[ she's not really hungry, but it'd be weird to just sit and watch him eat granola, right, so she takes a few sips of her own water while he munches away. which is cute? apparently? since when are hungry boys cute? whatever. her gaze drops when he asks about the backpack, but she's grinning. ]
Well, yeah. It's- cold. [ what ] I guess I just got worried that after wearing a fur coat all night, you'd get cold after you changed back. And I read that sometimes the full moon can mess with your appetite, so I wasn't sure if you ate dinner or anything, so. It- Yeah. Hoodie. Granola. Ta da.
It's really cool of you, Chuck. Thanks. It's kind of the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me, actually.
[ Not that he's asking for sympathy or pity or anything. His life isn't bad, he'd never been abused or mistreated (unless you count the his-dad-being-a-jerk stuff) but everyone's got a role to play in a pack and little thoughtful gestures like this don't tend to happen. It promotes favouritism or whatever.
He finishes off granola bar #1 and crumples the wrapper. ]
[ ahaha so clever, Chuck is just so funny. but she reaches into the bag to pull out the hoodie, which is dark green and well worn, the logo on the front faded out almost entirely. it is clearly a Favorite Hoodie. it's folded up neat when she passes it to him, and she pulls out one more granola bar before sliding the backpack to the edge of the bed and carefully dropping it off the side. it's just taking up space now, so. bye backpack. ]
[ Casey rolls his eyes in exasperation, like nooo you did not just make that joke, but he's endeared too. It's pretty clear by the indulgence in his eye-roll. It's not a serious eye-roll.
He grabs the hoodie, thumbs at the logo, and shakes it out to put on. ]
I like it.
[ There is a nice well-worn, well-loved factor to it that makes it all the nicer to wear. He'll give it back to her in an hour or so ... but for now, he's just going to keep it on.
Then he makes a swipe for the second granola bar, not even realizing until then just how hungry he is, before shifting from his current spot on the bed to sit alongside Chuck, pillows propped up behind them. Their arms touch with the movement.
Case takes a bite of granola bar #2. ]
You know, I could get used to this kind of treatment.
[ she doesn't really think twice about linking her arm through his, loosely for sure, the bend to her arm is very very slight, but it's mostly just to put them a little closer together. makes it easy to rest her cheek against his shoulder and sit with him that way. her other hand reaches over to rest on his arm too, though she ends up sort of fussing with the fabric of the hoodie's sleeve. fussing, yeah. she wasn't super worried about him, she knows he's capable, but it's different. knowing someone's been dealing with their abilities their whole life is all well and good, but when you start to care about them it chips away at that knowledge. it doesn't matter, that practically, factually, she knows he'll be fine. it's more than that now. ]
I could too. [ well, get used to treating him this way, yeah. being right here with him. ] But maybe not only after a full moon. [ she hides her smile against his shoulder, nosing there a little bit. just being affectionate without being too risky about it. sometimes she feels brave, sometimes she just wants to sit and maybe let things go unsaid. maybe. ehh. it's tough for her, though. she's shy, but she's not used to masking her feelings. so she'll be physically affectionate but beat around the bush with her words. it's a mixed bag. ]
[ Casey jokes, just a shade sleepily, but more content with just how peaceful and chill this feels right now. With the early pre-dawn morning being what it is, he could almost imagine that they're the only two people in this whole school - maybe even the world - right now.
He tilts his head far enough to rest against Chuck's hair, not at all minding the necessity to pull themselves closer to one another but feeling it as succinctly as Chuck is. With their arms loosely linked, his hand finds hers, fingers gently twining. It's slow and tentative at first, just to get a feel for it, to see if he's being totally crazy or if he's got a proper read on the situation. He's got no idea what he's doing; it's just instinct guiding him now. ]
I'm sure I could make myself available for it. [ it's way too easy, getting comfortable with Casey. basically all the time, but especially right now. she might be taking her time with all of this, whatever it is, nerves bubbling up, but each step of the way always seems to pay off. she's embarrassed herself a couple of times, sure, but it's never because of something she did. mostly things she says. but anyway, he links his fingers with hers and she happily holds on, almost embarrassingly transparent in how much she likes all of this now. she just keeps snuggling up closer. ]
I know I should probably go and let you sleep, but I don't- want to yet. [ or at all ] So you have to tell me when you're getting really tired, okay? Don't let me keep you up.
