bakerstreet | #justdatingthings

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#justdatingthings

Part of the charm of being in a relationship isn't found in the amor, the grand shows and trapping. Contentment can just as easily come from the little things - or even the silly things - about being close to someone. At first, you're either naturally standoffish or wary or you're intent on impressing them and not looking like a total nerd. That's how the "getting to know you" process works, unfortunately. As you get more serious...you may actually get less so? Maybe you'll let them see your dorky humor, your weird laugh, your bizarre hobbies, your bed head. It could end up that the two of you have more fun playing video games together, Netflixing and chilling, baking cookies, or sword fighting (if you're in the olden days, where Netflix and cookies are scarce). And, really, you can't help that their clothes are so comfortable on you.

It's a good thing you guys are together. You really did gain a best bud.

Character, preferences, etc. You know the drill!
Thread.
Go forth and kill spiders, share clothes, snuggle together for warmth, play Mario Kart, open jars, bake brownies, hang out on the drawbridge of a castle, slay vampires, whatever you dudes get up to. ♥

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"Yes, I'll admit, I was rather hoping we might do that." He answers smoothly, nodding, a certain slip of shrewdness in his eyes. Spending time on 'frivolous' things that might help Namine stay cheerful was one of the best excuses he had to clear a little recreational time for himself. More and more lately, he's been trying to learn how to keep the right balance, no longer bound by the structures of missions and handed-down objectives.

In fact, Ansem had been taking something of a hands-off backseat in the kingdom's daily operations since his return, wanting his apprentices to step up in overseeing most of the infrastructural projects. Because Even still defaulted to the labwork side of things, and Aeleus and Dilan oversaw most of the security and structural work, that left Ienzo with most of the networking and correspondance, keeping in touch with the keybearers, exchanging diplomatic relations with those rulers of worlds who knew a little something of the greater beyonds. Slowly reframing Radiant Garden's story as a rebirth and seeking small helps and advice about resource management. Maintaining his library. Planning little festivals with the restoration committee and envisioning what future generations might find foundational.

When he throws himself at work, sometimes he forgets to come up for air... but luckily Namine seems to sense the right times to intervene, or when they can simply pass their busy time together, side by side.

Making tea cakes, however, is a different kind of project. A strictly-for-fun one, zesting lemons and measuring sugar, sifting flour.

"But I know your artwork's important to you too!" Ienzo counters, brightening as he opens up his hands to her, inviting her choice in the matter. "So if baking's not so much to your liking, it's of course yours to do as you please with. I won't be offended!"

Oh, so he had been hoping for that? Namine's smile grows a little more before she begins laughing softly, lifting her free hand to half cover her lips with her hand. Such a round about way of asking her to do something with him...It is cute. Of course, she would never tell him that she thought something he did was 'cute'. She absolutely does't want to embarrass him and make him stop doing the little things for her. The reasoning is partly selfish, she realizes, because she enjoys seeing him every day. The other part? Because it was good for him to want to do kind things.

Namine takes a moment to close her sketchbook, setting it off to the side for the moment now that her attention is on Ienzo. She simply shakes her head, soft blonde hair brushing against her cheeks from the gesture. She looks back up to him again with a warm smile, speaking up once again. "I'm sure that if you're there with me, I'll love baking." After all, it is something they could do together and the thought of having him try something she makes specifically for him makes her heart swell a little in her chest. "I wouldn't ruin it by putting paint in it."

She pushes herself up to a stand and moves a little closer to him, holding the baking tin in her hands still. Without much warning, she leans up onto her toes and presses a soft kiss to his cheek, her own turning a deeper shade of pink after she lowers her feet back into a flat position. "Thank you, Ienzo. I love it." Namine says with a small smile, glancing away from him after a moment shyly. He had already done so much for her. Given her a place to call home. Befriended her. Took time out of his schedule to spend with her. Namine silently wondered how she might be able to repay him.

Maybe Aeleus would know? Then again, it was just as likely that someone else might overhear and the very last thing she wanted was someone teasing Ienzo. Maybe it would be better to think it over for a while on her own...

Edited 2019-04-02 04:01 (UTC)

He sneaks a fast glimpse at whatever she'd been working on before she closes up her drawings, always a little nosy about the subject, what little cues that might give him about other things she might enjoy doing.

Namine's really lovely-looking when she smiles, when a little warm heat creeps up and colors her face, if he's permitted one small superficial reason to enjoy doing these kind of things for her. A sadness has been pervasive through all her life before, but little by little he can sense her heart warming and opening, shyly unfurling her own light that's surely always been seeded there. But it smells particularly soft and sweet, the natural aura light that wreathes her, even if he doesn't point that out for fear that his awareness of it is a little weird to wax poetic about.

