stormandwind | INBOX: lastvoyages

The thought will stick, no matter how much he tells himself it's irrelevant. It's just one more thing about himself he has no real knowledge of or control over, much less important than their rapid aging, or the chips, or their slavery. Jedao's been sterilized by choice, it just means one thing he doesn't have to worry about if it's the case, and he wonders, vaguely, if he should find out... then pushes it ruthlessly aside again.

It doesn't matter, but especially not here and now, with Tris's lips against his and the sweet solidity of her against him. He wraps his arms around her and holds her close, kisses her slow and sweet and deep, and makes a quiet sound of satisfaction.

Tris tightens one arm around Fives again as he deepens the kiss, cradling the back of his head with her other hand. She melts against him. This kiss is thorough and sincere in a way that makes her feel safe and comfortable as much as it makes her want to get him into bed.

When she finally needs air, Tris scarcely moves away at all. She just asks breathlessly, her lips brushing against his once or twice, "Should we go now? We can do, or not do, whatever you'd like, but we have more options if we move to my cabin."

Even setting aside the matter of protection, she isn't actually comfortable getting out of any of her clothes in a public part of the ship. Not even the Enclosure.

Fives presses their foreheads together, smiling against her lips. He's too engrossed in her just now to let any of the rest of it intrude again and ruin this moment. "Definitely."

He kisses her again, just a short sweet peck to her lips and then her nose and forehead, with a playfulness that he's learned from Jedao, and then without waiting he swings his leg back over her so he can crouch at her side, slips his arms under her at shoulders and knees, and stands, lifting her with him with a broad smile and no apparent effort. That's another thing he's learned from Jedao, who adores being manhandled.

"Oh," Tris blushes as Fives lifts her, though her arm wraps around his shoulders instinctively. There's something intensely uncomfortable about the vulnerability and dependence inherent in letting anyone carry her. Particularly publicly. She's never allowed that unless she was injured, exhausted, or death tolling. Tris doesn't intend to make a secret of anything that happens between her and Fives, but every instinct she has tells her to walk to her cabin on her own two feet.

She knows, though, that it's mostly stubbornness and pride. Those do no one any good, least of all her. She'll try to get over them. And if she's going to freeze up, she owes Fives an explanation.

"I," she says, haltingly, "I like you holding me. I'm self sufficient to the point of stubbornness, though. I don't mind you carrying me back to my room today, but I'd rather you don't pick me up in the future unless I really can't walk. In public, at least. When we're alone, go ahead."

Being vulnerable around Fives is alright. Being potentially vulnerable around anyone on board is rather a different matter, even if she knows logically that this is a silly place to draw that line.

One advantage to being held where she is right now, at least, is that she's very conveniently placed to lean in a few inches and kiss the side of Fives' neck.

He notices the freezing, of course, and listens solemnly to her explanation... and then beams at the kiss to the side of his neck. "How about if I just do this, then?" he asks, and laughs as he abruptly spins around and around in a circle so her hair and her dress, where it drapes over his arm, fly out. He's still laughing when he stops, and he ducks his head to kiss the tip of her nose.

"I think I like making you blush," he confesses. "And I like being able to hold you, too, but I don't need to carry you, especially not if it makes you uncomfortable." Which doesn't mean he puts her down right this second. "You're... a very nice armful," he informs her happily, and squeezes her just a bit.

It's frankly impossible to avoid smiling when Fives laughs that way, genuine and joyful. It's been a long time since she heard or saw Fives this happy, and it's deeply reassuring.

She isn't going to stop blushing anytime soon, so he can keep enjoying that reaction. She hides her face momentarily by kissing his neck again, though, then bites his earlobe lightly.

"I'm still not used to people picking me up like I weigh nothing," Tris points out, managing a sincere grin on that because Fives has the kind of happiness that would be infectious even if she weren't delighted on her own behalf. "You have a wonderful smile, by the way."

Giving compliments doesn't come easily, but she tries.

He tips his head a little when she kisses his neck again, rubbing his bristly cheek against her temple, and his eyes slip shut for a moment when she nips at his earlobe. "But you're so little," he points out, and bounces her lightly in his arms, grinning down at her.

