northern lights, neon skies, just you and I

Need a hundred lifetimes kinda love

The rush of the wind subsiding from the bag is as instant of an effect as a song being cut on the dancefloor. The Sugartide loses her rhythm, and while her moneymaker is still shaking faintly, it's lost its enthusiasm without the beat of dj breeze. It helps him get his bearings down, head flopping over his arm to try and pinpoint Flora, who thankfully answers him and grants him the second breath of relief. "I'm okay!" he responds, one hand lifting off the deck and giving a weak wave before thumping back down, fingers sprawling across the wood with grip and grounding each.

She's moving with caution, but not injury, at least so it seems, and that uncoils some more lingering worry. Might only be the Sugartide herself then who'll bear the mark of the whale's roughhousing. Although, "where's Spice?" he asks as he begins to lean back onto his knees. The dragon had been manning the bag before, and of everyone she's got the wings to keep herself out of this mess of trouble, so he hopes she's found a good hiding spot. He sits up warily, half expecting to be sent careening again, but wanting to rise and help Flora scout out damages and whales. Because as she asks, he realizes then that no, he hasn't got a clue where the starwhales swam off to. With even less vantage point than her from his low point on the deck, railing blocking a lot of his field of view, he finds his head on a swivel as he also looks above them, trying to find the telltale comet trail of stars behind their flukes without much luck. Just the distant pod, still breaching through aurora light, too large even from a distance to be the calves.

"I do—" he begins to say, getting back to one foot and about to shove off onto the other and stand again when the Sugartide suddenly turns this into a rodeo. His arms windmill wildly, the faintest wail of someone who knows they're going down, again, rising as he does just that. Thudding onto his ass and shortly thereafter his back, Kaisel groans, feeling too much like he stepped onto a sparring mat with an overprepared partner, or maybe just lack of preparedness on his part (we're sparring???). "Found 'em!" he grumbles out to her, leering out after them as starlight rises like a curtain of sparks around the edges of the skyship.

"I think now's the time we haul ass out of here before their next approach sinks your baby." he offers to her, glancing over his shoulder her way. "Or I can channel us some help, maybe Ludo could make something distracting for them?" All he knows is he has a newfound and healthy respect for whales, both the ones in the sky and the sea now, and while he likes them more than sharks still, they've firmly entered some 'nope' territory.

Kaisel

I could say forever, but forever ain't long enough

I like shiny things, but I'd marry you with paper rings

Relief hits her in a dizzying rush when she sees Kaisel lift his hand in that slightly ridiculous little wave before it drops back to the deck, the sight enough to make her heart stutter and then lurch forward again as if trying to make up for lost time. She draws a breath she had not realised she was holding, lungs burning as the adrenaline crests and breaks, and she is halfway toward calling his name again when the world abruptly decides it is not finished with them.

The Sugartide surges upward as if grabbed by an invisible hand, the sudden buoyant lift ripping the ground out from under her feet, and Flora’s grip tightens reflexively on the wheel as her balance vanishes completely. She drops hard to her knees when the ship dips again, the impact jarring straight through her bones and rattling her teeth, a sharp cry tearing loose before she can stop it. Pain blooms bright and immediate, but she swallows it down with a gasp, palms braced against the deck as the skyship shudders beneath her like a living thing that has just been startled awake.

She hears Kaisel ask about Spice through the chaos, the words threading their way into her awareness even as the auroras smear overhead and the deck rocks, and she searches instinctively for the familiar pulse of the little dragon. There is no spike of pain, no flash of fear along that shared thread, only a distant, steady presence that tells her Spice is still herself somewhere, wings and all, and that knowledge anchors her enough to drag in another breath.

"Good idea," she calls back hoarsely when he mentions getting out of here, her voice shaking but resolute as she pushes herself upright with a wince and grabs for the wheel again, steadying both herself and the ship as best she can. The suggestion of Ludo earns an immediate shake of her head even before she has fully straightened, instinct and empathy overriding fear in the same breath. "No, not Ludo," she adds firmly, unwilling to lure or trap creatures that are only being what they are, even if they have very nearly torn her skyship apart. "Ask Nature Frey."

