songerein | closed 🌠 safe and sound, alive under the stars

Mm...

[A soft, fond memory as he recalls their first dance...

...

And then, on a stroke of whim, he steps out in front of her and turns to face her.]

There's no music, but...

[Shall they?]

[Tifa's brows shoot up in surprise. A stroke of a whim indeed, he hardly does this sort of thing, but...]

How could I say no?

[She lowers herself into a polite little curtsy before she extends her hand for him to take.]

I don't need music anyway.

Not when we could make it ourselves.

[Indeed, very much a surprising whim, but then again it comes more often when he's with her. And so he'll quietly start to hum as he leads her into their dance, each step they make leaving a trail of starflowers.]

[They had danced right here among all of their friends that night one year ago... is what Tifa thinks to herself, as he leads her into a dance, his soft humming only loud enough for her to hear as she rests her head against his shoulder, bringing herself in close until it's less of a dance and more of an intimate sway together in this bed of snow and starflowers.]

You know...

[She starts quietly after some time, her soft smile audible in her voice.]

I know there's still a lot to go and the night's not over, but... thank you, Eustace.

[Not minding the swaying motion at all, his own eyes close as he rests his chin on top of her head, holding her close as he continues to hum quietly, the moment so sweet and tender that he's certain he would treasure it along with all the wonderful memories Tifa has managed to give him.]

...Mm.

[A soft, quiet hum as a smile flits over his lips, that warmth around them growing.]

But I should be the one thanking you.

[He pulls back just enough so he can look down at her.]

Without you... I never would have had this.

Mm?

[When he pulls back, she makes a questioning sound and lifts her own head to look at him, and somehow—actually, no, it's not a mystery at all that he still manages to make her breath catch, but especially right now. With the way that the snow falls around him, snowflakes catching on his hair and his ears, how the streetlamps bathe him in their warmer glow against the vast whiteness of the world, it's quite a sight to see and be caught by that all she can do for a moment is stare up at him and take it all in.

As if this is the first time she's ever laid eyes upon him.

She smiles, warm. Even if it wasn't with her, she's sure that Eustace would have found love eventually. Not that she wants him to find it someplace else, of course, but the sentiment is there.]

I can't take all the credit, you know. There're two of us.

[But she gets it, and her expression softens as her eyes move to their hands, where she can feel her rings beneath her mitts.]

Me, too. Can hardly believe it's been a whole year.

[Just a light smile as she tries to include him, but he's fairly certain she had to do the heavy lifting for a bit, dealing with his shortcomings... Staying even after everything... Granted, he also had to do a bit of chasing himself. Hmm, maybe she's right, it is a bit of both.]

And longer.

[He leans in close, forehead tapping against hers.]

...And many more to come.

[It is true that if he hadn't chased her, she might not have been brave enough to pursue anything with him... but it all worked out in the end. He got her, she got him, and now here they are, a year and some later after their first "date" at that cafe... in a whole other world, too.

When his forehead bumps against hers, she tips her head just so, not seeking a kiss just yet, but she comes close.]

Many more.

[There's a sad note to those words, a bittersweetness that she tamps down with an easy laugh. She doesn't want to let the intricacies of this world get in the way of what already is and is bound to be a perfect night.]

So. Did you really bring me all the way out here for this dance?

[He knows what she's thinking, and before he might have felt the same. But he's going to remain steadfast and confident that they'll find a solution so that they will have those many more's.]

No... Didn't even have this planned.

[A small laugh as they slow to a stop.]

But I did want us to visit one more stop before we head onward.

[They didn't have to stop, and she pinches her brow just a little before she looks up at him, curiosity getting the better of her.]

Hm? Where's that?

[She doesn't seem so inclined to let him move away to lead her there just yet, though.]

[And he's just going to grin a little.]

I think you'll be able to guess, but... Just another surprise.

[Another surprise...

She's going to stretch herself up to press a light, tender kiss to his lips, her own a bit cold.]

I can think of about twenty different things you could surprise me with right now, and I wouldn't expect a single one of them.

[A quiet laugh as he saviors the moment, his hands subtly pulling her closer at her hips.]

This one is a little simpler... But you'll never guess the others after.

Hmm?

[Tifa smiles into another kiss that she offers him, humming contently.]

I think when it comes to you, no surprise is all that simple. Still can't figure out what it is.

[And then another, as if his lips might have the answer if she could just kiss it right out of him.]

Are you gonna tell me or what?

Hmmm....

