[ it's not the first time tseng has said those same words to her, but each time it feels like it is, and each time is the same: her gaze lowers and her cheeks flush faintly pink, her heart skipping a beat in her chest. maybe it's something she'll never grow accustomed to, but maybe that's all right. maybe she wants that, too. ]
I like this on you, [ she says when they part eventually, one hand settling briefly on his hip, her thumb brushing a warm curve over the waistband of his slacks. she'd go lower if they weren't in public. ] It suits you very well.
[ which really should be expected at this point, but it bears repeating. she's honestly not entirely sure how she's supposed to get through dinner like this, but it's fine. she does laugh a little before slipping her arm through his, her fingers settling comfortably around the curve of his elbow as they head inside.
it's early enough that the dinner hour rush hasn't settled in yet, and it's almost easy to think that they're the only ones there. this is also new: she can count the number of times she's been out to dinner on one hand back home, but it feels inexplicably comfortable to be sitting across from him like this — just two people on a dinner date. she finds the novelty of it charming, but such is the case with most things involving tseng. ]
I saw a post about your birthday on the bulletin board in the lobby earlier today. [ in case he was wondering about how she knew. ] But the gift I'd purchased in advance. I saw it in the Nest some time ago and it reminded me of you.
Thank you, [ tseng says, with a slight smile that suggests he hopes clorinde is just as much looking forward to undressing him after dinner as he's looking forward to undressing her. something about the formal clothes—there's just such a thrill in removing them, isn't there?
he stays at clorinde's side as they're led through the restaurant, pulls out her chair like a real gentleman and then helps her scoot in before he takes his seat across from here. tseng doesn't spend much time at the gilded cage, but for an occasion like this, and for the chance to look at clorinde across the dinner table, he's glad they're here. ]
On the bulletin board? [ tseng repeats, then laughs quietly. ] I didn't know the House cared so much.
[ especially since until recently, tseng himself hardly cared at all. ]
Well, yes. Today is my birthday and I'm turning thirty-two. [ which isn't all that old in the grand scheme of things, but since he's not actually sure he's ever told clorinde how old he is, he figures he may as well. ] And it's striking me now that I'm not sure I know your birthday, either.
[ there's definitely something about it — peeling away the perfectly tailored layers to reveal the secrets beneath, despite them both having seen every part of each other. like unwrapping a favorite gift; familiar, but the tease of a potential surprise is always there.
thirty-two isn't really that old, and given that clorinde herself often never quite feels her age, the number doesn't really surprise her. he is right, though, that she's never told him hers, and her smile turns a little rueful. ]
... It's September twentieth. [ yes, it'd already passed. ] I'll be turning twenty-nine this year.
[ and now they both know. neither of them had really cared about it themselves, she's certain, but it feels — nice, to know his. to be able to celebrate it with him, even if it's just over dinner. ]
September twentieth... [ in a gesture probably wholly unsurprising, tseng immediately programs it into his watch's calendar to make sure he won't miss it when it comes around again. once that's done, he rests his forearms on the table and looks across it at clorinde, a smile half-tugging at his lips. ] I believe that means we were already acquainted for your birthday last year, Ms. Clorinde.
[ he's only teasing, and very lightly at that. tseng better than anyone understands how easy it is for birthdays to become meaningless when your life is dedicated to some other purpose; tseng, as a turk, and clorinde as the champion duelist of fontaine, would have had countless other things to think about than celebrating their own births.
still, he's glad she told him. neither of them are really the type to go all-out for events like that, but even if their celebration is just dinner and a small gift, it's an opportunity to show her that he cares. ]
[ it's unsurprising, but it's so very tseng that she's a little charmed by it, unable to stop the small huff of amusement as she watches him input the date. her birthday was public knowledge back home, even if she'd never gone out of her way for it; birthdays meant very little when she'd been abandoned since birth. but to see him make a note of it like this makes something akin to fondness and a little embarrassment settle warmly in her chest. ]
We were, yes. [ only for a few months, at least. ] And if I remember correctly, I shared the morning with you.
