[CLOSED]

[misrecollect.livejournal.com]

Characters: misrecollect & cashnotash
Location: Death City Heights
Rating: G - PG
Time: November 20th, Evening
Description: A little slice of life with Alice and Iceland.


Alice had spent enough time doing nothing, and reading books could only go so far before she would find herself rereading the same sentence over and over. And what now? Blue eyes blinked when she realized she had ended up in the kitchen, staring at the cupboards and the refrigerator. Maybe she could bake something sweet for them to snack on. Oh, but... "Does he like sweet things?" Now she was talking to herself! Alice must have really been losing her mind. Though this did make her realize something; she didn't know as much about him as she wanted to.

Shaking her head, Alice put the thought aside for now and decided instead to surprise him with a dinner. Well, they often had dinner together, but maybe if she found something special to make...

It took some time, and plenty of fretting that Iceland might catch her in the act ( that would ruin the surprise completely! ) but finally Alice had the table set and ready. In the end, she found she had no idea what to make and ended up with a light colored pasta. How it tasted... she wasn't quite sure, and without a lot of time spent cooking beforehand she wasn't sure if it was even edible but at least she gave it her best shot. Now all she had to do was wait and hope.

Without even noticing it her heart began to beat anxiously and Alice started to feel nervous. She wanted to talk to him tonight, maybe... No, definitely, she was just worried about sounding nosy. Yeah. That's all it was.

That's all...

Comments

wow, sorry for the delay, i got dragged by a friend earlier.

[cashnotash.livejournal.com]

To put it simply, Iceland wasn't feeling well recently. Not physically, because he'd survived the attack and whatever (physical) injury he'd managed to acquire has started to heal, but emotionally. It sounds stupid and ridiculous and he's ashamed to admit it, even to himself, but it's true. BREW sent a lot of people home recently, and one of them was Rise. Some time after Gray, too. It was as if BREW was messing around with him or something along that line. Needless to say, it makes him feel incredibly morose, if not a bit angry. Instead of facing those emotions and deal with them properly so that they'd stop bothering him, he immersed himself in his work. And going out quite often to god knows where because: a) he need solitude, and b) he'd rather not have anyone poked their nose in and tried to cheer him up, even if the person in question is Alice. Of course, he tried his best not to go out that much because he doesn't want to leave her alone, and he doesn't want her to start asking questions either, but even when he's home, he's more withdrawn than usual.

But even then, he's still trying to be considerate, in a sense that he left her with things to distract herself when he's gone (read: never-ending supply of books), give her job suggestions, and even give her a call or leave her a message if he's going to come home late. Unfortunately, this phase isn't a very rational phase, which means that he often forgotten to bring her new books, zoning out in the middle of conversation, and forgot to tell her about the fact that he's going to come home late in advance. Basically, his behaviour has been erratic and he's sulking more than usual lately.

Unfortunately, today was one of the days where he forgot to tell her about the approximate time he's going to show up in the front door. Which explains why he arrived not long after she'd done with cooking, setting up the table, and everything else. He knocked at the door several times, a folder containing some papers in hand, with a somewhat grave expression. It was as if he's showing up at a funeral instead of coming home after a long day.

"Hey, it's me."

it's okay! :o not a problem~

[misrecollect.livejournal.com]

It hadn't bothered her too much that he didn't send a message, in all honesty she had no reason to worry because he always came home eventually. Just like now, when she heard him at the door, Alice could feel the relief wash over her. He was back. Glancing over her prepared dinner to make absolutely sure that it was all finished, and of course it was, Alice then rushed to the door to let him in and greet him with a smile. Even if he wore such a dark look, she wanted to be that person for him to look forward to. The way he moved, the way he acted, she just wanted to help lighten the burdens he kept to himself and maybe take some of it off his shoulders.

"Welcome back." Trying to keep the mood lighthearted. "I finished the last book," she started with typical conversation, waiting somewhat patiently to see if he would notice the dinner spread out for them at the kitchen table, "so I had to find something else to keep me occupied." She didn't really try to ask about his work, though. It wasn't that she didn't want to know, but maybe a little break from even thinking about it would help for now.

"Um," then there was the hesitant pause, her hands woven together behind her back and her gaze moving elsewhere. "Are you hungry..?"

thanks ;u; ...also, this is just too cute.

[cashnotash.livejournal.com]

But it bothered him every time it crossed his mind, frankly. He knows her. It's easy to send her spiraling into Worryland and of course, he'd rather avoid doing so. Besides, he's worried about her as well, even though lately, this cloud of misery has been clouding up his mind, making it's hard to think about the things he usually think about and/or is high on his priority list. Thankfully, he's still able to think straight, which explains why he didn't do anything stupid like getting totally wasted and forgot to come home. Perhaps it has something to do with not wanting to worry Alice, again.

Speaking about which, he tried to return her smile (fortunately, it's working, sort of) and promptly stepped in, closing the door behind him (and probably locked it as well) so she don't have to do that. She's already that person he looked forward to - no matter how murky his day is, seeing her always brightened up his mood. In fact, he's most likely looking forward to come home to her. Obviously, he wouldn't ever admit it (perhaps extreme situations are an exception) because it's embarrassing and clichéd.

"I'm home." The half-smile lingers for a few moments before it finally fades away. It's somewhat a ritual between them ever since she moved in with him - she welcomed him back, he told her that he's home (confirming the fact that he's really there, maybe), and then they have dinner together (while chatting quite religiously). Routine is sometimes (if not most of the time) boring, but this one is not. It gives him a sense of normalcy and belonging. "Really? That's good. Tell me about it." Her effort in keeping the mood lighthearted was successful, and it's clearly shown in his considerably more lighthearted tone (comparing to the one earlier when he's knocking at the door) and less rigid stance. "Did you like the book, by the way?"

It'd take him quite a while to notice the dinner she'd prepared, however, because he's busy settling down (read: putting the folder down and taking off his jacket) for a while. When he finally does, he doesn't say anything, but turning his attention back to her instead. He assumed that it was meant to be a surprise and waited for her to say something about it first.

"Yeah," Iceland's gaze moved elsewhere, as well. To the table, to be exact, but not for long because he let his gaze wander back to her. "Seems like it's dinnertime." The words were accompanied by his usual, teasing smile. It's as if he doesn't have that dark look on his face in the first place for a moment. He just can't help it - she went that far to make him feel better, and of course, he had to show some appreciation, hadn't he? He had no idea about her "hidden agenda", though.

they are always too cute :x

[misrecollect.livejournal.com]

Honestly, part of her might have already known that he liked to see her, and clearly there was more than just a normal friendship here. It just made more sense to not speak of it, though. If she didn't acknowledge it aloud, it didn't really exist, right? If she didn't pay attention to the looks he gave her, the smiles he made for her even when he didn't want to, and the way he spoke to her, then she wouldn't have to pay any mind to the way her heart skipped a beat at each of those smiles, the way her cheeks flushed with red when he spoke, or the weakness in her resolve when he looked at her. Even now, she had to force back that want to ask him what was bothering him just so that she had a reason to feel closer to him.