It's not that he doesn't understand she's fat, he just doesn't see it as a problem. Her role isn't to be in top physical form for active combat, her power lies elsewhere and she could best him without so much as raising a hand, so why should she worry about it? Especially when her curves are so nice and she feels so comfortably squishy this way.

It's his turn to blush at the compliment, and he tips his head again, this time to give her a proper kiss, slow and deep and warm, because he doesn't really know what to do with the compliment and this seems like a nice compromise. Then he gives her one more teasing kiss to the tip of her nose and sets her gently down. "Ready to go?"

"I'm short, not little. There's a difference. You're also stronger than most humans," Tris tells him with a small huff of laughter brought on more by his endearing enthusiasm than by anything being said.

His response to compliments is pretty much exactly what hers would be, so it works well enough. She and Hope talked awhile ago, though, about how difficult it is to put feelings into words, and how important it is to make an attempt in spite of that. Both of them would much rather fling themselves into other forms of affection than try to verbally express emotions. Or try to give or respond to compliments, in Tris's case. She's doing her best to overcome that.

Kissing is easier, and Tris has already confirmed that she thoroughly enjoys kissing Fives.

She wraps her arms around him for a few seconds when he puts her down, pressed tightly up against him, before she pulls away almost reluctantly to reply, "Now I am."

"Nope, little!" he disagrees cheerfully, though he doesn't argue about his strength and, in fact, grins at her acknowledgment of it. That's something he's proud of, so it's easy to accept. It's also exceptionally easy to get caught up in kissing her. How much softer it is with no stubble, and how much smaller her mouth is, and it's wonderful and strange and he can hardly believe he's allowed this.

He keeps his arms wrapped around her, relishing the the feel of her pressed against him until she pulls away. He sighs a little regretfully then, and looks at their picnic blanket and basket and books. "I guess we have to bring this back with us, don't we?" Much as he'd rather just rush her though the halls and to her room.

Tris raises her eyebrows at Fives. "You're impatient enough that you can't take the few extra seconds to pick things up before we go?"

She's already bending to put books into the basket, even as she teases him. "It's not as if it takes any longer to carry these to my cabin than to walk there without them, you know."

Library books are not getting returned today.

He bends to grab the blanket and fold it over his arm... the promptly adjusts himself because that was really not comfortable. "We'd already be out the door if we hadn't had to stop to get them," he teases back.

"We can get out the door now," she assures him, straightening. "I trust you've survived the three second delay?"

She isn't going to make a mad dash for her cabin, but she'll walk quicker than usual. Fives isn't the only person eager to get back there. Of course, he'll also have to wait an extra couple seconds for her to pick the lock when they arrive.

"It's been a deeply painful delay," he informs her solemnly as he heads for the door and cancels the program on his way into the hall. He matches his pace to hers, and after a few steps he reaches out almost shyly to take her near hand.

"I'll have to make it up to you somehow, then," Tris promises, grinning, and she lets Fives take her hand when he reaches for it. She squeezes affectionately.

His smile breaks out, wide and happy again, when she squeezes his hand. "I think I like the sound of that."

As they near her door, she reaches across to offer him the basket. "Hold this, would you please? I don't have my key, so I need both my hands for a moment."

At least she's quick with a set of lock picks these days. She's gotten more practice on the Barge than she had in years beforehand, since she never bothered asking the Admiral for a spare key and hers is always in someone else's possession.

Another painful delay she'll have to make up to Fives later, presumably. Tris can't prevent a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth at the prospect.

He takes the basket without protest and steps aside to watch her pick the lock. He can't help smiling at how quickly and skillfully she does it. Pretty, smart, talented in all sorts of ways, people in her world must be blind.

He waits very patiently for the few seconds it takes her to get the door open and then, smiling impishly, he crouches down just enough to get his free arm around her waist and lift her up again to carry her through the door. Laughing again, of course.

This time, she lets him lift her without any of her previous discomfort, just a soft laugh. Fives clearly isn't going to hesitate about that, now that she's given him permission for it in private.

