[ when he grabs her, she almost wants to pull away as she screams and shouts. she refuses to believe it... why would anybody like someone so confusing as her, anyway? and for someone she likes to like her back -- it's happened before, but she's definitely been rejected more times. a cute guy from middle school gives her a love letter? she swoons and starts thinking about their future together.
until she realises that the letter isn't even for her, but for her best friend.
so this is another one of those dreams that happen while she's still awake. she knows the kiss is real, though. merlin said it himself, but...
she's so in denial.
her emotions as so all over the place too, and it shows with how widget switches himself off. now it looks like she has a black pendant hanging on her neck. she's feeling light, and not in a good way. she just wants to lay down and close her eyes to try and relax. but it doesn't seem likely right now... not like this. . . why couldn't she just run away? she's said her piece, and maybe iris and yu would be happy. and she wishes she could be happy too, but she refuses to. not when she could mess things up again. not when she could literally hurt him again. ]
Don't. . . [ she tugs on his shirt, averting eye contact. ] go, okay? I'll listen.
[ please still be her friend even if she's an emotional trainwreck. ]
[ His hand that had lodged in her hair releases now she isn't going to run away, and instead of going anywhere, he pulls her into himself. Or at least he tries to. The whole situation is a bit messy right now, considering she's practically got one shoe on and one shoe off or whatever (he isn't looking down to check) and she's been crying and his heart aches from all this strain. ]
Who is the one fighting to put on their shoes? I'm not going anywhere. [ Look if he can forgive her for trying to suffocate him, he can definitely forgive her for whatever hot mess this has been. Athena, please??? ]
Just lay down with me first? [ His hands move to take her hands, curling over them as they grip his shirt. ] We can try and get comfortable again first.
athena can't even put up an argument. she really didn't want to leave. but she did say she'll listen to him now, so she nods slowly. she probably looks like a wreck, but that's okay. she's embarrassed herself so many times... this is normal. ]
... I want to look at the stars again.
[ can they start over, please? that would be a lot better. ]
[ That's because Athena is a hot, hot mess. 95% of the time.
He's relieved when she agrees to it, shifting to make sure he'll hit the pillow when he lays back again. His hand stays holding hers, trying to draw her down and this time he tries to keep her against him. While he lets her move so she's on her back, looking at the sky, he lays on his side. One arm tucks under her neck, between her and the pilow, the other moves hair from her face. A gentle touch. ]
You know, for a while I wasn't really sure what was happening. Everything has been a bit of a blur. I mean I was dumped in a trash chute, woke up in a swamp where the mud was sinking, been followed by a creepy mask, lived through that place and-- [ Only he stops there, clears his throat and shifts to the positives. ] but I also met some amazing people here. People who have heard of me already, people who haven't. People with magic, people without, but don't mind it.
WE ALREADY HAVE CHEESE IN THE BASKET YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE ONE TOO.
she turns to face him, but is having difficulty looking him in the eye. after saying something like that, who would? she was already red because of the alcohol, though, but now she's even redder. her skin is the same shade as her hair. and because she forgot to do it earlier, she just kicks off her boot with her other foot. at least... that's much easier to do than respond to this.
okay, okay. she can do this. deep breaths, athena. as apollo always says!!! i'm fine!!! ]
I still don't get it. . . You're weird, and you can be mean to me, but there was just one day I couldn't stop thinking about you, you know? How warm you are...
But there's that delighted happy thrum again now that she's stopped crying and is laying down calmly, kicking her boot off to stay there for now. The back of his hand smooths over her cheek, feels the warmth. ]
I'm not the only one who is weird here, you know. You let me throw tomatoes at you, after all. [ Not like that's a... thing. ] But... I think under all of that you have a good heart.
I just... want to stay with you. While we're here, in this place.
That! [ DEEP BREATHS. she puffs her cheeks and pokes him on the cheek hard. ] I lost, so I had to!
Even though you cheated in the end.
[ it looks like she's back to normal, at least, if she's able to retaliate in that manner. ]
We. . . can do that, though... I mean. [ is she even making any sense right now? she bites her lip as she tries to look at him, but she ends up staring at the bridge of his nose, instead. smooth... ] I want that.
[ It hurts, of course it does, but he still laughs. Part of it is from relief, honestly. Unlike some people he hasn't frantically texted S.O.S. signals across the colony.
He's hinted about it to Shigeru, but even then... that's it.
Naturally, when she bites her lip his hand drops from her hair, thumb dragging over her lip to try and stop her from injuring herself. His eyes flicker to her mouth, then back to her eyes. There's definitely a giddy, elated feeling now. ]
Does that mean... [ He pauses, giving her a ridiculously cheeky grin (nottalking) ] ...that I can kiss you again?
that grin is dumb, though, but she can't help but feel flustered. this is just Too Much. she still can't believe this is happening. she must be so drunk right now. (she's only had two glasses. where are those glasses, anyway... hopefully they're still intact, ai would kill her.) ]
No. It's my turn.
