highfiving | (no subject)

(no subject)

[ it's a few days after their trip to the hot springs, and leia has come down with a cold— it's nothing serious, just sniffling and sneezing, the occasional headache, and a slightly-higher-than-normal temperature— but considering all of the good things that the trip brought, it's a small price to pay. resolving the problems she had with alvin and taking the first (admittedly really big) step toward having a relationship together was probably worth a few days of feeling less than stellar.

especially since she can bug him without feeling too terribly guilty, since she's not just his friend anymore. that's still a really novel idea, given that this is her first real relationship, and she... may or may not have been taking advantage of that by talking to him a little more than usual. it's nothing too ridiculous— since she's sick and she can't drop by his place and bother him in-person, she's just been sending more texts and calls than usual his way— but still. considering how bad things had been between them before the trip, being able to talk to him freely feels pretty nice.

it's also something she does when she's starting to feel a little stir crazy from being cooped up inside. it's only day two of her cold, but calling into work sick and not having anything to do gets old fast for someone like her; she's quick to get restless. she's already jotted down some ideas for her next big article and talked to all of their friends about her new relationship (elize and elle wanted details, specifically). she's watched all of the shows she's behind on, done some light cleaning— which was probably a mistake, since it leaves her feeling worse than before— and now she's lounging around in bed, wrapped up in blankets and surrounded by a small army of pillows and stuffed animals.

so, naturally, she texts alvin. she'd call him, but it's closer to the middle of the day than the evening, and she's not sure if he's busy with work, so... it's probably better to play it safe. ]

hey!!! ☆ﾐ(o*･ω･)ﾉ im still sick and i could use a little company |･ω･｀) its getting pretty lonely around here! (シ_ _)シ feel like dropping by?? ♡(*´∀｀*)人(*´∀｀*)♡

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[He just looks at her in slight surprise.]

Too soon? I just thought it would be more practical.

We've known each other for years already and it makes sense if we're in a relationship. I would have given it to you even if we weren't dating if I thought you might need it.

[So his reasoning is surprisingly simple if also...different than what Leia is likely thinking. For one, he's already the kind of guy who doesn't think "too much" about the nuances of a relationship. After all, he and Presa started living together within days of hooking up (whether there had been some ulterior motive is up to debate).

Secondly...it's Leia. As he said, even if they weren't dating, if he thought Leia might need to crash at his place, he'd let her. And if he thought it would be a common occurrence, he'd just give her a key and call it a day. Simple, efficient, and no strings attached. So if he's already thinking that for if they were friends, the fact that they're not in a relationship just makes it that much easier. He'd probably be less open to it if it were during their first year of knowing each other, but as he said, it's been a couple and they've been through a lot that would make those three years seem like double.

And beneath it all, she's also someone he trusts a lot. He knows she won't bring random people to his place, again further cemented by the fact that they're dating.

So all of this, especially the fact that he's known her for a few years (which, if you think about it, is already a new thing for him since he's never kept any "deep" relationships longer than a few weeks to a few months), really doesn't make him think about the "too soon" problem, let alone the implications behind it. If anything, because it is something he's already done before with Presa, he might think it natural.]

[ should she be happy he trusts her, or annoyed because he isn't suggesting it for a deeper reason? she's torn between both, but in the end she decides to focus on the positive.

if he had ever needed it, she wouldn't have thought twice about handing a key over to him even before they were dating, anyway. coming home and finding him in her house wouldn't be the worst thing to ever happen, at least. even if it's hard for her to be as nonchalant about the situation as him, when she looks at it like that, it's a little easier to keep her cool. ]

Then maybe you should take my spare home with you when you leave! You know, just in case.

You sure you won't need it?

[Again he's not thinking deeper into it (just wait until someone in their circle tells him and he starts rethinking things a bit), but now it's again a practical matter of whether she might need it.] I mean, I know where it is... Then again it probably would look weird to any of your neighbors if they caught me pulling it out from there all the time.

[ it's okay, she'll try to enlighten him a little. ]

C'mon, when a girl tries you give you a key to her place, you're supposed to take it! [ her bowl is about half-empty at this point, so she sets it aside and turns so that she can see him a little better. ]

Besides, you've got that right. My neighbors would totally start thinking you're up to something if they saw you snooping around for my spare key every time you wanted to stop by.

All right, all right. [There's a light smile.] Just be sure to get another spare, then. I don't want you stranded because I have it.

[When she no longer has the bowl, his body seems to naturally and unconsciously lean a little more against her.]

Anyway, ready to take that medicine?

[ she almost makes a comment about how she could always swing by his place if she got locked out, but. medicine. ]

You bet! Lemme at it.

[ except she doesn't sound as excited as she normally might, saying something like that. she's really not looking forward to this. ]

[He can hear that lack of enthusiasm.]

It's just one pill. I wouldn't expect someone who used to be a nurse to not want to take medicine.

You said it was gonna be disgusting! Even Jude wouldn't wanna touch it if you said something like that.

[ and she leans against him, sniffling in what might be the most pathetic way possible. ]

But he's the one who recommended it. And don't you want to get better faster?

I can't take you out on dates if you're sniffling around like that.

