[Jill feels relief that is the conclusion they came to. She wasn’t going to let him shoulder it alone.]
Good. The last thing I want is to watch you charge in alone. I don’t think I could have given her up only to watch you do that. I do still want to help you.
[She closes her eyes for a moment when he touches her. It made her heart race only slightly. She looks up at him again, trying to fight the urge to just lean into him and close that space between them.]
Thank you for saving me, Clive.
[He had a few times now. They saved each other. She didn’t want him to do anything alone. It would have been too much to bear. Unable to keep the distance between then anymore, she reaches for him in turn, resting her palm against his cheek.]
[Without her. Not Shiva alone, but Jill. She stood by him when they returned to Phoenix Gate, he supported her when they infiltrated the Iron Kingdom. That's how it should be between them.
His fingertips gently trail down to her cheek even as she touches his own and he feels his heart pound furiously in his chest. Which is absurd. He's done this before and yet it feels so different and new.]
As long as I draw breath, I will always save you.
[But he can't keep himself in check forever, not when he knows what Jill tastes like and how soft her lips are. His hand moves to the back of her neck, keeping her steady as he leans in and presses his lips to her own.]
[He isn’t the only one affected. When he kisses her, Jill immediately responds by tangling her free hand in his hair. She is still surprised by it, a soft gasp escaping when his mouth meets hers. How many times had she imagined this in the last five years? There had always been more important things to dwell on so it was pushed aside.
She leans into him, her other hand and still holding fast to his. Distantly, she knows this might be inappropriate, being in his room alone and in her night clothes. She can’t seem to find it in herself to care.
It feels as if the air has been sucked out of the room. A soft needy sound escapes between kisses but she isn’t sure what exactly she needs beyond him kissing her. Kissing him is new and wonderful and she doesn’t want it to end.]
Edited (I swear to god I just write jibberish) Date: 2023-09-20 02:19 pm (UTC)
[As he closes his eyes, it almost feels just like that night. Except dryer. And without the chill of the ocean breeze. And they're still clothed.
So maybe not just like the beach. Maybe Clive's body is just eager to relive memories. Because despite the discomfort and the self-doubt, that night was one of the best of his life. Just him and Jill, being honest and vulnerable and there for each other with only the moon and Metia as their witness.
And Torgal, but Clive doesn't think about that.
His hand travels down from her neck to rest at the small of her back, fingers splaying over the expanse. They keep kissing and it's wonderful and Clive has half a mind to pull her down to the bed and keep going, but two things happen.
Jill makes that noise, which shoots straight to Clive's groin and makes thinking extremely difficult. Then, whatever is left of his mind screams at him to tell her, tell her! and he stops kissing her entirely, though he keeps her close.
He should tell her. This feels...false, otherwise, and Jill deserves the truth. But then what will the truth accomplish? Anything? She is clearly receptive to him right now, as she had been on the beach. He doesn't know. He doesn't know.
But telling her about Shiva without any huge preamble turned out all right. Maybe...
Clive drags his lips away as he catches his breath, taking a moment to rest their foreheads together.]
[Already, she feels swept up in the moment, his hand on her back doing things to her that made her mind race and her hand hold fast to the front of his shirt. She still hasn’t let go of his hand.
His mouth is hot and she doesn’t care about anything else. Worries about going slow are starting to be flung out of the window. She wants him to keep touching her, even if distantly she knows they should stop.
He makes the choice for them, though he keeps his hand on her back and their foreheads touching. Absently, her fingers trail through the strands of his hair. She has to remember how to breathe as she listens to him and then absorbs this new information.]
Oh.
[His words sink in, relief washing over her. Yes, talking about Shiva was important but she knew him better than that. He had been more worried about telling her this. It was likely not even Joshua knew. He had been carrying it alone.]
Were you worried about how I would feel about it?
[She pulls back slightly to look at his face.]
I’m sorry that you had to be the only one to remember. I wish I did, because… I know I would still make the same choice.
