[ When Cloud and Weiss sparred, it wasn't as cutthroat as being a conventional sword fight. It wasn't like clashing with Winter who was just a touch more physical by comparison. ]
I'd be more worried about whatever tried running into me.
[ Sorry. He's kidding. Just saying what comes to his head because running top-speed and chatting at the same time isn't something he usually does. He almost wants to laugh. There's his apartment complex up ahead! He spots his hoverbike, and wastes little time in swinging his leg over the hefty machine to straddle it. 'Kay. Where was it again? Uhm... Ah. There! Goggles on. Palm on the ignition pad that taps into his Chroma aaand-
Sköll comes to life! ]
I better get off the phone. Bout to ride.
[ Much as he's tempted to break the law some more with talking while driving (and he could just use the hip-based turning system that came custom to his bike so his hands were free...), it'd be hard to hear her as he's riding over the sound of the engine as it comes to life. And so Cloud does eventually hang up. While he isn't talking and driving, he is about to break some rules of the road to take advantage of his beast's features.
Such as taking it out of wheel-mode as they suddenly rotate to become hover pads, keeping him hovering off the ground and able to cut through the otherwise empty parks and cutting corners with ease. Definitely would have been cool to have this tech for Fenrir back home. Right now, Sköll is earning more and more cool points. By the time Cloud arrives at her complex, Sköll comes to a sliding stop by the front entrance. Killing the engine, he doesn't even waste his time making sure he's parked properly. Just going to set the kickstand and start making his way up. And this time?
He's not late or just in time. He actually arrives a couple minutes earlier than he thought he would. ]
[ Ruby may have been the one who stated that they're the best Huntsmen in Atlas now, but Weiss firmly believes the same thing after what happened. Even now, she thinks she'll be a good match against Winter. Though that's not really something she wants to test any time soon... or ever.
She'd talk more, but she ends up giving out a reprimanding "Cloud!" Because please??? Behave??? Smh. And there's a quick "bye!" on her end when he says he's hanging up.
Weiss waits. She's done packing so she doesn't... really know what to so now. Maybe check her hair? She'll do that, then, but it looks fine, so it doesn't even take her over a minute to fix it. Now she's getting anxious, and not in a good way. She's usually more calm, but... maybe Cloud rushing over to her is getting to her, too.
Eventually, she calms down and is just seated in her living room. A bunch of her stuff are still in boxes, and then there's her luggage. When she hears the knock at the door, it almost feels like he's doing it way too loudly. As excited as she is, her footsteps are slow on her way to the door. When she answers and opens it, she peeks out first. ]
[ Cloud is initially reluctant to knock. In fact, he raises his hand to the door and stops himself a couple of times. Mostly because he needs a moment to stop his racing heart. Everything was moving so damn fast; what if this was just a dream? It all felt like one with how abruptly his plans changed. One moment he was sending a voicemail about how much he missed her, and was slowly coming to terms with her being gone...and now he can hardly remember half of the things he did on the way over to her place. In the hopes of catching her before she's gone again. ]
...
[ She's not the only one feeling anxious, to say the least. But after steeling himself, his face like stone, he finally knocks. A few times. And then stops. There's a feeling of dread that creeps up his spine. What was going to happen if that door opened and it was all a trick? And he woke up in his bed again and she wasn't there and-- ]
!
[ Cloud's hand is on the doorframe as she opens. He swallows, only remembering to breath again when he sees her peeking out. His eyes widen when he hears her voice again, this time in person as she peeks out. And for a moment that feels like a damned eternity, he's speechless. All this time he was used to actually saying goodbye to his memories, but this...this was a new feeling entirely. A gentle huff passes his lips. ]
That's a real difference. Hearing you and seeing you.
[ Just how much did she make him worry? Her heart sinks when she sees his reaction to seeing her, as well as to what he says. This should be a cause for celebration, and Weiss does want to celebrate, but she thinks there are other things she needs to take care of, first.
