songerein | ( closed ) women want me, fish fear me

[He’s surprised that she’s been willing to keep this up. He was almost certain when she brought it up that it was kind of a ruse. They’d get to wherever they were going. She’d disappear the moment he sat down to fish. And hours later she’d come back later and ask him how it all went. The fact that she’s still here…

Well. There just aren’t words that properly describe it.

She breaks into his thoughts and he looks over to her with a tooth-baring grin.]

I think you’re being impatient.

[Without disrupting his line too much, he inches just a touch closer to her.]

It’s not always about the actual catching, Kainé. When you’re out here, all you can hear is the wind. Maybe animals nearby. The occasional sound of a fish jumping up from the lake and dropping back down. It’s perfect for thinking. Just enjoying that you don’t have to be anywhere. You don’t have to go anywhere. You don’t have to do anything. Out here you can just exist.

[Is there anything better than that? He doubts it.]

[She gives him a pointed look, but it doesn't last. They both know damn well that patience isn't one of her strong suits.]

Impatient. Goddamn slander, that's what that is.

[But as he moves closer, she stays precisely where she is, a faint flicker of a smile pulling at her lips when his knee brushes against hers. Even if she hasn't caught anything yet, this whole thing— it's nice. Them, out in the wilderness, a familiar setting for them, except this time the stakes aren't life or death. They can just be.

Which, she supposes, is exactly what he's getting at.]

So you do this for the sake of it, not just for the food.

[Alright.]

Guess that village of yours was perfect for this kind of thing, then.

That’s about right. That said, there is something exciting about fishing. Hooking one on the line, not knowing if you’ll be able to reel it in to you or if it’ll somehow escape. The not knowing is sort of thrilling.

[...Maybe only he would put it like that, admittedly.]

This is probably one of the best fishing adventures I’ve had since I’ve been here.

[He’d gone fishing with his younger counterpart and enjoyed that as well, as he had every moment with a man who was like his son. There’s a similar familial feeling he has with Kainé, but he knows that it’s largely the opportunity to share something he loves with her. That makes it a touch special, even if she’s not fully enjoying herself.

Perhaps he can find a way to make it up to her.]

In the village, there wasn’t a whole hell of a lot of variety. Water not far from the house, so I could go down there anytime I wanted, but the real good fish was outside of the village. You know, I used to go fish in the desert, right in the river of sand. Think that was one of my favourite places to fish.

[One wouldn’t ordinarily expect to fish up anything out of sand, honestly.]

I saw you stop there a time or two on our travels, too. Couldn't believe anything was actually living down there at first, but you pulled plenty out of the sand. Never said so, but I was pretty impressed.

[With the space between them narrowed, she drops just slightly to her left so that she can lean against him, her shoulder pressing against his arm as she keeps her line held steady for the time being. She wouldn't go so far as to say she isn't enjoying herself— she might be impatient, but she still likes the idea of learning about something that's so important to him, and more than that, it's just... nice, spending time together like this, away from home, just the two of them. Nostalgic, but also entirely new in some ways.]

Don't know why I never really learned. There was water close enough to where I stayed, but never got around to it.

[Really, after her grandmother had gone, who would have taught her?]

What made the desert your favorite, huh?

Impressed, huh?

[He’s grinning again. Sometimes it’s hard to believe, even when sitting with her, that this is the same Kainé he travelled with. It’s not because it’s impossible. There’s nothing impossible if one wants it badly enough. It’s that in this world, with everything she’s gone through, she seems happy.

She can make jokes. She can spend time with friends and the people she finds are dear to her. She can reflect on the person she once was. As he’s admiring her in his own way, that wordless gaze that simply examines her, he’s proud. Proud to be her friend. Proud to be in love with her. Proud of everything she’s accomplished. Proud that she’s gone through hellfire and brimstone, only to come out stronger on the other side. Not jaded. What a strong and impressive woman she is.

She leans on him and his pulse increases just a touch. Joy. She makes him feel so much damned joy that he has no idea what to do with it. His grin dies down into a smile and after a moment’s consideration, he dips his head to rest it against her own.]

Better late than never. There’s no time limit for discovery. With anything.

