melodiesoflife | When I’m scared I want to hear you shout out

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When I’m scared I want to hear you shout out

Who: Tear Grants & Ace
What: Tear had promised to explain what had happened while Ace was gone, and now it's time to fulfil it.
When: February 7th
Where: House B-14
Warning: Strong Feelings and likely death mention. Also, chocobos.

There was no measuring the immense relief Tear had felt when Ace's letter had arrived to her the night before, reassuring her that he had returned safely from his trip. She had read it over and over since receiving it, perhaps too many times, given the folds of the paper she held were now entirely flat as she sat in the sitting room of her home, waiting for any indication of his arrival just as he had promised.

Yet even with the few extra days to think about it, the girl was still somewhat at a loss for how to deliver all the information he had asked for. As much as she would have wanted to plan it, the nature of such a truth meant that there was no guarantee their conversation would go in the direction she had prepared for. Knowing this, all she could do was hope she was that she would have the strength to continue through with it no matter what happened, in delivering the knowledge he deserved to know.

However, the anxiety still twists her stomach uncomfortable when she hears someone approaching, setting down the letter and rising to her feet to answer the door. Before she does, she takes a few breaths to calm herself enough in order to face him—what would it do to him if she had insisted he go, only to return and find her in such a state? It would be almost cruel to do that.

Only when she has eased her nerves enough and he made his presence known does she open the door, a faint smile of relief ready on her lips.

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"I have faith that you would be able to recognize my handwriting." Now that he could stop looking so apologetic, he allowed himself a slightly lighter tone. "If you ever spot a 'kupo' snuck in between the lines, I expect you to pass a proper judgement before throwing any accusations."

Come to think of it....

Ever since he came back, his moogle had been nothing but supportive on all fronts, with her eagerness to discuss the matters of his and Tear's partnership probably overshadowing everything else by far. He'd accepted it as a sign of loneliness his poor companion must have undoubtedly suffered from while he'd been missing, unable to hold any grudges for the less-than-tactful remarks that were her specialty.

Shortly thereafter, she would have taken his vulnerability as an encouragement to plant ideas in his mind, ideas that would have otherwise eluded the cadet inept at following social arrangements and traditions.

In fact, the first time Hana brought up the fourteenth, Ace brushed it away, if only to be rewarded with a long lecture on the importance of it by the time he'd reached home. And then, something about trusting his own charm, or something equally nonsensical that he vaguely registered before falling on his bed after exhausting few last days.

Unfortunately, the cadet could not sleep that night as soundly as he'd wished. And now that he was here, the day after, he might have finally realized that his independence was still a questionable issue as long as that meddling moogle stuck around.

Except for once, it wasn't all that upsetting, considering how things had ultimately worked out.

"Hm?" The question that fell from the girl's lips was never to be finished, and placing his curiosity aside, he had enough tact to avoid pressing for details. As he was in the process of returning to his all-too-comfortable position, Tear's observation shook him awake. The boy straightened his back and shifted, dropping his feet to the floor.

"Do you?" He didn't want to stop her if she was, for some reason it seemed more important to accentuate that before he followed with an actual answer. "I suppose I am a bit tired, but...."

"I would hope that's true..." Her tone held just the slightest hint of teasing, contemplating the possibility of the Moogles trying to forge their handwriting as well. But there would always be a little something to clue them in, maybe. "I'll do my best, but I've heard of Heroes and Moogles taking after each other."

Though the idea of Ace taking more after such an outspoken fluffball was amusing in itself, nearly making her laugh at the sheer thought. To try and hide it, she briefly presses her face against his shoulder, even if it was gone almost as quickly with the change in his posture. She responds to Ace's question was met with a knowing look, almost tempted to pull him back down to the position he had been in just to get a point across.

"You've been busy since waking up, and now you're about to go on another trip," she sighed, reaching over to poke him on the forehead lightly. "I think it's better to rest if you're already feeling tired, so just say so. I'll be fine with whatever you decide."

