Accountant of Sandrock - MeowsHouse (2024)

Chapter 1

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It beggar's belief almost that this small woman attacked the accounts with such ferocity, like a conductor she would be a whirlwind of sorting and paperwork. Eventually a crescendo and there was a neat little stack of accounting for all those bits of paper and mess.
Even Coopers lax filing system was wrangled into proper shape. Trudy was considering hiring her to tackle some of the City Hall workings as well.
The woman loved to organise, the sheer joy on her face as she found every little sum, and organised them neatly was astounding to watch.
Andy was quite frankly half in love with her joy in maths, after she did a talk at the school under Miss Jane's eye. Jasmine was equally fascinated, but also jealous of Andy and his veritable hyperbole about the woman.
Owen had her over to check his own accounts, but she had just happily nodded her way through his own efforts, gently organising it into a tidier whole, but mostly left it as is. Her little nod and happy smile for the organisation, had Owen smiling right back with his unique charm.
Unsuur was utterly taken with her, as he watched her sigh and tackle the filing system at the Civil Corps. Paperweights of various types and shapes had him staring as she weighed down the various stacks and took her anger out in the incompetent forebears of Justice's time and slowly slowly some headway was being made with the current accounting while the backlog was put to one side for the time being. She frequently eyeballs it with a sneer on her lips. She would get to it in time. Unsuur would swear he saw the piles tremble anxiously under that look.
Captain was also utterly charmed, relaxing in her lap, chasing papers that floated gently to the floor and sitting on the one she needed right at that very moment. Yet she never expressed any anger at the feline. Despite a tight schedule she would tickle his chin and either move on or distract him in order to get what she wanted under his paws,
She wasn't particularly surprised to find many of the recent pieces of paperwork bore his paw shapes in ink prints. This would make her laugh and tut at him for leaving behind evidence of his crimes. One particularly clear print she even copied the surrounding notes out onto another piece of paper, trimmed the unnecessary edges, and rframed it to hang on the wall. Thereby winning an ally in Justice and Unsuur, for her enjoyment in their feline member of the Corps.

As meetings under the moonlight go, it was anything but romantic, at first anyway. She was fighting off a bout of insomnia in the early morning hours before dawn, he was up working out and jogging around Sandrock. Neither paid much attention to the fact someone else was at the Oasis at first. But as Unsuur turned a corner and found her, realising she was the other person occupying the place, he halted in place. Startled at first she relaxed upon seeing it was Unsuur, smiling up at the man as the full moon silvered her features and the low lamp gave its own golden glow.
Unsuur wiped his brow and hands of sweat with a towel round his shoulders, smiling back.
"Can I sit with you?"
"Sure, that would be nice, a little company. Though it's lovely and cool and calm out here right now."
The air was warmer in the Autumn over night than the chills of the summer, but still cold. A shawl draped over her body kept her warm and hid away her partially unclothed state.
Unsuur noticed the unbound curve of her breast as the blanket moved and opened enough as she drank from a flask by her side. Flushing, he looked away, trying to focus his mind on anything but the smooth silk of the strappy top and the way it clung to her soft curves.
"Couldn't sleep?" he asked of her
"Happens sometimes, my head gets so busy it cant unwind enough, and the jobs not exactly physical enough to tire me out that way. I tried some exercises but even that didn't take. So hear I am, it's peaceful and calm out here, soothing almost."
Unsuur felt awkward like he was disturbing that slice of peace, but even before he could stutteringly apologise, she was speaking again in a hurried manner.
"Not that I mean I don't like you being here too, you're wonderful company, I mean ...uh.. I'm comfortable with you here too? Oh Peach I don't know what I'm saying. Sorry."
Her hands were worrying at the corner of the folds of the blanket shawl, up Unsuur hesitatingly readh out to still the fidgeting. Give a gentle squeeze.
She blinked up at him staring into his dark eyes and turned her hand enough to clench his hand in hers. They sat there for some time just quietly takin in the peace of the early morning and each ither company.
Parting as the distant crow of a rocket rooster heralded the oncoming dawn.
Unsuur looked for her the next morning on his run, but she was sleeping at this hour. Circling round, the windows of her home were dark near the science centre, he hoped she was sleeping deeply and calmly at least.
It was a week before she was at the Oasis again, and Unsuur had stuttered uncomfortably trying to nt be utterly awkward around her. Then she had patted at the spot next to her, in quiet understanding. Instinct had them reach hands out to the other again.
From then on, at least once a week, he would find her by the Oasis and they would sit together. Quietly enjoying the night. Sometimes they talked, bt most often they didn't, just enjoying the time and company.
Both were uncertain about how to broach the subject, of asking for more from the other, not knowing that the idea would be reciprocated and not rejected. So the stalemate of their time continued.