[Not just fishing, of course. At her question, he’s quiet, clearly thinking of a way to put it. It’s not like the desert was particularly beautiful. Well, not in the way that the lands north and south of the village were, anyway. Nier finds he appreciates the greenery more.]

I think it was something about the movement of the sand. It was kind of relaxing to watch. Not the same as watching water. It’s relaxing in a different way. I dunno how to put it.

["There's no time limit for discovery. With anything."

Funny thing to hear, for someone who's been on borrowed time for so long. By all accounts, she's young— but she's been living her life as someone with no possible future for years now, because she thought there was nothing else for her. Nier himself had given her a reason to get up off the ground, to keep fighting, to pursue something more, and this place... it's given the both of them time.

It's not forever. She knows it can't be— but she's finally decided to make the most of it. To enjoy it for what it is, rather than write it off because it's eventually going to end. Everything ends— but that doesn't mean it's without worth. Getting the chance to have something closer to a normal life here has taught her that.

She listens to him as he gives his answer, adjusting her hold on her rod so that she can balance it in one hand, her other coming to lightly brush against his wrist even as she refuses to look down at it.]

I think I can see that. The way the sand folds in on itself and disappears— hell of a lot different from the ocean.

[She'd seen a lot of it, given the desert city of Facade was one of the few places she was welcome.]

You got any favorite spots here yet?

[She may not choose to look, but it doesn't mean he won't. On the contrary, he dips his chin for just a moment. It's probably intentional in her own way. In the way that she's not obvious. She probably won't like it if he points it out, so instead of that, he decides he can use one hand for the time being and simply adjusts his own so that he might take hers gently.

At least loosely enough that she can withdraw if that's what she wants. It's still difficult to know where he's allowed to step and where he needs to tread with caution. Always better to simply proceed carefully. For her sake and his own.

At her question, his answer comes easily, along with the grin that rapidly makes way across his face.]

Every spot with you, Kainé, is my favourite spot.

[It really is that simple for him.]

[Instead of withdrawing, she lets their fingers weave together, entwining easily. Even if she never says so, she appreciates his patience; she’s not easy to get along with at the best of times, and bringing any kind of romance into the equation complicate things— but he’s always patient, always understanding, always seems to be aware that this is a challenge for her despite her own feelings.

She can’t help but hope it won’t always be that way. She wants things to be easier. She wants to be able to give him what she feels like he deserves, not just expect him to settle for what little she is able to give without stepping out of her comfort zone.

His response draws her immediate attention; for a moment, she looks alarmed, but laughter follows, warm and without it’s usual edge.]

You’re really serious.

[Of course he is.]

You don’t… ever get tired of saying nice shit about me, seems like.

[Sometimes she thinks he should. She’s not a very nice person, by her own measure.]

… I like spots with you in them, too. That- came out stupid.

[Just the sensation of her twining fingers between his could make his heart burst. He knows how difficult that kind of thing is for her. Watching her overcome the obstacles that have been put in her way has been eye-opening in so many ways. Every day she grows. She becomes more than she was the previous day. There's only more of her for him to love. He sees more, and he wants more.]

You're damn right I'm serious.

[She's laughing, however, and he's grinning from ear-to-ear. The more things change between them, the more they seem to stay the same in some ways. It's always an adventure. He can't ever imagine getting tired of saying glowing things about her. He knows it's personal bias. He can only see her as he does. And he feels like he can see through to the truth of her. And in Kainé, the truth is the most beautiful thing he could behold.

When she reflects the sentiment right back at him, he chuckles. Precious.]

Nah. It was perfect. Because it came from you. And because you meant it.

[He reassures her with a gentle kiss to her temple. Unobtrusive and light.]

[How can someone so big and stupid and brawny manage to be so gentle? It's not the first time she's asked herself that, and she's sure it won't be the last. Her eyelids lower for just a moment as he presses his lips to her temple, followed by a soft hitch of her breath as she decides to set her fishing rod aside in full. She shifts slightly, turning towards him and raising her now-free hand to catch against one of the leather straps crossing his chest.]

... hey.

