[A time and a place to be alone happens once in a blue moon these days. Between the two of them, neither house is quiet – with the number of people coming and going through the Eos house and the nosy moogle (and sister) under hers, it hasn't been easy to find peace. It's why camping has quickly grown on Lightning; it provides the privacy that she feels more comfortable in, but it's only enjoyable when weather is permitting, and it's been uncooperative this evening.
Near the end of it, rain had started to pour and so she's had to find another, more creative way to get some alone time. It's after a nice dinner at a vague, unnamed restaurant on the other side of town that she leads him back to the one that's more familiar to both of them: The Hearth. It's already been shut down and locked up for the night... but guess who has a key!
She keeps the restaurant dimly lit, save for the lights at the bar where they'll be sitting and from behind it, Lightning leans over the counter towards him with a brazen smile.]
[ Is this how they talk to others when it comes service industry interactions?! Who knows... ]
Gimme your strongest cheap stuff, and let's make it two.
[ He doesn't intend to drink the good stuff for free, as he's invested in this place succeeding just as much the people who actually work here. As far as their chosen location goes, however, he certainly can't think of a better place given the current condition outside. This is just as nice and familiar, and most importantly, it's a place for them to be alone. He likes that for many reasons, one of them being that he can freely address her by her real name. ]
[Her smile widens a crack before she turns away from him, making sure to give her hips a playful wiggle, just enough that it's noticeable as she journeys to the fridge behind the counter. After some searching and rummaging, she returns with something ice cold, strong, and not cheap. A bottle is slid across the bar at him while she keeps the other one for herself, snapping the lid off with a pop!]
On the house.
[No really, it is. Lightning's not about to hand over anything for free, but she's always happy to cross some numbers off her next paycheque to cover the costs. It's easier that way for everyone and much subtler than leaving the money for Crowe or Auron to discover in the morning.]
The girl behind the bar sent it.
[And what do you know!? There's only one girl behind the bar, but not for long.
She comes around to join him on the other side and slips onto the stool next to him. There's also a convenient bowl of fresh fruit that she slides between them that she'd grabbed from the kitchen. Working here has its perks... just don't tell Ignis!]
[ The perks of dating a bartender, too! Gladio doesn't object to her paying for it, since she let him cover the steak they had earlier in the evening, too. Well, that, and the bottles are already open so he might as well pay his respects to the beverages. ]
Did she now? Guess I owe her thanks.
[ With an amused grin, he gives a grateful elbow nudge as he takes his first big swig. This is definitely not the cheap stuff, he can tell! Or rather, his poor throat as it burns a little, but he doesn't make that known as he quietly sets the bottle down in front of him again.
Hopefully Lightning will slow down with hers, considering how she handled her beer a couple of months ago. ;) ]
[Lightning, on the other hand, is less conspicuous about her feelings on the drink. Her first sip, while not very big, still leaves a burn in her throat that forces a tiny cough out of her and she double checks the label on the bottle to make sure she didn't just feed them poison. Not that this stuff (whatever it is) is bad, but it's definitely as strong as everyone says it is. Yeah, she's going to be taking this one a little slower and will maybe need to find something to chase the burn down, too.
Good thing she brought some fruit out for them! She pops half a strawberry in her mouth and she can already taste its tanginess kicking in.]
Things're starting to get a little crowded.
[That's a lie. It's not that much more crowded than it was last month, but there's a new figure in the house that has kept Lightning away for a few days now. Dare she even be caught holding his hand!? She laughs it off.]
I needed to get creative, unless you're interested in a moogle as a third wheel. Or a goat.
[ Crowded might be right, and part of Gladio wonders if she's talking about Clarus in particular. Logically speaking, with Regis as a crystal now, there's the same number of people living in the house as before. So, she has to mean Clarus, he thinks, but he'll bring that up in a few moments.
Let's start with something easy (?) first: ]
Heh! What's the story with that goat anyway? You plannin' on being a farmer?
