Harsh. [ His tone isn't though, softened at the edges from being here with her and her alone. And from her small smile, the gentle way she brushes his hair out of his eyes. There's a brief moment where he draws back when she sets her fingers on his cheek but it's a knee-jerk reaction, one he relaxes on.
There's another temptation to touch her, to fold his hand over hers. To lean in closer and finish what he'd started earlier in the Geldrunner's bathroom.
The tension breaks, though, and it's back to business. Important business, honestly, even if he wants to shrug it off and carry on. A little patching up before they head back is something they have time for. ]
Wrapping is more critical. I don't need to be pretty to face off with Van Eck. [ Even if the idea of stripping is giving him a bit of a cold sweat. Still, it would take him twice as long to do it on his own–turning even a little is enough to make him hiss in pain.
Using the desk as leverage, he pushes himself up and gingerly shrugs his coat off. And then his gloves and shirt, something he's done in front of Inej plenty of times. It's both comfortable and uncomfortable this time; their dynamic has shifted. It's also a slower process than he wants it to be, finding it hard to lift his arms too high with all the bruising down his side. ]
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Date: 2021-04-27 02:40 am (UTC)There's another temptation to touch her, to fold his hand over hers. To lean in closer and finish what he'd started earlier in the Geldrunner's bathroom.
The tension breaks, though, and it's back to business. Important business, honestly, even if he wants to shrug it off and carry on. A little patching up before they head back is something they have time for. ]
Wrapping is more critical. I don't need to be pretty to face off with Van Eck. [ Even if the idea of stripping is giving him a bit of a cold sweat. Still, it would take him twice as long to do it on his own–turning even a little is enough to make him hiss in pain.
Using the desk as leverage, he pushes himself up and gingerly shrugs his coat off. And then his gloves and shirt, something he's done in front of Inej plenty of times. It's both comfortable and uncomfortable this time; their dynamic has shifted. It's also a slower process than he wants it to be, finding it hard to lift his arms too high with all the bruising down his side. ]