Here comes the sun (K)

[Kieron Sharpe]

Marshmallows floating around in hot chocolate would hopefully provide something of a distraction to keep his mind away from places it shouldn't really be going; or if nothing else the warm cocoa would hopefully have something of a sedative quality. Hot chocolate was hardly a suggestive or seductive drink, right? A mug of chocolate, wait for the rain to stop and then let her resume her journey home. Actually, it would be ridiculously late by then. Maybe calling a cab for her would have been a better idea. Crap, why hadn't he thought of that first? She could have been home by now and not here being all... bra-y. Kieron knew he couldn't suggest that right now though; it'd seem like he was just trying to get rid of her. No, chocolate first, then cab.
Yes. That was the plan.

Kieron felt like a complete idiot for his reaction to seeing her standing there like that but he hadn't been able to help it; she did look amazing and the sudden realisation that he did actually think that had hit him like a train. It had been a very long time since he'd even considered another person in that kind of way and it caused an uncomfortable knotting feeling to rise into his stomach. Their entire group of encounters up until this point seemed like something straight out of a slapstick movie, and between his accidental creepiness and their combined awkwardness surely this train of thought shouldn't even remotely exist.

The ping of the microwave brought Kieron out of his very muddled thoughts and he busied himself with stirring the chocolate into the warm milk, setting the two cups onto a small tray with a bag of mini-marshmallows. He felt a little physically drained from having his wings out, and after rummaging around in the cupboard a teaspoonful of chocolate flavour protein powder was added to his mug. It was hardly ideal but it would at least boost his reserves until he had the chance to get a real meal inside him.

At the sound of padding feet Kieron turned his head, internally thankful that she had gotten changed and was now somewhat less... obviously distracting. “Ummm, no, I think I've got it all here. There's some cookies in the cupboard over there if you want something to snack on, though.” At her question about the eel Kieron gave a quiet awkward laugh, a hand rubbing the back of his neck distractedly. “He's called Vetinari... He's named after one of my favourite characters from a book series I love. It suits his personality. But you can call him Stripey if you want to, I don't think he could tell the difference.”

The sudden gentle touch of her hand on his arm caused a fresh flush of colour to rush to Kieron's cheeks and a strained breath left his lips, but he didn't move away from the contact, however cold it might have been. “I... guess that's because I got changed before you, maybe? Would you like me to bring down a blanket or something?”

[Deleted]

Maebelle oddly enough felt comfortable to appear in front of him while wearing those clothes. If it had been her own pajama, however, she might have been more reluctant. Technically it wouldn’t have made too much of a difference though… depending on which pajama she chose of course. Looking up at him, features automatically welcomed a smile. She wasn’t even fully aware of this as it curled her lips. While something to snack on did sound good, the gardener did not plan on taking the cookies out of the cupboard. The suggestion was nice, but him making hot chocolate (marshmallows included) was already more than she could ask for. “No, that’s okay. Thank you.” She didn’t mention being too much of a burden already, positive Kieron might object out of politeness.

For some reason she was growing painfully aware of having him waste his free time on her. All of this felt so surreal. Maebelle felt out of place within this house, to be around a man who possibly felt more awkward than she did. It should have been a cue that this was doomed to fail, but… this tiny spark refused to ignore just how comfortable his lack of social skills made her feel. Made absolutely no sense, just like anything else in the current situation. Like the name of the eel. Mae couldn’t help but chuckle softly. He reaction came out teasingly, not wanting him to take it as an offense. “That sounds like you’re constantly telling him he’s going to the veterinary. No wonder he’ll like Stripey more.”

With a little sheepish smile, Mae pulled back her hand. Yup, the explanation totally solved that mystery! “Makes sense”, she mused with a little nod. Of course it didn’t. She just got hit with the sudden feeling that her presence made him uncomfortable. Awkwardly, arms folded against her chest. “A blanket would be nice. I will…” Mae motioned to the small tray, stepping over to pick it up from the counter. “I’ll take this with me.” Which she did. Into the living room where the brunette took a seat on the couch after having placing the tray down on the small coffee table. Feet got tugged on the couch, arms around legs as both hands were tightly wrapped around the warm cup, cherishing the heat.