It works well because I don't want you to go either.
[ Like, ever. Basically, stay here for the rest of the morning until some other force of nature makes them have to leave the room and get on with the day. And maybe, even then, they can make a case to not go anywhere. Who knows, really. ]
Just ... stay here, okay? Maybe tell me something.
[ wait was there more to that statement, or does he just want her to talk? because she can do that, she's pretty good at just talking about basically nothing. or something really important to her. or something homework related, or class related. she waits a moment before continuing, turning her face so her nose is squished against his shoulder, eyes on his face. well. sort of. he's too close to really look at his face, but she's looking face-wards. ]
[ Casey feels like he might turn to goo at any second, the way she's looking at him right now. It's so ... cute. It makes him feel hot and cold and numb and on the verge of bursting all at the same time.
He makes the barest of shrugs and shakes his head. ]
Something about me? That'll help you drift right off to sleep.
[ she grins, though it's still kind of hidden by his shoulder, then she pauses, trying to think of something. ]
-- I'm not even sure what to say. I don't talk about myself a lot anymore. Life becomes a lot less about you when you've been a you for a few centuries.
I'm probably a thousand years old, maybe two? I don't really remember much past the last five or six lifetimes. You sort of- It gets fuzzy. But I've learned that as I get older, those other lives start to clear up. Like your mind learns how to stretch back a little further. I only know of six different lifetimes, but I know I've had more. It's something I can feel in my gut, even if I can't remember.
[ it's tricky trying to talk it out. it just makes her think about how much she can't remember. which is weird. ]
Basically I'll be around forever but I might not remember most of it. But that's okay. [ it actually is okay. weird! but okay. ] I was a little reckless, the last couple of lifetimes. You get cocky when you know you'll be back. But this is different, even when I was a really little kid I decided it would be different. I like how things are going way more this time.
Wow. I'm only sixteen, like, really just sixteen, and I don't know ... that must seem so ... insignificant to you at this point.
[ If he were a couple thousand years old, the small number 16 would mean nothing. It's almost a non-number until you hit three-digits.
It's kind of ... a change in perspective. It makes you wonder about things. He wonders about the lives she had before this one. He wonders if she'd had grand adventures or if she favoured one of her past lives more than others. Did she marry? Did she find her soulmate in a previous life?
He's not even sure why he starts voicing some of these questions aloud. Maybe it's the sleep deprivation and the adrenaline still coursing through him from the full moon. It's a small, wild recklessness from his wolf-side. ]
Did you fall in love in the other lifetimes you remember? [ He shakes his head. ] I mean, did you have a family? Can you have a family?
[ Can phoenixes have little baby phoenixes?
He should probably stop thinking about this stuff ... but it's keeping him awake, at least. ]
You don't have to answer if you don't want to. It's probably really personal ...
It is personal, but that's okay. I've been in love, yes. And I can have a family, too. I'm immortal, but I age the same as anyone else. My lifespan lasts the same as a human's, only mine has a reset button once all is said and done. And it's not- It's not as painful as you'd think. I've been lucky to fall in love before, in those other lives.
[ though it's a wonder she even let him talk that much, sitting up a bit just so she can look at him properly, still close enough to keep her voice quiet. both of her hands are holding onto his now, thumbs smoothing over his knuckles ]
I've technically been around a long time but I'm still just sixteen, too. This lifetime is the only one that matters to me. And you're a part of that. There's nothing insignificant about you, Casey. [ she grins, nervous but still sincere, happy to tell him these things ] You've kinda been the best part of this life so far. In, um, a long time. Never ever doubt that, okay?
[ Case's response is quiet but deep-felt. He can feel the sincerity of her words hit him in the gut, tightening around his heart and giving it a good squeeze.
He likes the way she's holding his hands right now, the movement of her thumbs gentle and coaxing, reassuring in a way that feels real. It's not just some nicety or her trying to convince him of something that isn't true. It is true and it's something he can believe.
And he does believe her. Of course he does. She has no reason to lie, not with him.