[ well... not just the morning, but the afternoon also. ]
[ although it's quite common for them to share mornings these days, back then it was a little less so, and that means it only takes a moment for tseng to understand what she means. he smiles at the recollection, although there's a little touch of heat in his gaze as he looks across the table at her. ]
You certainly do remember correctly. [ that had been a satisfying morning indeed, for both of them. tseng remembers it fondly. ] That's a relief. Here I was thinking I'd completely neglected to give you a birthday gift.
[ which is mostly a joke, because tseng is a relatively confident man, but not so egotistical as to think of morning sex with him as a gift per se. ]
Would you like something to drink? [ tseng asks after a moment, gesturing briefly to the menu. ]
[ it wasn't the very first time she'd stayed the night, but it was one of the first few — early enough that she wouldn't forget it with how rare it was for her to do so back home. even now, it still feels a little new to know that there is a place for her at tseng's side, and that he wants her to be there. ]
To have the privilege of your time is a gift in itself.
[ which is also a joke but rooted in truth. he's a popular man, but he chose to be here tonight. the significance of that doesn't go unnoticed.
she glances down at the menu and remembers that, yes, there's still the rest of dinner to get through. ]
Do you enjoy wine? [ actually— ] I don't think I've ever asked if there was something in particular that you liked.
[ it's true that tseng carefully maintains a network of relationships here in the resort, some for personal reasons and others for practical ones—but among all those people he knows, clorinde is uniquely important to tseng, and it's hardly a difficult thing for him to choose to spend his time in his company. if anything, it feels more like a privilege for tseng to be so invited.
he smiles at the question, resting an elbow on the table and his chin in his palm as he gazes across at clorinde. she really is unbelievably beautiful—it's gift enough to sit here across from her. ]
I do enjoy wine, but my favorite liquor is gin, [ tseng says, consideringly. after a moment he adds, ] The village where I was born had juniper trees.
[ maybe his enjoyment of the flavor of gin is nostalgic, in a sense. if it's possible to be nostalgic for something you no longer remember. at any rate, although tseng rarely talks about his childhood or his former home, he feels safe to do so with clorinde. ]
[ the addition makes her smile grow, if only because it's new information that he decided to share with her. there was never a sense of urgency to learn everything about each other and she was content to proceed at their own pace, but she's nonetheless happy to know more about him whenever she's able to. ]
I assume that's an important ingredient for gin. I've never had it, but I'd like to try.
[ it's only the second time he's mentioned his home, and while she's far from knowing all of it, it's still nice to have these little details. when one of the staff comes by to take their drink orders, she decides to get one with gin in it — something more tart than sweet. ]
I don't often drink due to the nature of my work, but on those few occasions, I've had red wine. Sometimes whiskey. If I had to pick a favorite, I'd choose the latter.
[ the flavor is stronger in some than others, of course, and the botanical taste isn't for everyone, but tseng hopes clorinde likes the drink she's chosen.
it doesn't take long for the server to return, to deliver their drinks and take their dinner orders, and from there it's effortless. they talk, sip their drinks, talk some more—lighter topics, and some more tender ones, the kind of conversation tseng has rarely allowed himself to make with anyone but is glad to be able to make with clorinde. he trusts her deeply, a fact he's known for a long time and yet continually finds himself surprised to realize—although they haven't made a point to sit down and hash out their respective pasts, it still feels to him like there's nothing that he wouldn't tell her, if she wanted to know.
it's about two hours later that they finally emerge from the restaurant, pleasantly full and a little bit tipsy. giving in to temptation, tseng slips his arm around clorinde's shoulders to draw her against his side, then leans over to press a kiss to her temple and breathe in the light, familiar fragrance of her. ]
Thank you, [ he murmurs, sounding content. ] That was wonderful.
