The Great Crestmaster

"How am I supposed to answer that?" Irene shot back sharply.

"I want to know, you are clearly upset with me," Aldrich replied. "Is it because I asked for the necklace? It was a bad timing on my part."

Aldrich decided to take a step back and explain so that the situation doesn't go out of control.

"I…" Irene suddenly looked away, "what are you saying, if someone heard you they might misunderstand.."

'Hm? Her tone softened and what did she mean? Why doesn't she just answer the question?'

'Wait, misunderstand what?'

Aldrich was having an intense mental exercise, he could not have imagined that he would struggle like this while talking to a girl instead of a fight against a monster.

"You're not saying anything, let's go already, it wouldn't be good for you to be seen with me."

Saying that Irene attempted to promptly leave when Aldrich grabbed her hand.

"Why wouldn't it be good form to be seen with you?" Aldrich latched on to those word and felt like he was about to understand.

"L-let me go!" Irene tried to pull away, "you're a Crestmaster, I'm just a fisherman's daughter. Don't play the fool."

Aldrich finally understood. To Irene, when Aldrich gave her the money and asked for the necklace it must have looked like he was trying to distance himself from her.

"Oh, I think not. I need the necklace and I gave you the money because it's yours by right. That doesn't mean that I want to distance my self from you." Aldrich explained softly.

His words must have had some effect as Irene stopped stubbornly pulling away, "you're a Crestmaster, you can get any woman you want right? What do you want with me?"

Aldrich grinned, "well, you're right. I did have ulterior motives in bringing you here."

"What?" Irene asked in confusion.

Aldrich released her hand and pulled her close by the waist, "you did say I can get any woman I want, I want you." He whispered in her ear.

Irene's face was flushed, "you're unbelievable… you're an asshole!" She admonished without pulling away.

"Oh, that I am," Aldrich agreed, "and you, my little fisherman's daughter, was fishing for compliments just now weren't you?"

Aldrich asked rhetorically, because they both knew the answer. Irene avoided eye contact and brushed her hair behind her ear, not daring to look straight at Aldrich.

"What did you want me to say?" Aldrich said and answered himself, "that you're pretty? Because you are. That I like you very much? Because I do."

He moved purely by instinct, that look, her heartbeat he could almost hear it, it was almost as loud as his own. Hie lowered his head and she finally looked at him when their lips met.

It was brief, just a small brush of skin, and yet sweet. He pulled back, looked at her and she quickly looked away.

"You can't do that, it's improper…" Irene stuttered unconvincingly.

"Improper?" Aldrich asked, "it didn't feel that way to me."

"It is, I think so…"

"You know what? Let's try it again and see, you know, just how improper it is." Aldrich grinned and pulled her back for another kiss.

The first one was brief and experimental, this one was longer, deeper and more sure. His hand one on her wait pulled her in deeper, if that was even possible the other on her back.

Her own hand reached upwards and circled around his neck, their breaths mixing together and their noses brushing one another. They pulled back.

Aldrich looked at Irene and she looked back at him, this time they didn't beed any words. This kiss was no longer as pure, it was lustful and their tongues intertwined.

His hand went lower to her ass and squeezed, she moaned in his mouth as her soft flesh flattened under his big hand.

With one easy motion he lifted her up pressed her against the outer wall of the watch tower and kissed her even deeper.

Irene didn't know what was going on anymore, her head was spinning, her heart was probably going to pop out of her chest. All she felt was pleasure in his embrace, his big body pressed against hers.

She could feel his hardness pressing against her bellybutton, and she felt suffocated, she didn't have enough time to breath in between kissing and she wasn't sure that she wanted to anymore.

A long time later they separated, both huffing and puffing. Aldrich broke the kiss himself, his raging little brother protested and Aldrich tried to calm it down.

If he continued he wasn't sure what he might do. The whole thing reached a stage that he almost lost control, but suddenly Adera's face appeared in his mind.

Aldrich stopped himself. His first ever kiss was with Adera under a tree. She challenged him to climb a tree for a kiss and he wasn't going to waste that chance so he did hurt his hand but it was worth it.

"Uh, ehem!" Aldrich cleared his throat, "soo, ah, should we get going?"

"Y-yeah," Irene still looked flushed but when she stole a glance at him her face reddened like a tomato.

On the way back to the docks Aldrich summoned his courage, "so, when are you coming back, to Voryhrm I mean?"

"I don't know," Irene too looked like she regained her composure somewhat, "Not any time soon…"

"Is it because of your father?" Aldrich had already guessed as much even though he didn't like that, but it was something that couldn't be helped.

"I have to take care of him until he gets back in shape, I feel guilty, he went in my place."

Aldrich nodded he didn't object, this was how it should be. Even though he wanted her to come back with him now, it wasn't right for her to just leave her father bedridden.

Certainly, Irene wasn't the type who would do that, this is something that Aldrich liked about her. Besides it probably wouldn't be long till they reunite again.

"We will leave soon." Aldrich said.

"Can't you stay a bit longer?" Irene asked looking distressed.