Maebelle was located at the furthest end of the couch, randomly focusing on a nearby aquarium before blue eyes once more drifted over to Kieron as he entered the living room as well. “I can leave if my clothes are dry… If you don’t mind me borrowing an umbrella?” Because, yeah, it would be getting late if the rain continued pouring down like this. She could also hear some thunder in the distance, so she would only end up being a bother. It made her get up from the couch again, bare feet carrying her to a window where she slightly moved the dark curtain aside to peek out. She could barely see anything due to the downpour.

Then the girl turned around again. “Sorry… for maybe keeping you awake or from doing something way more interesting than… well, this.” Guilt was starting to catch up to her, mainly because Mae began to tell herself that Kieron was out of her league. And because, come on, he was only doing this to be nice. Not that she should care though. It wasn’t like she really really really was starting to like him. Right. Made sense. Just like all the rest.

[Kieron Sharpe]

Kieron gave a small nod as Mae gently turned down the cookies, a faint smile still curling the corner of his lips. In an odd way her slight unease was making him feel a little better; not because he was happy she was uncomfortable, not at all, but more that he was pleased he wasn't the only one feel quite so awkward. It was reassuring in a strange way, and he didn't think he had committed any major faux-pas since they had gotten into the house. Besides gawking and dropping the clothes of course, but that had hardly been his fault. He would challenge any man not to react the same way when faced with Maebelle looking like that. “Well, you know where they are if you change your mind.”

Maebelle's comment about the moray eel's name caused a chuckle to leave Kieron's lips and he smiled easier and more naturally than he had done in the rest of the evening. “Fair point. In the books Vetinari spent his younger years being tormented by the other kids, who called him Dog-botherer. Perhaps my eel would respond better to Stripey.” That wouldn't cause Kieron to actually change the eel's name; he loved his efficient little tyrant. However, he also wouldn't correct Maebelle if she chose to call him Stripey.

As Maebelle took the tray into the living room Kieron went out into the hall and to the little cupboard under the stairs which acted as storage space. As he flicked on the light he was greeted by a small shelf holding some little toy soldiers alongside his first edition Harry Potter books, all carefully wrapped in clear plastic jackets to keep them safe. On much larger shelves to the side all his spare bedding and blankets were stored, and Kieron wrestled down a fleecy shark-print blanket and carried it back into the living room.

Kieron placed the blanket down on the sofa next to Maebelle as she spoke, and her comment brought a nod but it also dulled a little of the smile on his lips. “Oh... Sure. As soon as they are dry I don't mind you borrowing an umbrella. Or I could call you a cab or something.” Although he wouldn't admit it, he was slightly sad that she seemed to be in such a hurry to get away. When she got up and paced towards the window, seemingly to see if the rain had stopped yet, it only confirmed that and he sat on the end of the sofa, dropping a couple of marshmallows into his chocolate dejectedly.

As she turned back her comment brought forth a not-entirely faked smile and he gave a vague shrug of his shoulders. “You're not keeping me from anything. I'd only be watching TV or reading. This makes a nice change.” Well, it made a change at least. Her silhouette against the dim light coming from the eased open curtains made it seem like she was surrounded by a faint halo and he sighed softly as he took a sip of his cocoa. As if she would ever be interested in him. He'd have better luck teaching Vetinari how to play fetch.

[Deleted]

Ah, see. Maebelle was right. That name was doomed to bring back luck to the zebra eel. It made her continue with the same soft teasing tone of voice. “So nice of you. Because your favorite character in that book got tormented, you decided to give Stripey the same name so that the other fish can make fun of him. Poor thing.” Not that the one she picked out might be any better though. It was quite girly after all. Plus, she probably shouldn’t judge if she didn’t even know anything else about the book. Perhaps there was a special meaning behind the name, or it had been picked out in function for the book to make a good story.