But it doesn't stop him from beaming and his breath swelling up into his lungs as she leans in to kiss him, rising up on his own toes in turn to cautiously returning a gentle peck to her hairline, lower lips just brushing the very top of her forehead. It's a chaste gesture- he's very careful, he doesn't want to make her uneasy, overstepping too many personal boundaries. Common sense suggests treating her no differently from any other princess of heart, since the girl she came from was one.

"Ah, you're very welcome, of course!" He steps back, nearly folding his shoulders forward in an impulsive bow. "It's just a little something I thought you could have fun with, while we're working our way through the tea. I thought about macarons too, you know, like the kind the Bistro sells by the box, all kinds of soft colors that would suit you? But I hear meringue is kind of tricky, and they're very sweet and crumbly, so we'll start with mastering these first."

If Ienzo really wants to look at what she has in her sketchbook, he need only ask. Most of the time, Namine takes to drawing scenery or buildings, finding the designs of the architecture enjoyable. It's impressive how much though actually goes into designing buildings, but most people rarely give it a thought. Namine has always thought of herself as odd, though. It's a good word to describe her entire existence. Either way, there are several drawings of people in her sketchbook as well, the most detail and care given to the pictures she draws of Ienzo. Namine can't help but be attracted to the focused look he gets when he works on something important, or when he's reading a book in the quiet of the study. These are the drawings she puts the most heart into...

Maybe him seeing her sketchbook would be a little embarrassing, after all.

The soft kiss to her hairline doesn't go unnoticed, the heated sensation feeling as though it travels from her cheeks to the tips of her ears. It's a very sweet gesture, even if a bit reserved. It's an odd thing for her to think about, considering she's the one who approached him first with the kiss to his cheek. But still, a gesture like that from Ienzo is enough to make her heart leap within her chest. Ienzo knows so much about her, has made a special place within her heart, that it's doubtful that he could overstep any of her personal boundaries. She isn't a princess. She's simply Nobody. Well, that's not exactly true anymore. She's simply a girl.

As Ienzo steps back, Namine crosses her arms behind her back, holding onto the tin with one hand as she looks up at him, a warm look of adoration in her bright eyes. "I'm looking forward to us making them together." She admits with a small smile. "Macarons? Well, maybe instead of making them, we can just go eat some until we work our way up to making them." Soft colors that would suit her, hm? He really does put quite a bit of thought into the things he does for her, touching her all the more.

"What are you doing tonight?" Namine asks, curiously, tilting her head just a little as she looks at him.

"Don't really know yet." Ienzo considers, mouth pursing as if he were mulling over the possibilties, lingering close beside her even after he draws back. A hand settles on her arm nearer to her shoulder than the crook of her elbow, the side of his thumb making a friendly pass against her skin, other fingers never really grabbing for her in a way that might read as possessive, only warm with affection.

"Restoration committee's meeting over dinner, like usual, but Dilan's the one sitting it for us this time, since it's mostly about engineering a few new things for the town, and he really likes getting into the nuts and bolts of that stuff with Cid. I might go over the minutes with him later, just to stay on top of things, but I don't anticipate anything pressing. And I've got to check pH levels on the aquaponics before sundown, but-"

He gives a noncommittal glance back over his shoulder. "That shouldn't take long either, if you had something else in mind? If the sky stays this clear, after dark we could go up and have a look through Ansem's old telescope, in the north tower?"

Namine listens to him speak as he touches her arm, the affectionate gesture making her heart ache pleasantly within her chest. She shifts herself just a bit closer to him, finally uncrossing her arms from behind her back to rest at her sides. Ienzo's busy schedule isn't anything unfamiliar to Namine by now. He's an important person in the restoration of Radiant Garden, as well as maintaining everything that they have built up. Perhaps it's a little selfish of her, thinking of taking up his precious free time that could undoubtedly be spent relaxing or resting.

"I...was going to ask if you wanted to go watch the stars." She admits, shaking her head softly. "But you have so much to do during the day and evening. You should spend it resting. I'm sorry." There it is. Even though she's come far since arriving at Radiant Garden, the old habits of apologizing for wanting anything is deeply ingrained into her. It slips out every now and then, despite Ienzo gently reminding her that she doesn't have anything to be sorry for.

She glances up at him and offers a small, sheepish smile. Namine realizes just how awkward and clumsy she is, but he stays with her, anyway. Never once has he made her feel badly about it. About anything, honestly. Perhaps that's the reason why, of all people, she doesn't want to bother him or be the cause of him being stretched too thin. "Maybe we could bake tomorrow?" She asks carefully, unsure of if that would be better than meeting him at night?

