#flowithers

@flowithers said: "How's your head?"

- general || accepting -

. The rooftops had ever been his favored mode of travel, and the addition of some of the decor and gardens meant that his trip to Maelle's new home had been rather enjoyable. She was safe and relatively happy. His trip back, however...

Someone was in the rooftop garden- walking out just as Verso was about to land nearby. The realization paired with the need to remain unseen crossed several wires in his head. Instead of landing on sure footing and slipping away unnoticed, Verso felt his ankle roll and his body pitch like a boulder.

"Putain-" His forehead met wood far too unkindly, folded half over himself as his vision flashed with the impact. When he opened his eyes a moment later, he could see a worried face above him. Good, someone had seen his face and saw him make a fool of himself. He hoped he was lucky enough that dusk hid healing bruises or broken skin.

Sophie just had to catch him while he was taking a drink of wine.

Coughing and spluttering into his glass, Verso took a moment to collect himself before appraising the young woman in front of him. "Apologies, you caught me off guard." Clearly.

Out of his breast pocket, Verso drew out a handkerchief to pat down his face and scrub out his tie before the wine had a chance to stain it.

"i..." she hadn't even noticed it, hadn't realized -- whether it was the natural pull of sophie's gravity or that lune had just been rambling so excitedly that she forgot about her physical self and the way it was constantly shifting. close now, shoulder to shoulder as she pointed to a spot on the map that laid out on the table below. hand dropped, the tide of her body ebbing away from the other.

"sorry." embarrassed, flushed in the apples of her cheeks before lune cleared her throat and allowed hands to smooth the wrinkles from out of her shirt. "i finally did it -- found it. the landing spot, that is. it took me years, but... it's RIGHT there. we're so close, sophie." hopeful, an energetic enthusiasm one might find in a delighted child that lune so RARELY ever emitted. teeth gnawed on the inside of her cheek -- another step away from her. so terribly aware of the amount of space she took up and how she was encroaching on another's.

this   all feels   so   monumental.   their   first   real   christmas   together.   well   ,   they've   spent   many   holidays   together   over   the   years   ,   but   this   one   is   truly   special.   it's   their   first   time   celebrating   together   as   an   engaged   couple.   if   someone   were to go   back   into   the   past   &   tell   gustave   he   would   one   day   find   someone   &   be   on   his   way   to   becoming   a   married   man   ,   he   wouldn't   believe   them   for   a   second.   with   the   way   his   mind   works   &   how   busy   he   often   gets on his own projects   ,   he'd   never   imagined   anyone   would   have   the   patience   to   deal   with   someone   with   all   his   oddities.   then   the   aquafarm   three   project   happened   &   spending   all   that   time   with   sophie   really   opened   up   his   eyes.   he's   had   crushes   on   other people   before   ,   but   sophie   was   his   first   real   ,   true   love.   one   smile   from   her   could   make   his   whole   week   &   any   conversations   they   shared   , he   would   replay   in   his   mind   over   and   over   ,   recounting   how   her   eyes   always   seem   to   sparkle   before   him   ━━   almost   like   they're   sparkling   just   for   him.

the   apartment   they   now   share   is   nothing   big   ,   but   cozy   enough   for   two   young people   in   love.   they   spent   quite   a   long   time   decorating   &   preparing   for   the   holiday   season   ,   so   much   so   that   gustave   forgot   who   put   up   what   &   where.   greeting   sophie   in   the   kitchen   first thing in the morning was   slowly   becoming   a   bit   of   a   tradition   for   him   ,   one   that   has   him   fully   focused   &   dedicated   to   the   task   at   hand   as   he   kisses   her   cheek ,   not   at   all   noticing   the   plant   hanging   above   them   before   sophie   points   it   out.   as   smart   as   people   say   he   is   ,   he   really   ,   really   isn't.   he's   great   when   it   comes   to   inventions   &   all   things   engineering   ,   but   anything   else   ?   well   ,   he   leaves   that   to   sophie.   as   soon   as   he   sees   the   plant   above   them   , he   knows   it   was   his   fiance   who   planted   it   there.   even   with   the   slight   bashfulness   that   now   falls   over   him   ,   gustave   can't   help   but   smile   &   lean   in   to   quickly   fulfill   a   time   honored   tradition.   arms   cradle   his   love   as   he   brings   her   closer   ,   dipping   her   smaller   frame   as   he   deepens   the   kiss   ,   perhaps   daring   to   show   the   extent   of   his   longing.   this   is   only   one   of   many   kisses   they   will   share   in   their   new   home   &   the   engineer   is   looking   forward   to   the   future   that   will   no   doubt   be   beautiful   ,   despite   their   limited   time thanks to their broken world.