[She's the one she least expects anyone to pick up on, considering they have Mog roaming the house and getting into trouble on the regular, but maybe moogles are more common than she thinks. Her guess is as good as anyone's. Goat's aren't exactly the most orthodox of pets anyway...
Whatever this turn of conversation is, she's thankful for it.]
Noel and Serah brought her home after a hunt. Story goes that she was left behind by her herd... she's kind of a runt. [She pauses and another, more fond smile breaks out across her lips, but she pours this one into another small sip of her drink instead.] ... But it could just be what they told me so I wouldn't say no, though.
[ ... ]
Pretty sure Noel's the one who'd find a nice place to live as a farmer outside the city. He could take that bird with him, too. Not really the life for me.
[ Serah already explained the Mog deal, but even so, having a goat for a pet is still the weirdest fact he knows about the crystalfam house. ]
So that's how it is...
[ IT'S STILL NOT A NORMAL REASON, but he's getting the sense that Lightning took pity on this runt as well, and now cares about it more than she'd like to admit. Or maybe he's completely wrong, but that's how he's gonna interpret it!! He knows how much of a softie she is in any case. ]
I don't have goats at my place, though... what's keepin' ya away?
[Hey, don't look at her! Daisy's not her goat! She just goatsits from time to time and allows her to cuddle when no one is looking once in a while, but it's not a big deal. She has no emotional attachment to this goat. Well, much. Whether it was an excuse on Noel and Serah's parts or not, Lightning did feel bad for Daisy when they brought her home and over time, she's grown to care about the little goat far more than she cares to admit, which is why she never does.
She's hell in a handbasket, though.
His question makes her pause though, and through another drawn out sip of her drink, she's hard-pressed to find a good excuse or even a witty comeback to throw the ball back in his court. She could say that she's been busy which is partly true, but she's no busier than she normally is and it shouldn't change anything. She still makes an effort to see him and the others as much as she can! More people in the house, maybe? Doesn't want to be caught in the act of holding his hand (god forbid!) or giving him a smooch? No, that wouldn't work either – one more person in the house doesn't make a lick of difference and it's not like she kissed him when they weren't alone much in the first place.
Plus, there's no real reason to lie about it, and Lightning doesn't want to lie to him. So, she swirls the neck of her bottle between her fingers, a nervous laugh covering up a sigh.]
[ And there it is, indeed! He doesn't respond to that immediately, and at first he only takes a long sip of his drink. He has a feeling they'll both need more of this if this conversation is headed in the way he thinks it might be. ]
Yeah, I know he is, he's my dad. [ He teases, of course, knowing what she's trying to say. ]
So ya met him, huh? Guess that saves me the time of havin' to introduce you.
[ Although, it does beg the question why he hasn't done so up until now. It's been a week, after all. Having a girlfriend meet the family seems to be a big deal even for him... ]
[She's done a decent job at avoiding the Eos house up until today, so it's been at least a week since she last (and first) saw Clarus, but she's not sure how much longer she can keep this up. There are only so many days she can go without a visit or seeing Gladio, and as nice as being out together is, sometimes she enjoys a night in, too, and it's been a while since they've had one of those.
She lifts her bottle to her lips but pauses to answer his question first.]
Yeah, I did.
[There's a blueberry in the bowl that she's been eyeing for some time now – it looks so perfect, with its blue skin so evenly coloured across all sides of its impeccable shape. It's plump and probably juicy... a dream blueberry for eating, surely. Lightning picks it up from the bowl between delicate fingers...
... and flings it right at the side of Gladio's head. Boom, headshot!]
You didn't warn me that he was here.
[She could have at least had time to prepare herself for the inevitable meeting if she knew it was coming!!! ... It's not his job; she's just embarrassed, and it's especially clear in the way the lights over their heads illuminates the pink powdering her cheeks.]
[ The blueberry bounces off the side of his head, and Gladio knows he deserves it a little. Still, he can't help but laugh as he swivels on the stool enough so that he's facing her. ]
Yeah? How do ya think you would've reacted if I said "I want you to meet my dad"?