[It was embarrassing to admit that yes she would still sleep with him, but it felt more important - more right - if she had remembered from the start. Maybe it didn’t matter at all how or when they got there, but she still felt guilty for not knowing.]
[Worry isn't quite the right word, though Clive doesn't know what is. He lets her talk, even though her admission doesn't quell his desire at all. The hand on her back presses a little more insistently, his fingers gripping the fabric of her chemise.]
Don't apologize. It's not your fault. I just...
[He glances down at their joined hands.]
After everything you've been through... Even if it's only knowledge, I won't - I can't keep it from you.
[He raises their hands and brushes his lips over her knuckles.]
But neither do I want you to feel obligated. You don't owe me anything, Jill.
Then I take back my apology. You shouldn't apologize either for not telling me sooner. I was trying to give you and Joshua both space.
[She lets go of his shirt, which she realizes that she had been holding onto at some point during their kiss. She is also aware of his hand on her back. When his lips touch her knuckles, it feels as if heat has passed all through out her body. He always took such care with her - whether it was as small as helping her jump down from high places or as big as helping her face her demons.]
Clive. I'm not completely surprised by what you're telling me, because I know myself well enough and I know you. I promise, I am not forcing myself. I don't know if that is what you mean, but I want you to hear it. I wanted to kiss you.
[For thirteen years, she had been forced to be a weapon and had almost given up on living entirely. Clive had saved her from that fate. They had been side by side for five years now. That wasn't for nothing. It meant something to her. He had given her back freedom and choices and more than that, they were together again after all of that pain and suffering that they both had felt for so long. Why couldn't they both take a small bit of happiness for themselves?]
[Clive finds it a little difficult to breathe as Jill reassures him. He doesn't doubt her interest in him, of course, but hearing it definitely helps calm his own hesitancy.
But Founder, those last words. I wanted to kiss you.
A whine traps itself in his throat and Clive's hand at her back clutches the fabric tighter.]
Jill...
[He presses forward and captures her lips again, his kisses still gentle but a little more confident now. He's still new to this, but a diligent learner, and if any lesson is worth mastering, it's pleasing Jill.
To make her happy. To see her smile again.
Clive pulls away again, a little breathless.]
If...it would not be disagreeable, I should like to kiss you every day.
[It's still so much to take in - the fact that he is kissing her at all, the fact that they apparently spent a night together - but it didn't matter. Any worries about the fact that she didn't remember melt further away each time they kiss. When his mouth meets hers again, her hands move automatically to frame his face, thumb tracing the old scar on his cheek. It was embarrassing how much she wanted to just spend the night kissing him.]
Every day? I think I could agree to that. I hope it's at least more than once a day?
[She's definitely teasing, but mostly because his earnest request made her happy. Fondly, she brushes her fingers through his bangs before placing a soft and lingering kiss to his lips.]
[Clive ducks his head, feeling a flush spread up his neck. How is it that it takes him so long to work up the courage to say such vulnerable things, but then Jill can answer him so easily with her own? But they've always been like this, haven't they? Clive unable to really open up for fear of rejection or simply not knowing how to express himself, Jill being much more grounded and willing to face things head-on.
It isn't bad. Her suggestion holds a certain appeal, as well. He raises his head for her, though, and welcomes the touch and the kiss, giving her as much time to instigate as she likes. The next chance he gets to breathe, however, Clive finally answers.]
[While the words do come easy, it is only with him and right now that she is mustering up the courage to say them. He may not see it, but there are some nerves involved. She knows that perhaps she should leave for the night but now that she is here, now that he has told her about Shiva and their spending the night together, it feels impossible to tear herself away from him. She wants to keep touching him and kissing him because that would make it all real.
While she has given him some distance to speak, it's far too much for her liking, so she leans in once more to kiss him. She has no experience to draw on, but it's not without showing him how much she does desire him. even if she doesn't know what that moment with him felt like, she does know she wants it eventually.
