But unlike his companion, Ace no longer had any qualms about it, shooting the girl a look of feigned innocence before averting his gaze to the ground, smiling inwardly. This time, he would not give in to her displays of persistence, for they only made his comment all the more fitting than it had been. For a longer while he stayed quiet, letting his finger lightly brush over her hair, dusted with snowflakes that refused to melt.
His composure eventually came to an end with the tingling sensation against his shoulder that had no place to be, given she wasn't even touching his skin. And yet, it was as though he could feel each sound she formed, and every soft breath, an experience which was not in the slightest unpleasant. If still fairly incomprehensible on many levels, since the only word he managed to make out of it was the very last one... if he even did. ]
Stop? Would you like me to?
[ Though he dutifully obeyed by stopping the movements of his hand, the question is nothing but lighthearted, and neither he seemed capable of pulling his arm away from her, just yet. If anytime soon. In fact, a part of him quickly regretted uttering the question at all, out of worry she might have taken it too close to heart.
Lacking other means of signalizing his intent, he moved to gave her shoulder a tiny squeeze before resuming his talk. Abrupt as it was to come back to it now, he still hadn't made his point clear. ]
... And you're right, maybe. That's what I'd been concerned about before coming here and telling you all this, but then I found the answer to be fairly simple. Everything we've lived through up until this point— the accidental visits, the evenings spent together on songs that would not come out right, no matter what— [ He laughs quietly. ] or the housemates that would not let me live it down for weeks when they had finally caught on....
[ His words are preceded by a thoughtful hum, as he seems to slow down, ensuring that everything that needs to be underlined gets such treatment. ] I'm still your friend, and I always will be. If this isn't how things are supposed to work, [ And one could never be sure. ] then I guess I'm simply not interested in following any expectations others might have in store for me.
[ But her point was slightly different, and it wasn't difficult to tell what it was. ]
This won't erase the pain, but at this point, I... I don't think that anything can. It's a part of our life that we need to eventually accept. Just as nothing could possibly make me think of you any less, or weaken my resolve in any way.
[ Being in a relationship or not— ]
... Tear, I would swear to protect you all the same. [ And the thought of losing her would frighten him just as much, but the sentiment remained unspoken. ]
no subject
But unlike his companion, Ace no longer had any qualms about it, shooting the girl a look of feigned innocence before averting his gaze to the ground, smiling inwardly. This time, he would not give in to her displays of persistence, for they only made his comment all the more fitting than it had been. For a longer while he stayed quiet, letting his finger lightly brush over her hair, dusted with snowflakes that refused to melt.
His composure eventually came to an end with the tingling sensation against his shoulder that had no place to be, given she wasn't even touching his skin. And yet, it was as though he could feel each sound she formed, and every soft breath, an experience which was not in the slightest unpleasant. If still fairly incomprehensible on many levels, since the only word he managed to make out of it was the very last one... if he even did. ]
Stop? Would you like me to?
[ Though he dutifully obeyed by stopping the movements of his hand, the question is nothing but lighthearted, and neither he seemed capable of pulling his arm away from her, just yet. If anytime soon. In fact, a part of him quickly regretted uttering the question at all, out of worry she might have taken it too close to heart.
Lacking other means of signalizing his intent, he moved to gave her shoulder a tiny squeeze before resuming his talk. Abrupt as it was to come back to it now, he still hadn't made his point clear. ]
... And you're right, maybe. That's what I'd been concerned about before coming here and telling you all this, but then I found the answer to be fairly simple. Everything we've lived through up until this point— the accidental visits, the evenings spent together on songs that would not come out right, no matter what— [ He laughs quietly. ] or the housemates that would not let me live it down for weeks when they had finally caught on....
[ His words are preceded by a thoughtful hum, as he seems to slow down, ensuring that everything that needs to be underlined gets such treatment. ] I'm still your friend, and I always will be. If this isn't how things are supposed to work, [ And one could never be sure. ] then I guess I'm simply not interested in following any expectations others might have in store for me.
[ But her point was slightly different, and it wasn't difficult to tell what it was. ]
This won't erase the pain, but at this point, I... I don't think that anything can. It's a part of our life that we need to eventually accept. Just as nothing could possibly make me think of you any less, or weaken my resolve in any way.
[ Being in a relationship or not— ]
... Tear, I would swear to protect you all the same. [ And the thought of losing her would frighten him just as much, but the sentiment remained unspoken. ]