When she opens the door completely, she doesn't let him in right away. Instead, she wraps her arms around him, immediately resting her head on his chest. He may have been upset that this could have been goodbye, but Weiss, upon getting back and categorising which memories she has are of here and of Remnant? She missed him. She missed him a lot. It's been weeks since she last saw him, so being able to see him now, even for a short while makes her really happy. ]
What about holding me?
[ Because she thinks there's a real difference, too. Whatever she was feeling earlier drifts away with how warm he makes her feel, and it's not even because of the Chroma. ]
[ His reaction to her hugging him is delayed, his arms out at his sides as his body goes stiff. First, it was Aerith who disappeared- that was around the time he wound up sharing his memories with her. Shortly after that, it was Zack's time to go. Other acquaintances have disappeared, and it was just recently that he realized his friend Corrin had also returned home. After dealing with so many people leaving and (so far) never coming back, he thought he would have to prepare himself for yet another loss. Try as he might to keep his head up...
He was just...tired of losing. Cloud's heart stops drumming so fast in his chest, and when she asks about holding her, Cloud's arms envelope her back. He's tall enough that he bows his head, resting it atop hers as warmth spreads through his body. ]
Even better.
[ For her, it's been a few weeks. For Cloud, it was technically only three days. Though he's relatively calm on the surface, and hardly one to let his emotions bleed through on the surface in excess, the softened timbre of his voice was telling enough. He lifts a hand up to the back of her head, holding her comfortably against his chest. ]
[ She lets him do that, basking in the feeling of being held, too. She doesn't do all this just for Cloud. She's not that generous, and she's certainly not that selfless. She likes this, too.
When it's been about three or four seconds, she looks up at him and smiles. Just a small one. It's a little difficult to read the mood right now. At the same time, she doesn't really know what to say to that. So rather than actually saying anything, she reaches for his cheek, caressing it with a hand before she leans in to give him a chaste but meaningful kiss on the lips.
Thank you. I'm sorry. I'm happy now.
It probably doesn't convey all of it, but.... it's a start. ]
[ This planet's done a stellar job of loosening the blond up when it came to holding hands with others, or hugging... Even if he wasn't the instigator of them most of the time unless it was an emergency.
For Cloud, she didn't do a single thing wrong. The two of them were subjects in this world's restoration. But he refused to let that be his life here. For the time that he has, he was going to do whatever he could to live. His smile is small in kind, and when she reaches for his cheek, he lets out a gentle breath. Meeting her halfway, there's nothing else that needs to be said. The past was the past, and they're still here.
In the now. As he pulls back from the kiss, his arms slip down to around her waist, giving her face a once over. Or more specifically... ]
[ Oh jeez... this wouldn't be the first time she's tied her hair up like this, but the first time for Cloud to see. When Yang said something about Blake's hair before, she felt like it wasn't needed and they were embarrassing. Now she's embarrassed because what she says is the same thing Blake said!! ]
Is— Is it bad?
[ She can't even look him in the eye now!!! 😖 WHAT'S HAPPENING WEISS SCHNEE ]
[ Okay, now he laughs. Even if Cloud's brand of 'laughing' is pretty lowkey and gentle. ]
Since when did 'new' equal 'bad'?
[ She's being really cute right now. So Cloud's going to tread the line between teasing and being honest with her. You know. Honing in on any weak spots. One of Cloud's hands trails up the small of her back, running along the underside of her braid, but not lifting her hair up either. ]
Lemme try again. [ And try again he does, this time letting his instincts guide him as he closes that distance and kisses her this time. Chaste as before. This time when he pulls back to see her flustered face, his answer is as straightforward as it gets. ] I like what you did to it.
[ :T She's a little less flustered now. Enough that her tsun comes out like some kind of defense mechanism to get rid of all the flustered feelings. She doesn't like not being on top of conversations!! ]
You're going to have to get used to it. I like tying my hair up like this now.
[ For now, he's done with teasing her. So he doesn't even bother with saying something like "I'll manage." He pulls back a little, hard as that was to do (both personally and due to losing that Chroma contact,) a hand on his hip as he stands in her doorway. ]
Your hair, your rules. [ A beat. Just so that he's clear. ] I still like it.
