[Holden Reed]

He didn't forget.

He'd been vehement on that ideal when assuring her of it, though he was certain by her laughter and smart comments that she didn't believe a word of it. It might have been true that it had been pushed to the back of his mind so he could focus on the coming weekend that he'd be heading out of town for important matters, but that certainly didn't mean that he'd forgotten. He'd just been... momentarily preoccupied by separate events. Fortunately, she didn't seem offended or upset by his supposed 'forgetfulness', only amused by the predicament he was faced with in rushing to come up with the romantic and elaborate dinner that he'd boasted would be prepared for her by the time she showed up at his door that evening. He'd had the day off, so he'd thankfully had the entire day to plan and wander the aisles of the grocery store, eventually piecing together a relatively nice, if not cliché, dinner.

With half an eye on the clock as the hands inched closer and closer to the position they'd be in to signal the time that Nish was due to arrive, he scurried around the kitchen to get everything finished up.

Spaghetti; it was the stereotypical display of a romantic dinner, and he'd resorted to it in desperation as minutes turned into hours at the store without a single unique idea leaping out at him. There was garlic bread, the smell of it filling up the apartment as it cooked in the oven, warmed to a golden-brown crisp that had his mouth watering. The pasta was busy in the final steps of boiling, with the meaty sauce still simmering on the backburner. Strawberries sat in the refrigerator, among whipped cream and honey, and the hope that an idea for a better dessert would come to him at some point during the evening. He'd even bought thin candles to set on the table, only to have it hit him belatedly that he didn't really have a dining room and so he set one up in the center of the coffee table in the living room where they usually ate. Apparently from lack of anywhere else to eat more than the actual desire for the comfort and casualness of it, and it almost seemed absurd that that had skipped his notice.

Among everything else to deal with, there was still this weekend. A handful of days remaining to allow him to get his affairs in order so they'd function nicely during his absence and the fact that he still needed to tell Nis'ku about it had apparently slipped to a more dormant part of his brain, along with this entire dinner. So now it no longer had to guarantee to be an amazing thing, but it also had to serve a purpose as a cushion to soften the blow of telling her that he'd be missing from her life for an entire weekend. He'd still call at every opportunity that he had, but that was still a far cry from the emotional support of physical presence and he worried about her. She'd been so fragile and lost just a matter of months ago. She was getting better, he was certain of it. She was happier and he was pretty sure she was drinking less, if at all, and he found himself wary of what might happen when he slipped away and she was on her own. It was only a weekend, but a lot could go wrong. He hadn't been plagued by a cynic nature in years, but he found that he couldn't stop thinking of all those worst-case scenarios.

ooc | gah, this is so immensely horrible that i go off to die in embarrassment now! :(
i'm sorry, love. i was just in a rush to get it up finally. ...that's what he said.

[Nis'ku]

[hush you, it was great <3]

The past few months have seen a steady rise in her general mood, and she was sure that she could pin it all on Holden's new involvement in her life. She hadn't gotten drunk since that first night together three months ago, and hadn't had a drink at all in the past two. She was healthier, more alert and more involved in her work than she'd been since her daughter's disappearance six months ago, and now her smiles came more readily and less painful because she finally had something to smile about.

Today she'd had a decent day at work, and even managed to have a deep discussion with one of her students about an issue she was struggling with. It was always satisfying for her to know that something she said affected or was helpful to one of her girls, and that somehow their lives were a little easier for talking about their problems. It made her leave work with a soft smile on her lips, but by the time she got home her mind had wandered away from her st udents and onto the romantic evening Holden had planned.

Or rather, insisted that he'd planned, which she was sure meant that he'd either forgotten, or hadn't planned out to his satisfaction. It was very flattering to her that he made this effort, that he went to such extents to make her happy when they got together. And in turn, she was happy to cook elaborate meals for him too when he came over, and she had to confess that she hadn't eaten this well since Keala was born. She was starting to see the changes in her appearance too...the slightly emaciated look of her profile and the ashen tone in her skin resulted from her drinking had now become the more flushed and filled out look of a healthy woman, and her sex drive had returned with a vengance. Not that Holden was complaining.

Once she got in the door she stripped off her work clothes and jumped into the shower, taking the time to fully relax under the hot water and washing every inch of herself in happy anticipation of activities later tonight. She quickly dried off and dressed in more casual jeans and a light sweater, checked and rechecked her appearance in the bathroom mirror and then headed out, taking the stairs up to Holden's appartment and knocking unnecessarily on his door before walking in.