[She looks up at him intently, her expression suddenly somber, and she holds his gaze for a few moments before leaning upwards to press her lips against his, tentative at first. She's never been the one to initiate before, but there's a first time for everything.]

[There are several things that happen in relatively quick succession. She puts aside her fishing pole and he’s almost positive it’s because she just doesn’t have anymore patience to deal with fish. A hand lifts and curls about a strip of leather that’s wrapped securely right over his chest.

He hears her plainly. Clearly. Is it too much? Is all of this too much for her? He must always traipse carefully with her. As he’s faced with her expression, he’s trying to pry for information he’s not asking aloud. All he has to go on is the sound of her voice, perhaps just a touch softer, a gentle edge to it. The turn of her expression. He’s seen a look like that before, but this one is just a little different.

He’s still wondering what it could possibly mean when she suddenly leans up and settles the touch of her lips against his. It is an incredibly weighted moment. A weighted exchange. Kainé has never made a move like that. Back during the festival, he had only kissed her once he had the permission to do so. Even then, he had to be incredibly careful about it. It dawns on him that he has no idea how to handle this situation.

Don’t press, he reminds himself.

So instead, he lifts a hand and carefully traces his thumb along the stunning line of her jaw, soft and impossibly lovely in contrast to how rough around the edges she can sometimes seem. Baby steps. Baby steps.]

[She’s surprised even herself by making the first move, and Nier’s careful handling of it is probably for the best- she doesn’t want to think of herself as easily spooked, but she knows better. She’s never been good at letting people get close to her- not emotionally, and certainly not physically, but she’s always making exceptions for Nier.

He’s different. For once, she wants someone to get close to her, even if it’s terrifying in its own right.

The kiss lingers, and her grip on that strap tightens as he traces the line of her jaw. She shifts forward, bracing a hand against his thigh to help herself make up the difference in height. When the kiss breaks for breath, she stays close, her gaze falling to one side.]

Maybe we can take a break from fishing.

[Some books might speak of unbridled passion and the ripping and tearing of clothes. Of course Nier’s familiar with them, though he’s always sort of considered Kainé to be a bit hands off when it comes to that. It’s never bothered him either. Affection isn’t just touching. In the same way that it isn’t just words or looks. It’s the whole embodiment of the situation and the feeling that comes with it, though he’s sure if he were to say such a thing, he’d only be teased for giving such a sentimental opinion.

Doesn’t mean he thinks he’s wrong about any of it, though. In fact, he’s almost positive that he’s entirely right.

He allows her to linger as long as she cares to, exceedingly careful not to step over any lines that he is or isn’t aware of. It’s a very strange territory for him to attempt navigating through, not knowing where the safety is, and eventually concluding that it’s just better to let Kainé call all the shots. That’s never bothered him either.

It’s when she relents for breath that he simply settles his cheek to her temple, wondering where she’s going with all of this. Her request is a touch muted. It’s the only way he can really describe it. He almost wonders if she’s said it at all, and after a moment’s consideration, he nods to her.]

Yeah. Whatever you want, Kainé.

[After a moment’s consideration, he continues. He can’t resist asking.]

…You good?

[It's such a simple question, but it asks a lot more than it seems to. "Is this okay? Is it too much?" It occurs to her that he's often asking her permission, and she feels just the slightest pang of guilt— he wouldn't want her to, she knows, but she doesn't ever want him to feel like she doesn't trust him. She does, implicitly, but all of this...

None of it is easy. None of it comes naturally to her. It's nice, that he asks— but she hopes that for both their sakes, he won't always have to.

Exhaling slowly, she nods.]

Yeah. I'm good.

[She manages a smile along with it, tentative as it may be, and gives that strap against his chest another tug as she turns her head to press another kiss against one side of his mouth, careful, testing.]

... I'm good. Promise. I'll say if I'm not.

[It's... interesting. For all of his thoughts and feelings of her, regarding her, he keeps them tightly bound together. Careful. They exist, but they're quiet and subdued. He wouldn't say that it lacks passion, though he'd also never describe himself as that to begin with. (Maybe hard-headed.) The passion he feels with regard to Kainé is merely kept in check.

