rosarianoath

Jill, with no attempt to hide her joy, hops to her feet. She does pause to press a kiss to his shoulder before scurrying off to his bathroom, turning on the water a moment later.

She's happy. She hopes he is, too. This is playful and sweet--but no less affectionate, she thinks.

He cracks a smile, not quite swift enough to kiss her head in turn, and he follows after her. His bathroom is small and cramped, and he has banged his elbows many times in the narrow shower stalls, but it gets the job done. He waits for her to step out so he can step in.

"I'll be quick," he promises.

She still has a smile on her face when he swaps spots with her--any hopes of getting in there with him are dashed when she sees how much space he takes up--and she leans in for another kiss, this time on the lips.

"Next time, I'll insist you take a bath upstairs."

But she'll leave it at that, fingers brushing over his hand before she gives him a few moments of privacy to wash his junk.

He kisses her briefly, amused, his back against the wall the whole time.

"Next time," he promises.

He has to wait until she's practically out of the bathroom to close the door behind him.

And he is quick, as promised, emerging not five minutes later with wet hair and damp towel around his waist. He shuffles off to his room to get clothes.

Jill's taken the time to collect the laundry from the sofa into a basket, and switch out the loads in the machines.

She's following him shortly thereafter, still in her mood.

"Must you?" Clothes, she means. Putting them on is such a shame.

Clive keeps the towel on as he digs a pair of reasonably clean sweatpants out of his dresser, but he does chuckle under his breath.

"Must I what? Get dressed?"

Jill walks up behind him to wrap her arms around his waist. He's still damp from the shower, but she seems not to mind as she rests her cheek against his back.

"What else? I like looking at you. You're very handsome."

He's due for some flattery to balance out the letter.

One hand on the end of the towel, and the other goes to clasp over her arms. She feels cool against his back, and he itches to hold her again, to lay with her and sleep in her arms.

"You have been deprived as of late, as I understand it," he says. "And such deprivation makes you bold."

She laughs softly against him.

"It's not just... that, simply. I've missed being able to show you my affections like this. I know it cannot be the only way, or the first way, but I..."

She just squeezes him, tightly. It feels good to do.

"I want to do this right."

Even if it's strange –– and occasionally uncomfortable –– to imagine himself pleased with this kind of attention, it's at least a little more bearable when it's Jill. The siren call of her touch is difficult to avoid, too.

"I do too," he murmurs, giving her a little squeeze in return. He does really want to put pants on, though. "We take our time with it... ease back into this."

Which, she supposes, means giving space when it's needed. Recognizing it. Jill plants a kiss on his back, against his spine, before letting him go.

"I'll do my best to behave."

She sits on the edge of his bed, hands pointed folded on her lap.

Clive turns around as she sits, and he drops his towel. For a moment he's completely nude before her, and then he stoops to step into his grey sweatpants. He hikes them up to his hips and tucks himself away.

"You've succeeded admirably many, many times," he says.

For five long years, he suspects.

Jill watches him with a soft smile, taking in the sight of him. He's beautiful. And those sweatpants are a tease. Her eyes flick up to his.

"I only knew how warm your hand felt in mine, once," she recalls. "You were always quick to offer it to me when you thought I might need it."

He cracks a little smile as he catches her eyes, and then turns away to get a sweater from his closet. All his shirts are in the wash.

"It's always been available to you, Jill. I would not deny you that."

"I know. You're..." She trails off for a moment, watching his back. "You're the hero from all those books you would read. The prince that rescues the princess, even if we aren't exactly those things anymore."

Writing that letter has made her thoughtful.

He glances back at her, hand momentarily stilling on a sweater hanging inside.

"Perhaps not," he agrees. "But I'm glad we can still be that for each other in a new way."

"So do I. But... you do know it, don't you? All that I am today, I owe to you."

She thinks her chest aches from the love in it right now.

“Surely not all of it,” he says. “What of Joshua, and Cid, and everyone at the Hideaway? Dion?”

"They are parts of my heart," she says with a smile and nod, "But I would have no heart at all if not for you. You're allowed to be proud of some things, Clive."

He moves back towards her, feeling no small amount of shame, and he drops to his knees in front of her so they’re at eye level. He looks at her seriously.

“I’ll try to be, for you.”

She takes his face in her hands, brushing her thumbs over his cheeks as she looks at him.

"I'm in love with you. All I need is for you to try... as will I, to be what you need."

He's not sure what it is, or if it's many things: the look on her face, the throb of his heartbeat, the quiet of the basement being just them and the distant thump of the laundry machines, the thoughts tumbling through his head. He finds himself tearing up abruptly and he just nods, sinking the weight of his face into her hands.

Her sweetheart. Jill leans in to press her forehead to his, still holding his face.

"I'm glad you feel so much, and feel it in your heart. You're a good man. A kind, loving man. I'm proud to be by your side. Did you know that?"

"I should by now," he says, closing his eyes as a tear slips, hot and fast. Shame wells up in him, but it feels misplaced; he's done nothing wrong here, today. He knows that, too. "I am so fortunate to have you."

"And I, you. You and I are meant to be together. The past year has made that clear to me. I want to be by your side for the rest of my life."

She doesn't mean to lay it on so thick, but he's here before her and she loves him.

"Always. No matter what."

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

What about marleigh

whomst

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject