isleofavalon | closed 🌠 the night is blind, so hard to find the way back home

[He could have flopped it onto her lap— But no, the moment her fingertips touch his ears, he lets out a small sigh and starts to relax a little. Before he had fallen asleep out of pure exhaustion, and while some of that still remains, now he just feels...a little lighter in his heart. Comfortable.

...Peaceful.

So he doesn't answer at first and just remains as he is for several moments before he finally murmurs in a very quiet voice—]

...Thanks.

[Although his hand doesn't take hers, it's near where her hand had fallen in his lap and he just lightly taps her hand with his fingertips, a small gesture of appreciation.]

[She feels it, that light tapping, and she knows what it means. And it's that small gesture that allows her to relax further, falling into the bed with the cat still curled on her chest. She can finally feel the sleep taking over her, even if images of that small Eustace in the mirror flash on the insides of her eyelids, a small figure in the dark, lost and afraid, but she can sleep well knowing that right now, he has nothing to fear. None of them do.

Even as she shuffles a little further away, giving them both the space she thinks they need, before she finally gives in.

It feels like only minutes have gone by before the sun is peering in through the windows of her room, casting her vision in its red light before she blinks her eyes open. It's uncharacteristically warm, and her fingers graze against smooth, relaxed muscles, and it smells a lot like vanilla and lavender...

Sleepy eyes look around as everything comes into clearer view, and it takes her a moment to realize where her head is. Taking up her vision is a head of thick, white hair messily brushed back, and in her peripherals, she can see the steady rise and fall of his chest. His arm is around her, cradling her head and stretched across the length of the bed, their legs tangled up with one another's among the sheets with Clover still asleep at the end of them.

It takes a little longer for it to fully register, but much to her own surprise, she doesn't feel the need to yelp and shoot up or shove him away. Her body stiffens, and she doesn't move as she holds onto her breath. Perhaps she doesn't want to disturb the harmony, or maybe... it's something else.

Maybe there's something about how peaceful he looks sleeping like this, or the way the sun casts its light on his face. Or how his hair, being brushed aside, reveals the eye he keeps hidden beneath it and it feels like his entire soul is bare for her to see. It's like time has frozen for them and them alone, and tampering it would mean shattering whatever reality this has turned into...

For a moment, Tifa feels... happy... content. At ease. And still, she can't quite put her finger on why, or where that flutter in her chest comes from...

Of course, all of that is broken when Clover stirs at the foot of the bed and she breaks into a wide, long yawn that's accompanied by a mewl, before she's blinking her yellow eyes at Tifa.

...

....

They stare at each other for a long while, and she can see it coming. Don't you dare, Clover. Don't do it.

MEEEOOOOW.

"Wake up! Where's breakfast?"

Tifa freezes again, waiting to see if that will be what wakes Eustace... Please, Shiva, please no. Not like this...]

[That night for the first time in a long while, Eustace had a peaceful, dreamless sleep. Whether he felt some sense of comfort and security being next to Tifa, a relief from sharing his story, the full weight of exhaustion, or a combination of all of the above, for once he barely stirs as the two gradually shift and adjust throughout the night to end up in the position they're in.

Granted, Eustace is actually used to sleeping with someone by now—or rather, sleeping with Eria. Whether his body realized the difference or not, feeling Tifa's long hair, warmth, and smaller frame made it automatically move so that he hugged her, his arm going over Tifa not that different from what's become usual.

And he's still sleepy, uncharacteristically groggy as his ear flicks slightly at first from Clover's loud cry, his brows scrunching in mild annoyance. He just grumbles under his breath before his arm tightens over Tifa, pulling her closer as his face nuzzles against hers, as if trying to bury it in what he would have initially to assumed to be Eria's fur.

Give him like. Another few seconds.]

[There's a small, surprised gasp when she's pulled into him, her face landing right near his, near enough that she gets a head full of his scent mingling with hers, that morning musk mixed with lavender. And then he's nuzzling her, his nose and lips coming dangerously close to brushing hers, and that's where Tifa draws the line. Her face now a flustered, red mess, she tries to gently shuffle away from him first so she doesn't disturb him, but when that doesn't work...]

Eustace...

[She tries to move his arm instead, but it's still heavy from sleep, and somehow, it seems to only pull her tighter with each attempt she makes. The second time she calls for him, it's louder and firmer than the first.]

Eustace.

[And if he opens his eyes, it'll be to her hand pressed against his lips to protect herself from... whatever he thought he was doing...]

[Uggghh he had several long days and deserves to sleep in, who in the world is bothering him...

Wait, who in the world could bother him and why is there significantly less fur than he expects and a more slender, soft curve...