Chapter 2: Sesha

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Sesha had arrived in Sandrock under the auspices of Trudy the mayor, their families had long known each other apparently and when Trudy had reached out for help in organising the town Sesha had known that this was the perfect opportunity to go out and set up her own firm.
The town was undergoing a boom and expansion after all the events reported in the newspapers and elsewhere, the new found water and the greenification were calling the Hardy and risk takers to try their luck at establishing a home in the area.
So far however they lacked a good stable accountant to help tidy the mess of the decay of many decades. She had been assured of work, at the very least through Trudy herself in the government offices, and through organising the paperwork and funds of the attached Civil Corps. There were also several businesses who would no doubt reach out for assistance.
So organising a home with a small shop front office, Sesha had lept free of her family and descended on the town.
She was a slight woman, full of energy, tempered with a dedication to her job, and a love of organisation, that fueled her. Nothing delighted her more than putting all the pieces of paper in just the rights places, dotting the i's and crossing the t's and getting all the accounts balanced to perfection.
Sandrock was going to be a task of frustration and finesse, and she delighted in the prospect, after being corralled into the family firm, which was slowly sucking the joy of her job out from under her. It helped that she had several other skills to supplement her income if need be.
Sesha was named after an ancient goddess of mathematics and writing, from what her mother woukd tell her of the stories. Her golden skin and deep lapis hair came from that ancestors, her malachite eyes from elsewhere. She kept her hair in a neat cut that hit just above her shoulders, so she could sweep it up into a hair clip if needed, or leave it down. She wore a mix of style in clothes of jewel tones and creams to suit her complexion. The strict formalities of the City would not be adhered to too closely from what she had heard about Sandrock, especially considering the heat and sand a make up of its very nature.
So she had bought lots of loose flowing clothes with her alongside some more formal outfits and casual ones. Really her job required little beyond her mind, copious paperwork and a lot of ink, to start with. Any books of accounting theory and law were being shipped ahead of her, along with a request for a hand made old wood desk and the exact proportions and drawer spaces needed. She was exacting and knew what she liked when it came to office furniture. A comfortable chair being a must have.
Trudy had met her at the station and shown her the small office and the above flat, sited near to the technical centre, she had been told the name but it slipped from her mind, with a Director Qi at the helm. Trudy had stated with a frown, that her checking over the paperwork there might be worth a look too. She had already been contracted to go over paperwork with the owner of the local budding Amusem*nt Park known as Catori World, and to organise the lax paperwork and accounts at the Civil Corps in particular of the government contracts.

Hopefully word would spread of her skills, money going to funding the ownership of the building as well as her own simple needs. Though an emergency fund was always a good idea as a nice cushion. Her normal fund for emergencies was severely depleted after this escapade, as her family termed her move out to the middle of the desert. Only her elder brother had been supportive of her going on her own way. He wrote many expressive letters of support and reminders of things she would need, till she was almost buried in letters from him. She kept each missive stashed away as a precious item to peruse at her own leisure.
Sesha was finding adjusting to Sandrock life fairly easy going, though the amount of genuinely good looking and attractive people around had her Utterly gobsmacked. It didnt help that so many of them were ridiculously tall either, she felt like a pebble amoung mountains half of the time. Did they put something in the water here to grow up with all those muscles and height? Meeting various people had her intimidated at first, but she gradually relaxed her skittish demeanor as best she could.
In the main her relationships were developing well she thought, a few corners rubbed raw with some, others were easier to get along with. She even enjoyed the long winded conversations of Cooper to most everyone's surprise. But not her own. The older gentleman reminded her of her grandfather in the way he had his rants and little stories and asides. So she always took time out of her schedule to listen to him when she could.

