4.1

[sighsheavily]

I can't believe this... I actually like these.

[these being reference to what clothes she's picked at within the room they're holed in for hours indeterminate. she's pulled on a pastel gown and finished fiddling with the fiddlier bits, smoothing out the drapery in front of the floor-length mirror.]

The color is a shame, and I doubt this'd be of use if I get dropped in that bloody maze again, but still...

[it's nice. it feels nice! no more denim and excess buttons...

gads, the rhinestones making cactus blossom patters are kind of tacky, though. she oughtn't complain; it's a step in the right direction.]

Comments

[forgeabettertomorrow]

I think 'adaptable' sounds better. I mean, I'm your bo— ...partner. Not a pet.

[sighsheavily]

[embarrassed:] O-of course! Adaptable and...and quite patient, honestly.

[forgeabettertomorrow]

[He places his hands on her hips and lifts her easily so they can look each other in the eye on a more level field.]

Hey, I can be patient when the reward justifies it...

[He pulls her in close against his frame. Close enough that their noses are practically touching.]

You've always been worth the wait...

[sighsheavily]

[upon being lifted, her arms have to shrink toward herself before resting on his chest, hands on his shoulders. it's still disarming to be swept up so simply and doubly so in the face of sweet words; she has to swallow her heart back down her throat.

the surprise fades and her expression softens, face red. she can't come up with any counter or smart remark in light of his words, so she instead just tilts her head and kisses him.]

[forgeabettertomorrow]

[A soft sound escapes his lips as he kisses her and he holds it for as long as either of them can go without breathing. But when the need for air finally comes, he only pulls away enough that they can both still feel the heat of each other's lips on their own.]

So...do we want to get back to work...?

Or do we owe it to ourselves to relax for a little...?

[Because he knows they both have workaholic tendencies.]

[sighsheavily]

[her mouth purses a little in something of a pout as she considers.]

Stepping out of this room...will make time move forward more certainly. And the work will begin.

[...]

Are you ready for that?

[is she?]

[forgeabettertomorrow]

...I wouldn't mind freezing time with you for a little longer...

I'm sure we can find something to keep ourselves occupied.

[sighsheavily]

And...we promise not to feel guilty about it later? Right? For making everybody wait.

[with the burden of responsibility comes the shame of indulging...or was that just her.]

[forgeabettertomorrow]

I promise. Do you?

[sighsheavily]

[...]

...Mn. [she nods a little.] I promise.

[forgeabettertomorrow]

Then...I guess all we need to do is find something to keep ourselves busy...

[He leans in and kisses her again. Shorter, sweeter, playfully.]

Got any ideas~?

[sighsheavily]

[she manages to reciprocate a bit before he can get away to pose questions, her eyes half closed, expression pensive.]

Nothing innovative. I simply enjoy being close to you, however you please. [and she's still squirrely about insisting on her own behalf.] You...never ask much of me besides being...but you should try. So I know.

[forgeabettertomorrow]

...I think anything I could ask of you right now might make you faint.

[sighsheavily]

[her eyebrow twitches.]

I. I see. And that--that would...lessen your chances of...whatever that may entail.

[forgeabettertomorrow]

Well, we want to keep ourselves busy without leaving the room, right?

And I feel like anything else we could do would still be work.

[sighsheavily]

[another eyebrow twitch, now in tandem with an ear. she feels a weird mix of exasperation and impatience and, prompted by that, presses both her hands on the sides of his face.]

Do you mean to make love to me or are you just going to make leading statements in circles some more?

[forgeabettertomorrow]

[He's trying not to laugh. He's teasing her. Obviously getting her worked up.]

[He leans in to kiss at her neck.]

I don't think I was leading you on that much...but if you insist...

[He takes a few steps over to the bed and lays her down on her back, pressing his arms to either side of her and hovering over her.]

It'd be a waste not to break this nice bed in. And I definitely don't want your nice, new clothes to get dirty.

[sighsheavily]

Then undo them properly so I don't have to spend time mending them. [she reaches up and picks at a couple of the buttons of his shirt.] These, too...the material is nice. Try not to tear it?

[forgeabettertomorrow]

You won't get impatient if I take my time, then...?

[Said as he slides and arm under her waist and rolls onto the bed, taking her with him so she's on top of him. It's easier for him to get to her back this way, after all. He's just glad she's gotten used to him simply moving her around. And now that she's firmly on his lap, he starts guiding that fabric down her shoulders.]

[sighsheavily]

If it pleases you to do so, then it's fine. [because if she can be anything, she can be stubborn, impatience be damned.

being jostled around horizontally is weirder than being just picked up and set around: it has more hazards. like her hair getting caught somewhere unexpectedly, or her legs not having decent purchase. that said, she avoid accidentally kneeing him in the nads in getting her knees under her, sitting up so she has her hands free to bunch up a clump of her hair and push it to one side and out of his way before getting her arms also out of his way.

if he's going to take his time, she can't guarantee she won't be fidgety about it until told otherwise.]

[forgeabettertomorrow]

It's not me I'm looking to please, you know...

[Because now that she's situated, he returns to kissing her neck, all the way down her to her shoulder. As he inches her gown down her arms, his lips trail inward along her collarbone.]

[sighsheavily]

Is-- [she tilts her head up to accommodate him, trying to avoid flustering.] That's getting passed onto me, then? You better...have something to say about that. [before she's reduced to stammering mush, at least.]

[forgeabettertomorrow]

[He looks up at her while he continues to pepper her exposed skin with kisses and she can literally feel the smirk.]

Don't worry. You've gotten really good at pleasing me too...

[He inches the fabric down more; enough that Cecelia can slip her arms out completely now, if she even has the mind to.]

[sighsheavily]

[she scoffs a little, but there's no real bite to the sound - more impulse than interjection. there's conflicting feelings at play: the sense she is doing too little versus feeling too much to do anything of value; she can't exactly call up years of experience, if there's any to be referenced (and if those posters have any merit, then, maybe...)

carefully, she snakes her arms out of the sleeves one at a time; she's not cold, but all the attention he's giving her skin makes it prickle all the same.

before he can get too carried away, she hooks his chin with a finger and guides him back up to kiss her properly on the mouth more languidly for a bit - time for her to feel around for where she left off with the buttons of his shirt.]

[forgeabettertomorrow]

[It's kisses like that that make him practically melt against her. Kisses like that which make him shut off his brain and let him just...be loved. It's such a foreign concept to him; something baked in that transcends his memories. Hours later after they've finished, he always wonders how hard his life was. Had he been so touch-starved that his entire body felt like it was on fire from her kiss?]

[But those thoughts are always reserved for later. Maybe tonight he'll share them with her...open up another wound for her to suture it with her lips.]

[His patience is on full display while he lets her play with and undo the buttons of his tunic. He's learned the art of layering and as she undoes that, she'll find that black undershirt clinging to his muscled torso. But he's got to find something to do with his own hands in the meantime, so while he drowns himself in the touch of her lips, his hands snake around to her backside to give her an encouraging squeeze.]