[They already are. They do every day, and that's exactly what they're doing right now. Something as simple as curling up together with cider near a fire means so much more to Tifa than she could ever put into words. The dogs, and perhaps others, may scoff at them for being far too into one another, barely able to keep their hands off each other, and maybe their tree is covered with too many flowers, but to Tifa, it isn't enough. It isn't enough when this could very well be their only chance and they need to take advantage of every second they have together to make it the best they can be.
If she didn't, she could never forgive herself.
Regardless of if it is or just one of the million chances they might get, she isn't going to let any of it go to waste.
She leans in to kiss him again, this one a touch more bittersweet, but still tender. Loving. Just another moment seized by her to make the most of it.
When she parts, she lets her eyes remain shut, and she can feel the lingering tingle of where he'd pressed his lips to her cheek as she takes in a trembling breath while she sorts through the memories in her heart.
...]
I think... the day I realized I had feelings for you was... that night after that dream. The first one, a year ago...
The one when we were in it together? Of your hometown?
[Thinking back, he remembers how even then he had already noticed his feelings and how desperate he was to not allow them to even grow. Things were still complicated, and yet...]
[Funny, how she hasn't stopped to look back on those days often enough until now. They're faraway memories, tucked away for safekeeping but never really taken out to observe and think about. It's not a bad thing, but she's a bit surprised at herself.]
I think maybe... even before then. When we met at the riverbank, but that was the night when I knew for sure. Which is probably why it made it so hard for me after the fact.
[He stares at her for a moment before a strange expression falls over him, one of hesitation and reflection before he begins to speak.]
Truthfully...
[...Haaa.]
...If you want to know when my feelings for you first developed, I don't know the beginning. But the lake...
[A small pause as he glances away, as if drawing upon his memories. It's never a good memory for him, what happened. But...there were the other parts. The ice skating before and then after...
...]
I realized I cared for you very strongly then, but I tried to ignore it. I couldn't say for sure what it was and there were other reasons. It wasn't until that night after we exchanged gifts and I walked you home that I realized I was attracted...had deeper feelings towards you.
[By then they had become more aware of each other, especially after what happened in the Christmas dreamscape and the box. And that night how he felt the various temptations and the final pull when he reached for that flower in her hair... How he had wanted to kiss her then, an impulse he had never felt before. How he had also realized that she was possibly feeling the same kind of attraction.
He then looks at her, his expression wistful, gaze deep.]
And on the night of the dream... I was already wrestling what to do, especially after hearing about Cloud. I didn't want to push anything knowing it was a complicated issue so I tried to draw a line out of respect. But given how things later turned out...
[Ah ha. Even now he can't help but feel a little ashamed that he allowed it to happen. Sleeping with him when she was emotionally compromised.]
Sometimes I wondered if you ever regretted it at the time.
[Even if she had consented, the fact that he even offered... What had he been thinking? Aside from seeing her so upset and wanting to gather her in his arms, to kiss and hold her. Such a strong desire that he had never felt before and then things escalated and took over. Even if it's not really unusual for two healthy adults, it was still unusual for him.
He might not think about it much anymore, especially given how things turned out. But he still remembers how he felt at the time, the concerns he had.]
[Her answer comes swiftly and immediately, firmly, leaving no room for any other interpretation.
There had been times before that when Tifa had questioned her feelings—if it was just another bout of loneliness that she would seek him out so that she had someone to fill the void. If it was just familiarity, something that she already knew from not this world, but another one, that had her clinging to the idea of him so hard. But there had been those two weeks in the winter where it all came to a head.
He brings up the night they exchanged gifts, and how she had hoped that he would kiss her at her door before he left for the night. How, before that in the factory, being in such close proximity to him in that box made her feel things she isn't sure she's felt before.
When they met at the riverbank that first night and she recognized him, even if he didn't remember her, she was sure that she felt something even back then.
It's difficult for her to pinpoint the exact moment because she carried her memories here from Camelot, but...
Her fingers brush through his hair, and she kisses him gently, as if to seek to reassure him.]
I felt weak... scared that night... Embarrassed that you were there to see it all. But...
[Her eyes shimmer with admiration for him when they connect with his.]
You still stuck by me. You stayed with me and comforted me when I thought... when I was scared you would run instead. No one's done that for me before... It made me realize that... the safest place I felt was with you.
