If you need to crash, then crash and burn, you're not alone. (for <lj site="livejournal.com" user="e

[deep_red_bells]

That, Baileigh decided as she studied her darling S.O. from the doorway of the balcony, was a brooding position if she ever saw one. From the way he held his wine glass when he picked it up to the line of his shoulders and back. Brooding of the bad variety or just plain brooding, she couldn't tell without seeing his face...well, if she could even tell from his expression at all, which was debatable. She'd discovered pretty quickly that she wasn't going to discern anything he didn't feel like letting her see, and she'd decided to stop letting herself think she had him figured out.

She didn't mind it. The brooding. It was his turn, really.

She sighed and nudged the door open, slipped outside, tiptoed barefoot over to him, keeping as far away from the railing as she could get. It was a spectacular view, it really was, she just couldn't stand to peek over the edge. It made her insides feel like they were cringing. She bent down and kissed his cheek quickly, brushed her fingers across the back of his neck as she circled around his chair to tug the other one closer and sit down next to him. "Still no penny," she remarked lightly, tucking her legs beneath her and resting her chin in her hand. "Couldn't find one. I'll have to owe you. So...talk?"

Comments

[deep-red-bells.livejournal.com]

It didn't feel that simple...but maybe she was over-complicating things. She had an unfortunate habit of doing that, and yet still couldn't shake the feeling that everything had changed. Which was ridiculous. Things didn't change, just because you said what you felt--and had felt for God only knows how long--out loud.

"I make everything harder than it has to be," she sighed quietly, wrapped her arms around his shoulders and shifted to curl up closer. "I gotta stop doing that."

[elementof-risk.livejournal.com]

"I think it's charming," he said with a smile that he pressed to her skin. "And I've a tendency to do that sometimes as well." Less than she, perhaps. Taking things as they were was one of the things he tried to do, no matter that he failed sometimes.

[deep-red-bells.livejournal.com]

"No, you don't," she chided with a tiny smile of her own, lifted her hand to run her fingers through his hair. "You're just saying that to make me feel better about my ridiculous psychosis. And I thank you for it. And..." She sighed lightly, tightened her arms around him, hugged him close. She needed to get used to it and realize that it was okay to say it. Yes, it was scary and yes, it was gonna hurt when he left her, but life was too damn short to be afraid all of the time. "And I love you."

[elementof-risk.livejournal.com]

Honestly, it was probably a bit ridiculous for three words to carry so much power. People might toss them around meaninglessly all the time, though he knew she was not one of them. Nor was he, for that matter, and he slid his arms around her more tightly as well, pressing another kiss to her skin.

"I love you, as well."

[deep-red-bells.livejournal.com]

She smiled and lapsed into silence, content for the moment just to hold and be held. It wasn't quite as terrifying the second time...maybe, she decided, because it was such an honest and real thing. Still romantic--beautiful view, the scent and soft patter of rain in the air--but not something calculated with rose petals and candlelight, not something blurted out mid-orgasm. She wasn't sure she would've trusted it as much, if that either had been the case.

Sweet and solid and real--not just words but not a seismic event, either. The more she let it sink in, the more the butterflies in her stomach calmed. "You want to go back in?" she asked quietly, shifting to kiss his forehead but making no effort to move otherwise, quite happy right where she was.

[elementof-risk.livejournal.com]

"We can," he murmured, though his eyes were closed as he shifted to brush his lips against her neck, right there for him to do so. It felt good to hold her, good to be sure, to feel as if, for once, perhaps, he belonged somewhere.

Though just using that word--belong--that idea--was nearly more terrifying than acknowledging the feeling that had been growing for quite some time now.

[deep-red-bells.livejournal.com]

She bit her lip and giggled softly at the slight tickle of his lips brushing over her neck, closed her eyes and sank into the embrace a little more. "Actually," she sighed, turning her head to nuzzle his temple. "I think I'm good right where I am."

In more ways than one.

[elementof-risk.livejournal.com]

"Me too," he said, just as soft, head tilting just a bit for her nuzzling, his fingers lightly running up and down her spine.

[deep-red-bells.livejournal.com]

"Glad we're on the same page?" She hit her lower lip and squirmed a little in his lap, another giggle slipping out. "That tickles!"

[elementof-risk.livejournal.com]

He laughed at her giggle, though the squirming was going to get another reaction all together in a moment. "I'm sorry," he said, not sounding repentant at all.

[deep-red-bells.livejournal.com]

"Oh, yes, I can feel the regret rolling off of you in waves." She squealed and reached back to catch his hand, trapping his arm as she leaned in to kiss him, though she was quite unable to stop smiling.

[elementof-risk.livejournal.com]

He smiled against her lips with a sigh, tongue teasing over her lower lip lightly, settling her more firmly against him.

[deep-red-bells.livejournal.com]

Her giggle quickly shifted into a contented hum, and she released his arm to free her own hands, cradled his face and shifted to straddle his lap, let him pull her in closer still. It wasn't exactly easy in this chair, but she was lithe enough to manage just fine for the time being. "It's kinda cold out," she remarked softly, skimming her lips down the line of his jaw.

[elementof-risk.livejournal.com]

"Well shifting like that is not the way to convince me to go inside," he murmured with a soft chuckle, skimming his hands up her sides to trace the outline of her breasts.

[deep-red-bells.livejournal.com]

"Who says I was trying to?" She giggled, gasped softly and bit at her lower lip, thoroughly approving of the path his hands had decided to wander. "Mmm..."

[elementof-risk.livejournal.com]

His eyes sparkled with amusement, hands shifting until his palms could cup against her delicately through the fabric of her clothes. "I see...."

[deep-red-bells.livejournal.com]

Her own hands slid down his arms to press over his encouragingly, lips curving into a rather wicked little smirk against his neck. "Maybe I was just a little..."

[elementof-risk.livejournal.com]

He shifted his arms to slide them away from her and then back under her, pushing to his feet in a fluid movement, holding her against him as he tilted his head for her lips and moved them inside quickly, though he didn't really bother to shut the sliding door before tumbling her onto the bed.

[deep-red-bells.livejournal.com]

A little squeal slipped out at the sudden movement, muffled against his skin and immediately followed by a fit of uncontrollable giggles. Her thighs tensed around his hips, arms locking around his shoulders to hold tight, more of an instinctive reaction than a lack of trust.

She squealed softly again, still overcome with giggles as they fell to the mattress and landed in a messy tangle of limbs; she loved the urgency, loved feeling wanted and needed, but she loved the playfulness just as much. She thought, or maybe she liked to tell herself, that it was something he hadn't...had, very much, that it was something that was just theirs.

With a soft little huff she shoved her hair out of her face, both hands parting and pushing back the tangled web of curls, let her body relax and fit against his as it always did. "Very wise choice," she quipped, smirked up at him let her hands fall lazily to the bed even as she twined her leg over his and wriggled beneath him teasingly.