ᥲ⳽ᖾᥱ⳽ & ωɩᥒᥱ.

she has always been a good girl, always self – sacrificing to make sure others get what they want. but her whole body seems drawn to him and it's inevitable, the way she lifts her hand, if only to pretend. it hovers between them, right by his hip bone where towel meets skin. her eyes follow her hand movement as if she can't trust herself not to take it a step too far. a part of her is begging for him to stop this, to turn around and leave. the other part of her wells with warmth at the mere thought of touching him. « just ... » she takes another step, her fingertip brushing against him, « the house has been, you know, full. » she drops her hand with much difficulty. « it's felt a bit ... stuffed. hard to think. » gaze trails back up, pausing briefly on his lips, before resting on his eyes. she's looking for validation now, some kind of confirmation this isn't all in her head. she's not sure she can't take it if it is. « you know ? »

gustavo would be suspicious she uses the vocabulary she does intentionally, if it wasn't for the fact he was convinced she was completely innocent. full. stuffed. hard. it all hits him exactly where it shouldn't, suddenly overwhelmed by an attraction he'd being doing so well at restraining. "yeah, i know what you mean." whilst the musician was a self-proclaimed extrovert, even he found the amount of bodies in the space too intense at times. despite his best efforts, his eyes leave her face, running along her frame with far too much delight and curiosity. "would you like to hang out, though?" he questions then, an invitation with far too much behind it that goes unsaid. as innocent as he deemed her, he knew she wasn't foolish. his heart hammers so hard against his chest, aware of the risk he was taking. she could run from her spot, she could tell on him, she could never see him the same way ever again. yet the question had still fallen from his bitten lips, struggling to deny himself what he wants anymore. sure that if she reacted poorly, he'd get his answer and he'd leave - not wishing to cause her any discomfort or distress.

“this place feels magical,” her gaze sweeping over the high ceilings and elegant moldings. “it surprises me you're so willing to let it go.” she said before her eyes drifted toward his butler who lingered closely behind their seats, remembering it was him who had arranged for their original visit. she offered him a polite smile before turning her attention to harvey. something about him only drew her closer in, “i wish i could have seen one of those grand parties, they must've been amazing. truly, i can't remember the last time i have been out to a party, or dancing” she laughed softly until he mentioned a loss in his life, her expression softened. guilt tugging at her for prying into memories she had no right to touch. her fingertips brushed gently against his as if by instinct. she told herself it was only a small gesture of comfort as she held onto him. “i am so sorry to hear that, mr. merryweather,” her voice in a hushed whispered as her touch still rested lightly on his hand. “i promise we'll find the right family for this house” her eyes searched into his, as though she was drawn by some tethered line to him and she needed to discover what it was. “and where will you go once this place is no longer yours?”

"yeah, well..." harvey shrugs his shoulders, opting to omit the fact that he wasn't willing to let it go. after all, it'd defeat the purpose of her presence...at least where she was concerned. "it's too big for just me and fitz," he reasons, "about time another family made it their own." though in an ideal world, it would be their family that created a whole new myriad of memories. "it would've been incredible. the whole ballroom would be full of friends, neighbours and family - all dressed in corsets or with cufflinks. quite an experience, hard to replicate." especially hard now he was a ghost, but on certain nights - the building bloomed back into life. which was ironic, considering the cause was ghosts from the past. "thank you." he bows his head respectfully, struggling not to get caught looking at her. she was still as beautiful as he remember her, still had that glow that so many other's lacked, was still so kind. "i'm not too sure about that. i might need your suggestions for that, too." he admits, though it was just enough reasonable excuse to spend even more time with the woman. the love of his life - and death.

not fair that being pressed together made her want him more, that having all of him only made her want to lay claim to something deeper under his stupidly resilient skin—how was he so soft, anyway? she carded his scalp through his curls, ruffling and kneading him, wishing archie would relent or escalate. there was nothing she hated more than self-control from anyone but herself. she kept kissing anyway, hoping to make him break—a contest she couldn't resist. "are you always going to be this... accommodating?" winter asked, mouth muffled slightly by the proximity, rolling her hips shamelessly against him, hoping for a bold reciprocation, or at minimum something more than teasing.

self-control was a trait that hadn't come naturally to the man, he'd had to work on it tirelessly - both in the ring and out of it. this serves as a test of another level entirely. he wants winter, in all the ways he can have her. yet he remains so purposefully soft and slow, in spite of his growing desperation. "i can try to be, if you like it." he teases it, suspecting that isn't exactly what winter wants. that perhaps there's something else she's eager for. something he's making them both wait for, sweat for. he growls as she rolls her hips against his, dull nails digging into the clothed skin of her hips. "fuck," he whines into her mouth, his self-control wavering by the second, as his digits slip beneath the material of her clothes, leaving dull, weak scratches against exposed skin.

SHE NEEDS TO ACT FAST BEFORE her feet grow cold. nathaniel's approval has always meant the most to her and she's convinced he knows what's good for the business. and for him ? nat wants to be the very best. she grabs his hand with a chuckle, leading him out towards the stage and patting one of the now many vacant seats in front of it. « it'll be quick. a teaser, » she promises, doesn't leave him enough time to argue. instead she's bolting up on stage, discarding of her oversized sweater to reveal a red two – piece, lacy garters holding up black stockings, harness around her bust. she releases her curls from the bun they've been bundled up in and fixes her gaze upon nathaniel with a beam. « promise you'll be honest ? »

the moment her outfit is revealed, nathaniel's swallowing thickly and forcing his gaze away briefly. although he works where he works, he always feels slightly lewd when he's caught looking, even for a beat. it's hard to keep his gaze off of her, it'll be even harder once she starts her dance, so his eyes return to her frame - taking in her form from head to toe. she was beautiful, glowing and hypnotizing in all the right ways and it was no surprise he'd become so completely enamored by her. he takes a seat, after almost knocking right into it. a mess of a man where natalya was concerned. "i promise." he confirms with a gentle smile, playfully displaying a 'scouts honour' sign with his fingers, his attraction becoming all the harder to disguise with each passing day.