Lights, Camera, Orc-tion!

13: Oh...

"Excuse you!" Avicia jerked around, facing Kahdreg in a moment of confusion that was edging toward incredulous irritation. "What are you going on about?"

When Avicia spun around, Kahdreg straightened up a little, just enough to still be in her personal bubble but not close enough to kiss. This close though, her natural scent tickled their nose and they fought the urge to lean closer again, to be buried in her scent. Kahdreg smirked, hiding the embarrassing thoughts behind a wall of smug. "Maybe you're testing to see if you truly have what it takes to tempt me."

Avicia snorted at that. "You already told me I tempt you."

"Yeah," conceded Kahdreg, but an answer - the realization - quickly lined up on their lips, "But you didn't ask what I thought of this outfit. After pestering me to answer the other six."

"So?" Very obviously, Avicia rolled her eyes. Her head dipped to the side as if the force of her eye roll put her balance off-kilter.

"So, I think my confession of temptation was what you were looking for." Kahdreg bent their arms, lowering themselves a little closer to her. Their grin faltered for a breath, another epiphany striking into their head. A sudden delighted and curious smile curled to their lips. "Wait, are you jealous of Kallinaera?"

"Excuse you," Avicia repeated, drawing back so quickly she bumped into the mirror. The chill of the glass cut through the warmth of her overheated body. She leered up at Kahdreg, trying not to focus on the dichotomy of cold and heat she was stuck between. "Why would I be jealous of her? I'm the one 'dating' you."

"I don't know," admitted Kahdreg, giving a one-shouldered shrug. Their grin softened a bit, edging away from friendly taunting and into something more gentle. "She seemed to catalyze something in you, I guess."

"I'm not-" Avicia stopped suddenly, clamping her lips tight. Her gaze darted away from Kahdreg's face, as a slew of thoughts suddenly slammed into her. She wasn't jealous, but she wasn't perfectly settled, either. There was an itch beneath her skin. An annoyance. Disentangling the sensation made her flush. She could feel Kahdreg's intrigued gaze on her, intense but patient.

"To be convincing, I'm acting like I would in a genuine relationship." As she spoke, her words came out stilted, as if she was tentatively grasping them. She couldn't bring her gaze to Kahdreg. Her heart was already thrumming at a quick pace in her chest. If she spotted any more softness in Kahdreg's eyes, if her attention lingered on their lips, if her body ached any harder to lean closer to them, her heart may threaten to burst. "And, in this case, I... think I'd be frustrated you wouldn't put your foot down with her. Even knowing your reasons."

"Oh..." Shame shot through Kahdreg, leaving a sizzling cold in its wake. Uncertainty made their arms stiffen, as if prepared to pull further away, to stand up straight and give her space. It wasn't the first time someone mentioned this problem. Hearing the words come from Avicia's mouth made a lump form in their center.

"But, I was given a chance to cover that up with a shopping trip at her expense, so..." Avicia laughed a little too loud as she waved a flippant hand, trying to dispel the sudden awkwardness nipping in the air. It still crawled along the back of her shoulders, making her feel a fool. This relationship wasn't real, she shouldn't be annoyed.

As amicably as they acted toward one another, the two weren't even friends. They were co-workers. Well, not even that. She was their subordinate.

A slight furrow to her brow made it clear she was still in thought, though she smiled up at Kahdreg. Perhaps that was why, when the orc reached a hand to her cheek, she jumped. Her eyes widened, instantly focused on their face, before glancing to where they touched her.