bakerstreet | #justdatingthings

Entry tags:

#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. ♥

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only | Expand All

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?

Namine doesn't mind carrying her own things in the slightest. Not only that, but keeping one of her own hands free is important to her, in order to be able to hold Ienzo's hand while they walk. Does she have to? No. But she wants to. Namine enjoys the little gesture of affection, letting her feel just a little closer to him than she would normally be. It might be a silly thing to feel, she realizes. But it doesn't mean it's any less true. The words she says to him, about her being all his, also apply in any way he wants them to, regardless of whatever shadows might stir within him. She'll accept all of it.

The walk to the kitchen is pleasant, lighthearted. Namine makes sure to put her belongings off to the side and out of the way, taking a moment to carefully wash her hands and remove the traces of pastels that were once there. She glances over at Ienzo as he retrieves the cookbook. After drying her hands, she retrieves a nearby apron and slips it on over her dress, tying it nearly behind her, a pretty bow at her waist. "OKay. I think I can manage that." She says to him with a little smile. Namine steps a little closer to him to take a peek at the ingredients that they'll need before setting out to find those exact items.

Flour, sugar, vanilla extract, eggs, lemons, salt. Namine rummages around through the cabinets and sets the things out on the counter that they would need for this recipe. It takes a bit of effort, of course, considering she's never really been in the kitchen too much for cooking purposes. Maybe once in a while to hunt down tea to make for Ienzo every so often. Once she's sure that everything is sitting out, she turns to look over at Ienzo again. "Alright. Just tell me what I should do first."

Ienzo's skimming over the recipie with the book cradled open in one hand, wandering over toward the stove to adjust the heat, and when he glances up she's busy tying on an apron... and the surge of sudden affection he feels nearly throws him off balance. So often is she wearing that same, very plain but so easily soiled sort of dress, day in and out, that the sight of her putting a new layer on over it to keep things neat makes him beam fondly, making a small, warm noise of approval in his throat.

Imagine if it were a cute ruffled thing, girlishly patterned and intentionally sweet, instead of the pragmatic, blue-striped sort with useful pockets. Maybe if she likes baking well enough, he could take up the excuse to acquire one for her, another indulgent little present.

"So... looks like we're going to get some butter melted and browned first, adding zested lemon and vanilla- I'll get the dry ingredients sifted and ready for you in the meantime, and then we'll beat some eggs. Ooh... I didn't realize the batter needed to chill for at least an hour, too." He laughs, glancing up from the cookbook a bit sheepishly. "Looks like we'll be killing some time, or... taking a break to test the fish pools after all."

There are so very few things that Namine owns, having only been brought back for a relatively short amount of time. She goes out of her way to take care of all of her belongings, seeing as there was a time when the only things she had were her dress, shoes, and sketchbook. It's a habit that has carried over through her time there, collecting all of Ienzo's presents with care and consideration in her room. So while her dress might be plain, she does her best to take care of it. When she glances up at him, after finishing with tying the apron, she can't help but flush a little at the expression she finds on his face.

Namine likes seeing him approve.

"Alright. I'll get started on that, then." She says with a smile, reaching to pull one of the pots closer to herself to start adding in ingredients. The mention of letting the batter chill makes her brows raise, then a smile form on her lips. "Well, I think I'll be fine with that. Whichever you'd rather do is good with me." After all, it's time she gets to spend with Ienzo, even if it's doing something as routine as testing the fish pools. Namine turns on the heat to low and adds in the butter, turning her eyes to it as it begins to melt. She'd best pay attention, if she hopes to make something good for Ienzo to try.

"Don't worry, it's nothing," Ienzo assures her with a deepening smile as he raises his hand in mild defense, when he's caught staring and she's blushing back at him, which only makes the heat rise warmer in his own cheeks.

"You're just..." He scratches the side of his neck, gaze wandering from sandals to tied off waistline, then back up to meet her eyes. "A whole lot prettier in that old apron than I'm used to seeing it on anybody else, down here."

A foolish compliment, maybe, but he shrugs at little and glances back down at the recipie, reading silently to himself for a moment between paraphasing loosely, out loud. "So it sounds quite simple, actually- The eggs and sugar get beaten together till they're a bit fluffed and peaky, (I guess that keeps it light and airy) then everything else gets folded in, the warm butter last."

Namine watches his eyes scan along her body, then meets his gaze when he looks back to her. She can't help the pleased smile that tugs at her lips at the compliment. She sets what she's doing to the side for a brief moment to turn toward him, stepping in close as he reads from the cookbook. Without much warning, she leans up onto her toes and presses her lips to his cheek, giving him an affectionate little kiss. "Thank you, Ienzo. You're sweet."

With that said, and to distract herself from the kiss she just gave him, she hurries back to what she was working on before. Once the butter is melted, she sets that aside and goes to the next step that he reads off. "Eggs and sugar." Picking up the eggs, she carefully cracks them and puts them into another bowl. "I think I've got it. Is a whisk enough?" She glances back over her shoulder to him. "Or should I use the mixer?"

"Only for you." He grins, color mottling his cheeks where she's planted her lips, unsure he'd use 'sweet' to describe his manner toward anyone else. He might be warmer-natured now than Zexion ever was, but his disposition is still mostly reserved, and very rarely sacchrine. This isn't a side of him most people get to see, the making of teacakes, the blushing when he's kissed.