Mae probably should have asked about that, instead of awkwardly taking off with the tray. It could have distracted her from the pessimistic thoughts that began to take over. If it weren’t for those, she wouldn’t even ponder about how and when to go home. Kieron did appear to be on the same line though. The brunette did grow a tad bit hopeful during the second that the ‘oh’ (which did sound slightly disappointed) slipped past his lips, but then he continued by making an even better suggestion that the umbrella, causing that spark to fade like snow in the sun. Sure, that could work. She wouldn’t even have to wait for the rain to calm down some then. Mae had simply nodded. After that, she slowly spun around again and began to apologize.

It was then that blue eyes fell on Kieron again. The way he sat, focused on the marshmallows, and the look on his face… The gardener’s face fell for that split second. It was almost pure darkness that consumed him if it weren’t for the dim light from the fish tanks. He looked so… miserable sitting there. And even more so when he seemingly had to force a smile on his lips while indicating that she had nothing to be sorry for. He… didn’t want her to leave? Was it that prospect which made him sad? While Mae knew she shouldn’t assume, this lit up her own emotions.

Finally she stepped over to the couch again. The cup of hot chocolate got placed down on the small tray so that Maebelle could take a seat without spilling any. While she had been sitting on the other end of the sofa not too long ago, she now sat down at the other side of the fleece blanket. Of course this didn’t leave a cushion between them… but how else was she supposed to reach the bag of marshmallows? That definitely was the main reason why Mae limited the distance between them – or so she told herself as legs bend Indian style.

First she took the fleece blanket, unfolding it before draping it over her legs. Then she leaned forward, snatching three marshmallows from the bag before plopping them in her beverage. She was careful to not fall of the couch upon taking the cup in her hands once more, only to shuffle to sit straighter again. While taking a careful sip, Mae looked over at Kieron. “What… do you normally do when you have company over?” This made absolutely no sense, but she didn’t really want to suggest watching TV because he had called it a nice change from his usual routine. That would be like pushing him into that routine again; it wouldn’t be fair.

Another question hit her as well. “Can you fly?”

[Kieron Sharpe]

Whilst it was true that patrician Havelock Vetinari had indeed spent his youth being tormented because of his name, he had gone on to become the most powerful and long-lasting patrician that Ankh-Morpork had ever seen. Feared by many, respected by all, and one of only two people that the assassins guild had refused to take any more contracts out on purely because he was deemed impossible to kill. Seemingly cold-hearted but eternally committed to doing what was best for his city, Kieron had an immense fondness for the character and so it was only fitting that the name had been given to the pride of his collection.

Sadly he hadn't had much chance to explain that and had retrieved the blanket in silence as Maebelle had carried the cocoa into the living room.

Whilst it would have been all but impossible for Kieron to live in a home that was brightly lit, for the moment he would have given almost anything to not have to keep looking around. He felt uncomfortable in his own home, something he had never experienced before, and it seemed to him that every time he looked over at Mae she seemed that little bit prettier, but also that little bit further away. It was perhaps a silly thought but he couldn't help it rising. The marshmallows looked very sad floating lifelessly in the hot chocolate and he poked one distractedly with a finger tip.
My bones are filled like liquorice,
And my brain is marshmallow under heat...

When Maebelle approached to sit at the sofa Kieron had been expecting her to sit on the far end again, so when she sat beside him he sat up in surprise but didn't move. That was a very odd development. He noticeably perked up a little as he shuffled back slightly to get comfortable, mug cradled in his hands. Her question caused a moment awkward silence to fill the air, but then Kieron answered. “I don't often have company over. I don't know all that many people here, and the ones I do likely wouldn't be so comfortable in such a dark house.” He sipped at his chocolate for a moment. “When someone does come around we normally watch a movie or something but like I said, that doesn't happen very often.”

Her second question caused a quiet breath of a laugh to leave Kieron's lips and he nodded slowly. “Yeah, I can fly. I don't get the chance to as often as I would like, admittedly, but yeah.” He gave a small shrug. “That's why I don't have all that much in the house, really. I have to stretch my wings out every few days but I can't always do that outside.”