There was no rush, no fear of impending death here. It felt as if time stood still and maybe they could take their time. She just wants him to know, even if it's with a heated kiss and her fingers tracing his jaw, that she does want him. In the back of her mind, she knows she should probably leave, if only so they both could sleep. Would she even be able to sleep after this?]
[Jill's desire is very clear and that makes it difficult for Clive to do anything except pin her to the bed and keep her there. He's pretty sure she would let him, too.
They could. They could do just that. Jill has confessed she's willing to be with him and Clive...well. His own thoughts and actions are no longer secret, not that they should be with Jill. They have no reason to hold back.
Still, Clive doesn't feel as if they should fall right into it. He's given her two life-changing pieces of information, back-to-back, and even if she has taken them well, these things take time to sink in. Clive intends to give Jill all the time in the world. For this, for them, for anything.
...That doesn't mean he isn't unaffected by her affections, though. With each new kiss, he grows more and more breathless and he wants, he wants her so terribly. He finally moves his hand from her back and rests both of them on her waist, holding her steady even as his thumbs rub along her sides over her thin nightgown. The thought of parting and letting her go back to her own room for the night leaves him feeling empty.]
[His hands on her waist are distracting enough that she wonders if that is a wise decision, but she also doesn’t want to go back to her room either.]
I hated giving you space and I hated feeling like it would only be a bother to you the longer I waited to ask you about everything.
[It is that desire to just be with him that makes her say yes in the first place. It could be more responsible to just say no. She can’t bring herself to do that at present.]
[Clive nods, his lips turning up in a tiny smile. Being near Jill is what he desires most right now. If he ends up not being able to keep his hands to himself, or Jill does the same, then that's a sacrifice he'll have to make.]
You're never a bother, Jill.
[He raises a hand to brush his fingers over her cheek and presses a chaste kiss to her lips.]
I will always be here for you. When you need to talk or...or anything. Just as you have been here for me.
[He touches her face tenderly again, then breathes out and stands up so he can turn out the light. When he comes back, he turns down the blankets on the bed and gestures for Jill to make herself comfortable.]
[For such a simple kiss, it made her want to melt into him. The small smile, the way he sighed, the way he touched her - all of it made her feel like it could be so easy to want and to ask him for more. He was Clive. He always put her feelings first. She was grateful for the fact of being allowed to make choices or voice her feelings at all.
She watches him move about, turning off the light and then pulling back the bedding for her to get in first and when she does, she finally whispers back to him, almost afraid of breaking the moment as she settles into bed and looks up at him.]
It’s the same for me. I shouldn’t have thought to avoid you before.
[She hopes that he won’t reject her when he decides to join her as she fully plans to move into his arms.]
[Clive joins her under the blanket, taking a few moments to settle in more properly. At least, until Jill closes the distance between them. He allows it without argument, shifting so they both can lie comfortably.
Jill's weight against his chest feels right, too, and it gives him the opportunity to run his fingers over her hair, playing with the ends that frame her face.]
[Laying like this, she can hear his heart beat, feel his chest rise and fall when he breathes. It was comforting, even if it also took getting used to. His fingers in her hair were the same. Why had they waited five years to be like this? It didn't matter now. As he said, We're here now.]
Mm. I feel like I’m finally getting used to you being here after being alone. Seeing you unharmed… I’m glad.
[Her hand rests on his chest and she can't help but relax in his arms while he touches her. Laying on top of him should be embarrassing but it isn’t. She does shift to get more comfortable, until she feels something against her stomach. She gasps softly and immediately closes her mouth. Hoping he didn’t hear, she moves back to the way she was, the evidence of his obvious arousal very much noticed. Maybe laying on him is a little embarrassing.]
[Clive thinks very little of their arrangements up until Jill shifts, even just that little bit. Because while his...excitement never reached full mast, it still exists. Being with Jill, kissing and touching her, has made sure of that.
He grunts when she moves back, hoping she doesn't hear him, but knowing there's very little chance of that. They could lie here and not mention it. Maybe that would be better for their embarrassment. But instead, Clive moves so he lies on his side, facing her, so she'll be less likely to repeat such actions. He presses his face into her hair, whispering.]
