WHO: Athessa, Madi, and YOU WHAT: post-Dream catch-all WHEN: after part 2 of dream time WHERE: The Gallows/Kirkwall NOTES: tags will be slow, brain still bad
He's about to say yes, of course he does, but pauses. In the pause he discovers that he does believe that, that they're more than just a set of pleasant and reassuring words to hear for her; that words weigh more to her, and from her. In the pause he discovers he's an idiot, and an egocentric one at that. He dips his head as far as her hands will let him, looking bashful.
He must know, surely he must know that she says such thinks because she feels them deeply. She tried once to hide her feelings from him, and it resulted in her weeping when they should have been having fun together. And again, she wept when he told her why he loves her in return.
His head dips, and she lets it, lets her hands fall to his shoulders instead.
"Good, because it's true, and on top of that you've seen what a mess I am about love, so," she pulls him into a hug, pausing along the way to kiss his temple. "I promise, you don't have anything to worry about."
He grins into the hug, which is part amusement but at least some part embarrassment. His arms drape around her, one hand set to gently, fondly rub her back.
"I have something of a confession," he starts, which is a dire way to start, so when he leans back again he makes sure his smile is mild and warm. "I love you too, of course -- but the words have always meant less to me. I have said and heard them quite a lot before, you know. I suppose I think ... that I ought to prove it to you, in deeds. So that you would know I meant them."
A dire way to start indeed. His smile is mild and warm but it's that but after of course that has her holding her breath without realizing it. It makes her relief a bit more palpable when he's finished talking and she sighs, smoothing her hands down the front of this shirt in the stead of grabbing him and shaking him.
"I will accept any and all deeds you want to utilize," she says, only a teensy bit exasperated. "Only so long as you want to do them. You don't owe me anything. I don't want debt to have any role in our—" A pause for the realization to settle in...
He catches that relief, and he supposes it ought to make him feel bad that he's set her in suspense for any amount of time. But instead he grins, and ducks his head down to plant a kiss at the hairline along her forehead.
"Haven't I just spent quite a few breaths on telling you how very much I want to do them?" His tone is light, pleased. He's spent a bit of time on this, on worrying how he might make his feelings for Athessa clear -- it's something of a relief to sort out the particulars of that drive. "And at least one breath on how little my heart is stirred by obligation. I think you've nothing to worry over, on that front."
She went and said the exact same thing twice in as many minutes. Embarrassing.
"Neither of us have anything to worry about, yep. I think we've thoroughly established that," She reaches over to hook one of the cups of coffee and take a sip.
He laughs quietly and at nothing in particular, just more of that ambient pleased. It's warm and pleasant after the terror-tinged anxiety of the morning, and Vanadi will take what he can get.
Which includes his cup of coffee, although he prefers to hold it in both hands for its warmth as he watches Athessa with hers. "Thoroughly," he agrees amiably. "Remind me of that next time I spend too long inside my own head, if you will."
She has to laugh, too, still embarrassed about the repetition, but she nods. She can handle giving him reminders that he has nothing to worry about, so long as he returns the favor.
It's nice, to be able to stand here, partly leaning against him as he leans against the table in turn, sipping coffee and taking comfort in each other's presence — except that the kitchen, even at this hour, sees a fair bit of traffic as the staff bustle in and out trying to do their jobs. Wasn't it nicer, in the dream, when they had their own kitchen to loiter in? There's no specific memory of having the time to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee or a meal or even just each other in the dream, but there's a feeling. Just a feeling.
He feels the strangeness of the lack too — the lack of personal space, of some little corner to call theirs. With Erik, apparently. He's still puzzling over that one. This kitchen feels busy now, which he'd never minded or even much noticed before.
"Right," he agrees, and swirls his very unfinished coffee in its cup. "I'm taking this mug, and it's possible no one here will ever see it again."
He plucks up her hand in his free one, starting forward and giving it a gentle tug of request. Busy kitchen or no, there are still a hundred little nooks and crannies to find solitude in in the Gallows.
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no subject
"Yes," he says, because there's no other answer.
no subject
His head dips, and she lets it, lets her hands fall to his shoulders instead.
"Good, because it's true, and on top of that you've seen what a mess I am about love, so," she pulls him into a hug, pausing along the way to kiss his temple. "I promise, you don't have anything to worry about."
no subject
"I have something of a confession," he starts, which is a dire way to start, so when he leans back again he makes sure his smile is mild and warm. "I love you too, of course -- but the words have always meant less to me. I have said and heard them quite a lot before, you know. I suppose I think ... that I ought to prove it to you, in deeds. So that you would know I meant them."
no subject
"I will accept any and all deeds you want to utilize," she says, only a teensy bit exasperated. "Only so long as you want to do them. You don't owe me anything. I don't want debt to have any role in our—" A pause for the realization to settle in...
"—Relationship?"
no subject
"Haven't I just spent quite a few breaths on telling you how very much I want to do them?" His tone is light, pleased. He's spent a bit of time on this, on worrying how he might make his feelings for Athessa clear -- it's something of a relief to sort out the particulars of that drive. "And at least one breath on how little my heart is stirred by obligation. I think you've nothing to worry over, on that front."
no subject
"Neither of us have anything to worry about, yep. I think we've thoroughly established that," She reaches over to hook one of the cups of coffee and take a sip.
no subject
Which includes his cup of coffee, although he prefers to hold it in both hands for its warmth as he watches Athessa with hers. "Thoroughly," he agrees amiably. "Remind me of that next time I spend too long inside my own head, if you will."
no subject
It's nice, to be able to stand here, partly leaning against him as he leans against the table in turn, sipping coffee and taking comfort in each other's presence — except that the kitchen, even at this hour, sees a fair bit of traffic as the staff bustle in and out trying to do their jobs. Wasn't it nicer, in the dream, when they had their own kitchen to loiter in? There's no specific memory of having the time to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee or a meal or even just each other in the dream, but there's a feeling. Just a feeling.
"We probably oughta get out of the way."
no subject
"Right," he agrees, and swirls his very unfinished coffee in its cup. "I'm taking this mug, and it's possible no one here will ever see it again."
He plucks up her hand in his free one, starting forward and giving it a gentle tug of request. Busy kitchen or no, there are still a hundred little nooks and crannies to find solitude in in the Gallows.