spiritingaway | snowblind style angst

snowblind style angst

[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.]

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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.

[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.]

[ 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?

[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?

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.

[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?

[ 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. ]

[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?

[ 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.

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.

[ 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.

[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.

[ 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. ]

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.]

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? ]

[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.]

[ He's fine with it, actually, which means he's sighing into it, aiming to deepen the kiss. His hands slide up and rest on her stomach - one dips down and under her shirt to trace his fingers along her skin. He's a little tense, even if he doesn't mean to be. ]

[She follows his lead, letting out a pleased sound when he deepens the kiss. It's obvious that he's tense, but she doesn't really know how to fix it. There might be nothing she can do, really, so she just lets herself shiver when she feels his fingertips against her skin, pressing closer and tangling her legs with his. Maybe that will be encouraging enough to get him to relax a little.]

[ He'll relax the more he feels like he knows he isn't going to screw things up. He's nervous, but... she tangles her legs with his and curls close, and he sighs out a soft noise against her lips, sliding his hands up further. He's shy to actually touch her chest, but he runs the tips of his fingers along her stomach and ribs, a touch that would be teasing if he knew what he was doing. It's more exploratory, more cautious, like he's expecting her to shut him out at any second.

Surprise, Royce has hangups about this, just as much as he does with regular social interactions. ]

[Of course he has hangups. Really, Tifa shouldn't have expected any less. It's okay, though, she can be patient. It's not like they're going anywhere, and being this close to him is nice. She's fine with soaking it in for as long as possible.

Still, she doesn't want him to be nervous, so she shifts, mimicking his movement and sliding her hands along his sides, just more confidently. She breaks the kiss briefly, just long enough to murmur:]

This is nice, right?

[Checking in and trying to reassure him at once.]

[ Royce absolutely shudders when she runs her fingers along his sides. He's not self-conscious, never really has been, but he is aware that he's much skinnier than he used to be. That she can probably feel his ribs if she touches. It feels nice, though. Really nice.

She breaks the kiss to look at him, and Royce watches her almost thoughtfully, eyes slightly lidded. ]

Mm. [ Is his agreement, soft and empathetic. A pause, and then he rests his hands more firmly on her hips before tilting up into her a little, expression unsure but not hesitant. Honestly, quietly: ] I want to touch you, but I don't know what you like or... what's fine to do.

[Tifa has no real illusions about how scrawny they both must look. It's not like either of them were very bulky to begin with when they got here, and two years of living like this hasn't done either of them any favors, but she doesn't care. The skin to skin contact is a little intoxicating.

His statement, though, catches her off guard. It's more of a question, probably, because she assumes he expects her to tell him what to do, but... She's not great with talking about things like this. It's hard for her, and while she might have more experience than him, it's not an impressive amount by any stretch of the imagination. She pulls away to sit up, unbuttoning her coat and tossing it aside. The sweater goes next. The downside, of course, is that she's freezing in just her shirt and she starts shivering immediately. The upside more than makes up for it, though—she can lay down again and press herself against him without all that bulky fabric between them.]

Well... [She starts, running her hands down his arms. She's just enjoying the fact that she can do this now, as well as giving herself a second to work up her courage.] You can touch me wherever you want. Don't be nervous. I trust you.

[ He makes a soft, concerned sort of noise when she pulls the sweater away, when she starts shivering. But she presses herself up against him and he actually shivers himself - it's not so much from the cold, this time. He makes sure both blankets that they have are tucked as closely as possible around them, because he absolutely does not want her to be cold.

Carefully, he brings a hand up to tuck her hair behind her ear, smoothing his fingers along her neck and shoulder and then back up again. Resting his hand on her cheek, Royce gives her a little smile, genuine and warm. If it looks strange on his face, it's not nearly as strange as how it feels, but. He's not complaining. She brings it out in him. ]

I trust you. [ It's a lot. It's hard to say. But he does. He leans up to press a kiss to her lips, and he means for it to be brief, but he gets caught up in it, tangling his fingers in her hair - deepens the kiss, and shifts under her. The way he shifts coaxes a quiet noise out of him between kisses. He can't help it, kissing her has a hell of an effect on his whole body. ]

[The smile is sweet—everything about the way he's treating her right now is, and unfamiliar or not, she likes him like this. Relaxed. Happy. Considering everything that's happened, it's a relief that he can still wind down this way. This is a side of him she's still getting used to, and so when he tells her he trusts her, she's left a little speechless. Maybe it's silly. She knows that he trusts her, and he's shown it through his actions a million times over, but she also knows how much it takes for him to say it, and it makes her heart skip a beat.

Before she can respond, though, he kisses her, and she gets caught up in it, too. He makes that noise, and suddenly she feels breathless, her hips shifting into his automatically. Her hands slide up his chest, stopping to cling to his shoulders in an unconscious attempt to ground herself.]

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snowblind style angst

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