...

................!

Feeling Tifa's hand against his mouth and now realizing something is terribly wrong, his eyes shoot wide open and stare at her for a very long second before there's a slight flush to his cheeks and he jerks his arm up off her, quickly pulling back as if he had touched hot iron.]

Sorry, I didn't realize—!?

[In his haste to separate he accidentally pushes himself too far back and ends up falling off the other side of the bed.

Yeah this is a great start to the day.]

[What's worse than waking up on the wrong side of the bed? Falling off it.

She gasps out loud when she sees him disappear, taking some of the blanket with him while Clover clings on with her claws for dear life. Face still red, she crawls across to peer over and check on him.

... ]

I-It's fine. You didn't know.

[That much is clear just from his reaction, but... now that he's gone, Tifa feels... cold. Like the sun has vanished from the room, and she misses the warmth that he gave her. The peace was so palpable in the room that it could have lulled her back to sleep right then and there if it weren't for Clover's whining.

She'd help him up if she remembered to, but in all of their clumsiness and chaos, as well as that onslaught of thoughts ambushing her, she completely forgets to offer him any and departs on the other side of the bed, leaving him on the floor.]

I should... go fix up some breakfast for her. Do you want anything...?

[He is actually quite fine just being alone on the floor like this. Eustace doesn't exactly want Tifa to see the pained, embarrassed expression he can't hide, so he's going to take the opportunity to try and regain his composure.]

Uh...sure, whatever you have.

[And he'll wait until Tifa leaves before he drops his head back onto the floor, the back of his arm pressed against his eyes. He doesn't even notice Clover first hopping onto his chest, mewing at him and pawing at his chin before she hops off to trot after Tifa since Dad seems to be having a crisis.

Because he really is.

It's true he was initially startled when he opened his eyes and found Tifa staring so close to his face, but it's what happened after that was the real cause for his actions and trying to get away in such a clumsy manner. All at once he had been besieged by an overwhelming feeling of how attractive she had been to him in that moment. How when he realized it was her body he was holding he actually didn't want to let her go—that a strange heat had begun to spread from his fingertips to the rest of his body and that he wanted to touch more of her. The feeling of her palm against his lips and the very strange yet strong desire to press against it to kiss it. And then to move it away so he could close the distance between them.

All of that as well as starting to feel something else developing while realizing their legs were entangled is what ultimately made him run like a madman and leaving him on the floor wanting to bury himself in a hole.

Because how could he?

How could he think of that of Tifa not once but twice now. And Tifa of all—

He's just tired. That's all it has to be, he's just tired and it all was just—a matter of circumstance. There's no way he could really harbor such thoughts about her. Once he's sure Clover is settled and leaves he'll go straight to the shooting range to clear his head.

It'll be a while before Eustace comes out dressed and freshened up.]

[She really shouldn't leave him there, and she even pauses on the way out the door before rushing out of the room, not bothering to change or throw on a sweater or robe. She'll be fine. It's warm in here, or maybe that's just her...? (It's actually a little chilly.)

Clover's breakfast is easy enough—a spoonful of leftover soup broth from the night before that she seems to enjoy, immediately lapping it up as fast as she can as soon as Tifa sets the bowl down. She'll have to pick up some proper cat food on the way to Aerith's, or in the morning, depending on how things go today. Either way, Clover will be easy to please at least, so she doesn't have to worry too much about that now.

Before Eustace even steps foot into the kitchen, the entire inn room will be filled with the smell of eggs and bacon, and with it, the sound of it all sizzling on the pan. She'll be busy at work at the stove, making sure not to let any of it burn, while trying to keep Clover at bay, but when she hears his footsteps coming, she only half-turns to glance over her shoulder, the awkwardness still lingering.]

Have a seat. It's almost ready.

[The faster, the better.

Although, belatedly, she realizes what this looks like, and wonders what Clover must be thinking right now, or if it's registered at all with either of them the same way that it did for her. Tifa, making breakfast so early in the morning while Eustace sleepily stumbles into the kitchen... Coffee brewing, fresh squeeze juice ready...

Ah.

This whole image is something straight out of a family television commercial.]

[With his mind and heart now calmed, he can face Tifa with a bit more, if just a little awkward ease. He has the ability to recover and move on fairly easily, but that was still something even he would need a little time to get over. However, the smell of eggs and bacon help distract him...as does seeing Tifa cooking. He's watched her warm up and prepare food for him before the house he and Gran share, but this is a bit different for some reason.

It could be because they had just woken up and she's still in her sleepwear, giving it a strangely...different feel to it. But he once again pushes it aside and moves to the table, only belatedly realizing he had stopped midstep to stare a little.]