[There is some relief at hearing her answer, his head tilting towards her touch and kiss. Even then...he really, truly treasured her. Far more than he realized and it only grew and grew and continues to grow.]
...I'm glad then.
[That he could provide her that support and comfort. That...he could be needed by her.
As his hand drifts up to lightly touch her jaw and then brush against her lips, he gives a small laugh.]
[It takes a few seconds for her to realize what "routine" he's talking about, but as soon as she does, she buries her face in his shoulder.]
... I guess it did.
[Although, that was where it all started, too—that desire that still forever remains unsated, that overcomes her every time he so much as lets a finger graze over her skin. That lights her whole body on fire whenever he's near. That want to always, always be close to him, and that no matter how close they become, it's never enough, and she'll always be seeking more.
Tifa squirms a little in his lap, feeling that heat already starting to pool where their bodies meet, but she takes in a staggered breath and holds it back just a little longer...
And steers the conversation back on course before she no longer can.]
It was during the play that I realized that maybe I really did want something more out of this. I just never knew how to say it. Though, I guess I kind of did back then, huh?
[He has been holding back for quite a while, all those past feelings resurfacing to stimulate new ones. But he's managing to last a little longer, their talk also helps temper things a bit. Still, when he can see her faltering, it's more tempting to want to move things elsewhere...]
Yes... [His lips brush over her skin.] Through song.
[And then a small laugh.]
Why is it that I was the one who had to chase and convince you both times? I would have thought I would be the one to be more resistant...
[Tifa lifts her head to look at him, and her face is beet red by the time their eyes meet.]
I... don't know. [Her giggle is a bit fuzzy, like the rum has shot straight to her head.] Did you really think it was going to be me chasing you instead?
[Well, this is cute of him, and the bridge of her nose crinkles ever so slightly.]
[Ah, he's giving her That Look, but it always only makes her smile spread.]
Well. You did pursue one, didn't you?
[She teases him, and boops him on the nose to emphasize her point several times, but she'll answer his question for real this time.]
I was terrified at the time... when I realized I had feelings for you. I didn't really know what it was, or what it meant, but it was just... overwhelming. I think for a while, I was afraid of falling in love with you, and so I thought I'd try pushing you away instead.
[Tifa laughs, and she bumps her forehead against his.]
[He only continues with That Look before he listens and it softens a little in amusement.]
Mm...well it's understandable in your position. It gave me time as well.
[If you've held a candle for someone else for so long to suddenly find yourself starting to lean towards someone else, he can imagine it being difficult. It's why he was willing to be patient, let them take their time.]
But you pulling away... Heh. [A small laugh.] I guess it must have triggered my hunting instincts.
[A low grin as rests his finger beneath her chin, tilting it towards him while holding her in place.]
Unfortunately for you, I always catch what I want.
[And that's the crux of it. Expectations aside, once he determined he liked her and that there was a potential opening, that little bit of greed grew and he wanted to have her by his side. He could be patient and slow, that was fine. If he had to pull away, it would be lamentable but he would. But it was still with the intention of "winning" her over. Once he sets his sights on something, he seeks a successful completion one way or the other.]
[She meets his eyes, and the fire within the reds of hers burns brighter, and her lips come so close that they brush and tease one another again. Tifa hasn't forgotten the way he was patient with her. How he reassured her that he was willing to wait for as long as she needed to figure out her feelings. It was needed, but she also hasn't forgotten how he'd chased after her, either.
How he had sought her out. Taken her gaze and held it until she gave him answers. Kissed her until she remembered how much she needed him...
Their feelings had been so complicated then, but now she's never been more sure.]
Did you ever think that maybe I liked being chased?
Maybe it was just all part of my master plan... Get you to notice me, and then make you want me.
[Of course, that hadn't been the plan at all. The complete opposite, actually. When she realized that she was catching feelings for him was when she ran and "didn't commit", as he plainly puts it. It is a little funny, looking back on it now.]
It worked, didn't it? Fell right into the rabbit's trap.
[She slides one of her hand up his arm and his chest until she can see the ring on her finger.]
[...This brat. He looks at the ring, the way it glistens in the firelight. How lovely it sits on her finger.]
...Maybe so. Looks like we trapped each other.
