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.
She smiles, even though she knows he won't be able to comply entirely. As long as he enjoys himself and isn't too distracted with possibilities, she'll be happy.
"You know," she says with a slight amusement in her tone. "We have all that food just waiting to be eaten. What about getting into that, hm?"
"I forgot that was there." He laughs, shaking his head. Not something he ever expected to say, after having had to scramble for food a couple of times, but surprises will do that to you. "Let's do that."
He doesn't let go of her hand as he heads for the table, a small smile settling onto his face.
She laughs too, kissing him on the cheek. "Don't tell me I'm going to have to start reminding you when to eat, pet." Not that she sounds like she would mind or anything.
She goes for fruit, picking at it seemingly at random and enjoying the sweetness. Fruit and baked goods are her weaknesses and you can probably tell by the spread that's laid out for them. Yes, there are other things but the vast majority seems to fall in tone of those tow categories.
He grins at her. "Probably not. I'm not promising anything, though."
He leans against the table, picking at a little bit of everything. Her preferences are quite clear but he can't say he minds them, either. But then, he's not difficult to please with food, so long as it's edible.
She laughs, picking up a strawberry and moving to feed it to him. "Well," she says. "If I have to. I'd best get on it. I don't want you getting too thin."
Oh good because chances are this is the kind of food that is stocked within their home right now anyway. Sure there are a few other things but lots of fruit and lots of bread and lots of milk and honey.
He takes the fruit from her without complaint and then pulls her closer, wrapping his arms around her for a brief hug and an even briefer kiss on the cheek. Normally he's not much for physical affection, but he's grown used to Aurora's displays, enough that it's almost grounding in its familiarity.
He would find it odd a year ago, how quickly that's happened, but it's not as if these aren't extraordinary circumstances.
"I think I can take care of myself," he assures her, and reaches behind him when he lets go, refilling a glass with wine and offering it to her.
She does not mind the affection, not in the slighted and she wraps her arms around his neck, leaving a kiss of her own again the corner of his mouth.
"Oh can you," she says giving him a skeptical look. "Well, if you stay here, we don't have to find out." She takes the wine and has a sip, a smile curling against her lips. Oh yes, she is very, very pleased with life right now.
"True," she says with a smile. "But you don't have to now. You have someone who's willing to do the work for you."
She smiles as he seems to settle into the idea, taking another drink from her cup and stepping towards the fire. Chicago is still cold, no matter what she does and the fire is a welcome warmth.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
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.
no subject
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.
no subject
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?"
no subject
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.
no subject
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.
no subject
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.
no subject
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. "
no subject
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.
no subject
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."
no subject
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.
no subject
Date: 2011-01-16 04:39 am (UTC)"You know," she says with a slight amusement in her tone. "We have all that food just waiting to be eaten. What about getting into that, hm?"
no subject
Date: 2011-01-16 04:54 am (UTC)He doesn't let go of her hand as he heads for the table, a small smile settling onto his face.
no subject
Date: 2011-01-16 11:01 am (UTC)She goes for fruit, picking at it seemingly at random and enjoying the sweetness. Fruit and baked goods are her weaknesses and you can probably tell by the spread that's laid out for them. Yes, there are other things but the vast majority seems to fall in tone of those tow categories.
no subject
Date: 2011-01-16 01:35 pm (UTC)He leans against the table, picking at a little bit of everything. Her preferences are quite clear but he can't say he minds them, either. But then, he's not difficult to please with food, so long as it's edible.
no subject
Date: 2011-01-16 01:44 pm (UTC)Oh good because chances are this is the kind of food that is stocked within their home right now anyway. Sure there are a few other things but lots of fruit and lots of bread and lots of milk and honey.
no subject
Date: 2011-01-29 07:31 am (UTC)He would find it odd a year ago, how quickly that's happened, but it's not as if these aren't extraordinary circumstances.
"I think I can take care of myself," he assures her, and reaches behind him when he lets go, refilling a glass with wine and offering it to her.
no subject
Date: 2011-01-29 07:53 am (UTC)"Oh can you," she says giving him a skeptical look. "Well, if you stay here, we don't have to find out." She takes the wine and has a sip, a smile curling against her lips. Oh yes, she is very, very pleased with life right now.
no subject
Date: 2011-01-29 08:25 am (UTC)Nor will he complain about her being pleased, and as he pours his own glass he can't say he feels much differently, at the moment.
no subject
Date: 2011-01-29 08:36 am (UTC)She smiles as he seems to settle into the idea, taking another drink from her cup and stepping towards the fire. Chicago is still cold, no matter what she does and the fire is a welcome warmth.