[ Although, that isn't entirely the reason why he didn't warn her. She's actually right, he should have warned her, but maybe a part of him wanted to see if Clarus would stick around. His father would never leave them, of course, but this place has a way of taking everyone away at the worst of times... ]
[She's not mad or upset at anyone for not telling her, Gladio least of all, and she tries to make that much clear with a hand on his leg, and her finger takes to tracing idle circles across it instead. Her brows furrow like she's lost in thought and concentrating, but it just gives her something else to focus on when she's feeling flustered.]
Probably would've wanted to meet him.
[To be fair, she would have been just as tense with a warning or with Gladio at her side through the whole thing. Not that she didn't want to meet him at the time, but now that the initial awkward encounter is over, she's glad that she has the chance to get to know the man who raised the one she's... well, that last part's not important.
Lightning snorts under her breath, managing a smile again.]
And maybe not buy two trays of coffee the same day. You'd think we'd know better now.
[ First, that's one tray too many to bring over to somebody's house, and secondly… ]
Wait... you didn't... d-don't tell me...
[ He's on the verge of laughing harder than he has ever laughed in his entire life, and it's taking up all the willpower he can muster not to crack a smile. Still, his lips twitch. Did she drop her tray in front of his father?! HNNNGH ]
[In her defense, there are a lot of people in that house – it's like a goddamn zoo that does indeed need two trays of drinks!!! Whether it's all coffees or not is irrelevant because surely, there must be at least one person who doesn't want a coffee every time she picks them up, but she makes sure to never leave anyone out if she can help it.
In fact, if she's counting right, there were exactly eight people living under the roof at the time, and while one just so happened to have temporarily turned to crystal, another came in and took his place in the headcount. What's she going to do when Regis wakes up...? That is two trays plus one drink... Oh boy.
She can read Gladio well enough by now to know when he's trying to stifle a laugh, and this one looks like it'll be a doozy if he belts it out. Pausing her absentminded circles, she rolls her eyes at him through her hair, but his lip twitching makes hers do the same.]
I know what you're thinking...
[Lightning picks out a remarkably plump strawberry from the bowl and holds it up near his mouth. She's just going to wait for him to take it before she gives an answer. Can't laugh if his mouth is full of fruit!!! 🍓]
[ There's something hilarious enough about the fact that she knows what he's thinking; it means they're both quite self-aware about their coffee misfortunes. Not a bad thing by any means, because that's one of the few things he's sentimental about, believe it or not. Still, she's neither confirming nor denying, and the offer of fruit is certainly helping him find his ground again. At least for the time being. ]
Well, are ya gonna keep me in suspense?
[ He leans forward and opens his mouth, accepting the strawberry as he looks into her eyes for an answer. Her eyes will surely betray her if she won't speak! Or perhaps his own eyes will coax the story out of her... winky-wink! ]
[Oh, he's doing that eye contact and winky thing again. Cheeky bastard knows what he's doing and how to get to her, because it makes her eyes dart away quick before they meet his again and gods, she loves hates that look. She tries to be cheeky too, and the corner of her lip twitches up into more of a smile, but all she ends up doing is tapping the end of his nose gently with a finger.]
Maybe... we could call it a night right here, but that'd be disappointing.
[But then she wouldn’t have to tell the story! Lightning figures he'll have no problems piecing it all together himself though, based on the little bit of detail he already knows. That being said, it's probably best that she starts from the beginning after she helps herself to a piece of strawberry too.
Her shoulders roll in a shrug. She's going to pretend that it's no biggie because it totally isn't.]
He was there when I stopped by with some coffees – the usual. Asked him who he was, so he told me.
[It was a pretty standard introduction, to say the least. It's the pause that comes after that's damning and to fill it and buy herself some extra time, she bites into her strawberry. This one tastes a bit sour...]