Months later, and being a person is still terribly difficult for her.

"Namine," He sighs, full of a warm and reproachful fondness as he pulls out a chair beside her, sits down as if to commit himself fully to staying by her side a little longer in the moment, instead of hovering about her briefly between tasks. It's also so she won't have to keep look up at him, or cast her eyes towards her sandals when she's feeling guilty about wanting something that isn't necessity. Ienzo gently takes up both her hands in his, her slim and colorfully smudged fingers, holding them for a moment as if admiring their shape and signs of artists's wear.

"What are you always apologizing for?" He smiles, tipping his head just far enough for a glimpse of both his eyes. "Don't you know I'm allowed a few personal priorities of my own? And if one of them so happens to be you..." he gives her hands a squeeze, then pulls them briefly to his bowing mouth, pressing his lips to a row of her knuckles, inhaling slowly, massaging the insides of her palms with his thumbs. Ienzo would probably balk if anyone accused him of being a romantic, but with Namine he tries on all the kinds of softer things he never would have imagined himself doing. She deserves them. If he can help her believe one single thing, then it should be that she's treasured, and worth talking the time on.

"...who needs an early bedtime, anyway?" He scoffs mildly, leaning back, still intenting to keep hold of her hands until he can feel her pulling them back. Sleeping only means more time for fruitless racing thoughts in bed, followed up by terrible dreams. Ienzo's really not a fan of proper rest until his midnight oil's run dry. "We're young yet, we're not like Master Ansem. We can bake tomorrow, and we can see the stars tonight. And you are never to feel badly, about asking me. I asked you to stay here so that we could be together often- so I could see you every day."

"Don't worry, about what else I should be doing. You're important to me."

The worries are pushed aside for the moment as he calls her name, her attention shifting to him as he takes a seat beside her, bringing himself down a bit so that they are more level. She glances down to his hands as he takes her own into them, holding them gently as if they were something to be cherished, something precious. The notion isn't as foreign to her as it once was. Ienzo always treated her as though she were important to him, which had seemed strange to her at first. Not so much anymore. Instead, it makes her heart ache, his warmth filling every corner of her heart.

Ah, there it is. Her own deep blue eyes meet his, admiring the way the light catches them for just a moment. They're stunning, even if one is mostly hidden for the majority of the time. "I'm--" Namine stops herself before she finishes it, embarrassment causing heat to burn her cheeks. There she goes again, after he just asks why she is always apologizing. Apologizing for apologizing, Namine? She lets the question go for the moment instead, watching as he squeezes her hands and brings them to his lips. There's no disguising the affection that spreads over her features, warmth blooming on her skin where he touches.

"Ienzo..." Namine says his name quietly as she watches him. The fact that she is one of his priorities means more to her than anything. It pleases her in ways she's never really felt before, that he would see her as special and give his precious free time to her. It isn't a surprise. He's made it clear how he feels and he kindly reminds her of it every so often, when her bad habits of feeling undeserving of anything show back up. "Thank you. Really." She says, leaning in a little bit closer to him. "I just...sometimes feel like I should be more considerate. Because the last thing I would ever want is to make you feel trapped or spread too thin."

She knows too well what that feels like. For too long, she was trapped in Castle Oblivion, and even after, she was trapped in a world that had no real use for her. The mention of early bed time draws her back out of her thoughts, a little laugh leaving her lips. His hands feel good holding her own. It just feels right. So she doesn't pull her hands away. Instead, she shifts them a little so she can close her fingers around his, as well, her smaller, more delicate hand fitting together with his well. "Alright." She concedes, smiling warmly at him. "I'll try not to feel bad about it, then. Though, I thought you just asked me to stay here with you because you felt sorry for me." She's joking, of course, judging from the tiny little grin tugging at her lips that is reminiscent of her Somebody.

"I just...like being with you. I feel more complete when you're with me." She says, seeming a little shy about admitting such a thing. "Does...that make sense?" Namine feels a little unsure of if her words are making any sense at all. Matters of the heart are the most confusing and difficult to understand.

"Well, you started out as sort of an anomaly?" He winces awkwardly, not taking well to the idea that she'd feel incomplete without him. That's not necessarily the sort of responsibilty he feels ready to shoulder, when it comes to anyone's happiness, but for Namine he'd at least be willing to try. "Please don't take this the wrong way, but it's...er, unusual for someone to just suddenly exist, with so many blanks to be filled in. You're bound to grow and change and discover all kinds of new ways to feel and be."