[Deleted]

Maebelle could feel a glow spread within as Kieron’s spirit visibly got lifted again. A soft smile reached her eyes as she in turn allowed herself to grow comfortable, resting back in the couch while tugging the fleece blanket a tad bit higher. She was tucking it under her legs, preventing any coldness from sneaking through random holes, when he replied to the question. “I don’t think it’s too dark.” Her gaze drifted over once she was pleased with the result of completely covering her lap and lower torso with the extra layer. “Besides, it’s cozy.” Not that it had to be right now… because that would just be awkward. Not that it wasn’t weird to begin with, but yeah.

“I mean, it’s a good thing while watching a movie.” The briefest of pauses snuck in. “We could watch one.” If he was okay with that of course. “But you don’t have to if you don’t want to, because that’s kind of like what you do every day when there’s no company over and I don’t want you to feel obligated to watch TV again.” Rambling all of that out within a matter of seconds, Mae cut herself short as soon as she realized it, inhaling a little nervously to regain her breath. Take another sip, Maebelle. Maybe even burn her tongue. She might be less prone to end up babbling like that then. After said sip, the gardener lowered her hands with the mug to rest on the blanket in her lap. Eyes momentarily focused on the floating marshmallows.

They did drift up again the second that he confirmed that, yes, he could fly. She seemed genuinely intrigued by this. How awesome was this? He was as free as a bird! “I’m… sorry if my reaction might have been a bit… I don’t know, a bit unpleasant when he showed them.” Thumbs absentmindedly caressed over the smooth and warm surface of the mug. “It was kind of unexpected.” Chuckling softly, Mae gave a little shrug in an attempt to get rid of the guilty feeling that struck at that moment. God knows how awful that might have made him feel. And part of her did realize it as well for she hadn’t been blind to the wings drooping down in response to how she had reacted.

“They looked cool. Like, not as girly as pixie or angelic wings.” Which were immensely pretty, but of course Mae realized that this might not be the best statement. “Kind of like batman…” She paused, realizing this reminded her of Zach and how everyone called him spiderman… and how it was getting old. “But you probably have heard that too much… Sorry.”

[Kieron Sharpe]

The smile returned a little more open and honest as Maebelle said she didn't think it was too dark, and he chuckled softly as she said it was cosy. “I'm kind of used to it now, I don't really see it like that, but I guess you're right. It's pleasant.” With his backwards vision the darkness didn't really come across as cosy to Kieron, in much the same way that a well lit room wouldn't really be cosy to someone with normal sight. He could understand what Maebelle meant though, and he found it oddly pleasing that she thought that way.

Maebelle's sudden and very unexpected rambling caught Kieron off guard and he watched her in bemused silence as her words tumbled out, chuckling softly once she finally managed to catch her tongue again. “It seems like my rabbiting is contagious. Sorry about that.” In truth he found it rather endearing, and it was somewhat reassuring to know that she was still feeling just as awkward as he was. He just wished there was some magic wand that he could wave to make all the weirdness go away. “It's okay, I don't mind putting one on. Any preferences?”

After Maebelle confirmed that she was happy with anything that wasn't horror, Kieron decided to go for the hopefully pretty safe choice of Tangled. He enjoyed it and he knew that Maebelle liked it from their discussion at the Halloween ball at Hammel. After turning on the TV, putting the DVD into the player and pressing play he returned to the sofa, turning the volume down to a level that would let them keep talking easily should they so wish.

When Mae apologised for her reaction to his wings Kieron shook his head quickly, dismissing her apology. “Please don't worry about that, you weren't the first. I'm sorry if I scared you with them, I should have given you a proper warning.” Or any warning at all, really. As she complimented them a blush once more began to creep into Kieron's cheeks and he sipped his chocolate, trying to mask the smile a little. “Thank you so much. I'm rather attached to them.” He laughed softly at her next statement, shrugging vaguely. “I do hear that a lot yeah, but it's okay. I think I'd be a little disappointed if you hadn't have said that.” Kieron then handed the remote over to Maebelle; after all, it was only polite to give the guest control of the TV.