[She captured his heart completely, and he ensnared hers to him. No matter how hard they tried to resist or pull away, no matter what trials they had to go through, they still clung and held to each other, never letting the other go.
He then pulls her back into a kiss, lips moving more fervently and hungrily as he seeks and takes more of her taste. And as his hand at her waist roves to her hips to suddenly pull her against him, he pulls back only enough that the dark heat of his gaze meets hers, his voice low yet clear.]
No more talking.
[A light smirk as he uses her favorite "code phrase" before he once again swallows her lips with a rougher, greedier heat.]
[She only manages the smallest, most breathless noise before he captures her lips, taking her and pulling her down into the dangerously hot, fiery pool of desire with him. She had been wading in it, careful to keep her head above water, but when she feels that greed take hold, his own digging their claws into her, and now she can feel herself sinking...
Losing control of herself as she spirals, her head dizzy from the kiss and the rum and the taste of apple on his tongue. Dizzy from the heat pooling where her body connects with his, where she can feel it starting to boil and wind up tight.
It's only when he allows her to come up for air that she breaks that little "rule", her lips already swollen and red.]
[He gently bites her lip, as if to punish her for speaking up.]
We have plenty of time for it later.
[With that he slips an arm beneath her knees and stands, holding her like that in his arms. A gust of wind and ice blows past, extinguishing the fire just like that, yet the air around them still retains the familiar heat they've created between them.
It's not that he's trying to avoid the dance—he had thought it cute before—but if they tried now he would be driven crazy and it would have been cut short, anyway.]
[The fire suddenly going out catches her by surprise, and so does the darkness that follows. From here, the light from the moons hardly breaches through the canopy of their tree as it shields them from the rest of the town, but there are small lines of light that manage to shine through, enough that it lights up his eyes in an icy blue glow even as they're blanketed in shadows.
He may not fully see her smile, but he'll be able to feel it between his teeth as she wiggles a little in his arms.]
... What exactly did you have in mind instead?
[It's so magical out here with the way the autumn leaves and the flowers sway in the breeze that she's partly tempted to stay right here...]
[A low, thoughtful hum as he looks down at the young woman in his arms, the shadows and the lighting making him really feel like he's captured a beautiful bride for himself.]
As tempting as it is to just take you here... It would be better if we were somewhere more private.
[And with a bit of a mischievous flash in his eye, he turns them around and tightens his hold before he just takes them back the way he came down—which is jump up to the terrace above them. He could already perform unusually high jumps on his own from natural ability, but with a bit of dreamotion boost, it will feel like they're floating a bit as they hover over the railing before he lightly descends down to land softly on the wood.]
[She honestly would have been just fine down here, but if he insists—
Tifa's arms instinctively tighten their hold around his shoulders when she feels the wind brush against her hair as he leaves the ground, and she may have shouted his name when he took off. It feels like she's flying with how he almost drifts, and how the landing seems softer than normal when they're up there.]
Show off.
[It's the same playful scolding she gave him earlier, and it's still just as deserved.]
[Just a smirk as walks into the living room, the branches of the tree already lowering as if to cover the gaps left behind.]
And I can't wait any longer.
[As if to prove it, he pulls her up and leans in to kiss her lips, stealing a little of her taste before he continues to their bedroom, a small trail of red starflowers left in his wake. And from there, he won't waste anymore time, ready to once again prove to her how difficult it can be for him to contain his love and devotion to her.
And as they are enthralled with each other, all sounds muffled by the thick leaves and branches that continue to flourish, the dogs will sigh and gather the leftover plates, stealing little bites from the remaining food before bringing it in. Someone has to clean up after kids...]
[She hadn't expected the night to end like this so soon, but maybe she should have. With the intoxicating way the rum mixed with the sweet taste of the apples and the even sweeter taste of him, now that she's in his arms being carried away, it's a mystery that it didn't end sooner. That they were able to hold out for as long as they did.
She really did want that dance and had plans to surprise him still long into the night, but she supposes it will have to wait for another time.
...
That is, if they don't wake up in the morning and decide to marry right then and there.
It's curious... The way that the flowers seem to shift and change with them. In between the red starflowers that bloom is a mix of ones with petals white as snow, their glow so serene and peaceful and beautiful with the way they shine in his eyes. Ones she's never seen before. She doesn't know where they come from, but rose petals litter their sheets, too. Not many, but enough that it leaves behind their scent. Enough that she can feel the silky petals against her skin as she moves with him...
