[For how strong his reaction earlier was, Kalmiya isn't expecting a reversal of the gesture. At least not in relative public, and not so intimately. Arthur lets her get away with a lot nowadays, and sometimes she nudges up against those limits, but she's very mindful of what might be too much.
Because it's been there for a long time, for her. It's not something she's ever chosen to name or interrogate, but it has undeniably helped to mold their relationship into the shape it takes now, and she's aware of it in moments both grand and small. Like when that kissable dimple in his cheek appears. Like when he so attentively takes her apart and puts her back together in the bedroom. Like when she's able to catch that sparkle of thrill in his eyes while danger brushes near.
Like now, when she sees the ease in that smile wash outwards over his whole being, and something in her chest squeezes so tight she momentarily forgets how to breathe.
Her feet take their next steps on autopilot, her face an open portrait of vulnerable surprise. It shouldn't be so surprising—Arthur's love is shaped like loyalty, and she knows she's had that for a while—but for all of Kalmiya's confidence, she's not someone who expects to be loved. Especially not like this.
A faint flush has touched the apples of her cheeks in the awestruck instant that it takes her to absorb his words, and even in the heavy humidity, her hair floats and fluffs up around her face with the tingle of excitement in her skin.
Softly at first,] Yes.
[Then, a bubble of giddiness, swelling with each word and the beaming smile that creeps across her face.] I— of course! Yes! You really— is that really what you want?
[ It shouldn't be surprising that this is where they'd been heading towards. Because while Arthur doesn't put much stock in love at first sight, he'd be stupid to deny the compatibility from the very first word. Even if he hadn't wanted to believe it, with his need to analyze and assess getting in the way of his ability to read people.
Since then, Kalmiya's shown who she is in a thousand different ways; her overflowing optimism and determined whimsy a counterbalance to the two feet he has firmly planted in reality and logic. This was more than them making up for each other's weaknesses, though. Others may describe her as flighty, distractible, but he's found she's always fully present when it matters.
What's more is that she's perfectly, happily, unabashedly herself—from the golden fluff of her curls to the way she balances along the edge of suggestive and earnest. To how she's full to the brim with curiosity and love in near-equal measure and somehow manages to be shocked when she gets it in return.
Like right now, a startle written in the wide open lines of her face. A burnish of a blush colors her cheeks, floating up about as swiftly as the bob of her hair.
(Perhaps a bit insanely, he's overtaken by the urge to drag her down into the soft grass and kiss her until she's breathless with laughter.
For now, he settles for giving her a bemused smile.) ]
Of course. [ Easily, because this is easy; the kind of surety he so rarely has. Temporarily, he pauses and disentangles their fingers, cradling the side of her face in his palm. ] You know I don't say things I don't mean.
[She does know that. She knew that even as she fumbled her words in her excitement, even as wonderful disbelief filled her lungs instead of air. It feels too good to be true, too much to ask of someone who's already had to give too much to others, but she should have known—she can always count on Arthur.
Her face is hot to the touch as he settles his palm along the side of it, and hotter still as she lifts her own hand to press his closer and tilts her head to lay a quick kiss along the heel of it. While it may not be down in the grass, it's not long before the bright mass of feeling in her chest takes shape as a giggle, awestruck and nearly lightheaded with delight.] I know, I know, just—
[It's not exactly bashfulness, as Kalmiya isn't capable of that level of reservation right now, but there's something close to it in the little laugh that fills in the spaces between her words.] I didn't— [didn't expect it, didn't dare ask for it, didn't ever think of what she'd do if she did have it,] —I didn't realize how much I wanted it until you asked!
[Also true. She was never ignorant of this feeling, but her love lives without expectation, far away from where it could ever be tainted by what she doesn't have. She's never been unhappy with how things are. Only unwilling to try and make them something they're not.]
[ Her cheek is hot to the touch from both the flush and trapped humidity. With her hand curling atop his, it feels like the heat radiates upwards, especially as she tilts her head to kiss the edge of his palm. His thumb grazes lightly over the curve of her blush, smile widening at the bubble of her laugh.
(And that's a sound he wants to bottle; every iteration, including the shy one she breathes out as she ducks her head.)
It's not as though her sentiment is hard to understand, either. Because something in him had felt the same—that whatever they had was comfortable. That they could just as easily go on like this, without the mess of labels or the expectations of a "normal" relationship. Since neither of them are normal, in any capacity.