[ is the medicine on her nightstand? i'm assuming it's on her nightstand. so she scoots away from him to shake a pill from the bottle, pop it into her mouth (it might not be as disgusting as she built it up to be in her mind, but she does scrunch her face up when it touches her tongue), and take a long drink of water.

if he used dates as a motivator for her for everything, the world would probably be a better place. ]

There! Now I'll be good to go, right?

[He's a bit amused at how prompt she reacts. Food or the prospect of dates—Leia is way too easy to handle.]

Supposedly, but I guess we'll see in a day or two. [And giving her a pat on the head as if mocking the whole, "Good girl" thing.]

[ one day he'll get himself into a situation with her that he won't be able to bribe his way out of. maybe.

either way, she lets her head rest against his shoulder as she relaxes against him. ]

If it works, are you gonna take me out to celebrate?

[Maybe.]

Hm... Well I wouldn't want to have you do too much only to have you get sick again. But we could go out somewhere. It's been a while.

I only got sick because it was seriously freezing in that room. [ and the power took a freakishly long time to kick back on. ]

You don't have to worry about me coming down with anything else, so let's do something really fun.

Oh? So it really was from back then? And I thought I warmed you up pretty well.

[He's teasing a bit since he's alluding to a lot of things, and he may be leaning in close. But it really had been pretty cold and there wasn't much he would have been able to do about it, stimulating body heat or not.]

Guess I'll have to do better next time.

I dunno...

[ she shifts so that she can look up at him properly— and she might be turning just a little red, between the topic they're skirting around and the fact that he's so close. ]

Maybe it'd be better to let me do the honors! You know, since you messed up and let me get sick last time.

[ ... zing? ]

[Welp. That's not an answer he had expected and he looks at her blankly for a moment.

But the moment is brief as there's a small quirk of his lips.]

Is that right? Maybe I'll take you up on that offer if you feel that confident about it.

[Leia, you're walking a very dangerous line and he is more than happy to keep turning the tables around.]

[ she can flirt, too. sort of. ]

Fine by me! [ if she wasn't blushing before, she definitely is now. or it's more noticeable, at least, because even if she's trying to keep up, she's not as casual as he is about these things. ] I bet I'd be even better at it than you, anyway.

[ and she's going to dig her grave just a little deeper. ]

Now you really have me interested.

[He can see her blushing, so he's a bit surprised if also a bit impressed and amused that she's keeping up with this little "play." He could let up, but now he kind of wants to see how far he can push it. Ever the one to push boundaries, this one.

A hand rises to the side of her face, lightly touching it as his face nears hers. To think that just a few months ago this kind of action would have been considered weird, but now, touching her and being this close to her is all he really wants to do. That physical attraction that's developed and still developing between them.]

It's too bad you're sick. [His lips lightly brush against the corner of her mouth, the words coming out a little lower.] I kind of want to see you try right now.

[Teasing of course, though there is some truth to it as well. Getting into the mood isn't exactly too difficult for him, especially if he keeps up that teasing the way he is. But she's sick, so. Instant cockblock, sigh.]

[ she sucks in a breath when she feels his hand on her face and notices just how close he's gotten. her eyes start to slide shut, like she's anticipating a kiss in spite of herself, but then she feels his lips brush the corner of her mouth, instead. it's reasonable— she's sick and they really shouldn't be messing around like this in the first place— but at the same time she can't help but feel a little frustrated by it.

on one hand, the spark between them is nice (especially now that they can act on it without things getting uncomfortable and awkward), but on the other, it leads to situations like these, where regardless of what happens, nobody really wins. ]

I'm pretty sure a little waiting won't kill you. [ she's failing pretty miserably at keeping her cool at this point, and the tension she's feeling is coming through in her voice. ] Stuff like that makes it better in the end, anyway, right?

[ kind of like how absence makes the heart grow fonder. ]

Or it could get me impatient and you'll have to try another time.

[Implying he wouldn't give her a chance and deliberately saying things that could increase those feelings of flusteredness or awkwardness on her end. But it was cute how she's trying (and failing).]

But all right, fine. That also means you have to wait, so to make things fair, I guess I can only do this much. [Which is a small quick kiss on the cheek before he pulls back grinning a bit.

Though whether that's being fair or mean...that can be left up to debate.]

[ it's probably fair and mean at the same time, if the way she scrunches up her face is anything to go by. ]

All right, all right. [ and she settles against him comfortably once he pulls back. she's about to open her mouth— maybe to get cheeky about how she doesn't mind waiting— when her GHS goes off.

she flips it open, scrolls through the message she got, and then looks up at him after a moment. ]

Anyway, do you think I could snap a picture of you really quick?

[ she says that as casually as possible, like it's not at all suspicious. ]

[...Yeah he's not buying it. The timing of that question after that text is just way too "coincidental."]

Oh?

[And going to just lean on in to see if he can see that message, maybe even grab it.]

Got some doubting co-workers who don't believe you landed a nice catch like me? [His ego. It is so high it's lost in space.]

[ ... maybe she should have been a little more subtle about it. either way, she turns away from him slightly, clutching her GHS close to her chest so the screen isn't visible and so he can't snatch it away from her so easily. ]

Kind of. One of the girls from the office wants to see you. I don't think she buys that we actually got together.

[ if only there were a way to say that without feeding into his ego. ]

So, can I?

I should charge you for this kind of service. [But he is amused.]

You know, taking a picture of just me won't be enough. It would be more convincing if we were together.