midnightstar

And just like the strike of midnight for cinderella, the spell was shattered by the cheshire cat like maid. Wait that was mixing up the fairy tales wasn't it? Oh to hell with it. Bottom line was Alisa had detached herself from his proximity so fast he almost had to wonder if she hadn't instinctively used an art to pull it off.

Rean cleared his throat with a cough in his fist before he stood up and rolled his shoulder a bit. Anything to distract him from that faint frustration in his heart at being interrupted at the best moment.

Another thing to ponder - how the heck did Sharon set the table and put the food out WITHOUT THEM NOTICING. They must have really been caught up in the vortex of their conversation and feelings.

"Please have a seat Master Rean, my lady." Sharon didn't even miss a beat, pulling out a chair for the latter, who still hadn't regained her normal coloration. "I made plenty for the both of you. It's been quite since time since you've had my cooking, Master Rean. I'm sure you're starving."

Starving for attention maybe, and that was definitely an unsubtle glance at Alisa for Rean to see too. Being that Sharon was behind Alisa at the time, the blonde missed it completely. "Allow me to fetch the drinks."

That was actually a very very good point. How on earth did she achieve such a feat?! Sharon's skills were legendary but this just deffied all conceivable reason. It wasn't even a simple meal that had been prepared. It was a full course feast for two!

"ahahah yes you would be right. Thank you Sharon!" rean answered with a nod just as he took his seat close to Alisa's side. More exactly close enough for her to start feeding him herself if she pushed through her own shyness.

Sharon was too good. And the food smelled marvelous.

Alisa's smile warmed when Rean sat closer to her, glancing at him for a moment before turning her attention to the table.

There was a silver bowl with fresh lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers and small perfectly cut pieces of grilled chicken at the center of the table and several plates that surrounded it, each covering multiple types of food - a fish dish grilled to a crisp golden brown on a leaf of lettuce with a slice of lemon on the side, another plate with a thick juicy sirloin steak, some small cups of gravy, a steaming bowl of long noodles with thin cuts of beef mixed in.

"Sharon... how did you make all of this in such a short time? Weren't you supposed to bring those reports to Mother?" Alisa asked, stunned at the feast before them.

"Already done, my lady~!" Sharon beamed.

" Everything looks so good it almost feels like it would be a shame to start eating it!" Rean praised the feast laid out before himself and Alisa. Of course his praise idnd't feel as genuine since the next moment a very incriminating growl rumbled out of his stomach. Rean was understandably every very hungry indeed eeing as he had been intending to eat on the train before thing had culminated into this singular moment.

"I know," Alisa agreed, "Everything looks so good - you've really outdone yourself Sharon."

"It is the least I could do to celebrate seeing Master Rean after so long." Sharon beamed, pleased by the priase, only to chuckle at the sound of the hungry growl from Rean's poor ignored tummy. "There is plenty there, if you would like seconds. Please help yourselves!~"

"Thank you, Sharon." Alisa seemed to have forgotten the embarrassment rather quickly with the sight of this minibanquet. She picks up her plate and starts filling it with little bits of everything, while Sharon turned as she had said, to fetch the drinks. She won't be long~!

"Thank you very much Sharon." Rean nodded with a genuine smile this time. Such a simple affair was sso utterly relaxing. A glimpse of simpler days. Only way it could be any more perfect would be if the rest of the class were there as well.

Still he couldn't complain really when he had Alisa by his side like this. He quickly followed her example though, stuffing his plate wiht a wide variety of foods before starting to tuck in outright. Turned out he was much hungrier than he had initially realized too.

The way he was loading his plate up it seemed like he hasn't eaten in weeks! Alisa watched Rean for a few minutes, wondering if he was even feeding himself properly back in Trista, with all the stress and battles he's been involved in.

Before she could say anything, though, Sharon emerged again, this time with a fresh pot of coffee, which she poured for Rean, then placed another cup of tea for Alisa. "There. Now I'll go and run a nice hot bath for you, Master Rean. I'm sure you'd like to wash off all of that travel dirt. I'll clean up your clothes as well." There may be a trap in her dialogue somewhere. Maybe.

Well Alisa would do well to remember the kind of food the imperial army served. Compared to that spartan level of cuisine, the meal Sharon had prepared was nothing short of a king's feast.

