snowblind style angst

[powersouls]

[They're in one of the nicer houses at the moment. Whoever lived here must have been rich, and while the place is looking a little worse for wear, it's still huge. That makes it a pain to search, but they're also more likely to find something useful.

Royce used to collect weapons almost obsessively, but Tifa doesn't think there's much point to that now. To be fair, weapons were never at the top of her list, but now there's no one to use them against. It's not like they do anything against the anomalies, after all. Personally, Tifa always holds out hope that she'll find something silly. It's fun to tease Royce, and she's secretly trying to find something even more hideous than that sweater that she can give him.

There's a big, ornate dresser pushed up against one wall that Tifa is rifling through. She's long since stopped wondering how it's possible that they can search a house and find something that they're certain wasn't there a few days ago. It's just another mystery of the town, like what keeps restocking the supply points or how the tablets stay charged. This drawer mostly seems to be a bunch of paperwork, full of bills and things she doesn't see any use in stopping to read. At the bottom, though, she finds a fake, glittery pink flower, slightly crushed but still intact. She snorts softly, pulling it out and then glances over at Royce.]

Hey, Royce.

[He should probably know by now from that tone that she's going to do something stupid.]

Comments

[powersouls]

[She does, of course, settling against him. It's automatic at this point, as automatic as taking the owl. It's gotten a little ratty over the past two years, but it's not in bad shape.]

How are you feeling?

[bywolves]

Better. [ He shifts, and maybe pulls her a little into his lap. Brushes her hair out of her face and presses a kiss to her cheek. ]

Sore. Not hurting. I didn't move for a day, I suspect that helped.

[powersouls]

It would.

[She's completely fine with that, and she scoots her way into his lap fully, setting the owl down to loop her arms around him.]

We don't have to go far tomorrow.

[bywolves]

[ She's warm, and he soaks it in, pulling the blanket close around them. He doesn't bother being shy about pressing kisses to her cheek, her jaw, her neck - just familiarizing himself with it. ]

We're past the end. [ Royce murmurs, resting a hand against the side of her cheek and running his thumb along her cheek, under her eye, gently. ] It doesn't matter where we go now, you're right.

[powersouls]

[Tifa shivers, closing her eyes as he kisses her.]

You don't know that. [She murmurs it, although it's hard not to sound distracted.] Not for sure.

[bywolves]

Glass half full as always. [ He murmurs, sounding amused. He sort of likes that she sounds distracted. ] We don't have to go far. A house away. I need a sweater. Tonight, I think I'm alright. [ He says it as he presses kisses down her neck and shoulder, and then back up again. ]

[powersouls]

We'll find you a nice one this time. Maybe with just one kitten.

[When he reaches her jaw again, she pulls away, just enough to tilt his head up and kiss him properly, slipping one hand up into his hair.]

[bywolves]

[ He's laughing when she pulls away - the kiss distracts him. This time his side doesn't hurt nearly as much as it did, which he's glad for. He sighs softly at the hand in his hair, tilting his head into the touch. ]

If we're going to do bright again, green is more my color. [ Royce jokes between kisses, just on the side of breathless. ]

[powersouls]

[Oh. She likes that he's breathless, and she smiles back, her heart skipping a beat.]

No more black?

[Tifa presses close again, free hand trailing absently down his spine. Now it's her turn to tease him between kisses.]

Do thieves usually wear green?

[bywolves]

Black isn't bright. [ He tells her, amused. The shiver that runs down his spine follows her fingers, slow and steady. ] And no. Not typically. [ A beat, as he grins against her lips. ] An assassin in an open pasture might.

[powersouls]

[She wrinkles her nose, trying to look incredulous. There's a smile on her lips, though, so she doesn't quite pull it off.]

Stop.

[Lame jokes! They're kind of her weakness, though, and it's a struggle to keep herself from laughing, so she dips her head instead to slowly trail kisses along his jawline.]

[bywolves]

[ Judging on the way his shoulders shake, Royce is laughing himself, easy and under his breath. He's probably not going to stop now that he knows what makes her laugh, honestly.

He tilts his head to give her access, practically soaking in the attention. This is almost a hundred percent new to him. A beat, and then in that same teasing tone: ] Is it the haircut?

[powersouls]

[This time Tifa can't stop herself from giggling, muffled against his neck.]

It's... everything? But I did a pretty good job, didn't I?

[bywolves]

Everything. Flatterer. [ He runs his fingers through her hair, shifting. It's kind of a bold move for him, but he does it anyway; Royce scoots so that he can lean against the arm of the couch, pulling Tifa so she's straddled and curled up on top of him. He pulls the blanket close again and rests a hand on her cheek, smiling up at her and hoping she doesn't pull away. ]

You did do a good job. It's rare that you do a bad job with anything.

[powersouls]

[Oh. This is new. Her cheeks go a little pink, but she doesn't pull away. She follows his lead and straddles him, which also necessitates laying on top of him, but. Well.]

Now who's the flatterer?

[bywolves]

[ It's okay, he's a little flustered himself. He's trying really hard, though. ]

Me. But you deserve to hear it every day. [ Is Royce shy about this? You bet he is. He very hesitantly rests his hands on her sides, touch light and unsure. ]

[powersouls]

[That makes her smile shift to something softer.]

So do you.

[And really, "shy" is not a description she would have ever used for Royce, but here they are. It's sort of cute, though. She brushes his hair back from his forehead, her voice quiet when she speaks again.]

Is this okay?

[bywolves]

[ He has next to no experience! And... well, she's important. And the only person he has. He doesn't know what he'd do if he managed to make her irrevocably angry at him. ]

Yes. [ He murmurs, resting his hands a little more firmly. Sigh, admitted: ] I have no idea what I'm doing, Tifa.

[powersouls]

Oh.

[Now it's her turn to be shy, apparently.]

I do. A little.

[If he's implying what she thinks he's implying. She has some experience, at least. But! She'll be an adult and communicate, sure. Even if she's blushing.]

We don't have to do anything if you don't want to.

[bywolves]

[ It makes him laugh, at least, thudding his head back against the arm of the chair, watching her. ]

I'd like nothing more than to stay here the rest of the night and the whole day with you. [ He reaches to caress her cheek, smooth the blush away. ] Just warning you that touch isn't. Something I'm used to.

[powersouls]

[That gets her to smile again before she leans forward to kiss him.]

It's okay. I want to stay here with you, too. If I make you uncomfortable... you can tell me. I won't be upset.

[bywolves]

[ She gives him that, and he sighs a little, tugging her down to kiss in earnest. Tifa is reassuring, and he wasn't aware just how much he needed it. ]

I doubt I'll ever have to. [ But he will, if need be, is the implication. He still doesn't know where to put his hands, though. Poor guy is struggling. How do be appropriate. ]

[powersouls]

You don't have to be nervous. You won't do anything wrong, I promise.

[As if to punctuates this, she traces his jawline with a finger, slow and light.]

[bywolves]

You say that now. [ Royce says wryly. But he does slide his hands up her sides, then back down to settle on her thighs. Too skittish to touch anywhere else. This is safe enough, right? ]

[powersouls]

[Safe enough. Nice, even. She gives him another smile, something hopefully encouraging, then leans forward to kiss him again, letting her teeth graze against his bottom lip experimentally. She's not really sure if that's safe, but she'll trust him to tell her.]