[026] OOM - There's no place like home

[tristranthorn]

His shoulder and arm are - thankfully - healed completely at this point. It has been many weeks, but the help of pain medication, good stress-free rest, and delicious food helped splendidly in his recovery.

However, the time to return to Faerie draws near. On the one hand, Tristran is quite glad of it. It is their home, after all, and he is looking forward to really starting...well, things with Yvaine. But on the other, there is the ever-looming realization that he will soon have to inherit an entire kingdom and the responsibility of it all is somewhat staggering.

His shoulder is still a little stiff from the lack of use, but at least he is now able to do things with both of his arms. It is a very good feeling.

He glances over at Yvaine.

Now it is simply a matter of bringing up the whole ... going home thing - if she doesn't bring it up first.

Comments

[an_evening_star]

Well, first there's a great deal of steam from behind the bathroom door and then there's a Yvaine to be glanced at - but it is a rather natural progression. Open doors, steam, and a humming, slightly drippy star.

Showers, it might be noted, are rather completely lovely.

But as lovely as indoor plumbing may be - there are some times when the middle of Mother only knows where with trails going any of a number of ways is just as nice.

Homesickness is strange.

A quick glance over her shoulder as she towels off her hair.

"A thought - for consideration?"

[tristranthorn]

"Hmm?"

Admittedly, he'd gotten a little distracted. (What?)

"Oh. Uh - had a nice shower?"

[an_evening_star]

Okay, just going to say it and -

"Huh?"

She blinks, twisting the material at the ends of her hair - train of thought rather neatly derailed for the moment. "I - it was pleasant?"

It was and her dress is still slightly sticky at her shoulders from the water, but she's fairly certain that wasn't the point she was working up to.

[tristranthorn]

He nods, giving her a brief smile before he begins to absent-mindedly fluff up his pillow.

"That's good," he says. "Quite good, indeed."

[an_evening_star]

"There's still plenty of warm water," she offers lamely, towel discarded into the basket behind the door with an easy toss.

Another glance, eyes skittering over the back of his shoulders for a moment before she takes a deep breath, flutters her fingers, and starts again.

(Not that it matters, as he's turned around.)

"I was thinking."

[tristranthorn]

He nods at that - he might have a bath or something later, if he is so inclined.

First - there are...there are issues to discuss. Important ones, too.

"Really?" He turns to look over his shoulder, pillow still in his hands. "It just so happens that I have too."

[an_evening_star]

"Oh."

That stops her again, fingers curling over her shoulder, head tilting to the side.

"You do?" she limps forward easily enough, perching herself on the edge of the bed. "Should there be an order?"

[tristranthorn]

He shrugs, letting the pillow drop back to the bed, fluffier now.

"You could - well, you could share first, if you wish to."

[an_evening_star]

"I am thinking, perhaps, that it would be a good idea if we were to -" she tilts her head vaguely. "To go home? And there is no need to ask me why, really."

Which doesn't mean she won't tell him anyway. And with far more words than are necessary.

"Because we are in suspended animation. We have been lazing about - and do not get me wrong," she is quick to add. "I enjoy lazing with you but - but at home it is still in the middle of the Market and we have only just decided that being in love is a good idea and your mother is probably buying an elephant somewhere and - and just I want to."

Deep breath for possible interruption. (Or continuation.)

[tristranthorn]

His expression softens, and there is also a clear sign of relief as well. In fact, it is likely the reason why Tristran starts to smile.

"Home," he repeats, and it sounds nice - even if it fills him with a slightly sinking feeling as well; it's that whole kingdom business. "If it makes you feel any better, I'm afraid I've been thinking the exact same thing."

With a shrug, he comes to sit next to her. "Part of me wishes to stay here for as long as possible, but another part of me knows we should go back - and I, too, would...like to go back. That is where we belong, and our time is normal there. We can...really do things there." (Even if he has no idea what those things are, exactly.)

[an_evening_star]

Okay, agreement is good - so is sitting close enough that she can lean a bit while she rambles.

"I want to -" she starts again, stops, laughs quietly and tilts her head onto his shoulder. "To be close enough to our sky that I can practically hear my sisters being wildly jealous of me and I want to kiss you after you have dragged me off in some random direction and we have nearly gotten ourselves killed or eaten or something equally tragic and you have leaves in your hair and real days have passed since you've been in love with me."