She had been planning on turning in early anyway, which the long evening had done a good job of preparing her for with how much of an emotional toll it had taken.

If Tear had indeed chosen to resort to such tactics, Ace could not remain idle. Witnessing his personal space being invaded by her judgmental poke, the blond put on a fake frown, cheeks puffing lightly like a little child's for what were merely a few seconds.

( A child that clearly wasn't used to expressing his emotions in a similar manner, most likely having copied it off his less orderly siblings and hoping it would come across as convincing. )

When it faded, features relaxing into a light smile that the melodist would be more familiar with, the cadet sighed, defeated. "... Okay." Honestly, he'd never had any intentions of opposing her for too long, knowing his limits and how unreasonable would be to push himself further if other alternatives existed. But before that, it was his turn to lift the little chick and gently nuzzle her for a brief moment.

"I would be grateful if you happened to have an extra blanket lying around."

Ace's pout had been so unexpected that she freezes in place for a brief moment, stunned. But when it passes she really did have to stifle a laugh, lifting a hand to cover it better. He would have to put more practice into the expression if he had any hopes of being convincing, but as far as easing tension went it was very effective. "Ace, you look ridiculous."

But the sight of him together with the chick worked just as well in soothing her nerves, Rem seeming content with having someone's attention again as the melodist calmed down from the moment of mirth enough to look on tenderly. Understanding his request, she nodded once as she slowly and carefully got to her feet and started turning toward the door.

"Is there anything else you think you would need?" While she didn't know if his sleeping habits mirrored those of their mutual friend exactly, once he was asleep she would prefer that it was as refreshing for him as possible. A blanket would be easy enough to retrieve, but if there was anything else...

Anything else would have been a waste on somebody with such uncomplicated standards as Ace had. Months of practice in cutting his breaks in most unlikely places had their ways of hardening the boy's spirit, resulting in granting him a rather convenient ability of being able to fall asleep in a matter of seconds.

"No, it's fine," he uttered quietly, "thank you." Although a part of him wished to follow her, if only to fetch the blanket for himself and save her the trouble, the thought was quickly overshadowed by the vision of potentially disturbing Tear's housemates. As in their eyes, he was already nothing but a stranger occupying their basement for reasons unknown, it was probably for the better that he wouldn't leave his designated place for the time being.

With a soft yawn, he let his head fall back against the back of the couch, bringing Rem slightly closer to himself as he watched the bird's movements through half-lidded eyes.

"Please don't ever bite her again," the boy whispered, gently pressing his finger against the animal's beak, "I trust you." Ace had never doubted that chocobos could understand human talk, even those small and scatterbrained like the feathered creature wriggling in his grasp. He only hoped she would actually decide to listen, but that only time would tell.

Either way, it almost seemed as if a certain agreement had been made, as Tear would soon find them both asleep upon her return.

It didn't take Tear long to retrieve one of her extra blankets, meaning she was more than a little surprised when she descended the stairs and met with the sight of the two already in slumber. Staring for a bit, she quietly shook her head as she made her way over to them and began to lay the blanket on them gingerly, trying not to disturb their peace too much. Honestly, if the cadet was so tired that he fell asleep this quickly, it made her wish that he had mentioned it sooner.

And to think, he might have still wanted to go back to his home after all this, in such a state.

Taking great care to ensure the duo were sufficiently covered against the chilling temperature of the room, once the girl was content with the arrangement she reached over to stroke the bird's head lightly, eliciting the faintest chirp from her content sleep.

Smiling again softly, her attention then turned to Ace, watching him sleep in silence for what felt like a few long moments. In the end she breathed out, leaning over to lightly press her lips against his hair before she resumed her place near them.

If she wound up spending the rest of the evening here then so be it, for right now the girl felt that it was her place to be by his side. Closing her eyes, she began to hum the lullaby that had cradled her to sleep long ago, hoping it would make any dreams that came to Ace more peaceful.

