timewasting | OPEN POST 2020.

[ she rolls her eyes a little at “worth it,” but leans in to return his kiss with one of her own, the movement soft and gentle, seemingly unwilling to either get up or let him go anywhere yet.

... it would probably be bad form for their new house to burn down for a silly reason. and so she sighs to herself, pulling away just enough to brush his hair out of his eyes, thinking to herself if she has five more minutes to just . . . sit here.

The answer is ultimately no, and so she kisses him once more before separating herself from him, wrapping her legs from around him to scoot backwards a little, getting onto her feet. and she stoops to collect his shirt — which is large enough to be a dress on her, really—shrugging into it to cover herself with a warm smile. ]

I don’t think it’s salvageable.

[ she says as she lets her fingers trail along his shoulder as she moves to the master bathroom to clean up. ]

But you are welcome to give it your best shot.

[ She doesn't seem keen on letting him up at first. Which. He can't really disagree with, enjoying how close she is and how relaxed they both are now. As she seems to debate with herself, he brushes some of hair off of her shoulders, twirling a length of it around his finger and then letting it loose.

Eventually, she does get up and... puts on his shirt. Part of him feels the tug of interest, though he knows he has to get up. For a second, he just stares and then blinks away the distraction, getting off the bed.

That isn't to say he doesn't toss a glance over his shoulder to watch her go to the bathroom, the fabric just brushing under her thighs. He tugs his pants back on and makes his way to the kitchen, turning off the oven and opening it, letting the smoke air out.

Ah. Well. Time for the backup plan. He's got time while Inej cleans up. ]

[ she really hasn't explored the master bathroom that much, but she notices (with approval) the massive bath tub and separate walk-in shower. and she's tempted to take a bath now, but dinner calls, first.

so she cleans up quickly. washes her face, and ties her hair into a loose ponytail so it's out of her face. she idly considers putting her own shirt back on, but that seems to be a waste of time, considering she was just going back into their bed.

she does find her underwear, though. that part seems important.

after that, she wanders back out to the kitchen, leaning against the countertop to put her chin in her hands, watching the ruined remains of dinner smolder on the countertop while kaz finishes up whatever breakfast for dinner he had managed in her absence.

and, once he takes notice of her, she offers him a slight grin. warm, and happy, and tired -- but, in a good way. ]

Not salvageable, then.

[ as she inclines her head toward the casualty of war that was the chicken. ]

[ He does get the pan out of the oven, letting it smolder on a far counter. It doesn't exactly have a great smell, but it isn't the worst kitchen mistake he's inhaled. Far worse has come out of the kitchen at the Slat on occasion.

Besides, this had been the product of something very Not A Mistake. Still worth it.

Another pan is fished out from under the counter—a good thing he ended up with utensils here, having to make himself lunch and dinner sometimes while working—and he puts together breakfast for dinner instead. Eggs fried into the circle of the bread, the cut out toasted so it didn't got to waste.

He's carefully pressing one with a spatula when she comes in, still wearing his shirt. Which is just as distracting as it usually is. Especially when in combination with that grin she's directing his way, her hair pulled up but still draping down, part of it spilling over a shoulder. ]

Some of the chicken seems to be, but it needed to cool. [ The squash was a lost cause. ] After this, I'll need my shirt back.

[ she purses her lips in thought, as she watches him continue to make dinner, a soft hum escaping as she considers his proposal. ]

I think you are fine, without the shirt.

[ she decides, watching the bread toast. she's starving, now that she's taken time to really think about food. the smell isn't helping.

and, to punctuate her point, she tugs the shirt back onto her shoulder a bit more. it's massive on her, and keeps threatening to slip. whoops. ]

You don't look like you need it now.

[ Well, he could take it back in the morning. Part of him wants to get it done tonight though– the trip back to the Slat is somewhat long. But, they'd have clothes for tomorrow if he did it after dinner.

Then again, she is very good at convincing him not to do certain things. So it might be put off for the morning anyway.

He flips the bread and pushes a plate towards her, two pieces already finished sitting one on top of the other. ]

Yeah? See something you like?

[ Someone please kick him. ]

[ there’s a pause as she accepts her plate, and before she can stop it, a laugh escapes — almost uncharacteristically loud (for inej), before she stifles it with a hand, the laugh reduced into a faint giggle before she says: ]

Maybe.

[ as she collects a fork to begin, though her eyes are bright, and still focused on him. ]

I do like being made dinner.

