lobsterbox | Continuing post #51

[\o/

So far so good...!!]

[It is embarrassing--Rita's getting a little flustered even though she wanted to talk, but she tries to keep it level, and nods.] Y-yeah, she does...

[What do you believe? She should just come right out and ask that, rather than hesitate like this...]

[ Just need to stay steady-! ]

[ If she read the stories, he'd ask her what she thought other than them being weird, but... ] ...Some of them weren't all that far off, though. In some parts anyway...

[ So he'll start. ]

[They can do it!!]

[His taking the initiative like that catches her by surprise, and she snaps to attention. She just can't help but be...curious. That's all.] Huh? What do you mean?

[ Yes~! ]

[ Ugh, this is one time were he really hates being out on the spot. ] I mean that... It wasn't like we were completely different people in the stories. We still cared about each other, and... [ How did Eagle know so much about him? This still bothers him. He better have not been projecting.

And that thought just makes him flush. ]

If you read them, you'd know what I mean.

[♥~!]

[Except for the part where there was stone-skipping and talking to themselves about it--but she's too focused on trying to figure out what Tyr's saying to bring that up instead.]

Of course I read them, but...I know we care about each other, so...So what are you getting at?

[ Yeah, Tyr is just...disregarding Riou's story. At least hurling fireballs at Riou was accurate.

And that...doesn't get an answer for some time until he finally bites the bullet- ] I'm still really important to you, right?

[ ...Close enough. His stomach is in knots, but it feels like it's too late to just abandon the subject. ]

[The fireballing was probably the most accurate thing in any of them...

Rita's brows furrow in confusion, but she nods.] Of course. You weren't doubting that or anything, were you? [Does this mean she isn't showing how important he is to her? Should she be doing more?]

[ Sob, very true.

When she reacts like that, he's sure she doesn't really get what he meant. He's probably making her worry, so he quickly shakes his head. ] Of course not - I know I am. And you're important to me, too. [ She's probably getting up there to being the most important person to him... That's probably why this is hard. ]

I meant... [ Tyr decides he hates dancing around the subject as much as she does, so he just gets it over with. ] Are you in love with me?

[ The words came out much more awkwardly than he intends them to, but at least he said it. Even at the price of his face burning red and his heart racing. ]

[Sob, yep.

Stunned doesn't really begin to describe Rita's reaction. She stares at him dumbly for a few seconds, and then--as the words she's been going in circles around sink in--her face flushes almost as red as his.]

I--You- [Not making any sense. Her heart and her mind are both racing, but Tyr deserves a proper response. And she wants to give him one.]

....I-it sounds really sappy when you put it like that. [And her face reddens more.] But...Yeah, I guess I am.

[ Tyr doesn't even know the proper reaction to her just confirming it like that, and his body just freezes.

He wonders how else she would have worded it, and—really, he can't imagine she misunderstood him. There aren't a lot of ways to spin "Are you in love?"...

But she definitely deserves a response, too. A careful one rather than one he'd could just spit out at her like a command. ] So...how would you put it?

[Maybe she was blunt, but now it's out there, and she keeps her eyes fixed intently on him to see his response. Because it's true and now she wants to know what he thinks.

She gives it only a moment of consideration, emboldened by her confession.] More than a best friend. Someone who matters more than anyone else. [She doesn't really know how to describe it beyond that. Love is something she's long been used to feeling towards blastia, not people--and even then, it was a very different kind of love.]

[ When she explains, he can only feel more flustered, but putting it like that does sound better. His chest doesn't ache as much when she says that. Even if he's been in love before and knows his feelings well enough, he's still getting used to acknowledging them again.

After a beat, he nods slowly, a small smile on his face. ] ...That's how I'd describe it, too... I care about you more than anyone else...

[ He lets his voice drop lower for the last part like he doesn't want it to be heard. ]

[Maybe it's because of the way she worded it, but Rita's not surprised at all. She has a soft smile on her face as she looks at him, though her eyes are still very focused.

She wants to make sure they're on equal terms, so now she asks Tyr's question.] So, are you in love with me?