Ienzo sounds so hopeful as they hold hands, so eager to help guide her into herself, making the most of this new time she'd been given on luck and a prayer.

"I'm just glad that I can be any significant part of that." He admits, humbled with the lingering fear that she may yet outgrow interest in him, once she realizes that there are even nicer people in this world, people who are less troubled.

"...and I'll have you know, I find you so much more than a pitiable misfit!" Ienzo replies to her teasing with sobered earnesty, because he knows exactly how miserable it feels to be someone's charity case, or part and parcel of their personal penance work, and he doesn't want Namine to ever feel that way about him. "(Though even if you were, I certainly could't call myself anything greater?)"

Namine can't help but laugh softly at the comment. "Not...exactly like that. I'm not good at this." She says, giving him a warm smile. It's not as thought she is actually incomplete without him. She is a full person on her own, with a whole heart, even if it is in a replica body. "I guess it's more that I feel like this is something that should have been all along." Ienzo. Radiant Garden. It all has come to feel like home to her more than any place she's ever been. And without that, looking back on the past, it seems like much darker times. Namine doesn't want to go back to that. Ever.

"You're definitely that." She assures him, giving his hands a gentle squeeze. "And you're right. I guess it's only natural that I discover these kinds of things." She's already had so many new experiences. Having friends. Trying new and interesting food. And more importantly, caring for someone, differently than she would a friend. There's bound to be more to find and it brings her a little bit of comfort knowing that he'll be there. She's not alone anymore.

The playful comment calling her a pitiable misfit earns him another little laugh from her lips. It's become a more common to hear the sound now, as opposed to when she was first brought back. It's a light, gentle noise, surprisingly free of the darkness she once carried with her. "A pitiable misfit, huh? I think you've said it best." She says, offering him a playful little grin. "Though, you're far from that, I'd say. Still, are you really a misfit if you fit well with someone else?" She asks.

It's endearing to hear her laughter, which has become less and less rare these days perhaps, but still a sound he looks forward to being surprised by, each and every time it emerges. Ienzo basks in it for a moment, in spite of anything unflattering he calls himself.

"I suppose if we're lucky and stay the course, we all get the chance to redefine ourselves." He concedes mildly, leaning back in his seat to cross one leg comfortably over the other, still keeping one of their hands joined while loosening his hold on the other. "Every time I turn around, there you are, surprising me with something I never expected."

His gaze drifts back toward her sketchbook, posture finally relaxing a little, setting the mental weight of his own tasks down for a spell. It's a pleasure to have good reason to, at last. "Working on anything you're really proud of, lately? I'd like to be the first to see it."

Namine isn't so sure about redefining ones self. After all, Ienzo seems fine just the way he is, though she knows that has come after a long and difficult road for him. But maybe it isn't such a bad thing, ultimately. Nothing has to happen overnight, so she decides not to think too hard right now about how she should define herself. Just taking life day to day is enough, for now. Namine can't help but smile a little, glancing off to the side briefly. "Well, it goes both ways, Ienzo. After all..." She says, looking back to him. "You are the one who showed up with a gift for me."

Though, she follows his gaze over toward her sketchbook that she had left to the side as soon as Ienzo had walked up. She gently removes the hand that he had loosened his grip on and leans a little to reach out for it, keeping her other hand connected to his. Picking it up, she turns back to face him and holds it out to him. "There's nothing really impressive in there, but...you can look, if you'd like." Namine glances to the book that she's offering out to him. "You'll be the first person to look through it."

While Namine has made things that she's shown to other people, her sketchbook is something she's kept private. However, it's something she feels comfortable sharing with him. It's a piece of herself, in essence. Inside are various sketches of familiar buildings he might recognize from other worlds. The clock tower in Twilight Town. The whole of Castle Oblivion itself, set with a dark background, seeming particularly ominous. Several shops from Radiant Garden that Namine found interesting visually. Then there are sketches of people on some of the pages, most rough sketches, some done with oil pastels, some colored pencis. Though, when it comes to sketches of Ienzo, it's obvious she takes more time and care, lovingly capturing the focused expression as he sits at his desk, focused on papers, likely when he didn't even realize she was watching.

On the last page, what she was working on as he walked up, is a picture of trees in fall. A peaceful looking thicket with amber and gold leaves contrasting beautifully against the dark wood of the trees, leaves falling to the ground as if pulled loose by a gentle breeze. She gives him time to look through the book before commenting with a bashful smile. "What...do you think?"

She has a fair point, though his mouth hangs open as if to debate it for a few moments, before closing up in acceptance, dipping his chin in a quiet nod, a half-there smile. A soft shrug. Guilty as charged- he has had a madeleine tin in mind for her for quite some time now, it was only a matter of tracking one down.