After being in Sandrock for 8 weeks sorting out the collection of paperwork Trudy had asked her to do on the Mayoral end of things, it was time to tackle the Civil Corps and meet some of the other members of the flourishing group than Justice, she had heard that due to the influx of people 2 new members of the team were employed recently and also that a couple were stationed in some of the small towns on rotating routes that interacted with the monster hunters of the area

Chapter 3: Unsuur

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Unsuur woke up again, another day loomed on the horizon, mechanically getting up and working through his morning routine he sighed. The days were long and hard but he felt immense gratitude towards his job for keeping him going.
It was easier day by day and sometimes the hurt was faded enough that he felt relaxed and calm, he knew it had affected him. Quite badly at first, though he had been determined not to show it to the Builder, some form of pride in himself kept him straight and true while his heart crumbled inside. He had curled up at home and sobbed his way through the night, only Justice and Captain had kept him going, using the job and his position as deputy to help him carry on in the face of his loss.
It was so much harder after your life had been changed and full of bright care and warmth, to take it away and be left with the ashen remains, made it an interminable struggle to just keep going on. A death of a relationship and a part of him, he genuinely thought his heart was breaking.
Over time he remained how the relationship had been, and found the problems and the issues he had willfully ignored. He didn't blame her for leaving, he just wasn't enough for someone as bright and full of life and excitement as her.
Watching her and Logan together had been like a puzzle piece slotting together. Even he understood that. But it still hurt, having to go back to emptiness and his silent home every evenings.
Captain still came to check on him sometimes, this appeared to be one of those mornings. He was patting at the door and entering to check his home and come for a scratch and attention. Unsuur was beginning to think he came just for the snacks sometimes. He always had a piece of fish ready for Captain set to one side in a can. Captain would scoff it up and use it to fuel his day, Justice had had words with him about how they were overfeeding the cat. So they had decreased his portion sizes on the days he visited Unsuur. Much to Captains disgust he wasn't allowed to get away with his behaviour.
Unsuur smiled fondly at his fellow Corps member, "All shiny and put together today Captain. Well I am at keast, this new figures and numbers person is going to have a shock at the state of the filing system I think!"
He had tried himself on being made deputy yo wrangle some form of order, but the rot ran too deep after almost a decade of bad filing preexisting before even Justice became Sheriff.
"I suppose its a good thing we are attacking it now, can you imagine how much worse either would of gotten, with the new members we have, and the rangers in the small towns? At least we always get paid on time."
He continued his chat with the attentive feline as he left his home and walked the few feet to work.
"Guess this is our stop. Shall we see what's happening today?"
Unsuur had only seen the accountant from a distance, a small but curvy figure buried under paperwork at City Hall, she seemed to be full of life and vitality. Opening the door to find her, and his Sheriff, at cross hairs, he was struck by that vitality once again, along with just how wonderfully pretty he found her.
His heart rate sped up when she turned to him and the cat in the doorway, a smile gracing her lips and shining in her deep green eyes. Her hair was swept into a braid and so dark he woukd of thought it black but for the shine of blue in the light. She was short, maybe even smaller than the builder. Somewhere around 5 foot tall and a little bit more perhaps. But she had the most luscious curves on display where her loose blouse and trousers clung to her. Unsuur paused utterly taken with her, stuttering to life with a stumble and a blush when he was introduced.
"Nice to meet you Deputy Unsuur!" She smiled delightedly up at him.
Stammering a hello he flinched and retreated to the upstairs desk that had been recently placed for him to work at.
Justice let him go with a shake of his head, and suggested it might be a good idea to fuel their day with coffee. Unsuur liked the sound of that, the corps had invested in a good Coffee set up as a congratulations when all the fuss and bother had ended with Duvos. It was much better than the previous set up that seemed to just produce sludge. That was a relic from before Justice, who loved a good brew, so now able to update the machine the Sheriff had ensured they would have a good coffee every morning that no longer tasted like machine oil.