Sorry.
[He kisses the crown of her head.]
Your company is...pleasing to me.
[...Obviously. He should have kept his mouth shut because that sounds so stupid.]
[Lucky for him, she is used to his occasional awkward way of explaining himself. She would laugh but that would be rude, wouldn’t it? He’s still touching her, still kissing her, even if it’s just her head and hair. She missed laying on him already.]
It’s alright. Really. Do you need me to- I could leave if you need me to. Not that I want to.
[She is asking, if only so he might take care of it if he needs to. She can’t imagine it’s very comfortable. She won’t pull away from him unless he asks, of course. She even tangles her fingers in his hair, not wanting him to pull away. The thought that she has that effect on him is embarrassing for so many reasons but it also makes her feel strangely exhilarated. Maybe that isn’t the right word. It makes butterflies happen all the same.]
[Clive exhales, his eyes falling shut as he gives into the feeling of her fingers in his hair. Such a simple touch and yet it leaves him nearly incapacitated.]
I want you to stay.
[Just ignore his body's reaction. Ignore it, ignore any ridiculous thing he might say. Clive reaches out to gently run his fingers up and down her back. It's all right. He'll be all right.]
[His fingers on her back really are making it difficult for her to argue in favor of going back to her own room. Her breath catches in her throat and the hand not idly running her fingers through his hair holds fast to the front of his shirt. She isn't going anywhere.]
Clive... [She breathes out his name, biting her bottom lip. She loosens her hold on his shirt, sliding her hand up his chest to rest on his shoulder. Her breaths are a little shaky and there was no way he could miss that any more than she missed the tension in him. He was holding himself back and she was bit by bit melting in his arms.]
I'll stay. We can stay like this.
[She knew his self control - and hers as well, really - was hanging by a thread, but she didn't want to leave things like this. She wanted them to stay her in his bed, even if the smart thing might be to leave. She didn't want to leave things like this, with the tension between them that felt heavy enough to steal her breath.]
Edited (i write good) Date: 2023-09-29 02:59 am (UTC)
[Now that she's here with him, Clive doesn't want her to leave. They've said too much at this point and been too close for him to turn her out. Even if he spends the rest of the night in relative discomfort, he doesn't care. Jill is here, with him, with her hands in his hair and all over him and that's really all he wants. To just be.
He raises his hand from her back to her chin, gently lifting it so he can find her lips again. The kiss isn't insistent, not asking Jill for anything, simply appreciative of her presence.]
Like this. That's all I need, Jill.
[Does he want more? Of course. He's tasted what a night between him and Jill is like and it was incredible, but he can keep himself in check. He can and he will, as long as he needs to.]
[Her upper arms both settle around his neck to pull him close when he lifts her chin to kiss her. The kiss is soft, slow, not forceful or impatient at all. She relaxes into it almost immediately, her mouth exploring his as she tries to find what he likes.
She is careful not to move too close to him unless he decides to pull her close, if only to avoid making his discomfort worse. She settles for one hand tangled in the hair at the nape of his neck and the other resting on his shoulder. Kissing him made her toes curl and the butterflies flutter in full force. She was careful not to ask for too much either, though her imagination was quite detailed this evening.
She doesn’t speak, preferring to explore what she likes as well. She leaves a kiss to his cheek, smiling against his skin. It was hard to know what she was doing, so she ran instinct.]
[Clive wants to kiss every inch of her skin. The longer he lies in her presence and the more she kisses him back, the harder this all becomes. His hand goes back to her hair, threading through it for a moment before he holds the back of her neck and kisses her again, but this time a little more desperate.
He knows the moan he gives won't go unnoticed, but he also doesn't care as much. Asking Jill here is something Clive doesn't regret, but this isn't going the way he thought it would.
There's no reason to be surprised, though. Clive's only human.]
You're beautiful, Jill.