"Mm, it was interesting." Actually, there weren't many books she didn't become fascinated with but only when she didn't already ruin the ending for herself. Her sister wasn't there to ask about it, and for a second she lowered her eyes at the memory. 'It was all a dream in the end' Alice frowned then, looking up quickly. "I'm going to try looking for a certain book next time I go to the library. Something my sister was reading," though she never got the name of it, she was sure she could find it from what little she had heard her sister say.

As she glanced over to the set table Alice smiled again with a light tinge of pink to her cheeks. "Right, dinner, because..." Because she felt like it, but that didn't seem like a good enough reason. Sighing, because clearly there was no actual surprising him, Alice lightly took his wrist in her hand and pulled him toward the table. "I wanted you to be able to relax and usually it's kind of a boring dinner so I tried to make something really good this time." Her hand returned to her side and she looked away shyly.

"But I'm actually not sure if it's any good... If it's not I can order something from somewhere." No matter what it was, she could still find out what she wanted to, it just took some building up of courage.

I know, right? We could talk forever about their cuteness.

[cashnotash.livejournal.com]

It just made more sense to ignore it altogether to him. Perhaps he'd (reluctantly) acknowledged its existence, but that doesn't mean he's going to let it affect his everyday dealings with her. It'd render everything awkward. As if everything wasn't awkward already. Recently, he'd started to consider telling her about it, but...if she doesn't reciprocate his feelings, it'd possibly destroy their friendship. It's not like he was expecting her to sanction his feelings and change the status of their relationship (well, maybe a little. ...okay, more than a little), anyway. Sure, a part of him already knows how much she liked him - from the way she's behaving when she's around him (adorably awkward), to how his heart beats faster just by the mention of her name, and even how he readily talked about things he never really talked about with other people (not just words, but also actions - i.e: calling her when he's at work). There's still a lot of skeletons in his closet due to his secretive and distrusting nature (and also the fact that he's not human, at least before BREW kidnapped him), but he's quite certain that he could slowly divulge them to her, one by one. There's a whole new world outside his shell, and he's slowly stepping out from it with her guidance.

"Yes, it was." It's actually not the kind of book he usually read in his spare time, but, well, he knows that Alice liked those kind of books, and he read it just for the sake of getting himself acquainted with her tastes. It's rather interesting, apparently, and he was expecting her to react more strongly than that because he'd chosen that book himself. Her reaction sort of disappointed him, but he quickly made a mental note to try harder. It appears that it's not as easy as he thought to figure her out. The sudden change in demeanour puzzled him, but he stared at her, waiting patiently for her to explain why. Even if she's not being explicit about it, he's going to try to figure it out. "What's the title? I'll look it up for you." He'd guessed that she'd refuse his offer, as usual, and he'd insist that it's okay, but then a better idea crossed his mind. "Or do you want to go to the library together?"

The blush doesn't go unnoticed, and he found himself smiling slightly because of it. Whatever gloomy thoughts he had earlier had slowly disappeared, and he felt a lot better. "You don't have to do that, you know, but thanks a lot. I'd really appreciate it." A small laugh soon follows, and he let himself being pulled toward the dinner table, blushing lightly. He wasn't expecting her to go this far to cheer him up, much less pulling his wrist.

"Well, I'm sure that it's as good as it looks." There's a reassuring smile, and he takes a good look at the set table before preparing to seat himself. "Shall we...?"

because it's so easy! even their stubborness is cute.

[misrecollect.livejournal.com]

She blinked up at him, surprised at the offer although she knew she shouldn't have been. It made sense that he would want to look for it and find it if he could just because she asked... On the other hand, she didn't want to take advantage of that kindness. "I don't know what it's called," she admitted, a little embarrassed. "Just that it's about a girl who goes into a weird world, and it turns out to all be a dream." That's all she had, but the suggestion that they go together made her look up with shock. "O- Oh... Sure, I wouldn't mind going with you. It'll help to have another person to find it." And she would get to do something alone with him, which was just a perk.

Alice shrugged weakly, avoiding looking at him so that she could try to hide the redness on her cheeks. To her it wasn't that big of a deal, especially since she hadn't been able to find something to make that wasn't a little more extravagant. "Yeah..." Falling quiet, she settled herself at one end of the table, keeping her gaze down on the food as she tried to figure out how she would ask.

"Um, actually..." finally opening her mouth to speak, Alice lifted her gaze to him. "I was wondering why... or rather, what's been on your mind?" It wasn't so straight forward, but still on the point she was trying to get to.

but they need to stop being so stubborn towards each other (code_okok)

[cashnotash.livejournal.com]

Iceland wouldn't consider it as "taking advantage". That phrase wouldn't even cross his mind. It's only natural for him to offer help to her, or do things for her, and he could never understand why she couldn't just roll with it. Probably because he couldn't comprehend why she's trying so hard not to be a burden to him in the first place. Okay, he doesn't want to be a burden to her either, but he isn't taking it to the extreme (read: this is, more or less, denial). He doesn't realise it, but being generous to her is his way of reciprocating the emotional support she had given him. And also her friendship in general.

The surprised look doesn't go unnoticed either, and he silently wondered if his offer was that surprising. "Alice in Wonderland?" He blurted out with another teasing smile. It's the first book that crossed his mind, but there's probably some other books that fits the description. Said description wasn't very specific, after all. "How about tomorrow? Before lunch, maybe?" It's Sunday, anyway, and it's his day-off. Going to the library with her would keep him busy and that's a good thing. Although the library is practically his second home, judging from how often he went there. That's another reason why he offered to look the book up for her, actually. "We could have lunch somewhere if you'd like. My treat."

After she settled herself at one end of the table, he seated himself on the other end of table. At first, it felt weird and awkward (if not a little sad) because Nura was the one who normally sat in that place, but he'd slowly accepted it. It's better than eating alone, anyway, even though he would never admit it. Thankfully, he doesn't notice the colour on her cheeks because he was busy poking the light-coloured pasta she'd cooked for him. It's not extravagant, but he preferred it that way.

Instead of answering her question right away, he tried the light-coloured pasta she'd cooked for him first, seemingly ignoring that question and letting it hung heavily in the air. His expression shifted to a thoughtful one (and it seems like he doesn't want Alice to see this, since he stared at his food intently) and, after the second bite, and a considerable amount of pause, he finally broke the silence. "A lot of things." It's a short and thoughtful answer, but not curt. If anything, it prompted her to ask about it. "It's good, by the way. The pasta, I mean." He let their gaze met once more, expression calm and unreadable.

one day! one day it will happen~ \o/

[misrecollect.livejournal.com]

Alice simply didn't know how else to be, being any other way with him would mean acknowledging the one thing she didn't want to. Not only that, it meant opening her heart in a way she wasn't sure she could do again. Or rather, wasn't willing to allow when - if she had known better - it would happen regardless. Still, when she looked at him she knew she could feel that wall breaking down and she couldn't emotionally move fast enough to rebuild it in time to block him out.

And she eventually gave up on trying.

"Alice... in Wonderland?" She realized she had just echoed his words and her cheeks grew hot again. Even though he smiled at her that way, she could feel the awkward shift in her emotions — he knew about it, the book. It's just a coincidence, she reminded herself, nodding with a small smile for him to see. Just because it was called Alice in Wonderland meant nothing more than being a coincidence. "Alright, it sounds like a" date, "plan. Even if we don't find the book, at least the time won't be wasted."

