The strong scent of curry still hung in the air of Devin?s kitchen, mingled with the remnants of a sweet rice pudding. Water ran cold over his hands and turned warm as he scrubbed at the last pan left from their meal. Looking back over his shoulder at Paola, he gave her a smile. ?How did I end up cooking and doing the dishes both, again??
"I smiled?" She repeated the expression, and offered out her hand to dry the pan and put it away. "I believe you muttered something about a weakness, but that is not for certain." She openly lied to him, since he would know of her excellent hearing. She wondered if her amused thoughts traveled through their bond.
Handing over the pan, he leaned in to kiss the small dimple that appeared in one cheek when she smiled that way. With the bond fading as rapidly as the moon turned dark again, he could feel only a vague sense of amusement instead of the clearer impressions and even sometimes thoughts that had come at the full moon. ?That?s right. You smiled, and I cursed my weakness against that sweet expression.? Turning off the water, he leaned back against the sink and watched her putting away the last of the dishes. ?I?ll have to be careful about that.?
She felt him try to tug on their fading bond, and it was so faint that her smile diminished significantly. She found herself reaching just to be reassured, only to feel less and less. She took the time of putting the pan away to gather her feelings and have the smile remain full again. "You will, for I do not think I could not smile around you."
?Oh, you?ve managed a time or two, and I?m sure you will again. After all, I?m not always the easiest person to get along with. What do you want to do now?? His own smile was lop-sided as he held out a hand to invite her closer to where he stood. She was wearing a long-sleeved shirt again instead of the scanter clothing donned when his Fire was stronger in her; he had noticed the change when she had arrived.
"It was to my understanding that when we decided to take a day away from research, that we would plan nothing." Taking his warmer hand, she stepped forward and gave him a close embrace. He had returned to being without a shirt, and she could feel the warmth vibrate from him as it did before the bonding.
Both his arm wrapped around her and he bent his head to rest it against hers lightly. Straight black hair mixed with blonde curls. The urge for this physical closeness to take the place of the fading bond was almost irresistible. Warmth trailed her spine with the hand he ran up and down her back absently. ?That?s right. A day of no decisions and no pressure. We can stand here all night, if that?s what you want.?
"Mayhaps I do want to just stand here." The warmth of his hand soothed and urged the muscles in her back to loosened and relax. While it was not what she truly wanted for the remainder of their evening, she did not want to let go just yet. It was entirely too comforting, and her hold on him tightened with the thought.
Not expecting the sudden tightening of her grip, he let out a short exhalation of breath and then smiled. ?Of course, if we just stand here, I can?t be responsible for the consequences.? His own arms tightened slightly as he held her, and he ducked his head down a bit further so that he could press a gentle kiss to her forehead.
"What consequences?" This statement perplexed her further than sadness of their dissolving bond, to look up at him. The kiss to her forehead left a small but traceable smile on her lips.
?I have no idea. It just seemed like the thing to say.? He grinned at her, a charming expression that deepened with the glitter of gold humor in his eyes. ?Actually, I was just thinking that moving to the couch would be more comfortable than the edge of the sink.? Seeking to banish the traces of sadness in her eyes, he was resorting to the ridiculous.
She laughed faintly, and rolled her vivid eyes that no longer changed like his, "Well, I do not wish for you to be uncomfortable." Taking his hand again, she led him to the couch, and waited for him to settle before she joined him. The change of attitude was infectious.
His laughter wasn?t so faint. Sprawling over the entire couch, he used the grip she had on his hand to pull her down on top of him. ?You have such consideration and kindness for me. I?m flattered.? He was grinning at her still, teasing without any hesitation. ?So if there were going to be consequences, what should they have been??
There was no resistance in his tugging, though she tried to squeeze between him and the back of the couch to have some sort of support other than he. "Oh, mayhaps pain in the soles of your feet as well as your knees and hips. There is the possibility of pain in your back as well, and mayhaps your eyes for the boring scenery." She slipped the last one smoothly with the more factual comments.
"I smiled?" She repeated the expression, and offered out her hand to dry the pan and put it away. "I believe you muttered something about a weakness, but that is not for certain." She openly lied to him, since he would know of her excellent hearing. She wondered if her amused thoughts traveled through their bond.
Handing over the pan, he leaned in to kiss the small dimple that appeared in one cheek when she smiled that way. With the bond fading as rapidly as the moon turned dark again, he could feel only a vague sense of amusement instead of the clearer impressions and even sometimes thoughts that had come at the full moon. ?That?s right. You smiled, and I cursed my weakness against that sweet expression.? Turning off the water, he leaned back against the sink and watched her putting away the last of the dishes. ?I?ll have to be careful about that.?
She felt him try to tug on their fading bond, and it was so faint that her smile diminished significantly. She found herself reaching just to be reassured, only to feel less and less. She took the time of putting the pan away to gather her feelings and have the smile remain full again. "You will, for I do not think I could not smile around you."
?Oh, you?ve managed a time or two, and I?m sure you will again. After all, I?m not always the easiest person to get along with. What do you want to do now?? His own smile was lop-sided as he held out a hand to invite her closer to where he stood. She was wearing a long-sleeved shirt again instead of the scanter clothing donned when his Fire was stronger in her; he had noticed the change when she had arrived.
"It was to my understanding that when we decided to take a day away from research, that we would plan nothing." Taking his warmer hand, she stepped forward and gave him a close embrace. He had returned to being without a shirt, and she could feel the warmth vibrate from him as it did before the bonding.
Both his arm wrapped around her and he bent his head to rest it against hers lightly. Straight black hair mixed with blonde curls. The urge for this physical closeness to take the place of the fading bond was almost irresistible. Warmth trailed her spine with the hand he ran up and down her back absently. ?That?s right. A day of no decisions and no pressure. We can stand here all night, if that?s what you want.?
"Mayhaps I do want to just stand here." The warmth of his hand soothed and urged the muscles in her back to loosened and relax. While it was not what she truly wanted for the remainder of their evening, she did not want to let go just yet. It was entirely too comforting, and her hold on him tightened with the thought.
Not expecting the sudden tightening of her grip, he let out a short exhalation of breath and then smiled. ?Of course, if we just stand here, I can?t be responsible for the consequences.? His own arms tightened slightly as he held her, and he ducked his head down a bit further so that he could press a gentle kiss to her forehead.
"What consequences?" This statement perplexed her further than sadness of their dissolving bond, to look up at him. The kiss to her forehead left a small but traceable smile on her lips.
?I have no idea. It just seemed like the thing to say.? He grinned at her, a charming expression that deepened with the glitter of gold humor in his eyes. ?Actually, I was just thinking that moving to the couch would be more comfortable than the edge of the sink.? Seeking to banish the traces of sadness in her eyes, he was resorting to the ridiculous.
She laughed faintly, and rolled her vivid eyes that no longer changed like his, "Well, I do not wish for you to be uncomfortable." Taking his hand again, she led him to the couch, and waited for him to settle before she joined him. The change of attitude was infectious.
His laughter wasn?t so faint. Sprawling over the entire couch, he used the grip she had on his hand to pull her down on top of him. ?You have such consideration and kindness for me. I?m flattered.? He was grinning at her still, teasing without any hesitation. ?So if there were going to be consequences, what should they have been??
There was no resistance in his tugging, though she tried to squeeze between him and the back of the couch to have some sort of support other than he. "Oh, mayhaps pain in the soles of your feet as well as your knees and hips. There is the possibility of pain in your back as well, and mayhaps your eyes for the boring scenery." She slipped the last one smoothly with the more factual comments.