"I guess that depends how much frustration you've got to expend on the effort!" Ienzo shrugs brightly, open-palmed and cheerful, a bit of errant flour powdering his sleeves. "Aeleus seems to think that using electric for baking anything is somehow cheating the process.... (but he has unfair advantages.)"

Edited 2019-04-16 18:36 (UTC)

Namine has no doubt that what Ienzo says is the truth. She's seen him interacting with his fellow colleagues, when he would adopt a far more professional and reserved attitude. Still, it makes her feel warm inside to know that she's the only one who gets to see this side of him, that she's special. And if there's anything she doesn't mind keeping to herself, it's Ienzo's affections.

The mention of Aeleus makes her look thoughtfully at the bowl for a moment. She lifts her arm, looking at the distinct lack of large muscles while no doubt imagining the large man's arms. Well, if it's good enough for Aeleus. "I'll do it that way, I think." She says, smiling at Ienzo as she grabs up the whisk from the counter. She then begins mixing together ingredients according the the recipe he had read before, gradually seeing the batter coming together as she stirs desperately.

...Maybe she should have given more thought to doing it by hand.

Namine manages, getting everything added together and mixed into something that looks like the right consistency. She looks at it thoughtfully for a moment, then gathers a bit of the sweet mixture onto the tip of her finger, turning to face Ienzo once again. Blushing lightly, she offers her hand out to him. "Would you like a taste?" She asks, tilting her head a little, blonde hair brushing against her cheek lightly.

He hoists himself up onto the edge of one of the sturdy long tables, thumbing through some of the other recipies while she stirs, sitting with his legs dangling freely, feet swinging gently, seeming rather boyish. These unconscious little moments of reclaimed youthfulness turn up more and more, the longer he spends causal time with Namine, letting down his self-consciousness, that guarded instinct to keep a reserved and dignified face.

"Batter getting the best of you?" Ienzo glances up from the page at the first faint huff of her struggling with the stirring, beaming sympathetically at her. At first he considers motioning for the bowl, to take over- but he'd rather not whisk the sense of accomplishment entirely out of her hands, since he believes her perfectly capable, instead offering a little encouragement. "Keep at it just a little more- See? (Lift the whisk up-) How it's starting to look lighter and perky?"

"Gentle now, so that the sponge stays nicely airy. That's the key..." So much verbal direction might seem a little bossy, but Ienzo can't help but want to guide her well, so that they turn out right the first time. To give her step-by-step confidence.

By the time she's holding out her finger, presenting a sampling to him, Ienzo laps at his lips and leans forward tenatively, shy about lapping it right off her finger- He shrugs. "Looks perfect to me?"

At first he stretches his chin forward and tries a shy just-tongue lap off her fingertip, but her offering was generous and the batter is at risk of dripping on the floor, so he parts his mouth and winds up suckling at the tip of her finger with his eyes closed in appreciation before he's even fully conscious of any sensuality in the motion.

"It tastes..." He muses with a contemplative sigh, eyelids fluttering. "Mmh, perhaps too sweet?"

Ienzo squints, teasing- "Or maybe that's just you."

Slipping smoothly off the edge of the table to close distance between them, he bends his mouth closer to her ear and whispers, eyes bright with mild mischief.

"We might've forgotten the lemon. But don't worry, I'm sure it'll be delicious."

Namine steals a moment to watch Ienzo take a seat up on the table, swinging his legs back and forth. Seeing him so carefree, even if for just a little while, is something that warms her heart, glad that she can be a contributing factor to that at all. It's certainly a stark difference compared to the rare few moments she was able to get a glimpse of Zexion stalking the hallways, his lips turned down into a slight frown as he contemplated something or another. Seeing Ienzo happy was a nice change and, if she could help it, would be a frequent occurrence.

Namine can't help but laugh a little at his commentary. "No, it isn't getting the better of me. I can do it." She said, giving him a bright smile before turning her attention back to the batter. Honestly, Ienzo's input is more than welcome, feeling a little more confident in what she's doing with him giving gentle directions and encouragement. She lifts the whisk to look at the consistency of the batter, humming softly. The changes are fairly clear to see. "Alright. Gently..." Namine reminds herself, moving the whisk more carefully to try and produce the right amount of airiness in the batter.

After offering the batter to him off of her finger, her cheeks heat a little more with color. She's just about to pull her finger back, feeling a little bashful about having done it in the first place, when he leans forward to flick his tongue over the tip. Blue eyes are keenly focused on him, watching as he takes the whole tip into his mouth to suck the batter off, his mouth incredibly warm and soft. It's more intimate than she is expecting, but Namine finds she likes it. Too sweet? Oh. Ohhh. She sees where that line went. As she struggles not to look away, the corners of her lips tugging upward into a smile, she can't help but think of how charming he is.

"Are you trying to make me fall for you?" Namine teases gently in response to his praise. Her voice grows silent, however, when he leans in to whisper against her ear, inhaling a quiet breath. Something within her suddenly feels heated, a distinct pleasure echoing through her at the sound of his voice so near to her. But what he actually whispers actually takes a few moments to register to her, a slight sense of panic yanking her back into the present. Namine turns her eyes to him then, brows furrowed gently in worry. "Is it too late to add it in?" She asks, a distinct sound of hope within her voice. "I don't want to ruin them..."

Whoops. She should have paid closer attention. That's her fault.

#justdatingthings

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)