The Beach, Saint James, Barbados, Wednesday Night (Post-Party)

[deathsmajesty]

As expected, Liliana and Ignis left the party on the early side, though they didn't linger long in their room after they left. They stayed just long enough to grab a few things from their belongings and to make sure a few more things were readied for them to pick up on their way, and then they headed out to the beach. There, with a music box playing its usual tune, and a blanket set up with a platter of fresh fruits and a bottle of wine or two, they danced beneath the moonlight.

[For the gentleman (party and work willing) and artwork done by my amazing friend, Fofo!]

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[chef_chocobro]

It really was a perfect night for it, too, although, really, even without all the trappings of a beautiful tropical beach beneath their steps, 'perfect' typically did tend to be an excellent descriptor for most time spent with Liliana.

"Another spectacular idea, my darling," Ignis murmured, smiling as he gently pulled Liliana back to him, then leaning in for a kiss that took the rhythm of the music into account as much as the dancing had, "but no surprised there."

[deathsmajesty]

"And it's not done yet," Liliana preened, her kiss flavored with both wine and smugness--quite a familiar taste, indeed. "There's not just a moon to be enjoyed tonight...but stars." She chuckled, soft and low. "Would you like to stargaze with me tonight, my love?"

[chef_chocobro]

"And yet again," Ignis allowed but purred with the compliment, the deep and rumbling sound reminiscent of some large cat, "you effortlessly find a way to improve on perfection, 'Iana. I would love nothing more," There was a soft sigh of fond remembrance for the last time they'd gone stargazing, "than to have you paint this sky in my mind's eye for me.

"Though, of course," he added, as his body moved with hers almost without thinking, "perhaps not quite yet."

[deathsmajesty]

"Not quite yet," she agreed. Dancing on sand was supposed to be more difficult than upon a floor designed expressly for the purpose, and yet there they were, gliding about as easily as if they were dancing upon air?

Who knew? Perhaps they were.

"Happiness," she murmured. "Very different from simple contentment, but...I think I'd forgotten that."

[chef_chocobro]

As far as Ignis could perceive, he truly had no reason to believe that they might not be.

"And I," he murmured back, head now bent close to hers, "am just glad that I could help remind you. Meanwhile, I didn't think happiness was really something with longevity, able to sustain itself with consistency beyond just short, rare bursts."

The smile on his face shifted a little, warming as it grew.

"We truly do compliment each other exceptionally well, don't we, darling?"

[deathsmajesty]

"We do," Liliana said, resting her cheek against his. "Did I mention Kristoff wrote again? And I even read it?"

So she could shove it at Ignis and tell him to deal with it, mostly.

"He was full of praise for you. I believe you've quite impressed him - and he's not easily impressed. What did you do, my darling? Suggest to him a new, more efficient method of bookkeeping?"

[chef_chocobro]

Did Liliana notice the slightest hint of her Paramore easy grace tightening at the mention of her accountant? Undoubtedly, she would, but it relaxed and melted back into that comfortable looseness almost immediately, even going so far as to pull a faint chuckle out him.

"I've managed to get you to finally read his letters," he noted, and, oh, there was a very certain smugness in his grin now, too, "for one. And we did recently have a rather lively debate on various methods of cataloging files, though I have no idea whether or not he'd bothered to implement any of my suggestions since then."

There was, now, as the amusement faded, a slight touch of concern.

"Is everything alright, though? The man's dedication to discretion is utterly unshakeable, so I wouldn't bring in the least bit surprised if there was something he'd prefer to take to you directly, even if you had granted me full disclosure."

[deathsmajesty]

She had noticed that, in fact.

And then dismissed it as him preparing to convince her that she actually shouldn't ignore it.

"No, no, everything is fine, he was just giving me numbers, my darling," Liliana said. "He wanted to make sure that I had numbers separate from the ones you're providing me, so that should I ever decide to audit the books, I know what they should be, according to his own records. But rather than just stiffly informing me that's what it was, or lightly hinting that it would be a good idea for me to do so, he mentioned that it was standard procedure anytime that there was a third party involved, and that he doubted the necessity, but that it was better to always be sure. From Kristoff, that's practically him opening his arms and declaring you his son. Am I going to have to worry about him trying to marry you off to one of his great-great-great grandchildren to get you into the firm? I'm not afraid to fight a vampire over you, my darling. Olivia and I have had several tiffs about you already."

[chef_chocobro]

"Oh, don't be absurd, 'Iana," Ignis stated, lifting his chin a little with insistence, which had the added bonus of having his cheek brush against hers in doing so. "I'd simply off to buy him out."

There was a slight pause there, that could be read as just giving a quip its proper space to breath, but could also have been a certain sort of...hesitation.

