[He deserves a little swat on the shoulder for that.]
Nothing will!
[So far so good, at least. Tifa hasn't burned down all of this dream version of Sector Seven even with all of her emotions running at an all-time high. She'd call that a win.
But as the song begins its gradual descent to its conclusion at last, her expression warms, her eyes soften, and she looks from the stars to him, and her forehead comes to down to rest against his as gently presses their lips together.
And there, she whispers the words of the song under her breath, as if she were only speaking loud enough for them to hear, even if they are the only two people in this world.]
You know I want you... It's not a secret I try to hide...
[The rest she leaves out, now that the final two lines are no longer applicable to them, and instead, once the world goes silent except for the twinkling sounds of the stars, she seals it all with—]
[He does and he just takes it, that smile never wavering. Even when she presses her forehead against his he just continues to smile, content. Happy. And then when she quietly sings, and her proposal...
His smile lifts a little more.]
I know you want me You are the one I was meant to find.
[A bit of ablibbing, but it works. A verse for a verse to mirror her.]
Yes.
[Always.
He'll seal the vow with a kiss of his own, his arms tightening around her as lips press firmly against her, more snowflakes and petals bursting around them.]
[Everything about this moment is perfect, and the only thing that could make it more perfect is for it to be their wedding day. For him to be holding her up with their arms around one another in this little envelope of stars and lights and snowflakes that they've created for themselves. For her to be in her wedding dress with flowers in her hair. For their friends to be with them, celebrating and laughing and smiling alongside both herself and Eustace.
The image of it is so perfect that, as he returns the words to her, she wants to cry. She doesn't—she'll save the rest of her joyful tears for the wedding day because Shiva only knows she's going to need them, but she does steady herself with a quivering breath that spreads over his lips as he kisses her.
Back then, when they had said those words—"marry me"—they had no idea what it meant. Too caught up in the moment to care or realize, or even pause to think that maybe it would lead somewhere in the end... but back then, she didn't think it would ever take her here. From a pretend wedding that she wished, in the back of her mind, was real, to a wedding that is looming just on the horizon.
[He continues to hold her in place, the kiss drawing out longer yet remaining gentle and sweet. It doesn't matter how long he holds her up, he could carry her until the end of time and never grow tired.
A soft laugh escapes him as he quietly kisses her before answering.]
...After everything we've been through? We better be.
[All the torment, the agony, the grief and pain... In truth it would not be surprising if everything ended far earlier. People can only take so much, endure so much. He himself had faltered... Had thought it better to let her go. It was foolish, of course, and she more than once proved it to him. In that regard he still has some regrets in his momentary weakness.
Yet he no longer allows it to cripple him, instead using it as a reason to push forward. So he pulls her back in for a more heated kiss, a desperate one—one that conveys that emotional weight that they've built and carry together. One that causes the stars and the snowflakes to kick up in a powerful wind, bursting higher and louder in the air.
Even after he finally releases her lips, his eyes remain heavy with that resolve and conviction, that innate desire to prove his devotion and loyalty to her.]
We'll be fine.
[For the wedding, for their future, for whatever is in front of them. So long as they stay together and hold each other up when the other one falls and pick up the pieces, he fully believes they can handle anything.
Including beating this world and find a way to truly live out their dreams together.]
[A flutter in her stomach kicks up that's both nervous and positively smitten, and there's a small, anxious buzz that's like noise in her head, but all of it is quickly drowned out when he crashes their lips together again, offering her all of the reassurance that words alone can't carry on their own. And she returns it, pouring all of her own feelings into it and deepening the kiss, her hands on his face keeping him in place as she tries with all her might to pass on what she wishes to tell him.
All the things that are overwhelming her right now and have been for some time.
It's true that after everything they've been through, it would almost feel silly not to be prepared for a wedding, but it's also for that very reason that she's been feeling the way she has been.]
... I'm still a little nervous.
[It's said under a breath as she nuzzles their noses together, and while it's calmed a bit for now, she knows that as soon as this little pocket in time of theirs ends, it's going to all come flooding back.]
[He only gently rubs his lips against hers as he speaks quietly in return.]
Don't be.
[Is it surprising or not that he isn't? That isn't to say he is completely calm, but... He is more than ready for this now. He's accepted everything and he just wants it to be done so they can continue to move forward and build on their relationship.]