[ it's not a flavor profile that she's accustomed to — a little more bitter than she'd first expected, but it's pleasant. the fact that it's his favorite does make it taste sweeter in a way, even if she knows it's likely attributed to the warmth left behind at the knowledge and less about the flavor.
but they get through dinner, and she orders another, forgetting for a moment about where they are and who she has to be. nine months spent in the resort has taught her more about herself than the past twenty-something years—how it feels to be just clorinde while being with tseng, and the comfortable ease of it. sometimes it catches her by surprise when she thinks about all the changes between them from when she'd first met him. minor ones when viewed individually, but as a whole it feels much more significant.
like leaving gilded cage tipsier than when she'd entered, letting tseng pull her close with his nose against her hair. at his thanks, she tips her face up to his, fingers brushing along his jaw coax him down for a kiss while she leans against him, uncaring of anyone else that could pass by. ]
If I haven't monopolized enough of your time already, may I walk you back to your suite?
[ with equal disregard for anyone who might be watching, tseng leans down into the kiss, a little more passionate than perhaps is strictly appropriate for a public environment. blame that on the alcohol—or on tseng's own attraction to clorinde, who is, as ever, the most beautiful woman tseng has ever seen.
he smiles slightly when they part, his arm having dropped to her waist to draw her close to him. her body is a line of heat against his own. ]
You certainly may walk me back to my suite, [ tseng says, and then a little softer, ] and I was hoping you might stay the night, if you aren't otherwise occupied.
[ it's a little silly to be shy about asking her to spend the night when she's already spent so many nights with him, isn't it? and yet tseng still feels it, the newness of having someone he wants to be with this way. besides, it's his birthday. if ever there was a day that he's allowed to be selfish in asking for what he wants, wouldn't it be today? ]
[ it's not very appropriate and not very decent, certainly, as they haven't made it very far from the restaurant. but she's not thinking about that, nor is she thinking much about anything else, letting herself indulge in the kiss until he finally pulls away. his arm is a warm band around her waist, steady and comforting as she leans into it. the movement arches her back a little, pressing her chest flush against his.
and yet in spite of all of that, she's just as guilty of feeling a little shy — the light flush on her cheeks just as incriminating as the way she presses her lips to his cheek to hide a smile. ]
I was hoping you'd ask.
[ mainly because of the second half of the gift still hidden beneath her dress, but she'd never refuse the opportunity to spend more time with him.
it's a bit of a walk to his suite, but she doesn't mind, if only because it gives her the excuse to kiss him again once they make it to the elevator. ]
[ being a little shy himself is one thing, but to see that same gentle shyness reflected in clorinde's expression makes tseng's heart feel as though it's going to burst. he presses his nose briefly into her cheek, feeling the warmth of her blush, and muffles a helpless laugh in her hair before straightening up to offer her his arm like a proper gentleman. ]
In that case, [ he says, fighting against a smile that's nonetheless visible in his gaze as he looks down at clorinde.
the walk to the elevator is a blessedly short one. the private lifts that service the face card floors are centrally located for maximum convenience, and for the very first time tseng finds himself appreciating that fact, not least of all because once the elevator car arrives and the doors slide shut behind them, tseng and clorinde find themselves very much alone.
and it's in the full knowledge of that solitude that tseng turns to face clorinde again, bringing his palms up to frame her cheeks as he ducks his head into another kiss—this one much deeper, much more passionate than the one they'd shared outside the restaurant, plain evidence of both his attraction and his love for her. ]
[ it's immediate—tseng reaches for her once the doors close and she's already tipping her face up to his without even thinking of it, breathing a sigh into his mouth that could almost be one of relief. her hands slip beneath his suit jacket, palms smoothing over his hips to meet at the small of his back, nudging him forward as she steps closer. maybe it's the alcohol, or her affection, or likely some combination of both, but once their bodies press together the solid warmth of him against her front is so sweet it makes her shiver. ]
I love you, [ she murmurs in between kisses, softly and with more emotion that catches her off guard. one day she'll be able to say it without feeling overwhelmed, but that day isn't today. she swallows, pressing her lips briefly to the corner of his mouth and then the hinge of his jaw. ] I'm happy to spend part of today with you.
