falling ill

[keep_busy]

A few months after the business with the chalice, Annie (with a gold engagement stud in one earlobe, now receiving mail at Aldaras's apartment, and thoroughly comfortable with Being Necklaced, to the point where she's helping mold the thing towards more exacting standards for real-world-practical as well as theoretical compatibility) is in bed with some unidentified sort of head cold or flu. Aldaras doesn't have it so far, so she is snuggled under the covers while he makes her spicy soup to help clear her sinuses and because she's having a little trouble with non-liquids. He's worried, she's mostly just groggy. Zzzz.

Comments

[namesthesky]

"I -" She sits up. "Yeah. I do."

[darkest_evening]

"It's fine," he shrugs. "I'm not going to be offended by you leaning in my direction."

[namesthesky]

"The leaning is a precursor to attempting to snuggle you. If I don't interrupt it I will wind up in your lap."

[darkest_evening]

"If you would like to snuggle, we can."

[namesthesky]

If he intended to have Aya in his lap he has succeeded.

[darkest_evening]

So he did.

Snuggle.

[namesthesky]

Snuggle!

"I love you."

[darkest_evening]

He - doesn't actually know how to respond to that. Usually the proper thing to do in this sort of situation is say 'I love you, too' except, he actually doesn't. He likes her, certainly. But love? No, he's been in love before, this is not it. He's pretty sure that anything he could say would just sort of - make everything terrible. Because his conversation skills are sort of lacking, after a long time of misanthropy. 'I don't quietly hate you' is probably not the best response, either.

So, he doesn't say anything, and just snuggles her a little closer and kisses her hair.

[namesthesky]

That seems to be good enough. She giggles when the kiss lands.

"I'm glad you aren't - running screaming."

[darkest_evening]

"Well it would hardly make any sense," he points out. "I was already aware of it."

[namesthesky]

"I mean in general. Starting from when it first happened. You could have made the portal and bolted."

[darkest_evening]

"That would be needlessly cruel - it would feel like I was abandoning you."

[namesthesky]

"Well, thank you for not abandoning me." Nuzzle.

[darkest_evening]

"You're welcome."

[namesthesky]

Squirm.

"It's -" She cuts off.

[darkest_evening]

"Yes?"

[namesthesky]

"I don't think you want to hear it."

[darkest_evening]

"All right. I'll take your word for it."

[namesthesky]

Snuggle.

[darkest_evening]

Snuggle.

Snuggles are fine. Anything else, he thinks he would have to consider it for a while, beforehand. A very long while, morality is tricky in this sort of situation.

[namesthesky]

"Okay, I thought of something I don't know that Annie and the new Adarin, what was his name, might."

[darkest_evening]

"Should we go ask them immediately, then? Or is it the sort of question where you would politely prefer I were not present?"

He doesn't sound offended by this, because he isn't.

[namesthesky]

"Uh -"

Snuggle.

"I would like to know now. I'll talk to Annie and you talk to her fiancé?"

[darkest_evening]

"Sure."

Getting up: cannot happen until she is not in his lap anymore.

[namesthesky]

Aya is conceptually aware of this but having trouble with the execution. Eventually she floats to a standing position (yay, non-mind-control flying necklace) and heads for the portal.