[His lips drag along her jaw, then down her neck, and Clive shifts a little further down the bed as he breathes in against her collarbone and finally presses his face to her chest. She's soft and warm, despite Shiva's presence, and welcoming, and Clive starts to give in.]
[The desperation goes both ways. It had been agonizing when she had first come here, not knowing if he was alive or safe. When he had turned up here a week after her, it had brought on relief. The confusion over all of the things she didn't remember was secondary to that relief and more still to this. They had danced around this for years. She had told him that she wasn't even surprised that it had eventually culminated to the two of them sleeping together on the beach. She shouldn't be surprised now either.
When their kisses become more heated and desperate and his fingers touch her hair it pushed any thoughts that they should slow down out of the window. His moan makes her heart skip a beat and his voice in her ear calling her beautiful actually makes her blush. When his lips descend down to her throat, he'll be able to feel her pulse racing. If that isn't enough to prove to him how desperate she also is for him, his mouth on her collar bone draws a soft moan from her as well.]
I'll have to take your word for it. [She hopes he catches on to the fact that she is joking, though her words are slightly delayed by how distracted he's making her. She laughs, though it's soft and breathless and when he kisses lower and reaches her chest, she exhales. Dimly she was very aware of how thin her gown was and when his face reaches her chest one of her hands immediately threads through his hair. That should be a sign of encouragement if he is paying attention.]
Edited (bleh typos) Date: 2023-09-30 03:19 am (UTC)
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2023-09-20 11:08 am (UTC)Good. The last thing I want is to watch you charge in alone. I don’t think I could have given her up only to watch you do that. I do still want to help you.
[She closes her eyes for a moment when he touches her. It made her heart race only slightly. She looks up at him again, trying to fight the urge to just lean into him and close that space between them.]
Thank you for saving me, Clive.
[He had a few times now. They saved each other. She didn’t want him to do anything alone. It would have been too much to bear. Unable to keep the distance between then anymore, she reaches for him in turn, resting her palm against his cheek.]
no subject
Date: 2023-09-20 11:46 am (UTC)[Without her. Not Shiva alone, but Jill. She stood by him when they returned to Phoenix Gate, he supported her when they infiltrated the Iron Kingdom. That's how it should be between them.
His fingertips gently trail down to her cheek even as she touches his own and he feels his heart pound furiously in his chest. Which is absurd. He's done this before and yet it feels so different and new.]
As long as I draw breath, I will always save you.
[But he can't keep himself in check forever, not when he knows what Jill tastes like and how soft her lips are. His hand moves to the back of her neck, keeping her steady as he leans in and presses his lips to her own.]
no subject
Date: 2023-09-20 12:31 pm (UTC)She leans into him, her other hand and still holding fast to his. Distantly, she knows this might be inappropriate, being in his room alone and in her night clothes. She can’t seem to find it in herself to care.
It feels as if the air has been sucked out of the room. A soft needy sound escapes between kisses but she isn’t sure what exactly she needs beyond him kissing her. Kissing him is new and wonderful and she doesn’t want it to end.]
no subject
Date: 2023-09-20 07:10 pm (UTC)So maybe not just like the beach. Maybe Clive's body is just eager to relive memories. Because despite the discomfort and the self-doubt, that night was one of the best of his life. Just him and Jill, being honest and vulnerable and there for each other with only the moon and Metia as their witness.
And Torgal, but Clive doesn't think about that.
His hand travels down from her neck to rest at the small of her back, fingers splaying over the expanse. They keep kissing and it's wonderful and Clive has half a mind to pull her down to the bed and keep going, but two things happen.
Jill makes that noise, which shoots straight to Clive's groin and makes thinking extremely difficult. Then, whatever is left of his mind screams at him to tell her, tell her! and he stops kissing her entirely, though he keeps her close.
He should tell her. This feels...false, otherwise, and Jill deserves the truth. But then what will the truth accomplish? Anything? She is clearly receptive to him right now, as she had been on the beach. He doesn't know. He doesn't know.
But telling her about Shiva without any huge preamble turned out all right. Maybe...
Clive drags his lips away as he catches his breath, taking a moment to rest their foreheads together.]
Jill, there's...something else.
[He swallows.]
We spent the night together.
no subject
Date: 2023-09-20 08:11 pm (UTC)His mouth is hot and she doesn’t care about anything else. Worries about going slow are starting to be flung out of the window. She wants him to keep touching her, even if distantly she knows they should stop.
He makes the choice for them, though he keeps his hand on her back and their foreheads touching. Absently, her fingers trail through the strands of his hair. She has to remember how to breathe as she listens to him and then absorbs this new information.]
Oh.
[His words sink in, relief washing over her. Yes, talking about Shiva was important but she knew him better than that. He had been more worried about telling her this. It was likely not even Joshua knew. He had been carrying it alone.]
Were you worried about how I would feel about it?
[She pulls back slightly to look at his face.]
I’m sorry that you had to be the only one to remember. I wish I did, because… I know I would still make the same choice.
[It was embarrassing to admit that yes she would still sleep with him, but it felt more important - more right - if she had remembered from the start. Maybe it didn’t matter at all how or when they got there, but she still felt guilty for not knowing.]
no subject
Date: 2023-09-20 10:32 pm (UTC)Don't apologize. It's not your fault. I just...
[He glances down at their joined hands.]
After everything you've been through... Even if it's only knowledge, I won't - I can't keep it from you.
[He raises their hands and brushes his lips over her knuckles.]
But neither do I want you to feel obligated. You don't owe me anything, Jill.
no subject
Date: 2023-09-21 04:04 am (UTC)Then I take back my apology. You shouldn't apologize either for not telling me sooner. I was trying to give you and Joshua both space.
[She lets go of his shirt, which she realizes that she had been holding onto at some point during their kiss. She is also aware of his hand on her back. When his lips touch her knuckles, it feels as if heat has passed all through out her body. He always took such care with her - whether it was as small as helping her jump down from high places or as big as helping her face her demons.]
Clive. I'm not completely surprised by what you're telling me, because I know myself well enough and I know you. I promise, I am not forcing myself. I don't know if that is what you mean, but I want you to hear it. I wanted to kiss you.
[For thirteen years, she had been forced to be a weapon and had almost given up on living entirely. Clive had saved her from that fate. They had been side by side for five years now. That wasn't for nothing. It meant something to her. He had given her back freedom and choices and more than that, they were together again after all of that pain and suffering that they both had felt for so long. Why couldn't they both take a small bit of happiness for themselves?]
no subject
Date: 2023-09-22 11:09 pm (UTC)But Founder, those last words. I wanted to kiss you.
A whine traps itself in his throat and Clive's hand at her back clutches the fabric tighter.]
Jill...
[He presses forward and captures her lips again, his kisses still gentle but a little more confident now. He's still new to this, but a diligent learner, and if any lesson is worth mastering, it's pleasing Jill.
To make her happy. To see her smile again.
Clive pulls away again, a little breathless.]
If...it would not be disagreeable, I should like to kiss you every day.
no subject
Date: 2023-09-23 04:34 am (UTC)Every day? I think I could agree to that. I hope it's at least more than once a day?
[She's definitely teasing, but mostly because his earnest request made her happy. Fondly, she brushes her fingers through his bangs before placing a soft and lingering kiss to his lips.]
no subject
Date: 2023-09-23 08:05 am (UTC)It isn't bad. Her suggestion holds a certain appeal, as well. He raises his head for her, though, and welcomes the touch and the kiss, giving her as much time to instigate as she likes. The next chance he gets to breathe, however, Clive finally answers.]
If that is your wish, then you shall have it.
no subject
Date: 2023-09-23 03:43 pm (UTC)[While the words do come easy, it is only with him and right now that she is mustering up the courage to say them. He may not see it, but there are some nerves involved. She knows that perhaps she should leave for the night but now that she is here, now that he has told her about Shiva and their spending the night together, it feels impossible to tear herself away from him. She wants to keep touching him and kissing him because that would make it all real.
While she has given him some distance to speak, it's far too much for her liking, so she leans in once more to kiss him. She has no experience to draw on, but it's not without showing him how much she does desire him. even if she doesn't know what that moment with him felt like, she does know she wants it eventually.
There was no rush, no fear of impending death here. It felt as if time stood still and maybe they could take their time. She just wants him to know, even if it's with a heated kiss and her fingers tracing his jaw, that she does want him. In the back of her mind, she knows she should probably leave, if only so they both could sleep. Would she even be able to sleep after this?]
no subject
Date: 2023-09-24 05:56 am (UTC)They could. They could do just that. Jill has confessed she's willing to be with him and Clive...well. His own thoughts and actions are no longer secret, not that they should be with Jill. They have no reason to hold back.
Still, Clive doesn't feel as if they should fall right into it. He's given her two life-changing pieces of information, back-to-back, and even if she has taken them well, these things take time to sink in. Clive intends to give Jill all the time in the world. For this, for them, for anything.
...That doesn't mean he isn't unaffected by her affections, though. With each new kiss, he grows more and more breathless and he wants, he wants her so terribly. He finally moves his hand from her back and rests both of them on her waist, holding her steady even as his thumbs rub along her sides over her thin nightgown. The thought of parting and letting her go back to her own room for the night leaves him feeling empty.]
You could...stay here, tonight.
[His voice has grown a little hoarse.]
If you wish.
no subject
Date: 2023-09-24 07:24 am (UTC)[His hands on her waist are distracting enough that she wonders if that is a wise decision, but she also doesn’t want to go back to her room either.]
I hated giving you space and I hated feeling like it would only be a bother to you the longer I waited to ask you about everything.
[It is that desire to just be with him that makes her say yes in the first place. It could be more responsible to just say no. She can’t bring herself to do that at present.]
no subject
Date: 2023-09-24 09:47 am (UTC)You're never a bother, Jill.
[He raises a hand to brush his fingers over her cheek and presses a chaste kiss to her lips.]
I will always be here for you. When you need to talk or...or anything. Just as you have been here for me.
[He touches her face tenderly again, then breathes out and stands up so he can turn out the light. When he comes back, he turns down the blankets on the bed and gestures for Jill to make herself comfortable.]
no subject
Date: 2023-09-24 01:55 pm (UTC)She watches him move about, turning off the light and then pulling back the bedding for her to get in first and when she does, she finally whispers back to him, almost afraid of breaking the moment as she settles into bed and looks up at him.]
It’s the same for me. I shouldn’t have thought to avoid you before.
[She hopes that he won’t reject her when he decides to join her as she fully plans to move into his arms.]
no subject
Date: 2023-09-26 11:27 pm (UTC)[Clive joins her under the blanket, taking a few moments to settle in more properly. At least, until Jill closes the distance between them. He allows it without argument, shifting so they both can lie comfortably.
Jill's weight against his chest feels right, too, and it gives him the opportunity to run his fingers over her hair, playing with the ends that frame her face.]
We're here now. No harm done.
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Date: 2023-09-27 01:22 am (UTC)Mm. I feel like I’m finally getting used to you being here after being alone. Seeing you unharmed… I’m glad.
[Her hand rests on his chest and she can't help but relax in his arms while he touches her. Laying on top of him should be embarrassing but it isn’t. She does shift to get more comfortable, until she feels something against her stomach. She gasps softly and immediately closes her mouth. Hoping he didn’t hear, she moves back to the way she was, the evidence of his obvious arousal very much noticed. Maybe laying on him is a little embarrassing.]
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Date: 2023-09-28 08:10 am (UTC)He grunts when she moves back, hoping she doesn't hear him, but knowing there's very little chance of that. They could lie here and not mention it. Maybe that would be better for their embarrassment. But instead, Clive moves so he lies on his side, facing her, so she'll be less likely to repeat such actions. He presses his face into her hair, whispering.]
Sorry.