A preview of what's to come later, she wonders, as she affords herself a glance at the ceiling where the white starflowers shimmer back down at her.
And as they wrap themselves up in each other and the bliss they chase together, as her wedding vows begin to write themselves all over her skin where his lips touch her, she wonders...
...
How in the world is she expected to go on like this? How in the world is she supposed to live with having to wait? To not be proclaimed his wife in this very moment so that the universe knows who she belongs with?
And how in the world has she managed for this long?]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
flamekthunder) wrote2025-04-07 09:12 pm
no subject
[They already are. They do every day, and that's exactly what they're doing right now. Something as simple as curling up together with cider near a fire means so much more to Tifa than she could ever put into words. The dogs, and perhaps others, may scoff at them for being far too into one another, barely able to keep their hands off each other, and maybe their tree is covered with too many flowers, but to Tifa, it isn't enough. It isn't enough when this could very well be their only chance and they need to take advantage of every second they have together to make it the best they can be.
If she didn't, she could never forgive herself.
Regardless of if it is or just one of the million chances they might get, she isn't going to let any of it go to waste.
She leans in to kiss him again, this one a touch more bittersweet, but still tender. Loving. Just another moment seized by her to make the most of it.
When she parts, she lets her eyes remain shut, and she can feel the lingering tingle of where he'd pressed his lips to her cheek as she takes in a trembling breath while she sorts through the memories in her heart.
...]
I think... the day I realized I had feelings for you was... that night after that dream. The first one, a year ago...
no subject
The one when we were in it together? Of your hometown?
[Thinking back, he remembers how even then he had already noticed his feelings and how desperate he was to not allow them to even grow. Things were still complicated, and yet...]
no subject
[Funny, how she hasn't stopped to look back on those days often enough until now. They're faraway memories, tucked away for safekeeping but never really taken out to observe and think about. It's not a bad thing, but she's a bit surprised at herself.]
I think maybe... even before then. When we met at the riverbank, but that was the night when I knew for sure. Which is probably why it made it so hard for me after the fact.
no subject
Truthfully...
[...Haaa.]
...If you want to know when my feelings for you first developed, I don't know the beginning. But the lake...
[A small pause as he glances away, as if drawing upon his memories. It's never a good memory for him, what happened. But...there were the other parts. The ice skating before and then after...
...]
I realized I cared for you very strongly then, but I tried to ignore it. I couldn't say for sure what it was and there were other reasons. It wasn't until that night after we exchanged gifts and I walked you home that I realized I was attracted...had deeper feelings towards you.
[By then they had become more aware of each other, especially after what happened in the Christmas dreamscape and the box. And that night how he felt the various temptations and the final pull when he reached for that flower in her hair... How he had wanted to kiss her then, an impulse he had never felt before. How he had also realized that she was possibly feeling the same kind of attraction.
He then looks at her, his expression wistful, gaze deep.]
And on the night of the dream... I was already wrestling what to do, especially after hearing about Cloud. I didn't want to push anything knowing it was a complicated issue so I tried to draw a line out of respect. But given how things later turned out...
[Ah ha. Even now he can't help but feel a little ashamed that he allowed it to happen. Sleeping with him when she was emotionally compromised.]
Sometimes I wondered if you ever regretted it at the time.
[Even if she had consented, the fact that he even offered... What had he been thinking? Aside from seeing her so upset and wanting to gather her in his arms, to kiss and hold her. Such a strong desire that he had never felt before and then things escalated and took over. Even if it's not really unusual for two healthy adults, it was still unusual for him.
He might not think about it much anymore, especially given how things turned out. But he still remembers how he felt at the time, the concerns he had.]
no subject
[Her answer comes swiftly and immediately, firmly, leaving no room for any other interpretation.
There had been times before that when Tifa had questioned her feelings—if it was just another bout of loneliness that she would seek him out so that she had someone to fill the void. If it was just familiarity, something that she already knew from not this world, but another one, that had her clinging to the idea of him so hard. But there had been those two weeks in the winter where it all came to a head.
