They travel through this plane of existence for several more minutes, time stretching as Matt instigates them to give their own inputs to the mystical house and its garden, confirming the gifted tree can of course be used as means of interdimensional travel without issue for an accomplished druid and her immortal love. He narrates as holding each other's hands tight as they take flight and watch a never-ending sunset, as they glide through waterfalls and dance not under but around starlit skies, feet touching no ground and bodies changing the very way the wind blows. They make multiple visits, to Vax's mother and to their friends, but Matt is intuitive and clever enough to save the details for a later date. In passing, his soft voice lullabies them into a hazy stupor and when he says they're back at that house, the one with the garden and the majestic tree, both Liam and Marisha take a few seconds to get back to the present, to real life.
"Is there anything else either of you would like to do?" Matt says, ever so quiet, a calm, reassuring presence by their side. His hand is being grappled by Liam's and his other one still sits on the small of his wife's back. He's good at knowing when to step back, but since they asked, since they insisted, he doesn't stop himself from making sure they know he's here, he's got them, he won't let them fall away. In his own mind, it feels like he's holding them both in his own bubble, protected from the world. He only has to restrain himself from pulling them to him, to get this over with so he can properly wrap himself in their warmth and feel for at least a moment he's safekeeping and preventing all danger at bay; he settles for breathing in and out, watching them both with wonder and understanding. He does not cry– or rather, he does, but only a little, a few tears here and there that he quickly wipes away with his shoulders.
Liam is the first to find his words, though his voice cracks.
"If– I kiss her, if she'll let me."
Marisha snorts.
He continues, "I love you, Kiki. I'm so happy to be with you again."
Some of the fake candle lights in the room go out. There's no sound, only a quick succession of them going offline, but nothing could distract them at this moment.
Marisha swallows, her forehead still against Liam's, and she turns to the side to look at Matt. Her voice and Keyleth's mix in the smallest of sounds with the weirdest of inflections when she says, "I kiss him."
Matt's kind, lovely face smiles. He gives her the slightest nod. "Okay."
She nods. And keeps nodding. To him, to herself. "Okay."
Once she turns back to fully facing Liam, she brings up both her hands up his chest, his neck. She holds his face, stares unblinking at his eyes.
"I love you," she murmurs, in Keyleth's voice. "Thank you for waiting for me."
And then, she closes up the distance between them and gives him a peck on the lips. And another. And another. And presses herself against him, blurring the any lines left with undeniable intent so he can feel it. He responds to the kiss for a second before shock finally hits and he pulls away, letting go of Matt's hand to hold onto Marisha's wrist as his other gently pushes her shoulder.
"Woah– What– That's–"
"Shit, sorry, I–"
He looks frantically between her and Matt.
"Okay," he starts, laughing with no humor behind it. He wipes at his face, begins trying to extricate himself from the bubble they made. "Maybe we should call it a night, huh."
"Liam, Liam, wait," Matt urges, reaching for him. "It's okay. It's okay, I promise." He has a manic look in his face, like Vax got completely stripped away in a quarter of a second.
"I'm really sorry," he says, in a tone just a bit louder than the one they've all been talking. From his wide eyes, his hand on his chest as if he's trying to hold his heart, and another humorless chuckle amidst quickened breath, he looks pretty panicked. "Shit. I'm sorry. Holy-- fuck."
"It's okay," Matt keeps telling him. "Everything is alright, 'kay? Can I touch you? Hold your hand?"
Liam nods, lifts his shaking hand out. Matt catches it.
"Look at me, please." He does. "Breathe, in and out. There we go. You ok?"
Liam nods, chuckles again.
Marisha doesn't move in his direction, but she looks just as surprised with her own actions as he is. She blinks, drying tears on her cheeks getting replaced with a set of new ones.
"Sorry," she sniffles. "I didn't mean to spook you."
"Okay."
"I just– I just wanted to. Sorry."
A million emotions pass through Liam's eyes, though he does his best to keep a poker face. "Wh--Okay."
"Listen, it's been a very emotional evening. Do you guys want some water? And then we can talk?"
"Yeah, I could use some water."
"No, before water, and please don't get me wrong– but what the fuck? I'm so confused."
"I'm sorry. I should've asked if that was–"
"It's fine," Liam affirms. "Really, you just got me wholly unprepared."
Marisha frowns, her gaze lowered. "We talked a out it. Once or twice."