Take your time.

[Clover mews and trots over to him, pawing at his leg until he picks up the troublesome kitten. Really, if it weren't for her none of this would have happened...but she at least looks a lot more refreshed and happier than he's ever seen her, so he can't help but softly smile as he lightly pets her head, listening to the kitten as she starts mewing and chattering about the morning and how delicious that soup was.

Glancing at Tifa, he lowers his head to quietly ask Clover what she thinks of Tifa and if she'll be okay being with her. The kitten hesitates, looking at him hesitantly...but she eventually answers that she likes her new "Mommy" and wishes he could stay. To which he quickly refuses, "Not a chance," lightly tapping her nose before sitting.

"But whhhyyyyyyyyyy!! You're my Daddy!!!"

Not this again...

Instead he just stays quiet and ignores her protests. At least this time it's more like whining than tearful cries.

To further avoid things, Eustace stands back up and approaches the kitchen.]

Anything I can do to help?

No. Everything's just about finished.

[Just sit down! Don't come near her! Stay over there, on the other side of the kitchen and as far from her as possible, because the moment he'd asked, she could feel the redness creeping up her cheeks all over again. Is it so strange that something about preparing all of this food for him feels so... nice? That it makes her happy? It really shouldn't be considering she would do it for customers all the time at Seventh Heaven, but this... is completely different.

It's in her home.

Biting back the smile, she slides the finished eggs and bacon from the pan onto a pair of plates, and will bring them to the table first, followed by two fresh cups of coffee, and some orange juice just in case he prefers that. Clover hops up onto the table to sniff at all the food, and Tifa takes a seat on the opposite side, her eyes so fixed on the plate of food that she might as well be drilling a hole right through it.]

It's nothing special, but I... hope you like it.

[Where did that even come from!? Why did she say it like that?

Quickly, she stabs the scrambled eggs with a fork and shoves a mouthful in.]

[But if he sits down he has to listen to Clover's family nonsense?? He could at least help with the drinks and bring the dishes...but he knows better than to invade someone's domain and he can sense that she doesn't want him near, so with a little reluctance he returns to the table and sit.

And once it's on the table, he can't help but stare at it a little. It's a simple breakfast and he's had acquaintances cook for him before back on the Grandcypher, yet somehow... It's the same feeling he got when he entered the kitchen and saw Tifa cooking. He's not sure how, but it feels...different. It shouldn't, it's not like he's never eaten in someone's home before, so... What is it? Is it really because it's Tifa?

Trying to not recall what happened her in bedroom not long ago, Eustace snaps out of his thoughts when she sits down and he glances at her with a small smile. Whether he pays mind to her avoiding her gaze doesn't matter—he can't quite look her in the eye either just yet.]

Thanks, it looks good.

[And he'll first reach over for that coffee to take a long sip before taking that first bite. ...Yep. It's good. And again, for some reason better than he's ever had.

He would have continued to eat quietly, but Clover mews and walks over to Tifa. Mama can I try some?]

She's accepted you, by the way.

[He's not sure if Tifa could tell yet or not, so he might as well get that cleared up.]

[It helps that Tifa makes a mean plate of eggs, her omelettes being a favourite among both regulars and new customers alike back at Seventh Heaven, but she still swells with pride when he compliments her anyway. She feels oddly pleased with herself, and her lips pull upwards into a smile around her cheeks puffing out while she chews her food.

And it widens a little more when he passes the news to Clover, and when the kitten trots over, she gives her a scratch behind the ears before moving her hand between her nose and the edge of the plate. No, she can't have any. Can kittens even eat eggs? She isn't sure, but without knowing, she isn't about to find out.]

Has she? That's good news. I guess all it took was a comfortable night's sleep.

[Even as she tries to gingerly shoo her away?

But as she says it, she hardly realizes that she's casting Eustace a timid but pointed look across the table, Clover's sad mewl turning to a quiet echo in her head.]

I'm glad to hear it...

I had a feeling she would warm up to you.

[And hoped, but for whatever reason, Tifa had been the strongest candidate in his mind. Maybe it was because she had told him she used to have a cat once.]

But... I also appreciate you for accepting this sudden request. I know it's not the most responsible thing to just suddenly foist such a large responsibility on someone. So...

[There's a small tapping of his fork as he seems to hesitate before he continues.]

If you have any trouble, just call me.

[He had already said he would help yesterday, but he feels it needs to be said again.]

[Tifa's expression softens at the offer.]

It's all right. I don't mind.