He signed up for this, so he has no choice but to deal with her odd (and inappropriately cropping up) issues. They don't have to make sense, he just has to deal with them.

"It hasn't even been a day."

It's been months and it hasn't even been a whole day.

A bit quieter, slightly exasperated with herself, "What if - after a real day - you change your mind entirely?"

[tristranthorn]

"Yvaine," he starts, shaking his head a bit - and perhaps he is finding it difficult to hide the amusement in his expression, but he'll try for her sake.

He straightens a bit, forcing her to straighten too.

"Look at me."

Gently, he takes her hands in his and watches her, his expression intense.

"I love you. I think a part of me has for a very long time, but just hadn't realized it. And now that I have, I feel like I could never stop falling more in love with you - every day. I am quite certain that is never going to change. It isn't going to stop - no matter what time, or - or universe."

The smile that begins to form is a little lopsided. He will deal with her issues - all and every one of them; that is his job, and no one can say he's never done his job.

"It all probably sounds utterly ridiculous - all this 'I love you' sort of thing - but really, it's the only way I can say it because...well, it's the truth."

[an_evening_star]

"The - you -"

Her eyes are wide and she's struck strangely silent for a few still moments.

(Enjoy it while it lasts, Tristran.)

And then there's a swift armful, lapful of star - with her lips pressed rather firmly to his, even as they make a somewhat awkward tumble backward - followed by what are very likely mumbled apologies ("Oh - sorry, sorry.") somewhere in there, and her fingers pressing lightly over his shoulder for a moment before they're long and pale and curved up along his jaw.

A laugh, relieved and breathless and pleased, "Home then?"

[tristranthorn]

It doesn't take him too long before he is finished with his shower, and when he emerges from the bathroom, he is look significantly wetter than he was.

Cleaner, too. (Though the significantly bit doesn't count, since he wasn't all that dirty to begin with.)

He dries off his hair with a towel and steps back into the main space of the room.

[an_evening_star]

The room - discounting the neatly (if one ignores the bit that didn't fold properly at one corner) made bed - looks almost as though it managed to somehow get itself messier while he was busy.

If such a thing was even possible.

"Organized chaos," chimes a voice from somewhere behind the door to the bureau. "Don't move."

[tristranthorn]

Tristran stops and blinks.

And then laughs.

"Are you sure?" He manages to look incredulous and amused at the same time. "It - well."

[an_evening_star]

The door closes slightly and she glares around the edge - hair curling out of its impromptu pin and into her eyes.

"Shut up, dear."

The fact that everything is in complete disarray is totally part of the Plan.

"Yes, I'm sure," she replies. "It'll be fine in a minute."

It will. Really.

[tristranthorn]

He grins.

Something about the way she looks right now makes his heart stop for a moment. Maybe it's the fact that this is something he can imagine seeing every day - the two of them like this.

It reminds him a bit of home - only a little more frazzled, perhaps. A little more...Yvaine.

"Are you sure you don't need some help, maybe?"

[an_evening_star]

"It's all there," she huffs slightly, frowning angrily at a pile of things resting on the edge of the bed. "There was a system, I think. I'm pretty sure."

There was, at some point. She had been trying very terribly hard to keep things in order and it had even been working, but then -

"You hum in the shower."

[tristranthorn]

He drapes his towel over the nearby chair and begins to pick some of the things up from their bed.

"Here, let me just take some of these -" He stops short, face growing a little warm. "I don't. Well, not - not really."

That's the fault of having a shower. Cursed showers!

[an_evening_star]

It's the rain-noises - they give the illusion that people can't hear you over them.

(They lie.)

"You're embarrassed?" she laughs, backs of her fingers cool against his cheeks - she moves with surprising agility on occasion. Especially occasions involving Tristran turning interesting colors.

[tristranthorn]

He shakes his head, but the embarrassment only shows up a little more with his denial. (It's not just a river.)

"M'not," he protests.

Beat.




"Anyway, you obviously can't clean."

[an_evening_star]

That only makes her beam, the spread of color making her fingers tingle, and she tilts her chin with an extreme sort of primness.

"You just don't understand my methods, is all."

[tristranthorn]

"What methods, exactly?" he asks, bringing his own hand up to and over hers.

"It must be a very complex method if even you cannot understand it."

[an_evening_star]

Her fingers lace easily downward, through his, and the smile just widens.

"You distracted me in the middle of the process," she murmurs dismissively. "Where did you learn the song, Prince Charming?"