But, as time passed, as they'd drifted in and out of the uncomplicated flow they'd gotten into, he'd found it harder and harder to not put a name to it. Found it more difficult to imagine any part of his days where she wasn't present in some manner. And each time he's seen her since coming to that conclusion, he's fallen for her a little more. ]
Well—[ He starts, leaning down to briefly touch his brow to hers; an affectionate nudge. ]—you have it now.
[There's a wobble in her lip and a squeeze in her throat as he leans down to nudge his forehead against hers, so powerfully sweet when paired with his boyish smile that it wrecks her capacity for speech. Even if there are words for how precious this feels, how she's nearly bursting at the seams with affection for Arthur, she wouldn't be able to find them like this.
That buildup of energy reveals itself in the tension her hand takes over top of his, just the faintest suggestion of a squeeze. There's a beat where she doesn't say anything, can't say anything.
In the end, she doesn't. The only sound she can manage is another laugh, nearly delirious with delight, before she rises up onto the balls of her feet and takes fistfuls of the front of Arthur's shirt to meet him halfway in a fervent kiss. It's a motion both comfortingly familiar and thrillingly new, something she's done a thousand times painted in the fresh colors of something—up until now—undiscovered.
It's barely a moment before the rest of her body follows the forward momentum to press flush to him, finding even the scant distance remaining to be unbearable at a time like this.]
[ There's a sliver of concern, as he pulls away just enough to see her expression. Her eyes are glassy, a tremble breaking up the happy curve of her mouth.
Of course, he should've expected that words wouldn't be enough for her to express herself, since there's exactly two beats of his heart before she takes hold of his shirt, pushing up into a kiss. Immediately, he dips to meet it, everything else drowned out. And as the full lean of her body follows, he drops his jacket, looping his arms around her middle. Impulsively, he picks her up enough to spin them both, joy filling his lungs.
(Because it feels right, feels like home in a way he can't articulate.)
Gently, he sets her back on her feet but doesn't let go just yet, barely noticing the sticky discomfort of humidity like this. ]
Hey. Think I'm a little crazy for you. [ An understatement, the amused spark of which turns the corners of his mouth up, a lightness curving his eyes. Ducking, he steals another kiss, sighing into it and keeping her pressed close. ]
[A muffled squeak of glee escapes Kalmiya as Arthur wraps her up and twirls her, bursting into a giggle that she barely has the breath for when so much of it has been given to their kiss. Her grip on his shirt is abandoned quickly in favor of winding her arms over his shoulders, an instinctive motion to help stabilize her own weight and hold him even closer.
Her feet find the ground delicately, but she still hangs onto Arthur like a lifeline, savoring the pocket of heat that's created as she lets him bear her weight. She grins so brightly that her cheeks ache and the whirlwind of excitement kicked up in her lungs makes her feel near lightheaded. It feels like finding something she hadn't realized was missing—overwhelming joy and a relief she can't hope to describe. It's safe, it's right, it's a miracle.
An eager hum of acknowledgement accompanies the easy way she meets the second kiss and relaxes the entanglement of her arms so that she can run a hand through his hair as she lingers in the soft press of his lips. There's no bothering to make room when she quips back; she teases in the scant space of catching a breath, the tip of her nose still brushing Arthur's.] Only a little? I'm not sure that's crazy enough to be with me.
[ Where the first kiss had been full of sheer delight, excitement pouring off them both in waves, this one is a quieter joy. It's the feeling he gets when he wakes next to her, early morning light limning the lines of her body, illuminating the gold fan of her lashes and splayed waves of hair across her pillow. It's a sense of buoyancy, of anti-gravity, filling his chest and making him feel weightless with it.
He's smiling into the kiss and after it, eyes drifting shut like a contented cat as she combs her fingers through his hair. Contained as she was in the circle of his arms, he gives her a squeeze around the middle, still unwilling to part; the line of her body along his is a comfort. A huff of laughter meets her tease and he blinks his eyes open, nudging the tip of his nose against hers in a slow gesture of affection. ]
Maybe more than a little. [ Not like he needed to amend, but anyway, there's an important piece here: ] Let's get you fed and home, so I can show you exactly how crazy.
[Crazy is just about how she feels over Arthur's demeanor right now. It's hardly the first time she's seen him in a moment of peace or joy, but she treasures each and every one of those sights for a reason; as passionately as Arthur feels about things, his expressions tend to be a little more restrained. Especially compared to Kalmiya, who has made conscious efforts to feel everything as loudly as possible after such a long time stifling everything for the sake of other people.