[Just a low hum as he indulges her, kissing her in return...

...

Before pulling away, this time actually taking a step back as he does with a playful smirk.]

You'll just have to follow me.

[Her eyes go wide and her lips fall open in genuine surprise when he steps away, that warmth lingering and tingling on her lips before she's met with the cold again, but she reaches out to grab hold of his hand.]

Lead on, then. ... Do I have to close my eyes?

No, keep them open.

[Still an amused look as he tightens his hand over hers and leads her down a familiar path, past the rest of where the wedding venue was and down a few more steps towards the embankment...

...Towards a familiar little pier.]

[Oh, that little pier is a familiar one, alright, and honestly? She's a little surprised that after all this time, it's been maintained so well. Not that it's a bad thing, considering how important that place is to her, but she recognizes their path instantly as soon as they pass where their wedding had been.]

Ah.

[There's a warm buzz in the air.]

That place. Where I first found you here.

[For one... but while that isn't the only memory, it's still the first.]

That's right.

[He continues to lead them to it until their footfalls echo over the wooden planks and they stand in the center of it, Eustace's gaze outward for a moment before he looks back at her with a slight look of chagrin.]

...Admittedly not the best memory.

[Oh how terrible he acted towards her.]

But it's an important one all the same.

[She comes up beside him, this small pier holding so much significance. It might not have been the best memory, but—]

It was the start of it all.

[She looks out to the half-frozen river, the water shimmering in pieces under the icy chunks as it rushes through under the twin moons. It's a little colder by the water, but she doesn't mind—more excuses to stand closer to him.]

It's not the only one, though.

[She motions to the riverbank just further down from where they stand, and while it wasn't on this exact spot where they stood, it's close enough that it all blends together.]

Edited 2023-12-07 04:31 (UTC)

No...

[A light grin.]

But for me, this is probably the most important.

[He pulls her closer, bringing their hands up a little between them.]

It might have just been the start... But without it, there wouldn't have been anything else. That's why... I want to add to it by asking you that if we were to meet in another world, in another time, if you would marry me again there, too.

[There's a slight amused light in his eyes as he looks down at her, knowing he's proposed to her so many times, and that he already knows her answer. But this is just one of the ways he can think of to express how much she means to him—and how much he'll always want to be with her, regardless of what happens here in this world.]

[Her amusement fades into surprise when she's pulled to him, her lashes fanning wide as she twirls until she crashes against him, hands immediately going into his. With each word, her cheeks grow a little pinker, a little warmer, her eyes a little brighter as if he places the stars in them himself, and they may be glistening with the start of joyful tears held back.

There's a silence that follows, though not because she doesn't have an answer. Simply because she cannot find the right words to convey what it is she wants to say when she feels like not even the most enthusiastic strings of yes could do the trick.

Instead...

She looks to his hand in hers and slips it away, only so that she can remove her mitten and proceed to take his glove off, tugging it away one finger at time. When it's finally free, she runs her fingers over his wedding ring, brushing over the soft metal with a soft smile, watching as it shimmers gently in the light.]

I would.

[A simple answer, but it bears the weight of everything else.]

I'd marry you a hundred times... and then a hundred more after that, if I could.

Edited 2023-12-07 04:50 (UTC)

[He could see the emotions filling in her eyes and threatening to overflow. Can feel the spark of joyful warmth and love that embraces them, the starflowers blooming a veritable garden around them, some even floating in the water beneath them.

And at her answer, he only responds by pulling her up and leaning in to capture her lips for a deeper, passionate kiss compared to the ones they've shared so far.]

Good.

[A quiet whisper against her as his eyes bear into hers, the heat that is only reserved for her simmering behind the more joyful glimmer.]

Because I'd ask you a hundred times and a hundred more.

[She senses that kiss coming, so she is ready to meet him when it does, Tifa tipping her head to allow for a deeper kiss, the warmth bubbling between them as she takes in a breath like she's trying to absorb it. Absorb him. Take it all in like she's scared that it's going to go away. It won't, and she knows that it won't, but she treats every moment with him that way anyway.

Her fingers lace between his, her thumb tracing along the line of his ring once more to seek the comfort of knowing that it's there, that he is hers and she is his.

And as she meets his eyes, they hold that same intense love for him that he bears over her, and she cracks a grin.]

... Are you asking me again right now?

Yes.

[No hesitation as he smiles, gently kissing her as he does, his own fingers brushing over where her ring encircles her finger.]

Tifa Lockhart, will you marry me?

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject