bea prewett ☆ tris prior. (stiff) wrote in dunhavenic, @ 2019-08-16 11:01:00 |
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Entry tags: | !log, * kit, * terri, c: clara bea hyland, c: noah ritter |
WHO: Noah Ritter & Bea Hyland
WHEN: Saturday, August 10, 2019
WHERE: A hotel in Richmond, VA
SUMMARY: Bea tells Noah that she's ready to move forward with their relationship
WARNINGS: PG for discussions of sex, but that's about it.
Bea didn’t necessarily love weddings, though the only ones she had any experience with had been absolutely lovely. It was mostly that she was surrounded by people she didn’t know, in clothes that didn’t feel entirely her, and that was something that she was pretty sure would always make her feel at least a little bit uncomfortable. She had learned a long time ago that there was good and bad in everything, though, and so she tended to focus on the things she loved about the weddings she been to. The sheer, unadulterated joy of the couples, for example, or the fact that attending one typically came with Noah looking even more irresistible than usual in his button up shirts with sleeves pushed up to his elbows. Those were both great things, she was pretty sure. And this wedding came with the added benefit of being just far enough away from home that even her mother had conceded that staying overnight would be a good idea. That was definitely a good thing, and probably enough to negate whatever discomfort she’d felt by being surrounded by strangers. It was late and Bea and Noah were back at their hotel now, Noah patiently waiting while Bea used the bathroom to change into what she’d brought to sleep in--a pair of shorts and one of his t-shirts, as usual. Except that she’d been standing in front of the mirror for fifteen minutes now and the pajamas were still sitting untouched on the counter. She’d been thinking about getting away with Noah for weeks now and, though she still wanted another weekend away with him, it didn’t stop her from realizing that tonight was technically exactly that, too. And she couldn’t help but to think about how much she loved him, and how it felt to have him by her side through all of the good things and the bad things and everything in between. She couldn’t help but to think about the fact that the only thing that had been holding her back from taking the next big step forward with him was some invisible, inexplicable fear that trusting too much in how secure she felt in their relationship would be like inviting the universe to swoop in and tear them apart. But she hadn’t felt that fear in a long while. All she felt when she was with Noah was home. Making up her mind, Bea finally opened the door and stepped back out into the shared room, her shoes lying abandoned nearby. She took a few steps closer and said, “Hey, Moonpie. Could you actually help me with my zipper?” Pulling her hair over one shoulder, she turned, exposing the back of her dress where the zipper was easily accessible. She’d tell him, in no uncertain terms, what was on her mind but she figured it didn’t hurt to at least ease into the conversation, did it? While Noah disliked the notion that weddings meant suit jackets and ties, he didn't outright dislike them. He was more…indifferent. He had enjoyed Eve and Niall's wedding more than most just because of the couple that was being celebrated. The weddings that he had attended since - this one included - had just been another event to go to. He liked seeing Bea get dressed up and have fun with her friends, and the cake was a nice bonus. He was just as happy to escape from the crowd, however. Noah had been glad that renting a hotel room for the night wasn't a point of protest for Bea's parents. They probably assumed that Bea and Noah would be in separate rooms, or at least separate beds. He was glad to let them operate under those false assumptions. Bea was, after all, an adult. They had been dating for more than a year now, and during that time, she had spent countless nights with him. It was always in the most innocent of senses. They usually fell asleep talking about their days, telling stories from years past, or musing some unfathomable fact of their universe. He had no reason to believe that this night would be any different. When she emerged from the bathroom still in her dress from the wedding, Noah was a little bit surprised. She'd been gone for a while. Any number of other assumptions came easily to his mind. She'd probably been brushing her teeth or washing her face before bed. His phone had been easily tossed aside, an easy smile on his lips as he stood, "Sure thing, Sweet Potato." He reached for that zipper, his fingers gently grasping the fabric with one hand so he didn't pull at it awkwardly. The zipper eased down slowly, revealing more skin than what he was accustomed to seeing. He swallowed hard and added, "There's one of those little hooks, too. Should I get that as well?" It was still holding the top of the dress closed. Noah, as ever, didn't want to go beyond what she had requested from him without permission. He respected her - loved her - too much to make those assumptions out of turn. Bea took in a sharp breath as the zipper slid down. She knew it would be up to her where this night went, and it was just another reason to add to her list of reasons why she wanted everything with him. Why she felt safe giving him everything and hoped he could always trust her with the same. After everything she'd been through with her family over the past year or so, he'd been one of the few people who only ever cared what she wanted, and what she needed, and let her be in control over both of those things. She wondered if he'd known how important that was to her during a time when it felt like all of her agency, her choice, was being taken from her by nature of being biologically related to