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[flamekthunder]

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[starshower]

... What?

[That doesn't make her feel any better, and she moves so that she's leaning over him, her fingers running into his hair.]

Like... the Ice Queen's?

[flamekthunder]

That's what I assume. I haven't had direct contact with any others.

[starshower]

[...

She slowly comes back down to lie beside him, that distance that's there far too wide for her liking, and her arm slides over and around his shoulder, her cold body coming right up against his.]

But you don't think that you're turning into...?

[She can't even bring herself to say it, her lip catching under her teeth as she bites back the word she doesn't dare breathe life into, lest it be true.]

[flamekthunder]

No.

[A firm shake of his head as he wraps his arms around her, the cold temperature of her body bothering him.]

...But if I hadn't been able to control it, I might have.

[starshower]

[He'll feel her stiffen then.]

... Is that... what was happening with your arm?

[She moves her eyes, gaze following her fingers as they trace over the lines of his shoulder, images of that blackened ice and the lightning trying to consume it overlapping with what it is now.]

[flamekthunder]

[A nod.]

It was... And I had to use my own to push it back.

[starshower]

[Her hand slides over his shoulder and to his chest where she presses her palm to his skin, firmly, as if seeking the heartbeat that she should know is there... but there's that small part of her that looks for it anyway.]

When you say push it back...

[Slowly, Tifa's eyes move up to meet his again, and they spark with worry.]

... Does that mean it's still there? Inside you?

[flamekthunder]

[And she will find it, beating strong as ever. But he hesitates before he shakes his head.]

I don't know. I think I managed to take it as my own, but... I really don't know.

[starshower]

Are you sure that was a good idea?

[She's not saying she doesn't trust him to know what he's doing with it, but... she can't help listen to those little pangs of doubt that ring loud in her head.]

I could have helped... I should have taken some...

[flamekthunder]

And spread it to you?

[He can't fault her for the idea, but there's a hard look in his eye.]

I could barely control it and I have experience. What would happen if it tried to overwhelm you?

[starshower]

I don't know... Fight it together?

[She sounds and looks defeated under that stare he fixes her with because she knows he's right.]

That was too much for even you... and there was nothing I could do about it...

[flamekthunder]

If you had more experience and control with nightmare energy, then we could. Using dreamotion like we normally do would have only backfired.

[Like it unfortunately did.]

It doesn't help that I was also caught off guard... I don't know if anyone else had this experience, either.

[starshower]

[...

She drops her gaze again, down to his chest where her hand caresses gentle circles over where she feels his heartbeat, still as strong as ever.]

So... what do we do now?

[Wallowing in the what-could-have-beens is not going to get them anywhere.]

[flamekthunder]

...For now... We wait and hope things have settled. After that...

[A small sigh.]

I don't know. Maybe I should see if they can run some tests on me.

[starshower]

[Her stomach turns at the idea of that. She had liked their little life they'd been living up until recently... and now here they are, talking about tests being done on him to check his levels of nightmare energy. It's not exactly the sort of thing she wanted to hear, even if he might be right.]

You should, yeah...

[Her voice goes quiet and small.]

... And what can I do for you?

[flamekthunder]

[He looks at her with regret and guilt for what he had put her through, and for making her feel so helpless right now.]

Just stay right here...and I could use your flames now.

[starshower]

[Another breath she doesn't realize she'd been holding in her lungs falls out of her in a single exhale, and Tifa's whole body relaxes against his. It isn't much, that, but it's something... Something that she can do, and wants to do. Just be right here with him, keep him warm, keep the nightmares at bay, and most importantly, keep him safe.]

... I can do that.

[Those starflowers that had struggled to bloom now quiver in some non-existent wind, their petals still struggling, but their glow is not so dim as Tifa brings her hands to press her palms to his chest.]

You're cold.

[But so is she. The whole room is cold.

Her eyes come up to meet his, a silent plea shining in them.]

... Tell me if it's too much, okay?

[flamekthunder]

It won't.

[A small shake of his head as he sighs and rests his forehead against hers.]

Not this time.

[starshower]

Okay...

[She tries not to hesitate, but there is some trepidation in the way her fingers press against his chest with an almost desperate hold, and even more so when the warmth starts to spread. There is no fire, only heat, and while it's dimmer than usual, it's there and spreading through her cold fingertips.

All the while, she watches him carefully for any signs of discomfort or pain as she presses her forehead to his, nudging it a little.]

It isn't much still... I don't know what happened.

[flamekthunder]

[The warmth, no matter how feeble, is welcomed, and he hugs her tighter to him as if to encourage her while also trying to spread his own warmth to her.]

I know I scared you... I'm sorry.

[starshower]

No, I don't think it's that...

[For one, she doesn't want him to think that it was his fault that this happened at all. And second...]

I think it was the dreamscape, too. It's like... when I touched those mirrors, it shocked the dreamotion out of me?

[flamekthunder]

[That gets him to look at her.]

What do you mean?

[starshower]

I mean...

[She pauses, focuses on the dreamotion a little, her brow furrowing.]

When I touched those shards, it felt like more and more was being drained out of me. Like whatever was touching me back was burning it away. [She gives a little shake of her head and averts her eyes.] Or maybe it was just all in my head. Me, letting fear get the better of me again.

... I'm not as experienced as you are, so I didn't know what to do with it.

[flamekthunder]

[...Hm...]

I think I've heard something similar happening to others... And too much dreamotion used on the shards seemed to cause a negative reaction.

But your emotional state could also affect things.

[starshower]

I wish it didn't...

[She sighs quietly to herself, the warmth receding a bit... only so that she can look at him for a moment, the silence lingering heavy in the room as she searches his face...

...

...before she utters words she never thought she would, but she'd been thinking about it since he'd fallen asleep beside her.]

Wish I could be more like you instead. ... If you could teach me...