[ Meanwhile, cut to a day later when the sudden thought of Weiss letting her thick braid of hair down and undone floods his brain. /// ]
[ She doesn't want to be late as much as she wants to enjoy the moment. Midorima's having food delivered, and the food will get cold if she makes him wait long. ]
It's mostly just boxes, though... I'll fix it up next week.
[ She's gonna be busy the next coming days 😌 For now, she takes Cloud's hand so she can lead him further into the apartment. The living room is plenty straightforward, though this may be the first time he sees her white grand piano. ]
[ Not a whole lot to talk about, for sure. He's just glad to be able to see her. Most of the tension he felt from earlier in the day was gone. Of course, his eyes are drawn to the rather grandiose white piano set up. He's never seen one so fancy before. Especially compared to the one in Tifa's old home. His free hand gently rests atop the pristine surface of the piano. For all the tech he's seen in Midgar, he's still a country boy at heart. ]
I think I will. [ A beat, ] Can't just keep playing at the store.
[ The kitchen and dining rooms are on the other side of the hall. There's a small corridor in the middle that leads to the rooms— one bedroom was converted into a walk-in closet, all blue and white in interior, which is pretty... Weiss-y and expected. The bathroom is glamorous for a condo unit, and when they get to Weiss' bedroom, she turns to face him once they're by the door. ]
No jumping on the bed.
[ Then she opens the door... ta-dah! The bedroom looks like the first room that's completely done in terms of furniture and other fixtures. No boxes are in sight. ]
[ This was some elaborate walk-in closet. Suffice to say he's never seen one so fancy. Or at least so...well. It's on brand for Weiss. His apartment looks like a dumpster dive by comparison, he feels like. Though a lot of that had to do with a certain spiky-haired blonde angel he lived with. HE TRIES TO KEEP UP. Cloud stops abruptly when she turns to face him, blinking as she's giving him a warning. ]
Will I be tempted?
[ She opens the door, and voila! It does look incredibly inviting. Spacious, fully furnished and all. She hasn't finished unpacking yet, but this would give Marie's place a run for her money! ...somewhat. Marie was a Queen, after all. ]
Whew~ [ He whistles lowly. ] How's it feel? Having your own space.
[ He shrugs. There's a lot of things he wants to say. And maybe he'll get a chance to say some of them before she goes. But he has to remind himself that she just got back. What was a few days for him, might have been far longer for her. ]
[ Now that Strife Delivery Service has taken off the ground proper, his scheduling was more consistent in kind. It also helps that his line of work is more loose and freeform. So it made taking detours for his friends and companions easier. ]
Don't need a house sitter? [ He smirks before shaking his head. He's kidding. ] I'm glad you're back.
[ Maybe if Moon Knight duties or something comes up that'd send her away for some time, he'd help out. But. For now he's good. ]
Right... [ He rubs the back of his head. A quirk of his whenever he felt like he was at a loss for words. He wants to keep talking to her. Ask her what happened in Remnant. Sit down with her and just, be in her company again. Maybe fiddle around on the piano with the good bits he knew to play. But he knows the time- where she's going. And it'd be selfish of him to keep her.
They had plenty of time. ]
Well... I should probably... [ Mm. This was silly. He misses her. :T ] Need a lift if you're heading out?
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[ When Cloud and Weiss sparred, it wasn't as cutthroat as being a conventional sword fight. It wasn't like clashing with Winter who was just a touch more physical by comparison. ]
I'd be more worried about whatever tried running into me.
[ Sorry. He's kidding. Just saying what comes to his head because running top-speed and chatting at the same time isn't something he usually does. He almost wants to laugh. There's his apartment complex up ahead! He spots his hoverbike, and wastes little time in swinging his leg over the hefty machine to straddle it. 'Kay. Where was it again? Uhm... Ah. There! Goggles on. Palm on the ignition pad that taps into his Chroma aaand-
Sköll comes to life! ]
I better get off the phone. Bout to ride.
[ Much as he's tempted to break the law some more with talking while driving (and he could just use the hip-based turning system that came custom to his bike so his hands were free...), it'd be hard to hear her as he's riding over the sound of the engine as it comes to life. And so Cloud does eventually hang up. While he isn't talking and driving, he is about to break some rules of the road to take advantage of his beast's features.