[He kisses the crown of her head.]
Your company is...pleasing to me.
[...Obviously. He should have kept his mouth shut because that sounds so stupid.]
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Date: 2023-09-28 10:50 am (UTC)It’s alright. Really. Do you need me to- I could leave if you need me to. Not that I want to.
[She is asking, if only so he might take care of it if he needs to. She can’t imagine it’s very comfortable. She won’t pull away from him unless he asks, of course. She even tangles her fingers in his hair, not wanting him to pull away. The thought that she has that effect on him is embarrassing for so many reasons but it also makes her feel strangely exhilarated. Maybe that isn’t the right word. It makes butterflies happen all the same.]
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Date: 2023-09-28 10:37 pm (UTC)[Clive exhales, his eyes falling shut as he gives into the feeling of her fingers in his hair. Such a simple touch and yet it leaves him nearly incapacitated.]
I want you to stay.
[Just ignore his body's reaction. Ignore it, ignore any ridiculous thing he might say. Clive reaches out to gently run his fingers up and down her back. It's all right. He'll be all right.]
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Date: 2023-09-28 11:41 pm (UTC)Clive... [She breathes out his name, biting her bottom lip. She loosens her hold on his shirt, sliding her hand up his chest to rest on his shoulder. Her breaths are a little shaky and there was no way he could miss that any more than she missed the tension in him. He was holding himself back and she was bit by bit melting in his arms.]
I'll stay. We can stay like this.
[She knew his self control - and hers as well, really - was hanging by a thread, but she didn't want to leave things like this. She wanted them to stay her in his bed, even if the smart thing might be to leave. She didn't want to leave things like this, with the tension between them that felt heavy enough to steal her breath.]
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Date: 2023-09-29 06:07 am (UTC)He raises his hand from her back to her chin, gently lifting it so he can find her lips again. The kiss isn't insistent, not asking Jill for anything, simply appreciative of her presence.]
Like this. That's all I need, Jill.
[Does he want more? Of course. He's tasted what a night between him and Jill is like and it was incredible, but he can keep himself in check. He can and he will, as long as he needs to.]
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Date: 2023-09-29 02:31 pm (UTC)She is careful not to move too close to him unless he decides to pull her close, if only to avoid making his discomfort worse. She settles for one hand tangled in the hair at the nape of his neck and the other resting on his shoulder. Kissing him made her toes curl and the butterflies flutter in full force. She was careful not to ask for too much either, though her imagination was quite detailed this evening.
She doesn’t speak, preferring to explore what she likes as well. She leaves a kiss to his cheek, smiling against his skin. It was hard to know what she was doing, so she ran instinct.]
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Date: 2023-09-29 07:23 pm (UTC)He knows the moan he gives won't go unnoticed, but he also doesn't care as much. Asking Jill here is something Clive doesn't regret, but this isn't going the way he thought it would.
There's no reason to be surprised, though. Clive's only human.]
You're beautiful, Jill.
[His lips drag along her jaw, then down her neck, and Clive shifts a little further down the bed as he breathes in against her collarbone and finally presses his face to her chest. She's soft and warm, despite Shiva's presence, and welcoming, and Clive starts to give in.]
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Date: 2023-09-29 10:05 pm (UTC)When their kisses become more heated and desperate and his fingers touch her hair it pushed any thoughts that they should slow down out of the window. His moan makes her heart skip a beat and his voice in her ear calling her beautiful actually makes her blush. When his lips descend down to her throat, he'll be able to feel her pulse racing. If that isn't enough to prove to him how desperate she also is for him, his mouth on her collar bone draws a soft moan from her as well.]
I'll have to take your word for it. [She hopes he catches on to the fact that she is joking, though her words are slightly delayed by how distracted he's making her. She laughs, though it's soft and breathless and when he kisses lower and reaches her chest, she exhales. Dimly she was very aware of how thin her gown was and when his face reaches her chest one of her hands immediately threads through his hair. That should be a sign of encouragement if he is paying attention.]
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