daemonized | RECOLLE IC CONTACT.

Because I can barely see you without them. My vision's terrible, I don't mind admitting that. Something has to be quite close before I can find the details, if I don't have these.

[it's only when close that he isn't hazy, known by colors and shapes and sound. she could have contacts, she supposes, but they always seemed unnecessary when she had glasses to serve the same purpose. easier to keep track of, easier to care for.

she pulls another three pins from her hair, feeling for more. there are more she's missing, she knows, there's always the ones that hide.]

So I'm just a talking blur to you now?

[He jokes, even if it might be true. Still, Ardyn looks at her face fondly, having appreciation of getting to see a different side of her that others might not be privy to.

He scoots a little closer, hands reaching up to her hair. From his angle, he can see where a few pins are still left, easily accessed from where he's sitting.]

Here. Let me help you.

[Fingers through her hair, deftly removing stray pins one by one as he finds them.]

A little more than a talking blur, if that consoles you.

[she's still as he takes the remainder of the pins out, knowing when they're gone when her hair falls all the way down out of the bun. there. much better.]

Thank you...sometimes it's such a hassle I think about not putting it up at all. Which do you think is better? Up or down?

[He reaches over to set aside the stray pins on the nightstand, after her hair releases from its bun. As always, he appreciates both the color and the way it falls across her shoulders, obvious by how he reaches out again to lightly run his fingers through a lock or two.]

Both ways suit you. Such is the advantage of being remarkably beautiful.

[He leans forward just enough to catch her in a one-armed embrace, smiling.]

Though if you want my opinion, I think it's particularly attractive when you let it down.

Maybe I'll let it down more often. Just for you, if you wanted that.

[there's something so easy about slipping into this kind of banter. refreshing, after everything heavy that was unloaded, and comforting in a way that has her leaning more into his embrace, caught up in the simplicity of it. the tension bled out earlier, and now they're just...here.]

Do you want to know a secret? A good secret, not the sort sending you running to the hills.

You don't have to do it just for me, but... I'd like that.

[He is at just the right position to rest his chin on her shoulder, contemplating what she could possibly mean, speaking of secrets and the like. A faint lift of an eyebrow, a small little hm at the back of his throat.]

I do. I'll even keep it between the two of us. [As all good secrets should be treated.]

[and then whispered, like it really is all that big a secret:]

I don't hate your hat as much as I pretend to. It's more...habit at this point. But if you got rid of it for good, it'd be weird. Like you made some sacrifice to yourself as a person.

[there. that's the big secret. that's the one he can't breathe to a soul.]

[She doesn't mind the hat? She doesn't actually find it all that offensive, simply because it was basically a part of him, at this point? It's a humorous concession, but also causes something like fondness to swell in his chest. The arm around her draws her even closer into a hug, brief but warm.]

It would be not unlike losing a limb. Or a portion of my very soul.

[And then he releases her, just so he can shift a little to make himself comfortable. Ardyn takes it upon himself to lay on his side, facing her direction, head on one of her pillows.]

So... does that mean I've permission to wear it more often? [He sounds cheeky.]

[his limbs. she laughs at such a statement, and then moves so she can lay facing him, finding it much more comfortable than sitting up.]

I don't think you need my permission to wear it...I'll complain, but now you know. It's all out of habit, with no real emotion.

[idly, she reaches to lay one hand on his face, thumb slowly stroking his cheekbone.]

Your soul can remain intact.

Edited 2017-07-15 23:28 (UTC)

[His grin widens, simply being glad at having made her laugh. Ardyn looks contented, just lying here next to her. He exhales a bit as her hand comes up to his face, and he feels fairly certain that his heart might've skipped a beat -- blasted cliche that he's starting to become in the name of this continually growing affection.]

...This is all very domestic, you know. [In turn, a hand comes up to lightly brush at her wrist. At times, there's something utterly electrifying about her touch.] And I don't mean that in a bad way.

Are we not allowed a few moments when everything isn't happening far too much?