people she hadn't even known at the time outside of a sister who'd been her friend. She wondered if he knew how utterly he'd been exactly the person she'd needed in her life, her constant in the raging storm that acclimating to her new life had been. Slowly, she turned to face him, pulling his arms around her waist as she met his eye. "You could get the whole dress, if you wanted," she replied, heart pounding in her throat. "I want you to." He heard that small gasp when he had pulled the zipper down, but he hadn't retracted his hands or tugged that zipper back into place. After all, she had asked for his help. She turned around, and his heart thudded hard against his ribs as she pulled his arms around her waist. It brought his hands to her back where the dress was now open, her skin warm against his hand. Her words left little room for question or doubt, but Noah did not immediately move to release that hook that could - would - successfully remove that dress from her person. He hadn't been anticipating this moment to come to pass tonight, and the shock stilled him. She didn't shy away from his gaze, and that just made his heart beat even faster, "Bea…" He didn't look away, but did lift one hand from her waist, his fingers brushing along her jaw, "Are you sure? I want to…I do. But…it's important to me to know you're really ready." Bea lifted her hands and let them rest across Noah's broad chest as she tilted her chin up toward him. "I've spent my entire life, for as long as I can remember, weighing the cost of everything that I do, or say, or think," she started, never once looking away from him. "The cost for the most valuable things has always been the highest, and that makes them even riskier to obtain. You, Noah…you're the most valuable thing I've ever wanted. You're family, home, and safety, excitement, love, and fire all wrapped up in one impossible human who's perfect for me. The only thing that's held me back from this is this fear that the cost of finally having all of that, so completely, will cost me, will cost us, more than we're willing to pay. But I've been slowly realizing that the cost of letting that fear hold me back is the one that's too high." Slowly, carefully, she moved her hands down his chest, to his sides, stopping where his shirt was still tucked in. "And if that's not enough to convince you that I'm sure that I'm ready for everything with you, maybe the fact that I started taking birth control four months ago will be. I've had four months to change my mind." Tangible or intangible, Bea had all the proof she needed that she was ready. He knew, of course, that Bea was not one to make idle decisions. She had not been given that luxury growing up with only herself to rely on. The spontaneous decisions that she did make were ones that had little consequence in the long run, and even then, he could almost see her calculating the price of them. He understood exactly what she meant as she spoke those words. For him, the waiting hadn't been difficult. He had been unwilling to do anything that might violate her own sense of agency or force her to make a premature decision. He knew that some people did not understand or approve of their relationship, but for Noah, there had been no one else from the moment that he met her. She was all that he could see, and the love that they had was not something he was willing to bargain. His breath hitched a little as she moved her hands to his sides, even if she didn't tug at his shirt. His fingers curled against her spine. He was already convinced before she even continued. The fact that she had been considering this - preparing - for that length of time was enough to prove that she had not been unduly influenced by the romanticism of attending all the recent weddings. "You have a way with words, you know," he told her gently, a smile dimpling his cheeks. He did lean in, just long enough to press a sweet, lingering kiss to her lips. It wasn't enough, not by far, but they had time, "You are the most important person in all of creation to me, Bea. Whatever price there is to be paid, we pay it to each other, I think, not the universe. As long as we are not asking each other for more than we can give…the price will never be too high. Not for us. I love you, all of you…and I believe you. I know you're certain...but if that wavers at any point, all you have to do is say the word." It mattered to Bea that she didn't have to explain herself further. Noah understood what she was saying, and everything she wasn't saying, without having to lay everything out for him. He'd spent over a year listening to her, memorizing her nuances, learning the things in her past and her present that shaped her into the woman that she was. Noah just got her and she appreciated that in a way that she could never truly express. She could try, though. Nodding, she curled her fingers into the fabric of his shirt and pulled herself close enough to him that she was sure he could feel her heartbeat, too. "I love you, too, Noah, and I choose you every single day. I choose you now," she said, now tugging gently at his shirt as she went up on her tiptoes to claim another kiss from him. "And I promise you," she murmured against his mouth, "that I'll tell you if we ever approach a line I'm not ready to cross." Those assurances were all that he needed. He had no reservations, and the close press of her body left no room for doubts. He could feel the fabric of his shirt sliding against his skin, pulling from where it had previously been tucked in. He said nothing else, easing more fully into that kiss even as his fingers lifted to gently release that clasp at the top of her dress. They were both certain and ready. They had arrived at that point together, and Noah didn't want to turn back. The price was paid, and it was worth whatever the cost. |