Slowly, she opened her eyes, raising an eyebrow up at him. She still hadn't let go of him, and seemed perfectly fine to not let go, instead holding onto him and huddling into the warmth he offered in the chilly room. "I kept you up for a while. Why are we cuddling on my mat?"
He chuckled lightly. "You fell asleep. And when I laid you down you told me to stay, and so I did. I promise I didn't do anything bad." He winked and sighed deeply, an excuse to breath her in. "How are you feeling?" Tali's gentle hand brushed the hair from her face, his eyes soft. "Still tired? It's early, maybe you should sleep some more."
"I believe you. If I had thought you would, I wouldn't have asked you to stay." Despite the calm way she spoke, Osora's cheeks were dusted with a light red, and she leaned into his hand for a moment. "I'm feeling just fine, and no, I'm not still tired. That was more sleep last night than I usually get. Oddly dreamless, too."
He laughed softly. "I'm a gentle male. I don't like to harm pretty things." He murmured gently, fully meaning his words. He often tried to make anyone he met up with feel comfortable. But with Osora it seemed different. He wanted more than just to make her comfortable. He wanted her affection back. "Really? You should sleep more. I think it'll be good for you to sleep more often."
"What about things that don't think they're pretty?" She asked, raising a pale eyebrow at him. Though she sounded disbelieving, something warm flickered in her eyes, like the compliments brightened her mood easily. "I don't have time to sleep more often, Tali. I shouldn't even technically be laying here, but you're warm and I haven't gotten any notifications."
"I am a gentle male. I don't like harming any things." He rephrased, rolling his eyes. "I was trying to be cute." He hummed softly, looking down at her with those, soft sad eyes he always sported. "But sleep is good. It's very nice to have. And as long as you don't have any notifications I'm keeping you here with me. Because I'm a lazy creature with no purpose in life other than to sleep."
"You're perfectly cute, don't worry." She assured him, rolling her eyes in return as she bumped his nose with hers. "Fine. You can keep me here until then, but if no notifications come, I will have to get back to writing sooner or later."
He grinned at her words, proud to be seen as cute by her. "Why thank you, Toki."" When she bumped his nose he returned the action, laughing gently. "Nah. Writing can wait. I wanna keep you here. I like it when you cuddle me."
"Writing can't wait." She said, lips quirking up slightly in amusement as he bumped her nose back. "That's my job, Tali. I kind of have to do it, you know." She said, huffing a breath of air as she snuggled closer to him anyway.
“No, you’re my captive now.” He huffed back, wrapping his strong arms around her and pulling her close so she couldn’t escape. “Mine. You can’t do work until I say so.” He teased.
"And how exactly are you going to stop me?" She asked, amusement lining her tone and eyes. She didn't wiggle like she had while he was tickling her, though, perfectly fine staying right there until she needed to do something.
"By trapping you right here." He huffed. "If I have to, I'll use my powers to seduce you so you stay." He grinned, completely joking. It was clear she wasn't affected by his looks (at least she didn't give him any reason to believe she was). He was alright with that though. She was honest with him and he liked that.
"You're going to seduce me." She nodded slowly, a mockingly believing nod that didn't have any bite to it. "How do you plan on seducing me? I'm genuinely curious, all things considered." She traced circles into his back with her fingers, pausing occasionally to tap places.
He shivered lightly and laughed softly, his back softly pressing into her fingertips. "That depends. What's your type?" He grinned. "I have an amazing puppy-eyed look too. So I mean… I could seduce you with your favorite look and some soft words." He teased.
“Puppy eyes don’t work on me, sorry.” Osora said with a shrug, mock sympathy flashing through her eyes. “Soft words maybe. It all depends on how you use them and what you pair them with.”
He hummed softly in thought, pressing their heads together. He let out a soft, breathy laugh and grinned wider. "So if I were to tell you that I find you absolutely stunning and beautiful and caring, that might work on you?" He whispered into her ear. "Or if I told you I think I might be falling in love with you?"
The last one was the one that made her blink. "Or if I told you I think I might be falling in love with you?" Of course that would give her pause. She furrowed her brows, frowning slightly in what was one of the most prominent expressions she had shown before. "Are you messing with me?"
He let out another laugh and wrapped his arms more around her, his head dropping to her shoulder. "No… I would never mess around about this topic. It's too personal to me." He mumbled, blushing lightly. "Did I make you uncomfortable? I know its really soon and all but damn you're exactly what I've always been looking for."
She was quiet for a bit too long, long enough that it seemed like she might not answer, or that she was going to give him an answer he didn't want. And then she buried her face in his neck, a blush painting her own cheeks. "No. You didn't make me uncomfortable. Jut surprised me, is all. Though, I find it hard to believe I'm exactly what you've been searching for."
He shifted nervously, his grip around her loosening. He was starting to regret speaking those words. Just as he was about to apologize and play it off as an uncomfortable joke, she spoke. He blushed and held her closer. “I-I believe it. I’ve never met someone who didn’t like me for me.”
"You really gotta start hanging around better people." She commented, voice a murmur against his neck. "Of course I like you for you. Tali is incredible, whether he believes it or not." She continued her circles and tapping, tracing patterns and tapping rhythms onto his back.
Tali relaxed completely, his eyes slipping shut. She soothes him in ways he couldn’t do himself. “You are a better person.” He murmured back. “Tali appreciates you. Everything about you is wonderful to him.” He replied softly, laughing. “And I’m never going to change my mind”
Osora hummed, not in agreement but in a happy tone. "I'm glad. Though there are better people out there, it's nice to know I'm appreciated by someone. Though, you're a million times better than I am. Charming, sweet, adorable, kind, funny, comfy."
He rolled his eyes and kissed her head sweetly. “So? You’re you. Doesn’t matter if someone is better. You’re still amazing.” He purred. His face reddened as she praised him, a godly smile making its way onto his face. “You tease. I’m not all of those things.”
“You are to me. Quit preaching my greatness if you can’t accept your own.” Her words carried no bite, quite the opposite, in fact, as she nuzzled his neck slightly.
He chuckled lightly, sighing gently. “Thank you Toki. It means quite a lot coming from you. You’re so sweet.” He hummed. “Albeit a little stubborn but I like that too. I like your stubbornness”
"Funny. That's usually a turn off for most people." She mused, almost but not quite jokingly. It actually was. Most people she'd ever even considered dating, besides Shou, though even him with some exceptions, had found it annoying.
“pfft that’s not a turn off.” He said with a grin, laughing softly. “Stubbornness isn’t always a bad thing.” He hummed, kissing her head and giving her a gentle squeeze. “I find you striking. That won’t change because of some little thing like stubbornness.”
“Striking? I don’t think I’ve ever even heard someone use that word in real life.” She said, lifting her head enough to raise an eyebrow at him, after he kissed her head. “But I’m glad it’s not a complete deal breaker. The stubbornness.”
Talk blushed. “Alright so I might have borrowed the line from a movie or whatever but it’s a good word.” He defended. “Striking is what you are. And stubborn is fine. It’s not a bad thing necessarily.”