He feels the pull on that strap again, taking just a moment to dip his attention onto the hand she's left there. Perhaps it's intentional on her part. As much as he knows her, is confident that he knows her, it's hard to get a peek into her thoughts. For her, this is all likely overwhelming. She makes the decisions, but that doesn't mean it's easy.

Nier pauses when she rests a kiss to the edge of his mouth, very careful not to make a move. That is, not one that might cross any lines he's blind to. Slowly, he moves a hand to rest atop hers. Not to remove it. It's a quiet reassurance. Not unlike the one she gives him. He wants to kiss her again. He knows it. He chooses to repay her in kind.]

I know you will.

[Of course she will. She's never hesitated to say something to him before. He doesn't imagine she'd start doing that now. He presses his lips to the corner of her lips. He loves fishing, but he's certain he loves this woman more.]

[She exhales softly as he presses a kiss to the corner of her mouth, willing some of the tension out of her body, away from the point where it's nestled itself between her shoulderblades. Kissing, touching, feels just a little more natural each time she allows herself to do it, and a part of her feels ridiculous for taking this long. She's always been safe with him, and there's nobody she trusts more— but some things just take time, regardless.

She eases forward, an arm draping over his shoulder before she reaches up to curl her fingers into his hair, another first. It's cautious, as everything else has been, perhaps surprisingly so for someone with so many sharp edges to her, but after a moment, her grip tightens— not enough to cause pain, but enough to give a sense of surety, of newfound confidence.]

You can touch me, too. If you want.

[It's a brief, quiet offer of permission against his own mouth before she tips her head to kiss him again, more confident this time, certain of what she wants.]

["You can touch me, too. If you want."

Nier can't quite put a finger on why hearing it makes him so nervous. Surely once upon a time he was better with this sort of thing. Maybe it's because where he and Kainé have stood in relation to one another, it's been largely unspoken aside from his sentimental words he's fluttered in her direction. Maybe it's because he's not exactly imagined this kind of exchange.

It's not quite the feeling of being a young boy with an infatuation. Something akin to, perhaps.

She speaks up against his mouth and the sensation in tandem with the careful threading of fingers into his hair leaves a little brush of cold along the plane of his back. It wouldn't take much to pull her into his lap, he thinks. Restraint lingers in his fingertips when he leaves the splayed touch of coarse fingertips about her knee, discipline a test that he's unsure if he can continue to pass.

His other hold traces over her wrist, atop her forearm, and follows the trail of strength and slender over a striking shoulder. He admires her wordlessly in his touch alone. She is both soft and resilient. She sets him to flame and composition, something she has done, he suspects, for longer than he's been truly aware of it. The warm flat of his palm curves along her back, familiarising himself with something he's thought long-forgotten.

He could drown her in a kiss if he's not careful and though he's measured in the press of lips, he feels betrayed by his feelings, treasonous things they are.]

[His touch is slow and steady; she doesn't miss the way he takes care as he lets it venture forward, along her arm and over her shoulder, down the curve of her back. When it comes to rest there, she feels all of her muscles go tense beneath the splay of his fingers for just a moment before she relaxes again; touch has been as rare in her life as genuine affection, largely be design, but she trusts him with this. She reminds herself that they can stop anytime, that if it becomes too much, all she has to do is say so, but for the first time since she can remember, she finds herself eager to test these limits, to stop forcing herself to be so goddamn isolated for once.

He makes it easy to want that, to want to open herself up to someone else without fear of rejection, a fear of getting burned.

She exhales against his mouth, their series of kisses becoming something more insistent on her end, finding herself braver and more demanding with each press of their lips. She'd never really allowed herself to entertain the thought that something like this might actually be within her reach, contented herself with fighting alongside him instead, and in the moment, it all feels very surreal— but the heat of his skin beneath her fingertips, the curve of his lips, the coarse edge of is own touch, they all serve as reminders that it's very, very real, indeed.]

[Has he thought much about what it might be like to touch her? To be this close? He’s sure somewhere in his mind he has. The rare moments when he’s allowed himself such a privilege. After the passing of his wife, he’s never thought much about moving on. Maybe because he’s not thought that he could. That perhaps it’s the duty of a widower to ever constantly mourn the loss of his other half. He’d never considered falling in love with someone else, picking up the remaining pieces of his very shambled life, and somehow stepping forward.

