Stay

six.

           She was finishing the beautiful night sky when she heard him walk in. As per proper protocol, she should have looked up, acknowledging his entrance. But she didn't. Her focus was solely on the pen in her hand and the book in her lap.

He could wait.

He would wait.

After all, he left her waiting.

Not that she wanted him around, but it was the principle of it.

When she was informed he'd sent for her; her heart sped. Her hands clammed up and she was a bundle of nerves. Not because she feared he would bed her. She was confident that would not happen for some time, if ever.

No, she was nervous because she was no longer fearful of upsetting him. Well, fear was still there. It always would be. He just had that effect on her. But now, she felt as though she could push her limitations with him.

So she did.

The three women who'd become constants in the past few days were surprised when she insisted on bringing her sketchbook to his chambers. Nadura teased she would have no time for drawing, but Aaliyah insisted.

She wanted to take the opportunity to draw. After all, it'd been a week since he asked for her. And at the growing rate, two weeks without being summoned wasn't entirely off the table.

She wasn't sure if she could go another seven days without sketching the beautiful scenery seen only from Warith Al Ghul's balcony.

Luck would have it, he was not there when she arrived. Similar to last time, when the blonde left, she slipped off her two robes and headed for the balcony. This time, she only stayed outside for a few minutes, starting her creation outdoors, but taking it inside.

She made herself comfortable and proceeded to draw and was still doing so when he finally walked in.

Aaliyah waited for him to say something, but he instead went straight to the shower.

She sighed in relief and focused on her drawing. Unfortunately, he wasn't long and when he came out, Aaliyah looked up and gasped.

Similar to their first night, he was shirtless and wearing loose black pants. But unlike that night, they weren't on the balcony with dim lighting. She could see it all now. The horrible scars that marred his chest and the large black sun tattoo on his left pectoral area. She'd seen plenty of soldiers over the years, soldiers who carried wounds from their past, but none like Warith's.

There were various stab and burn marks and areas with raised skin.

"What are you sketching?"

His voice interrupted her thoughts and his question surprised her. She lifted her book and flipped it to show him. Instead of looking from afar, he walked over and reached for a nearby stool.

Because he had to turn around to grab the stool, Aaliyah got a look at his back. It was arguably worse than the front. She saw more scars than skin, and recognized the large outline of an arrow head on the right side of his back shoulder.

She didn't know if she still felt like she was in his debt to him for his arrangement of her meeting a fellow Biaylian, the acquiring of the soap she had to use, or the wardrobe he was having designed for her, but something was happening within. She was suddenly feeling an outburst of compassion and sympathy for the monster who was becoming more man by the hour.

Sitting across from her, he grabbed the book and scanned his eyes over. Suddenly, Aaliyah grew nervous as he spent an excessive amount of time evaluating.