songerein | closed ⚡🌠 you make my heart feel like it's summer

Entry tags:

closed ⚡🌠 you make my heart feel like it's summer

Who: Eustace & Tifa Lockhart.
Which: Closed log.
Where: Somewhere in the Wildlands.
What: Eustace and Tifa take some much-needed time away.
Warnings: The usual EusTifa warnings. They're gross. :)

[Hardly a week has gone by since their last stint in a dreamscape before they are finally seeing their plans to fruition. They'd briefly talked about it in the room the wolves had provided for them, and then again when they woke up from their dreams, and Tifa wasted no time in preparing for the few days that they promised to spend away from town. After everything that they had seen and been through—not just on the moon but everything that came before—they agreed that time for themselves would be good for both of them. Time away from the noise and chaos of the town, from the dogs, from responsibilities, from potential threats... Time to just exist together, to be, and breathe for a little while.

She spent the days leading up to their trip shopping and packing and making sure that she's found friends who could check in on both the corgis and flower dogs in their absence. It would only be two nights out in the Wildlands, but she wanted to be certain that they have everything they would need and covered all their bases for those few days. She's packed an assortment of meats, frozen for the trip, containers of fruits and vegetables, water, and some alcohol for the evenings—wine and a fine whiskey, perhaps a few others—anything that she thinks they might enjoy over a campfire. Of course, she can't forget the campfire snacks, either. She's never been out camping properly before, but she knows those are a must.

Meanwhile, Tifa left Eustace to worry about their gear. A tent most of all, but anything that they might equip it with as well. Blankets, sleeping bags, pillows, the works. Anything to make a fire that he thinks they'll need, tarps in the event that there's rain. She never quite knows what is and isn't necessary for a camping trip, especially in these parts, but it's best to be ready for any kind of weather with how finicky it can be sometimes, and she trusts that he'll know exactly what they'll need.

Thankfully, they've packed light and in such a way that it wouldn't be difficult to carry between the two of them, but of course, Eustace never goes unprepared, and when he goes all in on something, he tends to go above and beyond Tifa's expectations. When she wandered out of the house, she was surprised to find two horses waiting for them—one she recognized as the white mare from the night they rode to the flowery fields outside of Reverein, the blue flowers that were once smaller now grown and blooming large as they thread into her mane. The other, a large, magnificent black stallion with interesting markings over his body that she feels is almost too perfectly suited for Eustace. They beat their hooves gently on the ground in greeting, and Tifa reacquaints herself with the mare before they finally ride off on their backs towards the Wildlands.

They don't go far, sticking mostly to the northern forests closer to town, but it's far enough that they can no longer hear or even see Reverein through the thickness of the trees, and with the horses, the trek itself isn't very long. The lake isn't far either from where Eustace ends up leading her to, and she can hear the sound of water nearby—perhaps the river coming from the city? Although Eustace did mention knowing of some waterfalls, and the thought sends a warm thrill through her...

It's when they reach a light clearing surrounded by trees that she allows herself to stop, tugging on the mare's reins with a gasp so that she might take in the full sight of it. There are flowers everywhere, and the afternoon sun peers through the canopies of trees overhead to bask it in an almost magical glow. Through the bushes, there's a winding path that, judging from the trickling sounds, leads down a small hill to some manner of body of water.

It like it's straight out of a fairy tale picture book.]

... Is this it?

[It must be... It's the most stunning place she's ever seen, and she's a touch overwhelmed to come up with much more than that.]

It's beautiful.

[How did he even find this place? ... She's been asking that a lot with him, hasn't she? The field of flowers, the barn, and now this. He never ceases to surprise and amaze her and this time is no exception.

Consider Tifa completely blown away once again.]

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Funny... how that worked out.

[Tifa sighs and leans her head back against his fingers as they work their way through her hair.

She's always thought of them as night and day, like a sunrise and a sunset. Almost complete opposites in many, many ways, when in reality, they are simply two sides of the same coin. They are different but complement one another. You cannot have one without the other, or else everything just feels incomplete.

And now that she's found the other side of her coin, she feels it. That sense of completeness that people spend so much of their lives looking for, and she wonders again—for the hundredth time since they arrived out here—how she got so lucky.]

I wish you could meet them. I think you'd like them all a lot. [She giggles.] Barret takes some getting used to, but once you get to know him, he's really just a big softie.

... I wish you could've seen the bar. My home. I'd make you the best drink you've ever had.

Hopefully one day. I'll have to leave a good impression when that time comes.

[A small lift at the corner of his lips as he gazes down at her. He has a strong feeling they would be a little protective of her, especially when some strange guy stole her away.]

But you could try creating a dreamscape of it. Could even try recreating it here.

Seventh Heaven...?

[Her eyes open wide in surprise, and she lifts her head from his shoulder to look at him.]

I mean, I could try a dreamscape of it, maybe... but... the whole bar? Here?

[Tifa had talked about rebuilding the bar when all of this was over, back in Midgar, but the thought of rebuilding Seventh Heaven here never crossed her mind. The idea of having something here had, and even back in Camelot, there was the spark of one, but it never made it past being a simple, passing thought.]

I'd need some help with that, for sure.

[A small shrug.]

Should be possible, there will be no shortage of those willing to help. Or you can change it a bit if you wanted, but if you really would like to remake your bar there's still plenty of open spaces available.

Hm...

[She pauses, her smile pressing together into a thoughtful line as her gaze moves from his face out to the horizon, where the pinks have turned to oranges and yellows, brighter and more vibrant, and she can see the sun peeking out over the edges of the world.]

... Oh, look!

[Tifa puts the thought on hold, pressing a kiss to his cheek before she wipes the remainder of her tears away and shifts in his lap until she's facing outward again with her back resting against his chest. And as she pulls the blanket back up and relaxes in his arms, she bites down on the smile that she feels pulling at her lips.]

I think... I think I'd want this one to be special. Not a complete copy, but a different kind of Seventh Heaven, you know? ... Our Seventh Heaven.

[Although he sees the sun rising and watches the soft colors mix in and brighten as it continues to rise, his gaze drifts down to the young woman in his arms resting against him. They don't manage to watch many sunrises together, but this one... Yes. This one and the one in the future will be ones he'll treasure. The first sunrise that's made him feel so warm. So complete. As if it really is signifying the start of something new—something beautiful.

With his arms holding her snugly to him, Eustace lightly rests his chin atop her head like he often does with a soft smile.]

How would you like to change it?

[She's so enamoured with the sunrise, and how the colours seem to swirl in the sky, and the warmth that he always seems to radiate when he holds her, that it takes her a moment to register his question, and even then, there's a happy silence that stretches on past that as she tries to imagine what a new Seventh Heaven might look like.]

I think it would be a little more rustic. Less industrial looking than the one back home.

[Tifa begins slowly, as the image of it starts to form in her mind, as if painting itself across the sky as she looks out to it. Have the sunrises here always been this beautiful?]

Maybe we build it around a really big tree. It would be bright and warm, with lots of sun... Natural sun. Seventh Heaven didn't have much of that, what with the plate and the lamps.

[Here it all comes.]

There'd be lots of places for people to sit. A fireplace somewhere, too! And... a jukebox. A dartboard. Maybe even a pool table. A really nice, polished wood bar... and a small kitchen next to it where I could cook.

[And of course...]

We can't forget about the dogs, too. They could help, and I think people would like having them around.

[His smile grows as he listens to the excitement in her voice, not needing to see her face to know how brightly her eyes are shining now.]

Something like the pet cafes only it's more like a bar?

[She's getting a little carried away, isn't she? Tifa curls up tight in his lap, and she pulls the blanket up halfway over her face when she feels that flush coming on. They've only just started talking about it and already, she has a full image in her head of what she wants it to be like... And she hasn't even gotten his take on it yet!]

Mm-hm, like that...! And if there were any other strays out there, we could take them in and try to find a new home for them. ... Just like that place in Celliwig.

[The place they went to the day they met, and her voice is laced with a warm nostalgia as she recalls it.]

We could give the dogs matching scarves. Us, too...

Matching scarves?

Mm. They could wear them around their necks... maybe something smaller that we could wear around our arms or something so that they're out of the way... I don't know...

[She gives a shy nod, and she wiggles a little between his arms.]

So that people would know that we're, you know, a... family...

[A unit working together to run this little imagined business of theirs.]

[There's a small rise of his brows as he looks down at the top of her head before a smile forms.]

Mm... That would be nice.

[Family.

A word that somehow coming from her lips sounds so lovely and wonderful.]

You think so?

[She tips her head back to look at him, and when she catches that smile, she feels the butterflies erupt in her stomach and chest. His approval means the world to her, and it's only the ever one that she searches and hopes for, so when she has it, she holds onto it like a cherished piece of treasure, delicate and warm...

Tifa smiles up at him before she turns her eyes back to the sunrise, and it's already starting to peek out from behind the horizon, creeping its way up into the sky, and she realizes just how special this one is to her. Not simply because of this new step they've taken together, but because talking about all of this? It feels like another new beginning for them. For her...

A ripple of happiness flows through her, and she giggles.]

You'll help me build it, won't you? Where would it even go?

[When their eyes meet, it's in that moment that several visions pass through his mind. Of them sharing a home, their life together. Of the dogs and their friends gathered happily together. Of...no he dares not think of anything more as he's long been aware it can't come to pass.

But it doesn't matter.

He once came from a large, bustling family and was tragically left alone. And he stayed alone all his life until one day a young boy extended his hand and helped make him see the colors around him he had been ignoring. Helped make them all realize they were better together than on their own. And so, slowly he joined a larger family and was content, not really wanting anything more.

But now... Now he's starting his own. Even if it's only with Tifa and the dogs, it's enough. He doesn't need a large family—he just doesn't need to be alone. A family he can claim to be made with his own hands instead of one he's joining. His new home. His future.

It's brief but it's such an overwhelming feeling that for a moment the warm wind kicks up to cause the nearby leaves and flower petals to dance around them, the light of dawn warmer and softer than before as he continues to gaze down at her even after she looks away.]

...Yeah.

[A soft, quiet answer. Yes he would help build it. Their family.

And if course her bar that he knows she's asking, but she might be able to tell that's not what his first answer is to.

Looking at the sunrise, he continues.]

...The plaza might be a good spot. Enough foot traffic, not too far from home, and close to the dog park. There are some vacant buildings over there still.

[She can hear that tenderness in his voice at his answer, and she knows.

She knows that it carries so much more weight than a simple yes to a bar, because Tifa had been thinking it, too. A family, and what that word means for them, and how it didn't matter as long as it was with Eustace. He was her family now. He and the dogs. And while she has the people she cares about back home, this one's different. This is something that they created together. Together, they had planted that seed and watched and helped it grow into something that they would continue to build and see flourish for as long as this world would let them, with their names etched into it from the very start. Sure, it had its rough spots and it lost a few leaves along the way, but it's only because of those patches that new, more beautiful leaves could grow.

And Tifa wouldn't trade it for anything.

Her hand comes up to nervously rub at the back of her neck, the heat from her chest rising up through it until it reaches the tips of her ears and her cheeks, but it falls comfortably back over his hands as he keeps them wrapped around her. A flower petal lands in her hair, its pink shade soft against the black, and she shakes it away.]

I like the plaza.

[Her voice carries a light tremble to it as the fluttering inside of her grows more forceful, the images of them inside this new bar of theirs so bright and vibrant in her mind's eyes that it almost feels like she's sitting in the middle of it all.]

Maybe we can go take a look at potential spots sometime. Make a date out of it?

It has been a while... Sounds good.

[Eyes closing, he starts to gently nuzzle the top of her hair, her scent sweet and inviting.]

[How long has it been since they've been on a proper date? Besides this, it had been their very first "real" one, hadn't it? They've gone out for coffees or lunches or dinners, but a full outing? Although could looking at empty lots and buildings for a potential bar be considered romantic? She'd like to think so... if it means expanding their lives here, building a future...]

We'll dress up nice for the occasion, okay?

[And she nuzzles back into him, allowing his heat to seep into her skin and her blood as her heart skips beats as she runs it all through in her head again. Even if it is just a fantasy and it never actually sees the light of day, it's nice to imagine. Though the longer she thinks about it, the more real it starts to become, and the more she believes that they might actually be able to do it.

Tifa watches the sunrise, content in silence for a little while as the two of them curl up with each other. She teases him with a strawberry but takes it for herself before offering him up his own, and it's as if all of those feelings from earlier have washed away. There's still so much about her that he doesn't know, she realizes, but maybe a time will come when she can share more of it. For now, she's happy to wash herself of those tears and savour the happiness that he's brought back.

After a few minutes, when the sun's rays are finally stretching over the flowers and hills in front of them, she speaks up again, slowly. Carefully.]

You know, I've been thinking... what do you think of making our family a little bigger...?

[How dare she tease him with that strawberry. When she finally gives him one, he's certain to also catch her fingertips in retaliation.

But aside from some light nuzzles, he is content in just holding her close, enjoying the peace and tranquility around them.

But at her question...his heart flutters for a moment as he slowly answers.]

...In what way?

[It could mean anything, but...it's only natural he would think that even if it's not actually possible...]

[Tifa realizes, belatedly, how it sounds, and that blush in her cheeks deepens in colour, and she brings that blanket up to hide it over her face. She'd been thinking so hard on what she meant that she hadn't paused to think about what he might think she was trying to say, but she's quick to correct herself.]

Oh—! I meant with a couple more pets...!

[But now she feels like her heart might leap right out of her throat with how fast it's beating, because now she's thinking about the other meaning behind it. It's brief, but it sinks right into her in a place where she can't quite shake it off. So, she'll just go on to explain and pretend that it isn't there.]

Got another one of those little baubles for the wishing well earlier, and it made me wonder... you think they'd work on animals, too?

[Although he still feels a little flustered, there's a strange mix of relief and...disappointment?? But he quickly brushes it aside as he finally registers what she's actually saying.]

Animals... Yes, I know Hans was able to obtain his horse from it, so it's possible. What are you thinking about?

What if...

[Pause for dramatic effect. Although really, she's feeling a little shy about the idea now.]

... we tried to bring Clover and Eria here?

[His eyes widen slightly. He...would sometimes wonder what his familiar was doing back in Avalon, but it never occurred to him to try and bring her here. ...Would she even like it? Would it be possible with a familiar compared to a normal animal like Clover? But even if he has those questions, he only has one answer to her own.]

Let's try it.

Really?

[Tifa shouldn't be surprised given how agreeable he's been lately, but alas, here she is, turning around with her eyes mirroring his.]

... When we get home, let's grab the baubles and give it a shot. I've only used the well once, but it isn't hard.

[Although it was for a letter, and not a cat and a magical wolf. But if Hans could do it and get a horse back, then why shouldn't it work for them?]

Think the dogs'll be okay with it?

I've never had a need to, so it'll be a first for me. But I think they'll be fine.

[A small pause as he laughs.]

Eria might be jealous...and angry I've taken so long.

She'll get over it. I'm sure she'll just be happy to see you again.

[Eria had been just as upset as Tifa was over Eustace's departure, so she's sure that the familiar will be glad to simply reunite and be with him. But yes, she might be upset for a little while...]

I'm excited... It'll be nice to have them around if those little baubles work.

[She's giddy all over again, and a giggle bubbles up in her chest as the sun hits the corners of their blanket, and the words spill out of her on a sigh.]

Eustace... I'm really glad we're here. I think... things are going to get better.

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