She waited in absolute silence, watching him intently and waiting with a held breath. She was starting to think he wasn't going to answer her at all until his eyes finally met hers, though not with an expression she had been expecting. Then again, there wasn't a specific response she was expecting, and Alice sighed softly before letting her gaze fall to the pasta that she was twirling around on her fork. "Oh... Thanks." No. No, that wasn't going to be okay. Frowning a little, she set the silver down and lifted her eyes to his again.

"Do you still miss her?" It wasn't fair to ask, she knew the answer and if it had been asked the other way about Gray she would assume he knew the answer as well. It was impossible not to miss the people that were gone, of course. "Or, is it something else?"

one day they're gonna get together, too. \o/ I think we should...plan that in advance? idk.

[cashnotash.livejournal.com]

He doesn't know why she doesn't want to face the truth, he assumed that it's because she's shy, like him, but he could definitely understand why she doesn't want to open her heart yet - he doesn't want to do so either at first, and she's not the only one with a proverbial wall here. If anything, his walls are bigger and taller, and he'd grown content living inside it. That is, until Alice comes along. But, being older and more experienced than her (not as experienced as some other nations when it comes to the matters of the heart, but his experience still precedes her), he'd already seen it coming and he knows that there's no use fighting it. He's simply waiting for her to be ready, and when she is, he's going to tell her the truth. Of course, it's easier said than done, but he'd already given himself some pep talk on the matter. Hopefully, he could find the courage when the time comes.

"Mmm." A nod. "I think the premise matches your description. Or close, anyway." There's a brief pause, and his expression changed into a curious one. "Does the title ring any bell, Alice?" He can't help it, he always wanted to know how she'd react if he brought said book up, and if she ever heard about it or not. It's...baffling that she had the exact same name as the main protagonist, but he thought that it was a coincidence, too (read: he's still in denial about being in love with a fictional character - suddenly, this has started to sound like Inception). There's no way that she's a book character, nevermind that he's acquainted with Watson. If he remembered correctly, that Alice doesn't have any sister, anyway. "The time won't be wasted, even if we're just fooling around in the end. Trust me."

Iceland had plenty of time, and he wouldn't mind wasting every single second of it for her.

"You're always welcome." The platinum blond noticed that she was playing with her food, and that she looked somewhat...disappointed. Is there something wrong with his answer? He tilted his head, quietly wondering about it. In the end, he decided that he should at least try to fix it. Obviously, he doesn't understand that she wanted him to be elaborate about his feelings. In his defense, it's not easy for him to open up, especially when it comes to feelings. He doesn't even know how to talk about them properly in the first place. "Don't play with your food." He teased lightly, in an effort to make it up to her.

The next question she asked surprised him, and he stared at her for a while, dumbfounded, before resumed eating. He let the question(s) hung heavily in the air once more, and, once she thought that he wouldn't answer (again)- "A little bit of everything." He replied with a slight, sad smile, and started to twirl around the pasta unconsciously - it's his turn to play with his food. He avoided looking at her, and he looked dejected once more.

we must! ALSO i could have sworn i responded to this... ;;orz

[misrecollect.livejournal.com]

One day she would have to explain it, why she was so closed off to him. To anyone in that way. Actually, she had tried to once, or wanted to at least. Unfortunately, trying to explain about her previous failed relationship wasn't all that simple to do, not because it was a complicated story but because it hurt to remember. Lately, memories were becoming only painful...

"I... don't know." She realized her voice had grown softer, and the irritating feeling that came with the thought of that book was becoming a little stronger than she wanted it to be. But she didn't want him to think he might have upset her, so she continued to wear a smile for him that became easier the longer she simply focused on him. "I guess it's just weird to hear about a book with your name in the title," she tried to use it as an excuse, laughing weakly before nodding to him. Time, no matter what was happening, was never felt like it was being wasted when she spent it with him.

She only considered it a waste when she wasn't able to say what she wanted to him.

Caught in the act, Alice blinked down at the twisted pasta noodles and frowned at herself. Just like a child, she mentally scolded, and sighed lightly as if simply giving up on bettering herself. There was no way, he would always catch the little things she did and it would always embarrass her.

Letting the silence hang in the air after his eventual response, Alice watched him wondering if she had really ruined the night with her curiosity. Maybe she shouldn't have said anything at all. She continued to remain in the quiet, finally taking meek bites of her food until she couldn't stand the heavy emptiness around them. "I'm sorry," she finally said, though avoiding meeting his eyes. "I thought if I stayed with you, I could help but... but I think I'm just making it worse, right?" The guilt, if it wasn't obvious, had just built up too much.

I WILL PM YOU SOON concerning that. and LJ loves to eat comments, what do you know.

[cashnotash.livejournal.com]

She's in no way obligated to explain to him - he isn't demanding it, and he wouldn't get mad if she couldn't provide him with an explanation. He can understand just how hard explaining these kind of things is. It's not the details he's after, anyway, the general outline would suffice. If she couldn't do that either, that's okay. He is curious, of course, and the details would satisfy his curiosity, but there's no way he'd appease his curiosity at the expense of her feelings.

Speaking about which, he noticed that the smile on her face wasn't genuine - it's there to mask her true feelings. He let out a sigh, regretting his decision of bringing up the book in the first place. But he couldn't apologise, since it'd only make her feel even more worse. "I'd gotten used to it." He finally said, playing along and pretending that he doesn't notice her true emotions. "It just occurred to me that I might be wrong. I don't think the book matches your description." Here comes the retconning. "Forget it."

Hopefully, she wouldn't realise the fact that he's trying to sweep it under the carpet. He would never let his curiosity win again. The frown and the sigh, unfortunately, doesn't went unnoticed either. Iceland immediately feel stupid, if not guilty. Wrong move. Instead of lighten up the situation, he just makes it worse. Of course, he wasn't expecting her to take it seriously. "Sorry." In the end, he apologised, after some awkward silence. "I...didn't mean to."

The heavy silence that hangs in the air afterward makes him feel even more guilty and awkward, but he's trying to ignore it and tried to focus on his food instead. Wrong move again. "You think. You're not making it worse or anything." He put down the silver, rubbed his forehead, and let out a long sigh of exasperation. If anything, it's not her curiosity (or his, for that matter) that ruined the night, it's her guilt (and maybe his too). "It's my fault. Don't apologise."

If only he gave her a concrete answer from the start, perhaps neither of them would feel this guilty. Maybe it's time to take a leap.

"I'd tell you whatever you want to know, now." A beat. "Just...stop blaming yourself, okay?"

( ooc: SORRY THIS IS JUST SO SCATTERED and it doesn't make any sense at all. I'm tired, sob. )

/kicks lj AND WHYwhy do these two always pull at my heartstrings /grabby hands

[misrecollect.livejournal.com]

Eventually, very soon, she would have to face it anyway. In her mind, when she chose to face that memory, the best person to do so with would be Iceland.

When he started to take back what he said, Alice suddenly lifted her hands a little with a small shake of her head. "No, you're probably right." She hadn't wanted him to notice it, but she should have known he could read her so well that trying to pretend otherwise was useless. No, not 'should have', she did know that he could tell everything that she was feeling just by watching her. "It's... We'll still go look, just in case."

She never wanted him to apologize, it didn't suit and she didn't need it. Whatever he said or did, Alice never wanted him to be sorry because he never did anything wrong. "Don't worry, I'm fine," she assured him quietly, relaxing enough to offer a genuine smile simply because it was him that deserved it.

A quick blink concealed her brief surprise, though there was no hiding the flush to her cheeks. She had meant to apologize for bringing the matter up in the first place and for turning a calm night into something like this, but instead he... "I don't want to." A pause, because she realized she had said it so abruptly. She frowned down at her half-finished plate, choosing her words carefully.

"What I mean is, I don't want to ask anything if it's going to upset you more. I just want you to be happy," she murmured, head lowered still. "Everything here is so far away from home, and Eiríkur is the only person that makes it feel like I'm there again. Because of that, I want to try and be that person for you, too, but lately it feels like there isn't anything that I can do..."

because their relationship dramu is the best? |D they're pulling at mine, too ;w;

[cashnotash.livejournal.com]

A surprised look crossed Iceland's face when she suddenly concurred with what he said before. Silently, he wondered what caused the sudden change of opinion. But of course, he's not going to deny her request. Maybe she's curious as well. Or maybe something in her memory confirms it for her that the book her sister read was indeed Alice in Wonderland, although she doesn't know the title. How she never figured out the title remained a mystery to him, but he's going to push the question aside, since he's pretty sure it'd embarrass her. It's irrelevant, anyway. "Sure, if you want to." He said with a small smile. "It's not hard to find."

It's not hard to figure out how she truly feels at the moment either. He'd always credit his keen observation skills for that, but it's probably something more than that - intuition would be more fitting. He could try to explain how he could pinpoint her true emotions at the time being, but actually, it couldn't really be explained. He just know. It could be troublesome because he knows how she wanted to mask her true feelings sometimes. Besides, it's rather unfair - he could read Alice like an open book, but not the other way around. But perhaps that's how he preferred it to be.

Normally, he wouldn't believe what she said, but her smile dispelled whatever doubt he might have in mind. "I'm glad to hear that." He let out a sigh of relief, and leaned back on his seat, giving himself a break. The awkwardness and the guilt he felt seconds before felt heavy, and that's why he really need some space to breathe. Still, he couldn't relax completely. He still need to ready himself for whatever question she's going to throw on him.

Which is why what she said next shocked him. He sat there, almost done with his dinner, completely stunned. Once he snapped out of it, he blushed and looked down, looking absolutely mortified (in a good way, of course). It took him quite a while to stop flushing, opening his mouth and then closing it again, and playing with the rest of his food. Talk about awkward.

"It's okay," He finally said, still staring at either his plate, the table, or the floor beneath his feet. "Sometimes we have to talk about unpleasant...things." He's subtly telling himself that he need to stop being so guarded. If she's trying her best to conquer her issues, then it's only fair if he's doing the same. "But I just want you to be happy, too." He noticed that his voice was only a whisper now, and he'd start fidgeting anxiously. He also don't know what to say in response to the last thing the other said.

"You're already that person." The sudden strength in his voice surprised even himself, and he looked up from whatever it is he was staring at, letting his gaze met the sight of her once more. "You don't have to try to be that person, Alice, you're already her." His voice softens, along with his expression, and he could feel a strangely blissful, peaceful feeling washed over him. The anxiety has passed. "And that means you don't have to do anything, either." Small pause. "Just...stay with me, okay?"

aaaah i'm so impatient for the ultimate cuteness! :x

[misrecollect.livejournal.com]

She would have liked to figure out how he felt sometimes, though she did have the advantage of just having to ask when she wanted to know. He didn't often lie to her, and if he did she could at least notice it a little. Now, in this moment, she was relieved that he could read her emotions so well, at least the happy ones. When he knew she was happy, things felt... calmer. Nicer, even.

A shy glance up gave notice to the redness on his cheeks and Alice focused on her plate again. She had said something wrong, hadn't she? Ruined another conversation with him by saying something so ridiculous. What had she been thinking? Telling him she considered him to be as comfortable as being home again, it was too much, and she silently scolded herself for it. Of course saying something like that upset him, made him quiet, he wouldn't even look at her—

"What?" She jerked up in surprise, blue eyes wide. Already... The words made her heart jump and Alice nervously brushed her hair back behind an ear. "I... right..." Despite the anxious clench in her stomach and the rapid beats in her chest, Alice still felt a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. She wouldn't, couldn't admit it aloud, but it felt good to hear him say as much.

And maybe, with it, she knew why, too.

"I won't leave you." Alice had said so before, and she would continue to say it because she always meant it. However, the way that fluttering feeling was acting up, Alice couldn't even try to finish her food and she slowly stood from the table, lifting her plate and taking it to the sink to clean it. She had to keep busy, to keep her thoughts occupied now, or she would feel silly after that. "But you can't leave me either, then." Not that she thought he would.

Even after she turned off the water, Alice remained where she stood, looking anywhere but refusing to turn back to face where he was. She had to hide the blush somehow...

it will bust our cute-o-meter 8D

[cashnotash.livejournal.com]

His emotions are...confusing, to say at the least, and he's trying his best to repress them. That's the reason why he preferred to maintain his status as "the book written in esoteric language" between them. There's only two extreme polarities for him - either he's running away from his own emotions, or he's indulging himself in it (this mostly applies to negative emotions because otherwise, he felt ridiculous, immature, and stupid). But he's currently finding himself basking in the contentment and relief her words bring.

It's something new to him, but then again, everything in their relationship and the things they experienced together were all novel, sometimes even alien, concepts to him.

"You heard me." He affirms, voice as strong as it was when he told her that she's already the person who made him feel at home again for the first time. Their gaze met, and it's his turn to shift his gaze to his plate on impulse, cheeks graced by a noticeable blush once more. He managed to steal a glance, though, and noticed the small smile gracing her features. It made him smile in turn, and despite the fact that his heart was beating so fast it might very well explode in the near future, he managed to lift his gaze once more. She doesn't need to admit that it makes her happy, he could see it. And it makes him happy, too, if not twice as happy as her.

What she said next left him speechless once more, and he found himself avoiding her gaze for the umpteenth time, powerless against the overpowering emotions.

"I won't leave you either." He finally said, just before she left the room. It's a heavy promise to fulfill, given the fact that BREW can send either one of them home any time, but she'd promised him. Which means that he's obligated to return it. But that doesn't mean he's returning it solely because of that, because he really mean it. He would never, ever leave her on purpose. After she left, he couldn't finish his dinner either, but he forced himself to do so (he doesn't want to offend her), and when he finally does, he's reminded of his duty to wash the dishes. Of course, Alice didn't specifically asked him to do that, but he doesn't want to let her do all the work. It's not fair.

"You should let me do the dishes, you know." He appeared a couple of minutes later in the kitchen (much to her chagrin), his own plate in hand, looking...well, unreadable. He'd spent the minutes before his arrival regaining his composure. Seems like it's working quite well, because he's looking composed. For the most part, anyway.

we'll get cavities~ 8D ffff even this is killing me!

[misrecollect.livejournal.com]

Even though it was entirely possible for BREW to take them away, Alice had already decided she wasn't going anywhere. Not yet, not while he was here with her. So the threat was imminent, as always, to take them against their will, but it couldn't be so cruel as to separate them now, would it? Already, BREW had taken his partner from him and Gray from her -- maybe now it would give them a break. A chance to relax, and feel like everything would be okay.

