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 Posted: Fri Sep 13, 2013 11:15 pm
This was absolute victory. Absolute victory. She was satisfied with how flustered he sounded and felt and looked, and very, very satisfied that she could get his heart racing. The kiss was the cherry on top of a wonderful experiment, and at that point Stormy was opening her mouth to apologize and laugh all at once, smooth things over, just a simple joke to see how he dealt with a little additional pressure!
Then it was her turn to find her mouth welded shut as Gale spoke. Oh, oh God--no, wait, hold up, G-Gale-- She found herself staring the more he talked, an explosion of thoughts occurring in her head as he took her hands and blessed them as well. "I--I, wait, wait--I-It's okay, you don't have to--really, I was joking, maybe a bit too much, but you don't--no explanation needed--"
What was weirdly throwing her off was how sincere Gale sounded, which shouldn't have caught her off guard at all because he had proven time and time again that he was an honest guy, and maybe it was her head in a tizzy that made it so startling, and--oh dear God. He--He said he wouldn't mind if--
Nope. Nope, her head and heart were not ready for that. That was beyond comprehension right now. Way, way beyond. Once again her curiosity proved too much for her own capacity to handle the situation it brought on.
Stormy rejoined the scarlet face club, slightly trembling from nervousness."I-I didn't...I'm so sorry, I let it go a little far, I didn't mean for... P-Please stop talking about that..."
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Posted: Sat Sep 14, 2013 2:32 pm
Gale was still holding Stormy's fingers up to his lips, watching Stormy with a slightly wary expression as though he wasn't sure where she was going to go with this or how she was going to take what he said.
That reaction was not the one he had expected.
Staring at her in utter bemusement, Gale gave her a slightly stupefied look, his mouth slightly open, eyes wide with surprise and his face a brilliant shade of scarlet because wait what she was joking wait what had just happened -
"So..." said Gale, struggling to comprehend this. "So you were...you were...just joking oh my bloody hell."For several moments he just sat there in a terribly mortified state -
- and then everything seemed to relax and laughter escaped his throat, bubbling out until he was shaking with it, Gale shaking his head as he bent over, his forehead against Stormy's shoulder as he tried to calm down.
He sat up after a moment, wiping tears of amusement from his eyes as he put a hand on the back of Stormy's head and drew her close to kiss her lips briefly, stroking a hand down the side of her face and hair.
"Like I said," he said, and shook his head. "Oh man, did I ever step into that one."
And he started laughing again, his cheeks pink.
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Posted: Sat Sep 14, 2013 3:02 pm
The silence was a beat too long. She wore an expression that was bracing for her face to be struck: guilty, submissive, apologetic, and very red.
Thus his laughter startled her, and she was slow to react as Gale fell forward under the weight of his mirth; her mind was buzzing, trying to reconcile what had been the sudden vision in her head versus what was actually happening. what was with these negative moments swooping down on her like that? (Then again, the lock smoked black, the memory was wrong--so maybe something was wrong with her)
It was funny, because she had been pushing him with insinuations, yet all he had to do was say a few honest words and she felt like she was the one backed into a corner.
A soft noise developed at the back of her throat, solidifying into a soft "Sorry?" when his lips left her, forgetting the rest, hyper-aware of herself and how annoying she must seem now. Stormy took some comfort from the doting strokes and tried to pull herself together. "I led you there," she pointed out mildly. "Or more like pushed and shoved. I-I just meant to, you know, make you all cute and flustered and stammering, not . . ." Whatever the rest of that was.
Exhaling, she curled the fingers of one hand around her mouth, one slipping in before she quickly decided that biting your nails in front of your boyfriend was unattractive. "I'll just...forget this happened if you will," she mumbled. "Should've just left after some kissing on the couch."
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Posted: Sat Sep 14, 2013 3:13 pm
He was still amused, but he could feel the confusion, the slight tension. Gale reached out a hand and grabbed one of Stormy's, wrapping his fingers around her wrist to hold it steady.
