Not all gifts are "sweet" (Cassiel/open) - The White Tower

"Hm..." he turned another page, stopping with a smile as his gaze fell on one of the pictures of him and Sam.
"Well, I said I wanted one of the lightning. If I get two though..." the youth eased the tip of his tongue across a canine as if pondering the question for a moment. His free hand still gently playing with her hair as he looked over the pictures.
"I want a picture of something that makes you smile" it sounded perhaps a bit silly but really, that was what he wanted. "A motif chosen because it means something to you"[b] he tilted his head to the side and looked to her as his hand eased from her hair and down to her cheek and to her chin, lifting it gently.
[b]"Something chosen with your heart. To remind me of you..."

She smiled widely.

"So you're giving me free creative license? Anything that makes me happy?" She touched her fingers to his hand on her chin.

"You might honestly be surprised."

He met her smile with a happy grin and a soft chuckle.
"I like your surprises, gorgeous... I really do"


edit: autocorrect

She narrowed her eyes at him as if in thought. She tapped his hand and let out a happy sigh.

"Alright... I have a few ideas. I hope you have a rather large wall..." Oh that grin... Like a Cheshire cat.

"Oh I'm sure I can find a good place for a picture of yours" he grinned, a finger tracing the edge of one of the pictures of Sam before closing the book and gently placing it aside so to free up both arms so he could pulled her into a comfortable embrace.
"Someplace I could look at it every day"

"Black and white, I think. To keep the image clean. And it will go with your decor."

Cass wrapped both of her arms back around him after pulling the blanket back up around them. She placed a kiss against the side of her neck, just a simple kiss, no more.

A simple kiss, but one that had him closing his eyes with a content sigh none the less as he eased his finger sin under her top again to trace them up and down her back with a light touch.
"Already looking forward to seeing it" the youth smiled, listening to the sounds of the storm outside the glass walls.

Storms were soothing in their own way. Cass barely moved, curled up listening along with Charlie, counting under her breath every so often as if trying to time another click of the camera... Even if the trigger wasn't in her hand.

If he could reach it without having to actually move from his oh so comfortable spot on the sofa, the youth would reach for the trigger so he could hand it to her. Though, he was enjoying himself too much to risk having to move and ruin things.

She wasn't in fact bothered by it at all. There would be other storms. But... being here with Charlie? That could be ripped away at any time. For any reason. Best to just enjoy the here and the now.

It didn't even have to be anything sexual. Just... spending time with someone you cared about was enough.

"I hope that... those close to you in your life know how lucky they are."

Meh he couldn't reach it anyways, so he let it be, moving his hand back in under her top to feel the smooth skin of her back beneath his fingers.
"Not many left in my life right now that I consider close to me" he said softly. "Except you..."

That got a smile, even if he didn't see it. Though... there was that nagging bit of guilt in the back of her mind... At least for now it was a dull ache.

"Then truly, I am lucky. And I know it."

Charlie gently scratched a set of manicured nails across her back and ten up her sides underneath the fabric of her shirt.
"You're flattering me.." he smiled.

It's not flattery if it's true," she grinned, running her fingers back and forth over his stomach.

That got a soft purr from somewhere deep in his chest as he bit his lip.
"If it's true then I'm very happy..." he sighed.

And the happy cat got all the scritches and touches he wanted.

"There is something delightful about that purr of yours, you know..."

To which his response was to press his nails a little harder against her skin. Not so much to be uncomfortable though, but enough for her to feel them as he arched his back slightly and moved his body up into her touch.

"Why's that?" he smiled even as he bit his lip again and turned his head to the side.

"Because," she kept up her gentle attentions, moving up his arms.

"It's a happy noise. A contented exclamation. And it's soothing to the ear." She smiled.

He half way opened his eyes slowly, lips gently parted in another sound if pleasure as he smiled at her.
"It's because you make me happy Cass" Charlie said softly, moving a hand further up her back while the other drifted down to rest on her hip. "So if I sound content, it's because of you..."

She grinned, her lips pressed to his cheek for just a moment.

"I'm glad to make you happy, sugar. You know that."

"Can't ask for more.." Charlie smiled, giving her hip a light squeeze as he turned his head just enough to briefly brush his lips against hers.

A light kiss was pressed to his lips before she stretched again and, rather reluctantly, pulled herself from his embrace and stood. She pulled her crushed box of cigarettes from her pocket, gave Charlie a wink and moved toward the door.

The lightning show was still going strong, but... Cass needed something to do with her hands.

She got outside, climbed the ledge and kicked her feet over, lighting her smoke as she moved on the dangerous ledge, without a care in the world.

"You don't have to go outside to smoke, you know?" Charlie called after her, cradling one arm behind his head as he stretched on the sofa and watched her move about. "It's a habit I'm never going to be able to kick" he added with a slight smirk as he exhaled with a low sigh and continued to let his gaze linger on her form.

Cass smiled back to him over her shoulder, having left the door open.

"I'll keep that in mind for next time, Charlie," she chuckled. But her eyes seemed to focus upward, her face screwed up as she thought. She was calculating something.

Charlie sat up slowly, stretching lazily, though the fact that she seemed to be thinking about something didn't go unnoticed.
"What?"