"Risha…" Matt intervenes. "Maybe–"
"We talked about it," she repeats, firmly. "But it's not a big deal and we don't have to make it weird. I made it weird. I took full responsibility for making it weird. But, yeah, so. Now you know."
There's a pause.
Liam's eyebrows furrow even more, like he could make a line on his forehead turn into a question mark.
"I don't know shit, what are you talking about? You're not making any sense."
Matt clears his throat. And for all he can fake his confidence when needed he looks particularly shy as he barely makes eye contact and makes a defeated face as he mutters, "We have… talked about… How we would be okay with, uh, getting involved with you. For real."
Liam's eyes get impossibly wider.
"Oh. O-okay." He smiles, and it's so genuine Matt can easily look him in the eyes again. "Really?"
"Yes, really."
"You're not fucking with me?"
"No."
He nods, dumbfounded. "Okay. Okay." Then turns back to Marisha, "Why did you kiss me just now though?"
She huffs, running her hand through her hair. Liam does not stare at her strong arm– or rather he is very quick to turn his gaze back to her face.
"Because I– I don't know, man! Keyleth wanted to and I wanted to, I dunno! Whatever." She wipes away the tears still insisting on falling. "Fucking hell– I can 't stop crying this is so stupid it's not even real–"
"What do you mean it's not– Of course it's real."
"It's real enough," Matt adds, back to his duty of rubbing soothing circles on her back.
"No, it's not." She shakes her head, hiding her face in her hands. "It's not."
"Risha…" Matt gives in and leans into her, kissing her cheek and wrapping one of his legs around her in order to pull her close to his chest. She goes easily into his embrace and a mere moment passes before Liam's face turns from confusion to acceptance to not just excitement but gentleness and love and openness and understanding.
Matt sighs at the sight. Liam loves them so openly. It's irresistible.
"Some of it can be," Liam offers, slowly moving back in. "If that's what you were trying to do."
"It's ok," Matt insists. "You don't have to."
"Well, now I want to."
There's a moment of silence. Matt can hear his own heartbeat, slightly accelerated by the turn of events. Over Marisha's head he asks, voice raw with vulnerability, "You sure?"
Liam wipes away a fresh set of tears as he laughs. "Yes," he affirms, nodding, his grip on Matt's hand after it is extended in his direction, gentle yet firm. "I'm pretty sure."
And easily enough he snuggles in as Matt tugs him into his embrace as well.
After some time and another brief kiss, Marisha straightens her back, trying to pull herself together. "Sorry, I'm totally ruining this. Jesus." She sniffs, chuckling.
"You're not." Matt whispers, kissing her jaw.
Liam, this close now, holds her chin with the tip of his thumb and index finger. "Hey, look at me. I'm a mess too, alright?"
It's not a lie. His face doesn't get as flushed, (though still very much red anyway), but his eyes are equally as puffy and teary.
She scoffs, anyway. "At least you didn't kill the mood. Any and every mood."
Liam laughs. An open, honest laugh. Then, as easy as breathing he kisses the corner of her lips.
"You didn't kill any moods, trust me."
And that's all it takes. She barely extricates herself from Matt's arms before holding and pushing Liam down by the shoulders, all the way down to the floor. The layer of comfort provided by the blankets and duvets is not lost on either of them.
As she straddles his midsection with a sigh, leaning over languid like a cat, Matt, just as dextrous, stretches and grabs the tissues he left hidden in the corner and offers them up.
"Yeah?" says Marisha, taking a few and cleaning up her face and nose as best as she can muster. "Are my tears and snot super attractive?"
Liam holds onto her hip and waist and lets Matt wipe his tears away. It's so.. comfortable and cozy and domestic he feels his chest ache with yet another surge of affection.
"Please," he responds, conversationally, doing his best to ignore the giddiness the feeling of Marisha sitting on his hips and Matt laying down beside him causes. "You really think there's anything that can dissuade me from a powerful woman on top of me?"
She shrugs with a scoff.
"Don't feel that powerful."
"No?"
"I feel silly."
"We can cuddle and go to sleep, if you'd like. Right, Matty?"
Matt's whole upper torso is pressed against his side, and he's leaning on his elbow, his head on his hand. His gaze doesn't move away from his wife's as he states, nonchalant, "No. That's not what anyone wants."
Marisha nods.
"Oh." Liam turns his face in his direction. "You sure?"
He looks down at him, lips with the faintest curve of a smile. "Yeah. Pretty sure". Then adds with a wink, "Let's keep playing."
