The skepticism doesn't fade, but he follows her anyway. It's odd, at first, but it's easy enough to follow her rhythm. His arm rests lightly around her, his hand on her back, and he watches her moving.
It becomes comfortable more quickly than he expects, to just follow her lead.
She considers something for a moment, clearly unsure of what she's about to do but she leans forward, resting her lips against his hear and starts to hum.
There's magic to it though, magic that penetrates his disabilities and lets him hear it, even if it's only for a few minutes. Call it a part of the Christmas gift, call it whatever you'd like, she thought that maybe, just maybe, it would be a nice treat.
He's startled, at first, and his hand tightens on her arm for a moment before the shock of it fades. Not entirely, but enough to let him enjoy it, closing his eyes and leaning in closer to her, focusing entirely on the sound.
He doesn't move for a moment when she finishes, and then he turns his head and kisses her on the cheek. He's smiling when he moves back -- not all the way, just so he's not against her quite as much anymore -- though it's small and wistful.
She's going off the books now, running with whatever her mind fancies but she's all right with that. The best things come when you're going off the cuff.
Do you want it," she says looking at him. "Just for a while. Do you want to hear the world for a few minutes." She could make it longer but she doesn't know if that's what he wants and she's almost scared to make the offer.
It's an odd feeling for her, the nervousness but she thinks she's dealing with it well.
The offer is paralyzing, and he doesn't answer for a minute.
He's always been this way, he's used to this and normally it doesn't bother him, but that doesn't mean he doesn't want it sometimes. To hear, to speak, to be like everyone else. It's only ever happened in dreams and moments that felt like dreams, never in times that feel real. To get that, even only part of it, even for a minute --
It's tempting. And it's strange. And it means that he'll really know, from now on, what he's missing every day.
But the temptation is stronger than anything else, and he nods, almost holding his breath, waiting.
"Do you want all of it, to speak, to hear. Are you sure?" She can give it to him for these few minutes, let him taste what it's like and, if he so chooses, they can come to a bargain maybe. He already belongs to her,, she doubts he'll have anything more to offer.
What's odd, what's almost disturbing to her is that she might be all right with that.
He closes his eyes for a moment, blocking everything out so he can try and think, but the anticipation leaves him antsy and it's hard to stay still and calm and try to consider now that he's answered.
She moves forward, kissing him on the lips, her arms wrapping around his neck as she holds him close. There's magic laced in the kiss,, magic that wraps around him and weaves itself into all the crevices and problems.
When she pulls away, he'll hear the rustle of her skirts and the traffic below. He'll hear the sounds of the city all around them and even her soft, pleased laughter.
He stands there after she moves away from him for a moment, his eyes closed, just listening. He doesn't know what most of the sounds are, he can't entirely tell where they come from and the noise of the city is almost overwhelming because he can hear it.
He smiles, and then he starts to laugh as he opens his eyes, looking around, trying to figure out what's coming from where and what doesn't make a noise and he can't really tell, but he doesn't care.
He reaches out to Aurora as the laughter stops, enveloping her in a hug. "Thank you," he says, and he's surprised when his voice sounds the same as it always did, in dreams.
She hugs him back, smiling wide. "It's my pleasure," she says and means it. "It really is."
She lets him go but keeps hold of his hand, giving it a squeeze. "I hope you don't mind all the gifts," she says. This makes perfect sense in her mind. She doesn't expect him to pay her back, not really and that's not the way things are done where she's from. Giving gifts for free is almost rude.
"Why would I mind? How could I..." He's not sure how to end the sentence and it just trails off, laughter bubbling up again instead as he shakes his head. "I just wish I could do something for you."
He doesn't let go of her hand, but he moves towards the edge of the roof, as close as he can without pulling her along with him, looking down. He wants to go explore, he wants to go everywhere, to listen to everything before it fades, but he makes himself stay still. This is enough.
He glances at her as she cuts herself off, confusion on his face, but he doesn't feel the need to question her. If she wants to keep her reasons to herself, then she can keep them to herself.
He smiles warmly at the kiss, squeezing her hand, even as he turns away from her. He's not ignoring her, but there's so much around to draw his attention away.
"I never thought there'd be so much of it," he comments, quietly.