So seeing him this content, this happy, is more than enough to cause pressure in her chest from the swelling force of her affection. Knowing that she's the one who made him so happy pushes it to near unbearable levels, as if her heart might burst from its inability to contain everything she's feeling for him.
A clear eagerness lights her face at his correction, followed by another quick kiss. She just can't help herself.] Arthur, are you telling me I'm going to get the full official experience?
[They already have such a strong connection when it comes to intimacy. Her heart races a little even thinking about how this development might intensify that.]
[ Her expression lights up, excitement palpable even before she says anything. Or rather, before she arches up for another kiss, this one brief but no less affectionate. They're both smiling into it, making it quite possibly one of the more chaste kisses they've shared. ]
Hey now, it's not like I've held back. [ No, he's too attentive for that. And giving her pleasure, watching her fall to pieces—he took those things seriously, because she deserves to experience those highs. ] But, I suppose, yeah.
[ Since, well, he does think there will be some changes. Small habits he's been holding close to the chest. He'd kept hold of them because he'd been worried about letting himself lean into their relationship too much. After all, he's talked himself out of asking her this very thing more than a few times, worried he was seeing something in it that wasn't there. Or that perhaps, he was too wrapped up in her easy love to know exactly how he'd felt.
Unfounded worry, he's found. But, this is what made them work; she pulled him along in her exuberance like a riptide and he made sure neither of them drowned.
Giving her one last squeeze around the middle, he reluctantly parts from her enough to pick up the jacket he'd dropped. Tossed over his shoulder again, he slips his arm around her waist, reeling her in to re-start their walk.
The rest of which is uninterrupted, aside from the occasional quiet laughter as their closeness and mismatched gait saw them gently bumping into each other. It's not long, from the exit of the park, to get up to the main drag and pick out the hole in the wall place he'd been thinking of for dinner. A cross between a pool bar and a hipster dive, it saw plenty of hungover clubbers and as promised, none of the patrons seem to care at all for Kalmiya's lack of shirt.
Tucked into a small, curved booth near the corner, they get their drinks and order food; Arthur watches with bemusement as a gaggle of tieflings excitedly choose tracks at the jukebox. ]
How was the party, earlier? [ Sometimes, he joins her on those. He'd missed out on this venture due to work. ]
[For all her exuberance, Kalmiya finds no trouble enjoying a content moment quietly; she giggles when they bump into each other as they walk, an occurrence made more common by the gravitational pull Arthur currently has on her. But otherwise she lets the silence be, happy to simply absorb the new lightness of the air between them, the exhilarating freshness after a fog lifts.
There's a small ooh as they approach the charming little dive, and she grins, head turning this way and that as she takes in the variety of patrons and the occupation of the pool tables. Given the shape of the booth, she wastes no time in scooting herself far too close to Arthur after they put their order in, insistently tucking herself against his side to get comfortable while she regales him with party stories.] It was lovely! Plenty of party favors; there were these delightful little marshmallow treats that made you more flexible when you eat them. And— you remember the one who collects games, with the autumnal hair? They'd brought Twister, of all things!
[A laugh carries through her exposition, buoying each word to playful delight, and she gestures with both hands when they're not too snug against Arthur.] I've never seen a more competitive tangle of people. I didn't stand a chance! And we had to stop because someone's favor wore off in the middle and they got stuck.
[Amused, she tilts her head to grin up at him, a sweet sort of longing in the crinkle of her eyes.] I missed you, though. It's always better with you.
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no subject
Date: 2025-08-19 06:10 am (UTC)Because it's been there for a long time, for her. It's not something she's ever chosen to name or interrogate, but it has undeniably helped to mold their relationship into the shape it takes now, and she's aware of it in moments both grand and small. Like when that kissable dimple in his cheek appears. Like when he so attentively takes her apart and puts her back together in the bedroom. Like when she's able to catch that sparkle of thrill in his eyes while danger brushes near.
Like now, when she sees the ease in that smile wash outwards over his whole being, and something in her chest squeezes so tight she momentarily forgets how to breathe.
Her feet take their next steps on autopilot, her face an open portrait of vulnerable surprise. It shouldn't be so surprising—Arthur's love is shaped like loyalty, and she knows she's had that for a while—but for all of Kalmiya's confidence, she's not someone who expects to be loved. Especially not like this.
A faint flush has touched the apples of her cheeks in the awestruck instant that it takes her to absorb his words, and even in the heavy humidity, her hair floats and fluffs up around her face with the tingle of excitement in her skin.
Softly at first,] Yes.
