[He'll appear on the dot--and he does, in fact, look entirely intact. There are a few clear scrapes and bruises, and a certain delicacy to the way he lands on his left leg as he trots forward, but he's very much still there.
(He should probably look shaken. He doesn't. This is, perhaps, the best and highest use of his wooden features--and the unavoidable problem of having come to war very young.)]
[ lara has more bruises than scrapes, but she's learned to power through the sensitivity and pain of those long ago. horatio looks-- solid, in one piece, not shaken, and something in her chest unclenches a little. softens, skips a beat, eases. ]
[Simply curling around her had helped before. Simply curling around Ahsoka when he'd first come tumbling back out of the jet had helped just now.
It's only logical to bring himself immediately close enough to wrap his arms snug and tight around her waist, face burying into the warmth at the crook of her neck. It hurts a little, admittedly, but the discomfort is well worth the sense of certainty.]
[ he pulls her in and lara falls into it, holding him back just as firmly. it hurts, yes, but not knowing that he's whole, not having the absolute certainty that comes from feeling it, would hurt worse.
lara doesn't make a sound, but the relief is there, pouring off her through the empathy bond. relief, exhaustion, not much beyond that right now. ]
[A few steady breaths does the trick. It isn't enough to make him let go, but it gives him the capacity to shift slightly, temple nudged against her cheek.]
[ 'course he says, echoing her words, and lara huffs out a breath that's almost laughter, both in reaction to that echo and from sheer, overwhelming relief.
'course. they're both fine. they're both in one piece.
his temple's at her cheek. it makes it easy, so easy, to shift just so until her lips are on his, firm and there, present. sharing space as much as actually kissing.
(she's in too deep. right now, the magnitude of that doesn't compute at all and so she can be here, in this moment, instead of worrying about what it means, panicking about how much it would hurt to lose him.) ]
[It's a relief to hold her and be held. It's a relief again to feel her lips pressed against his, solid and present, undeniably real.
His grip on her is probably too tight. There might be bruises on her bruises from the clinging, when all is said and done. Somehow, he can't stop himself.
Pressing into kissing Lara Croft is the closest thing he has here to coming home.]
[ his grip on her is going to leave bruises, deepening or replacing the ones she already wears. she doesn't realise it right now; if she did, she'd be glad for it. she'd rather wear bruises left by his fingertips digging into skin and flesh than by battles for the ship.
he kisses her like it's as necessary as breathing. right now, it might be. lara surges against him, into it, the empathy bond between them flaring higher with it until she's not sure where she ends and he begins, until their bodies are fused together everywhere, until she's almost certain this is real and they're actually, really, truly alive.
[They're both here. They're both alive. They're both clinging to this moment for dear life--and that does, somehow, make it a little easier to breathe through everything.
Slowly, he pulls his lips back for air--just far enough to find his breath and heartbeat again. Hopefully they can just linger here until the life feels less likely to be snapped away at any moment.]
[ he pulls back to drag in air and lara remembers to breathe, too, forehead pressed against his even if it means she has to stay stretched and he bowed. the difference in height is not something lara actively thinks about except in moments like this when necessity demands contortion from both of them.
and it is necessary. it's utterly necessary to remain close, to feel physical proof that they are both here and alive. to keep feeling it. ]
[ don't go gets stuck in her throat because she can't ask. asking is admitting something she's not ready to say and so she lets him go, even if her fingers take a moment to untangle from his shirt.
lara croft doesn't cling. she takes a step back, instead. ]
[There's really only time, now, to bring his knuckles to his forehead in the echo of a respectful salute.
The relief is that there will be time, when the dust is actually settled, to wind up at her door. (It would be difficult to imagine sleeping without being able to reach out and touch her fingers in the night.)]
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2021-08-17 12:36 pm (UTC)But he will, once it's accurate, send across a quick:] inside
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Date: 2021-08-17 01:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-08-17 01:35 pm (UTC)you?
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Date: 2021-08-17 01:52 pm (UTC)where are you headed
[ his quarters? hers? the gardens? she wants, needs to see for herself that he's in one piece.
she's not going to examine that instinct, that need closely. ]
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Date: 2021-08-17 02:05 pm (UTC)[Because of course.
But also,] still in the gardens?
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Date: 2021-08-17 02:22 pm (UTC)come find me
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Date: 2021-08-17 02:40 pm (UTC)[He'll appear on the dot--and he does, in fact, look entirely intact. There are a few clear scrapes and bruises, and a certain delicacy to the way he lands on his left leg as he trots forward, but he's very much still there.
(He should probably look shaken. He doesn't. This is, perhaps, the best and highest use of his wooden features--and the unavoidable problem of having come to war very young.)]
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Date: 2021-08-17 02:42 pm (UTC)Hey. [ casual. casual. ]
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Date: 2021-08-17 04:16 pm (UTC)It's only logical to bring himself immediately close enough to wrap his arms snug and tight around her waist, face burying into the warmth at the crook of her neck. It hurts a little, admittedly, but the discomfort is well worth the sense of certainty.]
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Date: 2021-08-17 04:18 pm (UTC)lara doesn't make a sound, but the relief is there, pouring off her through the empathy bond. relief, exhaustion, not much beyond that right now. ]
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Date: 2021-08-17 06:50 pm (UTC)All right?
[Casual.]
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Date: 2021-08-17 06:55 pm (UTC)[ like she'd say anything else. casual, right? this is fine. it's all right, everything's all right.
a little more gruffly: ] You?
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Date: 2021-08-18 03:04 am (UTC)That makes it a little more true to echo her.]
'course.
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Date: 2021-08-22 08:43 am (UTC)'course. they're both fine. they're both in one piece.
his temple's at her cheek. it makes it easy, so easy, to shift just so until her lips are on his, firm and there, present. sharing space as much as actually kissing.
(she's in too deep. right now, the magnitude of that doesn't compute at all and so she can be here, in this moment, instead of worrying about what it means, panicking about how much it would hurt to lose him.) ]
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Date: 2021-10-09 07:58 pm (UTC)His grip on her is probably too tight. There might be bruises on her bruises from the clinging, when all is said and done. Somehow, he can't stop himself.
Pressing into kissing Lara Croft is the closest thing he has here to coming home.]
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Date: 2021-10-10 09:03 am (UTC)he kisses her like it's as necessary as breathing. right now, it might be. lara surges against him, into it, the empathy bond between them flaring higher with it until she's not sure where she ends and he begins, until their bodies are fused together everywhere, until she's almost certain this is real and they're actually, really, truly alive.
still here. they're both still here. ]
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Date: 2021-10-10 08:53 pm (UTC)Slowly, he pulls his lips back for air--just far enough to find his breath and heartbeat again. Hopefully they can just linger here until the life feels less likely to be snapped away at any moment.]
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Date: 2021-10-24 06:26 pm (UTC)and it is necessary. it's utterly necessary to remain close, to feel physical proof that they are both here and alive. to keep feeling it. ]
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Date: 2021-10-28 02:30 am (UTC)Another moment, and he shifts to press his lips against her forehead.]
I'll be back.
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Date: 2021-11-06 07:07 pm (UTC)lara croft doesn't cling. she takes a step back, instead. ]
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Date: 2021-11-07 04:41 am (UTC)I will.
[It needs repeating as he steps away. Repeating isn't lingering.]
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Date: 2021-11-07 02:59 pm (UTC)You better, Hornblower.
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Date: 2021-11-07 04:58 pm (UTC)The relief is that there will be time, when the dust is actually settled, to wind up at her door. (It would be difficult to imagine sleeping without being able to reach out and touch her fingers in the night.)]