He steps away from the edge after another minute, moving back towards the fire and the warmth. The crackling sound grows louder as he does so, surprising him. He's read about it, but he never really considered fire as something that has a sound.
"How much longer?" he asks, without looking at her.
She considers, biting her lip. "And hour, maybe two. The magic isn't meant to work for very long."
She walks over to the fire, watching it closely as she considers her words. "The girl who stays at the house, Iris, she wanted wings. I'm making them for her. It's going to take several weeks because that sort of magic takes time and craftwork.:
She looks at him. "It wouldn't take as long to repair the damage you have. One, maybe two sessions of magic and that's it."
She doesn't know what she's doing, offering this to him. It's not that she doesn't want to, it's just that she feels out of place doing it. It's not her responsibility to grant wishes and make people better and yet that's what she seems to be doing.
"I know," he says, with a short laugh. "I didn't--"
Didn't think it was possible, is how that sentence was going to end. Didn't think anyone could.
"And you'd -- I couldn't... do anything. I wouldn't -- I don't think I could ever repay you --"
It's not a yes, it's not a no. He's not thinking clear enough for yes and no. It would change him, who he is, how he defines himself, but what he would get.... Maybe it would be worth that change.
If this is really an offer, something she's willing to do, he's going to need to think about it before he answers.
He closes his eyes, turning over her words, listening to the city around him.
What would it be like, to be able to hear this, all the time? To be able to talk to people without having to have paper on hand, to be able to know what they're saying even when they're not looking at him? He can't imagine living like this, even when it's happening.
"Can I think about it for a while?" he asks, the words rushing out in a jumble.
"Of course," she answers with a s mile. "Of course you can."
She takes his hand into hers. "If you don't want it," she says. "Just say so. I can take it back or I co9uld give it to you every now and then. It doesn't have to be something permanent. "
She brings his hand to her lips, leaving a gentle kiss against his knuckles. "You don't have to know right now," she says with a smile. "You don't have to know.
She steps closer, looking out onto the city. "Don't think about it for now, just enjoy it. We can figure things out later."
He nods in response, squeezing her hand and taking a deep breath. He tries to relax, let go of everything but the moment and her company.
He's not going to entirely stop thinking about it, not for a while and definitely not while he can still hear what's going on around him, but he can push it to the back of his mind.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2011-01-15 06:57 am (UTC)It becomes comfortable more quickly than he expects, to just follow her lead.
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Date: 2011-01-15 11:10 am (UTC)There's magic to it though, magic that penetrates his disabilities and lets him hear it, even if it's only for a few minutes. Call it a part of the Christmas gift, call it whatever you'd like, she thought that maybe, just maybe, it would be a nice treat.
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Date: 2011-01-15 06:24 pm (UTC)He doesn't move for a moment when she finishes, and then he turns his head and kisses her on the cheek. He's smiling when he moves back -- not all the way, just so he's not against her quite as much anymore -- though it's small and wistful.
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Date: 2011-01-15 06:29 pm (UTC)Do you want it," she says looking at him. "Just for a while. Do you want to hear the world for a few minutes." She could make it longer but she doesn't know if that's what he wants and she's almost scared to make the offer.
It's an odd feeling for her, the nervousness but she thinks she's dealing with it well.
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Date: 2011-01-15 06:40 pm (UTC)He's always been this way, he's used to this and normally it doesn't bother him, but that doesn't mean he doesn't want it sometimes. To hear, to speak, to be like everyone else. It's only ever happened in dreams and moments that felt like dreams, never in times that feel real. To get that, even only part of it, even for a minute --
It's tempting. And it's strange. And it means that he'll really know, from now on, what he's missing every day.
But the temptation is stronger than anything else, and he nods, almost holding his breath, waiting.
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Date: 2011-01-15 06:47 pm (UTC)What's odd, what's almost disturbing to her is that she might be all right with that.
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Date: 2011-01-15 06:54 pm (UTC)He opens his eyes, meeting hers as he nods again.
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Date: 2011-01-15 06:57 pm (UTC)When she pulls away, he'll hear the rustle of her skirts and the traffic below. He'll hear the sounds of the city all around them and even her soft, pleased laughter.
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Date: 2011-01-15 07:06 pm (UTC)He smiles, and then he starts to laugh as he opens his eyes, looking around, trying to figure out what's coming from where and what doesn't make a noise and he can't really tell, but he doesn't care.