[Then, a bubble of giddiness, swelling with each word and the beaming smile that creeps across her face.] I— of course! Yes! You really— is that really what you want?
no subject
Date: 2025-08-21 06:10 am (UTC)Since then, Kalmiya's shown who she is in a thousand different ways; her overflowing optimism and determined whimsy a counterbalance to the two feet he has firmly planted in reality and logic. This was more than them making up for each other's weaknesses, though. Others may describe her as flighty, distractible, but he's found she's always fully present when it matters.
What's more is that she's perfectly, happily, unabashedly herself—from the golden fluff of her curls to the way she balances along the edge of suggestive and earnest. To how she's full to the brim with curiosity and love in near-equal measure and somehow manages to be shocked when she gets it in return.
Like right now, a startle written in the wide open lines of her face. A burnish of a blush colors her cheeks, floating up about as swiftly as the bob of her hair.
(Perhaps a bit insanely, he's overtaken by the urge to drag her down into the soft grass and kiss her until she's breathless with laughter.
For now, he settles for giving her a bemused smile.) ]
Of course. [ Easily, because this is easy; the kind of surety he so rarely has. Temporarily, he pauses and disentangles their fingers, cradling the side of her face in his palm. ] You know I don't say things I don't mean.
no subject
Date: 2025-08-21 01:36 pm (UTC)Her face is hot to the touch as he settles his palm along the side of it, and hotter still as she lifts her own hand to press his closer and tilts her head to lay a quick kiss along the heel of it. While it may not be down in the grass, it's not long before the bright mass of feeling in her chest takes shape as a giggle, awestruck and nearly lightheaded with delight.] I know, I know, just—
[It's not exactly bashfulness, as Kalmiya isn't capable of that level of reservation right now, but there's something close to it in the little laugh that fills in the spaces between her words.] I didn't— [didn't expect it, didn't dare ask for it, didn't ever think of what she'd do if she did have it,] —I didn't realize how much I wanted it until you asked!
[Also true. She was never ignorant of this feeling, but her love lives without expectation, far away from where it could ever be tainted by what she doesn't have. She's never been unhappy with how things are. Only unwilling to try and make them something they're not.]
no subject
Date: 2025-08-23 02:57 am (UTC)(And that's a sound he wants to bottle; every iteration, including the shy one she breathes out as she ducks her head.)
It's not as though her sentiment is hard to understand, either. Because something in him had felt the same—that whatever they had was comfortable. That they could just as easily go on like this, without the mess of labels or the expectations of a "normal" relationship. Since neither of them are normal, in any capacity.
But, as time passed, as they'd drifted in and out of the uncomplicated flow they'd gotten into, he'd found it harder and harder to not put a name to it. Found it more difficult to imagine any part of his days where she wasn't present in some manner. And each time he's seen her since coming to that conclusion, he's fallen for her a little more. ]
Well—[ He starts, leaning down to briefly touch his brow to hers; an affectionate nudge. ]—you have it now.
[ You've got me now. ]
no subject
Date: 2025-08-23 05:31 am (UTC)That buildup of energy reveals itself in the tension her hand takes over top of his, just the faintest suggestion of a squeeze. There's a beat where she doesn't say anything, can't say anything.
In the end, she doesn't. The only sound she can manage is another laugh, nearly delirious with delight, before she rises up onto the balls of her feet and takes fistfuls of the front of Arthur's shirt to meet him halfway in a fervent kiss. It's a motion both comfortingly familiar and thrillingly new, something she's done a thousand times painted in the fresh colors of something—up until now—undiscovered.
It's barely a moment before the rest of her body follows the forward momentum to press flush to him, finding even the scant distance remaining to be unbearable at a time like this.]
no subject
Date: 2025-08-23 11:02 pm (UTC)Of course, he should've expected that words wouldn't be enough for her to express herself, since there's exactly two beats of his heart before she takes hold of his shirt, pushing up into a kiss. Immediately, he dips to meet it, everything else drowned out. And as the full lean of her body follows, he drops his jacket, looping his arms around her middle. Impulsively, he picks her up enough to spin them both, joy filling his lungs.
(Because it feels right, feels like home in a way he can't articulate.)