Wasn't expecting him to be your dad, and I might've almost dropped them on him then, but... [God, she's already regretting this. No turning back now, though! Her tone shifts to something a little more ruffled. Not at all directed at Gladio or his Pops, but at herself for what comes next.] It was like I was in the damn Guardian Corps all over again – almost saluted him like he was some kind of high ranking officer. I didn't. [Another beat and her cheeks flush a deeper red.] Ended up bowing instead.
[ He chews on his strawberry slowly as she captures his full attention. She was right in her assumption that having something in his mouth will prevent him from laughing, at least for the time being as he listens to her ridiculous recount of meeting his old man. The coffee spill alone, even if it didn't happen, it would've been cute and charming, and something that wouldn't surprise him at all given that it was his first impression of her, too (the one he remembers anyway).
But then mentions the near-salute, which ALSO would have been a funny story if she actually ended up doing it for real, but she didn't. She stopped herself! So far so good. She didn't mess up anything!
Annnd then she delivers the punchline, just as Gladio tries to swallow his strawberry, but he ends up HOWLING so hard that half of it comes out of his mouth and straight into her pretty face.
[As she recaps their meeting, Lightning is thankful for the strawberry. His mouth being full allows her to begin the tale uninterrupted and the strawberry has done its job well and has stopped his laugh from escaping at any given point, as she's been expecting. There's still more to the story and his silence while he chews would have encouraged her to press on and tell the rest, but it's a damn good thing that they have the restaurant to themselves because what happens next may be the most embarrassing thing that's ever happened to her...
The timing of Lightning opening her mouth to continue couldn't have been worse – as soon as Gladio howls with laughter, she flinches at these new sensations and it's all so sudden that it takes her a moment to recognize what's unfolding. There's the splatter of something wet and warm on her face and... Etro's holy tits, are those pieces of strawberry that just flew into her open mouth on top of sticking to her cheeks and hair!?]
What—
[—is all she manages to sputter before reflex forces her to swallow and she falls into a coughing fit, choking not on the fruit, but on her dignity...]
Edited (don't say it.... I thought of a word I like better :D) 2018-06-23 07:02 (UTC)
[ Is all he manages to sputter once she falls into a coughing fit, and he immediately grabs a bar napkin and leans forward, cradling the back of her head with one hand as he tries to wipe her face. ]
Shit, sorr--
[ He coughs again, this time with no debris coming out of his mouth, but there are still some faint sounds of laughter in between those coughs. Apparently it's still funny??? ]
Edited (i didn't like the lighting...) 2018-06-24 05:39 (UTC)
[At first, he gets a stifled disgusted noise in response and she steals a moment in between his dabbing of the napkin to grab a sip of her drink. It's a bigger one than the previous servings she's helped herself to, and she ignores the burn against the back of her throat in favour of letting it wash down the food debris that's caught there.
Once she finally suppresses her coughs, Lightning somehow manages to find it in her to laugh about it along with him. How many more food-y misfortunes will Lady Luck bestow upon them before she finally gets tired of it?
She tilts her head to allow easier access to the spots on her face where she can feel something, leaning it back against his hand on her neck while she watches him.]
We gonna have to strike out strawberries now, too?
[Coffee, noodles, and now a fruit!? Soon, they'll have one of every food category on the Do Not Touch list.]
[ Who said they're never touching noodles again?!? ]
If we keep doing that, there'd be nothin' left.
[ In fact, he hasn't added any of those things to his Do Not Touch list, because the problem is never the food, or anything else. It's them. But they can't add each other to that list! Case in point, Gladio pretends he missed a few spots and cleans her face with a few soft smoochies. She really looks and tastes like strawberry now.
The last kiss is planted on her lips, just for good measure. ❤ ]
So ya embarrassed yourself in front of my pops, and now we can't see each other at home anymore. Does that sound about right?
[ He states it so simply, if only to tease her some more about it. ]
[If she's going by the rules of this dumb list she's established all on her own, then Lightning dropping an entire bowl of noodles all over herself on his birthday is what said so! She'll never say it aloud though, if only to save herself from facing a noodle wrath she's now convinced herself that he has...
