sparkstrikes | empatheias IC contact. (archive)

[As strong as she likes to think her outer shell is against in any situation, Steven is well on his way to cracking this egg... if he hasn't already. The tension that seems to loom in the kitchen as she continues to wipe the counter is enough to press down on her until she inevitably breaks.

Which is in three... two...]

Don't tell anyone you saw me.

[UGH, SHE HATES THAT IGNEOUS ROCK INTUITION. >:(]

Edited 2018-10-07 00:38 (UTC)

[ there we go. he maintains his innocent expression as she all but confesses, but there's nothing malicious behind it. as enjoyable as teasing a friend can be, he knows the limits. ]

You know I wouldn't. What you do in your private life is no business of mine.

[ he'd expect her to offer him the same respect, of course. still, there's something oddly nostalgic about this context, in this space, at this particular hour. ]

To tell you the truth, it wasn't so long ago that I was doing the exact same thing.

[She breathes out a sigh, relieved, and finally – finally – goes for a glass of water for herself. It's as if that confession has flipped a switch and turned her brain back on! And knowing that Steven had been in her shoes before helps, too... although this is news!]

You? Sneaking around?

[She finds it a little hard to believe, but then again, he and Ignis have been together for a while now. Lightning can barely remember the time they weren't.]

You ever get caught?

Ignis reassured me that I had no reason to hide away, but I did feel anxious about making my presence known early on.

[ especially when the implication in "staying over" speaks for itself. it's more than a little embarrassing, especially for someone like Steven who puts decorum above most things. ]

Once, by Noctis. [ he sighs as he says it, looking a bit embarrassed. ] His memory of it was lost once he left and returned, but I'm afraid I remember it with perfect clarity.

[Lightning is silent for a while, blinking at Steven with wide, disbelieving eyes. Not only does it seem so unlike what she knows about him, but there's something more to it than that. Then, out of nowhere, she breaks into laughter – it's gentle and queit, so as not to wake everyone in the house, but genuine. At least it helps to relieve more of the tension.]

Of all the times we could've caught each other back then... and we never did.

[She would sneak in and out of the house back then, too, before Gladio left the first time and not once did it ever occur to her that someone else could be doing the same thing.]

Guess it seems kinda stupid to be sneaking in and out like this, huh... [She's so glad there is at least one other person who understands.] It's hard when his dad's around all the time.

[ her laughter makes him chuckle as well, even managing to bring a slight blush to his cheeks. it's something of a personal confession, but it's one that he feels comfortable in confiding to Lightning. ]

Such are the advantages of a bedroom on the main floor.

[ the memories are by no means bad ones, but he likes not having to sneak around at odd hours of the night. ]

I'd imagine so. His sister, too... [ he smiles. ] You have an entire family to impress.

[ though in a way, Steven did as well. he knows that Noctis, Gladio and Prompto are as close to him as brothers. ]

[It isn't so much that she's afraid of not impressing them – she likes to think she's done a good job of leaving a good impression on the Amicitias so far, save for the Great Coffee Mishap of 2018 with the Pops. She's more nervous about that family knowing she's canoodling the son/brother... which is a confession she is not even comfortable making with herself.

Which is why she turns it around on Steven.]

Don't think you got off the hook that easy.

[She raises a finger at him.]

You had to get through me first.

[ the chide makes his smile turn up into a smirk. though his friends from Eos were the most obvious to earn respect from, it's no secret that Ignis and Lightning had a friendship that was equally as strong. ]

Oh, I remember. [ their first meeting was tense, but it set positive groundwork for the friendship they have now. ] And did I not pass with flying colours?

[There's a long pause, meant to be suspenseful, while she takes a drawn-out sip of her water. Eventually, she'll answer with an entirely straight face.]

I'm still making a decision.

[Although if this conversation is any indication, he certainly has passed with flying colours. Honestly, despite being rather close with the others, she'd rather Steven be the one to discover her sneaking around than Noct, Ignis, or Prompto... even Crowe.]

I probably can't keep this up for long, huh... Everyone'll find out eventually.

[She says, as if everyone doesn't already know.]

[ he can read between the lines of that much, hence his smile remaining. they seem to understand each other in a way that's a bit different than others in the house, and he appreciates that relationship. ]

I have a feeling they won't be particularly surprised if you're forthright. It's clear from the way that Gladiolus speaks about you that you two are close.

[ translation: it's obvious, girl. get over yourself. ]

[Her water begins to bubble and upon drinking it to try and stifle the reaction, she discovers that it's warm and promptly spits it back into the glass. She tries to be discrete about it, but there is absolutely nothing graceful about how it looks.]

Ugh.

[She wipes her lips clean on the back of her sleeve. So refined.]

I guess so. Still having trouble coming to terms with the fact that we're... he's my, uh...

[DON'T MAKE HER SAY IT.

they're totally gonna kick Igneous Rock's asses at Newlyweds.]

[ of course he notices her oh-so-graceful reaction, but indicates nothing to acknowledge it. he's teased her enough for one night, and he'd rather have a proper moment rather than ruining it with flippancy. ]

But you're glad that you are, aren't you?

[ she gets a pass this time!! ]

[She's as sure about it as she knows Steven is about Ignis, even if they haven't made it quite as far. Lightning still has a long way to go before she can even admit that, but it's something that they both make known through actions rather than words. That's just her style.

The moment is appreciated because it's at least a push in the right direction. That, and thank you for not bringing attention to the fact that she spat out her drink.]

I am.

[And Lightning sounds certain about that.

She dumps her warm water out into the sink and sets it down.]

I should probably go... before the rest of the house wakes up.

Then that's what matters. You should move at your own pace, and not feel pressured to do otherwise.

[ he finishes his own glass, placing it next to hers. a part of him wonders if he should be lecturing on the values of pacing when his own relationship has been something of a whirlwind, but it feels like the right thing to say in the moment. ]

If anyone asks, I'll cover for you.

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