[Besides the fact that there still remains so much to be done before the wedding, all the little things that she hasn't been able to check off their list yet, it's that their good luck has always been something of a capricious presence in their time here. Things have been better lately, and she's grateful for it, but there is that small, tiny part of her that is anxious that something will go wrong, or even that she'll be forgetting something that she won't realize until the day of, or her dress won't fit, or...
But she also knows that wallowing in those thoughts isn't going to do her any good either. Like him, she wants to press on and keep moving forward with their lives together. So much has happened, but there's still so much in store for them after, too. So much that she still wants to do and accomplish with him.
It's true, and he's right—she shouldn't need to worry about anything at all. As long as he's there with her, and as long as he continues to be, then there's not a whole lot more that she can ask for.]
I know.
[She breathes out a soft laugh as she's burying her face into the crook of his neck.]
And I know you'll just snipe down whatever it is that's bothering us.
[A joke, for the most part, but the true part is that she knows that he'll do whatever it takes to protect her and their wedding day.]
But still. It's a big day. A lot's going to be happening, and I just want it to be... perfect.
[He turns his head slightly to look at her before he closes his eyes, holding her close to him.]
...Perhaps it's callous of me to think this way, but while I also wish for it to be perfect...at the end of the day, as long as we can say our vows and be together, then it'll be perfect for me.
That said, if there is something that's worrying you, you can tell me. You know I'll be there to help you. If not me, then any of our friends.
She thinks it's sweet, especially when she thinks back on their first meetings in Camelot. How, back then, he never seemed quite as eager to spend time with her as she was him, or to get to know her as much as she wanted to know him. And now, here he is telling her that all he wants out of that day is to promise to spend the rest of his life with her...
But what's worrying Tifa?]
Our luck's not exactly been the greatest here. I know it's silly to worry about, but I can't help but think, in the back of my mind, that maybe I'm missing something. The more perfect things are, the more I start to wonder.
[...Ah. There's a small nod of his head as he reflects on the shit luck they've had in this world and releases a small sigh.]
I know. There's only so much we can do... And nothing will ever go perfectly as planned. There will be mishaps and unforeseen circumstances, big or small. However, we won't be alone.
[He lightly bumps his head against hers.]
We'll have the support of our friends who will also do their best to keep things go as smoothly as possible, and should anything happen they will be there to help.
We can do everything we can on our side... But we should also trust in them as well.
[She laughs when he bumps his head on hers, and she lets herself lean against him.]
I know... It's just...
[There's a brief pause where Tifa takes in a breath, and then lets it all out in a sigh.]
Maybe I just got so used to trying to do everything on my own. Easy to forget sometimes that there are others who want to help...
[At that, she lifts her face from his shoulder and looks through the veil of stars to her bar on the other side of them.]
I was by myself for a long time so I just had to make it work. Old habits die hard, as they say...
[For someone like Tifa, who never had so many friends since she was a girl, sometimes it's hard to remember and remind herself that she doesn't have to do anything alone anymore. She has Eustace especially, but more than that, a whole network of people who she knows would step up to help them and who want to make sure that the day is everything it should be. But she knows that Eustace understands and won't judge her for it, which is why it's so much easier for her to admit something like that out loud these days...]
[He can't help but smile as he does indeed see himself in her.]
I know, and you know I was and still am the same way. But I'm getting better at it...
[He finally sets her down, but his arms remain around her.]
...And it helped that I did have a group I could finally trust in. Because of that, I know I can trust in our friends. They've already proven themselves once.
[As still painful as it is to remember that time, they can't discount the tremendous effort their friends pulled when he turned noctaere. They wouldn't be here without them for certain.
He gently brushes his lips against the top of her head.]
[The moment that he sets her feet back on the ground, she rests all of her weight against him, allowing herself to relax as her head tips forward to lean into his lips brushing over her hair.]
You think so...? I'm not sure I will...
[Even if she knows that she can trust their friends through thick and thin... If they pulled through those couple of months ago for them in less happy circumstances, she knows and can't even begin to imagine the lengths they would go to make sure that the "happiest day of their lives" isn't anything short of that.
But it's hard to break out of that mindset that she needs to do it all herself. Even harder when there are people that she cares about so dearly that she wants to do everything for them.
Her arms slide around him and rub up and down his back as she looks around at the stars.]