He reaches out to Aurora as the laughter stops, enveloping her in a hug. "Thank you," he says, and he's surprised when his voice sounds the same as it always did, in dreams.
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Date: 2011-01-15 07:24 pm (UTC)She lets him go but keeps hold of his hand, giving it a squeeze. "I hope you don't mind all the gifts," she says. This makes perfect sense in her mind. She doesn't expect him to pay her back, not really and that's not the way things are done where she's from. Giving gifts for free is almost rude.
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Date: 2011-01-15 07:31 pm (UTC)He doesn't let go of her hand, but he moves towards the edge of the roof, as close as he can without pulling her along with him, looking down. He wants to go explore, he wants to go everywhere, to listen to everything before it fades, but he makes himself stay still. This is enough.
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Date: 2011-01-15 07:40 pm (UTC)"I just thought---You know what," she smiles. "Nevermind. Enjoy yourself. You deserve it, pet." She moves to kiss him on the cheek.
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Date: 2011-01-15 07:46 pm (UTC)He smiles warmly at the kiss, squeezing her hand, even as he turns away from her. He's not ignoring her, but there's so much around to draw his attention away.
"I never thought there'd be so much of it," he comments, quietly.
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Date: 2011-01-15 07:49 pm (UTC)She looks down at the street, watches as the cars drive past. "Somehow I doubt you're going to be one of those people, at least for the moment.
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Date: 2011-01-15 07:57 pm (UTC)He steps away from the edge after another minute, moving back towards the fire and the warmth. The crackling sound grows louder as he does so, surprising him. He's read about it, but he never really considered fire as something that has a sound.
"How much longer?" he asks, without looking at her.
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Date: 2011-01-15 08:03 pm (UTC)She walks over to the fire, watching it closely as she considers her words. "The girl who stays at the house, Iris, she wanted wings. I'm making them for her. It's going to take several weeks because that sort of magic takes time and craftwork.:
She looks at him. "It wouldn't take as long to repair the damage you have. One, maybe two sessions of magic and that's it."
She doesn't know what she's doing, offering this to him. It's not that she doesn't want to, it's just that she feels out of place doing it. It's not her responsibility to grant wishes and make people better and yet that's what she seems to be doing.
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Date: 2011-01-15 08:07 pm (UTC)"You can--" His voice shakes, and he swallows, taking a breath before he starts again. "You can do that?"
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Date: 2011-01-15 08:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-01-15 08:40 pm (UTC)Didn't think it was possible, is how that sentence was going to end. Didn't think anyone could.
"And you'd -- I couldn't... do anything. I wouldn't -- I don't think I could ever repay you --"
It's not a yes, it's not a no. He's not thinking clear enough for yes and no. It would change him, who he is, how he defines himself, but what he would get.... Maybe it would be worth that change.
If this is really an offer, something she's willing to do, he's going to need to think about it before he answers.
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Date: 2011-01-16 03:43 am (UTC)Which, if you know Aurora, you would know how strange that is. She wants to do this though, wants to give it to him more than she did her petty watch.
She wants to give him something he could never have before and this? This is perfect.
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Date: 2011-01-16 03:53 am (UTC)What would it be like, to be able to hear this, all the time? To be able to talk to people without having to have paper on hand, to be able to know what they're saying even when they're not looking at him? He can't imagine living like this, even when it's happening.
"Can I think about it for a while?" he asks, the words rushing out in a jumble.
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Date: 2011-01-16 04:01 am (UTC)She takes his hand into hers. "If you don't want it," she says. "Just say so. I can take it back or I co9uld give it to you every now and then. It doesn't have to be something permanent. "
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Date: 2011-01-16 04:08 am (UTC)"I don't know," he says, shaking his head. "I can't.... I was born the way I am, I never thought it could change. It's...."
He laughs, though it's far from funny, and looks up. "Thank you," he says quietly. "And I don't know."
It's the only thing he can say to it, right now.
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Date: 2011-01-16 04:11 am (UTC)She steps closer, looking out onto the city. "Don't think about it for now, just enjoy it. We can figure things out later."
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Date: 2011-01-16 04:27 am (UTC)He's not going to entirely stop thinking about it, not for a while and definitely not while he can still hear what's going on around him, but he can push it to the back of his mind.
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