When he really stops to think about it and consider what all of this really means, it threatens to make him a touch nervous. It’s better, perhaps, not to think about it more than he has to. Kainé will likely appreciate that. It’ll keep him from saying anything too heavy. It’s one thing for him to bear such weight. It is quite another for him to put her through the same thing.

She gives him a chance for breath, one he sorely needs. The hardest part about this might be trying to read her without using words, on a playing field that he doesn’t know the rules to. He has to take her cues, verbally when she chooses to give them, but most of all to read how she reacts. That discovery, however, is tantalising. Letting her experience it, he wants to progress without impeding her. Let her find what she likes, what she wants. He wants more than anything just to please her in every aspect of the word.

His fingertips touch and dance over her, tactile and spreading. He is learning her just as much, he thinks, mapping what he has not spent much time looking intensely at. She would not like to hear it, but for all of that hard exterior, Kainé is brilliantly soft. No one has to be only one way, however. Every shade of grey in between is what makes the portrait of Kainé so beautiful.

Lifting a hand from where he’s gently placed it over hers, Nier carefully draws his thumb against the corner of her mouth. He’s positively enamoured with her. He thinks it. Drowns in the idea of it. But is almost certain if he were to say it, it would risk ruining everything. So he opts for something else instead. In the rough edge to his voice, softened by his words, but not absent the rumble that accompanies him, he speaks quietly.]

You’re beautiful, you know that?

[She’s so beautiful.]

Ah—

[It's a surprisingly soft sound that escapes her then; color floods her cheeks for a moment, from embarrassment as much as the warmth that his touch has caused to surge through her, and she clears her throat softly as she ducks her chin, smiling faintly, her lips curving against the gentle brush of his thumb.]

You don't... you don't have to say things like that.

[But she's not angry, not shunning it the way she might have in the past. It's... nice, even if she doesn't know quite how to handle such things. She exhales, her hand coming to rest against his thigh as the fingers of the other remain curled into his hair.]

I... know how you feel.

[He's being generous. Kind. She couldn't bear to hear that from most other people, would insist they were full of it, but the way those words sound coming from him makes her chest feel tight.]

[Her first response catches him by surprise. It's not a sound he's heard come from her before. He must tread with care, he knows. As he always has. In a way, she's right. He doesn't have to say it. But he does because to him it's the moment. It's appropriate. When he's holding her, when he's this close to her, all he wants to do is shower her in flattering remarks. It's not because he wants anything in return. It's because that's how he genuinely feels and sometimes it feels as if his insides might burst if he never has the chance to free them from tongue every now and again.

As her head dips, he leans carefully to rest his head against hers.]

If you don't like it, I won't do it.

[He's resolute on that. He can keep those kinds of things inside. It doesn't make him feel them any less. All he wants to do is love her with every part of his being. Isn't that all he has of value to give her? That love, in whatever capacity she wants it.]

Sometimes, it just feels like I can't contain it anymore. I can. I know that I can. I don't have a good excuse.

[His thumb moves and with a gentle blindness, he traces his touch along the height of her cheek.]

No, I...

[While she is sometimes a woman of few words by choice, it's not often that she can't actually find them. She exhales steadily; it's hard to keep her head on straight when they're this close, entwined with one another, not unlike when she finds herself lost in the heat of battle, though the thing making her heart beat fast is quite different this time around.

Mostly. She won't pretend that she didn't enjoy the way that fighting with him when they first met had gotten her heart racing.]

I like it.

[She just doesn't want him to feel like he has to. She turns her face into his touch without a second thought, feeling herself drawn to it.]

If that's how you feel, then... then you should say it. But you don't have to try to impress me.

[She's sure he knows that already.]

[She's so damn soft against the palm of his hand, riddled by age and circumstance. She'd hate hearing it, he's certain, and he knows better than to let too many praising words flutter from between his lips. She'd likely clock him right in the jaw if he said the wrong thing in such a crucial moment.