So it wasn't an empty promise, she firmly believed they wouldn't be taken.

But despite those thoughts, Alice still tried to avoid his eyes, or any other kind of contact after that confession. Hearing him enter the kitchen behind her only made it worse, though. "It's fine, you've been working. I don't mind just cleaning things up," she murmured, still turned toward the sink and keeping her back on him. If she looked at him now, she wouldn't know what kind of face to make. Not only that, but she couldn't control the furious blush on her cheeks. If he saw that...

Alice was already embarrassed enough. "You can rest now, if you want. Just leave this kind of stuff to me, or I'll feel like a free-loader." She laughed weakly, almost forced as she still tried to collect herself and her emotions.

She really did feel silly though. It wasn't like any of that was some kind of love confession, just admitting that they were close, right? She didn't need to get so worked up over it. At least, telling herself that much was helping to cool her face again and Alice could finally steal a glance over her shoulder.

EXTREME cavities...wait, you're not writing this from beyond the grave, right?

[cashnotash.livejournal.com]

Normally, Iceland would consider believing in that kind of promise is stupid because BREW is either ridiculously evil and loves to see them suffer, or just couldn't control itself. Maybe a little bit of both. And believing that it'd give them a break because it'd robbed enough people from them? Dumber. Besides, it just doesn't make any sense. But this whole thing just doesn't make any sense at all either, and the harder he fought against it, the more he realised that he was losing. There's no way he's going to win against his own feelings. He'd never use "stupid" and "Alice" in the same sentence, anyway.

Of course, she can be outrageously irrational at times, but maybe that's one of the things that endears her to him. And he found himself believing in the promise she'd made firmly, as well.

In any case, he found himself staring at her back, standing awkwardly behind her in the kitchen. He doesn't need to see the blush to figure out the fact that she was beyond embarrassed after their conversation during dinner, her behaviour already told him the story. So does her words. "But-" He argues, but stopped abruptly before he could convey his point. Obviously, he really doesn't want to let her do all the work (it makes him feel guilty), even though he's rather tired, but on the other hand, he knew that if he insists, he might end up making her feel even more silly.

"I'd just leave this here, then." In the end, he yielded, putting his plate in the sink and accidentally brushed her arm in the process. Even so, he's not going to give up completely. "I'll go get changed now. I'll be waiting in the living room after that, if you want to...talk. Or something." That being said, he turned away and left the kitchen, but not after staring awkwardly at her back (again) for a couple of seconds. Which means that he caught the glance, but instead of teasing her as usual, he just returned it. The amount of embarrassment he'd given her might be enough to feed the entirety of Death City for a couple of years, and there's no way he's going to contribute more.

;3; no, i am sorry, i have died from the adorable waves of cute~

[misrecollect.livejournal.com]

Alice felt her body tense at the that light brush on her arm, the skin tingling even after he had already moved away. Guilt was beginning to set in, though she made her best effort to ignore the feeling as she hastily started washing the dishes. That one last look toward him when he started to leave the room was almost worrying and she had to resist the urge to ask him to wait. It wasn't like he was going far away, or even leaving their home.

"Mm, just wait for me..." That could have meant for anything, though. Even for that which she would not speak of.

Finishing with the dishes, she let them sit to dry on their own as she turned to glance out toward the living room. Would he be there, waiting for her? And even if she went out to see him, what would she say now after everything that was already said. Stop that, she suddenly ordered herself silently. She held a hand over her heart, willing it to calm so that she could recompose herself. After moving in with him, she really should have learned by now how to control her own whirlwind of emotions.

"Eiríkur?" Just testing, or maybe she just wanted to hear that he was there before she stepped foot into the living room. She couldn't stall forever, anyway, and Alice finally moved toward the couch with her head lowered and eyes on the floor.

you've died and went to cute heaven? b- but I swear I'm writing something cuter right now!

[cashnotash.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, he didn't hear the last thing she said, because he'd already on his way to his room. But he would surely tell her that he's going to wait for her if he heard that, with some teasing peppered in (carefully, of course, considering the atmosphere). After all, it's not like he's going to go out and slay some dragons. Even if he does, he'd return home safely just because. And then he'd tell her in his snotty, annoying manner: 'I told you so.'

The carnival of emotions inside him was galling, to say at the least, but he managed to keep his heart tucked safely under his feet while he was stripping off his clothes and replaced them with clean ones. Still, he couldn't resist the urge to sit down and replay the dinner scene in his head afterwards. To be fair, he's been replaying it ever since he was undressing himself, but now that he's done and over with this whole changing business, he could really put some thoughts into it.

That's the reason why it took him so long to reach the living room.

The moment he remembered the fact that he was supposed to be sitting outside, in the living room, and waiting for Alice instead of brooding on his own with his dirty shirt and pants scattered around him, he quickly stood up and marched to the living room, not bothering to tidy up the discarded pieces of clothing.

"Over here." Suddenly he became the right person at the right time. The fact that she was staring at the floor bothered him, though, and he stared at her awkwardly for a couple of minutes for the umpteenth time before plopping on the couch. "Sorry, I got sidetracked."

Maybe having some time alone to sit and think does work, because he feels a lot more calmer now.

;3; I'll die again from the extra-cute!

[misrecollect.livejournal.com]

She looked up with a start as he sat down, blinking over at him. It didn't bother her that he had only come now, she would have waited for him without complaint. "It's alright," she spoke quietly, hesitating for a moment longer before moving to sit beside him on the couch. Maybe he felt calmer, but no matter how hard she tried her heart was still skipping quite a few beats. She was almost jealous of how he could act so collected, although maybe he didn't feel the same way she did.

The thought was a little disheartening, to be honest.

"I realized," she started tentatively, looking away in an attempt to act coolly, "that I never really asked what you would go back to." But she noted the words were vague and she struggled to find the right explanation. "I mean, if you did get sent home," and if she were left here alone, "I don't know if I should be happy that you got to go home or... not." Well, she wouldn't be happy that he was gone, but maybe she would be able to feel relieved if she knew what he would go back to.

Alice ran her fingers through her hair, though quickly lowered her hand again when she noticed it was trembling just a little. Her cursed nerves, they needed to calm down already!

"You don't have to tell me, I guess I'm just curious."

‹ÿ+ÎÈ/ÍIQðT(.É/PÈ--JI-ÊÌKW¨Ì/U(Ï,ÉP(Ί&g($—–¤*ä)Ã4d§¦€xåh@ õ<ƒ\œ=ü=]�

[cashnotash.livejournal.com]

If he ever finds out that such an off-putting thought ever crossed his mind, he'd be extremely baffled. In his perspective, his feelings for her was as obvious as a pink whale. But then again, Iceland's concept of "obvious" might be a little different from her. Her concept of obvious was adorably awkward, his concept of obvious was adorably awkward. What's the difference? It actually lies in how they were handling the awkward. He plays it cool. She's not.

That doesn't mean he loved her any less, though.