Considering how tiny the assailant was, the sting to his cheek that eventually shook Ace awake from any good dreams he might have had was surprisingly painful. The boy leaned forward with a sharp gasp, only belatedly taking note of the vermillion bird still perched on his shoulder.

Still?

"How did you—" Interrupted by a soft chirp, he suddenly became aware of yet another presence that surprised him far more than the chocobo's newly-established climbing skills. Even in the darkness, the gentle pressure against his shoulder was unmistakably hers, the girl who clearly hadn't considered it essential to give herself the same treatment she would offer to others. Unwrapping the blanket from around his shoulders, he reached out to gingerly touch one of her hands, finding them slightly colder than he'd remembered, now that she'd left herself exposed to the chilly air in the room.

His eyes gazed upon Rem once more, no longer needing any further justification for her actions. Helping the bird hop back onto his lap, he then reached up to untie his crimson mantle that would have to suffice for a temporary home for the small chocobo. In any case, it seemed to be a safer option than one's hands for the time being, and quite possibly a bit warmer, too.

Ace's movements were still rather sluggish as he pushed himself off the couch to secure the bird a spot on a small table beside Tear. Thankfully, Rem didn't seem to object to the change too much, visibly overjoyed with her new, if slightly oversized cloak wrapped loosely around her feathers.

Stifling another yawn and a small shiver that followed, he cautiously moved back onto the couch. Despite his growing concern for the melodist's comfort, the blond couldn't bring himself to as much as attempt to wake her up, fiddling with the blanket in his hands for a short while as he tried to figure out a placement that would work for both of them, or at least provide her with the warmth she'd already lost. It wasn't as meticulous of an arrangement as hers was, by any means, but it would have to do.

The absence of Ace's presence when he went to go tend to Rem was enough to disturb Tear's slumber, the girl shivering more than before with the decrease in temperature even though he was gone for only a few moments.

Fortunately his eventual return helped to calm it down, shifting even closer toward the cadet. Yet by the time she had settled into a more comfortable position, she had also been pulled out of her sleepy state enough to open her eyes and blink into the darkness of the basement. Several seconds passed, and with a soft gasp she remembered exactly where she was and whose body she happened to be curling against.

A soft blush spread across her cheeks, even though it would be difficult to tell with such poor lighting and them being positioned as they were. It honestly hadn't been her intention to actually stay asleep—having simply closed her eyes for what she thought was going to be a short while—but now that she was here she couldn't bring herself to pull away and leave, either. Though her heart was beating a little faster than normal, she couldn't deny the soothing effect of being beside him like this.

Breathing in, Tear couldn't quite tell if Ace had fallen back asleep already, and if he had she didn't want to risk waking him up again. So the only thing she could do was continue humming the same lullaby as before, its sound muffled as she hid her face against him.

Hearing the reprisal of the melody confirmed his lingering suspicions, bringing a faint smile to his lips as he directed his focus towards the source of the tune, to no avail. The steady rhythm of her breathing quickly took over, easily recognizable if quiet, betrayed by the gentle warmth seeping through the fabric of his clothes and onto his skin with every parting of her lips.

Suddenly, Tear appeared so small, as if afraid of taking up too much space, in the way she was curled up against his side. While he genuinely didn't think this couch had been made with more than one sleeping person in mind, it only meant they would have to be more resourceful, but for now, mustering up courage to make his own voice be heard seemed like a difficult enough feat.

"You have stayed."

It wasn't phrased like a question, nor meant to be one. He appreciated her closeness regardless of her motives, while allowing himself to hope they were in any way similar to his own. Nonetheless, his hand quickly sought out hers, squeezing it gently, as he feared that the intention behind his statement would end up being misunderstood.

