towerofanimus | (no subject)

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(no subject)

Characters: Willow Rosenberg and AU7 Eridan Ampora
Setting: Floor 25 - the meadow
Format: Action
Summary: Eridan's got a little something to give Willow
Warnings: Cavity-inducing cute

[Eridan sits on a rise on the meadow, fidgeting as he waits for Willow. He has something burning a hole in his pocket, a little trinket he's spent the last several days working feverishly over. He's quite proud of it, but nervous about the reception it will get. Will it be good enough? Will it offend Willow in some way?

But he's determined to give it to her. He just has to hope that nothing horrible happens before he can do it. The last time he waited for Willow, he got attacked by the Grand Highblood Subjugglator and nearly died. Of course, they also became matesprits that day, so it could have been worse]

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Of course I like it. [She budges over so that they're close enough for their knees to touch. Her free hand, the one not holding the ring, lifts to gently run her fingertips along the edge of his jaw and then his fin, a light, fluttering motion.]

Since I can't buy it, I'll make yours myself, [she promises in a quiet murmur, trying to teach him that he can trust her not to leave him.] I noticed that you had your other rings, so I've been practicing, just in case.

Just give me some time.

[He holds still at her touch, keeping his fin where it is rather than withdrawing it like a the nervous sea creature it wants to act like. When her fingers run across the fin, he shivers visibly, his eyelids dropping to half mast. That feels good.

He opens his eyes again when her hand drops away, nodding and smiling as his fins prick up and fan out again with pleasure. He reaches out and slips his arms around her neck, giving her cheek a nuzzle and a kiss and squeezing with nearly all his might]

You havve all the time you need, a course. You're the best, I keep sayin' that, but you really are.

[She notes the reaction with interest, for some time in the future to explore further when the mood was right. At the moment she snuggles into him, shifting off her knees so that she's sitting on the grass and better able to lean into him, and reach him.]

Don't think you can distract me with sweet talk, mister, [she says slyly, drawing her hand up between them and opening it, finally, revealing the ring. The deep purple of the coral is stark against her pale skin.

She loses her slyness, turns shy again as she swallows, a little nervous as she meets his eyes. The ring is there between them, and maybe it's silly to be so dramatic about something that's only a symbol, but Willow can't discredit the importance of symbols. She's too romantic to, too genuine. Since it means so much to him, she has to treat it the same way.]

I know that putting this on means I'm yours. So... you, you should do it for me.

[Oh. Oh wow. She knows.

Or maybe it's just that in this thing, it's the same with humans. Eridan has his arms around her, holding her close against him, but at her offer, he beams honestly and cheerfully, and takes the ring from her palm]

I'd lovve to...

[He takes her right hand oh-so-carefully and gently slides the ring onto the fourth finger until its snug]

A course I'm yours anywway... but wwhen you get a ring for me, evveryone wwill knoww it.

[It wasn't too hard to put together, really, and although this is a bit fast for her, she's not about to bring that up. Everything's going so well, and she's tired of being cautious.

She interlaces their fingers, feeling more at peace to be sitting there with him, in the grass and the sunshine, than she had been while doing anything else since she'd arrived. Willow is calm, content. For once she isn't worrying about what she should be doing.]

I think everyone knows already. Or if anyone doesn't, it's because I haven't met them. [Her smile turns sheepish, but she's rather shamelessly trying to perpetuate his happiness as long as she can. Like she'd said to the other Eridan just the other day, you had to grab it for yourself, and hold onto it, whenever you could.]

[He can't remember ever being this happy in his life, and he just wishes Feferi were here so he could tell her everything and she could glub and hug him and be happy for him, too.

He squeezes her fingers and drops back in the grass, giving a big, contented sigh]

Wwoww. I just feel like... you can't be real.

[Willow has similar thoughts about wishing her friends were here, and even that she could meet Feferi in particular, too. She knows without having to discuss it that they still both miss the people they'd left at home, and tries not to bring it up too much, or focus on it.

She settles into the grass beside him, the warmth of the sun and the oddly metallic sensation of the tower's life force a vague footnote in her mind.] I'm just happy that I make you happy, [she admits, her persistent, if faint nervousness showing as she plays with the grass blades with her free hand.] I still feel kinda... um. Overwhelmed? Everything's so different here, a-and you deserve something on the level of "can't be real" happy.

[Willow wants to be honest with him, but it's hard when she's so scared it'll make him upset, or ruin everything.]

[He looks up at her, a gentle smile on his face and his fins relaxed and fanning out a little to catch the breeze]

I don't knoww that I deservve it, but I knoww you deservve to be happy. An I just hope that I can make you the happiest human in the towwer - or anywwhere else, for that matter.

[He props himself up on his elbows. He's feeling so much more secure now, seeing his ring on her finger and knowing that things are still working out well.]

I feel a little ovverwwhelmed, too. I guess that's wwhy I'vve been such a wwiggler about things.

I'm pretty happy already, [she admits, reflecting on her earlier thoughts.] It's... a big difference. [Willow's not so sure that she deserves to be happy, but she wants to be. And starting a conversation about who deserves what would probably lead nowhere useful, so she lets that topic go.

In any case, it sounds like he's willing to be open with her, and she's not about to pass that opportunity up. She lays where she is and looks up at him attentively, comfortable with the height difference, her hand still resting in his.]