There's a nod of acknowledgement at what she said, and he leaned back on his seat, making himself comfortable. Even if she would waited for him patiently, he'd still feel guilty. He might not come out of his room at all (until morning comes) if he didn't remember, after all. Sometimes it's dangerous to let Iceland immersed himself in his thoughts. The topic she'd chosen was certainly unpleasant, but he found himself staring at her raptly, even when she'd tore her gaze away from him. He waited patiently for her to finish her words, silently guessing where it's going to end. When it finally reached the end, he opened his mouth to answer. No sound comes out.

"I'd...go back to a bunch of paperwork." He tried again, this time was a success. He tried his best to keep his tone light, even forced out a laugh afterwards. It was somewhat-forced, but it's the thought that counts, right? Realising that she wanted an honest answer, he quickly added, looking away so she doesn't have to see the look in his eyes. "And my brother. And Denmark, Sweden, Finland..." Suddenly the prospect of coming home to them seems less appealing, although still tantalizing, and there is a lump on the back of his throat. He doesn't know why. "And my people."

Those things usually evokes so much emotion, but he just felt numb.

"You should be happy if I get sent home." Another forced words, followed by a dry smile, after a moment of silence, but it quickly falters. He is as distant as the stars in the sky now, but he quickly covers the distance by wrapping his arms around her and pulling her closer, into a hug. He doesn't know why either. "I'd be sad if you get sent home."

The Nation muttered, letting his arms tightened around her. It's a spur-of-the-moment thing and he's probably going to regret it soon, but while he's at it, there's nothing wrong with engrossing himself in it.

never stop the cute! ;o; NEVER!

[misrecollect.livejournal.com]

He tried too hard to make her feel like everything was okay and Alice pursed her lips at the forced laugh. Even though it sounded like something good to go back to, good being anything that wasn't dangerous, it still bothered her that he didn't seem to feel quite as happy about it. Shouldn't going back to your brother and friends be something to look forward to? Even if it meant leaving this place and the people you might have gotten to know.

"I'll be happy for you," she started, voice soft as she watched him. But being happy for him wasn't quite the same as being happy, was it? She started again, trying to say more but whatever words she might have been able to manage were cut off by the surprised gasp as her body was pulled against his. It was unexpected and had come out of nowhere, but while Alice squirmed a little she couldn't say that it wasn't wanted.

"E- Eiríkur..!" Her hands lifted, flat on his chest with every intention to push away but the tightened feeling around her made her stop. Why fight it, why pretend that this wasn't where she wanted to be? Her fingers curled into the folds of his shirt, clinging desperately to him as she buried her face in his neck.

"That's... That's why I won't go anywhere. I don't want you to be sad, and honestly," she paused, her voice a near whisper even in the quiet that surrounded them. "I'll be lonely if you go, too. I say that I'd be happy for you but I won't be." The thought made her want to cry, but she swallowed the feeling back and shook her head a little.

"Sorry for lying," she murmured, lifting her head just enough to look up at him and flushing immediately when she realized how intimate the position was. She could feel her temperature rising against her will and her gaze quickly dropped again, hoping beyond all hope that he couldn't feel her heart racing in her chest.

SO DEMANDING... /fulfills it!!!

[cashnotash.livejournal.com]

The closest thing to a danger he'd face back home is long, boring meetings. Sometimes combined with jetlag. It makes him wondered if he really is a Nation or if he's actually just another person who happens to work for the government. Although he was technically too young for that, so maybe it was all just a dream.

Sometimes he wondered if Death City was just a dream, too. A nightmare, maybe, but the monsters inside it had gradually disappeared.

Going home and coming back to the people and places he knew for all his existence was something to look forward to, and he was wishing for it everyday, but recently, he wasn't very keen on it any longer. The desire just wasn't as strong as it used to be. Of course, it makes him feel guilty since he was supposed to wish for it strongly. His people need him, and his so-called family wouldn't be complete without him, even though sometimes he feels like they're doing fine without him.

He couldn't just leave his old life behind for one person. In the name of love, nevertheless - just how cliched is that?

Even if he could, she probably couldn't. It's better if she returned home to her family and friends, anyway, they are infinitely more important than him. Her reaction to his sudden action made him loosen his arms a little and, for a second, considering letting her go and apologise, but in the end, his ego prevails. He tightened the hug again.

He was tired of pretending.

"Don't be sorry." was the first thing he said after a long period of silence, and oddly, he wasn't minding her fingers on his shirt, nor does the fact that their position has completely bursted their personal bubbles. Somewhere along the line, he'd lost the concept of privacy, as well. "I don't want you to be sad, either. And you know how I feel about the rest."

It's the closest he can get from articulating what's inside his mind right now. Truth be told, he doesn't know what to say, and he could only hope that she couldn't feel his heart, drumming furiously inside his chest, too. The sudden rise in temperature doesn't go unnoticed, unfortunately, but she's not the only one who went down with that problem.

Maybe he'd found a new home.

BUT DEMANDING CUTE IS OKAY ;w; yes?

[misrecollect.livejournal.com]

Alice had called many things a dream. The Country of Hearts in that Wonderland, that was surely a dream. It had to be, or Peter would have found her by now. In Death City, everything felt just as real as Wonderland, but maybe more so. Or, maybe, just the realization that she wasn't going to see her sister, her family, or her home for a long time was finally setting in. And really, it didn't seem so bad. There were so many possibilities as well. Time could pass differently, maybe spending years here was like spending a few seconds in her world, or time could stop completely.

It was thoughts like these that kept her optimistic. These, and that getting to be with Iceland every day made that empty void feel... better. Maybe if she actually voiced these, she would find out that the feeling was near, if not exactly, mutual. Unfortunately, Alice didn't quite have the courage for that.

Putting aside the inability to calm the thundering beats of her heart, Alice felt most safe here in his arms. She didn't struggle anymore, she barely even moved other than shifting just enough to rest her cheek on his shoulder. The feeling of her own breath bouncing back from his neck didn't quite help the furious fluttering in her stomach, but trying to run would offend him, wouldn't it? And she didn't want to.

"The rest..." It barely registered, but after a second longer she could process and understand. "The rest..?" She repeated the words, wondering if she really wanted to hear more. There was nothing to question, actually. No point in asking when she could feel his heart with her hands still on his chest, feeling through the clothing and having to silently argue that it was her own and she was only imagining things. His heart didn't beat like that for her, she had to convince herself of this. It was a trick of the mind.

"I don't think it's the same..." she started to speak again, her thoughts leading her to disappointment even as she felt her eyes close. She pressed further against him, leaning into him as her legs curled up on the couch. Even if it was just for tonight, just this once she could be selfish and pretend that he thought differently about her. "But can we stay like this, for now..?"

Such a selfish request.

If only she could accept the obvious truth, or at least be less stubbornly oblivious to it.

YES. ;w; also, what is that adorable icon.

[cashnotash.livejournal.com]

At first, he thought that this was all a dream. But he'd landed in Death City three months ago, and that belief was history. The notion that nothing could make the empty void - his empty void feel better would soon be history, too. If he could get over the guilt, that is. It just feels plain wrong, not missing or wanting to go back to the place you'd known all your existence. But it's possible to find a new home, isn't it? Finding someone who feels like home, and settling down with them-

No. He couldn't be selfish. He had matters to take care of back home.

