locks_it_up | (no subject)

Death is out by the lakeshore, perched in the rocks overlooking the water.

She's skipping stones and watching the moonlight gleam on the water, at the peaceful spread of the ripples. The night continues with its soft and subtle song around her.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

mnt_raph

*En route from the bar to his tent, he sees her sitting. Raph stops in his tracks, and just watches her in the moonlight.*

From:

locks_it_up

She does cut a fine profile there, silhouetted against the pale moon, all slightly-upturned nose and wild hair and delicate but capable hands letting that stone fly across the water...

There's a breeze, a longing sigh in the trees, and she tilts her face into it like a sigh.

From:

mnt_raph

*She's beautiful. There's just no getting around that. He really should tell her so more than he does, but for some reason the words never seem to come out right. He's silent as he moves across the lawn.*

From:

locks_it_up

And it's that mobile patch of silence thing that really gives him away. She smiles to herself, and pulls her knees up to her chest, tilting her head back to look at the fascimilie of the stars.

She knows all their names.

From:

mnt_raph

Just don't get stars like this in the city.

*Only, he's not looking at the stars. He's just looking at her.*

From:

locks_it_up

Her eyes are still tracing constellations, though her smile widens. It's brighter than the moonlight on the water.
i lost myself on a cool dark night
"Nope. Sure don't."
i gave myself in that misty light
She turns her eyes to him, and that smile just grows. Glows. She is all the colors of the night eternal.

From:

mnt_raph

Hope I didn't wake you this mornin'. Promised Suti I'd help with more construction.

*He really is a marshmallow, it's written all over his face. And the more he tries to keep it under control, the more it slips through his fingers.*

From:

locks_it_up

She only sleeps around him.
was hypnotized by a strange delight
"It's alright. I don't like waking up alone anyway."
under a lilac tree
And she holds out a hand to him. There's something shy in the gesture. In the inviting tilt of the head, the quirk of black lips.

From:

mnt_raph

*Without hesitation, he takes her hand and scales the rock, sitting behind her. It's almost reflex now, how his arms wrap around her waist.*

Don't think anyone does.

*He takes slow deep breath*

Spring's comin'.

From:

locks_it_up

And just like reflex, she settles back against him, one hand resting on his knee, her head leaning in the crook of his neck.

She doesn't mention that she had been awake before, watching the sun filter through the tent and on his skin and how it was like pale gold and the slow and steady movement of his breath and how it stopped her cold, hit her like a fist with the beauty of him, of the peace in his face as he slept with an arm thrown around her.

What she does say is "I like spring. One of the best things? Is dogwood trees. Oh, and magnolias. Have you ever seen a magnolia tree in bloom? You can't even touch the flowers, or they'll turn brown. And the smell..." She sighs, happily.

"I do love the world..."

From:

mnt_raph

*He chuckles and presses a kiss to her temple.*

Peepers're my favorite. Don't get me wrong, I love my city, but just around Dusk in NoHo those little buggers sing their little hearts out.

From:

locks_it_up

"And then... come the fireflies."

She sounds about eight years old, such is the wonder in her voice.

From:

mnt_raph

So this one time, right, when Mike an' me were just kids. We sneak out after lights out an' head to Central Park. Couldn've been more than like, ten. Anyway, we're tooling around the park after hours and Mike tries to convince me he's seen this little blinking light blinking in midair. It sounded too much like one of his stories, so I ignored him.

Don't we see a whole crap load of them in NoHo, like...six years later.

From:

locks_it_up

"They are lovely, aren't they? I can't wait till summer around this place... it'll get all warm and humid, and you'll see smoke coming off the water, and masses of fireflies, and every other great thing."

A long pause. She toys with another rock for a little bit.

"I. Um. Don't suppose... maybe you'd like to, I don't know... pack a lunch and make a day of it sometime? Say, when it's warmer? I mean, it's just a thought..."

From:

mnt_raph

*Raph likes warm and humid. He sighs contentedly at the thought. It's the latent reptile still kicking around in his head. So happy is this inner reptile, that he misses the beginning of her request.*

Hmm? What, like a picnic? Just the two of us? Are you askin' me out on a date?"

From:

locks_it_up

"I. Um."

If she could get any smaller, she would.

"...yes?"

From:

mnt_raph

*He smiles.*
i love you.

From:

locks_it_up

She didn't think she could smile like that.
he should not
"...so is that a yes, then?"

From:

mnt_raph

*Smirking, and yet holding her closer*

Well, I don't know if I love you that much. I mean, Picnics are a pretty big step.

*Sarcasm isn't as effective when you're playfully kissing your way up someone's neck.*

From:

locks_it_up

And one arm goes over his, and the other hand trails back to cup his cheek, and she has to twist a little and take one startled breath as he hits that spot beneath and behind her ear.

"If we don't watch out.... might end up going to the theatre or--ohh."

From:

mnt_raph

*Ah, there's that spot. He knew he'd left it somewhere. His lips barely leave her skin as he talks.*

mmm. an' then opera or ballet. picnics are a gateway outing. leads to all sorts of sordid things.

From:

locks_it_up

And he's making her twitch and it's gone far beyond fair.

There was a rock in her hand. It's mostly sand, now.

"...very dangerous. Must use caution. ...wouldn't want to go wrong with a thing like... a picnic."