He barely even registered what Sharon told him after that. Something about a bath. Still he nodded in acknowledgement before focusing entirely on filling his poor mistreated stomach. Not to say he forgot his table manners despite his hunger but the food was disappearing at a very quick pace from his place.

.. fair point. Alisa would like to never have to taste food so bland and dry and ... ugh. Ever. Again. How Major Neithardt managed to choke that stuff down she never knew. He was a strong man, for sure.

Unfortunately for Rean, Alisa missed Sharon's comment as well, eating her own meal with gusto- even though she was treated to Sharon's cooking regularly (more or less anyway), she would never pass up a fresh cooked meal. She was also careful not to mention anything about the product that she was going to show Rean - that she wanted to be a surprise.

Sharon, pleased at the healthy appetites from the couple, turned and silently stepped away to prepare the bath as she had said. Tum de tum~ ♥

Honestly providing the ingredients were available, Rean would often cook his own meals. After all his time with his class had turned him into a fairly decent cook. Even then though he was still absolutely no match for Sharon's cooking skills so it was easy for him to get completely absorbed in feasting himself on such fine cuisine.

It was a good thing that Alisa still remembered the product since that part of the reason she had even invited him had completely left his mind due to the joy of being reunited with his beloveed Alisa. Really he could be forgiven for allowing that vague detail to just slip his mind completely.

Hopefully shenanigans with the maid's trolling don't interrupt her plans to reveal said new product - because being with Rean was more than enough reason to forget everything else going on in the world for a short while.

"Mmm, Sharon's cooking gets better and better everytime I taste it," Alisa admitted, picking up her cup of tea to slow her suddenly voracious appetite. She felt like she was getting fat just LOOKING at everything.

It was probably best to not get her hopes up about a peaceful evening free of trolling. Frankly though Rean would stil be happy for anything with Alisa even if teasing came before or after it. That kind of normalcy was like healing balm's to his heart and soul and only now did he even begin to realise how much he'd yearned for this kind of moments. Hopefully this wouldn't end up coming back to bite him in the future since it was hardly like he could stop by whenever he wanted. He could never imposse like that. This impromptu pit stop had been just a series of fortunate circumstances after all.

"I believe you. If only my cooking could be half as good as hers." He agreed with a nod taking a moment to breathe before he returned to the latter part of his personal feast.

"Haha, I know, I feel the same way. Although ... I think my cooking has gotten a -little- better recently..." Imagining cooking for Rean when no one was around was a GREAT motivator. After all Sharon was going to end up heading back to check on her mother eventually, and that would give them a few hours to...

erm. Eat.

Cooking.

"Really? Maybe you can show me sometime then." Curse him and his ability to speak of such personal things without so much as blinking while keeping the heavier feeling in his heard chained up and sealed away from anyone else but himself.

Too late now and not like he would want to take back those words anyway so oh well.

Hearing him say that so -casually-, Alisa almost choked on the dish of noodles she'd been tucking into. Instead she made a soft noise that could be distress, embarrassment or simply Alisa being Alisa.

"O-oh...! I'd.. I'd like that..." To make something for Rean - oh she'd hold herself to the highest of standards to make sure he enjoyed what she made.

it was probably all of those things knowing her. Frankly if he was a little more aware of it he might have even tried to get that kind of reaction out of her on purpose just because how cute Alisa was at those times.

"I'll look forward to it then. Your homecooking."

Look, Alisa swoons just from a headpet - heck, just from one of his heartbreaking smiles - as is, have mercy, Rean!
"W-well, maybe I'll make you something this weekend~!" Then realizing how that sounds, she coughed into her hand, "I-I mean, since Sharon will be helping mother in Heimdallr, she won't be here to cook all the time."

"Did you call me, my lady?" Sharon chirped as she emerged from the back, where the bathroom was.

Alisa shook her head quickly, "No no, I was just telling Rean that um... you wouldn't be here all the time while.... while we were here ..."

"Ah, yes, that's true, the two of you will be a l l alone." Sharon just. Smiiiiiiled. "Of course if you feel nervous about such a ...risky...situation being a l o n e with Master Rean... just the two of you...and no one else~," did she really have to emphasize it that much? "Then I would be more than happy to stay by your side, my lady. Although I personally think you have nothing to worry about. I'm sure Master Rean is still a perfect gentleman, isn't that right Master Rean?"