"Thank you." He says, on instinct- and wonders if he's being too intrusive to ask for a peek, if they're pictures she's shy about showing. "...as long as you're okay with letting me look?"

He pulls the sketchbook close and settles in to page through, his eyes meandering through the pages with a feeling of fondness, even for the captured places which seem a little more melancholy. There are a few roughs of his colleagues that capture the feeling of their usual expressions well, and he chews on his grin of approval while perusing them- Even's wild exhasperation and manic fits when he's close to breakthrough, Dilan and Aeleus planted like gruff and stoic statues at the gates.

But then there are the pictures where he's the subject- an abundance of them in the latter half of her sketchbook, enough to feel slightly sheepish for how frequently they come up, how different the detailwork of these seem, how often she must have been making close study of him while they've been around each other.

It fills him with a very strange feeling- this realization of how exposed he's become to her, how her pencil captures all the surface truths of him- the way his frown pushes like a puckered pout on some occasions, and how the apples of his cheekbones look exceptionally boyish, when he smiles. When his focus is nigh unbreakable, or when his drifting attention is scattered. How he's let himself be known from all angles, how she's taken the time to get the unruly shock of his bangs just so, the fold of fabric right in his knotted tie. It's strange, seeing so many images of himself mirrored back at him.

"When you work in your softer colors, it's clear you're most comfortable with that, but you've, um... You've really been practicing different techniques lately, huh?" his voice sounds a little strangely pitched and so he clears his throat, lifting his eyes to her. There's the smallest hint of timid apprehension there- You see me. All of me, everyday. You pay closer mind than I think anyone else ever has. And I think you still like what you see, somehow. Am I showing you enough? Do you see things that I can't see, in myself?

"I like that you keep experimenting. I think it's impressive? That you work at it so often."

"Yes, it's fine." She assures him that she's alright with him looking through her sketchbook, but quickly goes silent as he begins turning the pages. Her eyes lower to the pages as he looks through them, each sketch holding a reminder of how she felt when she had drawn them. A memory, of sorts. She isn't sure if it is related to her special abilities as a Nobody, or if it's simply the sort of thing that artists experience in general. Still, the sketchbook remains as a sort of glimpse into her heart and how she sees the world around her.

Namine can't help but watch his expression as he makes his way through the pages, pleased at the little grin that forms on his lips when he views his colleagues on the pages. Dilan and Aeleus had been kind when she had asked them if they would mind her sketching them. Even also had agreed, on the condition that she stayed out of the way and didn't touch anything, as he was working on something particularly important. It had been a rare opportunity, so of course she agreed.

But the more frequent sketches of Ienzo are her favorites. They are the ones she's taken great care with to perfectly capture what she saw. There had been many late nights where burning the late night oil was a necessity, so she had stayed at his side, content to simply be near him, whether he noticed or not. Those nights gave her plenty of opportunity to capture his likeness, committing the sight to paper. Namine can't help but wonder if he would find it strange or be put off with the drawings of him, turning her eyes away from him to the table in front of her until he speaks up once again.

"Yes. I like scenery, but...I think drawing people is much more interesting." She says, turning her gaze to meet his, noting the odd sound of his voice. Ienzo is offered a sheepish smile, her cheeks dusting with pink once again from embarrassment. Surely she's made him uncomfortable, seeing as he's the subject of many of her drawings. "Thank you. I enjoy it, anyway, even if I do have room to improve." She says, lifting her hand to tuck her hair back nervously.

"I think they're all interesting?" Ienzo counters as if coming to the defense of her work- art is certainly something he's a bit too much of a perfectionist to ever be happy with, if he were the one to pick up a pencil and draw there'd be so many erased lines. So many crumpled do-overs. "Everyone has room to work with a little more confidence, I think? Don't be too hard on yourself."

He flips back through the sketchbook, back to several different sketches that show him hunched over a desk with dark circles under his eyes and short-gnawed fingernails.

"Tell me honestly-" He seems a little bit embarrassed, apologetic for even bothering to ask."Do I.... often look so grim and tired," Ienzo frowns, nose crinkling a bit, flipping between a few roughs sketches on the same occasion. "...or is that just how the shadows fall?"

Close by, another simple sketch to the page shows him sprawled, his eyes closed and face blissfully relaxed, hair draped and pushed off his peaceable face. "Ah, and I remember that afternoon too!" He finally smiles warmly, remembering how he'd dozed off with his head practically in her lap, and how she hadn't moved from that spot for hours till he was waking?