The smell hit her as soon as the door opened and she had to pause a moment to enjoy the tantalizing aromas of a lovingly made italian meal. It made her stomach growl and her mouth water just thinking about whatever pasta he'd decided to make for her.

She found him bustling around in the kitchen and smiled widely at the strained look on his face. Sneaking up behind him, she wrapped her arms around his stomach and pressed a warm kiss to the back of his neck. "Smells amazing," she murmured.

[Holden Reed]

Though lost in his own thoughts and in his attention to the meal he was preparing, he still might have heard the knock. Possibly, at least, but, as it was, he'd chosen that opportune moment to cut the burner off so he could carry the pot to the sink and pour the noodles into the strainer that he'd set up, turning on the faucet to rinse out all the oil and effectively causing himself to miss the short rap at the door. Shaking the strainer to help the water seep through the mess of pasta, he was just reaching up to turn the faucet off when a pair of arms slipped tenderly about his waist. He stiffened momentarily under the contact, his brain racing to process just who had wandered into his home before settling on the idea that there was only one person in this world that had come to feel comfortable enough to come inside of their own accord. Relaxing in her grip, he smiled at the kiss pressed to his nape, turning his head slightly to glance in her direction from his peripheral.

"Smells amazing,"

His smile stretched further into a grin as he turned his gaze back to the strainer full of ready-to-eat pasta, giving it another shake to rid it of any lingering water. "All the effort I've put into it, it better do more than just smell amazing." He replied, aware on some level that spaghetti probably didn't take all that much effort to begin with. But it had occured to him somewhere along the line of their relationship, after setting up this particular routine of dinner at home, that he'd never really cooked all that much. He'd had to do so for himself when growing up, his father absent from the household for one reason or another and his mother passed out on the couch for usually only the one reason, but those had been simple little meals that could be popped into the microwave for a handful of minutes. Elaborate dinners that required the oven, with organization and punctuality, those hadn't been a responsibility of his until he'd met Nis'ku. It seemed a silly thing, but it almost brought a sense of pride to himself at being able to do this and to have her enjoy it afterwards. Minus a few experimental runs on the first few times that it had been his turn, he was pretty happy to say that he'd practically become a master chef of some sort. A master chef that still thought of spaghetti as a meal that required a lot of effort, but that wasn't the point.

Leaving the strainer in the sink for the moment, he turned around in the woman's arms so that he was facing her, his dark eyes glancing over the fine features of her face before dropping down between them, skimming over the slender length of her throat and the light fabric of the sweater that hugged her, before snapping his gaze back up to catch her eyes. Bringing his hands up, he slipped his fingers graciously into her hair. "You look beautiful, as always." He noted dutifully, flashing a grin before leaning in to press a kiss to her warm mouth. A slow and firm kiss, savouring the feeling of her lips against his, before he eased away and broke the kiss by cracking into a smile. Keeping close to her face, his eyes opening just slightly so he could focus on her own smile through his lashes. "Go wait." He prompted quietly, pausing a moment before stealing a few more small kisses from her, eager for her to see the candle that was set up on the coffee table. It wasn't yet lit, he hadn't wanted it to be half-melted away by the time she arrived, but a small note containing his chicken scratch in the form of 'Lookit! I bought candles!' was resting propped at the base of the holder for a quirky and humourous touch. He'd get to light it for her in a moment though, which he figured might emphasize the romantic atmosphere that he'd wanted to create for her.

[Nis'ku]

[sorry I took so long love <3]

All the effort I've put into it, it better do more than just smell amazing...

She grinned and chuckled into his shoulder where her lips had come to rest, watching him shake out the pasta and then set the strainer down in the sink. She loved his sense of humor, loved that the gentle irony in his voice often mirrored her own thoughts. How they found the same stupid things hilarious and could watch rerun after rerun of The Simpsons without getting bored. And she loved that he would happily make the effort of preparing a meal for her from scratch, when boxed macaroni and cheese with hotdogs would have been more than enough for her, if only she could be with him while they ate it. She loved that he got flustered if what he had planned for her hadn't happened exactly how he'd imagined it, or worried whether or not she'd like what came of it. Everything, all of those things, never failed to produce a warm glow in her heart, knowing that he cared that much about her to worry about the little things.

