[attr="class","giada"]

[attr="class","giada b"]

[attr="class","giada i”]the cold air only gets worse as each article of clothing is swiftly removed by him, lazily tossed to the floor in a growing pile.

she shivers once more, though the gentle grip on her face bleeds mild warmth into her.

"yes, i'm freezing."

the kiss is returned and she pulls away just enough to smile before leaning back in to kiss him again. her hands reach to tug at the waistline of his pants, as if the sooner they're off... the sooner they can get into the warmth of the bubble bath.

CIAN MAHER

[attr="class","giada"]

[attr="class","giada b"]

[attr="class","giada i”]as he parts from her, she feels the lack of warmth immediately - body shivering through colder temperatures. he keeps them tethered, fingers lacing together as he moves to get into the water.

"okay."

after a moment, she follows suit and audibly sighs once hot water hits her skin. she sinks a little further into the bathtub, bubbles shifting to make room, and flashes a content smile.

"better."

no longer freezing, at least. her legs stretch out slightly to tangle themselves in his once he's settled within the bathtub.

CIAN MAHER

[attr="class","giada"]

[attr="class","giada b"]

[attr="class","giada i”]he settles and drifts closer as bubbles shift to make room for both of them. at this proximity, she feels a small anxiety creep in - tied to an empty eye socket hidden behind a cloth patch. does she remove it? does she hide behind the comfort shielding the emptiness?

"what do you want to know?"

does she have any interesting aspects to herself? she doesn't quite know.

for a moment, she sits in silence as his hand gently runs over her leg.

"i think i might have a sister somewhere out in the world."

it's soft, this admittance. she hasn't spoken it into existence before. now that she has, it feels more concrete and that, alone, is almost terrifying.

"i think i met her once, too."

CIAN MAHER

[attr="class","giada"]

[attr="class","giada b"]

[attr="class","giada i”]truthfully, she doesn't know what to tell him fully for she doesn't know who she is anymore. everything she had been was beneath a shadow labeled team rocket and without it? she feels a little lost, left to discover new likes and dislikes, forge new history and erode over past instances entirely.

it's freeing, really, but confusing and terrifying all the same...

so she focuses on small things - easily overlooked before but newly reopened.

"the complete opposite of me."

her cheeks color a slight pink in embarrassment.

"i didn't exactly get to have the full 'hey, we might be related' convo considering she was trying to arrest me, but she looked just like pictures of my dad."

the ones she remembers, anyway. they're a distant memory now, left in the ashes of kanto.

CIAN MAHER

[attr="class","giada"]

[attr="class","giada b"]

[attr="class","giada i”]"yeah - police or something."

the good to giada's bad, perhaps. she wonders, briefly, if her life had been better... if it had been full of love and family and so far from the one she had lived.

but that is a fool's line of thinking and she doesn't want to feel the heated hands of envy around her throat anymore.

"maybe? you know a lot of people, don't you?"

CIAN MAHER

[attr="class","giada"]

[attr="class","giada b"]

[attr="class","giada i”]she lets out a small, amused sort of laugh.

"not as charming as with me, huh?"

somehow, she doubts that. her expression gives the thought away.

"sol, i think."

her legs stretch a little as she sinks further into the water, shrinking slightly against the back of the tub.

"i could be wrong, though - i didn't get a great look at her nametag."

CIAN MAHER

[attr="class","giada"]

[attr="class","giada b"]

[attr="class","giada i”]while it's a kind offer, it's not one she's willing to accept.

"no, it's okay."

she'd prefer to keep her family - or lack thereof - out of sight and out of mind.

and she feels the tension from the concept start to slowly ease out of her body with each caress of his hand on her leg. it's distracting enough and for that, she's grateful.

"i don't know."

it's odd - she wants to say disappointing, but it's not entirely accurate. there's longing and bitterness and a sadness for a life she never had all begging to be felt.

"it's difficult to describe, maybe, but mostly? a little sad."

CIAN MAHER