He brings up the night they exchanged gifts, and how she had hoped that he would kiss her at her door before he left for the night. How, before that in the factory, being in such close proximity to him in that box made her feel things she isn't sure she's felt before.
When they met at the riverbank that first night and she recognized him, even if he didn't remember her, she was sure that she felt something even back then.
It's difficult for her to pinpoint the exact moment because she carried her memories here from Camelot, but...
Her fingers brush through his hair, and she kisses him gently, as if to seek to reassure him.]
I felt weak... scared that night... Embarrassed that you were there to see it all. But...
[Her eyes shimmer with admiration for him when they connect with his.]
You still stuck by me. You stayed with me and comforted me when I thought... when I was scared you would run instead. No one's done that for me before... It made me realize that... the safest place I felt was with you.
no subject
...I'm glad then.
[That he could provide her that support and comfort. That...he could be needed by her.
As his hand drifts up to lightly touch her jaw and then brush against her lips, he gives a small laugh.]
I guess our little "routine" started then, huh?
[Comfort sex.]
no subject
... I guess it did.
[Although, that was where it all started, too—that desire that still forever remains unsated, that overcomes her every time he so much as lets a finger graze over her skin. That lights her whole body on fire whenever he's near. That want to always, always be close to him, and that no matter how close they become, it's never enough, and she'll always be seeking more.
Tifa squirms a little in his lap, feeling that heat already starting to pool where their bodies meet, but she takes in a staggered breath and holds it back just a little longer...
And steers the conversation back on course before she no longer can.]
It was during the play that I realized that maybe I really did want something more out of this. I just never knew how to say it. Though, I guess I kind of did back then, huh?
no subject
Yes... [His lips brush over her skin.] Through song.
[And then a small laugh.]
Why is it that I was the one who had to chase and convince you both times? I would have thought I would be the one to be more resistant...
no subject
I... don't know. [Her giggle is a bit fuzzy, like the rum has shot straight to her head.] Did you really think it was going to be me chasing you instead?
[Well, this is cute of him, and the bridge of her nose crinkles ever so slightly.]
no subject
You tell me. Did I look like I would have been that interested in pursuing a relationship at the time?
no subject
Well. You did pursue one, didn't you?
[She teases him, and boops him on the nose to emphasize her point several times, but she'll answer his question for real this time.]
I was terrified at the time... when I realized I had feelings for you. I didn't really know what it was, or what it meant, but it was just... overwhelming. I think for a while, I was afraid of falling in love with you, and so I thought I'd try pushing you away instead.
[Tifa laughs, and she bumps her forehead against his.]
Look how well that worked out for me.
no subject
Mm...well it's understandable in your position. It gave me time as well.
[If you've held a candle for someone else for so long to suddenly find yourself starting to lean towards someone else, he can imagine it being difficult. It's why he was willing to be patient, let them take their time.]
But you pulling away... Heh. [A small laugh.] I guess it must have triggered my hunting instincts.
[A low grin as rests his finger beneath her chin, tilting it towards him while holding her in place.]
Unfortunately for you, I always catch what I want.
[And that's the crux of it. Expectations aside, once he determined he liked her and that there was a potential opening, that little bit of greed grew and he wanted to have her by his side. He could be patient and slow, that was fine. If he had to pull away, it would be lamentable but he would. But it was still with the intention of "winning" her over. Once he sets his sights on something, he seeks a successful completion one way or the other.]
no subject
How he had sought her out. Taken her gaze and held it until she gave him answers. Kissed her until she remembered how much she needed him...
Their feelings had been so complicated then, but now she's never been more sure.]
Did you ever think that maybe I liked being chased?
no subject
[A light smirk as he tugs at her lips before pulling her into a kiss.]
Troublesome rabbit.
no subject
Persistent wolf.
[But she likes him that way...]
I had to do my fair share of chasing at the start, you know. Don't forget... It wasn't all you.
no subject
That's true. You kept following me for some weird reason. But then you didn't commit.
Only long enough to finally catch my interest...
no subject
[Of course, that hadn't been the plan at all. The complete opposite, actually. When she realized that she was catching feelings for him was when she ran and "didn't commit", as he plainly puts it. It is a little funny, looking back on it now.]
It worked, didn't it? Fell right into the rabbit's trap.
[She slides one of her hand up his arm and his chest until she can see the ring on her finger.]
no subject
...Maybe so. Looks like we trapped each other.
