#tequa

Terra fidgeted with the strings tied around his waist, looking very determinedly anywhere but at Aqua. It was difficult for him, especially considering he could feel her so close to him, her thigh pressed to his as she focused on whatever book she’d picked for reading tonight. The issue in itself wasn’t that he was close to her, of course. They’d spent a lot of time together growing up, a lot of time wrestling and sharing beds, exactly the sort of thing someone did with their best friend.. No, the issue here was with Terra himself. As he’d grown up, it had become harder and harder to treat Aqua like just another apprentice. He’d gotten harder on her, expected more of her, because he was worried about liking her too much. And now, here they were, with Aqua innocently reading her book and Terra trying not to show how affected he was by the gentle brush of her thighs, clothed only in her usual shorts, as they moved past his.

Add in the knowledge that they were dating- because that was what it was, right? That’s what you call two people who kiss each other and go out to do things together, just the two of them. That’s dating, right?- and Terra was understandably shaken by her presence.

Aqua, oblivious to the rawness of Terra’s nerves, sighed and turned a page, shifting her leg against his as she stretched her legs out in front of her before returning to her resting position, now reclined slightly against his side.

Terra swallowed back his first instinct, the instinct to tense and run from before they’d started dating- and dating was really a funny word for what they had, because they really didn’t fit the roles Terra imagined when he imagined dating , not that that was necessarily a bad thing so much as a fact- and instead hesitantly rested his arm over her shoulders, his hand settling against her side and carefully above her hips where he was safe.

It drove him crazy, the way he couldn’t calm down anymore. This was Aqua, his best friend, the girl he’d grown up alongside. A few simple kisses shouldn’t shake him to his core like this, but here he was, second-guessing everything.

From next to him, Aqua sighed and slipped a bookmark into her book before closing it and setting it aside. That done, she twisted to face Terra more fully, reaching up to rest her palm delicately against his cheek.

“Hey,” she murmured softly. “Are you nervous?”

Terra shook his head before thinking about it, feeling her eyes on him, and slowly nodding instead.

“Yeah” he replied quietly, removing his arm from her shoulder and resting it in his lap again, fidgeting with the ties of his belt. “Yeah, a little bit.”

Aqua smiled, just a little tilt to her lips, and gently traced her thumb along the line of his jaw. “Me too,” she said, her voice a whispered breath that brushed past Terra’s lips. He swallowed nervously, his eyes flicking down to her mouth before darting back up to her eyes. Her smile widened and she laughed, low and soft and lovely, before leaning in and gently pressing her lips against his.

They’d kissed a few times, gentle pecks and quick presses of lips, sweet things hidden between their day to day lives, but they hadn’t yet found time to really kiss, the way Terra thought they were supposed to, the way he imagined them kissing when he allowed himself to think about the endless possibilities. Terra twisted his body toward her, resting a hand on her cheek and marveling at how delicate she felt under his hand, especially when he knew better than to believe that. Her lips were soft and pliant against his, her breath warm and damp and sweet. He pulled back just a bit, taking a deep breath as he ran his hand gently through her short hair. The strands clung to his fingers, silky and fine; it felt like all of his senses were being taken over.

He wasn’t sure what to do with his hands- he felt abundantly aware of how clumsy and big they were as he moved them from her cheeks to her shoulders and down to her waist, letting them hover there for a moment. She sighed into their kiss, and Terra’s head swam as he finally settled his palms against the gentle swell of her hips, over fabric and leather He felt dizzy, unsure of what he was supposed to do other than move his mouth with hers, try to set a rhythm for their kiss.

Aqua pulled away, her eyelashes fluttering for a moment before she opened her eyes fully, and Terra’s heart ached at the sight of her before him. He wanted to crush her to his chest, kiss her everywhere he could reach. His hands tightened ever so slightly around her hips.

Her lips were shiny with dampness. Terra wanted to taste her again, taste the cocoa on her tongue. He leaned forward, watching the way her eyes drifted closed, her lips parted ever so slightly in anticipation, her head tilted back. He hesitated for just a moment, so close he could feel her breath dance across his skin, before pressing his lips to hers again. His fingers curled, warm and rough, around the soft curve of her hips, pulling her fully against him. They kissed, soft and slow, the only sound in the room other than the pounding of Terra’s heart against his ribcage. He wondered if her heart was racing the same way. He hoped it was. He hoped she felt the way she did, like they were the only two people in the room, in the castle even, like he never wanted this moment to end. When she pulled away, he almost pulled her back, crushed her to his chest and kissed her until her breath came in searing gasps. Instead, he let his hands slide up from her hips to grip her shoulders between his palms.

She blinked up at him, her lips shimmering and swollen, and Terra’s heart positively ached. He wanted nothing more in that moment than to hold her there in the circle of her arms, feel her strength and kiss her skin, admire the way the castle’s lights played through her hair.

“Was that… okay?” Aqua asked, her voice husky and a little breathless. Terra stared at her for a moment, unable to comprehend how she could think that moment was anything less than perfect.