"Spice?" she calls out, fear and hope tangled together as she scans for the little dragon as she finally hauls herself to her feet, legs unsteady beneath her. Her gaze sweeps the deck immediately, searching through shadows and shattered light for a flash of white scales or familiar wings, one hand still clamped to the wheel .

and I hate accidents except when we went from friends to this

Code 100% taken from the queeeeeeen herself, Sky <3

RANDOM EVENT

The calves arc back toward the Sugartide with unabashed enthusiasm, their immense bodies rolling through the auroras as if drawn again to the strange, glittering object that dares to share their currents. One of them angles in closer, curiosity outweighing caution, and its massive head sweeps past the bow in a careless, affectionate pass that treats the ship as nothing more than another solid thing worth nudging. The contact lands with devastating ease, the bow cracking and shearing away in splintered lengths as though it were carved from driftwood rather than reinforced hull, fragments tumbling off into the glowing dark below. The force of the brush sends the skyship drifting into another slow, disorienting spin, sails shuddering as fractured aurora light scatters across their surfaces.

Need a hundred lifetimes kinda love

Watching her flop around on the deck while he does the same is absolutely something he's going to giggle about later, if they survive this, that is. Currently though, he's terrified they might not. He's no biologist, but he'd hoped after the initial pass, which had seemed friendly enough, that the whales would have gone on their way. This latest nudge though, and the sinking feeling that more would continue, leaves his stomach falling into a pit.

With Flora back at the wheel, her agreement is just the green light he needs. If she hadn't, he might have considered the first jolt gave her a concussion and yolo swagged them out of here anyway. Thankfully it doesn't come to that, and he can hear the thinning of her confidence. It shouldn't reassure him the way it does, but he's glad to know that he's not being a little bitch about the whales. If she's worried too, that means this isn't good, whatever the actual intent or reasoning from the baby constellations.

Resigned to staying low on the deck this time, just to make any potential next bumps a bit less painful and disorienting, he begins to wriggle back towards the bag to give them the boost to gtfo. Before he reaches it though, already have lost sight of the calves again, he begins to pluck on that thread that connects him to the gods. "Nature Frey," he grits out into the neon night, using Flora's recommendation for who to summon, "these whales are giving us a time, could you settle them down before we're completely fucked?"

Barely registering Flora's anxious call for Spice, which fortunately isn't the hysterics that'd suggest she's in dire straights, he focuses on getting his hands around their source of wind. Just then, as if to demonstrate the exact need they have for Frey, the calves ram into the Sugartide once more. Another sickening spin starts around the gut-wrenching sound of her splitting further apart. "WE'RE OKAY!" he yells out to Flora, to let her know he's still whole and that they will make it out of this. Where stopping the gusts last time had helped quell the spin, he thinks adding the momentum to it now will help them shake out of it, heading to calmer air currents while Frey hopefully manages her rambunctious babies.

---

Kai channels nature frey to help with the whales

Kaisel

I could say forever, but forever ain't long enough

Frey

Frey's laughter swells through the night, melodic in a way that isn't dissimilar to the call of other starwhales. They appear as if shaped by the aurora itself, corralling and beckoning the creatures to leave the Sugartide to its tailspin in peace. "I think that is quite enough fun for now, little ones," they croon, as though they aren't addressing the sort of animal that will one day dwarf the skies with its breathtaking presence. 

Swirling around the ailing ship, Frey's touch is like the playful sort of breeze that often howls across the Eurybia, urging the calves to leave the Sugartide and return to the safety of the pod. "There is much travel for you yet," they assure the starwhales. "And perchance more ships to encounter. Leave this one to get home, and you do the same."

I like shiny things, but I'd marry you with paper rings

Spice’s answer to the retreating calves is immediate and unequivocal, a sharp little draconic wail slicing through the thinning chaos like a final slammed door, the sort of sound that clearly translates to and don’t come back!, before the dragon settles again, wings tight and affronted, as the sky finally begins to still.

