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 Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 12:54 am
She was still moving her fingers gently through his hair, which was longer than it had been in quite some time, already down to his shoulders. Gale closed his eyes completely and took a deep, steadying breath, only opening them again when he heard her sigh. Stormy was wearing the same gentle smile that she normally wore; the one that was so very Stormy, and it relaxed him somewhat, though it didn't completely erase the apprehension that a Sahara mission caused.
"I like the zoo," Gale murmured in slightly amusement just before Stormy kissed him, and he wrapped his arms firmly around her, sinking into it with a sigh, never wanting to let go. But he would have to, and they both knew it, and when she finally pulled away, he only loosened his grip a little, Gale lifting his head to kiss her forehead affectionately.
"Good," he said, in a very matter-of-fact tone of voice. "In the meantime, I'll stay here and leave you silly sticky notes all over the place for you to find when you get back. And I'll try and practice the piano a little more so when you get home I can play something other than one note at a time."
Gale lifted a hand and gently brushed his fingers along Stormy's cheek, drifting down the side of her neck and back up again. Something flashed in front of his vision - a memory, his hands locked around Jack's throat, squeezing hard, harder - and Gale's fingers jerked slightly, but he went back to gently brushing her face.
"I love you," he said, and it was not just a reassurance for her, but for himself as well.
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Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 1:31 am
Stormy thought nothing of his jerk beyond another symptom of his repressed anxiety, and she brushed his hair with her fingers just to mimic him, just to do something that could ease even a little of his worries if possible. "I like the sound of sticky note finding," she murmured, a childish light in her eyes. "Mmhmm~ And the piano thing, yeeesss . . . Today you are full of good ideas." Things to think about, things to look forward to, things to distract herself imagining on the long shifts or just before she fell asleep.
"But you can't give me any hints, Galestorm, that's not fair. If you can make a date without knowing anything, so can I!" But saying so might have invited him to give her even more hints just to tease her, and she was being very serious on this point (smiling and warm and attempting to be lighthearted, but quite serious nevertheless on this topic).
So Stormy did the only thing she knew could keep him quiet and kissed him a little harder, her arms already snug around his neck and pulling him closer, tighter. An imprint of his face wasn't enough now, she realized, she needed the whole thing to remember just in case she was like Tuck or Cass or Candace, just in case days turned to weeks or months (always with the thought of more time, never less, never less). She didn't know how long she would be gone and didn't want to think about it for another day or two, however long she was allowed to temporarily forget about it. Sinking against Gale was much more preferable anyway despite their less than comfortable perch on the piano stool; then again, a slight imperfection was always allowed to keep things from being too comfortable, too easy.
Another "I love you" successfully danced around. Stormy was sure that if she had indulged it, she would have sealed her fate as the last goodbye.
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Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 1:36 pm
It would certainly keep him occupied, and hopefully not thinking too much about Stormy's current situation. Gale let out a little sigh and tried to focus on the way she was now, the gentle sound of her voice, and the quiet reassurances of what she was telling him, because holding onto that would make it a little easier to bear, make it marginally less painful.
"No hints," he said with a small smile, but it was covered by her lips against his again, and Gale pressed into her, arms sliding more firmly around her waist. He didn't want to think about the possibility of her being gone for more than a day or two, even though they were hunters, and this was what happened - they were sent on dangerous missions with no real idea of when or how or even if they would return.
She hadn't said "I love you" back but in spite of Gale's insecurities, he knew she did; that maybe one day, when their lives were not so entangled in chaos, she might be able to say the words back to him. When that would be or even if it would happen at all remained to be seen, but for now Gale was content with the unspoken, with the possessive way that her arms curled around his neck, the way she kissed him firmly, without leaving doubts in the middle.
Gale dipped his head and kissed her jaw and then dropped a few light kisses to her neck before he returned to her mouth, his fingers curling in the back of her shirt. He clung to her almost desperately, and when he drew his head back, just a little, out of breath and flushed, he gave a small, helpless sort of laugh.
"Can I stay with you tonight?" he asked, meaning what it always meant - that he liked sleeping beside her. "Then I can see you off in the morning."
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Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 5:06 pm
She hummed softly as a pleasant shiver ran up her spine from the attention. "You don't need to ask," Stormy breathed as she followed him, foreheads bumping and noses crossed once more. "But of course. Please." She wouldn't have bothered asking at all when the time came: rather, she would have occupied the entirety of Gale's attention until night fell, where arms and eyes rather than words would have made him stay regardless of his plans. The reality of tomorrow was worlds away so long as she made it so.