she was allowed to have a break -- at least, that's what she was trying so hard to tell herself. but she didn't really have to. sophie would do it enough for the both of them. and not many people in lumiere could say it, but SOPHIE had a very unique bragging right: she actually got lune to put down her work and just have a day to... be.

"i think i used too much butter," came her focused mumble as she looked down at the bowl. it contained a dark red sauce -- some berry mixture that she had been working ever so hard on to accompany the cake that she was baking. well... trying to. she found her weakness: the kitchen. a forefinger went into the sauce to pop into her mouth as she tasted it, missing by a mere centimeter and she blanched. "confirmed. far too much butter. i'll have to remake the whole thing, unless i can multiply the rest of the recipe by the amount of extra butter i had used..." already taking it too seriously. making it a JOB.

thoughts cut short, however, when she felt sophie's hand upon her face. eyes blinked, snapped over to meet the other's and she couldn't fight the heat in her cheeks. lune only hoped that sophie wouldn't NOTICE.

she's   being   so   cheeky   right   now   ,   &   damn   if   gustave   doesn't   adore   her   for   it.   the   smile   she   shoots   his   way   stirs   something   deep in   his   chest   ,   an   ache   he   can't   ever   seem   to   shake   whenever   in   her   presence.   he   has   her   &   yet   it   never   ,   ever   feels   like   enough.   all   sophie   would   need   to   do   is   smile   &   say   something   clever   & immediately it would   render  the   engineer   completely   useless   ,   surrendering   to   her   demands.   the   worst   part   ?   he   feels   like   she   knows   this   too   ,   which   is   why   she   uses   this   on   him   now   ,   simply   to   toy   with   him.   they   both   used   to   be   a   lot   more timid   around one another   when   they   first   met   during   the   aquafarm   three   project   ,   but   years   of   a   loving   relationship   have   changed   them   for   the   better   &   gustave   can't   imagine   who   else   he'd   want   to   have   at   his   side   ,   doomed   world   or   not.

the   engineer   chuckles   as   he   reaches   out   to   cup   her   cheek   ,   metal   hand   gentle   in   handling   her   skin   ,   ensuring   he   never   hurts   her.   he'd   rather   die   than   do   anything   of   the   sort.   ❝   irresistible   &   modest   ━━   a   winning   combination   ,   mademoiselle sophie. ❞   more   laughter   leaves   his   lips   even   as   he   leans   in   closer   ,   his   smile   now   pressed   up   against   her   lips   ,   offering   his   joy   for   her   to   taste   ,   to   savor   a   bit   before   parting   away.   it   had   been   a   while   since   they   both   had   a   chance   to   see   one   another   ,   especially   with   him   &   lune   dutifully   working   on   more projects to help better the lives of the people in lumiére.   sciel   had   to   remind   him   to   take   breaks   every   now   &   then   ,   &   poor   sophie   .   .   .   despite   it   all   ,   she's   still   here   beside   him.   ❝ ;   sorry   for   being   so   busy   ,   ❞   he   offers   ,   cheeks   blushing   a   slight   tint   of   pink.   ❝   we've been so busy with all these projects & ideas   ,   but   i'm   really   happy   to   be   here   with   you.   i   missed   you   a   lot   ,   actually.   ❞   does   he   dare   tell   her   of   the   photo   of   her   he   has   on   his   desk   ?   maybe   not   today.   someday   soon   ,   if   he   can   muster   the   courage.

"Can you blame me? I learn things from you every day." She jests, but it's good to throw the blame right back at Sophie, especially when she is so flustered. After all, that kiss they shared had opened a world of possibilities for Sciel. Maybe nothing would come out of this, but it was still amusing to have some fun with the possibilities... So, of course Sciel would flirt.

Throw some love here and there... See if she scores another kiss? ...Or better yet?