Chapter 4: First steps of Attraction

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Unsuur felt hands stroke him up across his belly and over his chest. He could just about hear a low toned voice in his ear, but how ever much he strained he could not hear what was said. Strong teeth took hold of his earlobe and tugged, a breath heavy in his ear had him moaning and reaching for ... nothing.
He woke with a jolt and the worst ache low down on his back and his morning erection straining to be free from his pyjama short. Groaning her fell back against the pillows with his heels of his hands pushing at the sockets of his eyes. He wasn't sure what was worse, the nightmares or the dirtiest dreams he kept on having. That one had been tame in comparison to other nights recently.
He knew the cause, the lithe petite body of Sesha flitting around from file cabinet to desk. He couldn't stop watching her, even out on patrol he thought about what she was doing back at the Civil Corps building. It wasn't her fault, but she was driving him crazy, the previous nights dream had him pushing her up against the desk as she leaned over to grab something, cupping her ass with his crotch and pulling her by the hips back into his straining pants.

This wasn't helping! He groaned and headed for a shower, determined to take care of the problem, washing it away down the drain and hoping he could do the same with his insistent desire. He didn't ever remember being quite so ... distressed? About the builder. Though they had never really worked in such close proximity, aside from a few dangerous missions when they were all focused on other things. Such as fighting for their lives.

Sesha had him turned about and upside down, intrigued by her he had watched her thump down a bag onto Justice's desk the second day of her organisation deconstruction. That was what she had called it, he kind of liked the sound of it, after having double checked the meaning in his well thumbed dictionary.
Justice had joked to her about carrying rocks around, deadpan she had turned back to him, a stack of papers in hand. Opening the bag she pulled out a palm sized chunk of amethyst and used it to weight down the paperwork. She had smiled with quiet entertainment while Justice ranted about crazy rock lovers. He had had to explain Unsuur's interest in rocks and minerals to her before she had understood what the Sheriff was on about.

One of his break times, he had walked in and made coffee for both himself and Sesha, as was becoming his habit, and she had offered him a large chunk of Amethst she had been using earlier. It was a dirty, earth flecked crystal, like a dragons tooth, almost, she had said. He had turned it over in his hands, and smiled at her. Hesitantly they had started to discuss some of the other chunks in her bag, and he had been delighted to find many were interesting chunks of pyrite, quartz and other common minerals, all interesting in some way, even if they were of low value. The cube like pyrite piece with a corner cut off she had admitted to being a favourite of hers, just for its shape. She had explained that though it lacked something other pieces of pyrite might have, to make themselves a cubic whole, it was in itself as it was supposed to be. Missing piece and all.
He had been...charmed by the idea, that she loved these flawed rocks however interesting or otherwise they may be. Each had a story to them, and over several days he had warmed to her as he sat and listened to her rattle on about each. She had allowed him to pick up each one and turn it over in his hands. A piece of a dull jasper slice with interesting rings, a geode of dirty quartz, rutilated quartz full of flaws, each had a story about how she had gotten it. Even if it was that of a simple present.

It wasn't more than a week or so before she had declared herself satisfied to of found the last 5 years worth of paperwork. But had discussed with Justice, within his hearing, about looking at the back log during a slower part of the year. For now, the most recent and pressing issue was getting their current financials tugged into shape.
And then she was gone, paperwork lightened the office felt ...lacking without her presence, however much he had been attracted to her and wanting to touch her constantly, when she was gone it felt like a massive silence descended upon his workplace.

Except she wasn't gone really was she? He still saw her in town, and now she would veer in his direction to pass the time of day with him whenever she spotted his form. All to his own surprise, she seemed to enjoy chatting to him, though he didn't say a whole lot of anything back, except maybe his usual jokes and commentary on sand and the like.
It left him feeling utterly flustered, and at the same time, seen in a way he hadn't felt since the builder was pressing her attentions on him. Unsuur really wasn't...sure...what to do about it at all. Especially after last time. Did he want to risk the hurt and pain of it all over again? Yet he couldn't deny that inevitable strong pull he had towards Sesha, like a lodestone in his life.

Chapter 5: In the dark morning

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Sesha didn't want to examine too closely how she felt about the Deputy of the Civil Corps. She had found him charming and attractive, if quiet, while she wrangled some sense of the paperwork and found 5 years worth of papers stashed in various obscure places around the building.
His dark blue steel hair, the deep dark eyes that could warm with Amber, and the interest he showed in her whimsical collection of paperweight wrecks had all hit her with a visceral punch to the stomach. Down low. She could identify the distinctive smell of the man an aroma of clean soap, gunpowder, and lemon mixed with a healthy male sweat. It had her distracted when he was in the process and when he wasn't. She had simultaneously wanted to escape and to linger at the Civol Corps building just to spend more time with him.

That was too seductive of a pull than she could cope with, and after almost 2 weeks of work she had trailed several boxes of work, with the Deputies help, to her office and home. She sat in the slightly cooler air now. Turning through the pages in order to sort out pay cheques, incoming orders and requests of bounties and other informations as well as the out going sundry orders for fabric and repairs to uniforms.

From what she could gather it had been many hectic years, even before the Duvos disaster, with harassment from a lizard biped species called Geeglers. Apparently one now worked at the Blue Moon as a chef? Either way it meant a downtime in the repairs needed to their uniforms now things were hopefully settling down. Cost approximations for the next few years so far seemed stable. But she was concerned about the building they were using, the expansion of the town and the Civil Corps with new employees, and that damned jail being off the floor. Surely that was a potential problem? Maybe she could flag that to Trudy, when she submitted her paperwork and suggestions for a building expansion, to cope with the projected incoming citizenry and tourists based on Alliance population estimates?

With a sigh Sesha scraped the hair from her face and stared out the front window at the path in front of her building. The quiet side street had very few visitors and was a calm and restful area to work in. It also kept the sun off with the directions of the buildings and shade, for the worst part of the day. Though it didn't make it any less hot. She was struggling to cope with the changes of heat to cold, of overnight temperatures, insomnia rearing its ugly head in her life again.

So she took to taking early morning walks outside in the quiet before dawn. It probably wasn't the most sensible thing to do safety wise, but enjoying the cool and the town helped her to process her thoughts and emotions. Even just sitting and watching the Oasis was calming.
It just so happened that she started to bump into Unsuur as well during those forays.When he had taken her hand, while she was nervously fiddling with her shawl, she had been startled by his proactive behaviour. Perhaps the night and the quiet made him bold? She mused to herself. But it never really went anywhere, just a comfort in the night, holding hands and passing time.

Sesha found his company relaxing and also awkward, shivering sometimes on tenterhooks to talk more, or explore their attraction. At least she thought he found her attractive? Or was he just being kind? Men didn't just randomly hold your hand in the predawn hours for no reason did they?

It was perplexing yet also wonderful to feel that companionship, she knew it wouldn't last, nothing ever did. So she leant into the feeling and enjoyed it as much as she could. Enjoying the sensation of his warm body next to hers, his hand with its calluses holding her gently but firmly. Sometimes she would take further advantage and sleepily lean her head against that strong well muscled arm, feeling his indrawn breath and yet knowing neither of them would disturb the current status quo. She felt he too must be deriving some form of comfort, from this quiet connection in the dark. At least she hoped he did.

Of course it couldn't go on, she knew that, at somepoint a scale would tip and they would be heaved from this relaxation. For better or worse.

Chapter 6: Whirling thoughts

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Justice had noticed his Deputies interest in Sesha, at first he had tried not to say anything. He felt somewhat guilty for how he had urged Unsuur to chase his feelings for the builder when he was asked about having friend feelings for someone else. The Sheriff had been the ine to point out that some of the things Unsuur had wanted to do may not be considered to be friend like feelings.

