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

[He is definitely not making it easy for her. So convince him to stay or convince him to go, would she gets what she wants either way? She can feel his fingers slip over the lace and she grins, a shiver shooting up her spine and making her shudder over him before she's lowering her lips close to his.]

Well... That depends.

[She echoes his words with a playful peck to the corner of his mouth.]

What's the "other thing"?

[He is so tempted to take her lips right there, but he continues to hold fast. Instead he continues to move his hand, slipping deeper into her dress as he continues to idly investigate what little surprise she has here.]

I won't tell you so easily.

[A smirk.]

But it's likely not anything you'd think of.

[The rest of that little surprise can wait until it's time, but it's thin and delicate and soft under his fingers, and as they travel further, she exhales gently, a sigh leaving parted lips.

That warmth that has lingered around them turns into something more like a near-stifling heat to match the way her cheeks have reddened and how she gently and deliberately presses more of her weight over him. And rather than lie on the snow, they are surrounded by white, shimmering starflowers instead.]

So... another surprise? You can't keep doing this, you know.

[A light boop of his nose.]

What is it this time?

[A quiet chuckle as he just slides his finger over the lace over her spine...and playful snaps it.]

Wouldn't be a surprise if I told you right away.

[Something between a gasp and a yelp leaves her when the lace snaps against her skin, her back arching in surprise towards him, and she gives his arm a little swat in warning.]

Not yet.

[He has to be patient!! And, speaking of waiting, as Tifa starts to easily unhook the clasp of his cloak—]

How long are you going to make me wait?

[A small laugh at her little swat, and it only makes him run his fingertip under the lace, playfully exploring.]

Mm...

[He looks up past her towards the night sky as if to gauge the time or contemplate.]

Maybe it would be better to have it sooner... While you still have the strength to keep your eyes open.

[She sees where his gaze wanders and, curious, she manages to tear her eyes away from him long enough to glance up to the sky behind her. There's nothing up there but the stars at the moment, but it isn't enough for her to piece together what he might be planning...

... And when she turns back to him, it's with flushed cheeks.]

Well then, you'd better move quick. Have a feeling that'll happen sooner than later...

[Not that she's actually in any rush to do anything. She's quite content to lay here in the snowbank, curled up with him.]

[He pretends to look conflicted.]

This is a difficult decision. But... We would need to go inside for it. And once we are, you won't be able to come back out.

Hm?

[And she pretends to look thoughtful before she's once more looking up to the sky, wondering what it was that he had been looking at.]

And why would that be?

[And he just looks at her as if she's the weird one—]

You'd have to wait for the surprise to find out.

[Her arms snake around his shoulders now, allowing herself to lower completely until her whole body is stretched and draped and molded perfectly over his, and she gives a playful, though not-so-fake whine.]

But I don't wanna wait anymore...

[He truly is the only person who can render the most patient woman in all of Reverein impatient.]

[It's a skill he takes pride in, and his hand will can move along her back, even slipping around towards her front...

...

Before there's suddenly the sound of the zipper going back up, closing the opening he had created before his hand goes to the back of her head and pulls her down for a kiss.]

They say good things comes to those who wait... But I suppose I've made you wait long enough. Let's head in.

[Her mouth falls open when he zips up her dress again, a bit surprised by the gesture. And here she thought that he would take advantage of the fact that it was already undone. But she meets him for the kiss in kind, with a dash of extra eagerness on her end because yes, he has made her wait long enough.

He's given her plenty of surprises tonight, and now it's her turn to do the same for him...

But when she pulls back up and starts moving to get to her feet, she cants her head at him and glances up at the sky again.]

That was easier than I thought it would be.

[Tifa climbs off him and shoves herself up, extending a hand to help him up, too.]

Was it?

[Just looking at her with a wry look.]

...Well just for that.

[He takes her hand—only to suddenly yank her back down. However, it won't be on top of him, it'll be right into that bed of snow-turned-starflowers as he hops up instead.]

[Well. She's just going to take that fall unceremoniously. It's fortunate that there is a mix of snow and starflowers—mostly the latter now—to catch her and soften the landing, but she went in almost face-first. And when she looks up at him—though she looks far from offended about it...]

Eustace—!

[She reaches over to where there is still snow...]

I was trying to help!

[... grabs a handful, and flings it at him.]

[He laughs as he shields himself with a raised arm to deflect the snow, stepping back as he does.]

You're the one who said it was easy.

[Now come on.

Try and catch him.

After all, the chase is still on.]

[In her skates!?

She trips when she tries to get up, the skates digging into the flowers and snow.]

Oh, you asked for it now.

[Tifa is quick to push herself back up, stepping onto the ice to go after him. It's a bit awkward, her legs still recovering from that first "rough" tumble that he caused, but she scoops up another handful of snow before she's skating back out, bundling it up into a ball between her hands...]

You know I've got pretty good aim, yeah? Undefeated darts champion. Held my top spot for a long time.

[Only sort of a lie. Wedge is top with Tifa at a close second.]

[IN HER SKATES.

And he's just skating back, weaving side to side as if to make himself a harder target.]

Throwing darts and throwing snowballs are two different things.

[She weaves around to move closer to the treehouse, expecting that he will eventually start to lead her there anyway, preparing herself for the inevitable strike she is sure to land when the time is right.]

You'd be surprised. How many dart scoreboards have you topped?

[She kneels down to gather more snow from nearby to add to it.]

A few. But I admit it's been a while.

[And as she gathers snow...

...

Some is going to inexplicably fall on her back.]

[She shoots up straight with a scream, the sudden dump of cold tumbling down the back of her dress, and she has half a mind to throw the snowball right then and there.]

That's cheating!

[There is nowhere that snow could have come from!]

No magic!

Sorry, my hand slipped.

[He doesn't look apologetic at all.

Nor does the snowball he had created and flings at her.]

[She allows herself to get hit, but she's prepared for the shot and only wobbles a little when she gets the spray of snow from the impact. She holds fast, her own still clutched in her hand as she starts to move closer... closer...]

Interesting. It's not like you to have your hand slip so much.

[But then she's climbing off the snowbank and walking (more like waddling on her skates) away from the ice and towards the tree without looking back at him, as if she doesn't even remember that he's there.]

It can happen sometimes.

[And he'll just remain on the ice, idly skating.]

Giving up?

[He doubts it.]

Yup.

[Still waddling away from him, and she does trip in the snow a bit, leaning forward with her hands to catch herself with a small sound before she continues. She might have grabbed a bit more of it to add to the snowball too, and tries to be sneaky about it, even if she may know better than to think he wouldn't catch her in the act.]

I said I was cold.

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