How have you been a, a wiggler about this? [she asks, a genuine question.] Everything's been so crazy, it's natural for it to be kind of a mess on the inside, too.

[At least, that's what she tells herself.]

Edited 2012-02-04 21:50 (UTC)

Just bein' all nervvous and... wwell, convvinced that this is gonna go awwry real quick if I do anything wwrong. [He's not looking at her, his head turned away a bit and gazing at some point in the middle distance. He's holding her hand, though] I knoww it's silly, because you're not a cruel person. Wwith some time to get used to things, probably I'll get ovver it.

It is silly, but everyone thinks silly things sometimes.

[She squeezes his hand, wanting his attention back.] You've been so patient with me; I can be patient, too. That's the whole idea.

I don't knoww if I'vve been that patient. [He squeezes her hand back and gives her shoulder a nuzzle] But I can be, about, you knoww...most things. An I just wwant you to be happy, that's all.

You're too down on yourself, [she scolds.] You are patient, and considerate, and you lavish me with compliments, and look, you even give me jewelry.

Am I supposed to want something else from my boyfriend?

[He smiles, pleased at the praise, even if it came with a tiny criticism. It's probably one he deserves]

Wwell, I guess not. Wwhen you say it, it sounds pretty good. [He grins and gives her a light kiss, a little affectionate peck on the lips] And you're patient and kind and lavvish me wwith evven more compliments. I couldn't wwant anythin' more from a matesprit.

Are you sure? [He had coincidentally hit on the insecurity at the forefront of Willow's mind, and she bites the inside of her lip even as she reaches up to tug him down beside her again. Somehow it's easier to be self-conscious when he's right there next to her.]

I've just been doing what I'd do if-- if you were a human I were dating. Don't you want something, uh... pitiful?

[It's clear that she's not entirely sure how pity factors into this, but that it does, somehow.]

[Blinks in surprise, then he smiles again, cuddling in close] If you're doing wwhat a normal human wwould do wwith another human, maybe things aren't so different, after all. I'm just treatin' you like I wwould any troll, uh, other than explainin' things a bit more.

[Willow hadn't been kidding that seeing him smile made her want to kiss him, and since he'd kissed her himself earlier it was on her mind.

But she had one thing she did want to get out of the way, first, that had been on her mind for a lot longer.] Speaking of explaining things, [she says, compromising with herself by drawing his hand up and placing a light kiss across his knuckles in between her words,] can you tell me why pity is supposed to be a good thing?

[Once she understood this part, she thought she might be able to stop second-guessing herself about this. Well, maybe a little. She could at least keep her second-guessing to herself better.]

[Eridan cocks his head thoughtfully, trying to figure out why she would feel that pity wasn't a good thing. But after a few seconds, he begins to speak]

Wwell, there's a difference betwween contempt an pity, for one. Trolls are a vviolent species. Anyone you don't pity, you might use or hurt wwithout wworryin too much about it. But if you pity someone...

[He reaches out, cupping her cheek and pressing his forehead against hers, his voice dropping affectionately]

If you pity someone, then you couldn't bear to hurt them in any wway, because they're already so pitiable that you don't wwant to make it wworse.

[Oh that's a very good explanation, and charms the romantic in her completely. She giggles faintly at how obviously he's talking about her, and nuzzles against him, unreserved.]

Then if it's not entirely obvious, you are completely pitiable, [she says affectionately.] Eminently pitiable, even. If I ever hurt you I'd turn into a big wreck, it'd be completely embarrassing.

[He beams and snuggles in closer] Yeah, I wwould nevver wwant to hurt you, either. I mean, I don't think you're lowwer than me in any wway, but you're so...swweet, and kinda naivve in a lot a wways and somehoww despite bein' such a strong wwitch, you still wwant evveryone to get along and for evverything to be wwell. And I think you're afraid a yourself a bit, and lonely too, wwhich makes you just that little bit more pitiable.

That must be the strangest set of compliments I've ever received. [But she can't really deny any of it, either, and apparently it all just means that he'd never want to see her hurt, which is a sentiment she can get behind. So she just throws him an amused look.]

You're really romantic, aren't you? I mean I could tell with you bringing up serendipity, but I think it's cute.

[And now he blushes to the tips of his fins]

Wwell, yeah. I guess I am. But don't tell evveryone, okay? It's sort of embarrassin', but I believve that there are people you're just fated to be wwith.

Your reputation is safe with me, [she says slyly, scooting even closer. She's suddenly quiet and almost shy as she adds,] Because I feel that way, too.

[She just doesn't know if it was him she was fated to be with, because Tara is still too strong in her mind.

But she can't tell him that, so she needs a distraction, and she does want to kiss him. Which she does, soft but insistent against his lips, one hand creeping up to rest on his waist.]

[He warbles at the words, and returns the kiss sweetly and fervently, his arms sliding around her and holding her close. He doesn't try to push it further, but finishes the kiss with a little alien chirping noise.]

You're the swweetest girl there is.

[His alien noises are rapidly becoming endearing to her more than anything else. They're faintly cute on their own, but they're part of him, and that means Willow is already predisposed to be sentimental about it.]

I don't know about that. You just... make it easy. [Her hand slides up his waist, lightly over his rib cage because she knows his gills are there, and makes slow, meandering progress as she speaks. She hasn't forgotten that earlier she'd wanted to investigate his fins. He'd made the nicest little shiver when she'd touched them.]