But watching Unsuur stumble through his feelings again, and the confusion the guy was feeling was evident, he couldn't help himself. So he stuck his oar in again.
"You know you like her right? The Accountant lady?" He asked while pouring out morning coffee for themselves.
Unsuur had gulped a mouthful of his own brew, liberally doused with Yakmel milk, and turned red to the roots of his hair. "Sheriff?"
"Don't play dumb Unsuur. I'm not half as daft as you seem to think I am." He watched Unsuur try and parse that sentence out, and shook the guys elbow to pull him from his reverie. "There's nothing wrong with liking her you know? It's just, how much do you like her?"

Unsuur tilted his head to one side, considering his feelings, how he enjoyed sitting next to Sesha in the dark of the night, her palm curled around his, how he watched the sashay of her skirt when walking away from him, or the clingyness of those three quarter trousers she also favoured for work. Unshur gulped when thinking about how little she wore when sitting with him at the oasis, how when pressed up against his arm, he could feel the curve of her breast, soft and pliable against his upper arm.
"I think I like her, more than a friend though." He was always honest when speaking, having no urge to hide his thoughts. He knew it made people uncomfortable sometimes, yet he hadn't seen Sesha even once flinch or come over confused at his dry humour. She had even laughed with him, delight sparkling in her deep green eyes. "Do you think she might like me back?" He wondered aloud.
"Well maybe you would have to ask her about it man, but you should do something about it soon, sure as sure that the other guys in town have noticed her too. It's up to you if you want to lose your chance with her or not." Justice rearranged the tie holding his dreads back and sauntered towards the door. "Have a think about it at least ey? I'll catch you later."

The door swung closed and the silence of the Civil Corps building settled around Unsuur who settled at the duty desk. Now there were more of them able to patrol the town, one was always in the office in order to take reports, and be a presence that was easy to find for queries.
Unsuur sat back in the chair and examined his feelings, conjecturjng about Sesha's own. He didn't think she would hold his hand like that if she didn't like him, right? But how much did she like him? She sometimes blushed or went a bit red, but he wasn't quite sure if that indicated like or something else.
Until he outright asked he knew there was no way to tell. Unsuur sighed, he had felt certain about the builder too, writing her letters about his admiration. But the moment she caught him he had fled, not ready to talk face to face she had been the one to indicate that she liked him as more than a friend.

Dating was ...tricky, he wasn't quite sure about what he was supposed to do with dating, you took them somewhere you liked. Maybe out for a meal or to the sand running sleds? He wasn't sure that was the kind of thing Sesha liked though. Did he want to risk the pain again?
It was all really confusing for him. He hated how it made his brain jumbled up and all over the place. But when he sat with her and held her hand, in the dark silence of the desert night, he felt calm and relaxed. Except maybe when he noticed her legs, long for her height, imagining them dpwrapped round his waist as she tangled her hands in his hair. What would she feel like to his touch? Soft and plush as she looked? Woukd she let him kiss her, touch her, doip other things?

He wanted her with a fierce ache, but was it enough? And how did he feel about the idea if kne of the other men in town taking her out, being the one to hold her hand, feel the softness of those pillowy lips against their own? He imagined her with Owen, or maybe Heidi or Qi.
That made his stomach roll, feeling sick at the thought his heart ached. Okay, no he didn't want her with Owen or Heidi or anyone else, he wanted to be the one that touched her and caressed her, explored under her skirt and teased her with his fingers, he wanted to be the one to hear her noises, though nice sounds a woman made when full of desire. The purrs of pleasure. He wanted her to touch him back too...
Unsuur smacked his head and pulled himself free of his imagination, he was at work! This was not the time or place to be thinking about this kind of thing!

He pulled the sheet he had been working on towards himself and reviewed the newest Civil Corps trainee's recorded patrol.
Fleetingly he contemplated the idea of a heart knot, or maybe something even more special. The builder had been the one to ask him put, in response to the letter he had written. Or maybe he asked her? He wasn't quite sure. But no heart knot had ever been involved. He wondered what it would be like to receive one, specifically to receive one from Sesha. He flushed at the thought, his stomach and heart fluttering out of control.

