boundherinherbones

[boundherinherbones]

“Ooh, I win either way.” She tossed the ball from hand to hand. “What’s my other prize?” Tossing it, it landed in the bowl. “Two.”

Davy handed her the second one, “Get all five in the same area and you get a big fish.” She told Tia, watching her closely. The basket of weighted balls, small and round and too heavy if you asked her, too easy to score with, sat in front of her, “Something better if you can score most of them in the same bowl.”

[boundherinherbones]

He kissed her this time, an almost clumsy press of mouths where she almost kissed his teeth instead because he was smiling. And that’s all she wanted - to see him smile.

His skin was warm where her hands touched, giving her somewhere to find harbor and breathe while they rested against each other. Just like that.... she exhaled a little laugh, nothing was rarely that easy.

Unless this was one of the rare times. If she spent so long looking for the tarnish, she’d look over the gold.

Like the gold flecks in Robin’s eyes, almost hidden in the dark but she knew they were there. This moment, she’d take it for her own. 

“Not that much shorter than you.” She said back, smiling still as she kissed his chin. “I love you.”

I Hope You Don’t Mind || Rob & Tia

[boundherinherbones]

“Five outta five for the rigged game?” She said, taking a ball from the bucket and tossing it in the air. “I guess.” She tossed the first one and it landed in a bowl. 

“One.” 

Shrugging, she replied, “Depends on how good you are. Five outta five and I’ll give you a fish.” She felt her then, in her mind, and tilted her head to the side, watching Tia’s eyes carefully, narrowing her own. Then, she pulled her hand back, it was a moment, a second, less than. Davy shoved the money and shoved it in her pocket. When Tia held her hand out an invitation, and she looked. She watched her hand as if it was a snake. 

And then she pulled out a plastic bucket of rubber balls from under the counter and set it on top, pulling the first out and setting it in her hand. 

[boundherinherbones]

Tia head tilted slightly, her eyes following the details of Davy’s face as she debated handing over her money. “Alright.” she said, digging in a pocket for five ones. “Do I get to pick the prize?” Her fingers brushed over Davy’s palm as she handed her the money and suddenly she remembered the afternoons they spent on the beach that bled into nights and how they’d surprise each other at their jobs and a flash of a memory of another - and it was like a door slammed shut on the memories when Tia took her hand back.

She almost took her hand back (almost snatched it back) but instead turned her palm over and held it out to Davy.

“Sure.” Davy said, meeting her eyes as the word left her lips. She wanted to forgive Tia, every part of her missed being young and being with her. But at the same time… “It’s a dollar fifty a throw or five for five.” She said, and held her hand out, “Land in one of the bowls and I might give you a prize”

[boundherinherbones]

“Fair.” She didn’t flinch away from Davy - despite not thinking that she’d get this close... though she had figured Davy’d warm back up to her. Tia smiled and asked, “Are you going to sell it to me?”

Davy leaned across the booth, so her face was close to the other woman’s. Smirking, she responded, “My job is to moderate this game. You snatching up my balls isn’t helping. And I don’t sell anything other than chances. Want another?”

[boundherinherbones]

Tia’d been idly playing with the ball, watching the fish as she slowly walked around the booth, but when the ball had been snatched from her hands, she blinked in surprise. “I thought,” she recovered dryly, “your job was to sell the fish.” 

“No, no, no.” Davy said, removing the ball from their hands, “No. You don’t get to play. These are my fish.” She said, and pulled away with the ball, tossing it on the ground behind the counter. “Bugger off, don’t you have work to do?”

[boundherinherbones]

Something was wrong, they weren’t matched up anymore. She could feel it in the way that - it felt like he’d pulled back from her, the obvious nervousness and confidence and happiness was very obviously gone, leaving what felt like a void. 

He even pulled away from her and that confused her and.... stung. He was closing off from her, why? His words were -- detached and that smile wasn’t real, what had changed in the past half minute - oh. 

“Hey,” she said, her hand cupping his cheek. “How am I supposed to match that, huh? You tell me you love me in the sweetest way possible, make this such a sweet and perfect night --” her thumb traced his cheek as she continued on softly, “How do I tell you I love you, that I have loved you, without it falling short?”

I Hope You Don’t Mind || Rob & Tia

[boundherinherbones]

“Then keep walking.” 

Ugh.

[boundherinherbones]

Oh. She hadn’t expected him to give as serious of an answer as he did. And to be honest, she was touched that he agreed with her. This moment between them seemed to be a little more than she had originally anticipated and that piqued her interest, especially when he mentioned something else -- might have given her a twinge of nerves because she didn’t know where he was going with this. 