Flora pushes herself upright with effort that feels far heavier than it should, legs trembling beneath her as the last of the Sugartide’s spin bleeds away, and the adrenaline that has been holding her together drains all at once, leaving her shaking from head to toe. Her hands will not stop trembling even as she curls them into fists and then opens them again, every muscle still locked tight as though bracing for another impact that never comes. The silence that follows is not peace so much as aftermath, ringing and hollow, and in it the damage becomes impossible to ignore. Even in the low, fractured glow of aurora light she can see the splintered boards along the hull, the jagged absence where several feet of the bow have been torn away, the scuffed and cracked deck littered with debris, and the dark, spreading stains where their mugs of cocoa shattered and bled sweetness across the wood.

The sight hits her harder than the collision ever did. This was supposed to be magic. This was supposed to be the night, the one they talked about back when everything between them was still a maybe and a hope, the one she had planned and prepared for with such care and excitement that it had felt like holding a secret too bright to touch for too long. And now the Sugartide is wounded, the moment fractured beyond repair, and all she can see is her own fault threading through it, her insistence on finding the starwhales without pausing to think about what might happen when wonder collides with reality. She had wanted too much, done toio much, reached too far, and the cost of it is written plainly across her ship.

Her gaze lifts to Kaisel, and the devastation wells up so fast it steals the breath right out of her lungs, a sob lodging painfully in her throat as her eyes shine with unshed tears. She takes a single unsteady step toward him, shoulders caving inward as though she is trying to make herself smaller in the face of the wreckage she feels responsible for, and when she speaks her voice is barely more than a whisper, thin and broken around the words. "I’m so sorry."

and I hate accidents except when we went from friends to this

Code 100% taken from the queeeeeeen herself, Sky <3

Need a hundred lifetimes kinda love

His gaze immediately lifts to the laughing presence that joins them, a smile reaching out as Frey responds to the call. Rather like the scenery around them given a body and a voice, the nature god's kind amusement and redirection bring the necessary aide. In a splash of starlight and a song that could sound almost mournful, Kaisel watches the departing shapes of speckled darkness sweep away back into the bright stream of the aurora. Spice's punctuating agreement to the departure is one that immediately captures his focus, an anxious laugh breaking apart with relief rising to the dragon's newfound confidence. "Spice! Oh my gods, I'm glad you're okay," he sighs, melting a bit further into the deck.

The dull throb of all the places he'd unexpectedly kissed the deck thanks to the ground of the Sugartide rolling to the whims of the whales creeps in past the rush of worry. The steadier breath of being out of immediate danger lets every small bit that'd been held at bay some sprinkling in, now acutely aware of every bit of what'd gone wrong. He doesn't catalogue every broken bit, not yet, not when his focus is finding her across the deck to reassure himself that she's as whole as he left her from the last bump. The wreckage seeps in on his peripherals though, landing with a sinking reality of how quickly everything that'd been whole became undone.

He shoves through his aches, luckily nothing major, a hand brushing over splintered bow as he positions himself to stand. It's wobbly, like his legs are half gelatin and certain the deck will vanish or rise up into him again. "Flora?" he questions, trying to keep the wariness down, pushing in a steady calm for both their sakes despite the unwell way she hangs there. Concern sharpens in his features though as she also moves to close the gap, her struggle too profound to be uninjured, though he doesn't yet realize the only real marks she bears are internal. His pace quickens as she starts to crumple, alarm lighting up every nerve as he grabs for her, ready to catch her weight on his chest and in the brace of his arms. "Baby, for what?" he says swiftly after her puzzling apology. "You got nothing to be sorry for," he reassures, tucking his chin over her hair and pressing her tighter into his hold, like pressure alone could be all she needs to smooth her over. He can piece it together well enough, her history of shouldering guilt she shouldn't making it clear once the surprise passes. "It's good. We're good," he murmurs slower and lower into her hair, pulling the high tempo of the energy down into something that demands the hush of heartbeats and tears to be heard.

Kaisel

I could say forever, but forever ain't long enough

I like shiny things, but I'd marry you with paper rings

The moment he pulls her into his chest, whatever fragile control she has been clinging to gives way, her breath hitching sharply as the sound of it turns into a muffled sniffle against his scarf and jacket. Her hands fumble uselessly at first, fingers curling and uncurling as if they cannot decide whether to wrap around him completely or clutch at the fabric of his coat to anchor herself, and she ends up doing a messy, imperfect version of both, gripping him close with all the coordination she can manage while her shoulders tremble. She presses her face into him as though she could disappear there, the steady solidity of his body the only thing keeping her from folding entirely.

