flamekthunder | { songerein: inbox }

Hmm....

[An amused smile.]

Hot.

[Though with the way his gaze is on her, he may be referring to something else.]

[Uh-huh. She knows that look, and she acknowledges it with a quick bite of her lip and a shy little laugh before she's skirting her gaze away.]

Hot it is.

[Which is good and what she figured, but she came prepared anyway. It just means she doesn't have to go grab the ice. She does, however, motion to Aerona nearby who dutifully hops to her feet—]

Just like we practiced earlier!

[—and fetches a little bag from behind the log that she brings over and sets down next to Tifa, and she'll get a coo and a scratch behind her ears.

With a spin of her hands, she picks up the rum and uncaps it with two fingers and pours it over the cider, making sure to give him a bit of a show with it—not the kind that she would anyone else who walked into her bar but only for him, turning so that she's facing away from him and wiggling her hips as she shakes the cider and the rum together. A toss, a twirl, a toss and a twirl together, and then a few more before she's fetching a pair of new mugs from the bag.

And as she pours it in that way that bartenders do, the cider foams and froths at the top and she garnishes them with sticks of cinnamon. The few dogs that have paused their eating to watch bark, and Tifa saunters over and leans over him so that her hair drapes over their faces, her lips coming dangerously close to his ear...]

One extra steamy... [She hands him the cup.] ... apple cider for the handsome gentleman.

[Despite the teasing, he fully planned to watch her properly, actually curious about her technique. He's seen his fair share of bartenders making drinks, including the crew on the Grandcypher. Of course there wasn't too much theatrics, but each one had their own skill or flair to things.

...But then she has to go and do that, shaking her hips and moving her body with each toss and twirl. The lighting from the fire doesn't help, the shadows further accentuating those body lines and curves that managed to attract him in ways no other woman had. More than once his gaze strays despite his best efforts to remain at her hands...but then again, that's her intent, isn't it? In any case, it's certainly made him start to thirst for something.

So when she finally approaches him, his eyes look at her sharply, hands twitching to grab her wrist and pull her down to him instead, drinks be damned. Even the dogs have started to move away from them, as if sensing the mood...and inwardly groaning. But although his fingers at first start on her forearm and slide down to her wrist, they eventually slip further to take the mug.]

Hm.... Not bad.

[And then he leans back just enough so that she can watch him take a sip from the mug, his eyes never leaving hers.]

Drink's pretty good, too.

[The dogs needn't worry for now. Tifa has every intention of finishing the drinks first—she spent a long time preparing them after all, in the Harvest's kitchen so that every part of this would be a surprise. But she does grin at him, her fingers wrapping around his arm and thumb stroking light lines along the sensitive skin of his wrist, and she watches him and waits eagerly for his verdict as he takes his first sip.]

Only pretty good?

[She teases and takes a moment to try her own. It's sweet, warm, comforting, and the burn of the rum against the back of her throat brings an early flush to her cheeks. It's the perfect drink for weather like this and she thinks she did a pretty good job for not having made it in a long time...!

With her wrist still caught in his hand, she moves to sit down right next to him. She might as well be sitting on top of him at this rate, with how close she is.]

It's the house special this month, but I made it extra sweet for you. Added a secret ingredient.

[In fact, she will be on his lap as he gently (and a little carefully) pull her down onto him.]

A secret ingredient, hm? I'll try again...

[He takes another sip, a small one...but instead of swallowing, his lips suddenly press against hers, tongue swiping over her lips to taste the traces of the cider and rum before prying her mouth fully open. The fluids now thoroughly mix to form a unique cocktail before he swallows what's in his mouth, the slight burn sweetened further as he pulls away, licking his lips.]

Think I found it.

[His lap is a perfectly fine, comfortable spot for her to sit too, and when he leans in to kiss her, it draws a low hum out of her when she gets a taste of the cider and the rum on his lips and his tongue. She welcomes it, invites him further, savouring what she can of the mixture before he's pulling back, leaving her clearly wanting more with how she sighs, and how when her eyes flutter open, they've darkened to a syrupy brown.

Tifa licks her lips in return, not quite realizing how taken she is with him until he speaks and she starts a little with a pleased grin.]

How'd you know where to find it?

I had a good guess...

[And unable to resist, especially with that darkened look in her eyes, he leans back in for another kiss, this time searching for that aftertaste. He even lowers his mug to rest on the nearby table so that his arms can more fully wrap around her.]

[She's stuck where she is, but she doesn't mind it so much, especially as his arms find their way around her. She doesn't set her mug down but balances it in her hand, lifting it away so that they don't accidentally bump and spill it when he kisses her again and her free hand threads through his hair, pressing him closer to her so that she can give him that deeper taste she knows that he's seeking so fervently.

Tifa's lips, wet and coated in rum, only leave his when she hears the low grumblings of a wolf next to them as she sits up and stretches, and there's a moment where she makes eye contact with Eria through the curtain of her hair and catches the glare she's giving them.

Laughing, she brushes the tip of her nose against Eustace's, and she speaks so quietly that not even Eria will hear her.]

Not in front of the kids...