"My room is at the top of the stairs," she informs him with a grin, in case he doesn't feel like putting her down again immediately.

"Good to know," he answers, and sets the basket and blanket down on the nearest flat surface so he can swing her up properly into his arms again. Because of course he'd rather not put her down.

He beams and kisses her nose again, just because it's there. "I'm going to have to keep trying to make you laugh." Because he very much likes the sound of it.

Tris flushes slightly, and admits, "It's... easier, when you're so clearly delighted." In other words, the surest way to make Tris laugh is probably to just keep smiling and laughing himself. His happiness is infectious.

She wraps her arms around his shoulders and nips at his neck.

Fives takes the stairs two at a time, eager and beaming. It's hard to be as incredibly nervous as he'd been at the start with Tris so warm and happy in his arms, and so clearly and uncomplicatedly interested. And he knows she won't mock him or be disappointed in his nerves or lack of experience with women.

"How could I be anything but delighted?" he asks, and it's just a little bit more solemn, a conscious assurance that there is nothing about her that could possibly fail to delight him. And besides, he's just discovered he quite likes that word, it describes his feelings so perfectly right now.

"I'm not sure, but I certainly don't intend to find out today," Tris replies firmly. She kisses his cheek. She's well aware of what he's doing; Fives heard about all her insecurities long before their relationship took this turn, and he's actively working to lay them to rest. The effort is appreciated, even if it isn't needed. Not with that smile on his face and his rapid steps on the stairs. Fives exudes interest, whether he puts it into words or not.

More playfully, she asks, "Does dashing up the stairs count as making up those few seconds lost in the Enclosure? I really don't think it should." She still owes him something for the delay, in other words. Her teeth graze over his earlobe, but she doesn't distract him too much more while he's taking multiple steps at a time.

Her room, when they reach it, is unmistakably hers, even if she never sleeps in her own cabin. Bookcases against the walls, very neat, pieces of colorful glass in bowls on several surfaces. Fives might be a bit tall for her bed, but it's comfortable anyway, with soft sheets and hand knitted blankets.

"Good, that would be a waste of time and effort." The kiss on his cheek is almost better, in its way, than something deep and passionate. It's the kind of casual, tender intimacy that speaks of true affection, not just lust.

"Mmmm, I don't think so," he answers solemnly, then groans quietly at the soft scrape of her teeth at his ear. "I think you still-" He reaches her room, spins around once just because he can, and then drops her to the bed, carefully centered and aimed to bounce before he follows her down, grinning- "Owe me something," he finishes as he straddles her and dips in for a kiss.

Of course she cares. They've been affectionate for months and friends for longer. Tris doesn't think she could go to bed with anyone she didn't like and trust. She needs that on top of lust to open up.

But there's plenty of lust. That groan goes straight through her. The instant Fives is above her on the bed, she's reaching for him eagerly, hands sliding his shirt up his back as she encourages him down for that kiss. For a moment, she loses track of anything but his lips and his tongue and what little of his weight he's actually letting rest on her.

When the kiss breaks, she grins and asks raggedly, "Do you have specific requests to clear that debt, Fives?"

Fives is more than happy to brace himself over her and draw the kiss out, long and deep and slow. He's learned to like taking his time on the barge. Also privacy. And actual beds with room to move around at least a little. Right now, though, he's mostly just enjoying Tris. Soft, eager lips and the warmth of her beneath him, small hands running over his skin and rucking his shirt up as he rocks experimentally down against her... though with the height difference he's rocking against her thigh, rather than anything more, well, appropriate?

He's a little breathless himself when the kiss breaks, and his whisky-gold irises have been almost completely swallowed by the dark wells of his pupils. "Given I don't have a kriffing clue how any of this-" He tugs experimentally on her out skirt- "Works, how about you pay me back by getting out of at least some of it?" he asks almost plaintively. Because he's feeling it's very unfair she can get her hands on skin already and he can't even begin to imagine how to go about it... not that he's ever going to complain about her hands on him.

INBOX: lastvoyages

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