The sob she tries to swallow punches its way halfway out anyway, jolting through her chest and making her whole body jump before she manages to clamp down on it again, and with it comes the cruel, unwanted comparison she hates herself for even thinking. This never would have happened to Jack, her mind whispers mercilessly, because he would have known better than to get so close, would have kept the distance that preserved both ship and spectacle, would have made sure nothing was ruined. He would not have lost control of the situation, would not have let wonder turn reckless, and even if something had gone wrong, he would not have cared the way she does now, which somehow makes it feel worse rather than better. The thought digs in deep, twisting the knife of failure until her chest aches with it.

She pulls back just enough to look up at Kaisel, needing to see his face even as she fears what she might find there, her lashes wet and clumped together as she blinks hard in a losing battle against the tears spilling free. His frog hat is gone, his dark curls hair sticking up in disheveled defiance, and the sight of him like this, ruffled and real and still here, nearly has a sob rising all over again. She shakes her head faintly, as if she could dislodge the feeling by motion alone, her voice small and unsteady when she speaks. "I just...I wanted it to be perfect," she says, the words catching and thinning as they leave her, because perfection had felt possible for once, something she could build with care and love and planning. "And now it’s—" She cannot finish the sentence, the shape of it collapsing under its own weight as she swallows hard and gives another helpless shake of her head.

Then her eyes widen suddenly, fresh horror blooming across her face as if the night has found one more way to wrong her, and her lower lip trembles before pushing out in a miserable pout as tears well over again. "I didn’t even get to the best part of my hot chocolate," she adds weakly, devastation and absurdity tangling together as her voice cracks, the ruined sweetness somehow becoming the final, unbearable proof that everything has gone wrong all at once.

and I hate accidents except when we went from friends to this

Code 100% taken from the queeeeeeen herself, Sky <3

Need a hundred lifetimes kinda love

The padding of all their winterwear pressing in together makes it feel like she's far too removed from him still. That no matter how tight he tries to crush her into him at this moment, he's hugging a giant marshmallow and not a sad Flora, unable to reach her through the fluff of jackets and warmth she's buried in. Maybe that's why he can't fully snuff out the tears that rise in earnest now.

The layers mute the sensation of her sorrow shuddering up through the grip, but he gets a sense for it in the anxious scrabbling of her fingers against his sides and the fact she's vibrating at all. Never wanting to see her sad, but knowing you can't always stop it, he's does his best to just hold her through it, tightening his arms around her like strength alone could take this from her. "We can fix her. She'll be good as new in no time," he offers, of the Sugartide, assuming she's lamenting the wreckage of the ship and all the emotional drain that built up around her splintering.

When she starts to shift beneath him, seeking distance, he's loathe to grant it. He's half a mind to refuse her, certain the swell hasn't passed and certain he'd rather his jackets take it than her cheeks. His grip slackens enough though, granting her the space to lean back out of curiosity if nothing else. He looks down expectantly as she blinks up, the shake of her head like a need to loosen up the grief to let her voice find room instead. What she says surprises him enough he almost laughs, but he's got the sense and the speed to bury that into a slow-moving smile instead, the stretch of it blooming in the wake of her struggling words. "I don't think it gets much more perfect than this," he counters with complete honesty. "I mean, maybe the not scaring us and ruining part of your boat would have been better today, but this is way better for tomorrow. I don't see how we're ever going to forget this night, and I love that, because I have a feeling it's going to get difficult remembering all my favorite nights with you soon when everything's ranking at the top." That is to say, sometimes a little imperfection is actually the most perfect thing in the world.

Now he absolutely cannot keep back the short pip of a laugh that lifts at the near wail of despair over hot cocoa. Wordlessly, he releases his entire hold around her, linking his puffy arm around hers. "Spiiiiiiice!" he calls out to the little white dragon, likely still on guard dog duty. "Think you can man the wheel and make sure we don't crash for a hot minute?" He jerks his head toward the wheel, the bag of air he'd reopened during the spin still filling their sails. Nature Frey helped get the whales off them, but he absolutely wants to continue helping themselves by also getting out, before they prove interesting again and Frey's redirection wears off. They've got the time to sneak down into the kitchenette and easily solve one of these current problems though, especially with captain Spice on deck.

