained about waking up next to women -- especially naked ones -- but he preferred to remember how they got there. He squinted out from under the shadow of his forearm until his eyes unwillingly focused enough to identify his bed partner. "Mmf. 'Laney?" He groaned and rubbed his eyes. Was this a good dream, or was the taste of alcohol on his breath the culprit?

He discovered that his other arm could indeed move -- it had been trapped under Delaney's head -- and he bent it at the elbow to curve it around the slight girl. He feel of her shoulder under his calloused hands brought back vague memories, and he gave a lazy smile. The feeling of satisfaction was worth the stabbing headache and nausea.

The wrangler noticed her shivering then, and he tightened his hold. "Din' bank the fire." He mumbled, almost to himself. With a look out the window, he gave another guttural grunt, released his hold on the young woman and sat up. When the world stopped spinning, he clambered over her and padded bare-footed (and bare-everything) into the next room. After starting the burner, he found the discarded shirts and toted them back to the bedroom. With more than a lingering gaze at the pale woman, he grudgingly handed her her shirt and shrugged into his. Finding the rest of his clothes, he disappeared back into the other room and stepped out of the hut for a moment.

He returned a minute later with a full canteen of water and his head dripping profusely. His eyes were much clearer now, and the headache was subdued. Leaving a trail of drips across the hut, he set water boiling on the burner and returned to the bedroom. He leaned around the doorway with a crooked grin. "Bonzer day out. Yer saddle's damp. Got left in the rain. Set the blanket to dry, fixed you up a spare. The geld's just fine, Marie likes him." He reported, the smile crinkling the corners of his eyes. "I take it back, yer deffo a sheila, even in a blokes clothes." He grinned and disappeared from the doorway.

[Xarae]

Delaney smiled lazily as peered back at her, awake finally. However, her euphoria was short lived. After only a few blissful moments in bed, Jason roused himself and left the room. Laney shivered a bit and burrowed closer to the thin mattress. He was back a few short moments later, wordlessly handing her her missing shirt before wandering off again. Confused, Delaney put her shirt back on and buttoned two of the center buttons. Her shirt hung loosely off of her shoulders and flapped open at her navel, but the main parts of her were well protected as the shirt hung well below her waist. The fabric tickled at her knees as she got out of bed and stretched, her eyes still half closed against the morning light.

Laney grinned coquettishly as he spoke, following him through the bedroom door and out into a hallway. She crept up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. With a giggle, she pressed her cheek to his shoulder blade and inhaled the clean scent of burnt wood and cotton. "Mmm, you small good," Delaney purred, sliding her hands under his shirt and caressing his abdomen.

"And you? You're definitely a bloke, no matter what you're wearing," Laney snickered, standing on her tip-toes to kiss the back of his neck.

[Tiggs]

Jason twisted in her grip, lifting her by the waist and holding her against the rough wall, their faces level. He slicked his sodden hair back with one hand, the other holding her up. He was a lot more precise and stable this morning. "I just got dressed." He whispered against her cheek, "Should I have left them off?" With a sideways smile, he leaned in to kiss her, light and gentle.

The kettle began to whistle, and he reluctantly pulled back, resting his face in the curve of her neck. He inhaled deeply, sighing against her skin. "You don't smell half-bad either." He told her, carefully lowering her feet back to the ground. On level ground, she was more than a head shorter than him, and he tilted his head to the side as he looked down at her. His eyes fixed on hers -- he remembered she liked that -- until the kettle's whistles became impatient. "I should get that." He said, but he didn't move.