(Word count: 15631)
"Easy."
The steady kiss of mornings breeze feels comforting against the bare skin of Sunoos arms, its fingertips gently grazing his neck in a soft kind of encouragement as he stares down the length of an arrow. In his palms the wood of his bow bites into the now calloused skin, though he daren't ease up on the pressure with which he grasps it as though one ill move will break his focus entirely. Overhead the sharp trills of a nearby songbird bleat out across the skyline, crystal clear now that the wind has mellowed out into something less ill tempered, and if he strains hard enough he thinks he might just be able to pick up the distant hammering of his own heart where it beats a little too quickly against his ribcage as always - the product of staring with far too much hunger at the now familiar haphazardly painted bullseye he's come to find a strange sense of companionship in over his time within the crooked walls of the province.
His hand trembles and he feels his lips curl into a dissatisfied frown. Steady now.
"I said easy, Sunoo." The same voice echoes just as softly as it did before, never once pitching upward or growing in volume.
He presses his lips together, eyes burning into the red of the target. The heat of the sun tickles at his neck where it slips in through the trees and he furrows his brows, intent on-
There's sudden shift to the right of him, a soft sigh as boots crunch over half broken twigs and leaves. Overhead the songbird continues to croon and Sunoo barely has a second to adjust before a familiar warmth spills over his back and an arm swims into vision accompanied by pale, long fingers that immediately cover his own in an attempt to steady the ever so slight tremble there.
"You're not going to land an arrow when you're holding the bow near tight enough to make it splinter, are you?" Jay tsks, careful drawl sounding by Sunoos ear. He speaks softly, as though not to disturb the hush that's fallen over the small space within the forest, and Sunoo lets out a haggard sigh of contempt before he can stop himself, entirely frustrated.
"I don't know what's with me today. Usually I can at least hold the damn thing alright." He huffs, letting Jay manoeuvre his hand how he wishes.
"We all have our distractions sometimes." Jay hums and at the same time gently unfurls Sunoos wrought iron grip around the bow, hand encompassing his own in a way that has Sunoos eyes straying to the sight for a beat.
Yah, stop that. He internally chides himself, sure he'd only earn a smug look from Jay should he know the affect he has on Sunoo even during training.
There's no way he doesn't, anyway. Not that Sunoo will really admit that to himself, he needs to hold onto a little dignity.
"There." The elder breathes, the pad of his thumb stroking once, twice over Sunoos wrist once he's satisfied with his grasp on the bow. "Much better."
Sunoo releases the breath he'd been holding, forces his eyes away from where the muscles in Jay's hands shift and back to the target. He wants to do this, knows he can.
"Just take a breath and focus on the target." Jay murmurs, deep croon a little too distracting for Sunoos liking.
"I will if you let go of my hand." He replies none too quickly, a satisfied smirk tickling at his lips when Jay realises he's still holding on and retracts his lingering hand as though it's been burned, something akin to embarrassment in his gruff when he takes a step back and tells Sunoo to 'shut it.'