[ ...That does sound really sappy when it's turned back on him. Even though he's flustered just by her asking it, there's something comforting about knowing she feels the same way and didn't deny it.

He nods slowly. ] Yeah, I'm in love with you...

[So sappy. But all the same, Rita lets out a little breath she didn't know she'd been holding, as they finally, finally admit everything. It feels...really good.]

I'm glad...[Her cheeks are still flushed, but not as much as before, and she impulsively reaches out to take his hand.]

[ He almost instinctually returns the hold. It's so familiar now that it feels natural and comforting. And he doesn't feel like that has to change. There's something nice about airing that secret after holding it back for - if Tyr was really honest with himself - several months. ]

I'm glad, too... [ His thumb caresses over her hand once, and...it's not a secret anymore so it can't hurt to just give her a quick kiss on the cheek, right? To make up for all the time they were cursed. ]

[Rita wouldn't want that to change, either--their closeness and their friendship is most important to her, and now she just feels even more at ease without awkwardly dodging the issue anymore.

It could've been a curse, but Rita dismisses that idea even before it finishes forming, because she's had these feelings for several months, too.

--That still doesn't keep her from being surprise by the little kiss, and she holds his hand tightly, abruptly a bit flustered again.] Huh? That was...

[Not bad. Not bad at all, and-] That wasn't a curse.

[ Tyr, at least, doesn't even think it could be a curse. He's known Rita's loved him since that time they met after kissing the last time.

And she can't be cursed now, either. He holds her hand just as tightly in returns and responds matter-of-factly- ] Of course it wasn't. I wanted to do it right for once...

[Even if she only admitted anything by accident back then. It would almost seem silly to her if she looked back on it.

To do it right...Rita flushes more, feeling too uncertain for a second to do anything. But she hates uncertainty, and they've already done this much--Rita's response will be to lean up and kiss him right on the lips. A bit messily, but there's no curse guiding things this time.]

[ Probably with good reason. Tyr mostly feels guilty.

Somehow, Tyr wasn't entirely surprised by that - maybe because he really wanted her to - and he returns the kiss more eagerly and roughly than he should. In the back of his mind, he thinks of how it's different from how it usually went - neatly and perfectly - and he...likes this more. It suits her. ]

[Aw, Tyr. But now they can just look forward...!

It was hard for her to resist after he made the first move; it would've been like backing down. Not to mention that little curse kiss before they went to bed was on her mind all night, though she wouldn't indulge in any fantasies that weren't real...

Or so she thought. This is real, and Rita's thrilled that he's kissing her back, even if she has only a vague idea of what she's doing. She reaches her free hand up to his head, to curl in his hair.]

[ The future is bright-!

He hadn't intended to continue missing her or for the kiss to be much deeper than a peck...but this is partially his fault and he knows it. And he doesn't exactly mind the results. They can kiss each other messily all Rita wants...

Especially if she holds his hair like that. A warm feeling wells in his chest making him hum just a bit. He doesn't feel any guilt now for the first time in a long time. His hand moves around her waist, holding her closer as he shifts onto the couch to make the kiss a bit less awkward. ]

[It's whatever they make it-!

She can feel her cheeks burning again as they continue--and not just that; she feels pretty warm all over--though it's the need to breathe that makes her pause. She keeps her face close to Tyr, still a bit embarrassed but also more confident. Confident enough to be a little smug-]

That's doing it right.

[ That's right-! Curses not withstanding. Also now I'm thinking of doing morality reversal. Opposite is coming out a little more awkwardly than I like.

Oh, that is so smug. His face is red, and he's pretty sure if she didn't break the kiss, he'd be the same way she is. ]

Yeah... I guess that's a bit closer to the way it should be...

[Ooh, yeah, that might be easier. I was wondering how it was going with trying to keep doing the opposite.

She feels good, though. Maybe a part of her was worried that something would change, but it hasn't--except for the better.

And of course Rita will act as though she has more experience than a curse or two.]

You think you can do better?

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