Seeing as she had been found out, the lullaby came to a gradual stop until silence once again took over the atmosphere, the melodist well aware of the warm colour still present on her face as she listened to his breathing in turn. There was little point in trying to deny it, though she did feel the tiniest bit guilty for keeping him awake rather than help him fall back asleep.

"Looks like I did," she nodded, still trying to look up at him even with the absence of light. Though she was about to ask if he would prefer that she leave so he could lay down more comfortably, the feeling of his hand around hers silences the question before it even reaches her lips. The gentle pressure was reassuring, and the girl found herself lacing her fingers with his to return it. "I hope I didn't disturb you too much..."

But whether she did or not, that didn't solve the problem of their precarious arrangement now that they were both awake to see it. Ordinarily she wouldn't have minded it too much, but they were due to start a very important trip when morning arrived...

Though the world around him was still drowned in a soft haze, Ace could still respond to her concern with absolute clarity.

"You're being-...." The cadet breathed out, suppressing the urge to wrap his arms around the one person that could bring him so much comfort with her presence alone. "... Ridiculous," he repeated her assessment from earlier. She truly was, to think that he would have minded it even if she had indeed interrupted his attempts.

Selfishly, he held onto her hand, suddenly finding the thought of letting her leave far more difficult to accept than before. Urged by his own heartbeat, already racing, and yet viciously promising to pick up its pace yet, the boy straightened his back and spoke. Still, not right away, not before biting his lip as he considered the right choice of words that didn't really seem to exist.

"Lie down with me, then."

Maybe she was being ridiculous, but she still felt it was her responsibility to ensure his comfort. Not only as a guest, but as her dear partner who had certainly earned himself a night of good rest at this point. Yet she shook her head lightly, accepting the sentiment behind the words.

But the moment Ace's request reached the girl's ears, she had to fight back the instinct to do a double-take. In all honesty it was a rather innocent thing to ask for, or so she had interpreted it, but there was undeniably something intimate about it that had her staring in his direction anyway, lips barely parted in quiet shock.

Then, remembering his reaction from his initial proposal earlier, she put in the effort to regain her composure enough to nod mutely, not wanting him to misinterpret her response as a negative answer. And when she realised that he probably wouldn't be able to properly see that anyway, she squeezed his hand again, hoping it would be enough to reassure him.

If this was how they were going to sleep for the rest of the night, she would simply have to trust him as she leaned against him lightly, ready to lie down together however he saw fit.

An outright denial would have been less of a surprise than what initially seemed like a lack of any reaction whatsoever. Ace opened his mouth again, ready to explain, instead casting his eyes down to what he knew was their intertwined fingers, for he felt her gentle touch even if the darkness has twisted his sense of perception.

The blond just sat there for a longer moment, having suddenly grown more conscious of their proximity than he had been ever before as she eased herself into his arms, eliciting a long, soft sigh. Even if each of them were to lie on their side, the insufficient amount of space would still require them to remain pressed against one another - surely, Tear would have been forced to take that into consideration before she agreed, the boy silently hoped.

He shifted on the couch, letting out a quiet, nervous chuckle that quickly faded, however, once he lay down to rest his head against the surface of the cushions, delicately pulling her along with him; though the initiative might have been his, the movements remained mindful of her comfort. One arm soon wrapped securely around her back in order to keep her from falling, and pull her closer if the situation so required, but never too much, or too suddenly. Frankly, the further he went, it only became less and less clear how to maintain any sort of position against the light tremble that had overtaken his fingers, and so he would find himself depending on her cues as well.

... Let's not even get started on figuring out what to do with the blanket.

There was no denying how flustered Tear felt by the time they had settled, despite being well-aware of how close they would have to be in order to make the arrangement work. Luckily, the sound of Ace's laugh and the great care he was taking to make sure she was comfortable in both position and their proximity helped relax her just a little—enough that she found herself smiling again, however small it was. Instead of being put-off, it was a small sign of how even now he was being considerate, something she again found herself feeling secretly grateful for as she sighed.