"Good thing there is always more cocoa," he says with a squeeze against her arm, leading the charge back down the stairs. Now the kitchenette already kinda looked like a bomb went off when he left it after all his topping additions to the cocoa, so being smacked around by whales probably didn't help clean it up at all, but there's some hot chocolate magic to be found yet.

Kaisel

I could say forever, but forever ain't long enough

I like shiny things, but I'd marry you with paper rings

Flora searches Kaisel's face as a smile finds its way there, his expression so gently assured and so completely out of step with the storm still crashing through her chest that it stops her short. Her lower lip puckers open without her meaning it to, eyes scanning his for some hidden punchline or bravado she can argue against, because this was not perfect and unforgettable does not always mean good, and the idea that a night where they nearly died and her ship was torn open could lodge itself among his favourite memories makes her chest tighten all over again. She is already drawing breath to protest, to insist that this is not the sort of thing she wants burned into him forever, when his words curve instead into something softer and more dangerous, the notion that soon there might be too many perfect nights to keep track of, that the problem is be abundance rather than loss.

The tension snaps just enough for a small laugh to escape her, thin and surprised and meant more to keep her upright than to express humour, and before she feels herself doing it, she stretches up onto her toes and presses a kiss to his lips. It is gentle and brief, but it carries everything she does not yet have the steadiness to say, the depth of her love settling into the touch like warmth soaking through layers. When she pulls back her smile is crooked and fond and still a little fragile at the edges. "You always know what to say," she murmurs, voice soft and sincere in a way that leaves no room for teasing.

Spice’s answering croon drifts down from above, confident and proud, and Flora lets herself be guided toward the stairs without resistance, following Kaisel below deck with the lingering shakiness of someone who is finally allowing the worst of the fear to ebb. The state of the kitchenette barely registers to her at all, the chaos of cocoa and toppings and jostled supplies fading into background noise as she shrugs out of her jacket and unzips the rest of her layers, revealing a slim-fitting cream sweater beneath. She pulls off her hat and her remaining glove and sets them aside absently. "Well, if we do run low, I bought so much chocolate, so we could melt some down if needed."

She brushes a small drift of marshmallows off the counter and leans back against it, shoulders finally lowering as the adrenaline drains away, and when she looks at Kaisel again there is a careful vulnerability in her eyes that she does not bother to hide. Her voice dips, searching his face for honesty even as she already believes him. "So you’re really not upset?"

and I hate accidents except when we went from friends to this

Code 100% taken from the queeeeeeen herself, Sky <3

Need a hundred lifetimes kinda love

The sound of her laugh is like tin being used in place of brass for an instrument, not quite right, but trying. The kiss that follows has a similar quality, shaky at the edges still where she's working to seal away the tremors of worry, so he leans into it, holding her love there and trading his in return. Where her shadow threatens to falter, his sweeps, sure and swift at the soft compliment. "Learned it from you," he counters, because how easily he could have turned this night south earlier, and she's the one who let him see it with enough bright wonder to not even let destructive calves steal this evening from him. If anything, he's rather positive that Jack and her did not have this same experience in the slightest, proving her point perfectly.

With Spice's agreement and sailing expertise that exceeds his own, the kitchenette awaits them. "Hey, leave the hat," he tosses over his shoulder as his own layers are shucked off. "I like to watch the pom pom move around whenever you turn your head." It's like a visual fidget spinner for him, honestly. Keeping his overly long violet scarf on, he bears down to just his long-sleeved shirt that's a heathered brown. Perfect to hide cocoa stains, coincidentally.