He still doesn't see what's so amazing about something as normal as headpatting. But it seems every gril either gets upset over it or loves it. Alisa seemed to do a bit of both but oh well.

Sharon returned right on cue seemingly out of nowhere at hte mere mention of her name. There was no way anyone could possibly miss that huge cheshire cat like grin on her lips as she recounted how both Rean and Alisa would have all of this penthouse all to themselves. Something about the way she said it though was making Rean's face light up as well and as such he was not prepared for when she addressed him driectly again.

"O-Of course."

Sharon didn't -really- think they would do anything irresponsible, but BOY was it fun to tease them. Ah young love~~~

Alisa sputtered for several minutes, trying very hard NOT to look at Rean, and instead huffed at Sharon. "Sha-Sharon what do you take us for! We're both responsible adults a-and Rean..." She glanced at him for a second, then back to Sharon immediately afterwards, "R-Rean wouldn't do anything like that...!"

Never mind that she would -love- to spend a quiet evening with him just cuddled up in his arms. Anything more than that..a..h...she--she was definitely not ready to take a step like that and she didn't think he was either! They've only just reunited after so long.

On the other hand, she ...didn't think he'd mind if they got..a *little* closer...

"Of course, you're right. I'm terribly sorry Lady Alisa." Sharon didn't sound very sorry though, she was just amused. She glanced over at Rean, "When you're ready, the bath is ready, Master Rean." It'll be kept nice and warm and she'll be cheerfully standing by when he least expected it to embarrass him some more.

Do anything most definitely not. Imagine or dream about it from now on if this teasing continued to pile on relentlessly? Not so unlikely. Though getting to actually cuddle with Alisa after the fact would probably lead Rean to pinch himself at some point because since when did something that wonderful happen to him in the waking world.

"U-Understood. Thank you very much Sharon." Oh how blind he was to her nefarious schemes.

Edited 2018-02-25 00:48 (UTC)

In all fairness, the affection would help Alisa as much as Rean - she'd be able to remember that moment of pure heaven and motivate herself to keep at her goal. Once the company was secure enough that she wouldn't have to watch it as closely, she would be a little more free. Just a bit.

Alisa gave Sharon a suspicious look, but Sharon only smiled pleasantly at the pair, padding over to the table to clear the plates that had been eaten clean. "I hope you enjoyed yourselves~. I'll prepare a nice dessert for you after your bath, Master Rean. Lady Alisa, I'll be going to your mother and grandfather soon if there is anything you wish for me to pass on to them." She's more than certain she'll be needed for a little while, and this was a fun secret to keep.

"No, it's fine, thank you Sharon." Alisa sighed. Honestly the woman made her -tired- sometimes!

They would simply have to overcome that leap of faith when it came to being that openly affectionate with each other again. That being said a bath after such a satisfying meal definitely sounded like just the bit of heaven he needed about now.

"Thank you again Sharon for you impecable care and services." Rean said with a relieved if a little nostalgic smile. Honestly this kind of interraction trolling and banter included was something he wished could go on forever.

They're just going to have to kidnap Rean to Nord and hide there forever. Perfect little hideaway, grandfather could help her mother with the company and Alisa and Rean could just live there in the peace and beauty of the Highlands.

Sharon smiled brightly at Rean, "It's the least that I can do for someone so important to my lady, Master Rean. And you yourself are someone dear to my heart." See Alisa, it was easy for Sharon to say something like that!

Alisa is actually a little jealous that Sharon said it so naturally - she wasn't even trolling that much with that statement. Alisa sighed, picking up her cup to take a sip.

Sharon glanced at Alisa out of the corner of her eye, counted silently and then smiled to Rean. "Would you like me to help you disrobe, Master Rean?"

Alisa has a VERY hard time not spitting the tea out across the table at that. That would not be ladylike - but Alisa wouldn't particularly care.

Oh how tempting that would be. If only his asshole of a father did not run the intelligence agency of the empire when the closest thing to a human computer was also in charge of overseeing it.

The fact that Sharon was not trolling with the first statement all that much made the color in his cheeks that much brighter as he tried to find a reply. Luckily that went all out the window when she proposed something absolutely PREPOSTEROUS!

"Nonononononono I'll be just fine!"

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