[She captured his heart completely, and he ensnared hers to him. No matter how hard they tried to resist or pull away, no matter what trials they had to go through, they still clung and held to each other, never letting the other go.
He then pulls her back into a kiss, lips moving more fervently and hungrily as he seeks and takes more of her taste. And as his hand at her waist roves to her hips to suddenly pull her against him, he pulls back only enough that the dark heat of his gaze meets hers, his voice low yet clear.]
No more talking.
[A light smirk as he uses her favorite "code phrase" before he once again swallows her lips with a rougher, greedier heat.]
no subject
Losing control of herself as she spirals, her head dizzy from the kiss and the rum and the taste of apple on his tongue. Dizzy from the heat pooling where her body connects with his, where she can feel it starting to boil and wind up tight.
It's only when he allows her to come up for air that she breaks that little "rule", her lips already swollen and red.]
What about the dance...?
[They were supposed to practice for the wedding!]
no subject
[He gently bites her lip, as if to punish her for speaking up.]
We have plenty of time for it later.
[With that he slips an arm beneath her knees and stands, holding her like that in his arms. A gust of wind and ice blows past, extinguishing the fire just like that, yet the air around them still retains the familiar heat they've created between them.
It's not that he's trying to avoid the dance—he had thought it cute before—but if they tried now he would be driven crazy and it would have been cut short, anyway.]
no subject
He may not fully see her smile, but he'll be able to feel it between his teeth as she wiggles a little in his arms.]
... What exactly did you have in mind instead?
[It's so magical out here with the way the autumn leaves and the flowers sway in the breeze that she's partly tempted to stay right here...]
no subject
[A low, thoughtful hum as he looks down at the young woman in his arms, the shadows and the lighting making him really feel like he's captured a beautiful bride for himself.]
As tempting as it is to just take you here... It would be better if we were somewhere more private.
[And with a bit of a mischievous flash in his eye, he turns them around and tightens his hold before he just takes them back the way he came down—which is jump up to the terrace above them. He could already perform unusually high jumps on his own from natural ability, but with a bit of dreamotion boost, it will feel like they're floating a bit as they hover over the railing before he lightly descends down to land softly on the wood.]
no subject
Tifa's arms instinctively tighten their hold around his shoulders when she feels the wind brush against her hair as he leaves the ground, and she may have shouted his name when he took off. It feels like she's flying with how he almost drifts, and how the landing seems softer than normal when they're up there.]
Show off.
[It's the same playful scolding she gave him earlier, and it's still just as deserved.]
You could've just used the stairs.
no subject
[Just a smirk as walks into the living room, the branches of the tree already lowering as if to cover the gaps left behind.]
And I can't wait any longer.
[As if to prove it, he pulls her up and leans in to kiss her lips, stealing a little of her taste before he continues to their bedroom, a small trail of red starflowers left in his wake. And from there, he won't waste anymore time, ready to once again prove to her how difficult it can be for him to contain his love and devotion to her.
And as they are enthralled with each other, all sounds muffled by the thick leaves and branches that continue to flourish, the dogs will sigh and gather the leftover plates, stealing little bites from the remaining food before bringing it in. Someone has to clean up after kids...]
no subject
She really did want that dance and had plans to surprise him still long into the night, but she supposes it will have to wait for another time.
...
That is, if they don't wake up in the morning and decide to marry right then and there.
It's curious... The way that the flowers seem to shift and change with them. In between the red starflowers that bloom is a mix of ones with petals white as snow, their glow so serene and peaceful and beautiful with the way they shine in his eyes. Ones she's never seen before. She doesn't know where they come from, but rose petals litter their sheets, too. Not many, but enough that it leaves behind their scent. Enough that she can feel the silky petals against her skin as she moves with him...
A preview of what's to come later, she wonders, as she affords herself a glance at the ceiling where the white starflowers shimmer back down at her.
And as they wrap themselves up in each other and the bliss they chase together, as her wedding vows begin to write themselves all over her skin where his lips touch her, she wonders...
...
How in the world is she expected to go on like this? How in the world is she supposed to live with having to wait? To not be proclaimed his wife in this very moment so that the universe knows who she belongs with?
And how in the world has she managed for this long?]
FIN