[...yes, she blushes and giggles and rolls against the shelf a little after sending that. Ivan's coming to visit her, even after a terrible first date.]
You're the expert in researching things, Elizabeth, I've no idea how long it might take.
But we'll say a half an hour at most.
( he's sending this with a stupid grin on his face as well, halfway out of his office towards the kitchen already. food research is something he excels at, however, and hopefully there'll be something decent snack-wise there for him to abscond with. )
( it takes him twenty minutes to find something sweet -- small cakes that he doesn't recognize but seem to be full of fruit jam. yes, excellent, it'll do. )
Elizabeth?
( he calls, as soon as he enters, bearing the tray like a grand gift. )
[Elizabeth calls, sounding a little panicked. She really needs someone taller to help her shelve things in the library. Somehow she's managed to slide some heavy-looking encyclopedias off the top shelf and she's holding them back from falling on her. But she's too short to push them back onto the shelf.]
( Ivan drops off the tray at her call, and puts on a burst of speed when he hears help to find her -- he wasn't expecting her to be struggling with books, but then again. Elizabeth. He grins, coming up behind her to lend his strength to help him shove them back into place.
which leads him leaning over elizabeth. ah. right. this is fine, he thinks, grinning down at her while he swallows something in his throat. he's got this. )
[Elizabeth lets out a sigh of relief as Ivan takes over, and she turns around and leans against the shelf once she doesn't have to keep her books from crashing onto the floor. She laughs and grins up at him.]
Turns out they do have pastries on this ship. They're over on your desk.
( he says, but doesn't make any attempt to move if she doesn't want to. instead the free hand that isn't supporting him over her hovers slightly over her shoulder, brushing the still-short ends of her hair. he misses the length sometimes, but the short frames her face in a way that makes it impossible not to notice how beautiful she is.
a bit of the grin dims into something more sincere and less blinding. )
[No, she doesn't want to move just yet. It's been a while since Ivan's been this close-- since their date. And now that she's not blitzed out of her mind she's remembering that it's nice. Proximity is nice.]
[Him playing with her hair is nice. Elizabeth's face is going bright pink as Ivan piles one thing on top of another-- closeness, little touches, and pastries.]
I'm okay. My stomach is still not my best friend but... [She giggles a little.] Okay. How about you?
( it is nice, ivan thinks, the sort of nice he would very much like to experience again. hence the second, do over date which will not end with her drunk and him sleeping on the floor. not that he expects to be sleeping anywhere but his own bed, but ivan likes to dream big when it comes to his romantic adventures. ah, cetaganda.
anyway. the flush is good, blushing is good if she doesn't look uncomfortable, and ivan settles his hand on her shoulder, emboldened. but his grip isn't too hard, easy to shrug off. )
I'm good. ( he's always good. ) So-- I can still come with flowers, if you want. Later.
[Oh that's a hand on her shoulder. Oh yes. That's a hand. Ivan's hand. Elizabeth has no idea what to do about it, not that she wants it to stop, she just doesn't know what she's supposed to do to respond. Maybe she... steps closer? Like they're dancing?]
Sure. Anytime you want. These doors are always open for you.
So! [She's oozing nerves, she's fidgeting.] Not much of a hangover?
( what's he supposed to do with an open door policy in a library if it's not to see elizabeth? ivan doesn't know.
that's allowed, elizabeth, even as his hand slides down her arm with a slight, encouraging tug to bring her a bit closer to him. her hopes that's allowed, considering that she hadn't been about to duck away. ivan does have to admit the fidgeting is horrifically, terribly endearing -- he's not used to it. most women he's dated know what they want, know how to get it. sure, they giggle when he smiles at them or makes them laugh, but it's just not the same. )
I think the maple mead hangover I had a few months ago was enough to make me immune. ( a smaller smile, and he takes her hand in his, running his thumb over her knuckles idly in an attempt to soothe her nerves. he's on steadier ground here, but still manages to pick his way across it carefully. ) You don't have to say yes, of course, but I was also wondering if you were still interested in practicing. You said you wanted to, before.
( practicing things like kissing. with him! that's the important part here, after all. and it doesn't have to be right now, no matter what ivan wants. )
[Elizabeth's face goes even pinker, if possible. Kissing. Practicing kissing. It's coming back to her through the fog of alcohol and illness.]
[She smiles, shy with just a hint of coy thrown in, and nods.]
