flora
For a moment Flora just stares at Kaisel, blank enough that it almost looks like she’s buffering, before she lifts one shoulder in a helpless little shrug, brows knitting as her head gives the smallest, impossible shake. "I know it was important," she says quietly. "And no, obviously I didn’t want us to steal Asta’s thunder..." She trails off, frustration catching in her throat, and she shakes her head again, slower this time. "It just makes it feel like the only thing I can say here is that secrets are important except when it comes to our engagement, and..." Her eyes lift to his, imploring, searching his face for confirmation or contradiction, because gods that seemed a selfish and shitty thing to say, but...was it true?
Her gaze flicks up to the wobbling strainer on his head, and she gives him a theatrically doubtful look despite herself. "It absolutely could have tipped him off if I hadn’t lied afterward," she adds, the emphasis sharp and precise. "That’s the point though, babe. It wasn’t for you to help or not help about it. That was the whole point of it being a secret."
Then Kaisel flinches back, and something in her chest drops hard. Flora swallows, the fight draining out of her all at once as she realizes she’s stepped too far somewhere between the rehearsed arguments and the absurdity of the hats. She’s on her feet immediately, the blanket trailing after her for a few steps before slipping away as she closes the distance between them. Her hands come up to cradle his flushed cheeks, palms warm and steady, her thumbs brushing lightly as her aqua eyes search his, trying to pull the temperature down from where it’s spiked.
"Yeah, I do think it’s fine," she says softly, firmly, because she needs him to hear it. "Because you’re my husband." Her fingers skim his jaw as she speaks, her lips trembling into a smile as she says husband. "I can’t control the past, or what memories people keep of me, or what moments they decide mattered. But I gave my entire future to you."
She shakes her head slightly, more in bewilderment than disagreement. "Danta can come stay in this house and think whatever he wants. It'll never affect me, because all I ever think about is you, Kai. That’s it. That’s the whole list. That’s the only person it’s ever going to be."
When he keeps going, she exhales, long and weary, her arms dropping back to her sides, something tired and sad settling into her posture. "But babe, that’s what I mean," she says gently. "And I’m not only defending them. I’m on your side, always, and—" The words land, and she stills, the weight of them catching her off guard even as she means them completely.
She draws in a breath and lets it out slowly, looking at him with a mixture of solemnity and unmistakable affection. "What does it matter to you if Danta isn’t the kind of partner you would be? If he loves someone and still sleeps with other people?" Her head tilts, soft but unwavering. "Just because they’re my friends...you know that isn’t us, right?" Her voice drops, earnest and sure. "I don’t want anyone but you."
Her gaze flicks up to the wobbling strainer on his head, and she gives him a theatrically doubtful look despite herself. "It absolutely could have tipped him off if I hadn’t lied afterward," she adds, the emphasis sharp and precise. "That’s the point though, babe. It wasn’t for you to help or not help about it. That was the whole point of it being a secret."
Then Kaisel flinches back, and something in her chest drops hard. Flora swallows, the fight draining out of her all at once as she realizes she’s stepped too far somewhere between the rehearsed arguments and the absurdity of the hats. She’s on her feet immediately, the blanket trailing after her for a few steps before slipping away as she closes the distance between them. Her hands come up to cradle his flushed cheeks, palms warm and steady, her thumbs brushing lightly as her aqua eyes search his, trying to pull the temperature down from where it’s spiked.
"Yeah, I do think it’s fine," she says softly, firmly, because she needs him to hear it. "Because you’re my husband." Her fingers skim his jaw as she speaks, her lips trembling into a smile as she says husband. "I can’t control the past, or what memories people keep of me, or what moments they decide mattered. But I gave my entire future to you."
She shakes her head slightly, more in bewilderment than disagreement. "Danta can come stay in this house and think whatever he wants. It'll never affect me, because all I ever think about is you, Kai. That’s it. That’s the whole list. That’s the only person it’s ever going to be."
When he keeps going, she exhales, long and weary, her arms dropping back to her sides, something tired and sad settling into her posture. "But babe, that’s what I mean," she says gently. "And I’m not only defending them. I’m on your side, always, and—" The words land, and she stills, the weight of them catching her off guard even as she means them completely.
She draws in a breath and lets it out slowly, looking at him with a mixture of solemnity and unmistakable affection. "What does it matter to you if Danta isn’t the kind of partner you would be? If he loves someone and still sleeps with other people?" Her head tilts, soft but unwavering. "Just because they’re my friends...you know that isn’t us, right?" Her voice drops, earnest and sure. "I don’t want anyone but you."
you don't know that you're living til' you're carrying scars
you're either falling in love or falling apart
you're either falling in love or falling apart