Ienzo's defense of her work warms her heart, a small, please smile tugging at her lips. She has a tendency to be too harsh on her own work, at times. Then again, weren't most artists? There's always something to improve, always something that could be better. Yet, even with that, she likes her art more now than she ever has. It isn't used for the sake of harming others or altering memories. This is just for the sake of it, for her love of drawing. "Thank you. I'll try not to be." She says, watching him flip through her sketchbook again.

The question he asks takes her a bit by surprise. He seems fairly concerned about it and perhaps the various states of Ienzo aren't so accurately represented in her drawings. Namine hums softly, her free hand reaching out to touch his cheek gently. Her delicate fingers are cool to the touch as they brush the skin, her expression focused as she looks over the features of his face. Her fingers trace along his cheekbones, trailing down along his chin softly as her eyes follow their path, finally lifting to meet his gaze again. "No, you don't always look like that." She says with a little smile. "Just on the nights when you've worked too long into the night. I like the way your expression looks when you're really focused on your work. You can almost see how much care you put into doing your tasks thoroughly."

She pauses for a moment to shift her hand up to brush the wild shock of hair away from his eyes. "Then, other times, you look young and energetic, all signs of worry erased from your face. The light will catch your eyes just right sometimes and they look like jewels." After a moment, her hand lets his bangs fall back into place and lower back to her lap, a sheepish expression coming to her face. That might be more than he had asked for, but as it so happens, Ienzo is a subject she feels strongly about. "I'm sorry. I'm rambling." She says, chuckling softly.

Namine looks down to the page and can't help but smile. "I remember it, too. You looked so peaceful that I just couldn't wake you." A little laugh follows, a bit brighter than the previous. It had been a peaceful day spent with one another, eventually leading to the two of them sitting beneath the shade of a large tree. She had offered her lap and he had taken the offer. "You...look really cute when you sleep." She admits, her cheeks flaring in color once again.

It's remarkable, what even the most gentle contact does when there's a heart to anchor the sensation in. His thoughts, prone to careening off into twelve directions at madcap pace, become suddenly focused and pinned into place, grounded in the present, startlingly real and awake to the slim, rounded form of her fingertips.

Ienzo can only recall so many times when Zexion was touched, and it was usually an offending thing- Xigbar's long arm slung about him like some creepy old uncle, Axel leering dangerously close, Larxene delivering shock to the tip of his nose and the darting out of range, or that memorable time Demyx tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention and reflex had him whirling with his Lexicon thick and outstreached in his hand, swatting the poor unsuspecting slacker full-force across the face.

She is different, this is different in every wonderful way, stilling his restlessness, gifting him an attentive sense of peace. He tilts his chin just so until her fingers play across his mouth, the shape of his lips, and he nudges just the barest pressure of a dry, deliberate kiss against them, powdery pastels and the sweet cedar scent of pencil shavings right under his nose.

"I'm glad you notice." He murmurs, lips just barely moving against her fingers, then bowing his head into her hand as she fusses with his bangs, pulling back the curtain from his eyes. Ienzo blinks languidly, heavy-lidded, drowsy and serene in her presence, all worry lines in his brow easily smoothing out as he gazes back at her a little dreamy-eyed and smiles

"It's okay, Namine. I do more than my fair share of rambling." With a short chuckle, his smile goes a bit toothy as he rolls his eyes. "I know it probably sounds silly, but it's... easier to get some rest when you're beside me, for some reason."

Ansem's young successor smirks and leans in close, noses nearly touching, so he can secret with a hint of mischief- "And you look really cute all the time, so... I guess I'll have to nap a little more often, so we can be a cute couple."

Namine takes her time with touching the different features of his face, her fingers finally crossing the soft skin of his lips when he shifts his chin. Her gaze drops to look at them, an undeniable warmth there as she traces their shape, stilling momentarily when he pushes them out to kiss her fingertips. They're wonderfully warm to the touch, even moreso when he murmurs against them, saying that he's actually glad that she notices. It brings her a bit of relief, knowing that he isn't put off by how closely she has watched him, even if it was done lovingly.

Finally, she lifts her gaze to his, taking a moment to admire the peaceful look she finds there, a small smile tugging at her lips. "I like hearing your ramblings." She says to him. He's taught her so much more than she could have ever learned on her own, whether he's intended to or not. Everything he says is interesting, and if it's something he rambles about, it only means that he's passionate about that subject. How could she ever fault him for that?

The mention of being able to rest easier when she's beside him makes her glance away briefly, embarrassed that she would have such an effect on him when she's done so little. But Namine's gaze is only averted briefly before she looks back to him. "Then...I guess I will have to stay nearby more often, so you can rest." She says, knowing what it implies and meaning it, anyway. Her bright eyes fall half lidded as he leans in close to her, close enough to feel his warmth a little. "Thank you. You're too kind." She says quietly. "But you don't need to nap. You're more than handsome while you're awake. But...I won't argue if you want to use my lap for more naps." Namine looks at him thoughtfully, a small smile on her lips. Then, after just a moment of hesitation, she leans in to close the distance between them, pressing her lips gently against him. She lets her lips linger there for a few moments before pulling back, just in case it might have been something he doesn't want.

Well. Now her ears are burning again.

Ienzo's still earnestly trying to figure the whole damn thing out, right here in the middle of it, heart in his throat and heat in his cheeks, eyes squinty with deep pleasure, like a cat sunbathing on a cozy patch of carpet.

So are they just doing each other lip service, now? Is that the true essence of love, pouring out effusive 'I like all of this and that about you' compliments, until someone finally crumples under all the heady, twitterpated weightlessness of being adored and barely believing it until they're clutching at one another, looking in each other's arms for proof?

Dilan calls this kind of stuff patently ridiculous. Sometimes he wonders, vaguely fears, where and how the crusty guard got it all so wrong... because he doesn't want feeling this way with Namine to ever end, especially in bitter darkness.

Right now she's all stunning, gleaming light melting softly against his mouth, and her breath tastes vaguely like cinnamon apples, which isn't really so surprising if he had to take a guess where she's at in their steady progress of tea sampling, or considered the color palette of her current artwork. He's awestruck and contemplative, must not have reacted quickly enough to her kissing him, because she's starting to recede before he's had much time to register, and so he chases after her lips with his own parting to plea, grasping at hers just once-

Okay, maybe twice. For the find time in his life, he feels remotely princely.

Ienzo reaches for a stray curl of her hair, tucks it behind the shell of her ear, mostly for the excuse of reaching out and touching her while the kiss, resisting the urge to cradle her jaw fully- he's timid to force things as much as she is. There's a slightly wet squeak when they part, a little clumsily, their knees touching between chairs scooted close.

"Watching you wake up, I think, that first time..." he tells her, all too serious, "was the very best thing I've ever done."

Edited 2019-04-06 06:22 (UTC)

Ienzo isn't alone in that, at least. Being with someone, caring for them, having them care for her...All of it is completely foreign, something she's only read about in books, only seen in memories. But now that she's experiencing it herself, it feels like something more precious than anything in all of the worlds. They're both clumsy, figuring things out together as they go along, but she's grateful that it's Ienzo at her side.

She almost pulls away, but feels his lips push against her own, parting softly to afford her the taste of him on hers. Her eyes fall closed for a moment, ignoring the way her heart beats quickly against her chest, and savors his warmth against her. The touch of his hand to her hair is more than welcome, silently wishing for more but not daring to propose such a thing. Not yet, anyway. And it feels like far too soon when their lips part from one another, her eyes opening to peer up at him with an almost awed expression on her face.

Just when Namine thinks that he can't possibly make her heart feel any more full, he says those words that leave her momentarily at a loss for words. The best thing he's ever done? He really feels that way? The weight of the words aren't lost on her. It means more to her than she could tell him, even if she tries. "Ienzo..." She says his name softly, almost reverently, her eyes warm with deep affection. "I'm glad...You were the first one I saw when I opened my eyes." Sometimes, it feels a little too much like a fairytale of some sort. Being given a new life all of her own, only to wake up and first lay eyes on the young man she comes to care about so deeply. It's so perfect that she feels she doesn't quite deserve it.

...But Namine wants this. Maybe she can be allowed just this one thing.

He seems ever-so-slyly and tenderly satisfied, to find themselves on the same page. It's quite the incredible turn of fortune, and Ienzo knows he's utterly undeserving, so the very least he can do is to be grateful for it. Try his very utmost, not to screw this one beloved corner of his life up. Leave this one special person so much better than he'd found her, shaped from data, tugged from the brink of nonexistence.

Rising from his seat just a little, he leans forward and presses his lips to her hairline this time, only a little higher than her forehead, then tilts to peck another impulsively at her temple, sucking in tremulous breath. There are days it's so hard to believe that all of this is real and not some feverish wish. There's an ache to his insides, whenever he gazes long at Namine.

"C'mon," he reaches for the crook of her arm, encouraging her to her feet, his lips still trying to memorize the feel of meeting hers. "Do you want to attempt a batch right now? We can, I'll pull down the recipe book for sponge?"

And if they end up chuckling over a bowl of slightly botched batter and licking the excess off each other's fingers, he'll call it a far finer treasure of an afternoon than most.