[ would that she could spend every birthday with him, but who knows if either of them would be here still tomorrow, much less in another year? their days are limited, but she can only do what she can, which is to cherish each moment she does have with him. ]
[ by now it no longer surprises tseng that even their moments of ardent desire are underpinned by genuine adoration, that it comes just as easily to him to say i love you as it does to say i want you. he ducks his head slightly, hides his smile in a kiss he returns to clorinde's jaw, her throat, breathing in the subtly floral scent of her skin. ]
I love you too, [ he says, then places another kiss just atop her pulse. ] Thank you for wanting to.
[ he'd said it earlier, hadn't he? that it's a rare thing for tseng to celebrate his birthday. there are few who even know the date, and among them even fewer who would want to do something like this, take him out for a meal, give him a gift—it's precious to tseng, therefore, that clorinde is not only willing but eager.
tseng holds her close until the elevator doors slide open to deposit them on the queen floor. only then does he unwind his arms from around her, although he once again drops his arm so they can lace their fingers together as they make their way back to tseng's suite—a different suite than he'd been in last she visited, although when he pushes the door open it becomes apparent that the new queen digs are equally sparse.
at any rate, tseng's not really thinking about that. he toes his shoes off in the foyer and then turns to clorinde, offering her a hand to guide her into the room. ]
[ with most of her focus on tseng, the notice of his change in rank is more of an afterthought, something to file away for later when she's not caught up in his arms. the new suite, while large, is sparse—fitting, given how his previous one was, and perhaps that's a little comforting in its own right. no matter the changes around them, he has still remained the same.
she steps out of her heels, her feet now blessedly flat against the floor as she follows him further inside. she shakes her head at his question, fingers slipping around and up to hold his wrist instead. ]
No, I think I've had enough.
[ she guides his hand to the slit in her dress so he can feel the thin material of her stockings, then higher up, where his fingers may graze along the lace edge of a garter, hinting at something more beneath. tights and garter belts were part of the duelist uniform back home, but it's been some time since she's worn them after arriving in the resort. ]
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I like this on you, [ she says when they part eventually, one hand settling briefly on his hip, her thumb brushing a warm curve over the waistband of his slacks. she'd go lower if they weren't in public. ] It suits you very well.
[ which really should be expected at this point, but it bears repeating. she's honestly not entirely sure how she's supposed to get through dinner like this, but it's fine. she does laugh a little before slipping her arm through his, her fingers settling comfortably around the curve of his elbow as they head inside.
it's early enough that the dinner hour rush hasn't settled in yet, and it's almost easy to think that they're the only ones there. this is also new: she can count the number of times she's been out to dinner on one hand back home, but it feels inexplicably comfortable to be sitting across from him like this — just two people on a dinner date. she finds the novelty of it charming, but such is the case with most things involving tseng. ]
I saw a post about your birthday on the bulletin board in the lobby earlier today. [ in case he was wondering about how she knew. ] But the gift I'd purchased in advance. I saw it in the Nest some time ago and it reminded me of you.
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he stays at clorinde's side as they're led through the restaurant, pulls out her chair like a real gentleman and then helps her scoot in before he takes his seat across from here. tseng doesn't spend much time at the gilded cage, but for an occasion like this, and for the chance to look at clorinde across the dinner table, he's glad they're here. ]
On the bulletin board? [ tseng repeats, then laughs quietly. ] I didn't know the House cared so much.
[ especially since until recently, tseng himself hardly cared at all. ]
Well, yes. Today is my birthday and I'm turning thirty-two. [ which isn't all that old in the grand scheme of things, but since he's not actually sure he's ever told clorinde how old he is, he figures he may as well. ] And it's striking me now that I'm not sure I know your birthday, either.
