It doesn’t take much to unravel her, not when it comes to him. She’s learned that only a well-placed kiss and a touch is all it takes. It’s occurred to her that she’s never felt so vulnerable, but alive, in her life. There’s a certain power she’s yielded to him, and she trusts him enough to care for it, protect it. It’s a part of her she’s never easily given up.

A few gentle kisses down her neck, his scent, and the tight grip around her waist is enough to pull her out of reality, and into their own little world where all that exists is him. It’s been . . . What? A few days since she last felt him hold her? Pressed her skin against his? Regardless, it’s been too long.

She almost too eagerly lifts her arms to let him peel the shirt off of her. The fist that clenches the fabric of his shirt tugs as well to remove it from him. Her hands immediately seek his skin as she steps closer. Palms press into his warmth, sliding along his sides to curl up his back. Her lips are quick to follow, a gentle brush of hot breath and delicate kisses across his collarbone continue to entice him.

MATIAS SILPH

[attr="class","matias"]it's too easy to fall into their bubble; all it takes is a tug, a kiss, and they're there, left to their own, as it should always be. he wouldn't trade this for anything.

shirts fall to the floor, discarded in the heat of the moment. he shivers under her touch, enticed and starved as he presses his weight forward, moving her up against the counter.

there, his kisses travel lower, rougher than usual.

[attr="class","noodles"]Eva Morales

The touch of his skin against her lips is exhilarating. Once again, she’s consumed by his presence. Whatever they were doing is forgotten and replaced with the sensation of him against her. Matias shivers and she smiles against his skin. He leans, moving closer. It’s intentional and she’s pushed back until she presses into the counter.

Each rough kiss drags her deeper into their own world. It’s more aggressive than usual, but she welcomes it all the same, shifting so she doesn’t impede his progress. Whether it’s a result of the tension from work or just a similar, starved desire as her own doesn’t matter. Either way, she’s willing to be his release. She’d be whatever he needs her to be if it meant keeping him here, with her.

MATIAS SILPH

[attr="class","matias"]all she needs to be is herself.

some time pass before they're back in the kitchen. the meat's gone cold so he's stood by the stove in an attempt to reheat it.

still beaming, he peers over his shoulder, looking to eva.

"i'm going to miss being able to do this wherever we want."

you know, after Zac Ramsay moves in. but he's being dramatic; they can always just spend more time at his place in lilycove, surely.

[attr="class","noodles"]Eva Morales

She returns to the kitchen satisfied but still wrapped in their bubble. Eva sports and oversized flannel, nothing else. It’s comfortable, cozy, fitting for a night in with Matias. There’s an unmistakable glow that lights up her smile when he looks back at her. A light laugh follows, “Yeah, it’ll be different,” she agrees. Eva moves past him to grab a fresh lime to add to her previous creation. She forgot that part, oops. A hand gently runs across his back, it’s unnecessary but she does it anyway, “We’ll have to actually control ourselves,” she teases with a grin before moving back to her cutting board and knife.

MATIAS SILPH

[attr="class","matias"]again, her touch is alluring, and he finds himself wanting more as he meets her grin.

"or we'll just have to be quiet."

because he's not entirely sure how well they'll be able to control themselves.

with the meat reheated, he switches the pan and starts heating up the tortillas. the same one's still in there.

"or we could just spend more time at my place."

[attr="class","noodles"]Eva Morales

“Quiet?” she laughs again, shaking her head. The knife slides easily through the citrus and she squeezes over the colorful mixture, “If I need to be quiet you’ll have to be . . . well . . . Less . . . You,” And that’s not possible.

She entertains the thought for a moment. Spending more time in Lilycove on the beach sounded nice. When they were on their date, she did already plant the seed of staying over there more. The proximity of her current townhome to work was perfect, but perhaps some more physical distance between her and the lab would do her some good, “Yeah, it’s not too far, just a quick flight over the water routes,” she smiles and glances toward him as she finishes squeezing the two halves, “We can do that,” she decides with a nod.

