Aerith's shoulders shake with relief, laughing and crying at the same time as she hugs him to her with all her might. The feeling is indescribable, how joyous and right it feels to commit her life to him and he to her. Marriage had never seemed like a happy prospect before they began playing at husband and wife as a cover, and now she couldn't imagine her life any other way than entwined with his.
Her chest aches when he answers her back, a happy squeak escaping her when their lips meet again. "I love you," she murmurs, repeating herself one or two times more for good measure before her hands come to cradle the sides of his face, her lashes fluttering when she feels the familiar weight of his forehead rest against hers.
"I didn't even think you wanted me to kiss you that night you know."
He's laughing too, squeezing her back and enjoying all her sounds and faces. "I love you, too, more than I thought possible."
At her admission, he chuckles, kissing her forehead before finding her lips again. "Then you don't know how often I kept my distance or skipped a drink because I didn't think it was right, the way I wanted to kiss you. Your silly game with the earrings undid me, and I'm so glad for it."
But he's getting tired, the week catching up with him, and he sighs happily into her hair. "Come lay on me in the water," he says, staying close as he leads her to the tub, pausing only to take the rest of his garments off. "And tell me if you want a big wedding or something small and private."
She laughs when he mentions the earrings, lifting her chin to nuzzle her cheek to his. "I wanted your attention, and, I wanted to be alone with you again." All of which paid off the night of her birthday, she thought.
"Get in the water first, I want you to get comfortable while I heal you, then I'll join you, okay?"
As much as she doesn't want to step away from him, Aerith slips free of his embrace, undressing along with him before she waits for him to get into the water, perching on the side of the tub once he's settled. "I want you. I would have a wedding with you right now if I could, the rest isn't important to me."
Her hand slips beneath the water, settling on the center of his chest before the soft green light of her magic glimmers to life.
He chuckles affectionately, trailing his fingers in her hair as she nuzzles against him. "You wanted my attention from the start, didn't you? I just convinced myself I was making it up. A good thing you were so persistent." And that his resolve had wavered.
He follows her directions though, slipping into the hot water. He can't help the moan that escapes him, his exhausted body starting to relax, brain remembering he's in pain. "I'm going to sleep for three days," he warns her.
When she comes to perch, he lifts one hand out of the water to find her wrist, leaning his face against her arm. "Mmm," he agrees, "As would I, but I think after everything we've been through, we deserve a celebration, too." Lightness. Laughter.
Her hand slips down to his chest, and that alone is healing, but he sighs as he feels her magic sinking into him, his own merging with it to start stitching wounds and healing bruises. "We'll have to call up for some dinner and tea," he muses. "But first -- come here."
"First to prove you wrong about me, and then, just," Aerith shrugs, her smile growing shy. "You're captivating."
She can tell the magic helps, and that puts her more at ease. As happy as he's made her, the fact that he's been held prisoner for a week isn't far from her thoughts. She's got a duty to him as the ship's healer, and now, as his future wife.
"Wait," Aerith pulls her hand away and takes one of his. "First, I need to," she guides his hand to rest on his thigh, looking over the rings on his fingers before slipping one off to put on her ring finger.
With a satisfied nod she lets his hand go before sinking into the water to gently settle against his chest. "I needed a ring."
It's so sweet, seeing her shy like that. And now he recalls how often he saw that expression early on, oblivious that she cared for him. He returns it, equally shy in his honesty. "You're the only person whose opinion I cared about in a very long time," he assures her.
He's confused at first when she tells him to wait, but consternation turns to amusement as she shifts through his rings, stealing one for herself, and when she settles against him he cradles her tightly, sighing happily. "Here I was fretting I hadn't gotten you one, but stealing mine suits you better, doesn't it?" And there are no words for how happy it makes his heart to see his ring on her finger, placed there because she wanted it to be.
After wrapping an arm around his shoulders Aerith kisses his cheek with a content chuckle. "They're our rings now, aren't they? If I'm going to be your wife doesn't that mean half of what's mine is yours, and half of what's yours is mine?"
Laughing again she kisses his cheek a second time. "Our earrings too, right, husband?" Her heart leaps at the thought and she can't help but cozy up against him a little more, her lips trailing from his cheek to the side of his neck before she nuzzles against his skin with a happy hum. "I love you so much Balthier. You've made me so happy."
"I should have known," he sighs dramatically, but he can't keep the grin out of his voice. "Just after my things. A true pirate."
He hums as she kisses his cheek and cozies up to him. "I do like seeing you in my things. I suppose I can abide by this." He adjusts his arm around her, squeezing her to him as he settles his head against hers, eyes drifting closed as she kisses down his neck.
"My sweet Aerith," he murmurs, fresh tears at just how much she loves him. "My incredible wife." His chest flutters saying it for real.
"After you and your things," she points out before peppering his face with kisses.
Her arms tighten around him, kissing the spot where his neck meets his shoulder before her head settles against him. Their escape from Piaget felt like a lifetime ago. She recalls too keenly what it was like getting over the nightmares to believe that terror is gone completely, for either of them, but for now, she's the happiest she can remember being.
"Tell me what you want for our wedding. I want small, but I want a nice dress and lots of flowers, and you."
"Mmm well I have been your possession for quite a long time now. I suppose I should hide the earrings I actually want to keep though, hmm?" he asks, smiling into all the gentle kisses on his face. If not for how they got here, this would be a perfect day.
And something about her settling so cozily into his hold, the water easing their aches and shutting out the world as she asks for thoughts of their future, feels almost surreal. "You will have all those things," he promises, tucking his head against hers and settlings his arms around her, fingers trailing on her arm.
"I want music, and somewhere outdoors, and a good meal, and afterwards I want to take you on a trip far away from here and kiss you even more than I usually do." He turns to press his lips to her hair. "But so long as you're there, I'll be satisfied. Assuming I look nice."
"Why hide them? If you're keeping me forever it's not like they're going to go anywhere," Aerith teases in a murmur as she kisses the bridge of his nose.
This has been one of the hardest days they've faced together, but Aerith feels sure they can weather it. They have each other, after all, and even though being apart was never something she considered, the thought of getting married brings the notion of sharing the future with Balthier to the forefront of her thoughts.
"I want all those things, and to dance with you. And you will always be the most beautiful person I've ever seen."
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no subject
Her chest aches when he answers her back, a happy squeak escaping her when their lips meet again. "I love you," she murmurs, repeating herself one or two times more for good measure before her hands come to cradle the sides of his face, her lashes fluttering when she feels the familiar weight of his forehead rest against hers.
"I didn't even think you wanted me to kiss you that night you know."
no subject
At her admission, he chuckles, kissing her forehead before finding her lips again. "Then you don't know how often I kept my distance or skipped a drink because I didn't think it was right, the way I wanted to kiss you. Your silly game with the earrings undid me, and I'm so glad for it."
But he's getting tired, the week catching up with him, and he sighs happily into her hair. "Come lay on me in the water," he says, staying close as he leads her to the tub, pausing only to take the rest of his garments off. "And tell me if you want a big wedding or something small and private."
no subject
"Get in the water first, I want you to get comfortable while I heal you, then I'll join you, okay?"
As much as she doesn't want to step away from him, Aerith slips free of his embrace, undressing along with him before she waits for him to get into the water, perching on the side of the tub once he's settled. "I want you. I would have a wedding with you right now if I could, the rest isn't important to me."
Her hand slips beneath the water, settling on the center of his chest before the soft green light of her magic glimmers to life.
no subject
He follows her directions though, slipping into the hot water. He can't help the moan that escapes him, his exhausted body starting to relax, brain remembering he's in pain. "I'm going to sleep for three days," he warns her.
When she comes to perch, he lifts one hand out of the water to find her wrist, leaning his face against her arm. "Mmm," he agrees, "As would I, but I think after everything we've been through, we deserve a celebration, too." Lightness. Laughter.
Her hand slips down to his chest, and that alone is healing, but he sighs as he feels her magic sinking into him, his own merging with it to start stitching wounds and healing bruises. "We'll have to call up for some dinner and tea," he muses. "But first -- come here."
no subject
She can tell the magic helps, and that puts her more at ease. As happy as he's made her, the fact that he's been held prisoner for a week isn't far from her thoughts. She's got a duty to him as the ship's healer, and now, as his future wife.
"Wait," Aerith pulls her hand away and takes one of his. "First, I need to," she guides his hand to rest on his thigh, looking over the rings on his fingers before slipping one off to put on her ring finger.
With a satisfied nod she lets his hand go before sinking into the water to gently settle against his chest. "I needed a ring."
no subject
He's confused at first when she tells him to wait, but consternation turns to amusement as she shifts through his rings, stealing one for herself, and when she settles against him he cradles her tightly, sighing happily. "Here I was fretting I hadn't gotten you one, but stealing mine suits you better, doesn't it?" And there are no words for how happy it makes his heart to see his ring on her finger, placed there because she wanted it to be.
no subject
Laughing again she kisses his cheek a second time. "Our earrings too, right, husband?" Her heart leaps at the thought and she can't help but cozy up against him a little more, her lips trailing from his cheek to the side of his neck before she nuzzles against his skin with a happy hum. "I love you so much Balthier. You've made me so happy."
no subject
He hums as she kisses his cheek and cozies up to him. "I do like seeing you in my things. I suppose I can abide by this." He adjusts his arm around her, squeezing her to him as he settles his head against hers, eyes drifting closed as she kisses down his neck.
"My sweet Aerith," he murmurs, fresh tears at just how much she loves him. "My incredible wife." His chest flutters saying it for real.
no subject
Her arms tighten around him, kissing the spot where his neck meets his shoulder before her head settles against him. Their escape from Piaget felt like a lifetime ago. She recalls too keenly what it was like getting over the nightmares to believe that terror is gone completely, for either of them, but for now, she's the happiest she can remember being.
"Tell me what you want for our wedding. I want small, but I want a nice dress and lots of flowers, and you."
no subject
And something about her settling so cozily into his hold, the water easing their aches and shutting out the world as she asks for thoughts of their future, feels almost surreal. "You will have all those things," he promises, tucking his head against hers and settlings his arms around her, fingers trailing on her arm.
"I want music, and somewhere outdoors, and a good meal, and afterwards I want to take you on a trip far away from here and kiss you even more than I usually do." He turns to press his lips to her hair. "But so long as you're there, I'll be satisfied. Assuming I look nice."
no subject
This has been one of the hardest days they've faced together, but Aerith feels sure they can weather it. They have each other, after all, and even though being apart was never something she considered, the thought of getting married brings the notion of sharing the future with Balthier to the forefront of her thoughts.
"I want all those things, and to dance with you. And you will always be the most beautiful person I've ever seen."