He turned around while her arms still stubbornly clung to him around the waist, and his eyes found hers. That in itself, made her smile, made her long day at work worth it just to come here and be with him like this. But then his eyes moved about her face, taking in everything, moving about her skin with such intensity that she almost felt it as a loving caress. It brought out a light blush across her cheekbones, and another pool of warmth in her stomach as she watched the flicker of emotions moving across his features with every new sight that met his roving eyes, right down to the stitch of her sweater. Then his hands were buried in her hair, cradling her head as if it were a precious thing he was inspecting, assessing the value of with great care, his thumbs softly rubbing her skin in a gesture of affection. The way he held her, the way he looked at her, without fail, made her feel beautiful. Made her feel as if to him, she was the only woman left on the entire planet, and he was the lucky man she'd claimed as her own.

You look beautiful, as always...

Her lips curved into a hint of a smile, and a gentle quirk of humor tugged at the corners of her eyes. "Flattery will get you everywhere," she murmured softly, just as he leant forward to press his lips softly to hers, a slow and passionate one that stoked the warmth already growing in her belly, causing her arms to gently pull him closer and press him flush against her body. He pulled back after a moment but kept their foreheads touching, a gesture she found warm and intimate, a feeling reinforced by his soft murmur of 'go wait'. More kisses followed and she felt that he was as reluctant to let her go as she was of him, but he finally did, turning back to finish preparing dinner while she was meant to head out into the living room.

She turned and padded over to the carefully set coffee table, grinning happily when she did, in fact, notice the addition of candlesticks. She settled down on the couch and caught site of his note ('Lookit! I bought candles!'), a soft laugh bubbling up from somewhere deep inside at the enthusiasm and joy bounding off of the small square of paper. She reached forward and took it, her eyes slowly tracing the handwritten note that had been lettered and placed with care, just for her. Without thinking about it, she folded the note and slipped it into her pocket, saving it for some unknown reason, only that she wanted to be emptying her pockets on laundry day later this week and stumble upon the note that would undoubtedly make her smile through such a mundane task.

That done, she settled back on the couch, folding her legs under her and laying her head against the plush back behind her, letting her eyes settle on the unlit candles and listening to the sounds of her - lover? boyfriend? - bustling about in the kitchen, all for her. The last thing she did before letting her eyes drift closed, was kick off her soft indoor shoes and curl her socked feet underneath herself.

[Holden Reed]

Few people within his lifetime had looked at him in the way that Nis'ku was looking at him now. Like he was something special and perfect and larger than life, looking at him with such conviction that he could almost feel like that's exactly what he was. Few people had looked at him like they were proud of him, like they were happy for him and with him. Few people could express that he'd made them feel spectacular with only a single look, encouraging the pride and confidence that he felt for himself. In his teenaged years, overflowing with hormones and in love with only women in general, such looks would have terrified him and reminded him that it was time to cut the cord so that they both could move on to something better suited for their needs. After a wakeup call of monumental proportions, he'd avoided a look like that with studies and degrees, and late nights spent at bars to celebrate both the end and the beginning. And now here he was, making dinner for a woman that looked at him like that with every single glance, and he could only smile and kiss her with absolute comfort and ease.

It wasn't at all lost on him how far he'd come from the love-shy adolescent.

"Flattery will get you everywhere,"

He smiled briefly against her mouth, but he had no answer aside from the kiss that he melted fluidly in to. A warm and steady kiss that hinted of bigger things, his body stirring in response to her own reaction, but he pulled away from the exchange before it could escalate into something more before they'd even touched dinner yet. She complied obediently though, and with a measure of reluctance that mirrored his own, leaving him alone in the kitchen to finish up the meal.

He didn't start moving until she was out of sight, and then he kept his pace as quick as he could without running the risk too high of messing something up in a horribly comical and yet inconvenient way. Slipping the noodles back into the pot that they'd come from so he could put them back on the stovetop, he turned the burners off and smoothly set to getting out plates from the cabinet. Filling both with a gracious helping of pasta topped with sauce and grated parmesan, he set both down momentarily so he could return to the organized mess kept within the confines of the cabinets and pull out twin wine glasses. He'd spent a great deal of time at the store debating whether he should risk purchasing some wine for this occasion, but in the end settled for grape koolaid. It was childish, but it was that touch of humour that he enjoyed having present in almost every situation and it also avoided taunting the willpower of the reforming alcoholic.

