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Entry tags:
FFIV: On the Line
Fandom: Final Fantasy IV
Pairing: Edge/Rydia
Warnings: Sap
Rating: PG
Summary: Edge was afraid of saying anything that might bounce back to damage his ego. For![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
mount_ordeals.
"You okay?"
Rydia stood up, wiping her knees off carefully and frowning at the grass stains. At least it didn't exactly clash with her outfit. At least even if it did it wasn't like it would matter right then. She looked up at Edge and shrugged slightly, accepting his offer of a steadying hand. "I'm fine. I just... fell."
"I saw. Don't need a potion or anything?"
"You're being surprisingly considerate," she needled. She pushed her hair back from her face and moved to follow Rosa and Cecil, who'd already started walking again. She only stopped because Edge caught her arm again, turning her gently to face him.
"I was... I thought... I was just a little worried, okay? It's unusual to see you have problems in battle."
"I'm perfectly capable of looking after myself," she snapped, because he hadn't said what he meant to say, and she could tell. She immediately regretted it a little because Edge was honestly concerned, even if he wasn't saying exactly what he thought. It was rare enough for the guy to be even a little worried about any situation, let alone worried for anyone but himself. Not that that bothered her. If he wanted to be a selfish prick with an overlarge ego, that was absolutely fine with her.
"Okay. Sorry for bothering," he muttered, and then he strode off to join Cecil.
------
"Want anything?"
"Why are you talking to me now? You were doing such a fine job of avoiding me earlier."
He looked up at her, a little startled. "Rydia, I -- "
She interrupted him smoothly. "I wouldn't mind a glass of wine, if you're really going to stir yourself to do that much for me. If not, I can get it myself instead of expecting others to go and get it for me."
"She offered," he mumbled, looking down at his own glass of wine that she'd already seen a girl hand to him. "Wasn't like I shouted at her and ordered her to go get me some wine."
"Whatever," Rydia said, softly, suddenly annoyed with all the back and forth banter. "On second thoughts, I don't want anything. I was just leaving, since nobody here seems all that pleased to see me."
"But -- "
"Bye."
She walked off. She felt a little sorry for it, all over again, because Edge had come over, just to talk to her. Had offered to get her something instead of launching straight off on something about himself. But then, he'd turned his back on her when she walked into the room before. Had been hiding from her. And it wasn't like they'd ever got on particularly well.
"Rydia..."
She ignored him. He was only going to say something to cover up whatever he had really wanted to say to her.
------
"Rydia!"
He caught her arm and turned her to face him, and she got a flash of something she'd seen before from him. She turned to face him quickly, not letting him get any advantage, and folded her arms in front of her. "Yes?"
"I'm... sorry."
He was a little breathless from running, his hair a little tousled. She fought the smile that threatened to twitch the corners of her mouth up. Again, he wasn't saying what he'd really run after her to say. But at least he was sorry. "What do you really want?"
He straightened up a little, and then looked straight into her eyes. A first. "I wanted to say... I wanted to say that I love you."
"That's what you've always been trying to tell me?"
He smiled a little at the shock on her face and took a step forward. "I guess that's it, yeah."
"Arrogant, selfish bastard," she whispered, needling again, and he shakes his head.
"Don't know if you noticed, but your constant walking away has sort of put paid to that guy. You really are... kind of intimidating, when you want to be."
"Liar," she teased, but she did let him draw her close, and she did let him kiss her. So that was what he'd been afraid of saying. He'd been afraid of exposing himself to her. And well, she couldn't blame him, not really. She hadn't exactly been Miss Quiet and Patiently Waiting.
------
"You still afraid?"
He draped his arm over her waist and cuddled closer, curled against her back. He dropped a kiss on her shoulder. "Not a bit."
"You are," she said, quietly. She was smiling. Not trying to scare him away, not this time. She moved her hand to find and take his, tangling her slim fingers with his. She could feel tension in that simple touch, let alone in the slight quiver of his body against hers. "Say it. Whatever it is."
"Promise you won't shoot me down?"
"Never."
"You expect me to put my ego on the line here?"
"Of course."
She was teasing him more than anything, of course. Not that she would stand for him saying or asking something stupid or obvious. That was, well, just stupid and obvious. But she was more willing to listen than she had been.
"Just say it," she said, finally, when he didn't seem to be making any particular effort to get the words out. She heard him take a deep breath and rolled at the typical way he approached it. Like a skittish horse or something that was bound to cause him some grief.
She waited.
"Marry me?"
She had to smile.
She had to make him wait, too, waited until she felt him drawing away and until his hand pulled from hers. She let him wait until he was uncomfortable enough to roll away and sit up, looking out into the darkened room. He didn't push. It was his turn to wait.
In a way, she realised, she was afraid of answering, too. So she sat up and moved behind him, wrapping her arms around him and pressing against his back. She heard him take a deep breath and she took one too. After all, she couldn't constantly berate him for being afraid if she was, too. And it was such a simple thing to say. Yes or no, break his heart or make his little castle in the clouds a reality.