Such as taking it out of wheel-mode as they suddenly rotate to become hover pads, keeping him hovering off the ground and able to cut through the otherwise empty parks and cutting corners with ease. Definitely would have been cool to have this tech for Fenrir back home. Right now, Sköll is earning more and more cool points. By the time Cloud arrives at her complex, Sköll comes to a sliding stop by the front entrance. Killing the engine, he doesn't even waste his time making sure he's parked properly. Just going to set the kickstand and start making his way up. And this time?
He's not late or just in time. He actually arrives a couple minutes earlier than he thought he would. ]
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She'd talk more, but she ends up giving out a reprimanding "Cloud!" Because please??? Behave??? Smh. And there's a quick "bye!" on her end when he says he's hanging up.
Weiss waits. She's done packing so she doesn't... really know what to so now. Maybe check her hair? She'll do that, then, but it looks fine, so it doesn't even take her over a minute to fix it. Now she's getting anxious, and not in a good way. She's usually more calm, but... maybe Cloud rushing over to her is getting to her, too.
Eventually, she calms down and is just seated in her living room. A bunch of her stuff are still in boxes, and then there's her luggage. When she hears the knock at the door, it almost feels like he's doing it way too loudly. As excited as she is, her footsteps are slow on her way to the door. When she answers and opens it, she peeks out first. ]
Hi.
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...
[ She's not the only one feeling anxious, to say the least. But after steeling himself, his face like stone, he finally knocks. A few times. And then stops. There's a feeling of dread that creeps up his spine. What was going to happen if that door opened and it was all a trick? And he woke up in his bed again and she wasn't there and-- ]
!
[ Cloud's hand is on the doorframe as she opens. He swallows, only remembering to breath again when he sees her peeking out. His eyes widen when he hears her voice again, this time in person as she peeks out. And for a moment that feels like a damned eternity, he's speechless. All this time he was used to actually saying goodbye to his memories, but this...this was a new feeling entirely. A gentle huff passes his lips. ]
That's a real difference. Hearing you and seeing you.
[ If this is a dream, don't wake him. ]
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When she opens the door completely, she doesn't let him in right away. Instead, she wraps her arms around him, immediately resting her head on his chest. He may have been upset that this could have been goodbye, but Weiss, upon getting back and categorising which memories she has are of here and of Remnant? She missed him. She missed him a lot. It's been weeks since she last saw him, so being able to see him now, even for a short while makes her really happy. ]
What about holding me?
[ Because she thinks there's a real difference, too. Whatever she was feeling earlier drifts away with how warm he makes her feel, and it's not even because of the Chroma. ]
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He was just...tired of losing. Cloud's heart stops drumming so fast in his chest, and when she asks about holding her, Cloud's arms envelope her back. He's tall enough that he bows his head, resting it atop hers as warmth spreads through his body. ]
Even better.
[ For her, it's been a few weeks. For Cloud, it was technically only three days. Though he's relatively calm on the surface, and hardly one to let his emotions bleed through on the surface in excess, the softened timbre of his voice was telling enough. He lifts a hand up to the back of her head, holding her comfortably against his chest. ]
Welcome back, Weiss.
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When it's been about three or four seconds, she looks up at him and smiles. Just a small one. It's a little difficult to read the mood right now. At the same time, she doesn't really know what to say to that. So rather than actually saying anything, she reaches for his cheek, caressing it with a hand before she leans in to give him a chaste but meaningful kiss on the lips.
Thank you. I'm sorry. I'm happy now.
It probably doesn't convey all of it, but.... it's a start. ]
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For Cloud, she didn't do a single thing wrong. The two of them were subjects in this world's restoration. But he refused to let that be his life here. For the time that he has, he was going to do whatever he could to live. His smile is small in kind, and when she reaches for his cheek, he lets out a gentle breath. Meeting her halfway, there's nothing else that needs to be said. The past was the past, and they're still here.
In the now. As he pulls back from the kiss, his arms slip down to around her waist, giving her face a once over. Or more specifically... ]
The hair's new.
