dreampost: even more after dark edition (III)

[wotanon]

[ AGAIN, but this time it's future is now's fault,

shit's going to be sexy in here.

please list what you're open or not open to somewhere in your toplevel pls and thank ]

Comments

[crossmyheartandhope]

[Leans into it, a little, and laughs, slightly self-conscious.]

It ain't that long, is it?

[But please hold while he tries to wring it out, after all]

[unbr8kable]

Kinda long. Longer than before.

[She scratches down to the nape of his neck, then down his shoulder and away, so he can squeeze what he can from his hair.]

...You're like an ice cube. You better strip down--I ain't carrying you back if you're sick.

[crossmyheartandhope]

A little rain's not gonna make me so sick I can't walk.

[But he peels his shirt off, after only a beat of hesitation - goes to chuck it into the corner, thinks better of it, and drapes it over the back of a chair that he drags close to the fire, instead.]

[unbr8kable]

This is a lot of rain, though...

[She ditches her jacket as well, and her boots, and pauses.]

...You gonna keep going?

[crossmyheartandhope]

[Flushes a little, and glances aside, trying hard not to notice the way the wet makes her clothes cling to her]

I mean...the pants ain't any drier.

How bout you, what're you - uh. How much you losing?

[unbr8kable]

[She hesitates, then]

...The less clothes you got, the more heat you retain, right? So.

[Pauses again, then casually unbuttons her pants and works them off, bending at the waist to peel them over her calves and past her ankles. Then she steps out of them and straightens, grabbing her slacks in one smooth movement.

(gauntlet thrown!)]

[crossmyheartandhope]

[Glances up, startled, as she strips - then glances away again, just as quickly, face flushed.]

Ah - right. Yeah. Guess we'd better.

[It takes some doing to get out of his pants while they're wet - thanks, everything in HSS aesthetic, for being skin tight - but with a little work, he gets his boots off and then shimmies out of the pants, as well]

[unbr8kable]

[Thanks indeed...she catches his shimmy for perhaps a beat too long before remembering to look away. Clears her throat]

...I mean. If the storm breaks and the others find us in here frozen solid, then we'll never live it down.

[She unbuttons her shirt as she speaks, hesitating again before shrugging out of the sleeves and draping the garment by the fire with the rest. Another pause, awkward for a moment just in green-striped briefs and a thin, white camisole, nothing underneath. Then she abruptly opens the blanket and sits, wrapping it over her shoulders]

[crossmyheartandhope]

[He's no less awkward, himself, in plain green boxer-briefs that hug him tighter even than the pants did - is extremely aware of the coloring on her briefs, and exactly how little that wet white camisole hides. He flushes harder, glancing away so she can't see it and stepping in nearer to the fire instead of coming to share the blanket right away.]

Right? RIP us, we'd be hearing about it for like a year and a half at least.

[unbr8kable]

The worst part about being a ghost is how you can't escape being cracked on. So--gotta make a couple sacrifices.

[Pauses, doing her best to keep her eyes trained on the fire, for as helpful as that is with him standing in front of it, the lines and the curves of his legs and back, the expanse of freckles only broken by the tiny shorts.

...Probably any extra color to her cheeks is easily attributed to the firelight, obviously,]

You...warming up some?

[crossmyheartandhope]

Figure I gotta be like ten degrees colder than you. If I hop in right now, you really are gonna freeze solid.

[unbr8kable]

Hey, don't underestimate me. The room's way colder than 10 degrees less than I am. I can take it.

[crossmyheartandhope]

Yeah, but the room ain't gonna be sitting all up next to you.

[He hesitates a beat]

...you sure it's cool? I don't mind waiting a few.

[unbr8kable]

It being cool's the whole problem. C'mon.

[Shifts, raising the right side of the blanket so he can enter]

[crossmyheartandhope]

[Hesitates again, just a second longer, before he tucks himself under the blanket next to her]

Thanks, dude.


[....sorry, he is in fact very cold]

[unbr8kable]

[She knew this would be the case since it is always the case, but tenses anyway as she wraps the blanket over his shoulder and back over her own to burrito them in, skin all goosepimples against his]

Phew, you weren't kidding...

[crossmyheartandhope]

Sorry, dude.

[This close, she can feel him shivering]

I'll let you do take backsies if you wanna, just this once.

[unbr8kable]

As if you could stop me from take-backsies if I wanted to.

[Pulls him closer anyway, body to body, and looping her arm around his back to rub over his arm. She tends to run hot anyway, so it should even out eventually...right?]

[crossmyheartandhope]

[With any luck. He can't quite keep himself from leaning in, both for the heat and the contact]

Yeah, well, fingers crossed the fire pulls my weight for me.

[unbr8kable]

What happened to a burning will? Shouldn't that be able to do the job?

[Toastyland is still some miles away, but it's at least a little better, probably. She is warm where they touch despite the damp fabric against him, and perhaps he can catch her pulse, if he concentrates]

[crossmyheartandhope]

[She can't catch his, and he's glad for it; if he had one, it would be going about a hundred miles a minute]

How bout I think warm thoughts, see if that helps any.

[unbr8kable]

Can't hurt... Start giving it a shot.

[Finally feeling a little less desperately cold, she shifts her hand to curl loosely at his waist instead]

[crossmyheartandhope]

Soup. Cocoa. Those heaters with the fire in em.

[Leans into her; he's shivering a little less, now]

[unbr8kable]

As opposed to heaters with ice in 'em?

[crossmyheartandhope]

As opposed to heaters that just like. Feel warm. Without the fire.