[ a beat, then she grabs him by the collar and pulls him closer, practically returning the kiss he gave her earlier. one that's warm and loving.
her brain shuts off at this point and she just lets her instincts kick in. she should really just listen to him, to the music of his heart, because it probably knows better than she does.
it's like a meteor really did pass them earlier. ]
He's happy, and at least the storm seems to be completely over now that they can go back to this. It's easier to feel a little more secure in it when the world, their world, seems impossible to pop inside this blanket fort they've got going on. The glasses are probably to the side, he can probably fix them with magic even if they aren't so no worries there.
He might worry for his heart soon enough though when she grabs him and pulls him in. His hand flails until it finds the floor behind her just to make sure he doesn't flop right onto her, his other arm shifting slightly to give himself some leverage. Once he's stable, the hand that reached behind her moves to press against the side of her neck, grazing her jaw and his thumb slides over her ear.
His head tilts, literally feeling his mind shut down to feeling alone. His chest aches, but in a good way, and he doesn't want to let go. At all. Even just to hold her for the rest of the evening would feel like a dream come true. ]
[ there's a tingling sensation when she feels his hand on her neck, as if she's being tickled, but she makes nothing of it. she just tries as much to keep her hands on his collar, though one hand ends up sliding to his shoulder to squeeze it. and while she wants this to last forever, she lets him go as she opens her eyes and slowly pulls away.
her eyes are wide, and are likely reflecting merlin's face. she looks at him in astonishment, her mouth still slightly open and pursed. and then she blinks once, twice... he's still there. and he isn't going away.
she wants to say something just to break the ice, but she can't think of anything clever. but what does come out of her mouth is a soft "wow".
and she starts laughing. it's as if the once wilted bright and cheerful sunflower has faced the sun again in all its warmth. ]
[ There are times when words aren't necessary though, and it definitely feels like that when she pulls away to break the kiss and he simply smiles at her. There's literally no motion that will suggest he's leaving any time soon. Even before, when they'd had that stupid misunderstanding he hadn't planned on leaving.
While she can hear their hearts, he imagines hearing her laugh like this probably gives a similar feeling. It's lighter, makes his expression soften because it really does make her shine when she's like this.
He licks the edge of his lower lip and somehow can't seem to stop himself when he lets out a soft breathy laugh too, followed by: ] You're such an apple.
Wha— [ she almost chokes, and she turns to the side as she coughs. jesus. she didn't think she sounded ridiculous when she said it, but it sure sounds so foolish when he says it.
but it's a good thing that she's more of a silly person than a serious one. ] What?
[ He can't help it, he really does laugh this time, feeling all the tension and anxiety from before leave his body. It is stupid, isn't it? But he honestly can't think straight. That could be problematic. ]
I thought it was supposed to be a compliment? [ He makes a small noise in the back of his throat once the laugh dies down, peers at her as his teeth run over his lower lip. He finishes it with: ] Or maybe a strawberry.
Yeah, [ heh... that sounds like a fun idea. the smile she makes is so bright, and the same can be said with the way she laughs. she can really be like a child sometimes. ] next time.
[ He pauses at the question, watching the way her face seems to light up at the moment. It gives him time to think too. ]
At home it would probably have been strawberries or raspberries, but we only have them in the summer. [ no imports in his time... ] Here? I don't know, I've tried quite a few new things.
[ Why are you asking him these difficult questions while he's light headed? He pauses to shift himself a bit, sliding his arm until he can use his hand to prop his head up. ]
All of it is much better than I'm used to. There's more variety... but I'd say I don't really have a favourite. [ His eyes flicker up. ] The person I'm with tends to change how it tastes, too.
[ she doesn't sound all that happy with his answer. she doesn't look that pleased at all, either.
she doesn't move as much as he does, though she does shift here and there. there might be a cushion in between them and the floor, but it's still not as comfortable as a bed, for example. ]
[ Of course it isn't as comfortable as a bed but wow, that's too fast.
He pauses when she replies like that, and okay he gets it but it's a bit difficult to pin point one thing that he likes. Things like pizza, pasta, the bentos she keeps making, the different things at the cafe etc... There's just so much choice.
Well. Okay, maybe he can think of something. ] Spaghetti, maybe? Or other types of.. pasta? It's pasta right?
she just blinks at the response at first. okay, so, pasta seems simple enough? somehow, she wanted to hear something more challenging, but it's understandable that he can't pick one right away especially when he's still experiencing culture shock. ]
It is pasta, you're right. Spaghetti is easy enough. . . [ (unsure)
she doesn't know if she can make spaghetti any more special than it already is. ]
I'll make some for you some time, when I have some extra money.