When she explains, he feels a small weight of apprehension lift from him. He's always more concerned about pushing her too far or putting her in a place that she doesn't want to be. To find out that he's not actually done that is far more relieving than he feels it ought to be.

For those moments as he's considering how to respond, he admires the way she fits against him. Kainé is light and gentle against him. For all of her hard and sharp edges, she also still carries a certain delicate demeanour to her person. As if she can be both incredibly hard and at the same time, immensely gentle. It's quite a feat to accomplish.]

I know that. [He reassures her with a smile.] You were already impressed by me.

[Is that a joke? Maybe a little. Something to loosen a little of that tension that he's put them both under. It might help alleviate some of the strain that he's certain he's put atop her heart inadvertently.]

I just think you're beautiful and I wanna say it to you every day I see you. Every morning that I wake up with you. Every night before I go to sleep. That's all.

[That joke of his gets a pronounced snort in response; the tension does dissipate, but it somehow manages not to ruin the mood of the moment. Maybe because an exchange like that is so them, it actually adds to it. That levity is appreciated, especially with what comes next. None of it is unwelcome— but kindness is still overwhelming at times, and what Nier has to offer her is well beyond that.]

That's all, huh.

[As if that weren't huge. As if it weren't something she'd always assumed would be unattainable for her, as if it didn't mean everything.

She runs a hand along his arm, letting it close around his wrist as she manages a smile again, caught somewhere between a smirk and strangely shy. Her softer parts always show when he's around, whether she likes it or not, but right now, she doesn't much mind.]

... sounds like kind of a big deal.

[Her response makes him grin from ear-to-ear. It's a little risky, wanting to be a little tongue-in-cheek with her, but he's confident that he knows her. Knows what'll give her a little more sense of comfort. Security. And that's what's important. He's happiest when she too, is happy. It's just as simple as that.]

Yeah. [He begins with that lopsided, dopey curve in his mouth.] That's all.

[His gaze drops from her for only the moments that he's watching the way she trails touch down along his arm. But it doesn't take long for his attention return to her face. He wonders if she's ever looked that happy before. The smile Kainé wears... it's so real.]

You're kind of a big deal, believe it or not.

[She has to laugh, and it's that dopey smile of his that does it, spurs her to lift a hand and plant it square against his face, fingers spread as she gives him a playful push. Not hard, not enough to hurt; there's nothing in it but affection, and if he looks past her fingers, he'll see that her smile has pulled wider, surprisingly bright.]

Come on.

[She can feel her ears turning red. Ugh, is she blushing? Gross.]

Nerd. But... I kind of get it.

[She does get it. It's how she feels about him.]

[She places her palm right up against his face and he humours her by playing along. It's just a little push, but he's melodramatic in how he rolls right along with it. She's grinning, though. It looks good on her, seeing that kind of happiness. As if she doesn't have a leash on it and isn't afraid to express it.

He hopes he gets so many more days like that with her.

He doesn't quite fall off the way he's sitting, but he does wobble about and playfully regains his balance, meeting her grin with one of his own.]

What can I say. Guess I'm just really good at being a nerd. You wouldn't want me any other way, right? If you keep makin' fun of me, though, I'm gonna pick you up and toss you right into the water.

[He plays along with her like it's the most natural thing in the world. Maybe for him, it is. She's never known anyone quite like him; nobody else has ever been so free or open with her, which isn't terribly surprising. It's not like she's ever been either of those things herself, so why should she inspire it with others?

But it's always like this with Nier. Comfortable. Easy.

She huffs at his threat, unable to banish her smile even as she attempts to scowl.]

You wouldn't dare. Love to see you try it.

[Not that she thinks he's bluffing, but it's fun to see how far she can push him.]

Yeah? You don't think so?

[That actually almost makes him laugh harder for some reason. It's not because he doesn't take her seriously. He absolutely does. But this right here, the exchange, the way they can go from one intense emotion into another is downright impressive.

He leans right toward her, attempting to snag the hand that she had previously pressed right into his face.]

You don't think I'm just a guy full of talk, do you?