But there was the issue of the blanket indeed; going through all this effort to provide each other additional warmth and comfort would be rendered pointless if they wound up shivering the rest of the night anyway, and that would just not do.

So she carefully reached over to find the blanket and start pulling it over them, almost successful in ignoring that she had to further lay on top of him in the process with how quick she was about it. But being in his arms meant that the melodist's reach could only go so far without leaving the hold, leaving the predicament of their feet possibly having to endure the chill of the room if they couldn't figure that part out.

There was certainly something amusing in watching Tear struggle with the unfortunate piece of cloth, but it wasn't until he himself joined in, finding his feet helplessly kick at the air in an attempt to locate the far edge of the blanket, that he realized how difficult it in fact, was. The alternative solution would be to tuck one's legs a bit closer, something which he soon motioned her towards by timidly prodding her feet with his own, quiet laughter returning as he did.

"Aren't you now regretting your decision to abandon your own bed—..." his breath then hitched sharply, and the teasing tone in his voice dissipated entirely in this briefest of moments. Their faces had been brought so close to one another that their noses almost touched, which in turn caused him to twist his head slightly to the side, maintaining eye contact all the while. "... Partner?"

So many feelings and emotions had become associated with that word, shaping it into something far less neutral than what they had once meant it to be, when they had settled for that particular description of their arrangement. Nevertheless, now wasn't the time to muse over it with the vision of the journey ahead, and so he allowed himself to relax as best as he could, given the circumstances.

The question that followed was more serious than the previous one, though. "Are you okay?"

Tear did just as his motions had suggested, focusing on curling her legs and tucking herself even more into him—which was probably what brought them closer together to begin with, something she didn't realise when she began to try and answer his first question.

"Safe and warm in my bed, thinking about you and Rem down here with no one to—," she stopped, quickly noticing their proximity when she looked up to meet his eyes. It was enough to still her breathing for a few moments, until she ducked her head shyly, his addendum eliciting a soft sigh from her.

Partner... Her perception of the word had always been one of closeness, likely because of her lone upbringing, but there was something about hearing Ace say it out loud, to her, that added to the warmth she already felt pressed against him. It melted away the lingering tension of their predicament, leaving behind a sense of calm instead as she closed her eyes and nodded.

"Mm..." Breathing out again, her lips curved upward once more. To many others it might not seem like an ideal sleeping situation, but for her, his warmth was enough. "I'm fine, if you are. But now is the time to get some sleep."

It was as though she'd never intended to leave in the first place, Ace wondered to himself, smiling, as his own eyes began to close. The hand that had at one point moved to rest against the back of her shoulder resumed to idly stroke the girl's hair for a moment, before finally stopping.

"Every thought counts." Knowing that he would have been present in her mind for one reason or another already felt like a reward on its own, but nothing else could compare to how it felt to hold her like this, in this particular moment and place.

"... Good night, Mystearica."

Her real name had so frequently snuck into his own thoughts, that in the end there was nothing deliberate about his sleepily mouthed wish. It did not even occur to him after he had spoken, for an accidental switch surely would have earnt stronger of a reaction than the small, soft hum that followed.

As close as she was to being fully asleep after having been soothed by the gentle caress of his hand over her hair, the sound of the girl's real name was enough to slowly pull her back from the heavy haze, blinking confusedly toward the person who had uttered it.

Staring at him for several moments, eventually Tear came to the decision to simply keep her silence on the topic. There was no point in waking him up again just to ask why he had called her that, and besides... if it was from him, she didn't mind terribly, if at all. As the only person she had ever willingly spoken that name to, she had also bestowed him the okay to call her by it whenever he wished.

In this situation, it was perhaps the only way to call her as her eyes slid shut once more, nuzzling into him just a little before her own affectionate whisper carried quietly into the air.

"Good night, Ace..."

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When I’m scared I want to hear you shout out

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a repeat, because no other icon seems appropriate for THIS

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