[ you dweeb. ]

[ His comment seems to startle a laugh out of her and his cheeky grin changes into an amused one; there's the laugh. The one he wishes he could bottle, though he hears it more often now than he used to. ]

Hmm, noted.

[ He picks up the other plate, depositing the finished toast on it. Another piece of bread takes its place in the pan after and he cracks an egg carefully into the middle, letting it set. ]

I was going to go back to the Slat after dinner. Our clothes are still over there.

[ aaah. that makes sense, then, why he would need his shirt. and she slowly chews the first bite of her meal in thought, trying to figure out the best way to do this. ]

I could go get them, if you wanted.

[ she would be faster, skipping over the rooftops. ]

It wouldn’t take too long.

You were going to take a bath, right? [ He glances over at her, questioning, before turning his attention back to the pan. ]

I can go while you do that. [ Relax, Inej. She'd already gotten the ingredients for dinner, anyway. ]

[ she wrinkles her nose, at the question, because she did say she wanted to do that . . . and she cuts off another piece of her toast with her fork. she considers arguing, but a bath did sound nice. and really, the only excuse for inej going instead of kaz was his leg.

so she pops another bite into her mouth, acquiescing with a hummed: ]

Alright.

[ she may as well enjoy her new bath, if kaz is insistent on going. ]

Everything I have should still be in my bag by the bed, so it shouldn't be too heavy.

[ She wrinkles her nose and all he thinks is: cute. Just another moment in a series of them where he's counting his luck. He's not entirely sure how he ended up here, but he certainly isn't going to complain. ]

Is there anything on the ship? [ Usually she brings most of her clothes when she's intent on staying on land for a while. At least she would have the bulk of it from the Slat.

Though he already figures their closet is going to seem comically sparse, neither of them having had the space to keep many clothes. Or anything, really. ]

Nothing that can't wait until tomorrow.

[ with a shrug of her shoulders, taking another bite. she feels . . . properly relaxed, for the first time in a long time. eagerly looking forward to spending the rest of the night in a bath and pajamas.

now that she thinks of it, a bath sounds much better than racing across the rooftops toward the slat. ]

Everything important is already at the Slat.

Fair enough.

[ He finishes up his batch of dinner and extinguishes the stovetop, letting the pan cool. Stepping closer to her end of the counter, he leans against it and they chatter idly, working through vague ideas on what they want where, what to do with the rooms upstairs. Talking about something so mundane isn't totally new to him, but it's not their usual topic.

Soon enough, they polish off their dinner and he shoos her off to start her bath, knowing how much she's been looking forward to it. There's hot water in the Slat, but it doesn't compare—the bathroom is shared, after all. Here, she can soak without someone knocking on the door and complaining they need to take a piss.

When he's done in the kitchen, he can hear the water running from behind the cracked bathroom door. And above that, the occasional snatch of a humming sound. She's left his shirt hanging from the doorknob and he changes, pulling it on with his tie and coat, smoothing out any wrinkles where he can. Well, it's mostly dark, it's not totally noticeable. Collecting his cane once more, he makes his way out of the house, locking the front door behind him.

(Not that a lock would keep a lockpick away but...it is a very complicated one. Of course).

The walk back to the Slat is an uneventful one, though the East Stave is in full swing when he crosses over the Zentsbridge. It's a familiar weave in and out of the crowds back to the Barrel and he manages to avoid most of the questions when he gets back to the Slat. Anika looks at him with a knowing glance and he chooses to set off on climbing the three flights of stairs instead of deign her with an answer.

It takes a little time to pack up what he'll need in the more immediate future—the rest can wait. He takes up her bag and his own, neither of them very heavy, and starts his walk back. This time, thankfully, not stopped by anyone on his way out.

By the time he gets back, he's ready to turn in for the night. Maybe after a shower. He sets her bag at the end of the bed and his on the floor before sitting on the edge of the mattress and promptly flopping back into it. ]

[ the bath is divine.

truthfully, she could have stayed in there for another two hours. and inej very nearly falls asleep, after washing her hair and scrubbing herself clean. but she hears the door of the bedroom open, and her eyes open suddenly, about to ask who it is (a reflex, really, fo spending so much time sharing space) when she hears the telltale thunk of kaz's cane.

she then relaxes into the water, right up to her nose, idly considering just staying there before she decides she should probably free the bathroom so kaz could shower.

so she gets up, unplugging the drain. she dries off quickly, towel-drying her hair so it isn't entirely sopping wet, before wrapping a towel around herself to peer out into the bedroom, seeing kaz . . . flopped onto the bed.

she moves across the room, finding her bag resting on the bed, but is soon distracted by leaning over kaz slightly, one hand keeping the towel up, arching her eyebrows. ]

Are you alright?