He meets her eyes and stares into them the way he's probably seen in countless dumb Hollywood romance films. There's no musical soundtrack, no 80's love ballad crooning in the background or anything like that, but there's a connection here; there's something here. Knowing that Chuck has lived thousands of years, more lifetimes than he can imagine, it doesn't scare him as much as he thinks it should.
This lifetime is the only one that matters to me, she said. ]
[ she knows that look. she's pretty sure she's returning that look. it makes her heart beat a little harder and her eyes are bright because she almost wants to laugh just 'cause it beats feeling nervous. but she is nervous, a little bit. she's physically tired but emotionally and mentally she's got this energy that feels like it's about to bust out of her chest. she's leaning closer, she can feel it. she's not leaning in perse but she sits up a little straighter, scoots her butt forward even though there's hardly any room there between them already with their legs where they are but she just
she wants to kiss him.
that's all she really wants.
but he has something to say and she's not going to take that away from him, even if it would be easier than waiting for things like words be said. a hey wait I think I know what you're going to say, I want to say it too, here's what I'm feeling sort of gesture so they don't have to say all those words. she bites her lip instead. that's a reasonable alternative. ]
[ Is it what Chuck expected to hear? Well, he has no idea.
Is he supposed to just go for it and kiss her if he wants to? He has no idea.
So he asks. He asks because it seems like the polite thing to do and he's never actually done this before, so asking permission feels like ... well, a good start.
He thinks whatever he's feeling right now is echoed in the way she touches him, the way she moves in just a fraction closer towards him (he's a wolf, he can sense the most minute movements of others), the way she's looking at him. So asking doesn't seem like an out-of-the-question request. ]
[ okay she does finally laugh, but it's more like a sigh of relief while smiling and nodding, a huff of a breath before she's reaching up with her hand that isn't tangled up with his to slide it to the back of his neck and pull him in just that little bit more. no chill, no patience. just kissing. finally. it's nothing too wild, but she favors his bottom lip and kisses him for a little longer than maybe most first kisses between two people should go, but again. no chill.
he's just so cute and so sweet and so funny
and there's no pressure in any way to be something she's not. he doesn't mind that she's bossy and opinionated and overprotective. doesn't make her feel like she needs to hide those parts of her. he lets her read to him and sit close when they're studying. he studies with her.
and maybe they're still learning about each other, maybe she needs to slow her roll and be smarter than to fall head over heels in crush with the new guy. ..not so new anymore, but newish. she should know better, see the signs of when she's getting caught up in someone too quick, but she can't see it as a bad thing, not this time. she's been burned ( hah ) before, but Casey wouldn't. he's not that guy. she can feel it in every bone in her body that he wouldn't hurt her. and god, that means she can't be the one to mess this up. she's been through more than a fair share of lifetimes but she's still very capable of dropping the ball, disappointing someone. but she can't do that to him, she won't.
she won't.
she'll just keep kissing him for a little longer instead, then keep her forehead pressed to his once she does decide it's time for it to be over. still sharing his space, still playing with his hair a bit at the nape of his neck. still smiling a little bit even while she catches her breath. ]
[ Casey isn't even sure what happens in the next few moments; it's like his brain can't keep up and he's running purely on instinct. It's not unlike some of his moments as a wolf.
He leans in to meet her lips, letting her take the lead because she clearly knows what she's doing and he's (quickly) learning from her. It feels nice. It feels awesome, actually, his breath caught in his throat, his heart pounding in his chest like it might sprout wings and float him away.
He finds his hands winding into her hair too, his kiss deepening until they both have to come up for air. She leans her forehead against his and he almost wants to laugh; he's so elated.
Chuck is so, so amazing. He kind of wants to shout it on mountain-tops.
(But he won't. He's not going to be that embarrassing.) ]
[ like she doesn't know. like she can't tell by the way he's staying close, hand in her hair. she moves her face just to bump his nose with hers, unwilling to quit being affectionate now that they've opened those floodgates. she knows she should, she actually really needs to get back to her dorm before her roommates wake up and realize she's not there, but instead she's sitting her giving eskimo kisses to the boy she likes.
she gives him another small kiss before she does sit back again, letting her hands both fall into their laps now, that shared space between them. she shakes her bangs out of her eyes, blushing a bit, but she's hoping the light is dim enough to hide it. maybe. but ah, maybe she doesn't mind if he can see it. ]
[ Casey honestly can't stop grinning, his face just permanently fixed into something of a smile, all bright and sunshine-y and not at all tired anymore.