[Deleted]

Even if Kieron would have a magic wand, Maebelle would not allow him to use it. Sure, it would eliminate the weirdness, but it would also change everything. They would behave differently than they normally would and they would get to meet someone who wasn’t even being him or herself. It also limited them from making decisions that were not thought through. Being awkward kept them from rushing things that they might regret later on. Plus, if he had been one of those guys with a giant ego and a big mouth, she wouldn’t be comfortable. The weirdness made her feel at ease, and it also seemed to lighten the mood for both of them.

Sometimes, however, it did feel like a relief when the awkward tension did diminish slightly. Like when the nurse agreed to watch a movie and went to put the DVD into the player. During this, her eyes fixated on the cuts in the back of his shirt. Maebelle didn’t remark on it, especially since the one she was wearing also had those. There was no point in asking since the explanation was obvious. What she could also detect while Kieron handed the movie were his broad shoulders and seemingly muscular arms. And the way the dim lit perfectly fell on handsome features and… And how he turned back to the sofa, making her tear eyes away!

Smiling sheepishly, Mae shook her head. “You didn’t scare me. Just… startled me, was all.” And it wasn’t like he had meant any harm with them. Quite the opposite really. He had taken them out with the risk of her screaming murder. As for his attachment… it might have been the most logical statement of the evening. They were stuck to his back and everything… but luckily Maebelle didn’t make such ridiculous and obvious remark.

After that, the brunette glanced down at the remote and slowly took it from his hand. Her thumb moved to the play button when the disk menu appeared, hitting it a second later to fully start the movie. Then the control ended up by her other side and another sip was taking from the hot chocolate. While thunder and lightning roared outside, Mae managed to ignore this as she rested against the cushion behind her back, growing comfortable. “Your wings is way cooler than Batman’s though.” She randomly stated, giving him a brief sideway glance before focusing on the screen.

Was… that an attempt at flirting? Nah, impossible.

Either way, as the movie progressed, Maebelle’s body finally regained a more normal temperature. The hot cocoa had been drank and the blanket had been tugged higher to entirely cover her, starting underneath the chin. Feet were pressing in the cushion and legs were bent. Every once in a while a gentle laugh would break free, a minute or so before something funny went down. Or random statements like ‘so cute’ and ‘he is so handsome’. She would also steal random peeks at Kieron to check if he wasn’t falling asleep, or at the window when a loud thunder crash could be heard. Mostly, however, she focused on the man next to her. And it was during one of those subtle attempts that she realized that he was just sitting there… without a blanket to keep him warm. Guilt hit, again.

Mae didn’t speak, but she did shuffle an inch or so closer before tugging the rest of the blanket from underneath her butt (already giving it a pleasant warmth). Then she slightly leaned over for her arm to reach far enough as she draped it over his legs and stomach. It definitely was big enough to succeed. “There…” Was all the young woman said.

[Kieron Sharpe]

Kieron smiled softly in the gloom, giving a quiet breath of a laugh. “Then I am sorry for startling you. Sometimes I forget that not everyone is used to seeing them, you know? They're just such a natural part of me now; it sometimes takes a while for me to remember that not everyone has seen a nurse sprout wings before.” Kieron gave a small shrug, sipping the chocolate and chewing idly on the remnants of a molten marshmallow.

The weather outside seemed to be taking a turn for the worse and Kieron was immensely glad he had decided to walk home rather than fly. Getting caught in the rain was bad enough but he dreaded to think what could have happened had he accidentally flown into the middle of a thunderstorm. It was a rather chilling thought, and he shivered slightly as he pressed against the sofa cushions, seeking what little warmth they had to offer.

Maebelle's comments about his wings brought a true genuine smile to Kieron's face and her sudden ease with the situation caused a lot of the tension to ease out of him. It was a seemingly rather silly comment, but in that moment it felt like a real compliment and it caused a warmth to stir inside him. Kieron glanced over to her, hazel eyes meeting blue for a moment. “Thank you.” He hesitated for a moment before adding “And I still think your power created one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen.”