But all of that is forgotten thanks to his kisses and whatever worries she had from earlier are pushed aside to make room for her returning them instead. She bends forward to press a few across his face in return; he's not covered in strawberry like she is, but damn it, she does what she wants!]
Sounds about right. [Her own final smoochie conveniently lands right on his lips, too.] We'll just have to get creative. Moonlight rendezvous in the park... we could get you a rope to sneak in through my window at night...
[That's what they do in all the cheesy romance novels, isn't it?]
Is that what ya really want? Or are you just hoping to avoid my old man for the rest of our affaire de Coeur?
[ Fancy words from a well-read man! And honestly, he doesn't mind any of her ideas, but he can't help but wonder if she's just being desperate to do anything but see Clarus in the eyes ever again. Dare he say, it's adorable, with how fearless she normally tries to sound.
After that smoochfest, which thankfully nobody witnessed, he slides his seat closer to hers as he sits back down again. Then, he takes another sip from his bottle as he waits for her answer.
[Whoa! That sends a tingle up her spine, but she looks confused all the same.]
... Our what? [A beat, then quickly:] Nevermind.
[It's not all that important, but she's pretty sure she gets the gist of what he's trying to say without knowing what the word means.
He isn't wrong about any of it – wanting to avoid his dad and the house altogether, if only to buy herself some time to reclaim some of the composure and poise she lost that day. Maybe it'll allow her to practice saying 'Clarus' instead of 'sir' in front of the bathroom mirror some more, too. (She doesn't do that. Her embarrassment hasn't gone that far! Not yet, anyway.)
Once Gladio's taken a mouthful of his drink, she waits for him to swallow it before continuing and even tilts her head to get a better look at him to be sure. She can't tell if he has, but the last thing she wants is to get sprayed with whatever it is they're drinking. It's one thing getting strawberry pieces to the face but another to be showered in alcohol, and if she can avoid one of the two tonight, it's the latter.
There's a bit of hesitancy in her voice, but Lightning powers through it anyway with the flattest tone.]
Would you wanna see him if you kept calling him 'sir' and then spilled coffee all over the damn place anyway?
[WELP. Lightning lifts her own bottle near her lips, but she doesn't take a sip. No, it's to shield herself in the event that he didn't swallow all of his drink down....]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
action, 6/15 maybe?
Near the end of it, rain had started to pour and so she's had to find another, more creative way to get some alone time. It's after a nice dinner at a vague, unnamed restaurant on the other side of town that she leads him back to the one that's more familiar to both of them: The Hearth. It's already been shut down and locked up for the night... but guess who has a key!
She keeps the restaurant dimly lit, save for the lights at the bar where they'll be sitting and from behind it, Lightning leans over the counter towards him with a brazen smile.]
What'll it be, handsome?
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[ Is this how they talk to others when it comes service industry interactions?! Who knows... ]
Gimme your strongest cheap stuff, and let's make it two.
[ He doesn't intend to drink the good stuff for free, as he's invested in this place succeeding just as much the people who actually work here. As far as their chosen location goes, however, he certainly can't think of a better place given the current condition outside. This is just as nice and familiar, and most importantly, it's a place for them to be alone. He likes that for many reasons, one of them being that he can freely address her by her real name. ]
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On the house.
[No really, it is. Lightning's not about to hand over anything for free, but she's always happy to cross some numbers off her next paycheque to cover the costs. It's easier that way for everyone and much subtler than leaving the money for Crowe or Auron to discover in the morning.]
The girl behind the bar sent it.
[And what do you know!? There's only one girl behind the bar, but not for long.
She comes around to join him on the other side and slips onto the stool next to him. There's also a convenient bowl of fresh fruit that she slides between them that she'd grabbed from the kitchen. Working here has its perks... just don't tell Ignis!]
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Did she now? Guess I owe her thanks.