Well really if she wanted to have a challenge she'd be better off asking what he's seen but hasn't properly tasted because then she'd probably have the opportunity to try and make a delicious roast lamb gourmet meal tbh...
Instead, she gets the options he can't fail at cooking either. ]
I can wait. Something like this is nice anyway. [ On the rooftop looking at stars with little miss sunshine herself... u//u ]
[ ok but she'd burn the whole apartment down if she ever tries something like that... and she'd end up pulling an arthur and buy the meal from a restaurant instead.
... sweats. ]
Even if I was being weird earlier?
[ this is her craving for validation... help.............. ]
I ALMOST REPLIED WITH MY YATA JOURNAL fadksgsr
until she realises that the letter isn't even for her, but for her best friend.
so this is another one of those dreams that happen while she's still awake. she knows the kiss is real, though. merlin said it himself, but...
she's so in denial.
her emotions as so all over the place too, and it shows with how widget switches himself off. now it looks like she has a black pendant hanging on her neck. she's feeling light, and not in a good way. she just wants to lay down and close her eyes to try and relax. but it doesn't seem likely right now... not like this. . . why couldn't she just run away? she's said her piece, and maybe iris and yu would be happy. and she wishes she could be happy too, but she refuses to. not when she could mess things up again. not when she could literally hurt him again. ]
Don't. . . [ she tugs on his shirt, averting eye contact. ] go, okay? I'll listen.
[ please still be her friend even if she's an emotional trainwreck. ]
JESUS.........................
Who is the one fighting to put on their shoes? I'm not going anywhere. [ Look if he can forgive her for trying to suffocate him, he can definitely forgive her for whatever hot mess this has been. Athena, please??? ]
Just lay down with me first? [ His hands move to take her hands, curling over them as they grip his shirt. ] We can try and get comfortable again first.
you got the wrong ginger
athena can't even put up an argument. she really didn't want to leave. but she did say she'll listen to him now, so she nods slowly. she probably looks like a wreck, but that's okay. she's embarrassed herself so many times... this is normal. ]
... I want to look at the stars again.
[ can they start over, please? that would be a lot better. ]
sWEATS.... more like a chihuahua...
He's relieved when she agrees to it, shifting to make sure he'll hit the pillow when he lays back again. His hand stays holding hers, trying to draw her down and this time he tries to keep her against him. While he lets her move so she's on her back, looking at the sky, he lays on his side. One arm tucks under her neck, between her and the pilow, the other moves hair from her face. A gentle touch. ]
You know, for a while I wasn't really sure what was happening. Everything has been a bit of a blur. I mean I was dumped in a trash chute, woke up in a swamp where the mud was sinking, been followed by a creepy mask, lived through that place and-- [ Only he stops there, clears his throat and shifts to the positives. ] but I also met some amazing people here. People who have heard of me already, people who haven't. People with magic, people without, but don't mind it.
I met you.
R U D E
WE ALREADY HAVE CHEESE IN THE BASKET YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE ONE TOO.
she turns to face him, but is having difficulty looking him in the eye. after saying something like that, who would? she was already red because of the alcohol, though, but now she's even redder. her skin is the same shade as her hair. and because she forgot to do it earlier, she just kicks off her boot with her other foot. at least... that's much easier to do than respond to this.
okay, okay. she can do this. deep breaths, athena. as apollo always says!!! i'm fine!!! ]
I still don't get it. . . You're weird, and you can be mean to me, but there was just one day I couldn't stop thinking about you, you know? How warm you are...
I'm glad I met you, Merlin.
sGSDGSDGSDGDGS
But there's that delighted happy thrum again now that she's stopped crying and is laying down calmly, kicking her boot off to stay there for now. The back of his hand smooths over her cheek, feels the warmth. ]
I'm not the only one who is weird here, you know. You let me throw tomatoes at you, after all. [ Not like that's a... thing. ] But... I think under all of that you have a good heart.
I just... want to stay with you. While we're here, in this place.
I want to stay by your side.
[ Well at least he isn't asking her to elope ok ]
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Even though you cheated in the end.
[ it looks like she's back to normal, at least, if she's able to retaliate in that manner. ]
We. . . can do that, though... I mean. [ is she even making any sense right now? she bites her lip as she tries to look at him, but she ends up staring at the bridge of his nose, instead. smooth... ] I want that.
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He's hinted about it to Shigeru, but even then... that's it.
Naturally, when she bites her lip his hand drops from her hair, thumb dragging over her lip to try and stop her from injuring herself. His eyes flicker to her mouth, then back to her eyes. There's definitely a giddy, elated feeling now. ]
Does that mean... [ He pauses, giving her a ridiculously cheeky grin
(nottalking)] ...that I can kiss you again?no subject
that grin is dumb, though, but she can't help but feel flustered. this is just Too Much. she still can't believe this is happening. she must be so drunk right now. (she's only had two glasses. where are those glasses, anyway... hopefully they're still intact, ai would kill her.) ]
No. It's my turn.
[ a beat, then she grabs him by the collar and pulls him closer, practically returning the kiss he gave her earlier. one that's warm and loving.
her brain shuts off at this point and she just lets her instincts kick in. she should really just listen to him, to the music of his heart, because it probably knows better than she does.
it's like a meteor really did pass them earlier. ]
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He's happy, and at least the storm seems to be completely over now that they can go back to this. It's easier to feel a little more secure in it when the world, their world, seems impossible to pop inside this blanket fort they've got going on. The glasses are probably to the side, he can probably fix them with magic even if they aren't so no worries there.
He might worry for his heart soon enough though when she grabs him and pulls him in. His hand flails until it finds the floor behind her just to make sure he doesn't flop right onto her, his other arm shifting slightly to give himself some leverage. Once he's stable, the hand that reached behind her moves to press against the side of her neck, grazing her jaw and his thumb slides over her ear.
His head tilts, literally feeling his mind shut down to feeling alone. His chest aches, but in a good way, and he doesn't want to let go. At all. Even just to hold her for the rest of the evening would feel like a dream come true. ]
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her eyes are wide, and are likely reflecting merlin's face. she looks at him in astonishment, her mouth still slightly open and pursed. and then she blinks once, twice... he's still there. and he isn't going away.
she wants to say something just to break the ice, but she can't think of anything clever. but what does come out of her mouth is a soft "wow".
and she starts laughing. it's as if the once wilted bright and cheerful sunflower has faced the sun again in all its warmth. ]
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While she can hear their hearts, he imagines hearing her laugh like this probably gives a similar feeling. It's lighter, makes his expression soften because it really does make her shine when she's like this.
He licks the edge of his lower lip and somehow can't seem to stop himself when he lets out a soft breathy laugh too, followed by: ] You're such an apple.
[ ???? yeah. ok. ]
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but it's a good thing that she's more of a silly person than a serious one. ] What?
I'm more of an orange, than anything.
[ and oranges, to her, are the best fruit. ]
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I thought it was supposed to be a compliment? [ He makes a small noise in the back of his throat once the laugh dies down, peers at her as his teeth run over his lower lip. He finishes it with: ] Or maybe a strawberry.
[ delicious :9 ]
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Strawberries are okay, I guess. They're really good with cream.
[ she means the fruits and not her FDSAFSGSFH ]
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Maybe next time... we can have some of those.
[ The food................... not her. sure nikki. ]
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What's your favourite fruit, anyway?
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At home it would probably have been strawberries or raspberries, but we only have them in the summer. [ no imports in his time... ] Here? I don't know, I've tried quite a few new things.
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What about food?
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All of it is much better than I'm used to. There's more variety... but I'd say I don't really have a favourite. [ His eyes flicker up. ] The person I'm with tends to change how it tastes, too.
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she doesn't move as much as he does, though she does shift here and there. there might be a cushion in between them and the floor, but it's still not as comfortable as a bed, for example. ]
Well, I can't learn to cook everything.
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He pauses when she replies like that, and okay he gets it but it's a bit difficult to pin point one thing that he likes. Things like pizza, pasta, the bentos she keeps making, the different things at the cafe etc... There's just so much choice.
Well. Okay, maybe he can think of something. ] Spaghetti, maybe? Or other types of.. pasta? It's pasta right?
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she just blinks at the response at first. okay, so, pasta seems simple enough? somehow, she wanted to hear something more challenging, but it's understandable that he can't pick one right away especially when he's still experiencing culture shock. ]
It is pasta, you're right. Spaghetti is easy enough. . . [ (unsure)
she doesn't know if she can make spaghetti any more special than it already is. ]
I'll make some for you some time, when I have some extra money.
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Well really if she wanted to have a challenge she'd be better off asking what he's seen but hasn't properly tasted because then she'd probably have the opportunity to try and make a delicious roast lamb gourmet meal tbh...
Instead, she gets the options he can't fail at cooking either. ]
I can wait. Something like this is nice anyway. [ On the rooftop looking at stars with little miss sunshine herself... u//u ]
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... sweats. ]
Even if I was being weird earlier?
[ this is her craving for validation... help.............. ]
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