Returning the koolaid to the fridge, he first picked up her plate and glass and carried them out to her. "Don't be fooled, it's koolaid." He informed without prompt, coming around the couch to set her meal down on the table for her. "It's about the only thing I can guarantee without doubt will be delicious." He teased with a smirk, turning to her and leaning over, gripping the back of the couch so he could steal another kiss from her before straightening up and turning to scurry back to the kitchen for his own plate and glass. Upon his return, he was quick to set them down on the table in front of his spot on the couch, so he could grab up the box of matches that he'd kept sitting at the edge of the table. Tapping the end to slide the box out of the sleeve, he withdrew a match and, after couple attempts, he managed to light the head and, in turn, light the wick of the candle. A smirk crawled across his features as it caught instantly, able to shake out the match before it could burn him, setting it and the box back down on the edge of the table as he moved to sit down on the couch beside her. "You better appreciate this." He taunted with a grin, glancing over to her, knowing full well by the look in her eye that she did. Very much.

ooc | sorry for the wait! and that it's horrible! :( i'm out of practice.

[Nis'ku]

[ hush you, it was fantabulous!]

She'd been letting her mind wander, her eyes closed as she listened to the bustling of pots and dishes in the kitchen. Her thoughts took her through the past day, her appointments with students, the drive home, anticipating seeing Holden again, and before she realized how lost in thought she'd been, he was there and setting a steaming plate of pasta in front of her on the coffee table.

Her eyes snapped open and she sat up slightly, smiling wanly at him before letting her eyes linger on the thin wine glass in his hand. Her brows rose, but before she could ask the question, he anticipated it.

Don't be fooled, it's koolaid...It's about the only thing I can guarantee without doubt will be delicious...

She grinned and chuckled, sitting up more on the couch so that now she was perched on the edge of it, looking up at him. He leant down and planted another warm kiss on her lips that was gone far too quickly for her taste, and he turned to retrieve his own dinner from the kitchen. She barely had time to survey the steaming meal in front of her and let out an appreciative hum of pleasure at the smell when he was back, sitting next to her and lighting the candle between them.

You better appreciate this....

Leaning forward, she delicately picked up the wineglass full of Kool-Aid and held it up towards him. "A toast," she said with a hint of mirth tugging at the corner of her lips, "to the most perfect evening a woman could ask for," she ended, lightly tapping the edge of her wineglass against his. They chimed lightly and she took a sip of the sugary grape-flavored water, then set the glass down and leant forward for a light grape flavored kiss.

When they parted she looked down at the steaming plate of pasta in front of her and picked up her knife and fork. She had always been, ever since she was little, one of those people who cut up their spaghetti into little pieces before eating it. She remembered as a child trying to wrap the long strands of pasta around her fork and never being able to get the bundles neat enough to not splatter her shirt in pasta sauce. Her parents and older sister had always been able to make these neat little spirals of pasta around their forks, but then there was little Nis'ku, with her shirt covered in splattered sauce, growing increasingly frustrated. In the end she decided to always cut up her pasta and from then on she hadn't even bothered attempting to try making those neat little pasta bundles again.

So without preamble, she began cutting up the long strands and mixing the parmesan in with the sauce, taking a nice (safely cut up) forkful and slipping it into her mouth. A soft sigh followed, and she turned a happy smile on Holden who she was sure, was waiting eagerly for an assessment of all of his hard work. "This...is very very much appreciated," she murmured quietly. And, since she was quite hungry, she wasted no time in taking a second bite of the carefully prepared meal.

[Holden Reed]

"A toast,"

An eyebrow quirked at the declaration, his eyes glancing from her to her wineglass and then down to his own as he promptly reached forward to pick his own up, holding it out towards her in a similar fashion.

"to the most perfect evening a woman could ask for."

A smile flashed easily across his features at the toast, a light fit of laughter bubbling from his throat as he watched her tap the edge of her glass against his, the resulting chime both soft and clear. "What did we say about flattery?" He commented with a tease in his tone, his dark eyes glancing sidelong to her face as he brought his own glass up to sip from in honour of the toast. He set his glass down in the same moment that she did, and he barely had time to swallow the strong flavour of grape before she was pressing her lips gently to his own to add yet more to the taste.

Falling into comfortable routine, nothing was said afterwards as they picked up their utensils in preparation. A step towards conversation, after all, couldn't be made until the verdict was announced. He was cool nonchalance wrapped around anxious nerves as he kept his attentions focused down on his own meal, mixing the parmesan into the sauce and the sauce into the noodles, glancing occasionally into the corner of his eye to watch her cut up her pasta with amusement. His movements were agonizingly slow as he mixed up his food and began to smoothly curl long strands around the tines of his fork with the aid of the bottom of his plate, and his eager waiting was probably extremely transparent. Fortunately, he didn't have to wait very long before she was soothing his nerves and his growing impatience.

"This...is very very much appreciated,"

Finally, he was able to lift his eyes to rest them fully on her features as she quickly filled her mouth with a second bite as if to confirm her appreciation. A smirk pulled at his mouth as he nodded along, looking back down to his plate and the pasta he'd successfully wrapped around his fork. "I'll believe that when you prove it." He taunted playfully, shooting one last glance of mischief in her direction before looking away as he brought the bundle up to bite it off of his fork. Chewing thoughtfully, he moved his fork back down to begin wrapping up another bite around the metal tines.

"Sooo, how was work today?" Now that the verdict was in, conversation could begin, and starting with a nice neutral topic was a good way to start. Revealing that he'd be gone for this coming weekend was something best left to be revealed later on, giving enough time for the cushion to be set and enough time afterwards for the impact to wear off back into general pleasantness and ease. "How many people missed me?" He tacked on jokingly, smirking a bit as he took his second bite of pasta, lightening the question up in case it had been a bad day at work for her. He'd thankfully had the day off today and, while he normally would have gone up to the school to have lunch with her anyways or to at least visit, he'd been busy at that point wandering through the produce aisle for the seventh or so time, trying to figure if he really wanted to add vegetables to their dinner.

[Nis'ku]

[:wub:]

What did we say about flattery?

She smirked softly and turned back to her food, thorougly enjoying his efforts, especially after a long day at work. She sat back a little, balancing her plate on one hand, watching him form the neat little haystacks of pasta with his fork and marveling that he could do what she'd never seemed to master. Of course he would know how, she thought wryly, and she was sure like most people, he was inwardly laughing at her habit of chopping up her pasta before she ate it.

I'll believe that when you prove it...

She glanced up at him when he said that, their eyes meeting in a slightly mischievous look from her. "Ohh, I'll prove it, don't you worry about that," she purred with a grin, and then waggled her eyebrows in a playful mockery of the sudden mood.

Sooo, how was work today? How many people missed me?

She settled back into the couch again, crossing one leg over the other so she could let her arm rest against it while she held her plate in her lap. "Ohh, it was alright," she said casually, digging in to her food again. "I missed you at lunch," she added with a grin and a slight tilt of her head in his direction. She supervised the ED kids over her lunch hour, and lately Holden had taken to sitting with her while she did, for moral support, and to steal the good stuff off of her plate while she was occupied by a student. "A few one-on-ones today, but they went pretty well. Gave one of my girls a weekend pass to visit her family." She shrugged then, as if to indicate that it was a pretty normal day. "You?" she asked just as she stuffed more pasta into her mouth, satisfying her stomach's demands.

[ugghh, sorry, I'll do better next time <3]

[Holden Reed]

He was never worried when it came to that. A smile pulled easily at his features, his dark eyes glancing over the glowing features of her space and the playful glint in her eyes. It was almost miraculous the change that had come over her in the past few months of their relationship. Before he'd knocked on her door to drag her out of the apartment, she'd been wasting away in a pit of depression and loss, underweight and hungover all the time. She'd become secluded, and her work had been declining drastically as well. The leniency offered to her for the decay was due only to the harsh reality that she'd been burdened with in her child's kidnapping.

But now she was smiling, laughing, joking. She was brighter and healthier. She was eating so much more, no longer just a walking pile of bones. She'd become increasingly more active as far as the bedroom was concerned as well, not to mention a few places outside of the bedroom, but he wasn't complaining. She was better, or she was at least well on her way to getting better. He knew she was still frequently checking her phone for any calls she might have missed despite her relatively nonstop supervision that might involve an update on the search for her daughter, and he couldn't at all imagine that that habit would ever stop. But she was coping with it to a more healthy degree, and it was more than he could have ever hoped for when he'd dragged her out of her apartment a handful of months ago.