Gently, he sets her back on her feet but doesn't let go just yet, barely noticing the sticky discomfort of humidity like this. ]
Hey. Think I'm a little crazy for you. [ An understatement, the amused spark of which turns the corners of his mouth up, a lightness curving his eyes. Ducking, he steals another kiss, sighing into it and keeping her pressed close. ]
no subject
Date: 2025-08-27 11:53 pm (UTC)Her feet find the ground delicately, but she still hangs onto Arthur like a lifeline, savoring the pocket of heat that's created as she lets him bear her weight. She grins so brightly that her cheeks ache and the whirlwind of excitement kicked up in her lungs makes her feel near lightheaded. It feels like finding something she hadn't realized was missing—overwhelming joy and a relief she can't hope to describe. It's safe, it's right, it's a miracle.
An eager hum of acknowledgement accompanies the easy way she meets the second kiss and relaxes the entanglement of her arms so that she can run a hand through his hair as she lingers in the soft press of his lips. There's no bothering to make room when she quips back; she teases in the scant space of catching a breath, the tip of her nose still brushing Arthur's.] Only a little? I'm not sure that's crazy enough to be with me.
no subject
Date: 2025-08-28 06:11 am (UTC)He's smiling into the kiss and after it, eyes drifting shut like a contented cat as she combs her fingers through his hair. Contained as she was in the circle of his arms, he gives her a squeeze around the middle, still unwilling to part; the line of her body along his is a comfort. A huff of laughter meets her tease and he blinks his eyes open, nudging the tip of his nose against hers in a slow gesture of affection. ]
Maybe more than a little. [ Not like he needed to amend, but anyway, there's an important piece here: ] Let's get you fed and home, so I can show you exactly how crazy.
no subject
Date: 2025-08-30 05:29 am (UTC)So seeing him this content, this happy, is more than enough to cause pressure in her chest from the swelling force of her affection. Knowing that she's the one who made him so happy pushes it to near unbearable levels, as if her heart might burst from its inability to contain everything she's feeling for him.
A clear eagerness lights her face at his correction, followed by another quick kiss. She just can't help herself.] Arthur, are you telling me I'm going to get the full official experience?
[They already have such a strong connection when it comes to intimacy. Her heart races a little even thinking about how this development might intensify that.]
no subject
Date: 2025-08-31 07:24 am (UTC)Hey now, it's not like I've held back. [ No, he's too attentive for that. And giving her pleasure, watching her fall to pieces—he took those things seriously, because she deserves to experience those highs. ] But, I suppose, yeah.
[ Since, well, he does think there will be some changes. Small habits he's been holding close to the chest. He'd kept hold of them because he'd been worried about letting himself lean into their relationship too much. After all, he's talked himself out of asking her this very thing more than a few times, worried he was seeing something in it that wasn't there. Or that perhaps, he was too wrapped up in her easy love to know exactly how he'd felt.
Unfounded worry, he's found. But, this is what made them work; she pulled him along in her exuberance like a riptide and he made sure neither of them drowned.
Giving her one last squeeze around the middle, he reluctantly parts from her enough to pick up the jacket he'd dropped. Tossed over his shoulder again, he slips his arm around her waist, reeling her in to re-start their walk.
The rest of which is uninterrupted, aside from the occasional quiet laughter as their closeness and mismatched gait saw them gently bumping into each other. It's not long, from the exit of the park, to get up to the main drag and pick out the hole in the wall place he'd been thinking of for dinner. A cross between a pool bar and a hipster dive, it saw plenty of hungover clubbers and as promised, none of the patrons seem to care at all for Kalmiya's lack of shirt.
Tucked into a small, curved booth near the corner, they get their drinks and order food; Arthur watches with bemusement as a gaggle of tieflings excitedly choose tracks at the jukebox. ]
How was the party, earlier? [ Sometimes, he joins her on those. He'd missed out on this venture due to work. ]
no subject
Date: 2025-10-06 02:46 pm (UTC)There's a small ooh as they approach the charming little dive, and she grins, head turning this way and that as she takes in the variety of patrons and the occupation of the pool tables. Given the shape of the booth, she wastes no time in scooting herself far too close to Arthur after they put their order in, insistently tucking herself against his side to get comfortable while she regales him with party stories.] It was lovely! Plenty of party favors; there were these delightful little marshmallow treats that made you more flexible when you eat them. And— you remember the one who collects games, with the autumnal hair? They'd brought Twister, of all things!
[A laugh carries through her exposition, buoying each word to playful delight, and she gestures with both hands when they're not too snug against Arthur.] I've never seen a more competitive tangle of people. I didn't stand a chance! And we had to stop because someone's favor wore off in the middle and they got stuck.
[Amused, she tilts her head to grin up at him, a sweet sort of longing in the crinkle of her eyes.] I missed you, though. It's always better with you.