Thunking his head onto the desk, Unsuur berated himself, yet again, for the wandering thoughts he couldn't seem to lasso into control.

Chapter 7: Insomnia

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Sesha groaned and thumped at her pillow in sheer embarrassment as she remembered the words she had spoken to Unsuur but an hour earlier. That awful horrible clogged feeling when you do something that you feel was utterly stupid was driving her crazy. Why did she have to say anything? She should of just.... not told him, right? Wouldn't that of been for the best?
It certainly would of spared her this mournful agony and the hurt that twinged at ger insides. She didn't dare hope, she knew to do so was futile, but she clung to the idea. The duality of both notions made her even more unsettled and uncomfortable with herself.

She had been having trouble sleeping again, she really did try and restrict the nights she wandered to the oasis to find Unsuur, some nights she even missed him, as she was just a fraction too late to catch him in his predawn run. She had several times tried to stop her obsessive behaviour and just stared at him as he ran past in the dark. Sweat sticking his hair to his brow, and the rhythmic thud of his feet had her watching him pass by from the front window of her little flat above the office.
She had admonished herself several times over her behaviour, true they were both single, but it wasn't the right way to go about anything. Their relationship was undefined and intangible, though they held hands and were physically close, they were anything but so. Seshat yearned to be able to be held in his arms, to feel precious and safe and loved, she wished that he would find comfort in her embrace too.. The thought of kissing Unsuur had fluttering nerves throwing signals of how deeply attracted to him she was.
So she had taken herself and her courage by the hand and made several attempts to confess she liked him. It wasn't until that early morning that she had been able to actually say anything to him. She felt physically sick almost, full or nerves and tension, but having been unable to open her mouth on previous nights, she leapt for the moon. And came crashing down to reality.

She had done her best to try and tell him that she liked him, as more than a friend, that she wanted to explore how she felt with him. She had even tentatively held out a satin woven heart knot, done in the traditional style her family favoured. A band of pinks and greens of touchable threads woven in and out in a long wide strip. A normal heart knot was just as intricate but seemed flimsy to her, she had even attached beads of rose quartz to the ends before they lopped to slide over each other securing the length of it to the wrist.
He had turned it over in his hands, his cheeks flushed, and explained to her that he found her attractive, but was hurting from a previous break up. How he didn't want to be hurt like that again. He had paid her the courtesy of looking into her eyes as he told her he wanted to think about it, it wasn't a firm no at least.
She had nodded, half teary eyed and feeling sick in a wholly different way, and she had watched him walk away across the oasis and home.

Tears had fallen after he left, a physical release of all that pent up emotion. Utterly frustrated with herself she had walked home sniffling and rubbing the tears away.
So now she lay staring at the ceiling, the comfort of Unsuur's hand in hers could no longer be felt, and she knew that it was better for both of them if she stayed away in the future. She would have to find an alternative to those walks, maybe she coukd start crocheting again? The repetitive movement had been relaxing, and it had helped her unwind and unravelling her thoughts as she listened to the click of the hook and created intricate presents for friends and neighbours. Sesha latched on to the mental distraction.

It would be a nice way to make presents for her new friends too. She certainly had brought with her a large box full of threads with her needles and counter slide, the little hooks for marking her place and holding loops. In fact a nice pretty shawl for Vivi in a deep purple woukd look very pretty, maybe she could even take some of the finer threads and create something for Heidi. They didn't have to be cosy items all, she could make something splendidly intricate for Heidi who she had begun to share a coffee with in the mornings, or for Nia something in pretty pastels to suit her cheerful enthusiasm.
She had met Nia when buying some plants to liven up her office environment, and delighted to find a kindred friend who love plants. Tthey had wiled away time together, sometimes with a meal in the evenings with the builder Mi-An and her fried Elsie.
Sesha had spent time talking about ceramics with Amirah, and had a comfortable cose with Pablo, talking about the outre fashion of some of the clients her family had dealt with. She knew Pablo would appreciate a delicately made intricate shawl with much joy and care.

