repeat after me | Glowfic Constellation

imeanforever

"I didn't know that had anything to do with why you came back," says Promise, suddenly shy.

castmyown

"It - was a major factor," he says, somewhat lamely. "Um. Did - wait, did you not want me to come back, I can - I genuinely don't want to bother you, if you just wanted to kiss someone and I was - there or... Something..."

imeanforever

"I - no, it's - come in, you are welcome here if you want to be here," she says, standing aside from the threshold. "I wanted to kiss you, but I left it to the last minute because - mixing kissing and vassal-ness seemed iffy, and I thought you'd go and then it wouldn't matter."

castmyown

Inside he scurries, briefly distracted by Promise in a towel because he has to stop looking at the sky to not walk into a doorframe. And then he looks at a table. He second guesses looking at a table while talking to her about kissing, so he relies entirely on willpower to not look at anything but her face. It's a good thing he practiced that skill with near-starvation, otherwise he might slip.

"That - makes sense. But you actually haven't used the vassal-ness once - well, I think you used it for the dewdrop, but really, that doesn't count - and -" Pause. "I didn't realize you'd want to kiss me. And it sort of caught me off guard and then I realized I um." Eye contact. Eye contact. Don't look at Promise in a towel, just look at her face. Eye contact. "Also wanted to kiss you? After I thought about it and got my head in order and - became less catatonic."

imeanforever

"...Catatonic?"

castmyown

"Not - it - it wasn't bad, I was just - it - it caught me off guard and it - I haven't - no one's kissed me before - and I didn't know what to do and it was - it was unexpected and I hadn't thought about it yet and it was - sort of confusing and nice and and there was - I mean. I didn't... Um. It sort of ended up with me just sort of standing there for - for a while, stunned."

imeanforever

"I didn't - expect it to have that much of an effect."

castmyown

"Aheheh... It um. Did?"

Awkward. So much awkward. Eye contact, damn it.

imeanforever

"But you didn't mind, mastery aside? And you came back."

castmyown

"Wording it like, 'I didn't mind' implies that it was - unpleasant and a thing to be endured. It - really, really was not that. At all. It was very nice." Pause. "And yes, I came back. Er. Kind of - for you?" Another pause. "Wait, is that weird, that's probably weird, sorry, sorry, I'm really very terrible at this!"

imeanforever

"It's okay." Pause. "I could kiss you again if you like."

castmyown

"Yes," he says, very quickly. Quickly enough that he stops thinking about where he shouldn't be looking and then - Promise. In a towel.

"... It is really very distracting that you're - um." He motions to her en-toweled form, stopping him from staring rudely but not quite being able to stop himself from a very, very brief appreciative glance. "That's - not a - you should still kiss me, but I'm - words, how do I speak, I swear I was planning to be more eloquent with this or - or something..."

imeanforever

"Well, distracting in a good way or in a bad way?"

castmyown

That sentence causes the speaking part of Darren's brain to switch off, briefly. It needs a reboot, please stand by. Ordinary functionality will be restored momentarily.

He swallows, after the reboot's been complete. His face is now an interesting shade of red. "Good, but - I'm - noooot sure it's polite to - look at you. Like that. Um."

imeanforever

"I have no idea what mortal etiquette about people in towels is like. What is mortal etiquette about people in towels like?"

castmyown

"That - it's - rude to stare?" says Darren, lamely. "Unless you're - comfortably in a relationship and - something."

imeanforever

"Do you want me to go put on some clothes, Ted?"

castmyown

"I - have no idea, I am exceptionally not in my element and trying very hard not to make this weird and I really think I'm failing spectacularly."

imeanforever

"Fairy etiquette about people in towels says that since you are my vassal I can do whatever I like, but since what I'd like is for you to be comfortable, I will need some help."

castmyown

"I will probably have a better vocabulary if you are no longer dressed in a towel."

imeanforever

"...And in clothes instead, or is the towel, itself in its towelness, what is distracting you?"

castmyown

Oh, look, he can make a little squeaky noise.

"C-Clothes, clothes, I'm - it's a very nice view, but I - um, am having - there's - most of my head's at war with itself over if I should shut up and look at you or not and keep some functioning speaking parts of my brain."

imeanforever

"Okay."

Promise slips off and comes back in one of her little wing-friendly dresses made of leaves. It rustles. It's not really fuller coverage than the towel was, but it is less intent on maybe falling off if disturbed.

castmyown

He smiles at her, embarrassed. "My head is less at war with itself, thank you." Pause, a glance at the dress. "... Slightly less."

imeanforever