tearmeanewone | rendez-vous + APPOINTMENT POST

I still don't know what I did to deserve this luck.

[But he is not questioning it, not one bit.]

We'll never know if you or I did something--the universe is more random than anyone thinks it is.

[She runs her fingers through Gai's hair slowly, giving it a little thoughtful comb.] I'm going to kiss you if you don't have to tell me anything else. Otherwise I'll hold off for a moment. [She laughs a little.]

[Gai leans forward a little to press his forehead to hers, just for the contact and the reassurance. There is one more thing he really does want to tell her, one more thing that he knows will probably hurt her more than anything else he's said so far, and it's for that exact reason that he hesitates to do so.

But this is also the one thing that he absolutely doesn't want her to find out via an experiment or any other method that isn't straight from him.]

There is one other thing.

[The gravity of his tone should be self-evident.]

[She sobers as well, her smile falling into a resolved expression. Elizabeth presses back against Gai's forehead and strokes his hair again.]

Alright. Tell me.

[And now, now that he's resolved himself to tell her... suddenly Gai can't find the words for it, doesn't know how to express it in a way that isn't brutal and awful. There really isn't a way to make it any less so.]

... I already told you that you weren't my first.

[That's an easy enough place to start...]

Yes...? [Elizabeth sounds hesitant now, afraid of what Gai's going to tell her. But whatever he's going to say, she's going to bear it with him. She promised him that much.]

It wasn't her fault.

[He's very quick to make that much clear, as he doesn't want blame placed where it doesn't really belong.]

The virus warped her mind, even while she fought so desperately against it. Eve had one objective, and that was to select an Adam to be her mate so that they could create the new human race.

[He pauses, closing his eyes.]

She didn't like the fact that I tried to interfere.

[Elizabeth isn't certain she's connecting the two things together. Her not being Gai's first, and 'Eve' not liking that Gai had interfered.]

She... did she force you to...? [This is the first time she's come so close to this concept, and it shows on her face.]

[His response is a single nod rather than a verbalization. He's had years to process it and deal with it, and by this point, the thought doesn't really hurt him anymore. He's come to grips with it.

But Elizabeth, on the other hand...]

Oh my God... [Elizabeth pulls herself closer to Gai until she's wrapping her arms around him and pressing her chest flush to Gai's, hugging him tightly.]

I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. [She can feel tears forming in her eyes, but she doesn't let them go just yet.]

It's all right.

[It seems like a flippant thing to say, but it's all he can really think of to soothe her without going into any details or blaming anyone for it.

He does wrap his arms around her in return and just holds her tight, grateful (and touched) that she's upset, almost in tears, for his sake, even if he himself holds no anger over it.]

It was a long time ago. She was as much a victim as I was.

Even so. It still hurts you. So it hurts me. [She squeezes Gai tightly again, as though she could protect him even if it was 'a long time ago'.]

I love you, my dearest, my bravest. [Elizabeth kisses his cheek firmly.]

I love you too.

[And it's with an immense sense of relief that he says these words. Not that he'd ever thought she'd leave him if she found out, but he knows how hard it must have been for her to hear-- to hear and know that it happened to him at all. He wouldn't have been at all surprised if she'd pulled away and needed some space to process it... but she didn't. Instead, she's holding him and kissing him and telling him that he's brave.

There's only one thing he can think of to do to express just how grateful he is for her support, and that's to turn his head enough to capture her lips in a deep, loving kiss.]

[And that's Gai's first time experiencing intimacy. Someone forcing it on him when he was younger than he was now. Sixteen? Fifteen? Going through each scenario is driving her crazy, slowly, and clinging to Gai was the only thing that's reassuring her that everything is still alright.]

[She kisses Gai back, but it's a little short-lived while the information continues to roll over in her head.] What can I do to make it better?

Just be here with me like this. That's all I need from you, now or ever.

[Touch him, hug him, kiss him, so that being intimate is something only associated with good thoughts for him now. The more good memories he has, the easier it is for him to put that in the back of his mind, in that locked box that belongs to "Triton," not to "Gai." The past is the past, and he isn't that person anymore.]

That doesn't seem like much at all... [At least, it doesn't seem like anything that could combat such powerful negativity. She doesn't realize, though, that similar seemingly mundane things have helped her heal as well.]

It's a lot more than you realize.

[Positive experiences are something Gai still hasn't had all that many of. The more, the better, even things as simple and everyday as this.]

Well if you're sure that's what you want me to do... [She tucks her nose against Gai's neck again and folds her arms up under his and over his shoulders.] I'll stay right here, always. Even if I'm not physically here, I'll always be right here in spirit.

I've never been more sure of anything in my life. This is where I want you to stay, and this is right where I want to stay too.

[He holds her close, burying his face in her hair and just inhaling her scent. It's remarkable, really, how she fits into his arms just so and feels like the most natural thing in the world there. Like two pieces of a puzzle, almost... and somehow that thought also feels natural and right.]

You had best stay right here, otherwise I'm going to come after you. Got it? [She grins into his neck and puts a little kiss there.]

[He laughs a little, and this time it's actually genuine.]

Now why would I want to invoke your wrath?

You say it all the time: life is boring without a little excitement? [She grins and puts a little bite on Gai's neck. ]

[Try as he might, he can't suppress the tiny little pleased shudder that races up his spine at that bite.]

Using my own words against me? I really am a terrible influence on you.

You make it so easy to do it though. [She keeps kissing and nibbling at Gai's neck, tracing her hands over his shoulderblades.]

I do leave myself open to you...

[Two can play at this game. Gai will just let his own hands wander down her back; once they reach the small of her back, he slips one hand down and under to give her rear a gentle squeeze.]

September 26th - The Marathon... tw for all sorts of horrible child soldier things

September 26th - The Marathon... tw for all sorts of horrible child soldier things

September 26th - The Marathon... tw for all sorts of horrible child soldier things

September 26th - The Marathon... tw for all sorts of horrible child soldier things

September 26th - The Marathon... tw for all sorts of horrible child soldier things

September 26th - The Marathon... tw for all sorts of horrible child soldier things

September 26th - The Marathon... tw for all sorts of horrible child soldier things

September 26th - The Marathon... tw for all sorts of horrible child soldier things

September 26th - The Marathon... tw for all sorts of horrible child soldier things

September 26th - The Marathon... tw for all sorts of horrible child soldier things

September 26th - The Marathon... tw for all sorts of horrible child soldier things

September 26th - The Marathon... tw for all sorts of horrible child soldier things

September 26th - The Marathon... tw for all sorts of horrible child soldier things

September 26th - The Marathon... tw for all sorts of horrible child soldier things

September 26th - The Marathon... tw for all sorts of horrible child soldier things

September 26th - The Marathon... tw for all sorts of horrible child soldier things

September 26th - The Marathon... tw for all sorts of horrible child soldier things

September 26th - The Marathon... tw for all sorts of horrible child soldier things

September 26th - The Marathon... tw for all sorts of horrible child soldier things

September 26th - The Marathon... tw for all sorts of horrible child soldier things

September 26th - The Marathon... tw for all sorts of horrible child soldier things

September 26th - The Marathon... tw for all sorts of horrible child soldier things

September 26th - The Marathon... tw for all sorts of horrible child soldier things

September 26th - The Marathon... tw for all sorts of horrible child soldier things

September 26th - The Marathon... tw for all sorts of horrible child soldier things