I just want everyone to be able to enjoy themselves... I want it to be memorable for them, too. Not just for us.
[Seriously, look who she's talking to. The epitome Mr. Lone Wolf himself. But she does have a different hurdle compared to him. He kept away to do everything for himself, she wants to do everything for others.]
And they will. But they won't if they see you worrying too much...they want you to enjoy yourself, too. [He gently rubs her back in turn as if to soothe her.] You just need to find a balance...
[And she is going to playfully point that out, leaning back far enough that she can beam up at him, pride and affection shimmering bright behind that smile of hers.]
Look who's talking.
[She means that in the fondest way possible. He's grown so much, but don't think she hasn't forgotten where they started.]
You wouldn't even take a bowl of soup from me when you were feeling under the weather back in the day. [A pause, and a laugh.] Well, you begrudgingly accepted it. But not without a fight.
[She jests, and rests back against him with an added embrace, and another slower song begins to play softly in the background that she starts to sway to.
Speaking of all those things—their friends and the ways they can make it all more enjoyable not just for themselves, but for everyone, Tifa hums thoughtfully to herself.]
I guess they will. I'll just be happy when I see everyone on the dancefloor having a good time. [Eustace, especially. With her.] But... I was also thinking... we should do some other things, too.
[He sways with her, his arms nestled comfortably around her as he just rests his head atop hers, eyes closed as he enjoys the contented, peaceful, warm feeling washing over them, idly thinking of those days long ago back in another world where they first met... How truly amazing they are here the way they are now.]
[She hasn't thought that far into it, but between them both, she thinks that they could probably figure something out.]
We could ask over the journals... See if there's anyone that has ideas, or maybe traditions from their own worlds? ... Gotta make the announcement anyway.
[As much as she had been putting that off, she knows that the time has to come eventually on that. She can't keep being shy about it forever...!]
[She makes a little noise of protest and shoves back against his weight resting on her.]
I know...
[She knows! She was the one who wrote it all up and had it done, and now that it's finally the month before, perhaps it's about time that they put it to use.]
I just... It's a big deal. The whole town's going to know...
[She's just going to need that one last little push to do so in a few days when the time comes... And she opens her mouth, likely to spout more excuses as to why it isn't ready to post just yet, but she quickly closes her lips and presses them together instead, a small flush colouring her cheeks at his comment because yeah, he's not wrong about that... It's not as if it's some big secret anymore, or it ever was. They're not exactly shy about their affection for one another...]
You're going to have to help me thank people, too.
I think anyone who expects you to be doesn't know you at all.
[She boops him on the nose with a finger and rests her head on his chest again, continuing to sway lightly to the music.]
How about in a couple of days? I'll take a look over it again, see if I'm missing anything, and then have you take a glance at it, too. Could maybe use some directions for where the corgi tree is... and maybe where on the riverside we'll be for the reception. Oh, and—
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
flamekthunder) wrote2025-04-07 09:12 pm
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Nothing will!
[So far so good, at least. Tifa hasn't burned down all of this dream version of Sector Seven even with all of her emotions running at an all-time high. She'd call that a win.
But as the song begins its gradual descent to its conclusion at last, her expression warms, her eyes soften, and she looks from the stars to him, and her forehead comes to down to rest against his as gently presses their lips together.
And there, she whispers the words of the song under her breath, as if she were only speaking loud enough for them to hear, even if they are the only two people in this world.]
You know I want you...
It's not a secret I try to hide...
[The rest she leaves out, now that the final two lines are no longer applicable to them, and instead, once the world goes silent except for the twinkling sounds of the stars, she seals it all with—]
... Marry me.
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His smile lifts a little more.]
I know you want me
You are the one I was meant to find.
[A bit of ablibbing, but it works. A verse for a verse to mirror her.]
Yes.
[Always.
He'll seal the vow with a kiss of his own, his arms tightening around her as lips press firmly against her, more snowflakes and petals bursting around them.]
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The image of it is so perfect that, as he returns the words to her, she wants to cry. She doesn't—she'll save the rest of her joyful tears for the wedding day because Shiva only knows she's going to need them, but she does steady herself with a quivering breath that spreads over his lips as he kisses her.
