I can still feel it. I wouldn't want to take any massive deep breaths, but it's a hell of a lot better. Doesn't feel Like someone's jabbing a knife in my Lungs when I move anymore." He smirked, feeling good about the small victory. "Although I'm glad I had someone with the skill to knife my Lungs in the first place."

“That isn't funny." She folded her arms and gave him a rather stern look.

“Hey, I've been Laid out for days. I'm sorry my wits aren't as sharp as they should be." He flashed a handsome smile, though his cheeks still looked a little paler than they should have.

"You shouldn't be joking about such things in the first place! You have no idea how I..." Valise trailed off, catching herself about to admit something she thought best kept quiet.

“How you... what?" "It is nothing." She shook her head and looked away, out of the tent and through the gap in the cloth to the camp outside.

She found herself turning back almost straight away as she felt Gregory's hands settle on her upper arms and their eyes met, her Light crystalline gaze contrasting against his inviting darkness.

“Tell me." The two words spilled from his Lips almost directly onto her own, his breath making her silken seams tingle in a way she wasn't entirely comfortable with.

"I..." Her breath caught in her throat. Those eyes of his saw so many unseen things from within their deep blue pools and she felt naked before them. "I was scared. Terrified, actually. When they brought you back, after what you'd done to protect me. To see you like that and to know that it was my fault. To know that your life rested in my hands. Once it was over I went to my tent and I couldn't stop shaking for hours.”

Indeed, even to think upon the matter seemed to have made the woman lose the colour from her elegantly beautiful features.

“Valise," Gregory gave her arms a little squeeze in his strong hands. She felt herself shiver. "None of this is because of you. Don't blame yourself for a mistake that rests only on my shoulders. I should not have left Freddie alone. That is the end of it. Yes?"

Valise obviously didn't see things in the same light.

“Alright," he continued, “I see I am not going to convince you. Let me instead convince you of this. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you. You stood up when I needed you the most and, despite being scared, you fixed me up again, and now here I am. I don't blame you for what happened. I blame whoever got their hands on your potion and Let the bastard go free."

Valise seemed to be mustering her own argument before halting herself, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath that quivered somewhat with her worry. He had known Janette to do something similar in the days following his misadventure. When those we care about suffer, it is hard not to think about the worst outcomes imaginable. It was that Little shivering breath that fell from Valise's lips that brought about Gregory's reaction. A reaction that he always administered to his blazing-haired lover whenever her nerves threatened to overtake her thoughts.

When he stepped forth and ran his fingertips along Valise's chin, the woman was so shocked that she froze on the spot. Then, the young male seamlessly shifted to press his Lips against hers and she found herself tasting his succulent and savoury kiss. The action came as such as a surprise that in those first moments she could barely think to move. Hell, she could barely think at all. There was only his enticing taste and the talented manner in which he drew her in deeper. The teasing caress of his tongue on her Lower lip finally snapped her back to life as she heard herself release a stifled moan. The noise of her own blissful excitement was so utterly alien to her that it was enough to shock her out of the trance. Her hands found his shoulders and pushed at that alluring, bared body until their kiss broke. She found herself resting against him with one of his arms settled around her slender waist.

It felt incredible.

"I can't," she feebly protested.

You damn well can." Gregory's words rumbled against her ears and brought her breath up short in the nicest way imaginable.

“I am too old for-" Her half-hearted attempt at logic was interrupted as Gregory stole another kiss and showed her that he certainly didn't think their age difference was a limiting factor in his desire for her.

This time she did not push at him, though he felt her fingers squeeze his shoulders in a way that he enjoyed immensely. The woman was utterly delicious against his lips. If he was utterly honest with himself then he would also have to admit that after being bossed around for weeks by the lady, he was definitely enjoying her sudden Loss of control over him. Not to mention that part of the doctors orders were to keep from any strenuous activity which had left him downright sexually starved after his initial immersion into a truly hyperactive sex life.

Now he was on his feet again. Now they were definitely operating on equal footing.

His arm lifted up along her back to slide his fingers up behind her head into that silvery mass of her hair. It felt Like wreathing his fingers in the purest of silks. There, his fingers gently pulled her away and he enjoyed the Little moment of tension as she fought for more of his kiss before finally relenting to Look right into his eyes.

“Well doctor, how well do you think my recovery is going?"

“I'd say," her voice wavered and she paused to steady herself, “I'd say it was better than I could have hoped for."

Gregory flashed her a grin that turned her insides to a happy combination of jelly and live fireworks.

"Hell that sure is good news.”