flora
Her grin stretches slowly across her face, blooming like dawn against the storm-tossed landscape they’ve just crawled out of, her whole body responding to the idea before she can even speak. There’s something so wildly, dramatically perfect about it—married at the top of the world—that she laughs, bright and breathless, her curls falling forward with the motion as she nods hard enough to scatter her thoughts. "I love it," she gasps, nearly bouncing as she throws her arms around him again, nearly nose-to-nose with the boy who somehow knew exactly the kind of ridiculous, romantic, exclusive chaos her heart always leaned toward. The idea of dragons wheeling above, of cloud-thick air and wind-snatched vowels, of danger and spectacle and a place that only they could reach, gods, it’s not just a good idea, it’s so her she could scream. "It’s perfect," she whispers, beaming.
Still reeling, her limbs restless with joy and something perilously close to disbelief, she brushes her nose against his as he presses his forehead to hers, unable to keep from leaning into the feeling of him like he’s a warm sunspot on the floor of a long-abandoned room. "That was always my plan, actually," she murmurs, laughter curling at the edges of the words even as her throat catches on the realness of this moment, the solidity of him. "I've already been saving for it." Being able to bring Kai to her side at a moment's notice, or she to his was no easycheap feat, but once the idea had occurred to her, she'd immediately set about making it theirs. "Just leave that to me."” She shrugs playfully, but her heart is flipping in her chest like a landed fish, too overcome to sit still beneath her ribs.
When he suggests the hair ties, she giggles again, her lashes fluttering as she presses her forehead more firmly to his, joy anchoring her like a mooring line to the realness of this. The image is so perfect; a secret wrapped around their wrists like old vows and childhood promises, invisible to the world but so heavy with meaning that she can already feel the shape of it pressing into her skin. "Yes," she breathes, voice soft and urgent and delighted. "It can just be our secret for a little while." Like the wish he'd once upon wished for on a star. She bites her bottom lip, joy trembling at the edge of her teeth, but then something else rises beneath it, something breathless and blooming and sharp with anticipation.
The thought crashes into her like a rogue wave. Her lips part as her breath hiccups in her chest, the laughter faltering but not fading, replaced by a surge of emotion so intense it makes her eyes shine brighter, her voice gentler. She swallows, gaze locked to his like it’s the only solid thing in the world. "But..." she starts, faltering on a whisper, her grin flickering with something more fragile. "If you were serious about getting married now," There’s giddy optimism coiled tight beneath the words, adrenaline already humming beneath her skin, her fingertips pressing into his like they might anchor her to the possibility. "Because...most weddings in Torchline are done by Safrin," she says softly, "and I could channel her here, now.."
A nervous little laugh escapes her throat, shaky and full of wonder. "Or, I mean, if there’s someone else you want, or we can wait, or—" She shakes her head quickly, golden curls bouncing, cheeks flushed with hope and uncertainty both. She doesn’t want to pressure him, doesn’t want to cling to something he only said in the height of emotion. But gods, if he did mean it, then it feels like every star she's ever seen in her whole life is aligning. Because suddenly the idea of waiting feels impossible, like asking her to breathe underwater or walk away from a home that had only just formed beneath her feet. Her eyes are shining with a love that is still too big for her body, and her voice lowers with breathless awe. "Because I would marry you right this second." Or, however long it would take to sit up and channel, anyway.
Still reeling, her limbs restless with joy and something perilously close to disbelief, she brushes her nose against his as he presses his forehead to hers, unable to keep from leaning into the feeling of him like he’s a warm sunspot on the floor of a long-abandoned room. "That was always my plan, actually," she murmurs, laughter curling at the edges of the words even as her throat catches on the realness of this moment, the solidity of him. "I've already been saving for it." Being able to bring Kai to her side at a moment's notice, or she to his was no easy
When he suggests the hair ties, she giggles again, her lashes fluttering as she presses her forehead more firmly to his, joy anchoring her like a mooring line to the realness of this. The image is so perfect; a secret wrapped around their wrists like old vows and childhood promises, invisible to the world but so heavy with meaning that she can already feel the shape of it pressing into her skin. "Yes," she breathes, voice soft and urgent and delighted. "It can just be our secret for a little while." Like the wish he'd once upon wished for on a star. She bites her bottom lip, joy trembling at the edge of her teeth, but then something else rises beneath it, something breathless and blooming and sharp with anticipation.
The thought crashes into her like a rogue wave. Her lips part as her breath hiccups in her chest, the laughter faltering but not fading, replaced by a surge of emotion so intense it makes her eyes shine brighter, her voice gentler. She swallows, gaze locked to his like it’s the only solid thing in the world. "But..." she starts, faltering on a whisper, her grin flickering with something more fragile. "If you were serious about getting married now," There’s giddy optimism coiled tight beneath the words, adrenaline already humming beneath her skin, her fingertips pressing into his like they might anchor her to the possibility. "Because...most weddings in Torchline are done by Safrin," she says softly, "and I could channel her here, now.."
A nervous little laugh escapes her throat, shaky and full of wonder. "Or, I mean, if there’s someone else you want, or we can wait, or—" She shakes her head quickly, golden curls bouncing, cheeks flushed with hope and uncertainty both. She doesn’t want to pressure him, doesn’t want to cling to something he only said in the height of emotion. But gods, if he did mean it, then it feels like every star she's ever seen in her whole life is aligning. Because suddenly the idea of waiting feels impossible, like asking her to breathe underwater or walk away from a home that had only just formed beneath her feet. Her eyes are shining with a love that is still too big for her body, and her voice lowers with breathless awe. "Because I would marry you right this second." Or, however long it would take to sit up and channel, anyway.
Every single thing I touch becomes sick with sadness
'Cause it's all over now, all out to sea
'Cause it's all over now, all out to sea
