Bella and Nic - Penance

[Frost]

Bella doesn't bother to ask, she just turns and finds the linen closet. She grabs a soft blanket and lays it down on the floor. She then grabs a pillow from the couch and lays it on the blanket, motioning for Nicolo to attempt to make himself confortable. All the while, not speaking.

[Christiaen]

Carefully, he eases himself down to the floor and moans softly as his skin, or lack of it, makes contact with the blanket. There will be no comfortable position, so he closes his eyes and tries to take himself away from his immortal being.

And he waits for the inevitable.

[Frost]

Bella kneels next to Nicolo and begins her inspection on his upper chest. Slowly, she moves down his body, digging into the torn flesh in various parts, finding brambles here and there. She sees the brand, but cannot really make out what it is, as the flesh around it is so torn and red. She decides now is just not the time to ask. She will file this bit of information away for a later time. Besides, it is a bit difficult to speak when one has their fingers digging around in your flesh.

Finally, after inspecting the last of his torn body, Bella sits back with a satisfied sigh.

"I think I've gotten them all. Good. Now, will you please heal Nicolo? You have confessed your sins and endured your penance. There is no more need for more pain."

[Christiaen]

"I will heal when we wake tomorrow. Not before." He could feel the sun coming, perhaps sooner than he usually could due to his missing flesh, he wasn't sure. "Please go to my bedroom, it's getting early and you can't sleep out here, it hasn't been secured." And as an afterthought he added, "You will take my bed, I will sleep on the floor." Nicolo rose painfully, the blanket already sticking to his back where the flesh was missing.

[Frost]

Bella frowns. "I will not take your bed from you. Besides you need it more then I do."

She helps him to his feet and helps him into the bedroom where she steers him to the bed and tries to help him get comfortable.

If he argues, she ignores it and continues to settle him into the bed.

Then she goes back to the closet and grabs another blanket and lays it down on the floor.

"If you insist on us sleeping separatly, then I will take the floor. However, I fail to understand why two adults cannot innocently share a bed."

[Christiaen]

"Bella, you will sleep in the bed, and you will not argue with me. Not tonight, and not in my own home." He reached for his temples with his long fingers, rubbing away the oncoming headache. And then he rethought his stance and softened his tone.

"You are a guest here and I will not have you lying on the floor." He wanted to add that she was a woman and he would not allow a woman to sleep on the floor while he slept in the bed, but decided against taking the possible risk of inflaming her sense of equality. "I can't bear to argue with you, please... Not tonight."

[Frost]

Bella smile. "Good, then it is decided. We'll share the bed. Now, get comfortable. We have only a few minutes left before the sun makes it's daily ride through the sky."

She pushes him gently onto the bed and then crawls in beside him.

"Now go to sleep. We can discuss this further in the evening." Closing her eyes, she prepares to allow the sun to kill her body for another day.

[Christiaen]

Shaking his head, he couldn't help but smile at her impossible tenacity. "I give up Bella." He let the events of the night bring unconsciousness to his body. But before he let go to the day, he whispered to her, "I found us a cathedral Bella. A beautiful church where we can take our covenant to worship God and Longinus in a house worthy of their love and inspiration. I'll show you tomorrow..."

And with that he was gone.

[Christiaen]

((END SCENE))