Back then, when they had said those words—"marry me"—they had no idea what it meant. Too caught up in the moment to care or realize, or even pause to think that maybe it would lead somewhere in the end... but back then, she didn't think it would ever take her here. From a pretend wedding that she wished, in the back of her mind, was real, to a wedding that is looming just on the horizon.
A real one.
Their real one.]
... You think we're ready?
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A soft laugh escapes him as he quietly kisses her before answering.]
...After everything we've been through? We better be.
[All the torment, the agony, the grief and pain... In truth it would not be surprising if everything ended far earlier. People can only take so much, endure so much. He himself had faltered... Had thought it better to let her go. It was foolish, of course, and she more than once proved it to him. In that regard he still has some regrets in his momentary weakness.
Yet he no longer allows it to cripple him, instead using it as a reason to push forward. So he pulls her back in for a more heated kiss, a desperate one—one that conveys that emotional weight that they've built and carry together. One that causes the stars and the snowflakes to kick up in a powerful wind, bursting higher and louder in the air.
Even after he finally releases her lips, his eyes remain heavy with that resolve and conviction, that innate desire to prove his devotion and loyalty to her.]
We'll be fine.
[For the wedding, for their future, for whatever is in front of them. So long as they stay together and hold each other up when the other one falls and pick up the pieces, he fully believes they can handle anything.
Including beating this world and find a way to truly live out their dreams together.]
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All the things that are overwhelming her right now and have been for some time.
It's true that after everything they've been through, it would almost feel silly not to be prepared for a wedding, but it's also for that very reason that she's been feeling the way she has been.]
... I'm still a little nervous.
[It's said under a breath as she nuzzles their noses together, and while it's calmed a bit for now, she knows that as soon as this little pocket in time of theirs ends, it's going to all come flooding back.]
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Don't be.
[Is it surprising or not that he isn't? That isn't to say he is completely calm, but... He is more than ready for this now. He's accepted everything and he just wants it to be done so they can continue to move forward and build on their relationship.]
...But even if you are, I'm here with you.
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But she also knows that wallowing in those thoughts isn't going to do her any good either. Like him, she wants to press on and keep moving forward with their lives together. So much has happened, but there's still so much in store for them after, too. So much that she still wants to do and accomplish with him.
It's true, and he's right—she shouldn't need to worry about anything at all. As long as he's there with her, and as long as he continues to be, then there's not a whole lot more that she can ask for.]
I know.
[She breathes out a soft laugh as she's burying her face into the crook of his neck.]
And I know you'll just snipe down whatever it is that's bothering us.
[A joke, for the most part, but the true part is that she knows that he'll do whatever it takes to protect her and their wedding day.]
But still. It's a big day. A lot's going to be happening, and I just want it to be... perfect.
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...Perhaps it's callous of me to think this way, but while I also wish for it to be perfect...at the end of the day, as long as we can say our vows and be together, then it'll be perfect for me.
That said, if there is something that's worrying you, you can tell me. You know I'll be there to help you. If not me, then any of our friends.
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I don't think it's callous at all.
[The opposite, actually.
She thinks it's sweet, especially when she thinks back on their first meetings in Camelot. How, back then, he never seemed quite as eager to spend time with her as she was him, or to get to know her as much as she wanted to know him. And now, here he is telling her that all he wants out of that day is to promise to spend the rest of his life with her...
But what's worrying Tifa?]
Our luck's not exactly been the greatest here. I know it's silly to worry about, but I can't help but think, in the back of my mind, that maybe I'm missing something. The more perfect things are, the more I start to wonder.
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I know. There's only so much we can do... And nothing will ever go perfectly as planned. There will be mishaps and unforeseen circumstances, big or small. However, we won't be alone.
[He lightly bumps his head against hers.]
We'll have the support of our friends who will also do their best to keep things go as smoothly as possible, and should anything happen they will be there to help.
We can do everything we can on our side... But we should also trust in them as well.
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I know... It's just...
[There's a brief pause where Tifa takes in a breath, and then lets it all out in a sigh.]
Maybe I just got so used to trying to do everything on my own. Easy to forget sometimes that there are others who want to help...
[At that, she lifts her face from his shoulder and looks through the veil of stars to her bar on the other side of them.]
I was by myself for a long time so I just had to make it work. Old habits die hard, as they say...