His fingers find hers without hesitation this time, winding into comfortable knots. He never wants to let her go. ]
Very good wow.
[ As far as first kisses go, it's definitely one for the books. He leans back against the pillows, right beside her and it's like - man, it's like he doesn't want to do anything else, he doesn't want time to pass if only so he can live in this very moment for the rest of ever. ]
I know it's gonna be morning soon but ... can you just stay here for a bit longer?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2017-05-22 08:02 am (UTC)Well, yeah. It's- cold. [ what ] I guess I just got worried that after wearing a fur coat all night, you'd get cold after you changed back. And I read that sometimes the full moon can mess with your appetite, so I wasn't sure if you ate dinner or anything, so. It- Yeah. Hoodie. Granola. Ta da.
no subject
Date: 2017-05-22 05:03 pm (UTC)It's really cool of you, Chuck. Thanks. It's kind of the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me, actually.
[ Not that he's asking for sympathy or pity or anything. His life isn't bad, he'd never been abused or mistreated (unless you count the his-dad-being-a-jerk stuff) but everyone's got a role to play in a pack and little thoughtful gestures like this don't tend to happen. It promotes favouritism or whatever.
He finishes off granola bar #1 and crumples the wrapper. ]
Can I see the hoodie?
no subject
Date: 2017-05-22 05:17 pm (UTC)[ ahaha so clever, Chuck is just so funny. but she reaches into the bag to pull out the hoodie, which is dark green and well worn, the logo on the front faded out almost entirely. it is clearly a Favorite Hoodie. it's folded up neat when she passes it to him, and she pulls out one more granola bar before sliding the backpack to the edge of the bed and carefully dropping it off the side. it's just taking up space now, so. bye backpack. ]
no subject
Date: 2017-05-22 05:50 pm (UTC)He grabs the hoodie, thumbs at the logo, and shakes it out to put on. ]
I like it.
[ There is a nice well-worn, well-loved factor to it that makes it all the nicer to wear. He'll give it back to her in an hour or so ... but for now, he's just going to keep it on.
Then he makes a swipe for the second granola bar, not even realizing until then just how hungry he is, before shifting from his current spot on the bed to sit alongside Chuck, pillows propped up behind them. Their arms touch with the movement.
Case takes a bite of granola bar #2. ]
You know, I could get used to this kind of treatment.
no subject
Date: 2017-05-22 06:16 pm (UTC)I could too. [ well, get used to treating him this way, yeah. being right here with him. ] But maybe not only after a full moon. [ she hides her smile against his shoulder, nosing there a little bit. just being affectionate without being too risky about it. sometimes she feels brave, sometimes she just wants to sit and maybe let things go unsaid. maybe. ehh. it's tough for her, though. she's shy, but she's not used to masking her feelings. so she'll be physically affectionate but beat around the bush with her words. it's a mixed bag. ]
no subject
Date: 2017-05-22 06:31 pm (UTC)[ Casey jokes, just a shade sleepily, but more content with just how peaceful and chill this feels right now. With the early pre-dawn morning being what it is, he could almost imagine that they're the only two people in this whole school - maybe even the world - right now.
He tilts his head far enough to rest against Chuck's hair, not at all minding the necessity to pull themselves closer to one another but feeling it as succinctly as Chuck is. With their arms loosely linked, his hand finds hers, fingers gently twining. It's slow and tentative at first, just to get a feel for it, to see if he's being totally crazy or if he's got a proper read on the situation. He's got no idea what he's doing; it's just instinct guiding him now. ]
no subject
Date: 2017-05-22 06:49 pm (UTC)I know I should probably go and let you sleep, but I don't- want to yet. [ or at all ] So you have to tell me when you're getting really tired, okay? Don't let me keep you up.