[ With an amused grin, he gives a grateful elbow nudge as he takes his first big swig. This is definitely not the cheap stuff, he can tell! Or rather, his poor throat as it burns a little, but he doesn't make that known as he quietly sets the bottle down in front of him again.
Hopefully Lightning will slow down with hers, considering how she handled her beer a couple of months ago. ;) ]
How come we didn't use this place before?
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[Lightning, on the other hand, is less conspicuous about her feelings on the drink. Her first sip, while not very big, still leaves a burn in her throat that forces a tiny cough out of her and she double checks the label on the bottle to make sure she didn't just feed them poison. Not that this stuff (whatever it is) is bad, but it's definitely as strong as everyone says it is. Yeah, she's going to be taking this one a little slower and will maybe need to find something to chase the burn down, too.
Good thing she brought some fruit out for them! She pops half a strawberry in her mouth and she can already taste its tanginess kicking in.]
Things're starting to get a little crowded.
[That's a lie. It's not that much more crowded than it was last month, but there's a new figure in the house that has kept Lightning away for a few days now. Dare she even be caught holding his hand!? She laughs it off.]
I needed to get creative, unless you're interested in a moogle as a third wheel. Or a goat.
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Let's start with something easy (?) first: ]
Heh! What's the story with that goat anyway? You plannin' on being a farmer?
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[She's the one she least expects anyone to pick up on, considering they have Mog roaming the house and getting into trouble on the regular, but maybe moogles are more common than she thinks. Her guess is as good as anyone's. Goat's aren't exactly the most orthodox of pets anyway...
Whatever this turn of conversation is, she's thankful for it.]
Noel and Serah brought her home after a hunt. Story goes that she was left behind by her herd... she's kind of a runt. [She pauses and another, more fond smile breaks out across her lips, but she pours this one into another small sip of her drink instead.] ... But it could just be what they told me so I wouldn't say no, though.
[ ... ]
Pretty sure Noel's the one who'd find a nice place to live as a farmer outside the city. He could take that bird with him, too. Not really the life for me.
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So that's how it is...
[ IT'S STILL NOT A NORMAL REASON, but he's getting the sense that Lightning took pity on this runt as well, and now cares about it more than she'd like to admit. Or maybe he's completely wrong, but that's how he's gonna interpret it!! He knows how much of a softie she is in any case. ]
I don't have goats at my place, though... what's keepin' ya away?
[ He ssooooo knows it's Dad. ]
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She's hell in a handbasket, though.
His question makes her pause though, and through another drawn out sip of her drink, she's hard-pressed to find a good excuse or even a witty comeback to throw the ball back in his court. She could say that she's been busy which is partly true, but she's no busier than she normally is and it shouldn't change anything. She still makes an effort to see him and the others as much as she can! More people in the house, maybe? Doesn't want to be caught in the act of holding his hand (god forbid!) or giving him a smooch? No, that wouldn't work either – one more person in the house doesn't make a lick of difference and it's not like she kissed him when they weren't alone much in the first place.
Plus, there's no real reason to lie about it, and Lightning doesn't want to lie to him. So, she swirls the neck of her bottle between her fingers, a nervous laugh covering up a sigh.]
So, your dad's here... met him last week.
[There it is!]
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Yeah, I know he is, he's my dad. [ He teases, of course, knowing what she's trying to say. ]
So ya met him, huh? Guess that saves me the time of havin' to introduce you.
[ Although, it does beg the question why he hasn't done so up until now. It's been a week, after all. Having a girlfriend meet the family seems to be a big deal even for him... ]
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She lifts her bottle to her lips but pauses to answer his question first.]
Yeah, I did.
[There's a blueberry in the bowl that she's been eyeing for some time now – it looks so perfect, with its blue skin so evenly coloured across all sides of its impeccable shape. It's plump and probably juicy... a dream blueberry for eating, surely. Lightning picks it up from the bowl between delicate fingers...
... and flings it right at the side of Gladio's head. Boom, headshot!]
You didn't warn me that he was here.