[ somewhat amused, somewhat serious. it is a long walk. ]

[ He hears her drain the bathtub and eventually step out. Though her footfalls are quiet as usual; he's just used to the particular silence she keeps wrapped around her. ]

Hey. [ One hand rubs down his face, the day definitely catching up. Despite her being next to him the night before, he hadn't slept too well, all anxious about showing her the house. ] Long day.

[ Really, a long week. Same difference. ] How was your bath?

[ He asks, sitting up, momentarily taking in the sight of her damp hair and bare legs. Wow, he wants to hold her and go to bed. ]

Good.

[ she says as she brushes his hair back, a faint smile appearing, before she turns her attention to her bag, to find something comfortable to sleep in. but she remains close, tugging the bag closer to her and kaz, rather than moving further away. ]

You should go take a shower.

[ she says as she tugs out a shirt. a bath might make his leg feel better, but that poses a different difficulty, for him, and so she keeps the alternative suggestion to herself. ]

You would probably feel better.

I know.

[ He'll get there in a second. Just after her leans against her shoulder a bit, working up the energy to get moving again. After blowing out a slow sigh, he pulls away, using his cane to pull himself up.

Without any real care, he undresses in the bedroom, making sure to hang his coat and tie up before he hobbles to the bathroom, looking forward to a hot shower. At the very least, he can stretch his leg out under the spray. ]

[ she watches him go, pursing her lips slightly -- because his leg had to have hurt, after all of that -- but inej lets it go in favor of tugging a loose sleep shirt over her head and a new pair of underwear. not much else, though, as she collects the clothes tossed aside in their earlier adventure to add to a basket positioned in the corner.

when kaz is done and exits the bathroom, inej is putting away clothes in the closet, unpacking a little bit. but when she hears the door to the bathroom open, inej glances over from smoothing out a shirt on a hanger. ]

Better?

[ After he rinses off, he spends some of the shower zoning out as he flexes the stuff we out of his leg. Thankfully, it doesn't take as long as it can sometimes, the hot water doing him favors. So he's able to step out much sooner than he expected, toweling off and wrapped it around his waist before he comes back into the bedroom.

The exhaustion from walking has been mostly washed down the drain, so he's certainly less pathetic looking when he picks up his bag in search of night clothes. ]

Much. [ He fishes out a pair of pants and changes, momentarily disappearing back into the bathroom to hang his towel up. When he comes back out, he steps over to Inej by the closet, carefully curling an arm around her middle. ]

Leave it. [ Yes, he's being needy!!! ]

[ she's about to hang up another shirt when his arm wraps around her middle, and she tilts her head back against his chest to look up at him, arching her eyebrows a little. ]

I'm almost done.

[ though she does stop fishing out clothes out of respective bags, turning to face him without shaking his arm off of her middle, amused. ]

But if you would rather me do this tomorrow, I can.

Hmm, tomorrow sounds good.

[ She's close to done so he really should just leave her alone. But he's also tired and wants to go to bed with her. Which is selfish, but he's never pretended to be anything else.

There's also the matter that Inej has turned away from what she's doing, which allows him to lean down and kiss her forehead. ]

Tomorrow sounds really good. [ Another kiss and the arm around her middle tightens briefly in a half-hug. ]

[ she’s lost the moment he got an option to distract her. and the kiss to her forehead causes an odd curling feeling in her chest. it’s a purely affectionate gesture, and inej loves the little reminders of love.

so, she loops her arms around his middle, resting her chin on his chest to look up at him. she’s tired, and honestly, sleep sounds phenomenal. ]

Tomorrow it is, then.

[ with a small smile. ]

[ He missed this so much when she was away, the small moments they'd accrue throughout the day. Now she'll be around for a little while—or at least intends to be, he'll see how much they can push the timeline with her role change—without any prying eyes from those in the Slat or on her ship.

It's not as though they'd been keeping their relationship a secret, but perhaps more low key. Neither of them being as comfortable with open affection.

His hand pets down her spine and he lets her go. For now. ]

Inej, darling, treasure of my heart—after you.

[ that earns a roll of her eyes as she removes her arms from his waist, trailing her fingers along the front of his chest before she turns on her heel, moving past him toward the bed. ]

You are going to need a new line.

[ as she tugs at the comforter to slide into bed, extinguishing her bedside lamp as she does so. ]

That one is a little tired.

[ it’s pretty obvious she’s joking but also get a new line boi. ]

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