Ranger's Apprentice: The Tantalizing Tales

Stairs

In which Will and Ayss are standing in the staircase, giving them an artificial (and alternative) height difference. Requested by anonymous.

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He was on his way up.

She was on her way down.

They passed each other, there, on the stairs. Their hands briefly touched as their feet depended on the same stones for support. But before the skin-to-skin contact could end, Alyss's hand grabbed his, not allowing him to take another step away from her. Will was forced to turn around and their eyes locked.

Alyss looked up at him. Smiled at him. It's the smile she has reserved for him and him alone. Will couldn't help it, even if he wanted to. He grinned back at her and let himself be pulled down.

Their lips met in a blissful encounter, there on the stairs. Will's hands lined her face, tilting her chin up so their mouths could touch. Maybe time stopped when his lips met hers, but the flutters in his stomach only intensified. He wasn't used to tilting her chin up towards him, to be the one pressing his lips down. Thankfully, Alyss was there to lean on.

On the other side, Alyss's heart pounded in her chest as her knees got weaker. Thankfully, Will was there to keep her up. The diplomat wasn't used to him towering over her, to have to look up to see and kiss him. But she had never liked looking up more, and had never been met by a prettier view. All she could do was focus on how soft he felt against her mouth, how addictively he invaded all of her senses.

They lost themselves in the kiss. They found themselves there, too.

Until approaching footsteps sounded. Reluctantly, the Ranger and Courier pulled away from each other. They pressed themselves against the wall so that the two scribes could pass. Between them, hidden by Alyss's full bag of papers, their hands had once again found each other.

When the scribes were gone, Will pressed another quick kiss down against Alyss's cheek. Their fingers untangled themselves and only a few minutes after their impromptu meeting, they were on their way again.

Will was running up the stairs.

Alyss was walking down.

Back to business, the remains of the kiss still lingering in the air in the staircase.