"Beautiful…" it still startles Rudo a little. He have called Amo beautiful for what feels like a hundred times and he can't get used to the way words slip out of his mouth so naturally and without forethought.
Normally he picks his words carefully, he knows how much they can hurt (Even when he is angry he has it in the back of his mind to remember to watch his mouth. At least he tries. Somehow. Growing up learning the hard way that he has to be vigilant not only for your own sake, but for the sake of your family, his father's.
"Some people are not so generous to take others words in good faith, most of the time its the opposite, they look for a way to twist your words against you" Regto have said
don't go around barking whatever stupid thing comes to your mind Rudo told himself.
Nothing normal about the way he wants to act around Amo. None of it is "usual"
Reckless is how he feels talking to Amo
Because letting his thoughts out like this, letting his guts spill, raw, sincere, it feels dangerous like he is handing her a weapon and folding the girls' thin, elegant fingers over it as it's pressed against his chest:
Here are all my squishy, vulnerable parts, my weak spots, you can do whatever you like with it because you are that. You have created this great weakness in me. By being somebody i love
Rudo knows he will take the leap again and again his legs will carry him before his brain catches up, body moving on instinct
Amo is looking up at him from where he's leaning over her on his elbows, inhaling sharply through her smile at the praise and melting at the compliment. Her eyes widen for a fraction of a second, as if its the first time he called her that. Rudo hopes she feels something like that too, the novelty of being exposed that doesn't want to wear off
At least he hopes Amo isnt getting tired of his inelegant worship because he's not going to stop
i what? i'm going to kiss you? i want to hold you like this forever please never leave? i love you?
Rudo huffs instead and Amo's soft smile reaches her lips, her hands moving from resting on his shoulders back to gently cupping his face.
Rudo holds back a shudder at the intimate contact, roaming freely in each other's personal space to that degree is something he also cant get used to. As it's something that also screams against his sense of self preservation
"Rudo" this. This is what burns him from inside out. He cant ignore the joy in Amo's voice when she says his name. He used to mistrust it, try to think its something else she puts into her tone, because why would somebody like simply saying somebody's else's name? His name? But he asked her directly once:
"Rudo"
"What?"
"Nothing ❤️"
"You like calling me just to say nothing" he didnt mean to sound like he hates it, he vinced because that sounded exactly as if he wants her to stop. He didn't.
But Amo was, as usual, undeterred by his callous tone, lucky him:
"Amo likes saying it" she grinned like she was excited to admit it. Amo was so sincere. Direct. Reckless. It made Rudo bold enough to try and match her
Words simply were not his thing
Rudo leaned down slowly to kiss her, Amo's eyelids lowered, eyes moving from his eyes to his lips and back. She didn't raise her head to meet him halfway this time, didnt grab the back of his head to push them together but laid there and let herself be kissed. Rudo liked when Amo pushed him closer, but liked this passive reaction as well. Sometimes Amo would pull back, making him chase her, forcing him to crowd her, press their bodies closer together. Rudo didnt know what he preferred, no way to pick a favorite. Anything Amo was his favorite.
Rudo angled his head to catch Amo's bottom lip between his, giving love to the corner of her mouth, her cheek, nuzzling her face a little because he wanted to, because doing what they want with each other was the point. He heard her sigh, a smile heard clearly in it.
Amo liked to say his name and it felt like there is a silent "my" before it. Rudo allowed himself to read into it like that - it was hard to see it differently when Amo got so giddy with it like its a secret treasure she is dying to brag about
And Rudo liked to kiss her without asking, indulging himself with no need to reaffirm every time that he can do it whenever he wants, or whenever he thinks Amo wants it.
"Rudo can kiss Amo any time…please…" she had said some time after their first. And the pleading, for something like this, have been quite a shock to his system. With invitation that left no space for misunderstanding, there was a silent "mine" to his touch as well.