"I must admit, though," he said, "to a desire to know more about these apparent tiffs I've inspired. Especially considering what a...near and dear friendship the two of you possess."

[deathsmajesty]

"She thinks you're intriguing and would be absolutely delicious and fun and is pouting over why I haven't shared you with her yet," Liliana said with another laugh. "You're a handsome and fascinating mortal that she's neither bled nor bed." The final -ed was elided over for sake of the rhyme. "She's practically pouting."

You know what this called for? Another kiss, once again quite smug.

[chef_chocobro]

"Mmm." There was quite a bit of satisfaction in that thoughtful hum as their lips met again, though since ego, at least in that respect, was hardly a trait that defined Ignis, it could only be presumed that this was entirely due to the kiss, Olivia Voldaren the furthest thing from his mind.

(Except that she wasn't. Not with kisses like these, not with a night like tonight, with talk of happiness and dancing and constellations).

(Far from ideal. Far too many complications. But...encouraging, to know there could be a relatively easy bet, should all else fail).

He might have had something more to say,likely about his position as something to help Liliana elicit such pouts, but it didn't really take long at all for the subject (and nearly everything else, for that matter) to genuinely fade into the background of his mind as he let himself get lost in kissing Liliana.

And when he finally had to pull himself away for air (what a nuisance, he'd be very glad to be rid of it), all he had left to say was a beckoning, "Shall we, my love?" asked he drew away to find his hand in hers to gently pull her toward the blanket they'd laid out.

[deathsmajesty]

"Mmm, indeed," Liliana said, though from the timbre of her voice, it might take a minute for her to remember the blanket there was for stargazing and not other kinds of activities.

Well. Not just other kinds of activities.

"You shall be required to feed me again," she informed him as they settled on the blanket. "The price you must pay for astronomy lessons."

[chef_chocobro]

"And we all know what a gruelling and distasteful chore that is for me," Ignis drawled as he drew her in closer, "feeding people I love and cherish more than life itself. But for you, my darling, I shall persevere."

Did it count, feeding her with more kisses? Because that was precisely what Ignis was fervently going to do next.

[deathsmajesty]

Fortunately, they were the ones who determined whether or not it counted, and what? Was Liliana going to deny herself more kisses? Don't be absurd, Liliana didn't deny herself anything she truly wanted.

Said kisses were making it harder to remember to focus on the stars, but...so?

"More than life itself?" she murmured. "Mmm, considering how prone you are to self-sacrifice..." She chuckled against his lips. "I do notice you said nothing about Ebony."

[chef_chocobro]

Oh, they had until dawn, still plenty of time for stars and stargazing.

"Quite the astute observationalist," Ignis complimented, grinning back and treating that particular specification with a nip at her lower lip, "as always."

And that would seem like all he would deign to say in the matter, choosing more kisses and brushing back her hair instead. But as he pulled back and down in search of that favorite little hollow of her throat, he murmured, "I've been without Ebony and survived just fine."

Well. Debatable. But not the point he was making.

[deathsmajesty]

"Survived is different than thrived, my 'Nys," Liliana murmured, her head tilted backwards to give him room for his search. "I will enjoy watching you flourish and thrive for the rest--" The slightest stumble. "The rest of our time together."

For the rest of your life was what she'd thought, but could not bring herself to say.

But she did raise his face to hers, kissing him desperately.

[chef_chocobro]

And of course Ignis caught that stumble, and he cursed himself for it, especially since he had wanted to say it that, yes, he'd survived without Ebony before, but he didn't believe he could do the same without her, but held his tongue for the harshness in the mirror of that sentiment, the expectation that she would have no choice but to, eventually, inevitably, go on without him.

But there they were, anyway.

And they didn't need to be. He could just tell her now, the real reason for all his meetings with Kristoff, he wanted so desperately to tell her that that time together could stretch itself even longer than the lives of those stars she would soon laying out for him across a canvas of her rich velvet words. But he still had so much work to do. There was still so much to figure out...

Olivia Voldaren was back to the forefront of his mind. He could probably go to her tomorrow and have it be done, just like that. But it of course wouldn't be that simple.

Of course, he could just tell her, confess it, but then she was kissing him with that undeniable desperation, and he knew that it couldn't be now. Not tonight. Not yet. Not like this.

So he just let her pour that desperation into him, and, oh, he poured his own right back into her, as well. A desperation to tell her that he was here now, ans that he'd be there for as long as she'd have him. A desperation for the promise he made to her, that he wasn't going to walk about, he wouldn't give up on them.

No matter what it takes.

But tonight would be reassurances in kisses, of making the most of time they did have. And later, there would be stars and stories of lights that spent eternities just to reach them, but now was all about making eternity out of a moment.