There's a part of him that screams to hell with those things, he's human now, he can do whatever he like without his duties chaining him down. But it's hard to break free from the chains when he'd lived with it all his life. He wanted to believe that time had stopped back home and there's nothing wrong with wanting to stay, but he can't. He's cursed with terminal skepticism. It's terribly hard to let negative thoughts rule when he's holding her, however. It's a good thing that Alice had stopped squirming (because otherwise, he'd be forced to let her go, and if she ran, he'd certainly be offended, dejected, and disappointed), but the drumming in her chest and the soft breath on his neck was...distracting, to say at the least. And he doesn't know which one distracts him more.

She smelled nice, too, nicer than the Maldives episode (she smelled a bit like the sand and the sea at that time, but he still likes it), and it's also distracting. Suddenly he felt self-conscious about how he smell, but then again, she wouldn't care about such thing, would she?

"And why do you-" He's cleverly avoiding elaborating his feelings again (it's not that he doesn't want to elaborate this time, it's just that he doesn't know how. he's pretty sure she knows, anyway, even if she wouldn't admit it), but the fact that she was pressing further against him managed to stop him mid-sentence (mid-question?). There are some blushing involved, but he clears his throat and quickly resumed speaking. "Why do you think so?"

Certainly, she doesn't expect him to be demonstrative about it. Or dramatic. Because, even if he could do one of those things, he'd rather not. He shifted slightly in his seat, all while trying to resist the urge to stroke her hair.

"Of course we can."

The reply wasn't completely unexpected, but the calm tone and the smile that accompanied it was.

:'D peter and iceland look the same from behind (except for the bunny ears) SO IT WORKS

[misrecollect.livejournal.com]

Fortunately for him, Alice had become more than accustomed to his scent. They say a person gives off a particular fragrance that is alluring to a select few, maybe that could explain part of it. Regardless of the 'why', Alice just settled with accepting the comfort she could have now in the embrace so long as she didn't admit aloud the intimacy of it. That much she could just keep to herself and still be alright.

With her eyes closed she can't catch the blush, but the raised heat between them is hard to miss. Am I making him uncomfortable? She would have asked out loud, but she was too afraid of him telling her that what she feared was absolutely right. Imagining something like this, it was possible that Nightmare had been right. If she just wanted everyone to love her, that was just as selfish as wanting Iceland to...

"Mm, it's just how it is," she replied quietly, trying not to give her disappointment away.

His slight movement finally brought her eyes to open and she lifted her gaze to his. There, that smile again, that smile that always made her feel like it was okay. No matter what she did, he wouldn't tell her she was wrong, right? These thoughts were starting to act on their own, though, and Alice caught herself for staring too long, and in such a position! A blush burned over her cheeks and she hurriedly looked down, all but burying her face in his shoulder so he couldn't see.

"O- Okay. Thanks..." At least he gave her that much, allowing her these selfish needs. There was nothing wrong with enjoying it for now, and then tomorrow she could apologize for it. Tell him she just wasn't feeling well, but that he had helped her. Or...

Well, she could come up with something to explain it away, but in the meantime she just didn't want to move.

I HAVE NO SUCH ICON..................................... (tears)

[cashnotash.livejournal.com]

As long as she didn't say anything about their current position, he wouldn't pull away. Not that he wanted to pull away - he was the one who started it in the first place, so obviously he must have need it - but he was afraid of making her feel uncomfortable, as well. Of course, she had said that she wanted to stay this way for a while, and he's glad to hear that, but it's fragile, this thing between them. They both settled into the illusion that there's nothing between them - she embraced it readily because of fear and he wears it out of necessity - but it could easily be shattered by one wrong word or action. The state of their current physical intimacy is one of things.

Love is a selfish thing. He could never comprehend it, for matters of the heart are not - and would never be - his forte, but that's one thing he'd learnt. Asking her to be with him would be selfish, even if she returned his feelings, because he couldn't promise stability (BREW could take him away any time) and he had matters to take care of and people who need him back home, as with her. It'd be better if she just forget him, so if she got home, she could settle down with someone else. Someone else who comes from the same world as her, who could give her a solid footing, who's also human, and who loves her as much as he does.

"No, that's not how it is." He sounds genuinely surprised, and amused. The look on his face reflected the tone of his voice. He took a deep breath before continuing, leaning slightly and lowered his voice, whispering on her ear. "I won't go anywhere because I don't want you to be sad, either. I'll be lonely if you go, but I'd try to be happy for you even if it's hard to do so."

There, he said it. Hopefully it's enough to convince Alice.

Instead of looking away, he stared back, the smile lingering for quite a while before disappearing. It reminded him of what Jade said. The boy she likes told her that she had beautiful eyes, and Iceland told her that he knows someone in Death City who had beautiful eyes, too. That person is currently staring at him with her blue eyes in his arms, and all he wanted to do was to tell her just how beautiful he thinks her eyes is, and kissed her. He got this sudden, irrational urge to kiss her.

Instead, he gave her a light pat in the head.

"What did I told you? You don't have to thank me. I'm the one who need a hug, anyway." He couldn't help but laugh, as if Alice being Alice was the funniest, cutest thing ever. "You lose the staring contest, by the way."

In the meantime, he didn't want to move either, but after (hugging her for) a while, he got a better idea. At least, he thinks so. He gently pried her from his chest and pushed her away in the same manner, but she wouldn't remain hug-less for long, because after he managed to lie down on his back, he pulled her closer once more and placed her head on his chest. Then promptly wrapped his arms around her.

"I hope you don't mind."

THAT'S OKAY because iceland icons are cute enough as it is

[misrecollect.livejournal.com]

There was an obvious shiver down her spine as he leaned in to whisper, causing the faint blush on her cheeks to brighten considerably. Her doubts, although persistent, were easily quietened by the reassurance in his voice. How could she even argue? She didn't want to, on that note. In fact, that was all he needed to say for her to decide she preferred to stay here for as long as she could. If anything, she could ask BREW to bring Lorina here, right? And she could be with him and her sister; everything would be much simpler then.

The pat on the head brought her back from her thoughts, causing her to blink up at him curiously. "Contest?" Oh, if she had known she would have— no, probably not, because meeting that intense look for too long would have only caused her walls to shatter. "That's not fair," she muttered, feigning a pout although she still felt her lips turn upwards into a small smile.

At least until he had pushed her back, and she bit her bottom lip to keep from frowning. It was possible she had been too clingy, or he was just finished and didn't need her anymore for that... Just as she was convinced that the moment was over, she found herself in shock again as she was suddenly brought down to lay on top of him, or at least mostly so. "A-ah, wait..!" Even as she said it, she wasn't even trying to get free from him, only nervously lifting her chin enough to look up at him while her cheek rest on his chest.

"I.. I don't mind," she added quickly, afraid he would think she meant otherwise. "But I don't want to squish you." Though after she said it she realized how silly it sounded, he wasn't smaller than her in any shape or form so it was a ridiculous thing to worry about. Embarrassed, she lowered her gaze again to watch as she traced small patterns on his shoulder in an effort to distract herself from the heavy beating of her heart.

YAY ;w;

[cashnotash.livejournal.com]

If only it was that simple. BREW is a fickle, unpredictable thing, much like the forces of the nature. It's all a game of chance when it comes to said device. Not only that, he still wasn't ready to rid himself of his attachments to his home world. As much as he'd like to believe in the notion that everything would be simpler and he'd be happier if he decided to stay, he couldn't. Not yet. It was too premature to decide, and he was too confused to make the right decision.