(At least until she touched down in the desert, where no rules were acknowledged.)
"Please," she repeated as her eye closed, the fear she had been trying to hide slipping in anyway, the attempts to keep everything lighthearted and casual failing. "I know it's stupid to be afraid now, but I am." The fingers woven at the back of his neck dug a little more into his hair. "M'sorry I have to worry you again," Stormy mumbled, swallowing. "I'll be okay, i-it's just...the bugs." That was all she could say.
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Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 6:50 pm
Gale let out his breath in a small sigh of relief. He kissed Stormy's forehead, lingering there for a moment as he hummed a little. She was scared; he could hear it in her voice, and Gale's heartbeat quickened a little, pressing his lips together.
"I don't mind worrying about you," he told her softly, and it was true, because it meant he had someone to worry about. Gale pressed a gentle kiss to her lips again, his fingers cradling her cheek. "And the bugs - don't think about them. Don't think about them right now, they're not here, they won't get you, and when you're there, you'll be okay. Just think of me when you're there, think of yourself, think of how much stronger you are then they are."
He wished he had better advice, wished he had something to say that didn't sound stupid or ridiculous or pathetic. He untangled himself from Stormy, but only to slide off of the bench and pull her with him, his hands sliding down her arms until they gripped her hands, Gale taking a few steps back as he tried to pull her with him, wanting to move to a more comfortable place so that he could hold her properly.
"You'll be okay," he repeated, almost like a mantra.
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Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 8:27 pm
Even though she didn't quite believe it, she tried. That was where her effort went, and it was easy to move her because of it: there was to be no separation between them that was not necessary, skin to skin magnets disguised as a compelling grip. Stormy hovered, half-leading, half-following to the couch, the proper place to pull him in and curl up be surrounded and forget. It wasn't like his, drab and boring and not nearly Stormy enough, but it was good enough.
(It was okay.)
She fell to the cushions and tugged Gale with her, quick to bury her face into him like her personal pillow once more so that she wouldn't have to worry about her expression. "They'll follow the old carved paths within and without and try to call it home," she mumbled. "Just like their friends in the dark. But I Will Be Okay."
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Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 8:56 pm
While Stormy half lead, half-followed, Gale did the same, refusing to let go of her hands, if anything tightening his grip on them as they moved to the couch. He sank down onto it after her and automatically he reached for her, Stormy's face buried against his chest, Gale's arms wrapped around her as he pulled her against him. He was lying sideways on the couch, his legs on either side of her, half laying down against the armrest. One hand lifted, ran through his own hair to get it out of his face before he laid it down onto her shoulder blades.
"You will be okay," he repeated, gently smoothing his fingers up and down her back in what he hoped was soothing gestures. Gale closed his eyes and let out his breath in a soft sigh, his face tilted upwards towards the ceiling, though he couldn't see it.
"Sailing on a plastic boat," he said softly, stumbling, Gale trying to remember the words that he'd read. "In a snow globe sea / Look out into reality / oh what there might be."
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Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 9:31 pm
"Mm." Just okay. Right now, there wasn't an obligation to be much else, and she relished the opportunity to relax against him. Stormy turned her head, one ear pressed to his chest, and listened both heartbeat and rectitation as she sank a little against Gale little by little.
She didn't recognize the lines and figured interrupting would be rude, but it felt important to interact rather than just lie there. "Doesn't sound like cummings," Stormy observed quietly.
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Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 9:58 pm
"That's all I remember of it," Gale admitted, his face flushing. "It was a poem I found in one of the books I was looking at, and I thought it would be something that you might like, but I, erm...couldn't really memorize all of it. Those are only the first few lines, so I'll have to find it again sometime."
He ran his hand up and down her back again, and for a few moments he was quiet, Gale lapsing into silence as he tried not to let the anxiety of what was about to come overtake the rest of his thoughts. This was his last time with Stormy before her mission, and he didn't want to spend it worrying, even if every part of him was hoping against hope that nothing bad happened.
"I got a minipet," said Gale, "A little blue dragon one; she kinda reminds me of what Jinhai might look like. I got her for research purposes, but she's actually kind of cute. I was thinking I'd bring her with me while I stay here, y'know? Keep me company until you get back."
Gale's arm looped around Stormy's shoulders and he squeezed tightly. His voice dropped lower, softer.
"I'll wait for you for as long as it takes."
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Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 10:21 pm
Ah, another poem . . . The corners of her lips lifted as she turned her head, sliding her hands away from holding him so that she could prop her head up. For a while, she just gave Gale that little appreciative smile, a measley representation of the affection she felt. The squeeze prompted her to scoot a little closer, almost close enough to touch noses.
