Chapter Text
Finally Avery takes a breath to pause his lecture. At some point during the tirade he’d gotten so close their bodies were almost touching and both his gloved hands were now firmly gripping her upper arms. Reina wonders if he has any more accusations and veiled insults to throw at her or if he’s reached his limit. When another beat passes she breaks the silence. She puts on the serious Governor persona that she usually uses with Avery. "I understand that what I did was unorthodox but since there were no negative consequences I don’t see why this discussion couldn’t wait until tomorrow. It’s been a long day."
This infuriating man. Over the past few weeks she felt like the Commander had taken every opportunity to get involved in her work at the settlement. From showing up to her daily briefings with the builders (what did he know about constructing houses?!) to approaching her at meal times to comment on trivial matters like supply delivery times. Things which could have easily gone through the cadets under his command. The other day when returning from a scouting mission she was chatting amicably with Ragnar and the large man had laughed and thrown his arm round her shoulder. Avery, who had been inside the barracks at the time had noticeably stiffened and turned away. But in that brief moment Reina could see his lip curl with distaste and his eyebrows furrow. Had he been jealous?
She couldn't deny he was a very attractive man, especially in that neatly pressed uniform he almost never took off. All hard slopes and with that piercing golden gaze that always felt like it was melting though her.
"I… apologise for entering your bedroom." Avery says, his fury apparently gone and his calm mask back in place. "It’s, I-" He says the next part quietly “needed to see for myself that you were safe." The Governor can feel the warmth from his chest and hands. Still Avery makes no sign of releasing her.
He opens his mouth slightly as if he’s going to say something else but nothing comes out. She finds herself focusing on his lips.
A: Kiss Him:
Reina shifts onto her toes to gain extra height and closes the distance to press her lips to Avery’s. They’re softer than she expects but after a moment when he makes no move to return the kiss she starts to move back, an apology forming in her mouth. Before she can say anything he catches the back of her head with his gloved palm and presses their foreheads together.
"Reina…" he whispers and lets out a shuddering breath. "I was so damn sacred you…"
He tentatively nudges his head forward and once their lips are just brushing he surprises her with the intensity of the kiss- mouth claiming hers roughly. Their teeth knock together for a moment until they find a rhythm, all of the tension between them poured into this moment. She wraps both arms around his back to pull him as close as possible.
Avery pulls back and brings one of his hands to his mouth so he can frantically tug the glove off with his teeth. Finger by finger. The sight of this twists something inside her - he looks almost feral. Once the glove is off he cups her cheek with his bare hand and uses his thumb to trace soft circles against her skin. She leans in again to kiss the edge of his mouth and then gently bites his bottom lip. He groans softly and moves to kiss a line down the side of her jaw and neck. The hand holding her face lowers and he begins unbuttoning her black collar.
Oh- is he…
The skin bared by the shirt being undone is quickly covered by Avery's lips and he continues working his way down. After the third button Reina comes to her senses and takes his hand to stop him.
A1: Stop
"Wait- Avery what are you-" Reina begins, shocked by his boldness. She removes her hands from their position at his back and pushes away to create some distance.
The blond man immediately straightens up and removes his hands from her shirt. Now that they have space Reina can see the flush on his face and an unguarded expression she's never seen on him before. His eyes are wider than usual and his mouth slightly open. "I’m sorry- of course that’s- my apologies." He stutters. "I got carried away." He tilts forward slightly as if he's starting to bow before he halts himself. An amusing reaction in these circumstances.
"Well, uh - maybe buy me dinner first?" Reina responds in a light tone. "I wouldn’t want to go further with someone I’m not in a relationship with… "
"Yes, that's understandable." He replies. "Could you ever- would you potentially want that with me? I would like it if you would join me for a meal tomorrow evening? Or another day this week if that’s better. Whenever is convenient for your schedule." She smiles softly, charmed by how nervous he seems.
"Yes, I would like that. Tomorrow will be fine."
It feels a little awkward between them now that the moment of passion seems to have passed. Reina hesitates and steps forward to hug the tall man so that her face is nestled into the space between his neck and shoulders. Avery returns the gesture and buries his nose into her hair. When they move apart he very gently tilts her face up with the gloved hand and kisses her softly.
"Goodnight, Reina." He breathes against her lips. Only after he has left does she notice the single white glove in a crumpled pile on the floor.
A2: Keep Going
"Avery…" Reina starts with a teasing lilt to her voice, keeping a firm grip on his hand. "You know my door is unlocked, right? I’ve already had one unexpected visitor this evening and I’d rather keep this a private party…" Avery's movements stop but his face is still pressed into the space below her collarbone. The warm air from his breath against her skin causes a tingle to spread through her body.
"Ah - I didn't consider…" the Commander begins as Reina extracts herself from the his embrace and walks over to her bedroom door. She turns the lock and it makes a soft click as the latch engages. Before she can turn around to face Avery again she feels him at her back and a set of strong arms circle her front. He lowers his head so that his mouth is next to her ear. "all clear?" He whispers.
When Reina responds with an affirmative he bends down to pick her up in a bridal carry and takes her towards the double bed at the back wall.
B: Move Away
Reina takes a step backwards and gently pushes Avery’s hand from one of her arms. This movement seemed to jolt him back to the present and he quickly withdraws his other hand before stepping back. Was is just her of did a flicker of disappointment pass through his face? “I apologise." The Commander says in a neutral tone. "It was unprofessional of me to enter your personal space like that. My point still stands that you have overstepped your reach and it is mutually beneficial to involve the military for any further excursions into enemy territory. We can discuss this further at tomorrow morning’s briefing. I wish you a pleasant night.”
"Goodnight, Avery." She replies still feeling a little baffled by this encounter. He offers a stiff salute of two fingers to his forehead and leaves the room. The door clicks softly behind him.