And of course, severing his roots wasn't an easy job. Even if he decided to do so, he wouldn't get away with it. The ghosts of his origins would catch up with him sooner or later.

"You looked away first, so obviously, I win." He managed to fake a smug look, and laughed - Alice was being Alice again, and the fact that she smiled made him happy. She looked somewhat grim before, as if she was the one who'd just lose a close friend, not him. To be fair, she lose Gray some time ago, but still. Maybe she was drowning herself in negative thoughts again - it was one of her habits he'd become closely acquainted with. Clearly, he had the same habit, albeit with some differences, but he doesn't realise it.

"That's very considerate of you, but I'll be fine, you're not as heavy as Nura." A laugh rings out soon afterwards, but he's not laughing at her, he's laughing at what she said. It sounds so silly he couldn't help but laugh. "It's more comfortable this way." He added, in a more serious tone.

In this position, she could hear the rhythm of his heart clearly, and his gaze was fixed to the ceiling, as if he could see through it, to the evening sky. The silence that envelopes them afterwards was comfortable, lulling, as opposed to the awkward silence earlier. He slowly closed his eyes with a sigh.

❤

[misrecollect.livejournal.com]

Alice couldn't really argue with him, in that sense he did win the contest. On the other hand, "but..!" I couldn't keep looking. She couldn't say why, though, so that single word was left hanging before she just swallowed back the reasons and gave a weak shrug. "You're right, you won." Trying to tell him why she couldn't hold his gaze would just be that much worse than just admitting defeat.

And, honestly, she should have just admitted defeat to everything already.

Nura... Not as heavy? The sudden pang of jealousy had come and gone with his laugh and Alice just gave a small shake of her head. "If you say so..." She wouldn't put up much of an argument, there was no reason to when she was perfectly content with the way it was now, anyway.

For the longest while, Alice just continued to lie there in silence, listening intently to his heart and the steady breaths that he let escape. It was calming, easy and - despite her constant nervousness - relaxing. Still, she couldn't sleep. Not comfortably, and that was both because of him and not. So she waited, quiet and listening, but still waiting until, after a few extra minutes had passed, she chanced a slight look up at him again. Had he fallen asleep? Or maybe he was just going to play a trick on her again...

❤!

[cashnotash.livejournal.com]

His eyes said everything, much more than words could ever say. Either he's oblivious to this or he's not afraid to let her know, unlike her. The intensity of his gaze was increased by the fact that it's older than the rest of him - speaking in physical terms, of course. It's the telltale mark that he's actually a lot older than he seems. It probably feels like gazing into a deep, still pool, or even a sky, stretching for miles without end.

The fact that she left a word hanging tickles Iceland's curiosity, but he decided to let it slide. There must be a good reason if she didn't want to tell him. Whatever it is, it'd probably distract the tranquillity that exists between them at the time being, anyway, so it's best if he just forget it. "I'm the all-time champion, so I'm not surprised." He said lazily, words infused with humour.

It was nice, this whole thing. They should do this more often.

"Mmm." Even if she argues with him, he wouldn't have the power the argue back. All his tiredness has managed to caught up with him now and the current situation practically sings him a lullaby. He tangled a finger in her hair, not really caring about anything anymore. He'd love to trick her into believing that he'd fallen asleep, but he couldn't hold his consciousness for much longer. Nor does he had any energy left to tease her.

There's only silence and the warmth of her body. Then sleep consumed him.

[misrecollect.livejournal.com]

And those eyes are the exact reason why she had to look away. There was no way she could properly react without butterflies creating a storm, and there was even less of a possibility for her to play it off as nothing more than what it was. "One day I'll win," she joked, though even she didn't believe it. She stood no chance, even if she was trying to win. Maybe next time, because she certainly wanted a next time, she could give at least a half-attempt at it.

Alice continued to watch him, waiting, holding her breath until the quiet murmur of his name. Again she waited, listened, felt for some kind of stirring, but he was asleep, wasn't he? Too comfortable, maybe... Or he had just been working himself that hard. She frowned at the thought, especially because she couldn't really say otherwise. He was trying so hard for everything, avoiding and fighting and just dealing in general.

"Eiríkur?" Trying again, and looking for any kind of response. "You're asleep..." A comment more to herself than to wake him, because she wanted him to get his rest. Testing her limits, Alice began to shift, legs sliding to what available space was at either side of him, body carefully moving beneath his arms as her hair slipped through his fingers. Finally she paused in her movements, raised to eye level as she looked down at his sleeping face.

It was a sweet image, one she wanted to remember, and Alice leaned up to kiss his forehead. Completely innocent, meant to be friendly, that was all that it needed to be— except that wasn't the last, and completely against her will Alice found herself touching her lips to his. It was too soft, too light to be very noticeable, but it left a tingle in her heart when she opened her eyes again, pulling away from the kiss. Had she really just done that? And so cowardly, when he couldn't respond in any way... The embarrassment was matched with the shame and Alice slowly tried to part herself from him, tried to leave the couch and his embrace, because how could she face him now?

I think I just died and went to cute heaven.

[cashnotash.livejournal.com]

If he wasn't sleepy, he'd tell her that she can be his guest. Which means that she's welcome to try, but he's going to win and he knows it. He might concede defeat, though, for the sake of making her happy. But he'd dozed off, slipping quietly into the state of dreaming, leaving her alone with the rhythm of his breath and the steady beating of his heart. Actually, he wanted to keep her company until she falls asleep, but in the end, sleep takes him away first.

It's for the best, since he's been working hard lately. Harder since Rise's disappearance. Well, maybe not that hard, but he's also tired emotionally, which makes a significant contribution to his weary state. He slipped deeper into slumber with each passing second, but he heard her calling his name and the fact that she was shifting, faintly from somewhere behind the veil of sleep, but he did nothing about it. He didn't even budge, just quietly surrendering to his body's demand.

He felt something soft touching his forehead, and then his lips for the briefest of second, but maybe it's his sleepy mind, playing tricks on him. Maybe he'd already started dreaming. Anyway, she wouldn't face much difficulty if she tried to free herself from his embrace. It's easy for her to pry away his hands, now that he's fast asleep.

In the morning, everything will be fine again.

ME TOO oh geez, we'll be dead together D|

[misrecollect.livejournal.com]

With that loosening, Alice freed herself from him and stood on her feet, looking around while forcefully ignoring the heat on her face. Releasing a sigh of relief that he hadn't woken up, she left for a moment, gone long enough to find a blanket before returning to his sleeping form. She gazed down at him for a while longer, swallowing back the loud thumps of her heart as she caught herself staring at his lips. "Ah..."

There was no way to forget it, no matter how much she wanted to. Minutes passed after she slowly sat down on the edge of the couch, watching him in his peaceful slumber. A guilty pleasure, she concluded, that she would keep to herself. A secret.

Embarrassed with herself even more, Alice finally draped the blanket over him, lightly tucking him in before shutting off the light to the living room. If she could, she would have carried him to his own bed, but this would have to suffice. Tomorrow she could... tomorrow...

"Goodnight," she whispered to the darkness then disappeared into her own appointed room to hide for the remainder of the night. Maybe for the rest of her life now after that!