closed 🌠⚡ it's far too easy to miss the beauty in the simple things

[starshower]

Who: Eustace & Tifa Lockhart.
Status: Closed.
Where: Around.
What: It's Tifa's birthday, and she's overworking again, so Eustace takes her away. Event stuff tba.
Warnings: Fluff.

Comments

[starshower]

[Her fingers pause for a moment on his face but then continue.]

Took us long enough though, huh?

[A soft laugh, a little joke to help lighten the air a little, and to shake off that thought that had suddenly drifted into her mind. But she still feels the need to clarify—]

It was perfect.

[flamekthunder]

[He notices the pause, and he has an idea of what she's thinking about, but he won't make any note of it either. Instead he just leans into her touch and continue to smile.]

Well...glad I didn't disappoint at least.

[A light, playful smile.]

[starshower]

[Her cheeks grow warmer and redder at that.]

No. You definitely didn't disappoint at all. Not with any of this.

[She closes her eyes.]

I almost don't even wanna leave...

[flamekthunder]

Well we can stay for a another night or two.

[He leans in now, lips lightly brushing over her head as he's about to wish her happy birthday...

When he suddenly remembers and pulls back.]

Shit, I almost forgot. I had something else for you.

[And sitting up now!!!]

[starshower]

[She is about to chase after his lips with her own when he suddenly sits up, and she stares at him, surprised, her lips half puckered and ready for it.]

Something else?

[She is more just sleepily confused than anything right now, already missing him in his spot beside her.]

On top of all you've already done today?

[flamekthunder]

Yeah...

[He feels a little sheepish, but he reaches over to his bag to pull out something from one of the inside pockets (so that it would be well hidden from her!) before holding it out to her. It's simply wrapped and the size of a book.]

I could have waited until tomorrow, but it's your birthday gift, so...

[starshower]

[Why sheepish? She catches that look, but she smiles anyway and shifts so that she's sitting up beside him, her body immediately leaning against his. She stares at the little package in his hands, and she thinks she already knows what it might be, but as her eyes land on him, she feels her heart thrum in her chest, that warm feeling washing over her all over again.]

I know what you're gonna say, but... you didn't have to.

[She takes it and holds it for a moment, the paper crinkling slightly under her fingers before she starts to open it by carefully tearing the wrapping away...]

[flamekthunder]

[Well in that case he won't say anything!! But that's more because he's smiling instead or... Maybe smirking a little? He had been a little embarrassed for forgetting the gift, but now thst she had it in her hands that feeling has been replaced as waits for her reaction.

Especially once she gets a glimpse of that very questionably suggestive cover of the next installment of that series she thinks she so secretly kept away from him and isn't supposed to be released for another week.]

[starshower]

[As she uncovers the book and sees what it is...

...

....

!!!

She feels her face go red and her eyes go wide, both with surprise and sheer embarrassment because wow, that cover is definitely quite a suggestive one, with the wolf-like man and his princess in her flowing dress, and...

Wow.

Butterflies erupt in her stomach and she slaps her hand over the cover as if that will do anything.]

I—how did you know that—?

[flamekthunder]

[Smirk.]

Just asked the clerk.

[He then leans in close to murmur low in her ear.]

You can learn how "it" really works another time.

[starshower]

[There's a violent shiver that rushes up her spine, his voice and his breath tickling her skin. She has to reel her imagination back before it strays too far away from her at what "it" could be. (She knows what "it" is, and it makes her cheeks flush more furiously.

Yet after everything tonight, she is feeling daring enough to ask...]

How do you know what "it" is?

[Please tell her that he did not read any excerpts from the book—]

[flamekthunder]

[Just a very wolfish smile.]

Chapter four was interesting.

[starshower]

[Now she can't even bear to look at him, and he can probably feel the heat falling off her.]

You read it...!? It's really not... what it sounds like... most of the time.

[flamekthunder]

[Did he? Or is he teasing her? Perhaps both, especially when he leans in close, his lips now brushing against her neck.]

Don't want to try that "tree" scene I the last book? Or a different camping one...

[starshower]

[He somehow manages to draw a soft noise out of her as some of that heat from before still lingers, which only embarrasses her further and has her hand going up to her mouth to stifle any further ones.]

The tree...? Oh.

[That tree scene.

She drops her gaze, but her arms go around his shoulders. She swats him gently against the back with the book.]

Well, maybe next time...

[flamekthunder]

[Just a low laugh as he eyes her, that flame from earlier starting to ignite again.]

I wonder when that will be.

[A playful tug of her ear between his teeth.]

[starshower]

[Her breath catches, and she runs her hand through his hair in a gentle attempt to nudge him away from her ear as she giggles.]

Whenever you want it to be...?

[She turns her head to try and capture his lips instead.]

You did promise me more of these.

[flamekthunder]

[He lets her take them with a laugh, but it will be returned with a rough push back to the ground.]

Careful, or it might happen sooner than you're ready for.

[starshower]

[She stares up at him, wide-eyed and flushed, her lashes fluttering as she takes a deep breath against the heat that's already starting to build again.]

If you want that tree scene, then we're gonna have to leave the tent, and I'm not so sure you seem willing.

[flamekthunder]

[He just laughs.]

Me? It's you who'd have to make that call.

[As in, her desire.]

[starshower]

Me? I think I remember... [Her voice lowers to a near whisper, like she's scared to say it out loud and be overheard.] That he brought her there.

[She leans up to kiss him again, softly, sweetly, as if to make those intentions known now. And then she remembers the entire reason that they are having this conversation.]

But seriously...? How did you even get this? This wasn't supposed to come out until next week?

[flamekthunder]

Only because she tempted him.

[Though in the context of that novel, she could have just been sitting somewhere and that would have triggered the male lead.]

But I was just asking what books you read, and I guess she recognized me from before. And something about you being a frequent customer...?

[starshower]

[Her voice grows even quieter.]

It's one of the best romance bookstores in town... They always have everything. Though, I've noticed an uptick in certain kinds of romance books lately.

[Case in point: the one that she is holding.]

I was curious.

[flamekthunder]

About?

[starshower]

[Don't look at her like that...

She shifts under him, and draws him close with her arms around him, pressing her nose into his neck.]

About wolves. Or wolf-like.