Towards Redemption [HIATUS]

| Slow Progress |

Hello everyone! It's been rather long hasn't it? Before I start, I wanted to thank all of you guys for all your love and support regarding everything. You give me so much hope and make me feel better every time I read all your comments. In fact, I have a separate folder with all your comments screenshotted just because they help me so much!

I love you guys so, so, so much. And thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. For your kind words and your support. It means so much, more than you can imagine! Also, I wanted to update you guys on my status as well. I am recovering, slowly but surely. I have been writing small pieces here and there, gathering ideas for when I finally start updating regularly as I did before. But for now, I am just focusing on keeping myself centred and in control.

This isn't me starting a regular update schedule, but hopefully it's a start. I hope to hear from you guys soon!

Love,

Ceelia. xoxoxoxo

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Esmae presses her fingers to her lips, she still feels the tingling sensation from the remnants of Grimm's on them. They felt swollen and well kissed. She felt lightheaded and out of her element. Grimm had kissed her. Grimm. Had. Kissed. Her. And it was her first kiss. And it was perfect. Grimm was perfect.

The thought had blood rushing to her cheeks and Esmae finds herself glancing at him shyly through her lashes. Grimm has an odd expression on his face. He looks like he is partially shocked and worried but immensely satisfied with himself. Esmae absently notes that here is a slight flush on his cheeks. But she can't comment on it, can't react to it, not yet. Her nerve endings were figuratively fried for the moment and the haziness that entered her vision from the kiss was still a lingering fog.

Her heart was beating wildly in her chest, the noise making her ears burn and ring. "What?" Grimm asks gruffly, his tone is somewhat hard, but the passion filled look in his eyes and the way he licked his lips as he asked the question—as though he was still tasting her there— made the burn of his tone completely non-existent. Abruptly, Esmae feels the tears gather in her eyes, and through them, she sees Grimm's expression change to one of panic as he gently kneels down in front of her. Absently stopping the still swaying swing behind him from hitting him on the back.

"Hey? What's wrong? I'm sorry. I shouldn't..." He reached out, stumbling and fumbling for words. His tone had softened and it only made matters worse for Esmae. She burst into tears, startling Grimm. She couldn't stop the sniffles and the sobs that came over her as she desperately tried to stop the tears flowing down her cheeks as she rubbed the heel of her palms across her eyes and over her cheeks.

"Oh, Grimm!" Esmae manages between tears, not knowing herself why she had reacted the way she did. And Grimm was as clueless as her, probably worse. "The kiss was good!" She wails, "The best! My first, but I wouldn't have had it otherwise!" She sobs and Grimm finds himself frowning as he gently grabs her shoulders. Cautiously, like she was a scared, wild animal about to bolt. The thoughts of possibly tainting her long had since fled his mind, the moment his lips had touched her, he could think little beyond the thought that he wanted this seemingly fragile woman with everything in him, anyway he could get her.

"Then why the fúck are you crying?!" He asks, panic making his voice harsh and gruff. Esmae shakes her head, continuing to sob. Her eyes and nose are red now, there is a flush on her cheek as well. "It's just..." She pauses, still sobbing and crying, "I like you!" She declares, "I like you so much. And you kissed me. But I didn't know I liked you that much until recently." She tells him, "And you kissed me! Me!" She seemed to be unable to get over that fact. "And I'm me! I don't even know how long I have left, and I like you. Very much. I don't even know you that much." She says and Grimm feels an odd kind of fear grabbing at his throat. Choking him.

A world without Esmae in it would be a dull, lifeless one for him. Surely, whoever was up there wouldn't be as cruel as to show him such a brilliant light such as Esmae only to take her away from him before they could even begin. Grimm pulls her to him, pressing her face to his shirt, one hand wraps around her waist and the other gently, awkwardly brushes the back of her head in a soothing motion. She stiffens for a moment, before her sobbing continues. The fúcking woman was killing him. He didn't know a woman's tears could affect him until Esmae decided to cry on him.

"You don't get to leave, Esmae." Grimm says softly, his voice is unused to such timbre that it sounds gruff, "The world needs more of you." He tells her. More than it needs bastards like me. She was everything good and nice in the world. He was dripping with fresh blood, the scent of it only leaving him at her presence, the mere scent of her over powering the smell of death and destruction he evoked.

She mumbles something against his shirt in response but it is muffled and he doesn't ask her to repeat it.

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Grimm's heart was beating fast. As fast as hers. Esmae could hear it clearly, her face pressed against his chest. Grimm had a nice scent. It wasn't all warm and nice. It was very masculine, but Esmae felt the darkness and the monsters hidden underneath it. His scent was crisp, dark, dangerous and sensual. Very like Grimm himself. It shouldn't calm her, but it did. And Esmae for once, was glad for it.

All the crying had made her a bit tired and drowsy. She cuddled further into him and Grimm stiffens for a moment, his hands tightening around her before they relax again. She is surprised when he attempts to make himself more comfortable too.

It was her turn to stiffen when she feels him breathe deeply against her. Struggling, she tries to raise her head, self-consciousness creeping in. Did her hair smell?

She opened her mouth to ask him, but he beat her to it. "You smell nice. Like oranges and kindness." He mumbles, she doesn't see it, but after saying that, he feels heat creep up his face for a brief moment. It wasn't even a day since he had kissed her, but the woman had already made him blush twice.

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The farewell was a slightly awkward one, Grimm's expression revealed nothing when she told him she was off. But Esmae wouldn't look anywhere near him; with her cheeks tinged red, she looked away from him when she spoke. Grimm thought it was rather cute. The whole thing made him smirk.

"So..." Esmae runs a hand over the strap of her bag, once, twice as she shifts on her feet. "I'll see you soon?" She asks and Grimm grunts. She nods once and ducks her head. Esmae turns to leave, her movements stiff and odd. Grimm reaches out the last moment while she flees and leans down, nearly grinning at her wide eyed look as he does so and presses his lips to hers. He kisses her, once, twice, three times before he licks the seam of her lips and withdraws.

"Soon." He says and watches as she stands there for a few minutes, blinking before she shakes her head slightly. Her hand goes to her lips in an almost daze and she licks them. Grimm nearly groans. Then she is darting away from him. Grimm waits until she is completely gone from view before he turns around himself and makes his own way home.

Oh, Esmae was going to be seeing him very soon.

Menace is waiting for him when he opens the door, the cat's eyes seem all too knowing for Grimm and he growls at the cat. Menace, in response, licks one paw before trotting alongside of him towards the sofa where he jumped up on Grimm's lap, asking for a scratch. Grimm does it, recalling how Esmae had brushed her fingers across her lips, the look of wonder on her face. Grimm hisses when the kitten scratches him, he glares at the fur ball now a safe distance away from him, accusing green eyes glare at him.

"What?!" Grimm snarls. "It's none of your fúcking business." He tells Menace who hisses back at him in return. "Suit yourself, you fúcking brat."

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THIS IS NOT EDITIED. FEEL FREE TO POINT OUT MISTAKES!