Tangled was a movie Kieron had seen dozens of times and he relaxed easily as they watched, chuckling a few moments before the key funny moments and cheering softly in all the right places. He was very aware of Maebelle's presence next to him and every now and then he would steal a glance to make sure she was okay and didn't look bored or upset or anything. Her comments regarding Flynn's handsomeness caused him to blush slightly and chuckle under his breath in quiet embarrassment, wondering just what she must have been thinking about the costume he had worn to the Halloween ball at the school.

Kieron was just going to ask if she really thought that or if she was just teasing, but he got interrupted before he'd even started as Maebelle shuffled closer to him and draped the blanket over his waist. For a moment he stared at her, mouth slightly parted, and then the words came out soft and quiet. “Oh... Thank you, so much. This is nice...”

[Deleted]

Maebelle knew she could not take back the remark of being startled. At least Kieron did not look as upset as he had been before, which in turn made her feel slightly better about not having lied. This was why lying often kept feelings from getting hurt. He seemed to deal with it well though, so the girl left it at that before the mood changed again. In a negative way, that is. It actually felt like they were growing more accustomed to one another, and blushing managed to be kept at a minimum. Then again, that wasn’t too difficult given just how many times Kieron had almost been as red as a tomato.

A darker color did appear on her own cheeks when he did compliment her ability. She was not going to deny it. “Flowers are the most beautiful things in the word.” A smile. “And thank you.” Kieron had appreciated her power; she couldn’t ask for something more. It had also been the first cue that, without a decent reason, he had won her trust. She couldn’t explain why, but right now she was just grateful about it.

As for the blanket… it was his to begin with. It was cute, however, how he expressed his gratitude. “Are you cold?” Because, in the corner of her eye, Mae had caught notice of the moment during which he shivered. While having draped the blanket over him, fingertips had also faintly brushed against his lower arm. That time around she had been the one with the warmer body temperature. K denied it… but Maebelle did really believe it. Giving him the other half of the blanket was not an option though. Shifting closer, on the other hand, was. What could provide more warmth than two bodies against each other?

Without fully thinking it through, the gardener eliminated the last few inches that kept her arm from pressing against his. “You’re a bad liar.” Maebelle explained herself with a meek smile. Hopefully this would not be judged as rude or invasive! She seemed to be comfortable enough with it, slightly slumping on the couch again. Technically this was an awesome position to nuzzle into his side. Just how awkward would that be though? Subconsciously, though, after another minute or ten, Mae did dip her head slightly to the side. It effortlessly rested upon the man’s shoulder. It was dark, she was comfortable and warm, hot chocolate in her stomach… And this combination made her rather sleepy.

Mae hadn’t lost her focus on the movie though. When the scene on the water began, beautiful song included, her voice softly sang along. Of course it came nowhere close to the real actress. She just really loved it. Her body was also slumping more against Kieron’s now. Legs were still bend, but knees were no longer pointing up at the ceiling. Instead they lay down, lightly poking into his upper leg. Being tired and being caught up in the movie made her become kind of unaware of it.

Until a load crash could be heard outside, and lightning took away every single light in the house. Power shortage. Interruption of her favorite scene!

[Kieron Sharpe]

Kieron smiled softly. The flowers blooming in the meadow in the middle of the night had been one of the prettiest sights he had seen for a very long time, that he could honestly say. He had appreciated their beauty in much the same way as he admired a particularly striking mandarin fish or lion fish. It was rare that something such as a flower caught his attention and imagination in such a way, and yet Maebelle had managed it. “I wont deny that flowers are incredibly beautiful, though perhaps not the most beautiful things in the world...” Letting the end of the sentence trail off, Kieron nestled against the sofa cushions and got comfortable while the movie played.