"You got a pet?" she asked, cocking her head. "Aww~ Good idea, yeah, don't be alone. Have you had her long? What's her name?"
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Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 10:37 pm
He laughed a little, ducking his head so that he could poke his nose affectionately against hers; an Eskimo kiss, almost, the corners of Gale's lips quirking upwards in a faintly amused smile. He let his fingers dance along the back of Stormy's neck.
"Just a few days," he said. "And I think...well, it took me a while, but I thought What would Stormy do? and I finally came up with...Tinkerbell," said Gale, his cheeks coloring a little, but he was still smiling. "Tink for short. She's a little feisty; she can only be out of the cage for about an hour or two before she starts melting, so I usually only take her out at night when I study her."
He sighed, relaxing onto the couch. "It's nice to have something like that to focus on. I never had a dog, or a cat, so this is the closest I get, so to speak."
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Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2014 8:10 pm
At least he won't be alone, she thought, relieved. Even a short amount of time per day was better than nothing at all. Stormy wasn't surprised to hear he had chosen a dragon as a companion, but she blinked at the choice of name. "Feisty?" she said, returning Gale's smile. Her head rose and fell slightly with each word as she was content to keep lying on his chest. "Better be careful, then . . . I wanna come back to a whole person, not bacon bits, please. Tink is a lovely name, though, I approve~" Most especially given Gale's reoccurring theme of Neverland.
"I remember you mentioned having a budgie before . . . Maybe you can teach Tink how to sing too?" That would certainly be something. Stormy's face lit up at the prospect already: coming home sweaty and tired from the Sahara to a lilting little dragon perched on her boyfriend's shoulder. It was much better than envisioning her future prospects on the mission.
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Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2014 8:51 pm
"Feisty, definitely," answered Gale with a small laugh. "Just like Tinkerbell, and just like Jinhai, though he tries to deny this. Right now he's laughing in my head because he thinks he's completely different from that minipet."
His hand was still making gentle movements against the back of her neck, vague and absent in his ministrations. "Don't worry," he reassured her. "I won't let her feed me to any crocodiles or burn the house down like certain other dragons. Since I'm staying here while you're gone, I'll make sure she keeps things nice for when you get back."
Gale gave a small laugh, the sound reverberating through his chest. "I'm not so sure how easy it would be to teach a dragon to sing, but there's no harm in trying, so I suppose I could try. Maybe I'll have her learn to sing you a song for when you get back."
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Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2014 9:36 pm
Her smile grew, and she let her head tilt to the side and fall against her arms, looking more and more like a shy kitten as she peeked at him. "That would be amazingly adorable," Stormy cooed, rubbing an itch off her cheek rather than actively scratch. Otherwise, she was quite still so that Gale could continue letting his fingers wander, soothed by their warmth. "You'd get handsomely rewarded if you managed it. And you being you, if you put your head to it, you'd definitely get it done." And then she'd actually have to think of what said reward would be.
"I have a license to get a minipet too, but I never got around to picking one . . ." Stormy closed her eyes and hummed in thought. "I guess because I don't like the idea of having a pet that can't be out for long. It'd be sad, seeing them in cages almost all day long while you walk around free . . . especially things with wings. They need to really fly, you know? Escape from the ground."
She paused, her eye opening again. "Promise me you'll let Tink fly if she can everyday?" It was an obvious question, but like many things were with Stormy, there were layers to it. "Or if she can't, just . . . I dunno. Something to stretch her wings?"
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Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2014 9:59 pm
He wanted to tell her that she was the one that was adorable; that she was the one he wanted to give all of his affections to, but that was clear enough already with his gentle ministrations, and he felt saying it aloud might be overkill. Instead, Gale let his fingers trail across the side of Stormy's face, trickling across her jawline and then back up again to her cheek.
"I like rewards," he said with amusement, and smiled at her. "Especially if they come from you," he added teasingly.
Stormy had a point; truth be told, Gale wasn't terribly fond of the idea of keeping a pet stuck in a cage constantly, but Tink had still provided him with some measure of comfort, even though he could only keep her out for a small amount of time. "True," he conceded, and sighed a little. "But at least when they're in a cage, they're not melting; and I observe Tink, I don't experiment on her, so there is that at least. It does make me rather sad when I have to put her back."
His expression softened. "I promise," he said gently, and tapped the side of her face with his fingers. "I'll let her out so she can stretch her wings and I'll take her flying around the room, even outside if I can wrangle it. I won't let her lose her magic."
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