[For someone like Tifa, who never had so many friends since she was a girl, sometimes it's hard to remember and remind herself that she doesn't have to do anything alone anymore. She has Eustace especially, but more than that, a whole network of people who she knows would step up to help them and who want to make sure that the day is everything it should be. But she knows that Eustace understands and won't judge her for it, which is why it's so much easier for her to admit something like that out loud these days...]
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I know, and you know I was and still am the same way. But I'm getting better at it...
[He finally sets her down, but his arms remain around her.]
...And it helped that I did have a group I could finally trust in. Because of that, I know I can trust in our friends. They've already proven themselves once.
[As still painful as it is to remember that time, they can't discount the tremendous effort their friends pulled when he turned noctaere. They wouldn't be here without them for certain.
He gently brushes his lips against the top of her head.]
You'll get used to it over time.
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You think so...? I'm not sure I will...
[Even if she knows that she can trust their friends through thick and thin... If they pulled through those couple of months ago for them in less happy circumstances, she knows and can't even begin to imagine the lengths they would go to make sure that the "happiest day of their lives" isn't anything short of that.
But it's hard to break out of that mindset that she needs to do it all herself. Even harder when there are people that she cares about so dearly that she wants to do everything for them.
Her arms slide around him and rub up and down his back as she looks around at the stars.]
I just want everyone to be able to enjoy themselves... I want it to be memorable for them, too. Not just for us.
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If I can, then you will, too.
[Seriously, look who she's talking to. The epitome Mr. Lone Wolf himself. But she does have a different hurdle compared to him. He kept away to do everything for himself, she wants to do everything for others.]
And they will. But they won't if they see you worrying too much...they want you to enjoy yourself, too. [He gently rubs her back in turn as if to soothe her.] You just need to find a balance...
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Look who's talking.
[She means that in the fondest way possible. He's grown so much, but don't think she hasn't forgotten where they started.]
You wouldn't even take a bowl of soup from me when you were feeling under the weather back in the day. [A pause, and a laugh.] Well, you begrudgingly accepted it. But not without a fight.
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[A light grin.]
They'll wear you down the same way. You just need to find some compromises.
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[She jests, and rests back against him with an added embrace, and another slower song begins to play softly in the background that she starts to sway to.
Speaking of all those things—their friends and the ways they can make it all more enjoyable not just for themselves, but for everyone, Tifa hums thoughtfully to herself.]
I guess they will. I'll just be happy when I see everyone on the dancefloor having a good time. [Eustace, especially. With her.] But... I was also thinking... we should do some other things, too.
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[He sways with her, his arms nestled comfortably around her as he just rests his head atop hers, eyes closed as he enjoys the contented, peaceful, warm feeling washing over them, idly thinking of those days long ago back in another world where they first met... How truly amazing they are here the way they are now.]
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[She hasn't thought that far into it, but between them both, she thinks that they could probably figure something out.]
We could ask over the journals... See if there's anyone that has ideas, or maybe traditions from their own worlds? ... Gotta make the announcement anyway.
[As much as she had been putting that off, she knows that the time has to come eventually on that. She can't keep being shy about it forever...!]
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[He pushes against her this time dropping more of his weight against her in a playful manner.]
It's been ready for how long now?
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I know...
[She knows! She was the one who wrote it all up and had it done, and now that it's finally the month before, perhaps it's about time that they put it to use.]
I just... It's a big deal. The whole town's going to know...
[And she's shy!!!]
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With how we usually are, I doubt many would be surprised. I can always post it instead...or just take your journal and send it in.
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No, I—we can both do it. Together.
[She's just going to need that one last little push to do so in a few days when the time comes... And she opens her mouth, likely to spout more excuses as to why it isn't ready to post just yet, but she quickly closes her lips and presses them together instead, a small flush colouring her cheeks at his comment because yeah, he's not wrong about that... It's not as if it's some big secret anymore, or it ever was. They're not exactly shy about their affection for one another...]
You're going to have to help me thank people, too.
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Of course. I just hope you don't expect me to be that "chatty."
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[She boops him on the nose with a finger and rests her head on his chest again, continuing to sway lightly to the music.]
How about in a couple of days? I'll take a look over it again, see if I'm missing anything, and then have you take a glance at it, too. Could maybe use some directions for where the corgi tree is... and maybe where on the riverside we'll be for the reception. Oh, and—
[Take a breath, Tifa...!]
I was going to ask about other worlds too.
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~fin.