[the world may change, blue may vanish, there could be threatening messages and confusion around, but right now, none of that is happening. right now, all the emotional stress and confession has already occurred, and so being here, feeling his touch and talking to him...that feels more important.]

Call them domestic if you want, schatz, just don't rush through them.

[she could fall asleep, just like this. she refuses to, she's fighting it right now, but it is comfortable.]

[The word he doesn't recognize, doesn't know, fails to escape his notice. And even though he's oblivious to its meaning (he'll ask later, in the morning), Ardyn thinks that whatever it is, he's certainly sure to be fond of it.]

I would never wish to rush through a moment like this.

[Morning may come to soon at this rate.

And while sleep doesn't come swiftly to Ardyn even on the best of nights, he cannot deny the prevalent sense of calm he's experiencing in this very moment. And Grell... he muses to himself that she may fall asleep very soon.]

Close your eyes, Grell. You should rest.

I'm not tired.

[possibly the most blatant lie she's ever told him is that, but she wants to believe that she'll be able to stay awake. she wants to try so hard to be up and to talk and to not have to think about the fact that morning comes at some point. only to humor Ardyn, she tells herself, does she let her eyes close. she'll open them in a minute, maybe two. the light's still on, that should be reason enough.

or she could surrender to being at peace and fall completely asleep, just like this. that could happen too.]

[It takes all of his willpower to stop his shoulders from shaking with fond laughter, to hold it all in, as Ardyn watches Grell swiftly fall asleep, immediately after telling him that she's not tired.]

Not tired, indeed...

[-he mutters, gently taking her hand still cupping his face, and laying it neatly on her pillow. He carefully sits up, still grinning, and brushes his fingertips across her forehead, to move a stray lock of brilliant red hair from her face.

He leans in, kissing her lightly on the forehead, and if he lips linger maybe half a second too long, she's not awake to notice.]

Good night, my dear.

[Ardyn then takes it upon himself to switch off the lights, lying back down next to her. He closes his eyes; eventually even he will be taken by sleep, maybe more quickly than usual. This sense of contentedness brimming within has made him more vulnerable to it.]

[when Grell wakes in the morning from dreamless sleep, it's automatic, her sitting up, rubbing her eyes, and trying to not disturb the other person there-

wait. other person. it takes her a second to remember everything from last night and to catch back up as to why Ardyn Izunia is sleeping in her bed and not in his own. once everything comes back to mind, it makes sense, and she's touched that he decided to stay instead of taking the opportunity to quietly slip out once she'd fallen asleep - her request had only been sunrise, she wouldn't have known the difference.

on impulse, she makes a decision, getting her phone from the nightstand and stepping as quietly as she can to leave the room and make a quick phone call. at its conclusion, she has what she wanted - she can work from home today, as long as it's understood that everything should be in order by the time she comes in tomorrow. perfect, she couldn't care, she gets to sneak back into her room and lay back down like she had been, feeling her heart beat in her chest too quickly for this early. but...

since she has the leisure to, she simply looks at Ardyn, notes how he looks when he's asleep, doing nothing but existing right here. undisturbed, with no weight on his shoulders, she can only imagine what he might dream of. she could make a study of him, just like this, how exactly the morning very slowly lightens up the room and shows the color of his hair.

he's beautiful, she thinks, but she won't even dare whisper it for fear of waking him up too early. he barely gets sleep as it is.

instead, her eyes close again, though this time not to immediately pass out - she just lets herself relax like this. vaguely on the border of going back to sleep, resting all the same, alert enough to know if anything happens. waiting for whenever he feels like he's slept enough, but uncaring how long that will take.]

[Ardyn won't stir until maybe half an hour later, remaining in almost the exact position he had fallen asleep in — on his side, facing her. A few auburn locks of hair had fallen across his face sometime in the night as he slept; a deep slumber, the sort where he would not remember his dreams when he awoke. The room does indeed lighten (as much as thirty minutes will allow), and the brief touch of morning light is all it will take to wake him up. Reality gently hooks back into him, pulling his consciousness out from the realm of slumber, as if it were hefting something large and heavy from the sea itself.

