[she promises, warm. it's so amazing to her, to not feel like she has to be strong without fail. she wants to protect him too, she wants to look out for him, but the fact that he insists on taking care of her makes her feel like crying, in a good way. being safe, after the hells, after zariel, after everything she's experienced over the last few hours, means more to her than anything else.
he rests his hand on her cheek, and she eases her too-warm forehead against his, and then he just upends all of her restraint with four words. a beat, and the floodgates open, relief and that deeper, sweeter emotion just lets itself shape into love, bright like sunshine. intense, shiny, big.
she hiccups out a laugh, and then:]
Oh, gods, I'm glad it's not just -- I love you. I love you, too, Boots.
[she can't possibly get any closer to him, but she tries, resting her hand on top of the one settled on her cheek.]
[ all in one day, he had dragged karlach's floating, lifeless, bleeding body from a fishtank and pulled her from the cemetery into his arms. again, he remembered all of the terror of loving someone unconditionally, of opening yourself to excruciating pain. it was almost enough to have him close himself off again, reaffirming his vow to The Hunt; he made his sacrifice knowing he would never be able to turn back. he shouldn't want to change it now.
but the floodgates open and he's drawn up completely in its current. he's felt a lot of others' emotions this week, but they're nothing compared to what karlach gives him now. no feeling would ever be like this one—bright, all-encompassing, beautiful.
he can stop fighting back that he feels the same way. boothill opens himself to the pain and pure joy of loving someone else again, and that same sunshine feeling floods out of him, growing irresistibly as if it could outpace hers. he swipes his thumb over her cheek, bends her waist towards him, and tilts his head to press his lips back over hers. the kisses are slow and warm, deep enough to ache against boothill's teeth, but he doesn't care. ]
I love you so much, I don't know what to do with it.
[ he murmurs, brushing their noses. he furrows his brows. there's a bit of heartache. ]
I want you lookin' out for yourself so you can come back home to me. All right?
[she soaks those emotions in, feels them so intensely - he pulls her close and kisses her like he means it, and she sighs a shivery sound into his mouth as she leans up to meet him. kisses him to match, slow and deep, until she can't really breathe and then past that, until she's lightheaded.
karlach tangles their legs together, not bothering to keep track of which limbs belong to who. she's got so much love to give that it almost hurts, so she lets herself feel it, lets it mingle with his, twines her joy in his. and along with that - she takes the fear, the possibility of pain, and gives him reassurance in return. comfort, and a little resolve. it's been hard, the past ten years, to care at all about what happened to her. the worst that could happen was that she'd die, and even that wouldn't stick. zariel would never allow that. it's a learned habit to put herself up front to take the damage, because she was invincible and because nobody would miss her if she was gone.
but boothill would. so many people would, now, but she knows - if something happens to her, it'd just be proof to shut off and away. so she won't. instead, karlach takes his hand, and brings it up to her neck. presses his fingertips against her pulse, letting him feel the steady thud-thud-thud of her heartbeat. her real heartbeat.]
Yeah. Yeah, of course. [she says, soft.] I'll always come back to you.
[that's a promise.]
You hold a little of my love and I'll hold a little of yours. That's what you do with it. Here, where it's easiest. [taps his chest, over his heart, with her free hand.]
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[she promises, warm. it's so amazing to her, to not feel like she has to be strong without fail. she wants to protect him too, she wants to look out for him, but the fact that he insists on taking care of her makes her feel like crying, in a good way. being safe, after the hells, after zariel, after everything she's experienced over the last few hours, means more to her than anything else.
he rests his hand on her cheek, and she eases her too-warm forehead against his, and then he just upends all of her restraint with four words. a beat, and the floodgates open, relief and that deeper, sweeter emotion just lets itself shape into love, bright like sunshine. intense, shiny, big.
she hiccups out a laugh, and then:]
Oh, gods, I'm glad it's not just -- I love you. I love you, too, Boots.
[she can't possibly get any closer to him, but she tries, resting her hand on top of the one settled on her cheek.]
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but the floodgates open and he's drawn up completely in its current. he's felt a lot of others' emotions this week, but they're nothing compared to what karlach gives him now. no feeling would ever be like this one—bright, all-encompassing, beautiful.
he can stop fighting back that he feels the same way. boothill opens himself to the pain and pure joy of loving someone else again, and that same sunshine feeling floods out of him, growing irresistibly as if it could outpace hers. he swipes his thumb over her cheek, bends her waist towards him, and tilts his head to press his lips back over hers. the kisses are slow and warm, deep enough to ache against boothill's teeth, but he doesn't care. ]
I love you so much, I don't know what to do with it.
[ he murmurs, brushing their noses. he furrows his brows. there's a bit of heartache. ]
I want you lookin' out for yourself so you can come back home to me. All right?
no subject
karlach tangles their legs together, not bothering to keep track of which limbs belong to who. she's got so much love to give that it almost hurts, so she lets herself feel it, lets it mingle with his, twines her joy in his. and along with that - she takes the fear, the possibility of pain, and gives him reassurance in return. comfort, and a little resolve. it's been hard, the past ten years, to care at all about what happened to her. the worst that could happen was that she'd die, and even that wouldn't stick. zariel would never allow that. it's a learned habit to put herself up front to take the damage, because she was invincible and because nobody would miss her if she was gone.
but boothill would. so many people would, now, but she knows - if something happens to her, it'd just be proof to shut off and away. so she won't. instead, karlach takes his hand, and brings it up to her neck. presses his fingertips against her pulse, letting him feel the steady thud-thud-thud of her heartbeat. her real heartbeat.]
Yeah. Yeah, of course. [she says, soft.] I'll always come back to you.
[that's a promise.]
You hold a little of my love and I'll hold a little of yours. That's what you do with it. Here, where it's easiest. [taps his chest, over his heart, with her free hand.]