“Thank you. I’m afraid I’ll have to take that offer… I don’t have anywhere else to go.” He replied sheepishly, pecking her cheek as she revealed her face to him. “You don’t have to leave your family. I understand that’s hard.” Tali himself didn’t know of family, the term was strange to him. He only knew what he had seen on the media, and he knew that view was biased and incorrect. “If you could, that would be greatly appreciated. I’m new to this whole ‘getting money the right way’ thing.”
“I will. Worst case, you pick up a job at the store.” Osora continued fiddling with his hair, strangely content despite her insistences that she could walk. “We’ll have to get you some clothes and things, if you’re staying with us. You’re alright sharing my room?” The clocks were her main worry, that the clocks or the mess or sleeping with someone with chronic night terrors would make it harder for him to sleep.
“That’s not awful. I’d be fine with that.” The store didn’t sound like a worst case scenario to him. The worst would be he would return to his old ways of earning money.
“I have a few clothes. And a little bit of money left in my account. I am perfectly fine with the situation we have currently. I have personal hygiene items and everything in my bag.” He unconsciously dipped his head closer to her, the feeling of her fingers in his hair was comforting
"We're going shopping, and there's nothing you can do about it. Even if it's just for you to pick up some things for the walls or something, to make it feel more like a home for you." Osora stated, tilting her head up as he tilted his down. She pressed her lips to the corner of his mouth, more his cheek, stealing a not-quite kiss and thanking him.
"Even if I throw a tantrum?" He joked, bumping their noses together. Her not-quite kiss left butterflies in his stomach and a spin in his head. "I'll go to the store. I won't fight you on this. I know you're trying to help me." He closed his eyes for a moment and paused. "I hope you know I really care about you, Osora. I don't think I'd be making these choices if I hadn't met you."
"Even if you throw a tantrum." She affirmed, nose scrunching slightly. "I do know. Even if I don't see or understand why, or how, but I know. And I want you to know that I would never do any of this for anyone, unless it was someone I cared about. It's the only thing I can think to do to show you."
Tali nuzzled into her cheek and bit back his own smile. She had no idea how much her words meant to him. How much he needed her in his life. “You’re too good for me, Osora… thank you.”
"I'm not too good for you. If it's not the other way around, then you deserve something great, and since you seem to think I am…" Osora pecked his cheek, before pressing her cheek to his. "You smell nice."
“You are great! And I love you very much, but I’m not exactly what you’d call an ‘ideal’ human.” He teased lightly, leaning a little closer.
“Do I really smell good?” He asked, surprise written all over his face. “I haven’t noticed.”
"You're perfectly ideal to me. Turn up here." She instructed, nodding once. "You do. I like it. It's…comforting. Best way I can describe it." Working her fingers into his hair, she pressed her lips to his ear, humming.
Tali nodded, doing as directed with a wide smile plastered across his face. “I’m more than thrilled I can be a comfort for you.” He murmured, shivering slightly from the feeling of her lips.
Osora huffed a breath of air against his ear, lips twitching. "You know, you bring out a really goddamn sappy side of me. The side of me that wants to tell you your hair is the softest thing I've ever felt and that your smile makes me want to smile more than anything in the world. Fuck you."
A smirk tugged at the side of his mouth. "You know, I'd let you fuck me if we weren't in such a public space. Sorry love~" He snickered, giving her a little squeeze. Tali was the biggest switch he knew. It was something he picked up during his years of 'surviving.'
"But I am honored. I think you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen and the most open and emotional with me."
Osora choked, very quickly losing her cool as her face reddened. She coughed, pulling her head away from his to press a fist to her mouth as she did. Oh. Well then. Was it bad she was almost down with that? "R-right. Beautiful and emotional. I th-think you might be talking about someone different."
Tali snickered some more to himself. He felt proud to have brought such a reaction to her face. “I’m definitely talking about you, Osora, my beautiful goddess of blood and bone. You’re the only one I’d ever let touch me in affectionate and loving ways.”
Osora shook her head, blush reddening more. "Are you trying to make me incapable of thought?" She asked, a slight stutter to her voice as the corner of her mouth lifted up. She was smiling. It was small, but so much more there than the faint ones she'd shown.
Tali’s face lit up as his chest swelled with a joy he only felt around Osora. He showered her face in butterfly kisses, letting out a few happy sounds. “You’re so damn cute and so damn pretty! And you smiled much more than you usually do!!”
Osora let out a soft laugh-sound, resisting the urge to bite back the tiny smile. In the past, that was how she had conditioned herself not to smile. But with Tali, it was okay, right? Tali made it obvious that a smile from her was the furthest thing from weakness, more something amazing instead. "Okay, okay, I see your point. Why is smiling so huge for you?" She asked, nose scrunched in a happier expression as he kissed her face.
Tali’s kisses slowed, he hummed softly and smiled sweetly at Osora. “I’ve seen so many fake smiles… so many that meant nothing. But I can tell that your’s are special. And when you smile even just a little because of me, I feel loved more than anything.”
Osora’s smile didn’t last long, but her expression stayed soft as she cupped his face with her hands, pressing her forehead to his. “Someday, you’ll get a full smile. A normal one. Not my scary one, or a fake one, but a real smile. I’m going to make sure of it.”
“I’d love to see that. But don’t push yourself. I’m alright with having you by my side. I’m very much attached to you now.” He laughed sheepishly and studied her face. “You’re so pretty.”