[She could have at least had time to prepare herself for the inevitable meeting if she knew it was coming!!! ... It's not his job; she's just embarrassed, and it's especially clear in the way the lights over their heads illuminates the pink powdering her cheeks.]
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Yeah? How do ya think you would've reacted if I said "I want you to meet my dad"?
[ Although, that isn't entirely the reason why he didn't warn her. She's actually right, he should have warned her, but maybe a part of him wanted to see if Clarus would stick around. His father would never leave them, of course, but this place has a way of taking everyone away at the worst of times... ]
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Probably would've wanted to meet him.
[To be fair, she would have been just as tense with a warning or with Gladio at her side through the whole thing. Not that she didn't want to meet him at the time, but now that the initial awkward encounter is over, she's glad that she has the chance to get to know the man who raised the one she's... well, that last part's not important.
Lightning snorts under her breath, managing a smile again.]
And maybe not buy two trays of coffee the same day. You'd think we'd know better now.
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[ First, that's one tray too many to bring over to somebody's house, and secondly… ]
Wait... you didn't... d-don't tell me...
[ He's on the verge of laughing harder than he has ever laughed in his entire life, and it's taking up all the willpower he can muster not to crack a smile. Still, his lips twitch. Did she drop her tray in front of his father?! HNNNGH ]
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In fact, if she's counting right, there were exactly eight people living under the roof at the time, and while one just so happened to have temporarily turned to crystal, another came in and took his place in the headcount. What's she going to do when Regis wakes up...? That is two trays plus one drink... Oh boy.
She can read Gladio well enough by now to know when he's trying to stifle a laugh, and this one looks like it'll be a doozy if he belts it out. Pausing her absentminded circles, she rolls her eyes at him through her hair, but his lip twitching makes hers do the same.]
I know what you're thinking...
[Lightning picks out a remarkably plump strawberry from the bowl and holds it up near his mouth. She's just going to wait for him to take it before she gives an answer. Can't laugh if his mouth is full of fruit!!! 🍓]
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Well, are ya gonna keep me in suspense?
[ He leans forward and opens his mouth, accepting the strawberry as he looks into her eyes for an answer. Her eyes will surely betray her if she won't speak! Or perhaps his own eyes will coax the story out of her... winky-wink! ]
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loveshates that look. She tries to be cheeky too, and the corner of her lip twitches up into more of a smile, but all she ends up doing is tapping the end of his nose gently with a finger.]Maybe... we could call it a night right here, but that'd be disappointing.
[But then she wouldn’t have to tell the story! Lightning figures he'll have no problems piecing it all together himself though, based on the little bit of detail he already knows. That being said, it's probably best that she starts from the beginning after she helps herself to a piece of strawberry too.
Her shoulders roll in a shrug. She's going to pretend that it's no biggie because it totally isn't.]
He was there when I stopped by with some coffees – the usual. Asked him who he was, so he told me.
[It was a pretty standard introduction, to say the least. It's the pause that comes after that's damning and to fill it and buy herself some extra time, she bites into her strawberry. This one tastes a bit sour...]
Wasn't expecting him to be your dad, and I might've almost dropped them on him then, but... [God, she's already regretting this. No turning back now, though! Her tone shifts to something a little more ruffled. Not at all directed at Gladio or his Pops, but at herself for what comes next.] It was like I was in the damn Guardian Corps all over again – almost saluted him like he was some kind of high ranking officer. I didn't. [Another beat and her cheeks flush a deeper red.] Ended up bowing instead.
[Please help this woman.]
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But then mentions the near-salute, which ALSO would have been a funny story if she actually ended up doing it for real, but she didn't. She stopped herself! So far so good. She didn't mess up anything!
Annnd then she delivers the punchline, just as Gladio tries to swallow his strawberry, but he ends up HOWLING so hard that half of it comes out of his mouth and straight into her pretty face.