"Hey, hey," he said, and leaned to the side to catch her eyes, pulling her focus back towards him. There was a slight smile on his face, gentle and relaxed as he tenderly stroked several stray strands of hair behind her ear, tucking them against the side of her face. "Hey, don't run away from me, all right?"
Gale settled his arms comfortably around Stormy's waist, preventing her from climbing off his lap. "So we've all learned I get flustered easily," he said with a smile. "Now you have a secret weapon against me, Watson, so use it well."
He tilted his head and kissed her cheek gently, lingering there for a moment before he pulled away.
"In all honesty," said Gale gently. "I'm sure...that will, er...come up eventually. Maybe. Well, the point is...if it does...if it does, just know I won't ever...you know, pressure you or anything, okay?"
He brushed a thumb against her back. "It sounds cliche, I know, but...just be comfortable around me."
There was a slight pause.
"No, well, the kissing was pretty nice, I've gotta say."
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Posted: Sat Sep 14, 2013 4:14 pm
It was a good thing he impeded her means of leaving (she had half a mind to just for the space), and it was also a bad thing he did because it didn't help her feel less conscious of herself (obvious enough that he had to take measures to keep her there). "I already knew that," Stormy mumbled some more. "That's why I teased you in the first place . . . You make it too easy to."
Don't run away from me, he said. She hadn't realized that was what she had been doing, even though she was well aware that her first instinct usual was to flee if the pressure got too bad--if not physically, then emotionally. That was why she had delayed answering Gale's proposal to date for that long: because her initial reaction had been one of nerves and self-protection, trapped in an infirmary bed and in pain. And here she was with the bare minimum of pressure from the outside, imploding herself from within just because she had thought for a moment that . . . No, nevermind. Push past it, Stormy.
Maybe Gale didn't hear her the first time, though. As gentle as he was about bringing the subject back up, and as nice as his gestures were, when Stormy looked at him it was with the same reserved (if not defensive) look he had received in the infirmary upon pushing her answer. "I said can we please stop talking about that, Gale? Forgetting about it's even better."
Her hands fastened in her lap.
"I am comfortable with you," she went on to say, relaxing. "Otherwise I wouldn't be here, trust me. I guess . . . Hah. I guess sometimes I'm not comfortable with me is all." Her thumbs rubbed against each other, idly. "I've been slipping a bit too much into the past today, I think, and it's starting to mess with my mind in the present."
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Posted: Sat Sep 14, 2013 6:20 pm
She looked irritated - why was she irritated?
All of the gentle teasing slid from Gale's face, his expression turning confused and slightly hurt. He'd been attempting to be a gentleman about the whole thing, in spite of having stupidly stepped into the joking at first himself - but now there was an edge to Stormy's voice, almost annoyed.
Did I push too far?
<< It's just probably too much at the moment, don't over think, Gale. >>
"...I'm sorry," said Gale quietly, and he carefully slid his hands away from Stormy's waist, giving her room to move if she wanted to. Unsure of what to do with them, he settled for folding his arms loosely across his chest.
His expression was slightly wary. "I'm hardly the one to talk to about being comfortable with yourself," he mumbled, his cheeks flushed. "I'm not exactly Mr. Satisfied most of the time. I always seem to stick my foot in my mouth."
Gale let out his breath in a low sigh. "Well, regardless," he said. "I think it's just been a stressful time for all of us lately, which makes it somewhat less fun to be here - not that it was ever a prime vacation spot as it was, but there were, er...certain aspects that made it worthwhile."
He gave Stormy a small, slightly hesitant smile.
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Posted: Sat Sep 14, 2013 7:20 pm
"Mmm." He released her, but she stayed in Gale's lap anyway, already feeling better without the additional contact. Maybe that's all that was bothering her: too much thinking mixed with too much touching. It made her head swim with far too many emotions while her heart cackled with a vengeance at being smothered for too long. This was probably just the inevitable conclusion of the rollercoaster of emotions (good and bad) she had been riding for the day.
Deep breath.