Ohh, it was alright. I missed you at lunch,"

He smiled as he picked up his plate from the table after winding up a bundle of pasta, sliding further back on the couch so he could sit up relatively straight as he leaned back comfortably, his elbow propped against a pillow as he held up his plate and took another bite, chewing as she talked and nodding his acknowledgment to assure he was listening.

"You?"

Continuing to nod randomly, he swallowed and shrugged his head to the side. "I spent most of my time at the store." He confessed willingly with a sly smirk, glancing over to her as if to let her know that he really had put some effort into their meal, as pathetic as that might seem. Smirking, he glanced back to his plate as he wound up another forkful. "Missing you, of course." He tacked on complacently. After all, he'd spent ages at a store properly distracted by fruits and vegetables and meats and the obnoxiously screeching child in the next aisle over that was demanding candy that the mother wasn't at all prepared to give. All of it in order to keep himself further distracted by preparing a dinner for her, so, in all, time had flown right by to land right on the moment that she was wrapping her arms around him and praising his hard work. "Though, there is something big that I need to talk to you about." He started off, shifting himself up further so he could turn a slight bit more to face her, eyes still down on his plate for a moment before lifting them up to her with a small smirk. "Completely unrelated to dinner, of course, that's safe." He joked, as he was prone to do despite impending serious situations that he knew should be handled with care despite their seemingly small size. People went away for weekends all the time, he shouldn't be so worried. Nish had come far in the past months. He shouldn't be at all surprised if she handled the news with wonderful maturity.

[Nis'ku]

[ I appologise in advance if this fails o.o]

I spent most of my time at the store...Missing you, of course...

She smiled warmly at the thought - Holden wandering around the aisles of the grocery store, picking up items and interacting with other people, all the while pining away for her and looking forward to seeing her again. She chuckled to herself at the absurd fantasy, but the words had been flattering all the same. "Just as I thought of you when I actually got to eat my desert," she quipped with a playful smirk. A few times when she'd been busy with a student during lunch and they'd been sitting together, she'd returned to her meal only to find anything with chocolate missing off her tray. And a rather overly-innocent looking Holden trying desperately not to give himself away.

Though, there is something big that I need to talk to you about....Completely unrelated to dinner, of course, that's safe...

She caught the slight seriousness in his tone right away, despite his attempt at deflection with humor and that adorable smirk of his. Her smile faded slightly when she noticed it, but consoled herself with the fact that it musn't be anything too terrible if he was smiling about it. Even though he'd said 'something big'...it surely couldn't be all that big...

"What," she asked with a slightly diffusing laugh of her own, "you've discovered that you're actually my half-brother or something?" After all, whatever it was couldn't be that bad...

[Holden Reed]

"Just as I thought of you when I actually got to eat my dessert,"

The grin that immediately responded to the disguised jab gave him away instantly, and turning his head to hide it only incriminated him further. Bringing a hand up to swipe over his mouth as if he'd be able to tug the smile from his lips, it hadn't dimmed in the slightest as he looked back up to her in a mock attempt of innocence. "So, that dessert thief of yours gave you a break finally? And I missed it?" He joked, his expression only continuing to light up more and more as the playful charade continued.

"What, you've discovered that you're actually my half-brother or something?"

He could tell that she'd caught his tone despite his attempts to defuse it, but her smile was still in place and she'd even managed a joke. He'd certainly take it as good signs to continue, a small exhale and a smirk serving as his laugh. "No, I'm saving that for next week, after I have my pro-incest speech prepared." He teased, shifting his weight closer to her, balancing his plate onto one thigh and slipping his arm over the back of the couch.

And when it came down to it, for a moment's pause, he wasn't at all sure how to say what he needed to say. He knew somewhere inside that it was absurd for him to have so much difficulty with this and that it was doing nothing more than increasing the anxiety of the moment, inevitably making the result likely to be something more than it might have been if he could have just up and followed through. "Some... family matters came up," he started, a little hesitantly. He didn't talk about family often, if at all, and he'd honestly considered the option of simply lying about the matter. He'd easily discarded it though, knowing it'd help nothing in the longrun if the truth came out. Nish's trust in him was fragile, and he'd not break it. "And I'm gunna have to head out of town for the weekend. Just for the weekend though." He quickly assured, as if a mere weekend would be no time at all. And he'd convinced himself that it was.

[Nis'ku]

"So, that dessert thief of yours gave you a break finally? And I missed it?