Re: Liam/Marisha, Dalen's Closet
: : :
They travel through this plane of existence for several more minutes, time stretching as Matt instigates them to give their own inputs to the mystical house and its garden, confirming the gifted tree can of course be used as means of interdimensional travel without issue for an accomplished druid and her immortal love. He narrates as holding each other's hands tight as they take flight and watch a never-ending sunset, as they glide through waterfalls and dance not under but around starlit skies, feet touching no ground and bodies changing the very way the wind blows. They make multiple visits, to Vax's mother and to their friends, but Matt is intuitive and clever enough to save the details for a later date. In passing, his soft voice lullabies them into a hazy stupor and when he says they're back at that house, the one with the garden and the majestic tree, both Liam and Marisha take a few seconds to get back to the present, to real life.
"Is there anything else either of you would like to do?" Matt says, ever so quiet, a calm, reassuring presence by their side. His hand is being grappled by Liam's and his other one still sits on the small of his wife's back. He's good at knowing when to step back, but since they asked, since they insisted, he doesn't stop himself from making sure they know he's here, he's got them, he won't let them fall away. In his own mind, it feels like he's holding them both in his own bubble, protected from the world. He only has to restrain himself from pulling them to him, to get this over with so he can properly wrap himself in their warmth and feel for at least a moment he's safekeeping and preventing all danger at bay; he settles for breathing in and out, watching them both with wonder and understanding. He does not cry– or rather, he does, but only a little, a few tears here and there that he quickly wipes away with his shoulders.
Liam is the first to find his words, though his voice cracks.
"If– I kiss her, if she'll let me."
Marisha snorts.
He continues, "I love you, Kiki. I'm so happy to be with you again."
Some of the fake candle lights in the room go out. There's no sound, only a quick succession of them going offline, but nothing could distract them at this moment.
Marisha swallows, her forehead still against Liam's, and she turns to the side to look at Matt. Her voice and Keyleth's mix in the smallest of sounds with the weirdest of inflections when she says, "I kiss him."
Matt's kind, lovely face smiles. He gives her the slightest nod. "Okay."
She nods. And keeps nodding. To him, to herself. "Okay."
Once she turns back to fully facing Liam, she brings up both her hands up his chest, his neck. She holds his face, stares unblinking at his eyes.
"I love you," she murmurs, in Keyleth's voice. "Thank you for waiting for me."
And then, she closes up the distance between them and gives him a peck on the lips. And another. And another. And presses herself against him, blurring the any lines left with undeniable intent so he can feel it. He responds to the kiss for a second before shock finally hits and he pulls away, letting go of Matt's hand to hold onto Marisha's wrist as his other gently pushes her shoulder.
"Woah– What– That's–"
"Shit, sorry, I–"
He looks frantically between her and Matt.
"Okay," he starts, laughing with no humor behind it. He wipes at his face, begins trying to extricate himself from the bubble they made. "Maybe we should call it a night, huh."
"Liam, Liam, wait," Matt urges, reaching for him. "It's okay. It's okay, I promise."
He has a manic look in his face, like Vax got completely stripped away in a quarter of a second.
"I'm really sorry," he says, in a tone just a bit louder than the one they've all been talking. From his wide eyes, his hand on his chest as if he's trying to hold his heart, and another humorless chuckle amidst quickened breath, he looks pretty panicked. "Shit. I'm sorry. Holy-- fuck."
"It's okay," Matt keeps telling him. "Everything is alright, 'kay? Can I touch you? Hold your hand?"
Liam nods, lifts his shaking hand out. Matt catches it.
"Look at me, please." He does. "Breathe, in and out. There we go. You ok?"
Liam nods, chuckles again.
Marisha doesn't move in his direction, but she looks just as surprised with her own actions as he is. She blinks, drying tears on her cheeks getting replaced with a set of new ones.
"Sorry," she sniffles. "I didn't mean to spook you."
"Okay."
"I just– I just wanted to. Sorry."
A million emotions pass through Liam's eyes, though he does his best to keep a poker face.
"Wh--Okay."
"Listen, it's been a very emotional evening. Do you guys want some water? And then we can talk?"
"Yeah, I could use some water."
"No, before water, and please don't get me wrong– but what the fuck? I'm so confused."
"I'm sorry. I should've asked if that was–"
"It's fine," Liam affirms. "Really, you just got me wholly unprepared."
Marisha frowns, her gaze lowered. "We talked a out it. Once or twice."