[All Tifa wants right now is to take care of and protect this poor kitten from the world, and show her what a good, welcoming home should be like. Sadly, it won't be here, but if there's any strong candidate for a place being the most welcoming home in Camelot, it's Aerith's. She puts her full trust and confidence in that.

But her head tilts at him, her eyes moving from the fork tapping on his plate to his face, studying it carefully for a moment before she breaks, grabbing a small bite of egg on her fork.]

You know you can call me too.

[For anything at all.

With that said, she quickly moves on.]

Um, are you gonna be okay getting back?

[Of course he will be. That's a silly question, but there's that persistent flutter again that she's been trying so hard to fend off that pushing him even further away felt like the easiest thing to do right now.]

[...Calling her...

Come to think of it, this is the first time he's approached Tifa first, isn't it? All the other times she's the one who would visit or message him first for something. ...Should he try to? Granted he's not really one to message someone first unless he needs something to begin with, and he's just...never needed to bother her until now. Hm.

But then at her question he arches a brow.]

Are you afraid I'll be attacked on the streets?

[Just a little teasing, though he says it with his usual straight face before shoveling another spoonful of eggs and getting more bacon.]

[Yeah, she feels a little called out right now, so she picks up her cup of coffee, her smile bashful from over the rim of the cup before she carefully sips.]

You never know. This place is full of surprises.

[Although it's still fairly early in the morning and there likely isn't a lot to worry about at this hour, but that isn't exactly what she'd meant by that. In more ways than one, this world continues to surprise her.

Clover mewls and moves over to Eustace's plate now, trying to get a bite of his egg and complaining that mom didn't let her. "Please, dad?"]

I'm allowed to worry.

...True, there have been certain occasions. [Like the animal mage hunt.

But he just looks at her for a moment before he taps Clover on the head. No. We are not playing the "run to the other parent when one says no" game.]

Do you want me to text you when I get home?

[Just a very small, very light smile at the silly thought.]

[He's joking, but she's not.

But there's a colouring rising in her cheeks at the thought of that. It was always her reaching out to him, so...]

Yeah. ... I'd like that.

[There's something fond and gentle in the way she says it, and she catches a glimpse of his smile before she digs into her food some more, picking at the eggs and bacon rather than eating it. She has to bite her lip to stop her own from spreading even wider.]

Gotta make sure no one attacked you on the street at eight in the morning.

[He had indeed been joking, and initially he would think she was following along with it. But he gets a feeling she might be serious, something that isn't really surprising, but... For some reason, it feels different. That it's not just out of concern.

That's of course nonsense, of course it's only out of concern. Yet he still feels strangely odd and there's a small pause before he gathers the last of the food on his plate.]

Just don't go crazy after five minutes. Have to let me actually get there.

[Right, it's just a simple message no need to feel weird about it. There's nothing to feel weird about, anyway.]

I'll try.

[Tifa sets her fork down, the thought of him leaving at all leaving a sad twinge in her chest, and she tries to push it away along with her chair, scraping against the floor in the awkward silence that follows. She grabs her plate, the food still on it, and she takes it to the counter.]

... I'll go gather your things.

[Clover looks at her, then at Eustace, and mewls in protest. "Nooo, don't go!" as Tifa scurries out of the kitchen to where he'd left his gear the night before.]

[The food still on her plate hadn't escaped his noticed, but because he had been looking downward whatever expression she had, did. So he can only watch her back for a moment before he sets his fork down.]

It's fine, I can get it.

[...Clover you're not helping things.]

Your food...

[She's already grabbing his things he'd left near the couch, putting whatever she can fit into a couple small tote bags, and Clover hops down from the table to follow, pausing on the floor to meow loudly at Eustace to walk with her.

And if he does get up, by the time he arrives in the living room, she'll have nicely packed up his gear as if she was packing him lunch instead.]

I've already finished.

[And it's true, he has a clean plate! He's also going to be nice and bring it to the sink first before joining Clover. He looks down at her with a sigh before walking into the living room, feeling a little awkward at how she's packing his things.]

...You really didn't have to do this.

It's fine.

[She holds out the couple of tote bags for him, checking around them for anything she might have forgotten. Even if she has, she'll be sure to return it to him later. Can't be leaving things behind when there's a family staying here.

Speaking of that...

...

.... ]

If you ever wanna visit, or need anything, I can give you the address to Aerith's. I'm sure Clover would be happy to see you.

[Tifa, too.]

[Aerith...right, the place she's going to stay while the refugee thing is going on.

He takes the bags first, looking at everything neatly packed into them before finally answering.]

...Sure, it would be good to have on hand.

closed 🌠 the night is blind, so hard to find the way back home

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