He awakens, his eyes half-lidded with sleep at first, stirring just enough to turn onto his back. The mattress feels… different, and for some reason he has the sensation of still wearing his day clothes, and how come the cats aren’t meowing at him yet, and—

Ardyn opens his eyes fully, briefly confused, to see a ceiling that is not his own. It’s only then does he remember what happened last night, his decision to keep Grell company, and he turns his head on the pillow to look at her lying beside him. Confusion washes away with ease, replaced with a sleepy smile, and that sensation of fondness in his chest again.]

Good morning. [-he utters, his voice low from both just having woken up, and not wanting to completely disrupt the quiet in the air.]

[when he speaks, she lets her eyes open, turning away from thinking about nothing at all in favor of trying for the second time to wake up. they're up early, really, but habits are too ingrained, and it feels like a Sunday even if it isn't - nothing quite demanding attention just yet. his smile is returned, and looking at him right now, she feels a rush of affection.

what a simple but wonderful thing it is to wake up next to someone.]

Morning, Ardyn. Sleep enough?

Mm. I think so.

[He concedes that he doesn't exactly know, and it's difficult to tell from the state of his body alone -- relaxed and languid, indicative of at least an uninterrupted sleep, but beyond that he won't know without looking at the time.

He picks up his phone (he had taken it out of his pocket and laid it next to him in the night), clicking at the home button to illuminate the time. It's early, but given Ardyn's sleeping standards, he's slept in.]

More than usual, at least. [He drops the phone, letting it land on the mattress with a soft thud. He looks at her again, curiously.]

Don't you work today?

Even I can have the rare day where all my work can be done at home. I don't have to go leaping out of bed to write a few reports that'll be done before the night's over.

[granted, all of that was by her own machinations, and she'll have to make sure everything's done to the letter, but still.]

You stayed.

Edited 2017-07-18 04:35 (UTC)

[Did she decide to work from home, he wonders, just so she could lay in bed with him a little longer? To simply spend more time together, on this day that wasn't quite a Sunday, but felt as if it might as well be? Calm, slow, lazy and languid.

She's going to make it terribly difficult to leave, at this rate.]

I did. I wanted to. Was that too bold of me?

[too bold? she laughs quietly, shaking her head a little. it's hard to be bold when she was the one that asked him to stay in the first place.]

I'm happy. It's a pleasant surprise, to get to wake up and wonder for a few seconds if you're still dreaming.

Maybe I still am.

[How thoroughly smitten he must feel right now, making something so cliche sound so sincere. He reaches out with an arm to put around her, as he shifts his weight a little to draw her closer.]

Maybe I'll wake up soon, and opening my eyes, you simply won't be there. Lying next to me like you are now. I'll have woken up alone in my bed, and while that's not an unusual occurrence, there'll be an ache in my heart. A sorry consequence of knowing what could have been.

[cliches start somewhere, and Grell settles in right next to him as he pulls her over. perfect.]

If you're dreaming, then we found our way into the same dream. I'll have to wake up acutely aware of your absence, wishing the dream could have gone on just a bit longer.

[there's something delightfully tragic in the idea, the both of them waking up disappointed and knowing what's missing. yet, the reality is far better.]

But I'm very much here, and awake. I'd hazard to say you are as well.

Edited 2017-07-18 21:40 (UTC)

As far as I'm aware, I am.

[But she feels real in his arms, in both warmth and solidity. It's silly, but he takes comfort in knowing that, drinking in every detail of her face from this close.

And then, he decides to ask something seemingly out of the blue. (It isn't; he had been thinking about it, briefly, before he fell asleep last night. The question rises in him again now.)]

What does schatz mean?

...Where'd you hear that?

[she remembers saying that, but if she can play dumb, she will - that had more slipped out than anything.]

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