He had of course lied and said he was okay when Mae had asked if he was cold, but he had never been a great liar and he had just chuckled meekly as she pointed that out. Her touch against his arm caused a growing warmth to spread throughout him, and as she shuffled closer a breath snagged in his throat. Kieron could hardly believe this was actually happening, based on how she had seemed so desperate to get away earlier, and he stayed very still as she settled close beside him.

As Maebelle started to slowly shift closer and rest against him Kieron finally allowed his hopes to start to rise. Surely if she did find him bizarre or creepy she wouldn't want to be anywhere near him, never mind resting her head on his shoulder like that. Kieron shuffled slightly so she could be at a somewhat more comfortable angle, her head on the flat of his broad shoulder rather than the protruding joint, and he pulled the blanket up closer around them.

When the scene on the river started and Maebelle began to sing, Kieron smiled into the darkness at the sweet sound of her voice. He hesitated for a moment, and then very slowly traced his fingertips up the inside of her forearm, towards her wrist. His fingers had just crossed her palm, ready to attempt to tangle with her own, when the loud thunderclap cued the house plunging even deeper into darkness.

Biting back a curse at the complete timing FAIL of the weather, Kieron slumped against the couch with a quiet subconscious huff. “Stupid thing, always goes out in a bad storm. I need to get it looked at...”

[Deleted]

Flowers were the most beautiful thing in the world. Given the current circumstances, however, she did not judge it worth getting into a discussion over it. This was why his statement got accepted with a single nod. That, and the movie easily sucked her in – to the extent that she grew comfortable with using Kieron’s body as a pillow and to start singing along with the lyrics. What did catch her off guard, however, was the sensation that struck her the second he dared to decently touch her. The intonation and tone of her voice drifted off during the first couple of counts. For the first time, despite gazing at the screen, she had no freaking idea what was happening in the movie.

Mae knew the song by heart, and she wasn’t even sure if she was singing in unison anymore. Words simply flowed from her lips as her hand fully opened right before his fingertips traced their path into her palm. Goosebumps spread and an involuntary shiver went down the brunette’s spine, yet no intentional movement or action took place to stop him. The lightning decided to do this for her, like it aimed to interrupt them – successfully.

The gardener pushed herself to sit up straighter again, blinking a couple of times in an attempt to have eyes adapt faster. It didn’t work. Instead a hand reached over to grasp Kieron’s lower arm, reassuring herself that he was still there for he would function as her vision now as well. “How… long will it take to get back?” And what would they do in the meanwhile? Mae had no freaking idea. She could not come up with anything, and that led to defeat. Defeat that expressed itself in her slowly shifting to rest her head upon Kieron’s shoulder again, readjusting the fleece blanket.

“I don’t like this”, she mumbled quietly. It made the thunder and lightning even louder and more harsh. Eyes closed and fingers absentmindedly fumbled with the fabric of the shirt near his stomach. Having him there did function as some comfort. Mae probably came across like a terrified puppy, cuddling closely up against the one who offered protection. It was then that something else hit her… something which made her become self-conscious again.

“My clothes…” Not that it bothered her enough to move though. It wasn’t as if doing so would change it all.

[Kieron Sharpe]

Mae's reaction to his gentle touch was deeply encouraging, and whilst Kieron had absolutely no intention to try to rush anything at all (he wasn't even sure what he was trying to achieve here anyway), the quiet little rush of warmth through him was a rather exhilarating feeling. She didn't pull away, didn't seem to panic or freak out in any way, and when her fingers parted so willingly for his it almost felt too good to be true.

Of course, things that feel too good to be true very often are, and the weather decided to very loudly and dramatically remind him of that.

As Maebelle's hand came to rest on his arm Kieron reacted instinctively, using one of his own hands to cover it reassuringly, proving to her that he was still there and not going anywhere. “It's not normally too long – an hour or two at the most.” Kieron remembered all too well how she had said she was afraid of the dark, and as she started to huddle closer to him Kieron wrapped an arm loosely around her shoulders, supporting her gently and letting her be close. It took all of his willpower to prevent himself from trying to turn the supportive arm into an actual reassuring hug. The signs before had been promising, but he would never want to take advantage of her fear to try to push for that now.