This is not a gag tag. ]
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The timing of Lightning opening her mouth to continue couldn't have been worse – as soon as Gladio howls with laughter, she flinches at these new sensations and it's all so sudden that it takes her a moment to recognize what's unfolding. There's the splatter of something wet and warm on her face and... Etro's holy tits, are those pieces of strawberry that just flew into her open mouth on top of sticking to her cheeks and hair!?]
What—
[—is all she manages to sputter before reflex forces her to swallow and she falls into a coughing fit, choking not on the fruit, but on her dignity...]
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[ Is all he manages to sputter once she falls into a coughing fit, and he immediately grabs a bar napkin and leans forward, cradling the back of her head with one hand as he tries to wipe her face. ]
Shit, sorr--
[ He coughs again, this time with no debris coming out of his mouth, but there are still some faint sounds of laughter in between those coughs.
Apparently it's still funny???]no subject
Once she finally suppresses her coughs, Lightning somehow manages to find it in her to laugh about it along with him. How many more food-y misfortunes will Lady Luck bestow upon them before she finally gets tired of it?
She tilts her head to allow easier access to the spots on her face where she can feel something, leaning it back against his hand on her neck while she watches him.]
We gonna have to strike out strawberries now, too?
[Coffee, noodles, and now a fruit!? Soon, they'll have one of every food category on the Do Not Touch list.]
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If we keep doing that, there'd be nothin' left.
[ In fact, he hasn't added any of those things to his Do Not Touch list, because the problem is never the food, or anything else. It's them. But they can't add each other to that list! Case in point, Gladio pretends he missed a few spots and cleans her face with a few soft smoochies. She really looks and tastes like strawberry now.
The last kiss is planted on her lips, just for good measure. ❤ ]
So ya embarrassed yourself in front of my pops, and now we can't see each other at home anymore. Does that sound about right?
[ He states it so simply, if only to tease her some more about it. ]
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But all of that is forgotten thanks to his kisses and whatever worries she had from earlier are pushed aside to make room for her returning them instead. She bends forward to press a few across his face in return; he's not covered in strawberry like she is, but damn it, she does what she wants!]
Sounds about right. [Her own final smoochie conveniently lands right on his lips, too.] We'll just have to get creative. Moonlight rendezvous in the park... we could get you a rope to sneak in through my window at night...
[That's what they do in all the cheesy romance novels, isn't it?]
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[ Fancy words from a well-read man! And honestly, he doesn't mind any of her ideas, but he can't help but wonder if she's just being desperate to do anything but see Clarus in the eyes ever again. Dare he say, it's adorable, with how fearless she normally tries to sound.
After that smoochfest, which thankfully nobody witnessed, he slides his seat closer to hers as he sits back down again. Then, he takes another sip from his bottle as he waits for her answer.
Don't worry, he'll keep things in this time. ]
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... Our what? [A beat, then quickly:] Nevermind.
[It's not all that important, but she's pretty sure she gets the gist of what he's trying to say without knowing what the word means.
He isn't wrong about any of it – wanting to avoid his dad and the house altogether, if only to buy herself some time to reclaim some of the composure and poise she lost that day. Maybe it'll allow her to practice saying 'Clarus' instead of 'sir' in front of the bathroom mirror some more, too. (She doesn't do that. Her embarrassment hasn't gone that far! Not yet, anyway.)
Once Gladio's taken a mouthful of his drink, she waits for him to swallow it before continuing and even tilts her head to get a better look at him to be sure. She can't tell if he has, but the last thing she wants is to get sprayed with whatever it is they're drinking. It's one thing getting strawberry pieces to the face but another to be showered in alcohol, and if she can avoid one of the two tonight, it's the latter.
There's a bit of hesitancy in her voice, but Lightning powers through it anyway with the flattest tone.]
Would you wanna see him if you kept calling him 'sir' and then spilled coffee all over the damn place anyway?
[WELP. Lightning lifts her own bottle near her lips, but she doesn't take a sip. No, it's to shield herself in the event that he didn't swallow all of his drink down....]
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