"Risha…" Matt intervenes. "Maybe–"
"We talked about it," she repeats, firmly. "But it's not a big deal and we don't have to make it weird. I made it weird. I took full responsibility for making it weird. But, yeah, so. Now you know."
There's a pause.
Liam's eyebrows furrow even more, like he could make a line on his forehead turn into a question mark.
"I don't know shit, what are you talking about? You're not making any sense."
Matt clears his throat. And for all he can fake his confidence when needed he looks particularly shy as he barely makes eye contact and makes a defeated face as he mutters, "We have… talked about… How we would be okay with, uh, getting involved with you. For real."
Liam's eyes get impossibly wider.
"Oh. O-okay." He smiles, and it's so genuine Matt can easily look him in the eyes again. "Really?"
"Yes, really."
"You're not fucking with me?"
"No."
He nods, dumbfounded. "Okay. Okay." Then turns back to Marisha, "Why did you kiss me just now though?"
She huffs, running her hand through her hair. Liam does not stare at her strong arm– or rather he is very quick to turn his gaze back to her face.
"Because I– I don't know, man! Keyleth wanted to and I wanted to, I dunno! Whatever." She wipes away the tears still insisting on falling. "Fucking hell– I can 't stop crying this is so stupid it's not even real–"
"What do you mean it's not– Of course it's real."
"It's real enough," Matt adds, back to his duty of rubbing soothing circles on her back.
"No, it's not." She shakes her head, hiding her face in her hands. "It's not."
"Risha…" Matt gives in and leans into her, kissing her cheek and wrapping one of his legs around her in order to pull her close to his chest. She goes easily into his embrace and a mere moment passes before Liam's face turns from confusion to acceptance to not just excitement but gentleness and love and openness and understanding.
Matt sighs at the sight. Liam loves them so openly. It's irresistible.
"Some of it can be," Liam offers, slowly moving back in. "If that's what you were trying to do."
"It's ok," Matt insists. "You don't have to."
"Well, now I want to."
There's a moment of silence. Matt can hear his own heartbeat, slightly accelerated by the turn of events. Over Marisha's head he asks, voice raw with vulnerability, "You sure?"
Liam wipes away a fresh set of tears as he laughs. "Yes," he affirms, nodding, his grip on Matt's hand after it is extended in his direction, gentle yet firm. "I'm pretty sure."
And easily enough he snuggles in as Matt tugs him into his embrace as well.
After some time and another brief kiss, Marisha straightens her back, trying to pull herself together. "Sorry, I'm totally ruining this. Jesus." She sniffs, chuckling.
"You're not." Matt whispers, kissing her jaw.
Liam, this close now, holds her chin with the tip of his thumb and index finger.
"Hey, look at me. I'm a mess too, alright?"
It's not a lie. His face doesn't get as flushed, (though still very much red anyway), but his eyes are equally as puffy and teary.
She scoffs, anyway. "At least you didn't kill the mood. Any and every mood."
Liam laughs. An open, honest laugh. Then, as easy as breathing he kisses the corner of her lips.
"You didn't kill any moods, trust me."
And that's all it takes.
She barely extricates herself from Matt's arms before holding and pushing Liam down by the shoulders, all the way down to the floor. The layer of comfort provided by the blankets and duvets is not lost on either of them.
As she straddles his midsection with a sigh, leaning over languid like a cat, Matt, just as dextrous, stretches and grabs the tissues he left hidden in the corner and offers them up.
"Yeah?" says Marisha, taking a few and cleaning up her face and nose as best as she can muster. "Are my tears and snot super attractive?"
Liam holds onto her hip and waist and lets Matt wipe his tears away. It's so.. comfortable and cozy and domestic he feels his chest ache with yet another surge of affection.
"Please," he responds, conversationally, doing his best to ignore the giddiness the feeling of Marisha sitting on his hips and Matt laying down beside him causes. "You really think there's anything that can dissuade me from a powerful woman on top of me?"
She shrugs with a scoff.
"Don't feel that powerful."
"No?"
"I feel silly."
"We can cuddle and go to sleep, if you'd like. Right, Matty?"
Matt's whole upper torso is pressed against his side, and he's leaning on his elbow, his head on his hand. His gaze doesn't move away from his wife's as he states, nonchalant, "No. That's not what anyone wants."
Marisha nods.
"Oh." Liam turns his face in his direction. "You sure?"
He looks down at him, lips with the faintest curve of a smile. "Yeah. Pretty sure". Then adds with a wink, "Let's keep playing."