no subject
Date: 2017-05-23 03:42 am (UTC)[ Like, ever. Basically, stay here for the rest of the morning until some other force of nature makes them have to leave the room and get on with the day. And maybe, even then, they can make a case to not go anywhere. Who knows, really. ]
Just ... stay here, okay? Maybe tell me something.
no subject
Date: 2017-05-23 04:53 am (UTC)[ wait was there more to that statement, or does he just want her to talk? because she can do that, she's pretty good at just talking about basically nothing. or something really important to her. or something homework related, or class related. she waits a moment before continuing, turning her face so her nose is squished against his shoulder, eyes on his face. well. sort of. he's too close to really look at his face, but she's looking face-wards. ]
Tell you what?
no subject
Date: 2017-05-23 05:40 am (UTC)He makes the barest of shrugs and shakes his head. ]
Anything. Tell me something about you.
no subject
Date: 2017-05-24 02:54 am (UTC)[ she grins, though it's still kind of hidden by his shoulder, then she pauses, trying to think of something. ]
-- I'm not even sure what to say. I don't talk about myself a lot anymore. Life becomes a lot less about you when you've been a you for a few centuries.
no subject
Date: 2017-05-24 03:23 am (UTC)[ He must seem like a fetus to her if she's got so many years on him. ]
How were you first born?
no subject
Date: 2017-05-24 03:42 am (UTC)[ it's tricky trying to talk it out. it just makes her think about how much she can't remember. which is weird. ]
Basically I'll be around forever but I might not remember most of it. But that's okay. [ it actually is okay. weird! but okay. ] I was a little reckless, the last couple of lifetimes. You get cocky when you know you'll be back. But this is different, even when I was a really little kid I decided it would be different. I like how things are going way more this time.
no subject
Date: 2017-05-24 04:46 am (UTC)[ If he were a couple thousand years old, the small number 16 would mean nothing. It's almost a non-number until you hit three-digits.
It's kind of ... a change in perspective. It makes you wonder about things. He wonders about the lives she had before this one. He wonders if she'd had grand adventures or if she favoured one of her past lives more than others. Did she marry? Did she find her soulmate in a previous life?
He's not even sure why he starts voicing some of these questions aloud. Maybe it's the sleep deprivation and the adrenaline still coursing through him from the full moon. It's a small, wild recklessness from his wolf-side. ]
Did you fall in love in the other lifetimes you remember? [ He shakes his head. ] I mean, did you have a family? Can you have a family?
[ Can phoenixes have little baby phoenixes?
He should probably stop thinking about this stuff ... but it's keeping him awake, at least. ]
You don't have to answer if you don't want to. It's probably really personal ...
no subject
Date: 2017-05-24 06:52 am (UTC)[ though it's a wonder she even let him talk that much, sitting up a bit just so she can look at him properly, still close enough to keep her voice quiet. both of her hands are holding onto his now, thumbs smoothing over his knuckles ]
I've technically been around a long time but I'm still just sixteen, too. This lifetime is the only one that matters to me. And you're a part of that. There's nothing insignificant about you, Casey. [ she grins, nervous but still sincere, happy to tell him these things ] You've kinda been the best part of this life so far. In, um, a long time. Never ever doubt that, okay?
no subject
Date: 2017-05-25 06:07 am (UTC)[ Case's response is quiet but deep-felt. He can feel the sincerity of her words hit him in the gut, tightening around his heart and giving it a good squeeze.
He likes the way she's holding his hands right now, the movement of her thumbs gentle and coaxing, reassuring in a way that feels real. It's not just some nicety or her trying to convince him of something that isn't true. It is true and it's something he can believe.
And he does believe her. Of course he does. She has no reason to lie, not with him.
He meets her eyes and stares into them the way he's probably seen in countless dumb Hollywood romance films. There's no musical soundtrack, no 80's love ballad crooning in the background or anything like that, but there's a connection here; there's something here. Knowing that Chuck has lived thousands of years, more lifetimes than he can imagine, it doesn't scare him as much as he thinks it should.