MATIAS SILPH

[attr="class","matias"]"less me?"

he has no idea what that could possibly mean; he feigns ignorance, playing it off with a shrug and a chuckle.

after flipping the tortilla, he turns to look at her, smiling as she nods. he's happy she agreed.

"the house is barely lived-in so feel free to change it up. you know, make things more comfortable for you."

[attr="class","noodles"]Eva Morales

Yes, less him. She frowns, he’s smart, he can likely glean what she means by that with a little thought.

With her hands now covered in juice, she moves to discard the peels and rinse them under the sink while he speaks. She turs back around to face him while drying her hands off. This current townhome is really the first place she’s ever lived in for quite some time. Even then, she hasn’t done much to make it more than livable. Everything is simple without much personality. She’s a simple woman, so maybe that is her personality. An invitation to make his home comfortable for her left her with a strange sense of anxiety. She doesn’t quite know how to do that. Start simple, “Should I, like, bring some stuff?” Toothbrush, some clothes, basic girlfriend stuff. The thought makes her smile, just a little, a small flush rising in her cheeks and she places the towel on counter.

MATIAS SILPH

[attr="class","matias"]matias doesn't quite know how to give personality to his home either. he was hoping she could help him out with that. but it seems as though they're both as lost as the other, though should he really have expected anything different?

"yeah, that'd be good. maybe start with stuff you use daily?"

that seems the most logical.

"we can redecorate later."

[attr="class","noodles"]Eva Morales

Yes, stuff she uses daily. Eva nods, thinking for a moment. So yeah, basic girlfriend stuff. She thinks on that implication a little longer while she moves to one of the cabinets. She opens it to withdraw a plate for the tortillas while he heats them up.

We can redecorate later. It all sounds so . . . serious. It makes her inexplicably nervous but excited at the same time. She’s really doing this, huh? Going all in? That’s something she decided on not that long ago. Letting herself be vulnerable isn’t easy, but she trusts him with her heart. There’s no one else she could see herself going all in with. She considers herself his, whatever that means. It’s been danced around, but mostly unspoken.

She sets the plate down beside him on the counter, Butterfree suddenly flutter through her stomach as it twists, “Are we like . . . A thing?” is that the best she could come up with? Arceus, Eva, pull yourself together. She recovers quickly, “I mean like, exclusively together, like . . . going all in,” she vaguely points between them, a finger bouncing back and forth to indicate some sort of coupling. She knows the answer, well, she hopes she does. In her mind, what’s remained mostly unspoken should be defined before she starts taking over his home.

MATIAS SILPH

[attr="class","matias"]even though it shouldn't, the question catches him off guard. he lets out an involuntary chuckle, thinking it over as he moves the tortilla over to a plate. he slaps another on before turning to face her, giving her his full attention.

"i'd like to be."

after a pause, he exhales, then says:

"there's no one else i'd rather be with, eva."

he's known for a while.

[attr="class","noodles"]Eva Morales

He laughs. And for some reason, although she’s never been paranoid, it catches her off guard and her heart sinks. Ah, so this is why she doesn’t do this. It hurts. She takes a sharp breath in, immediately regretting her question. It feels like an eternity before he turns towards her. It was enough to contemplate stepping back and playing it off as a joke.

She doesn’t. And she’s glad the nerves paralyzed her in place. His response is what she hoped for, so the tension dissipates and a bright smile pulls across her pink lips, “I’d like to be too,” she admits in a soft voice. Leaving it at that would have been enough, but he continues. It nearly makes her heart leap out of her chest. She can hear it thrum in her ears, quickening as a familiar warmth rises. It fills her with a sense of foreign comfort, a wholeness. Although, she didn’t know she was missing something before, “I – I feel the same way,” there’s no one else she’d rather be with.

MATIAS SILPH