Turning to the mess of the counter and cupboards, he doesn't bother starting to clean it all, just grabs the essentials for hot chocolate. which includes the pot that'd tumbled to the floor and his precious jar of sprinkles. "Oh, I know," he reassures her, holding up a block that is definitely gnawed on by yours truly. "Taste testing," he offers as an excuse as he washes out the pot and prepares it for round two. Water set to boil, an extra bowl set inside to melt the chocolate without burning it. He glances over to her as he finishes setting it up, then grabs a small handful of marshmallows and settles beside her lean, purposefully bumping excessively into her. With one marshmallow pinched between his finger and thumb, he extends it over to her, happy to feed it into her mouth if she so wants. "I could never be upset that we had an awesome adventure," he says, tossing up a marshmallow into the air and trying to catch it in his mouth. "I mean, how many people get to say they got that close to starwhales? Baby ones even? Did you see how pretty they were?" Three have now bounced off his face and scatter along the rest of the debris on the ground. He glances towards her, popping one into his mouth. "Maybe we don't get so close next time, and I'm not saying they're as scary as sharks but I'm not not saying they're kiiiinda making me rethink the whole swimming with whales ads I always see around Torchline now, but hey we're okay and I think we still got to see something incredible."

Kaisel

I could say forever, but forever ain't long enough

I like shiny things, but I'd marry you with paper rings

Flora shakes her head at him, the motion small but thorough, disbelief written all the way through her as she looks at Kaisel like he has just tried to convince her the sky is green. Her smile turns playful, but beneath it there is something deeper and more resolute, the certainty of someone who has spent their whole relationship tripping over too many words only to find that he somehow always manages to land his exactly where her heart lives. She rolls her eyes with exaggerated incredulity and lets out a soft huff of a laugh as she answers him, "Yeah, right," because no part of her believes that she taught him this, not when he has made her feel so seen and loved with a consistency that still catches her off guard.

When he tells her to leave the hat, she reaches for it immediately and tugs it back onto her head, the pom-pom bouncing as she gives him a crooked, unapologetic grin and tips her head side to side just to prove her point. Her gaze flicks to the block of chocolate in his hand, lips twitching as she takes in the unmistakable evidence of both human and dragon teeth marks, and she pushes up the sleeves of her sweater, listening to him reframe the night through sugar and wonder and warmth. She exhales slowly, nodding as the last of the tightness in her chest loosens its grip. "They were pretty cute," she admits, voice softer now, a reluctant smile tugging at her mouth as she concedes that much. Then her expression tilts again, fond and wry, and she adds, "I suppose I can just leave out the part where they slammed into my ship when I’m telling this story later."

She pauses deliberately, eyes flicking up to his with a spark of mischief and affection colliding in equal measure. "Or..." The word lingers as she pushes away from the counter and steps into his space, interrupting his careful hot-chocolate preparations without the slightest hint of apology. She loops her arms around his neck, pulling him close with a warmth that has nothing to do with the enclosed space, her voice lowering into something intimate and glowing as she continues, "...maybe I only mention the part where my boyfriend’s channeling and that thoughtful bag of air you got for me totally saved the day."

The way she says it is adoring and unabashed, the truth wrapped in affection rather than bravado, and before he can respond she leans up and kisses him, her lips brushing sweetly against his, lingering just long enough to let him feel exactly how much she means every word.

and I hate accidents except when we went from friends to this

Code 100% taken from the queeeeeeen herself, Sky <3

Need a hundred lifetimes kinda love

The quick return of the hat earns a flash of his grin, gaze lingering longer than necessary as she shakes the pom-poms around intentionally now. He doesn't dawdle because of the fluff, though he can't deny his focus snags on it briefly—it's because of her that his attention is slow to depart. Like this, she's utterly perfect, and he holds her in that moment as long as he can. There are dozens of other times where the various shades of her color his life, none ever entirely the same, and always seeming to shift a little bit in his memory, the kaleidoscope of Flora. When he notices it as it's happening though, that's when he really takes the time to look, like catching sight of a sunset without meaning to and dropping everything to watch its splendor in full. She's still a little unguarded right now, recovering from the raw feat of survival and the honesty of gleaming imperfections, and that leaves her softer than usual, although no less bright. The hat pulled back over her head is just the right amount of ridiculous and adorable, her smile framing everything with the uneven shape of blossoming joy that he so adores watching take over her expression. He's powerless in this moment to do anything but watch, so in love with her that she overwhelms the rest of the world in these sorts of moments.