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thirty-two isn't really that old, and given that clorinde herself often never quite feels her age, the number doesn't really surprise her. he is right, though, that she's never told him hers, and her smile turns a little rueful. ]
... It's September twentieth. [ yes, it'd already passed. ] I'll be turning twenty-nine this year.
[ and now they both know. neither of them had really cared about it themselves, she's certain, but it feels — nice, to know his. to be able to celebrate it with him, even if it's just over dinner. ]
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[ he's only teasing, and very lightly at that. tseng better than anyone understands how easy it is for birthdays to become meaningless when your life is dedicated to some other purpose; tseng, as a turk, and clorinde as the champion duelist of fontaine, would have had countless other things to think about than celebrating their own births.
still, he's glad she told him. neither of them are really the type to go all-out for events like that, but even if their celebration is just dinner and a small gift, it's an opportunity to show her that he cares. ]
Did you do anything to celebrate?
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We were, yes. [ only for a few months, at least. ] And if I remember correctly, I shared the morning with you.
[ well... not just the morning, but the afternoon also. ]
That alone was enough for me.
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You certainly do remember correctly. [ that had been a satisfying morning indeed, for both of them. tseng remembers it fondly. ] That's a relief. Here I was thinking I'd completely neglected to give you a birthday gift.
[ which is mostly a joke, because tseng is a relatively confident man, but not so egotistical as to think of morning sex with him as a gift per se. ]
Would you like something to drink? [ tseng asks after a moment, gesturing briefly to the menu. ]
no subject
To have the privilege of your time is a gift in itself.
[ which is also a joke but rooted in truth. he's a popular man, but he chose to be here tonight. the significance of that doesn't go unnoticed.
she glances down at the menu and remembers that, yes, there's still the rest of dinner to get through. ]
Do you enjoy wine? [ actually— ] I don't think I've ever asked if there was something in particular that you liked.
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he smiles at the question, resting an elbow on the table and his chin in his palm as he gazes across at clorinde. she really is unbelievably beautiful—it's gift enough to sit here across from her. ]
I do enjoy wine, but my favorite liquor is gin, [ tseng says, consideringly. after a moment he adds, ] The village where I was born had juniper trees.
[ maybe his enjoyment of the flavor of gin is nostalgic, in a sense. if it's possible to be nostalgic for something you no longer remember. at any rate, although tseng rarely talks about his childhood or his former home, he feels safe to do so with clorinde. ]
What about you?
no subject
I assume that's an important ingredient for gin. I've never had it, but I'd like to try.
[ it's only the second time he's mentioned his home, and while she's far from knowing all of it, it's still nice to have these little details. when one of the staff comes by to take their drink orders, she decides to get one with gin in it — something more tart than sweet. ]
I don't often drink due to the nature of my work, but on those few occasions, I've had red wine. Sometimes whiskey. If I had to pick a favorite, I'd choose the latter.
no subject
[ the flavor is stronger in some than others, of course, and the botanical taste isn't for everyone, but tseng hopes clorinde likes the drink she's chosen.
it doesn't take long for the server to return, to deliver their drinks and take their dinner orders, and from there it's effortless. they talk, sip their drinks, talk some more—lighter topics, and some more tender ones, the kind of conversation tseng has rarely allowed himself to make with anyone but is glad to be able to make with clorinde. he trusts her deeply, a fact he's known for a long time and yet continually finds himself surprised to realize—although they haven't made a point to sit down and hash out their respective pasts, it still feels to him like there's nothing that he wouldn't tell her, if she wanted to know.
it's about two hours later that they finally emerge from the restaurant, pleasantly full and a little bit tipsy. giving in to temptation, tseng slips his arm around clorinde's shoulders to draw her against his side, then leans over to press a kiss to her temple and breathe in the light, familiar fragrance of her. ]
Thank you, [ he murmurs, sounding content. ] That was wonderful.