She chuckled softly around another bite of pasta and elbowed him in the ribs. She didn't mind most of the time that he took whatever dessert they had that day really. Usually she got so busy during lunch hour that by the time she got back to her food she didn't really want it anymore. And besides, a cafeteria brownie was a small price to pay for other rewards later that night. She, at least, thought it was a pretty good trade.

No, I'm saving that for next week, after I have my pro-incest speech prepared...

She had to cover her mouth at the instant laugh his words drew out of her. She swallowed quickly though and put her plate safely onto the coffee table before leaning towards him, lacing her arms around his neck and grinning at him. "Hey, just so long as I don't end up being my own grandpa," she smirked before leaning in for a kiss. She was definitely in a mood tonight; some combination of the satisfying day at work and coming home to a lovingly prepared meal with her boyfriend made her quite eager for other things later on. But this business about having 'something big' to talk about also had her a little on her guard. It was as if she was trying to make things as playful as possible so that whatever it was he was going to spring on her wouldn't be quite so bad.

Some... family matters came up...

Her brows lifted slightly, not just at what he'd said but how he'd said it. Family matters? He rarely - if ever - talked about his family. She got the feeling that it was a very sore subject for him, something he'd prefer to keep to himself, at least for now. She generally filled those 'tell me about your family' awkward silences by lapsing into another story about her mother's cooking or her brother's incessant taunting when she'd been a kid. Though, like Holden, there was a part of her family history that she wasn't ready to share yet. She had not yet breathed a word about her sister, Heather. She just hadn't found...the appropriate time, or way to talk about it. And there was a part of her that was still clinging to the idea that this may all be temporary, and how many men could she completely bare her soul to before there was nothing of her left to share with someone else? No, she had to be absolutely sure this time before she let him get that deep into her. He was openly keeping things from her, and so she felt justified in doing the same, for now at least.

And I'm gunna have to head out of town for the weekend. Just for the weekend though...

She didn't hide her slight disappointment at being alone all weekend, especially in her current mood, but she understood that things needed to be done. If she'd had family issues to deal with she would have to take care of them too. She understood, but she still didn't have to like it. "I don't suppose there's any way we could put the entire world on hold so you can stay here, is there?" she asked with a soft smile. She wanted to ask what was so important that he had to leave town, but she would respect his privacy in this. If he wanted her to know, he would tell her. "When do you have to go?" she asked, suddenly fearful that he would say 'tonight' or 'I'm taking the red-eye' which would mean all of her debaucherous plans for the night would never happen. And they both knew that there really was no fury like a woman left sexually frustrated.

[Holden Reed]

His grin brightened considerably at the positive response his joke had earned, the way her hand came up to stifle the laughter he'd provoked. He'd been that class clown back in school, fueled on the encouragement of his fellow students, and he'd never really grown out of that mindset. She laughed at a simple jesting comment that had flowed so easily, and he felt his veins thrum with renewed energy. With a small glance to the half-full plate that she was setting aside on the table, his attention soon came back to her face as she leaned closer, her arms snaking around his neck and a grin of her own dancing mischievously over her features.

"Hey, just so long as I don't end up being my own grandpa,"

Raising his eyebrows, he closed his eyes a moment after her lips pressed against his, a smile remaining at the corners of his mouth even as he kissed her back. A hum at the back of his throat encouraged her in the endeavour despite the serious news he was supposed to be delivering, pulling back just slightly to speak against her lips. "Unless there's something you're not telling me, I think we can avoid that," he replied in good humour, before stealing another kiss and then pulling his head back enough that he could open his eyes and glance over her face without going cross-eyed. The way she continued to joke in the face of his supposedly big news was somehow comforting rather than frustrating or irritating. It soothed him, made the atmosphere seem considerably lighter, though it, admittedly, made him even more nervous about finally telling said news, wary of spoiling the mood.

He knew she recognized the importance that was surely attached to the mention of family matters beyond the obvious, and he was grateful when she said nothing in the way of prying, respecting what few secrets he had in the same manner that he respected hers, though the disappointment that flashed across her features in shadows was nearly enough to tear his heartstrings apart.

"I don't suppose there's any way we could put the entire world on hold so you can stay here, is there?"

His smile mirrored her own and he moved a hand down to grab up his own plate from where it had been resting on his thigh, leaning over just enough to slide it onto the table next to her own plate before straightening up and lifting up the same hand to brush her hair back behind her ear, moving to cradle her jaw in his palm. "I'm still looking into getting that done, but no promises." He teased softly, though being able to put the world on hold so he could stay was a power he wished he could possess. He didn't really want to leave at all.