“I'm here and I'm not going anywhere.” Kieron chuckled softly, trying to ease a little of her tension. “I don't think you'd let me right now even if I wanted to.” Which of course implied that he didn't want to, which of course was true. Absentmindedly stroking the side of his thumb on her arm, Kieron spent a moment pondering about the best way to handle her wet clothes. “We could put them on the radiator; it'd be slower but they'd still dry out... Or if you really wanted... I could call a cab and you could go home and dry them there?” Kieron's tone made it undoubtedly clear that he really hoped she wouldn't take that option, but it was still very much there should she chose to take it. It made sense that she would after all...

[Deleted]

Maebelle had hoped to feel more at ease upon pasting herself to Kieron like this – all expectations got surpassed. He wrapped an arm over her shoulders, which by itself was already more than she had expected. Sure, she could feel that it was done so in a slightly tense manner, yet that did not take away that he had found his spine during those couple of seconds. “You really do need to get it looked at.” Her voice was soft, but the teasing tone remained evident either way. It developed into a little chuckle when the nurse tried to sooth her by technically claiming that he was stuck sitting there. “Sorry.” Not that Mae really was though. Being this close to the man… It seemed to make the situation less awkward. She did know, however, that if they were to recreate a distance and that if they decently faced each other, that they might become socially impaired again.

As for the wet clothes… Mae was no fan of either of those options. Putting them on the radiator definitely was an option, but it also meant two things. One, Kieron would have to get up from the sofa and two, less time could be spent there. Calling a cab and drying them at home was not even being considered. The young woman was not going to step outside in her current outfit. “Or I can just wait for the electricity to come back”, she murmured quietly. Eyes were still open, staring ahead, but she could hardly distinguish any shape. Of course silence sound popped up, except for the weather outside, making Mae bring up the first thing coming to her mind.

“You can read a book if you want.” While that might hardly make sense at any other given moment, it was a normal suggestion right now. Maebelle did not have a night vision, but Kieron did. At least he would be able to do something productive with his time. He didn’t have to just sit there, simply because she was useless. “Or you could explain how Stripey got his badass name?” She wasn’t too sure if it would really interest her… but at least it would give them something to talk about.

Unless he rather had her go home. “I could move?” The gardener asked. She didn’t automatically moved because she was comfy and what if she would fail to get in that same position again when moving was not needed?

[Kieron Sharpe]

Nodding into the darkness, Kieron chuckled softly. “Yeah, I really do need to get it checked out. I keep meaning to but I keep putting it off; one of those 'I'll do it tomorrow' jobs.” Kieron's biggest concern about the power outage was the lights in the fish tanks. The heaters were plugged into an emergency backup source so that if the power did go out all his tropical fish wouldn't suffer, but many of them were fairly light sensitive and their cycles could be disrupted by irregular lighting. If the power didn't return in two hours or so, then he would start worrying.

Smiling brightly, Kieron nodded and let his arm relax around her shoulders, getting comfortable. “Waiting for it to come back works too.” The tone of hope was very clear in his voice, but he laughed and shook his head lightly when Maebelle suggested that he could read while the lights were out. “No, it's quite okay. That would be incredibly poor hosting on my part.” Rude, arrogant and dismissive all in one go; couldn't be having that! Besides, it would mean trying to actively focus on something other than the pretty lady curled against his side.

Shuffling down onto the sofa to get properly comfortable, Kieron idly stroked the side of his thumb on Maebelle's arm. “Vetinari is one of my favourite characters in the Discworld books. He's the patrician of one of the biggest cities on the Disk, and he's a genius dictator. Very sly, very cunning and sarcastic and borderline eccentric, but he values his city and his people more than anything... It suits the eel perfectly.”

Maebelle's sudden suggestion to move was met by a very quick answer; “No!” Kieron coughed sharply, wriggling slightly awkwardly. “I mean... You don't have to if you don't want to. I quite like you there... You're comfortable and warm...”