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Is— Is it bad?
[ She can't even look him in the eye now!!! 😖 WHAT'S HAPPENING WEISS SCHNEE ]
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Since when did 'new' equal 'bad'?
[ She's being really cute right now. So Cloud's going to tread the line between teasing and being honest with her. You know. Honing in on any weak spots. One of Cloud's hands trails up the small of her back, running along the underside of her braid, but not lifting her hair up either. ]
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[ What is she going to do now... maybe she should just go bald???? Jeez. Her face is so red right now. ]
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Lemme try again. [ And try again he does, this time letting his instincts guide him as he closes that distance and kisses her this time. Chaste as before. This time when he pulls back to see her flustered face, his answer is as straightforward as it gets. ] I like what you did to it.
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[ :T She's a little less flustered now. Enough that her tsun comes out like some kind of defense mechanism to get rid of all the flustered feelings. She doesn't like not being on top of conversations!! ]
You're going to have to get used to it. I like tying my hair up like this now.
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Your hair, your rules. [ A beat. Just so that he's clear. ] I still like it.
[ Meanwhile, cut to a day later when the sudden thought of Weiss letting her thick braid of hair down and undone floods his brain. /// ]
How much time before you gotta jet?
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[ She doesn't want to be late as much as she wants to enjoy the moment. Midorima's having food delivered, and the food will get cold if she makes him wait long. ]
I can give you a tour. You're my second visitor.
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[ He hasn't offered yet, but to help her save on time, he's not against giving her a lift after. Sköll was a speedy option. ]
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[ She's gonna be busy the next coming days 😌 For now, she takes Cloud's hand so she can lead him further into the apartment. The living room is plenty straightforward, though this may be the first time he sees her white grand piano. ]
You can practice here if you want.
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I think I will. [ A beat, ] Can't just keep playing at the store.
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No jumping on the bed.
[ Then she opens the door... ta-dah! The bedroom looks like the first room that's completely done in terms of furniture and other fixtures. No boxes are in sight. ]
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[ This was some elaborate walk-in closet. Suffice to say he's never seen one so fancy. Or at least so...well. It's on brand for Weiss. His apartment looks like a dumpster dive by comparison, he feels like. Though a lot of that had to do with a certain spiky-haired blonde angel he lived with. HE TRIES TO KEEP UP. Cloud stops abruptly when she turns to face him, blinking as she's giving him a warning. ]
Will I be tempted?
[ She opens the door, and voila! It does look incredibly inviting. Spacious, fully furnished and all. She hasn't finished unpacking yet, but this would give Marie's place a run for her money! ...somewhat. Marie was a Queen, after all. ]
Whew~ [ He whistles lowly. ] How's it feel? Having your own space.
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[ For obvious reasons. And she won't get to until she comes back from her two consecutive trips, too! ]
It'll probably be nice and quiet, though. Plus, my guests won't have to wonder why there's a bed hanging from the ceiling.
[ Thanks, Ruby. ]
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[ He shrugs. There's a lot of things he wants to say. And maybe he'll get a chance to say some of them before she goes. But he has to remind himself that she just got back. What was a few days for him, might have been far longer for her. ]
You did good. I like the place.
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[ And their interactions so far have been good! Weiss normally texts him her schedule, anyway, because she's a very organised nerd. ]
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Don't need a house sitter? [ He smirks before shaking his head. He's kidding. ] I'm glad you're back.
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[ She's not complaining. ]
Thanks for coming. [ With the tour done, she leads him back to the living room. ] I'm glad I could see you again.
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[ Maybe if Moon Knight duties or something comes up that'd send her away for some time, he'd help out. But. For now he's good. ]
Right... [ He rubs the back of his head. A quirk of his whenever he felt like he was at a loss for words. He wants to keep talking to her. Ask her what happened in Remnant. Sit down with her and just, be in her company again. Maybe fiddle around on the piano with the good bits he knew to play. But he knows the time- where she's going. And it'd be selfish of him to keep her.
They had plenty of time. ]
Well... I should probably... [ Mm. This was silly. He misses her. :T ] Need a lift if you're heading out?
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