There were many friends she had found in Sandrock, and the men were kind and respectful, a balm after the impersonal life of the City and the men she had had in her life previously. Maybe given time she might feel something for one of the other men?

But her heart really wasn't in the thought, all she wanted was to stare into dark eyes heated to amber and hold Unsuur to her tight, to share her feelings with him and know his back, to be able to touch and hold him whenever she could wish. She wanted him to want her as fiercely, to want to touch her and explore their need for one another,
Sesha believed she might be quite selfish in her need for the man. Perhaps that was unhealthy. She set the idea to one side as she drifted off to sleep.

Chapter 8: Panic

Chapter Text

Unsuur was in a dead panic, floundering he knew he had done something utterly stupid. Why did he have to say that? He wanted to think about it? What was there to think about!? He knew he liked her! But no... just like when the Builder caught him with the envelope he had run!

This was becoming way too much of a habit, he turned the intricately woven bracelet round I his hands, recognising it as something she had made herself. Just for him, his own unique heart knot. He was stunned and awed that he had received such a token. That Sesha had had the bravery to approach him, though he had heard her voice tremble as she said she liked him, thst she wanted to get to know him better, that she thought she coukd more than just like him!

Crashing back on his bed with a groan Unsuur stared at the ceiling. "What am I going to do now Wilson?"
"I need to apologise, you're right, and tell Sesha I like her too." He gulped and confronted the idea, perhaps he could do this? It woukd help if he saw her in the early morning, noone was around then to watch him. He knew his face would be 'as red as a tomato' as Vivi had once said of Andy, who had been trying to ask Jasmine something important.

Except, she didn't turn up, any of the days he expected she might, she wasn't there. Sometimes he thought he saw a faint lamplight reflected from the back of the house. But it wasn't as if he could go and knock on her door at 4 or 5am.
He had started to panic more as the days passed, Justice had given him another talking to when he confessed what had happened. The Sheriff's advice was just to wear the 'danmed heart knot Unsuur'. He didn't want to do that without her knowing, he wanted to talk to her, not have it all go out of control with the rumour mill catching on to his new accessory and informing Sesha. Who's to say she would understand they meant her unique heart knot? What if it all got muddled and confused?

He paced his route around Sandrock, trying to keep an eye out for the curvy figure while also doing his job. But she wasn't there, she wasn't anywhere, and he hated to breach her office and confront her in front of clients, it seemed to be the only time she opened up was when she had a prearranged appointment.
Unsuur couldn't talk to her in front of a crowd in the Blue Moon, and knocking at her door was intimidating, especially if he didn't know if she was actually in there. It took more courage than he coukd hold to do that.
But what was the alternative? She wasn't coming to the oasis, he didn't see her anywhere else, it felt like she was hiding from him. What if she was? Did she think he had rejected her?
The thought had him almost hyperventilating, no that wasn't what he sphad said! Surely she would wait? But how coukd he give her an answer if he didn't see her? Should he prepare something back for her too? Something with his own care and heart in it?

Maybe that would help? Or could he write her a letter? What would he even write? Unlike with the builder he was feeling all these things he didn't think he could explain in mere words. He just wanted her to be there with him, to share a moment and to feel how much he shook, how his heart raced. Unsuur wanted to kiss her, desperately and with fierce passion he wanted to scoop her into his arms and just ...be...
How was he going to ever explain all of that? He didn't even know half of the emotions he was feeling, he was jittery and impatient, frustrated and utterly confounded by his own stupidity. Somehow he had to fix this problem, and he didn't know how. Well he did, it just took a lot of courage, a different kid of courage. Was he thinking himself in circles? He was wasn't he?

With a deep breath he stuffed his much loved deputy hat onto his head and strode forwards out of the door. To the dark with it! He was going to knock on that door! He was a Deputy in the Civil Corps for lights sake! If he couldn't do something simple like this, what kind of man did that make him?!

Justice watched Unsuur go with a firm stride a decision made, he shook his head and looked down at the paperwork in front of him. With a sigh he reached for a pen, only to discover a smug looking Captain staring at the floor, where his pen lay.
"Captain!"