"Yes."
Pairing: Edge/Rydia
Warnings: Sap
Rating: PG
Summary: Edge was afraid of saying anything that might bounce back to damage his ego. For
mount_ordeals."You okay?"
Rydia stood up, wiping her knees off carefully and frowning at the grass stains. At least it didn't exactly clash with her outfit. At least even if it did it wasn't like it would matter right then. She looked up at Edge and shrugged slightly, accepting his offer of a steadying hand. "I'm fine. I just... fell."
"I saw. Don't need a potion or anything?"
"You're being surprisingly considerate," she needled. She pushed her hair back from her face and moved to follow Rosa and Cecil, who'd already started walking again. She only stopped because Edge caught her arm again, turning her gently to face him.
"I was... I thought... I was just a little worried, okay? It's unusual to see you have problems in battle."
"I'm perfectly capable of looking after myself," she snapped, because he hadn't said what he meant to say, and she could tell. She immediately regretted it a little because Edge was honestly concerned, even if he wasn't saying exactly what he thought. It was rare enough for the guy to be even a little worried about any situation, let alone worried for anyone but himself. Not that that bothered her. If he wanted to be a selfish prick with an overlarge ego, that was absolutely fine with her.
"Okay. Sorry for bothering," he muttered, and then he strode off to join Cecil.
"Want anything?"
"Why are you talking to me now? You were doing such a fine job of avoiding me earlier."
He looked up at her, a little startled. "Rydia, I -- "
She interrupted him smoothly. "I wouldn't mind a glass of wine, if you're really going to stir yourself to do that much for me. If not, I can get it myself instead of expecting others to go and get it for me."
"She offered," he mumbled, looking down at his own glass of wine that she'd already seen a girl hand to him. "Wasn't like I shouted at her and ordered her to go get me some wine."
"Whatever," Rydia said, softly, suddenly annoyed with all the back and forth banter. "On second thoughts, I don't want anything. I was just leaving, since nobody here seems all that pleased to see me."
"But -- "
"Bye."
She walked off. She felt a little sorry for it, all over again, because Edge had come over, just to talk to her. Had offered to get her something instead of launching straight off on something about himself. But then, he'd turned his back on her when she walked into the room before. Had been hiding from her. And it wasn't like they'd ever got on particularly well.
"Rydia..."
She ignored him. He was only going to say something to cover up whatever he had really wanted to say to her.
"Rydia!"
He caught her arm and turned her to face him, and she got a flash of something she'd seen before from him. She turned to face him quickly, not letting him get any advantage, and folded her arms in front of her. "Yes?"
"I'm... sorry."
He was a little breathless from running, his hair a little tousled. She fought the smile that threatened to twitch the corners of her mouth up. Again, he wasn't saying what he'd really run after her to say. But at least he was sorry. "What do you really want?"
He straightened up a little, and then looked straight into her eyes. A first. "I wanted to say... I wanted to say that I love you."
"That's what you've always been trying to tell me?"
He smiled a little at the shock on her face and took a step forward. "I guess that's it, yeah."
"Arrogant, selfish bastard," she whispered, needling again, and he shakes his head.
"Don't know if you noticed, but your constant walking away has sort of put paid to that guy. You really are... kind of intimidating, when you want to be."
"Liar," she teased, but she did let him draw her close, and she did let him kiss her. So that was what he'd been afraid of saying. He'd been afraid of exposing himself to her. And well, she couldn't blame him, not really. She hadn't exactly been Miss Quiet and Patiently Waiting.
"You still afraid?"
He draped his arm over her waist and cuddled closer, curled against her back. He dropped a kiss on her shoulder. "Not a bit."
"You are," she said, quietly. She was smiling. Not trying to scare him away, not this time. She moved her hand to find and take his, tangling her slim fingers with his. She could feel tension in that simple touch, let alone in the slight quiver of his body against hers. "Say it. Whatever it is."
"Promise you won't shoot me down?"
"Never."
"You expect me to put my ego on the line here?"
"Of course."
She was teasing him more than anything, of course. Not that she would stand for him saying or asking something stupid or obvious. That was, well, just stupid and obvious. But she was more willing to listen than she had been.
"Just say it," she said, finally, when he didn't seem to be making any particular effort to get the words out. She heard him take a deep breath and rolled at the typical way he approached it. Like a skittish horse or something that was bound to cause him some grief.
She waited.
"Marry me?"
She had to smile.
She had to make him wait, too, waited until she felt him drawing away and until his hand pulled from hers. She let him wait until he was uncomfortable enough to roll away and sit up, looking out into the darkened room. He didn't push. It was his turn to wait.
In a way, she realised, she was afraid of answering, too. So she sat up and moved behind him, wrapping her arms around him and pressing against his back. She heard him take a deep breath and she took one too. After all, she couldn't constantly berate him for being afraid if she was, too. And it was such a simple thing to say. Yes or no, break his heart or make his little castle in the clouds a reality.
"Yes."