"I'm sorry, too." Stormy felt too weird not saying it, especially after seeing his expression. With a small but sympathetic smile (poor Gale, having to deal with her), she leaned up and forward and kissed his brow. "We'll be able to destress soon, I hope. But...today was a good day," she told him as she sat back down. "A very not-so-much-hard-work-with-lots-of-affection day. Sandwiches-on-a-towel-at-the-beach day." She gave a hesitant smile in return. "Some days I wonder why you let me get spoiled, but today I'm grateful for it."
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Posted: Sat Sep 14, 2013 7:27 pm
His eyes flickered at the kiss to his forehead, Gale's head bowing somewhat, his cheeks flushed a delicate pink. He fiddled with the buttons on the front of his shirt, tugging at them absentmindedly in a halfhearted attempt at keeping his hands busy.
"Hopefully," he said, and his smile grew, just a little. "Hopefully I'll get the rest of my memories back as well."
With a sigh, he gently patted her knee before drawing his hand away again, resisting the urge to do anything more than that because now was not the time, even if a part of him kept pushing him irresistibly forward.
"And I told you," said Gale, the smile now more relaxed than it had been. "I do it because you deserve to, and because I like you."
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Posted: Sat Sep 14, 2013 8:09 pm
There we go. There was the nice smile.
Hers grew a little in return, and she patted his fiddling hand just as he had patted her knee; give and take, nice and balanced and safe and regulated. "Deserve, huh?" she murmured, almost gratified by the word. What a nice concept. "Well, one day I will spoil you back, promise. I don't know how exactly, or when, or where, or with what, but I will."
It was only right, after all.
"You'll get your memories back, I know it. Just remember: one thing at a time." She hesitated, her smile fading as she retracted her hand. "I should probably let you go, huh. It's been a long, hot, sweaty day and all . . ."
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Posted: Sat Sep 14, 2013 9:34 pm
"That's not necessary," said Gale with a laugh. "Just you being here spoils me, after all, so no need to go out of your way for me at all. Just continue to exist, and we'll be squared."
He squeezed her fingers before she pulled them away, his expression flickering just a little. "Yeah, it's...it's been quite a day," he admitted, and leaned back a little, resting his head against the back of the couch. "Not quite how I imagined, but not bad. A few rocky parts, several wonderful parts, so overall I'd say it was pretty successful."
Gale's expression softened a little. "You gonna rest here or go back to your room?" Ol-j-man damn u trillian for dying on me
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Posted: Sat Sep 14, 2013 11:11 pm
Stormy shook her head. "Not the same. Continuing to exist is a given, not just a promise. Besides, by that logic, we're already squared, so all those little things you've been doing means I have to pay you back anyway~"
As Gale laid back, she gently arched her fingers together and though over his question. While they had spent plenty of time together today, she was still sensitive to overstaying her welcome, regardless of what he said; not to mention she was afraid staying too long too often would desensitize him faster to her charms which, illogical as it was to assume it would happen, still bothered her as a possibility. On the other hand, the couch was comfy and so was he, and it wasn't every day they got a rare opportunity to spend as much time together as they did uninterrupted by trouble or missions, so maybe indulging to the very end was a good idea. Also, it was probably stiflingly hot outside (not that being inside without air conditioning was much better), and moving required energy.
Being so indecisive as usual, she decided to approach the decision a different way. "Let's try this." Stormy lightly clapped her hands together. "You have one shot to convince me to stay~" She gave no more than that and simply sat there expectantly, eyes glittering, a light smile on her face.
kurotomato oh no ahhhh ;; Trillian does that to me on the phone sometimes
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Posted: Sun Sep 15, 2013 9:29 pm
I hope I haven't upset her.
<< I do believe you're doing quite well. Relax, Gale. Enjoy the time spent with your girlfriend and stop over thinking everything. >>
Internally, Gale gave a slight sigh, but externally he sat there with Stormy still on his lap and watched her carefully for any signs of discomfort. She hadn't moved away from him, which he took to be a good sign, but she also seemed slightly more stressed than she had been earlier.
He arched a brow in mild surprise.