"When do you have to go?"

Brushing his fingers further into her hair, he ducked his head in to kiss her comfortingly, a small press of his lips to hers. "I'm leaving on Saturday," he stole another kiss. "And coming back some time on Monday." He finished, cushioning the news once more by stealing yet another kiss, this time his lips brushing just faintly over her own, and dropping his hand down from her face to slide his palm over the underside of her thigh. "Which gives us plenty of time to properly get through all our temporary goodbyes." Because that's what they'd be, any goodbye would be temporary because he'd be rushing right back as soon as he could and he wanted to reassure her of that as best he could manage.

[Nis'ku]

I'm still looking into getting that done, but no promises...

She hummed softly in agreement, as if it was an established fact that one day he'd figure out a way to stop the world for both of them. As if she believed that he could do it for her, if he wanted to. The news that he was going away for the weekend stole some of the humor from her eyes and lightened the grin she'd had only moments before, but it wasn't the terrible bad news she'd been expecting. She didn't really know what she'd been expecting, but she was relieved that it wasn't any worse than this. He'll be away for the weekend, she could handle that. She was a big girl and could manage two days by herself. The smile returned when she thought those words, thinking herself silly for the slight twinge of panic she'd felt when he'd first told her he'd be leaving town. Silly. It's only a couple of days.

I'm leaving on Saturday...And coming back some time on Monday...Which gives us plenty of time to properly get through all our temporary goodbyes...

She sighed softly as he peppered his statements with soft kisses, leaning into them and letting her eyes slip closed as the peace he always seemed to give her settled on her shoulders. She smiled against his lips at his last statement, a soft chuckle bubbling up from deep down at the idea of how fun temporary goodbyes could be. "I was hoping you'd say something like that," she murmured against his lips, shifting her hips to allow his hand to pull her thigh higher up his leg, settling more comfortably against him. She dipped her head again, capturing his lips in a soft, languid kiss, her hands gently cupping his face before sliding back into his hair, her tongue pushing into his mouth to duel with his. The rest of her dinner was quite forgotten now, even though she'd only eaten half of what he'd given her. After all, there were so many goodbyes to properly get through, who had time for food?

[Holden Reed]

He'd been panicked and worried for days on end now, and all of it evaporated so smoothly that it was as if it had never been. Part of him even had the decency to feel a little guilty for allowing himself to fret so damn much about the whole thing, inadvertantly underestimating his girlfriend's stability and overestimating her dependency on him. She was handling and accepting the news considerably better than he had originally imagined, and he couldn't help but internally kick himself for causing his nerves so much grief recently. Of course, it was still left to be seen whether she could truly adapt to his absence when they'd been near inseparable since the night they'd hooked up, but it'd do him no good to start worrying again after his anxiety had already been proven so wrong about her.

"I was hoping you'd say something like that,"

A small hum of encouragement slipped from the back of his throat as she shifted her weight, allowing him to promptly pull her thigh across his lap, and he melted into the kiss she pressed back against him as fluidly as she did. It was a tender thing at first, simple and lazily content, but soon a flash of passion crept into it as she moved her hands to bury her fingers into his dark hair as if to better guide him into a fuller kiss, her tongue pushing past his lips a moment before he realized that he should open his mouth to invite her in the first place. A slight smile managed to work its way vaguely to the corners of his mouth before he was preoccupied with stroking her tongue with his own.

Perhaps he should be embarrassed by the fact that she could often move so much faster than he could, that she led these moments more than he truly did, but he couldn't find any shame or bruised ego in it. It amused him, really, his insatiable girl so eager and impatient.

Dragging his hand up her leg and over her backside, he moved to shove his other arm underneath her to wrap it around her waist so he could gather her up so much closer than she'd been. While he moved to slowly pull her up more to straddle his lap, his head tilting back just enough to keep the kiss intact, one hand slipped up underneath her shirt to memorize the notches of her spine with his palm while the fingers of the other teased the skin just below her pantline. He'd worked relatively hard on a decent meal for the two of them, and it had been so easily abandoned in favour of other activities. At least spaghetti was one of many foods that could be sealed and saved for another time. If spaghetti ended up being used again for his next turn at fixing dinner, she'd know why.