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but they get through dinner, and she orders another, forgetting for a moment about where they are and who she has to be. nine months spent in the resort has taught her more about herself than the past twenty-something years—how it feels to be just clorinde while being with tseng, and the comfortable ease of it. sometimes it catches her by surprise when she thinks about all the changes between them from when she'd first met him. minor ones when viewed individually, but as a whole it feels much more significant.
like leaving gilded cage tipsier than when she'd entered, letting tseng pull her close with his nose against her hair. at his thanks, she tips her face up to his, fingers brushing along his jaw coax him down for a kiss while she leans against him, uncaring of anyone else that could pass by. ]
If I haven't monopolized enough of your time already, may I walk you back to your suite?
no subject
he smiles slightly when they part, his arm having dropped to her waist to draw her close to him. her body is a line of heat against his own. ]
You certainly may walk me back to my suite, [ tseng says, and then a little softer, ] and I was hoping you might stay the night, if you aren't otherwise occupied.
[ it's a little silly to be shy about asking her to spend the night when she's already spent so many nights with him, isn't it? and yet tseng still feels it, the newness of having someone he wants to be with this way. besides, it's his birthday. if ever there was a day that he's allowed to be selfish in asking for what he wants, wouldn't it be today? ]
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and yet in spite of all of that, she's just as guilty of feeling a little shy — the light flush on her cheeks just as incriminating as the way she presses her lips to his cheek to hide a smile. ]
I was hoping you'd ask.
[ mainly because of the second half of the gift still hidden beneath her dress, but she'd never refuse the opportunity to spend more time with him.
it's a bit of a walk to his suite, but she doesn't mind, if only because it gives her the excuse to kiss him again once they make it to the elevator. ]
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In that case, [ he says, fighting against a smile that's nonetheless visible in his gaze as he looks down at clorinde.
the walk to the elevator is a blessedly short one. the private lifts that service the face card floors are centrally located for maximum convenience, and for the very first time tseng finds himself appreciating that fact, not least of all because once the elevator car arrives and the doors slide shut behind them, tseng and clorinde find themselves very much alone.
and it's in the full knowledge of that solitude that tseng turns to face clorinde again, bringing his palms up to frame her cheeks as he ducks his head into another kiss—this one much deeper, much more passionate than the one they'd shared outside the restaurant, plain evidence of both his attraction and his love for her. ]
no subject
I love you, [ she murmurs in between kisses, softly and with more emotion that catches her off guard. one day she'll be able to say it without feeling overwhelmed, but that day isn't today. she swallows, pressing her lips briefly to the corner of his mouth and then the hinge of his jaw. ] I'm happy to spend part of today with you.
[ would that she could spend every birthday with him, but who knows if either of them would be here still tomorrow, much less in another year? their days are limited, but she can only do what she can, which is to cherish each moment she does have with him. ]
no subject
I love you too, [ he says, then places another kiss just atop her pulse. ] Thank you for wanting to.
[ he'd said it earlier, hadn't he? that it's a rare thing for tseng to celebrate his birthday. there are few who even know the date, and among them even fewer who would want to do something like this, take him out for a meal, give him a gift—it's precious to tseng, therefore, that clorinde is not only willing but eager.
tseng holds her close until the elevator doors slide open to deposit them on the queen floor. only then does he unwind his arms from around her, although he once again drops his arm so they can lace their fingers together as they make their way back to tseng's suite—a different suite than he'd been in last she visited, although when he pushes the door open it becomes apparent that the new queen digs are equally sparse.
at any rate, tseng's not really thinking about that. he toes his shoes off in the foyer and then turns to clorinde, offering her a hand to guide her into the room. ]
Would you like another drink?
no subject
she steps out of her heels, her feet now blessedly flat against the floor as she follows him further inside. she shakes her head at his question, fingers slipping around and up to hold his wrist instead. ]
No, I think I've had enough.
[ she guides his hand to the slit in her dress so he can feel the thin material of her stockings, then higher up, where his fingers may graze along the lace edge of a garter, hinting at something more beneath. tights and garter belts were part of the duelist uniform back home, but it's been some time since she's worn them after arriving in the resort. ]
What about you?