His fingers began to dig a little into her skin and when she stiffened, Robin seemed to realize and apologized silently with massaging small circles. Whatever had him like this must be something important, his usually easy self was replaced with flitting eyes and shifting body weight and she had to keep herself from trying to lure more information than he was willing to give out of him.

“One more thing?” She asked, her eyebrows slightly raised as she smoothed her hands up and down his arms. And suddenly his whole demeanor changed and there was the Rob she was familiar with, sure in himself and confident, like everything would go his way just as he planned it -- whether he had it planned or not. 

“I love you.” 

It was both a surprise and not. It wasn’t surprising that someone would love her, but that it was said out loud, confirmation at its finest, words to bind and keep - Tia’s mouth slowly curled up in a smile, having to bite on her bottom lip to keep it contained, play it cool. “You love me, huh? Of course you do, what’s not to love?” Her hands traveled over his shoulders to his chest, curling into his shirt to drag him a little closer. “C’mere.” 

I Hope You Don’t Mind || Rob & Tia

[boundherinherbones]

“I would say at least you could keep cool with that cold soul of yours,

but I’m assuming you’re without a soul altogether if you’re whining about a little heat.”

Ugh.

[boundherinherbones]

“You must be someone who gets bitchy in the heat.”

Ugh.

[boundherinherbones]

“For the beaches, I’m sure is the most popular answer.”

“Not a fan of summer?”

Ugh.

It’s so fucking hot. Why would anyone choose to live here.

[boundherinherbones]

“Nothing in particular, sweetling, only looking.” 

“Or well, idly looking to see what you have, maybe something for someone. But seashell necklaces? Where are those?”

“Good afternoon, welcome to the gift tent!”

“Is there anything in particular you’re looking for today? I recommend the seashell necklaces. They’re brand new - I made them all by myself!”

[boundherinherbones]

“Wouldn’t be the strangest thing happening around here, understanding birds.” She smiled, letting Robin do what he needed and pulling his back in when he was done.

Small touches, affectionate touches, were Tia’s weakness. Big, showy expressions were just fine (if done right, they had to be done right) but it was the small, bare, intimate gestures of a person that were her favorite. 

Robin went a little pink, even in the dark she could see the flush coloring his cheeks and she smiled wider. A part of him she didn’t know about, probably he didn’t show too often and he showed it to her as a gift. She tucked that knowledge away, wondering if she could call on that gift from time to time. 

So talented. An amazing archer, good with his hands, theft was in there (talents were both good and bad, can’t ignore one or the other) good with kids, and now she knew he could sing. This just kept getting better and better. 

But while she was musing and admiring how sweetly flustered he was, she was taken off guard by his own words and the sweet kiss that punctuated it and found herself flushing in pleasure. “As much as I would like to take credit for that, I’ll let you keep your singing untainted by my influence. But I will take the inspiration, if you will.” She gave a small hum of approval when he pulled her closer, looking up at him, her eyes shining like sunlight on water. This was what content was, what happiness felt like when it was settling deep and heavy in her bones - this sort of gentle happiness she hadn’t felt in a very long time.

“Did you?” She asked,a playful lilt to her voice as her fingers played with the hair at the nape of his neck. “Which part? That you’d buy me a house? Or I have the sweetest eyes? Or the song is for me? Because I will tell you, any of those will get you points in my book.” 

I Hope You Don’t Mind || Rob & Tia

[boundherinherbones]

“Well, you might enjoy it here. Or you might hate it. It’s far away from the sea most the time, but food and a roof are provided.” She took a step back and wrapped her arms around herself as she took a breath. “I have my own tent to get back to, actually, so I’ll see you when I see you.”

“I’m always right,” Davy said, watching her face fall was like watching a train wreck, she couldn’t look away, eyes dancing across her face, the words slipped out, quiet and smart. “You know that.”

[boundherinherbones]

Ten years felt like both a lifetime and a moment ago. Davy was right. Even if seeing her again suddenly felt like she was back on the island, she wasn’t, there were years stretching between them and things they missed and -- things had changed. 

“You’re right. I’m sorry.” 

“That was ten years ago, Tia.” Davy said harshly, and then took a step back when the women reached for her face. Putting a hand over the scar above her eyebrow. Some storm or something had blown a bit of glass her way, it was nothing. “Don’t.. Don’t do that.” She said, eyebrows pulled down.

“You can’t just act like nothing happened, you know.”

[boundherinherbones]

“You weren’t this distant from me before. Why now?” 

Tia looked over Davy, pleased to see that she looked healthy, but reached out to touch her again when she saw the scar on her face that hadn’t been there when she’d last seen her. “What’s this?”

Davy huffed at that, rolling her eyes, hand still outstretched. “Its been a decade, Tia,” her hand fell, just slightly, “I’ve been busy, I’m not some stupid kid anymore.”