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]

"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.