The kiss to her head has her dipping her head just a little toward him, as if to accept his lips all the easier. Namine's eyes close for just a moment, savoring the feeling of the softness of his lips against her, soon after receiving the soft kiss to her temple. Everything about it, including the little tremor in his breath as he inhales, leaves her chest and heart feeling full. It's days like these that Namine wishes would go on forever, so incredibly grateful for being given this chance to live a real life at Ienzo's side.

The sound of his voice has her looking up toward him, pushing herself up to a stand as he takes hold of her arm, her brows raising in curiosity. Her heart leaps at his suggestion, though her mind is quick to try and find flaws in that simple plan. "Are you sure? I don't want to keep you from something important." The implication that making cakes with her wasn't exactly important, of course. She glances toward the tin on the table, a thoughtful expression coming to her face for a moment. Despite the words she had just said to him, she reaches out with her free hand to scoop up the tin and hold it to her side.

"But..." She says, looking back to him with a little smile. "If you're sure, then I'd like that." Even if it turns out horrible, it will be another precious memory that belongs to the two of them. And ultimately? That's what Namine desperately wants.

"I'm sure, yes, of course!" Ienzo smiles, content that he's at least earned a little right to prioritize pleasure over business-as-usual, once in awhile? Dilan can give him the rundown on committee meetings later, the same work that was stuck in a rut and set aside earlier, before his found his way to her side, can probably stand a little more procrastination. "Unless there's something else you'd like to do... or if you want to finish up your picture?"

It's probably a little rude to pull her away from what she was just in the middle of, when he'd dropped in to check up on her, but its too late to take back the invitation now!

"...Water analysis hardly takes long, anyway?" He reasons with a shrug, surprisingly nonchalant, as if their brief kiss has swept away all impetus to do anything other than spend more time with her. "If anyone really needs me for something else important, let them come track me down."

With that, his mind seems very made up. He proffers an open hand- either for hers, or to help carry her drawing supplies along with them, just in case she gets inspired to sketch out the ropes of garlic and dried herbs hanging from the castle's old kitchen rafters.

"No, I want to do this with you." She says immediately, shutting down any thoughts that she might rather do something different. After all, to Namine, there's nothing better than spending time with Ienzo, and she was looking forward to using the tin with him, even if the product of their baking experiment isn't exactly good. Namine offers him a warm smile, turning away for a moment to gather up her sketchbook and pencils, holding them, along with the tin, in one arm. The other hand seeks out his, placing her smaller hand into his and lacing their fingers together, giving his hand a gentle, affectionate squeeze.

Since he seems so sure, it's hard to argue with him. That aside, Namine is sure that none of his colleagues would give him a hard time about taking some time for himself. Ienzo is a hard worker and always has been, judging from the stories she's heard from the others when they would talk to her about him. Throwing himself headlong into his work with a single-minded drive to accomplish his goals, even if he was only a child at that time, as they were so quick to point out. Child or not, Namine couldn't help but admire that kind of dedication to one's work. But as for taking time for himself to spend with her, she's sure that they would encourage it, if not be a little surprised. Then again, since her time in Radiant Garden, she's become something of his shadow, often than not following him here and there, if only to sit silently at times in the same room.

"Alright then." Namine moves away from the table and a little closer to him, keeping her supplies tucked closely under her arm. "Lead the way. I'm all yours." She says, the corners of her lips turning upwards in a bashful little smile.

Edited 2019-04-09 17:47 (UTC)

He very nearly protests the way she gathers up her supplies, willing to offer up his own hands for help- but instead she takes one very snugly in her own, a quickly hint of familiar affection between their fingers to assure him that's not necessary. He eventually relents, letting her carry her own things if she doesn't mind doing it herself

Hmm. Next time I should see about getting her a tote or something then, to help her with full hands. Something that suits her, if a portfolio would be too formal. Something cute and not too showy.

He likes the sound of that, if he's entirely honest with himself? All mine. It makes the shadows in him stir a little, possessive, Ienzo waits for them to quiet before he so much as entertains touching her again. Luckily, she's the first one to reach out, to assure him she's willing to submit to his hands.

Its... funny talk, to be called that.

Inside the kitchens there's a smell of an woodburning stove, of Arabian spice, of little splashes on fruit-vinegar and dressings along with other meat, plenty of snacks and sides put out to share. He pulls down a dog-eared volume far more fit for daily abuses of splatter and water stains than he's entirely comfortable with.

"The recipe seems simple enough. No ingredients too complicated. You care to fold and measure and stir for a bit., and I'll finish most of the cleanup for you?

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