The sight of tears in his eyes makes hers well up too.
"Does this," she stops and tries again. "Do you," but that isn't it either and once more Aerith falters, kissing him lightly a few more times before giving it a third try.
His laugh is breathy, like being too loud will some how break this perfect moment. "I really like you too," he promises, bringing a hand to her face and thumbing away some of the moisture there.
"Contrary to my reputation, I'm not in the habit of asking anyone into my bed. I'm finding I quite enjoy this exception." He knows she trusts him, knows she believes him, but he also knows it doesn't hurt to tell her that explicitly before he's kissing her again.
"I've really liked you for awhile now," he murmurs.
Hearing the words echoed back at her she realizes how terribly short they fall, but she basks in it anyway. It almost feels easier to breathe, having a better idea of where they stand.
"I'll stay in your bed as long as you want me to," she shifts against him, cuddling closer, nothing more behind her words than a desire to stay near.
"Does this mean that you want to be with me how I want to be with you?"
"That depends," he says lowly, humming into the way she cuddles against him. He doesn't know how much experience she has with relationships, doesn't know what she can read and assume, so he wants to be clear and he doesn't want to push.
"I want you with me as often as you'd like to be, and I'd like to kiss you a good deal more, and I'd like to spend more days like your birthday together." He clasps his hand around her head, cuddling right back against her, heart skipping because that last one had nearly ended in something more physical, and while he's very open to that, it's also not something he's asking her for before she's ready.
"And to be perfectly clear, I haven't wanted that with anyone else in years, and not like I do with you." That day she'd become so jealous of his friend made more sense to him now. So did the way she'd sometimes preen at being his wife, which now makes his heart stutter. "My life has been so much fuller with you in it, Aerith."
Her smile grows the more he explains the way he wants to be with her, her fingertips gently tracing through his hair while he speaks. It's everything she hoped for and then some and Aerith doesn't hold back when she leans up to kiss him again, nodding her head eagerly while her lips press against his.
"I want all the days and nights with you that you want with me," she utters between kisses, not relenting a single inch of space. "I want to talk to you and watch you smile, and learn all your favorite things."
Aerith flushes, deeply gratified by the knowledge that she's the first to pull these feelings out of him in a long time. "I treasure my life with you Balthier."
She's so thrilled that all his worries seem silly in hindsight. He smiles into the touch at his hair, closing his eyes until she's kissing him again. "You're well on your way," he assures her in the space she gives him to breathe. "And we have all the time in the world."
His heart flutters at that, at her admission that she treasures a life with him, and he cups her face, looking her over breathlessly. "I -- Do you --" He sighs, laughing at himself as he presses their foreheads together. "You make me tongue tied sometimes, you know that?" He kisses her again before he says, "You are a wonderful fake wife, but I'd like you to be my real partner, in whatever ways you're comfortable with. You don't need to decide tonight. I just -- regretted not being honest with you."
"I already decided that I want that," she says on the heels of his telling her she could take her time. Kissing him again she brings both hands up to cradle his face and hold him there for a long moment before wrapping her arms back around him again.
"You're so smart and kind," Aerith murmurs affectionately, her eyes roving over his face. "How could I not want to be with you?"
He's teary again, kissing her hard and smiling and smiling, not expecting how quickly she'd agree. And when she pulls back, eyes trained on him, voice so affectionate as she sings his praises he can't help feeling bashful, turning to kiss her palm.
"I could say the same of you," he says, pressing her damp hair behind her ear, loving that she's wrapped in his arms and his dressing gown. "Smart and kind and brave and adventurous. Spirit too stubborn to break." He admire her greatly. Was humbled she enjoyed him back.
He's weak, though, and he knows sleep is coming again, and so he sighs, wrapping his arms around her and hugging her tight to him. "You fit so wonderfully in my arms," he murmurs. And his dressing gown. And his life. He kisses the top of her head, hands running affectionately over her. "I hope you know you're stuck being held all the time now." He doesn't think she's going to have any complaints though, and as he falls asleep, his head is filled with all the things he wants to do with her.
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Date: 2023-02-26 01:49 am (UTC)"Does this," she stops and tries again. "Do you," but that isn't it either and once more Aerith falters, kissing him lightly a few more times before giving it a third try.
"I really like you."
no subject
Date: 2023-02-26 02:40 am (UTC)"Contrary to my reputation, I'm not in the habit of asking anyone into my bed. I'm finding I quite enjoy this exception." He knows she trusts him, knows she believes him, but he also knows it doesn't hurt to tell her that explicitly before he's kissing her again.
"I've really liked you for awhile now," he murmurs.
no subject
Date: 2023-02-26 03:28 am (UTC)"I'll stay in your bed as long as you want me to," she shifts against him, cuddling closer, nothing more behind her words than a desire to stay near.
"Does this mean that you want to be with me how I want to be with you?"
no subject
Date: 2023-02-26 09:22 pm (UTC)"I want you with me as often as you'd like to be, and I'd like to kiss you a good deal more, and I'd like to spend more days like your birthday together." He clasps his hand around her head, cuddling right back against her, heart skipping because that last one had nearly ended in something more physical, and while he's very open to that, it's also not something he's asking her for before she's ready.
"And to be perfectly clear, I haven't wanted that with anyone else in years, and not like I do with you." That day she'd become so jealous of his friend made more sense to him now. So did the way she'd sometimes preen at being his wife, which now makes his heart stutter. "My life has been so much fuller with you in it, Aerith."
no subject
Date: 2023-02-26 11:16 pm (UTC)"I want all the days and nights with you that you want with me," she utters between kisses, not relenting a single inch of space. "I want to talk to you and watch you smile, and learn all your favorite things."
Aerith flushes, deeply gratified by the knowledge that she's the first to pull these feelings out of him in a long time. "I treasure my life with you Balthier."
no subject
Date: 2023-02-27 02:31 am (UTC)His heart flutters at that, at her admission that she treasures a life with him, and he cups her face, looking her over breathlessly. "I -- Do you --" He sighs, laughing at himself as he presses their foreheads together. "You make me tongue tied sometimes, you know that?" He kisses her again before he says, "You are a wonderful fake wife, but I'd like you to be my real partner, in whatever ways you're comfortable with. You don't need to decide tonight. I just -- regretted not being honest with you."
no subject
Date: 2023-02-27 03:19 am (UTC)"You're so smart and kind," Aerith murmurs affectionately, her eyes roving over his face. "How could I not want to be with you?"
no subject
Date: 2023-02-27 03:37 am (UTC)"I could say the same of you," he says, pressing her damp hair behind her ear, loving that she's wrapped in his arms and his dressing gown. "Smart and kind and brave and adventurous. Spirit too stubborn to break." He admire her greatly. Was humbled she enjoyed him back.
He's weak, though, and he knows sleep is coming again, and so he sighs, wrapping his arms around her and hugging her tight to him. "You fit so wonderfully in my arms," he murmurs. And his dressing gown. And his life. He kisses the top of her head, hands running affectionately over her. "I hope you know you're stuck being held all the time now." He doesn't think she's going to have any complaints though, and as he falls asleep, his head is filled with all the things he wants to do with her.