[He's right to at least think to usher Meryl inside. Under normal circumstances, she absolutely might have tried to duck out of the situation she found herself in. However, as luck would have it, that warm, bordering intimate expression he wears stops her in her tracks. This isn't like at the masquerade, where she could pretend that maybe he was looking at, or talking about, someone else.
There's no logical reason for anyone else to be in this part of the castle, not right now. If there were, Knives would have made that clear to her already.
In the end, it reminds her that there's a reason she's there. If she's misinterpreting these gentle touches and sideways glances, if she's letting her imagination get ahead of her, then she needs to know it now.
Her hands clench into fists for just a second, long enough for the bite of her nails against her skin to fuel the resolve she needs. When she finally lets herself meet Knives' gaze once more, that determination lingers, even as her features soften into something just a little more relaxed.
A nod is offered.]
Right. Yeah. Tea would be great. [Having that focus point had helped her before. And even if that wasn't the case, she's begun to enjoy just having tea with Knives. If that's all this was between them, then that would be okay.
For now, though, she makes her way to the loveseat, trying not to think about the limited distance between the two of them. She sits down, with both legs folding and leaving her cross-legged. As she shifts about, she reminds herself that this was hardly the closest they'd ever been to one another β the mistletoe had made sure of that. But there hadn't been a choice then. Now is different.
They both want to be there. Meryl just needs to know why.]
good thing i'm super flex and unbothered! πͺ
There's no logical reason for anyone else to be in this part of the castle, not right now. If there were, Knives would have made that clear to her already.
In the end, it reminds her that there's a reason she's there. If she's misinterpreting these gentle touches and sideways glances, if she's letting her imagination get ahead of her, then she needs to know it now.
Her hands clench into fists for just a second, long enough for the bite of her nails against her skin to fuel the resolve she needs. When she finally lets herself meet Knives' gaze once more, that determination lingers, even as her features soften into something just a little more relaxed.
A nod is offered.]
Right. Yeah. Tea would be great. [Having that focus point had helped her before. And even if that wasn't the case, she's begun to enjoy just having tea with Knives. If that's all this was between them, then that would be okay.
For now, though, she makes her way to the loveseat, trying not to think about the limited distance between the two of them. She sits down, with both legs folding and leaving her cross-legged. As she shifts about, she reminds herself that this was hardly the closest they'd ever been to one another β the mistletoe had made sure of that. But there hadn't been a choice then. Now is different.
They both want to be there. Meryl just needs to know why.]
We've been through a lot together, haven't we?