Guardian core (Book 1 of: potentially many)

Constitution

Alcor

My body burned, the sudden spike of agony making my breathing cut off- along with my hearing. I thrashed, feeling my bones cracking and shifting as my body screamed it's disapproval, something in my very soul feeling like it was being burned off. 

Then it was gone and I felt myself face-plant into the dirt, a cough clearing an oddly thick liquid from my mouth and letting me gasp in a ragged breath. I continued to cough and struggle for breath for another few minutes before I recovered enough to kneel up and look around, very dizzy and confused. 

I looked around, then almost fell over as an odd, small woman hugged me. I blinked and slowly recognized her as Auriel. My brain felt so fuzzy... My hearing was slowly coming back as well, though all of me felt weird, and off-balance. As if I'd been living with a weight on my left side my whole life, and now was suddenly hundred of pounds lighter on that one side. It was hard to adapt. 

"Alcor! Are you alright? You can hear me, right?" The woman- Auriel- looked me over, worried and flushed. She looked so beautiful... I kissed her, my brain just happily buzzing along at it's lazy little pace. Until I realized who this was, what we meant to each other, how not in a relationship we were, and... well, the fact that I was shirtless, lightheaded, and clearly not thinking straight might actually save my life. 

I quickly broke the kiss, turning bright red. "I-I-I... I'm sorry! Auriel, please forgive me, I wasn't thinking straight, and you were right there, and you look really, really pretty, and-" I got cut off as Auriel- who'd seemed dazed for a moment after I broke the kiss- leapt at me and knocked me onto my back, returning my kiss with one of her own. I didn't 'mmph'ed when she knocked me over, but then almost moaned as I relaxed and kissed her back. 

She was so soft, and warm... and she was kissing me back! I smiled, hugging her and kissing her just as enthusiastically as she was kissing me. For all of a minute. Then I felt her break the kiss and slap me. I blinked, very confused until she started yelling. 

"You almost died, had a demon almost eat your soul, were unconscious for days, and then almost choked to death coughing up blood, and the first thing you do is kiss me? What the actual, flaming hells is wrong with you? I cannot believe you are this stupid, you adorably innocent mass of muscles!" She pushed herself to her feet, huffing furiously and brushing herself off- leaving me on my back on the floor, staring up at her- now blushing for a different reason. 

The obvious was that she was an incredibly dominant warrior, and that was extremely sexy. But the main reason, was that she wasn't complaining about the kiss. She hadn't disliked the kiss itself. I barely let a faint flicker of hope stay in my chest, too used to rejection and being alone to really let myself feel more. 

"Um... Auriel... are... that is, do you, um..." I blushed, and she looked down at me, waiting. She was going to make me say it, I realized- and I didn't really want to avoid asking. I was too curious. 

"Auriel... may I court you, please?" She paused, her expression softening as she watched me, motioning for me to continue. I took a deep breath. "You are beautiful, kind, capable, miraculous with fire-magic, and able to easily take me down if you really wanted too. You're the most wonderful, amazing, sexy woman I've ever met, other orcs included, and I... I'd really, really like to say I've fallen in love with you without you threatening my life. Please... may I court you?" 

She hummed, staring at me for a minute before smiling. "Buy me dinner, and we'll see where things go from there. No more kissing until lI agree, though. You-" Stephan cut her off, and I couldn't stop smiling even after I realized he'd been there the entire time. Probably got here shortly after we started kissing. The man was a true friend.