[He doubts it. He's never shown her that in the past. Nier tends to be a man of words and action, never in the habit of not being able to back it up where it's necessary.]

[He catches her by the wrist, and she leans in to meet his gaze with her own, challenging as her grin pulls to one side. Those intimate moments are hardly forgotten, but this is a huge part of who they are, too— always intense, never doing anything by halves. He knows how to draw happiness out of her and hold onto it.]

I don’t know, you’re pretty old. Wouldn’t want you to break a hip.

[Like she hasn’t seen him achieve any number of athletic feats that would have been impossible for most people who weren’t them. He’s right— he’s always good to his word.]

The hell are you laughing about?!

[Even as she’s grinning wickedly at him, on the edge of laughter herself.]

[He's not sure he could be laughing any harder, honestly.]

You realise if I break a hip, you're gonna be the one taking care of me.

[He's grinning so grandly that it almost hurts. His touch traces over her wrist, down the length of her arm, he's purely looking for the right hold to hoist her up right over his shoulder.]

But I know you'd hate that, so I'm just going to have to be very careful when I'm tangling with you.

[His touch is light enough that someone else might not be suspect, but she has a hunch as to what he's looking for, and her gaze drops to one side to follow it even as her grin persists.]

Eh. Leave you with a bowl of water and drop off a crust of bread now and then, you'll be good enough.

[She's nobody's ideal nursemaid.]

Anyone counting on me to look after them is fooling themselves.

Might be potentially better than some of Yonah's stew, right? I might end up with a stomachache, though, and then I'll never let you hear the end of it.

[She's intuitive and more clever than she might be inclined to believe. He knows exactly what she's capable of and he knows that she can see through him when she wants to. His hold finally pauses. He's found the spot, he thinks. A right proper hold and he'll be able to largely lift and places.]

I'm not just anyone, though, eh?

That's a pretty low bar, don't you think?

[She lets out another snort of laughter; she's heard enough about Yonah's cooking to know that isn't saying much, but he's also probably not wrong.

It feels good to be joking with him like this. Their lives here aren't perfect, but it's damn near the closest to normal either one of them has ever had the chance to know, she thinks. They're missing people, but they're getting an opportunity to be versions of themselves they might not otherwise.

His hold pauses, and she clamps a warning hand on his wrist, a silent attempt to call his bluff.]

But no, you're not just anyone. Don't let it inflate your stupid ego.

[It really, really is. They've probably had worse things than the stew, but it's certainly one way one never forgets what they've had. That is to say, once having anything from Yonah, it's an unforgettable experience.

He's grinning down at her. He can feel the wordless warning in her touch, but he isn't afraid. He's probably never been afraid when he thinks about it. And it's not because Kainé isn't intimidating. She is, in her own way. It's because he simply knows better by this point.]

I like to think it's at a comfortable size.

[And they both know he's a modest man.]

Alleyoop, Kainé.

[He's got the hold and in the next few moments, his aim to carry her right over his shoulder until he can get into the water himself and toss her in at a safe distance. Can't have her hitting any rocks, after all.]

Goddamnit, I’m gonna kill you—

[She thumps a fist against his back as she finds herself slung over his shoulder, but there’s no power or malice behind it, and despite the threat, she’s laughing as he carts her towards the lake, unable to keep herself from doing so.

Stupid grinning bastard. That’s the thought that comes to her as she kicks her legs in protest, but nowhere near hard enough to break free- which they both know she damn well could if she wanted you.]

This means war!

Yeah, yeah. Sure you are.

[Nier huffs out a laugh and he offers a very gentle pat against the curve of her rear before he makes certain she's secured right where he's put her. It's bordering a little more brazen than he'd normally be, but she seems to be in a good mood. If she was going to kill him? She definitely would have done it sooner.

He hits the water and with a careful grip, he lifts her from his shoulder just enough to gently toss her right in with plenty of support. If love is war, then they've been at it for years by this point. He looks forward to so many more.]

( closed ) women want me, fish fear me

Okay, the log title is STILL making me laugh.

I AM GLAD.

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this tag has made me cry every time I've read it, you monster

NYEH HEH HEH

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he loves her more than fishing, weh

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