"One shot?" Gale repeated, wondering if he did it wrong that she would be annoyed at him. He contemplated this for a long moment, trying to figure out the right combination of things inside of his head, twiddling his thumbs together absentmindedly.
"If you decide to sleep here," he said slowly, making a little humming noise. "You can have either the couch or the bed in the spare room upstairs, whichever you prefer. I could tell you a story to sleep," he added, with a teasing grin, but then he went on. "When you wake up, I'll be here, probably sleeping or reading myself, and I'll make you chocolate milk, since we can't use the stove because of the electricity, otherwise it'd be hot cocoa and then I'll walk you back to your room, if you want."
There was a slight pause.
"That, and I just like having you here with me, but that's a given."
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Posted: Sun Sep 15, 2013 10:03 pm
She had half expected him to just kiss her for whatever reason; talking actually took her by surprise, especially after her little outburst affected him earlier.
Gazing at him directly the entire time, Stormy remained quiet and attentive as he spoke, grateful for the span of time to collect herself and inwardly take a step back and a deep breath. She relaxed as Gale went on, her expression softening at the mention of a story and a drink. It was easy to make a decision from that, but she still didn't quite answer at first because she needed to set something straight.
This is not the past. This is the present. Present, present, present. This is Gale, not Jack. Gale, Gale, Gale, Gale, Gale. One Gale Gentry, Death hunter and boyfriend who, while he shared a few characteristics with Jack in a way, was not in any way like him, and therefore should not be treated like he was--like any accidental push required the need to close herself off. Present. Stormy. Gale. Not Past. Lina. Jack. Emotions don't get the better of you; you're in control.
(Thane snorted.)
She wondered idly how far her Stormy Crazy went that she needed to remind herself of that.
Exhaling slowly, Stormy's smiled. "Alright~" she relented, playing up her reluctance for fun. "But only because you mentioned cocoa and a story. Maybe it's better it's not hot anyway, given the temperature and all." Gingerly she took his twiddling hands into hers. "I'll take the couch if you don't mind. Cooler air stays at the bottom anyway."
And because even taking a spare room in his house felt like a weirdly big step.
"Hope you have something in mind, Gale, because I'm ready to get my milk, get tucked in, and get my story~"
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Posted: Sun Sep 15, 2013 10:43 pm
He waited on tenterhooks to see if he'd managed to pass her little test, a look of slight apprehension on Gale's pale face - but then Stormy seemed to relax, and something in Gale did as well, curling his fingers around hers and squeezing gently.
"Couch it is," he said agreeably, and slid his hands from hers to put them on her waist. Carefully, he slid her sideways at the same time he slid the opposite direction, pushing Stormy gently onto the couch and slipping out from beneath her to stand up.
He put a hand on the top of her head, idly patting down a few stray strands with affection. "Lemme go get that drink for you, and you can go ahead and get settled, hmm?" he said, and smiled.
Gale made his way into the kitchen and returned several moments later with two glasses in his hands, weaving his way around the coffee table to sit on top of it and hold one out towards Stormy. A pink plastic straw was stuck into it, and he held the other in his fingers, peering down into it.
"I think it'll taste all right..."
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Posted: Sun Sep 15, 2013 11:03 pm
She slid along easily back to the couch, already conforming to its mold in seconds. Tilting her head up into his hand like a cat, Stormy hummed her agreement with a soft smile before he was off to the kitchen. It was easy for her to find a position on the couch, though first she took advantage of the moment to stretch out over it (again rather cat-like). By the time Gale returned, she was lying on her side with her back against the couch, head propped against an arm.
"It'll be just fine~ Thank you," she said as she took her cup, smiling more at the straw; for some reason, she found it funny that on an Island where it was practically post-apocalyptic as far as behavior went, there were little fun commodities like straws around. "I used to make hot chocolate in the winter, but I'd take so long to finish it that it'd always get so cold before I'm halfway done . . ." She sipped a few times, "mmm-ing" her approval at the nostalgia it gave her.
Then Stormy turned wider, curious eyes upon him. "Were you serious about the story?"
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