This lifetime is the only one that matters to me, she said. ]
Hey, Chuck?
no subject
Date: 2017-05-26 04:56 am (UTC)[ she knows that look. she's pretty sure she's returning that look. it makes her heart beat a little harder and her eyes are bright because she almost wants to laugh just 'cause it beats feeling nervous. but she is nervous, a little bit. she's physically tired but emotionally and mentally she's got this energy that feels like it's about to bust out of her chest. she's leaning closer, she can feel it. she's not leaning in perse but she sits up a little straighter, scoots her butt forward even though there's hardly any room there between them already with their legs where they are but she just
she wants to kiss him.
that's all she really wants.
but he has something to say and she's not going to take that away from him, even if it would be easier than waiting for things like words be said. a hey wait I think I know what you're going to say, I want to say it too, here's what I'm feeling sort of gesture so they don't have to say all those words. she bites her lip instead. that's a reasonable alternative. ]
no subject
Date: 2017-05-26 05:19 am (UTC)[ Is it what Chuck expected to hear? Well, he has no idea.
Is he supposed to just go for it and kiss her if he wants to? He has no idea.
So he asks. He asks because it seems like the polite thing to do and he's never actually done this before, so asking permission feels like ... well, a good start.
He thinks whatever he's feeling right now is echoed in the way she touches him, the way she moves in just a fraction closer towards him (he's a wolf, he can sense the most minute movements of others), the way she's looking at him. So asking doesn't seem like an out-of-the-question request. ]
wow i don't have a smooch icon that's so weird
Date: 2017-05-26 05:48 am (UTC)he's just so cute and so sweet and so funny
and there's no pressure in any way to be something she's not. he doesn't mind that she's bossy and opinionated and overprotective. doesn't make her feel like she needs to hide those parts of her. he lets her read to him and sit close when they're studying. he studies with her.
and maybe they're still learning about each other, maybe she needs to slow her roll and be smarter than to fall head over heels in crush with the new guy. ..not so new anymore, but newish. she should know better, see the signs of when she's getting caught up in someone too quick, but she can't see it as a bad thing, not this time. she's been burned ( hah ) before, but Casey wouldn't. he's not that guy. she can feel it in every bone in her body that he wouldn't hurt her. and god, that means she can't be the one to mess this up. she's been through more than a fair share of lifetimes but she's still very capable of dropping the ball, disappointing someone. but she can't do that to him, she won't.
she won't.
she'll just keep kissing him for a little longer instead, then keep her forehead pressed to his once she does decide it's time for it to be over. still sharing his space, still playing with his hair a bit at the nape of his neck. still smiling a little bit even while she catches her breath. ]
ahhh i just need more casey icons in general but smooches are priority
Date: 2017-05-28 05:18 am (UTC)He leans in to meet her lips, letting her take the lead because she clearly knows what she's doing and he's (quickly) learning from her. It feels nice. It feels awesome, actually, his breath caught in his throat, his heart pounding in his chest like it might sprout wings and float him away.
He finds his hands winding into her hair too, his kiss deepening until they both have to come up for air. She leans her forehead against his and he almost wants to laugh; he's so elated.
Chuck is so, so amazing. He kind of wants to shout it on mountain-tops.
(But he won't. He's not going to be that embarrassing.) ]
Wow.
no subject
Date: 2017-06-02 05:08 am (UTC)[ like she doesn't know. like she can't tell by the way he's staying close, hand in her hair. she moves her face just to bump his nose with hers, unwilling to quit being affectionate now that they've opened those floodgates. she knows she should, she actually really needs to get back to her dorm before her roommates wake up and realize she's not there, but instead she's sitting her giving eskimo kisses to the boy she likes.
she gives him another small kiss before she does sit back again, letting her hands both fall into their laps now, that shared space between them. she shakes her bangs out of her eyes, blushing a bit, but she's hoping the light is dim enough to hide it. maybe. but ah, maybe she doesn't mind if he can see it. ]
no subject
Date: 2017-06-03 03:23 am (UTC)His fingers find hers without hesitation this time, winding into comfortable knots. He never wants to let her go. ]
Very good wow.
[ As far as first kisses go, it's definitely one for the books. He leans back against the pillows, right beside her and it's like - man, it's like he doesn't want to do anything else, he doesn't want time to pass if only so he can live in this very moment for the rest of ever. ]
I know it's gonna be morning soon but ... can you just stay here for a bit longer?