[ All those things he could say that he wants to put into this make it too easy to let a sigh slip into the kiss as best as it can. Something akin to satisfaction but also far past and far deeper than that, running far more along the lines of contentment to be allowed this much after so long. That she pulls herself closer is enough for his hands to fall from her face to wind his arms around her waist to hold her here to reclaim a place she belongs.
It's for the best Hilda breaks it to end before he loses his resolve to move slowly, not take things too far too quickly within mere minutes of making that promise. That she stays close is enough, Claude tells himself, even as his hands itch to pull her even closer still to make up for months of distance. But now there's time to make up for that, too, which continues to feel like a small revelation each time it crosses his mind and as her fingers trace over him, something he hadn't realized he'd taken for granted until it was no longer there.
Something he nearly means to say in some capacity, but Hilda beats him to speaking. What she says makes his heart twist to the point where he needs a minute to say what he was ready to for some time. There's no reason to overthink it when it's the start of what to offer, a first step to lay the groundwork to more. ]
I'm sorry for hurting you, too. [ Much as he doesn't want to move - even this barely counts as moving - Claude tips his head back enough to be able to kiss her forehead when it's the best outlet he can find without derailing what needs to be said past that and cracks his eyes open afterwards to search her face. ] I thought- I thought I was making the right choice by not telling you so it'd spare you from hurting, but then I caused something even worse. It won't happen again.
[ Another promise, another very important one, and all the better to place one lingering tender kiss to her cheekbone before another below, over salt and all, and continuing on in a slow meander towards her jaw like each is meant to seal it. ]
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It's for the best Hilda breaks it to end before he loses his resolve to move slowly, not take things too far too quickly within mere minutes of making that promise. That she stays close is enough, Claude tells himself, even as his hands itch to pull her even closer still to make up for months of distance. But now there's time to make up for that, too, which continues to feel like a small revelation each time it crosses his mind and as her fingers trace over him, something he hadn't realized he'd taken for granted until it was no longer there.
Something he nearly means to say in some capacity, but Hilda beats him to speaking. What she says makes his heart twist to the point where he needs a minute to say what he was ready to for some time. There's no reason to overthink it when it's the start of what to offer, a first step to lay the groundwork to more. ]
I'm sorry for hurting you, too. [ Much as he doesn't want to move - even this barely counts as moving - Claude tips his head back enough to be able to kiss her forehead when it's the best outlet he can find without derailing what needs to be said past that and cracks his eyes open afterwards to search her face. ] I thought- I thought I was making the right choice by not telling you so it'd spare you from hurting, but then I caused something even worse. It won't happen again.
[ Another promise, another very important one, and all the better to place one lingering tender kiss to her cheekbone before another below, over salt and all, and continuing on in a slow meander towards her jaw like each is meant to seal it. ]