Yes, I want to practice with you. [First kiss in a library, this is clearly her life and nobody else's. She squeezes Ivan's hand back, taking a deep breath and squaring her shoulders.]
Alright, walk me through it, Vorpatril. I'll pick it up quick.
I know you will, you're one of the smartest people I know.
( he doesn't feel like he's feeding her ego by telling her so like he would miles. everyone else brilliant he knows are well aware of that fact; the entire planet is aware of just how smart the rest of his family is. except for the part where they keep putting themselves in great positions to get blown to hell and back. ivan first kisses her hand like he did back when they first met -- grinning despite himself.
kissing! elizabeth!!
maybe the execution was a lot less smooth than he was capable of it, but she's smiling at him and that's enough. dropping her hand, he comes up to tilt her head back, thumb at her chin. the kiss he gives her isn't demanding or deep, just a surprisingly chaste press of his lips against her's. start small, he figures, there's no point to diving in. they can work up to that at her own pace. )
[Yes, she is so going to die from swooning over some VorBoy. Ivan kissing her hand is almost enough to make her lightheaded, but she has to focus if she's not going to laugh before Ivan actually kisses her. On her lips. Like people who kiss do.]
[The saving grace is, of course, that Ivan is experienced and knows what to do. Elizabeth only holds still and lets him guide the proceedings. But it's almost electric when she finally processes what's happening.]
[Ivan's kissing her. In her shelves. And it feels amazing. Little twinges are going off in her shoulders and stomach as she takes in the soft and warm sensation of Ivan's lips on hers. It's gentle, no doubt because he knows she's nervous and cares about not scaring her. It's perfect that she doesn't have to say anything, that he just knows to be careful of her comfort zones.]
[But this is obviously an area where the safety gates can come down. Elizabeth pulls back to breathe.] Wow... [She's definitely dazed.] Can we... one more time?
( ivan could punch the air out of sheer happiness, or do like he used to do as a kid and yell excitedly some war cry miles had picked up from his grandfather. there's no grand sweeping orchestra or a shower of flower petals or any of the sort of tropes he's wonders if elizabeth would enjoy just for the novelty of it, but ivan is going to be the last person to complain about this.
her lips are soft, skin warm under his hands -- he couldn't ask for a better person to kiss or a place to kiss him at this very moment. and her reaction only encourages him; the grin he gives her is blinding. )
Sure. But, uh-- let me-- ( he cups the side of her face with one hand, the other going down to settle at her waist and pulling her close so that she's more flush to his chest. he has to bend down somewhat to kiss her again, but he doesn't-- not yet. ) This is probably a bit easier -- you can put your arms around my neck if you want.
[Ivan's grin is truly infectious, and Elizabeth grins up at him absolutely enthralled with how pleased he looks. She's doing this just fine, apparently. He's not frustrated or disappointed, that smile makes that clear. It inspires her to be just a little more confident, though when Ivan suggests she put her arms around his neck she can't think of anything else to do so she readily takes his suggestion.]
Alright-- [She stretches up, very much in a hurry to kiss Ivan again. Elizabeth is far from experienced, but she makes up for that with enthusiasm, apparently.]
( enthusiasm counts for a lot, doesn't matter the level of skill involved. ivan obliges and leans down again, hand slipping from her cheek into her hair, fingers threading through the strands. there's a lot of comments he could make about real vs. imagined, but ivan shoves those thoughts out of his head and focuses on his main priority.
it takes him a moment or two to adjust his head to account for her eagerness, noses bumping into each other before he can sort out how exactly to tilt his head. this kiss is less chaste than the last; still not bordering on outright making out just yet -- the press of his lips soft and non-demanding. he's willing to match whatever she feels like she wants, however, and if she wants more, well. he can happily provide it.
but for now he's just content to kiss like this, with her as close as she is. )
[She supposes, in the back of her mind, that Ivan's experience is probably helping curl her toes right now, too. Elizabeth feels just slightly awkward, wondering if she should be moving or doing anything aside from hanging off of Ivan's shoulders. She wants to do more, definitely. She feels like she wants more, she just doesn't know how to get more. Or what more is short of... well. Something that would require a bed and privacy. But that's a leap she can't see herself making, not yet.]
[But more kissing, yes. Elizabeth combs her fingers through Ivan's hair too, and presses against his lips just a little more before pulling away again and asking, breathless--]
( he leans in to kiss her again, only there's a flurry of movement on the shelves. his attention grabbed, it registers that there are two kittens staring down at him.
judgmentally, he feels. he is being judged by cats. )
Er, Elizabeth--
( he says, mouth an inch from her's but eyes on the kittens. robbie and rosie, wasn't it? )
Hmmm~? [Elizabeth smiles, eyes closed, infinitely pleased with the turn her afternoon has taken. She's over the moon, pleased as punch, happy as a June bug...]
[...why aren't they kissing?]
[The ginger kittens, one on either side of Elizabeth, sit properly on the shelf watching Ivan. One of them seems to be lashing his tail in irritation.]
[Elizabeth opens her eyes and turns to follow Ivan's line of sight.] Oh-- they've taken up residence here, apparently. I call them Robbie and Rosie, after twins I knew before I came here. [She grins and leans in again, clearly not bothered that her cats are watching her kiss a boy.]
( ivan's a bit distracted by the opportunity to kiss elizabeth, which he does, gladly, but then pauses in the middle of it.
he doesn't like cats on a good day, and especially not when he feels like they're evaluating his worth and ability to kiss properly. )
Elizabeth. ( he says, not at all plaintively as he holds her close. he has to pull away from her slightly, but his lips press against her temple in a gesture of affection -- it's not her, it's the kittens. ) I don't think they like me.
( how can he tell? he doesn't know. but he just gets that feeling. )
[Elizabeth frowns and arches her eyebrow as Ivan kisses her temple and complains about her cats. Weren't they just kissing? It had been so good, they were kittens...]
Ivan, they probably think the same of you as they do of anybody else who comes in here. [She reassures him, putting her fingertips to Ivan's jaw and stretching up to kiss him again.]
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[...yes, she blushes and giggles and rolls against the shelf a little after sending that. Ivan's coming to visit her, even after a terrible first date.]
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But we'll say a half an hour at most.
( he's sending this with a stupid grin on his face as well, halfway out of his office towards the kitchen already. food research is something he excels at, however, and hopefully there'll be something decent snack-wise there for him to abscond with. )
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[Not really, no, she'll just be doing her job, shelving books, listening very intently for someone entering the library...]
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Elizabeth?
( he calls, as soon as he enters, bearing the tray like a grand gift. )
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[Elizabeth calls, sounding a little panicked. She really needs someone taller to help her shelve things in the library. Somehow she's managed to slide some heavy-looking encyclopedias off the top shelf and she's holding them back from falling on her. But she's too short to push them back onto the shelf.]
Help...?!
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which leads him leaning over elizabeth. ah. right. this is fine, he thinks, grinning down at her while he swallows something in his throat. he's got this. )
Hey.
( smooth, vorpatril. )
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Hey.
[Smooth, DeWitt.]
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( he says, but doesn't make any attempt to move if she doesn't want to. instead the free hand that isn't supporting him over her hovers slightly over her shoulder, brushing the still-short ends of her hair. he misses the length sometimes, but the short frames her face in a way that makes it impossible not to notice how beautiful she is.
a bit of the grin dims into something more sincere and less blinding. )
You doing okay?
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[Him playing with her hair is nice. Elizabeth's face is going bright pink as Ivan piles one thing on top of another-- closeness, little touches, and pastries.]
I'm okay. My stomach is still not my best friend but... [She giggles a little.] Okay. How about you?
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anyway. the flush is good, blushing is good if she doesn't look uncomfortable, and ivan settles his hand on her shoulder, emboldened. but his grip isn't too hard, easy to shrug off. )
I'm good. ( he's always good. ) So-- I can still come with flowers, if you want. Later.
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Sure. Anytime you want. These doors are always open for you.
So! [She's oozing nerves, she's fidgeting.] Not much of a hangover?
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( what's he supposed to do with an open door policy in a library if it's not to see elizabeth? ivan doesn't know.
that's allowed, elizabeth, even as his hand slides down her arm with a slight, encouraging tug to bring her a bit closer to him. her hopes that's allowed, considering that she hadn't been about to duck away. ivan does have to admit the fidgeting is horrifically, terribly endearing -- he's not used to it. most women he's dated know what they want, know how to get it. sure, they giggle when he smiles at them or makes them laugh, but it's just not the same. )
I think the maple mead hangover I had a few months ago was enough to make me immune. ( a smaller smile, and he takes her hand in his, running his thumb over her knuckles idly in an attempt to soothe her nerves. he's on steadier ground here, but still manages to pick his way across it carefully. ) You don't have to say yes, of course, but I was also wondering if you were still interested in practicing. You said you wanted to, before.
( practicing things like kissing. with him! that's the important part here, after all. and it doesn't have to be right now, no matter what ivan wants. )
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[Elizabeth's face goes even pinker, if possible. Kissing. Practicing kissing. It's coming back to her through the fog of alcohol and illness.]
[She smiles, shy with just a hint of coy thrown in, and nods.]
Yes, I want to practice with you. [First kiss in a library, this is clearly her life and nobody else's. She squeezes Ivan's hand back, taking a deep breath and squaring her shoulders.]
Alright, walk me through it, Vorpatril. I'll pick it up quick.
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( he doesn't feel like he's feeding her ego by telling her so like he would miles. everyone else brilliant he knows are well aware of that fact; the entire planet is aware of just how smart the rest of his family is. except for the part where they keep putting themselves in great positions to get blown to hell and back. ivan first kisses her hand like he did back when they first met -- grinning despite himself.
kissing! elizabeth!!
maybe the execution was a lot less smooth than he was capable of it, but she's smiling at him and that's enough. dropping her hand, he comes up to tilt her head back, thumb at her chin. the kiss he gives her isn't demanding or deep, just a surprisingly chaste press of his lips against her's. start small, he figures, there's no point to diving in. they can work up to that at her own pace. )
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[The saving grace is, of course, that Ivan is experienced and knows what to do. Elizabeth only holds still and lets him guide the proceedings. But it's almost electric when she finally processes what's happening.]
[Ivan's kissing her. In her shelves. And it feels amazing. Little twinges are going off in her shoulders and stomach as she takes in the soft and warm sensation of Ivan's lips on hers. It's gentle, no doubt because he knows she's nervous and cares about not scaring her. It's perfect that she doesn't have to say anything, that he just knows to be careful of her comfort zones.]
[But this is obviously an area where the safety gates can come down. Elizabeth pulls back to breathe.] Wow... [She's definitely dazed.] Can we... one more time?
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her lips are soft, skin warm under his hands -- he couldn't ask for a better person to kiss or a place to kiss him at this very moment. and her reaction only encourages him; the grin he gives her is blinding. )
Sure. But, uh-- let me-- ( he cups the side of her face with one hand, the other going down to settle at her waist and pulling her close so that she's more flush to his chest. he has to bend down somewhat to kiss her again, but he doesn't-- not yet. ) This is probably a bit easier -- you can put your arms around my neck if you want.
( or anywhere, he doesn't mind. )
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Alright-- [She stretches up, very much in a hurry to kiss Ivan again. Elizabeth is far from experienced, but she makes up for that with enthusiasm, apparently.]
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it takes him a moment or two to adjust his head to account for her eagerness, noses bumping into each other before he can sort out how exactly to tilt his head. this kiss is less chaste than the last; still not bordering on outright making out just yet -- the press of his lips soft and non-demanding. he's willing to match whatever she feels like she wants, however, and if she wants more, well. he can happily provide it.
but for now he's just content to kiss like this, with her as close as she is. )
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[But more kissing, yes. Elizabeth combs her fingers through Ivan's hair too, and presses against his lips just a little more before pulling away again and asking, breathless--]
Is that alright?
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( he leans in to kiss her again, only there's a flurry of movement on the shelves. his attention grabbed, it registers that there are two kittens staring down at him.
judgmentally, he feels. he is being judged by cats. )
Er, Elizabeth--
( he says, mouth an inch from her's but eyes on the kittens. robbie and rosie, wasn't it? )
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[...why aren't they kissing?]
[The ginger kittens, one on either side of Elizabeth, sit properly on the shelf watching Ivan. One of them seems to be lashing his tail in irritation.]
[Elizabeth opens her eyes and turns to follow Ivan's line of sight.] Oh-- they've taken up residence here, apparently. I call them Robbie and Rosie, after twins I knew before I came here. [She grins and leans in again, clearly not bothered that her cats are watching her kiss a boy.]
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he doesn't like cats on a good day, and especially not when he feels like they're evaluating his worth and ability to kiss properly. )
Elizabeth. ( he says, not at all plaintively as he holds her close. he has to pull away from her slightly, but his lips press against her temple in a gesture of affection -- it's not her, it's the kittens. ) I don't think they like me.
( how can he tell? he doesn't know. but he just gets that feeling. )
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Ivan, they probably think the same of you as they do of anybody else who comes in here. [She reassures him, putting her fingertips to Ivan's jaw and stretching up to kiss him again.]
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