[He takes as much as he can, half knowing that their chaperone will interrupt them soon. But he doesn't need alcohol when he can get drunk off her taste and scent alone, Tifa always naturally having a way to make him lose his usually well guarded inhibitions. So when Eria finally does interrupt them, he just chuckles lowly, lips still brushing against hers.]

They should be used to it.

[And even though he takes her lips again, he won't hold her for too long—he has a strong sense that Eria is about just head butt his back. But as he parts he lightly sucks on her lower lip, tongue flicking over the soft flesh to take one last taste before he pulls back, a light smirk as he reaches back to pick up his drink.]

But all right... We'll play nice.

[For now.]

[She does make a small, disappointed noise when he leaves her and puts his drink between them, but it only makes her arm wrap around his shoulder tighter so that she can balance herself on his legs because no matter how many daggers Eria stares at them, and no matter how many times any of the dogs whine or grunt, Tifa's not moving from where she is until it's time to. With it getting later and the weather starting to feel a bit cooler, his warmth is a welcome one next to the fire with their hot cups of cider in hand. And as she takes her first sip of it, there's a wave of contentment that tides through her.]

It's almost time they all went up to bed anyway.

[That gets a whine out of them. They all had a long day, but they're protesting that they are not tired, mom!!! Just a little longer, mom! ... As they yawn.]

No one can see our dance before the wedding anyway.

[She's just going to sip her cider loudly while they bark at her, and the foam lines her smile when she lowers it.]

Edited 2022-10-15 15:43 (UTC)

[He chuckles at both her declaration and the dogs reaction, hearing them groan and basically going, Please not this again!!]

At least their room is finished enough for them to stay in. Everything should be finished and furnished by the end of the week...after that it's just a matter of decorating and adding whatever they need.

I can help with that part.

[Although she has been helping when she can, but now that she's back at the Harvest, she's a bit shorter on time these days than she was a month ago... and he and the dogs always insist that she rest when she gets home at the end of the day, but she only sometimes listens.

At least with the decorations, it's a leisurely shopping trip when she has the time and not the strenuous work that comes with putting it all together.]

I've been working on collecting some things for their room...

I've seen a few of them... Have you gotten anything new?

[There look, see? They can have a normal conversation...while still being close and intimate.]

[Eria should be proud of them.]

Well.

[Tifa tips her head so that she's resting on his shoulder, leaning in close so that she can whisper low, so the dogs don't hear.]

Remember when I mentioned some cute little hangers? When you brought up wanting to expand the house?

[He tilts his head slightly to catch her quite words and only nods silently in response.]

I took the idea to a woodworker in town and...

[She peeks around to see some of the dogs trying to eavesdrop, but the moment she looks, they all glance away, pretending that they were doing something else all along. She grins and turns back to nuzzle her face in Eustace's hair.]

They're almost done. I think you're gonna love them.

...Now you have me curious as to how it'll look.

Well, that'll just be another surprise waiting for you.

[Gosh, she has so many little cards hidden up her sleeve for once! It's kind of exciting. So exciting that she giggles and has to drown it in her cider, and she has to lick away the line of foam that thickens over her lip again.]

We could hang it up in the room once it's all finished. As sort of an official "welcome home" for the dogs. Sort of like that plaque you got made for us.

[Now what is she giggling about. He arches a brow at her, but there's a faint, amused smile as he watches before he lightly nuzzles her.]

I think they would like it.

I think so, too. So, make sure you save a few spare nails to hammer in.

[Quite literally breaking in the new room that way, although she wonders if it will pull the same trick that it did with the plaque, as it's now framed beautifully on the front of the tree with flowery vines, the blossoms changing every now and then to fit the mood or the season. Almost like their tree wants to surprise them with something new every day.]

There was... another thing I wanted to ask you about.

[This one has her a little more shy, and squirming a bit in his lap, her fingers fidgeting with the handle of her mug.]

I'll be sure to have extra. But what is it?

[And don't squirm in his lap...! Well he won't actually complain, she just better be mindful.]

[She's mindful. Just maybe not in the way that he'd like her to be right now—

Her hand lifts the mug in front of her face, hiding as much of her smile and the flush in her cheeks as it can, the steam billowing up in between the two of them and creating an apple-scented cloud that covers her eyes.]

What if... we got a painting done? Of everyone... you, me, all the dogs...?

[She feels so silly and cheesy bringing that up, and she spins her head away from him to hide some more, looking down into the fire and at the dogs that tip their heads to the side, curious and questioning, at her.]

[An arch of the brow.]

A painting... Like a family portrait?

[It would be cute, but also that is a lot of dogs to stand still for a long time. They really need cameras...]

I don't mind, I think it would be nice... If they could stand still long enough.

[She knows it'll be difficult which is part of why she was so hesitant about it, but speaking of cameras—]

Unless you know someone with a working camera who could take a proper photo.

[His reaction does make her feel a little better, though. Maybe it isn't so silly, after all.]

....Hm.

[He wonders for a moment.]

I remember meeting someone a while back...but I don't think they're around anymore. It is curious how there haven't been any cameras developed—unless we missed it.

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