Eventually the heat of the chocolate prep nips at his awareness, dragging him from the magnitude of her back to the reality of cooking and open flame. Readying it all and turning to marshmallow catching, he stills mid-chew, catching the spark of a look she tosses him like he's built of kindling. All it takes is her arms circling around his neck to push the blaze fully to life, hands going limp at his sides, the remainder of his marshmallows tumbling to join the rest of the debris on the floor. Heat rolls from her into him, a presence that he feels gliding up and over his head like a snug hoodie he's drawn on, but she's the only thing that's been pulled on. It sinks with the faintest reddening of his cheeks at the coal-warm murmur of her praise, and he finds himself unusually shy in that spotlight. Fortunately, he's able to shelter behind the soft insistence of her lips.

Their warm embrace is the last bit of heat he needs to fully melt against her. He might've done just that too, readily leaning back to feel the chase of her teeth, but equally they deliver such intentional strength that his spine stiffens against the counter. His slack hands rise with newfound purpose, sweeping up her sides, rushing up into her hair, holding her for a heartbeat or two as he deepens her offer with his own. There's a certain edge to it, a hasty line that speaks to the adrenaline still subsiding from him too, that rush of maybe losing more than a perfect evening something that's still echoing through him. Without pausing, he sweeps one of his arms over the counter, scattering odds and ends which clink together as they're shoved into a new space. With some room made, he reaches down to lift her ass onto the counter, chasing the rise of her with a final, panting break of breath.

"Only if you also mention how you valiantly manned the helm the whole time and knew the right god to use," he says low into the curve of one of her cheeks as he tilts against her.

Kaisel

I could say forever, but forever ain't long enough

I like shiny things, but I'd marry you with paper rings

To Flora, the moment stretches and sharpens all at once, the world narrowing until there is only Kaisel in front of her and the way he freezes mid-chew as though her arms around his neck have physically unplugged him from everything else. The marshmallow pauses between intention and habit, his focus slipping loose from the kitchenette and snapping fully to her, and there is something in that stillness that makes her chest ache with fondness so big and so full it's almost difficult for her to be still. He looks at her like she has quietly become the centre of gravity in the room, like every other thought has simply let go, and the sight of it feels impossibly intimate, such that she finds herself forgetting to breathe. When his hands fall slack at his sides, when colour blooms faintly across his cheeks at the barest hint of her praise, she sees not embarrassment but sincerity, the soft, honest kind that never tries to make itself smaller or louder than it is. To her, he looks radiant in that way that has nothing to do with light, all warmth and steadiness and an openness that makes her feel chosen over and over again.

Her kiss deepens without thought, her tongue brushing his as she tastes the lingering sweetness of marshmallow, and the sound she makes against his mouth is quiet but indulgent, a pleased little hum that melts easily into him. When his hands finally move with intention again, sweeping up her sides and into her hair, it feels like being gathered rather than claimed, like he is bracing himself around her as much as holding her there. As he lifts her onto the counter, her thighs wrap around his hips instinctively, pulling him close until there is no space left, only the solid reassurance of him pressed flush against her and the counter both. A soft moan slips free when he pulls back just enough to breathe, and she follows him without hesitation, sipping in a breath as her fingers curl into his hair to keep him close, aqua eyes bright and sparkling with unabashed affection.

She laughs lightly at his words, shaking her head just enough that her nose brushes his, her voice warm and fond as she answers, "Mmm, that would be a lie, considering I spent a fair amount of it on my knees instead of at the wheel." The humour is gently self-depricating and full of relief now that the worst of the fear has ebbed. She arches back slightly, blinking Kai back into focus as the haze of closeness clears just enough for her to remember the world beyond his mouth, her gaze flicking toward the stove with an exaggerated sigh, as though the melting chocolate has committed a personal offence to what she suddenly wants most in this moment. (Which is of course, him).

Turning back with a crooked, conspiratorial smile, Flora lets her hands slide down to rest at Kai's shoulders. "Why don’t you finish making our drinks," her tone bright and teasing and a touch suggestive, "and I’ll go grab your birthday present?"

and I hate accidents except when we went from friends to this

Code 100% taken from the queeeeeeen herself, Sky <3