midnightstar | Shionne and Alphen in Menancia

He noticed but he also had started to associate that with her not answering his question no matter what if he kept pushing when she made that kind of face.

"Really. You always say that even when there IS something. But fine." He said and relented as he leaned back to sit properly again though still not leaving her side.

Shionne let out a long sigh of a mix of relief and frustration, "Talking with you is so stressful.." she huffed. STressful, but she wouldn't pass it up for anything in the world.

For lack of being able to really hold anything.. the way she wanted anyway.. she grabbed for her pillow to hug it to her chest. It was a poor replacement for Alphen b-- whoa. Where did that thought come from?

"Well I'm not sure if I should apologize for that." Since it was frustrating for him too but just like Shionne he didn't want to stop. Not because she had some amazing worldly wisdom about the wider world. If anything it seemed she didn't know THAT much more than he did given she had lift on Lenegis.

He just...liked talking with her. No other reason than that.

"I don't think you should.." Shionne suggested after a moment. "Especially if you don't know why you'd be apologizing. But in this case.. you don't really have anything to apologize for. It's just..." She paused, debating on whether or not to finish that sentence.

It's going to be so nice the day she can actually finish sentences like that around him. Even if it won't always be positive. Still he knows not to put pressure on her more than he already has. Instead he leans a little further back on the bed.

"Then I won't. Probably best to save that for when I really do mess up." Since he was most likely going to do that from time to time in his ignorance so saying he was sorry all the time would cheapen the act anyway.

It WOULD be a nice day when she could bring herself to say those kinda things. "I don't think that day will ever come," Shionne smirked faintly, shifting to watch him as he leaned back that little bit of space.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence." Alphen chuckled but deep down he'd rather have that for a rainy day than really mess up. Even so he was feeling content just spending the next few moments in comfortable silence, his eyes often wandering back over Shionne, admiring her from his angle.

She leaned against the wall by the window, looking outside absently -b ut she could feel him looking at her. Eventually she glanced over at him with an embarrassed laugh, "What is it?"

Was it her imagination that he was looking at her? Why did she have such odd thoughts in her head when it came to him?

Sometimes being dense was truly a double edged sword. Because he ends up answering with things he did not want known.

"I was just remembering the day we went into that ruin to get you this dress."

Shionne paused, then frowned slightly. "I remember. You stared at me then too . . although your mask wasn't broken in half then." She kind of wished she could have seen his face then though. "I know it's not exactly trendy, but I told you, I have to make do with what we had th en." She glanced away with a huff. To think he'd bring THAT up now.

"Haha believe me I wasn't thinking anything like it not being trendy." More truths slip through his fingers and up to his lips as he chuckles at the memory. A memory he's absolutely never going to forget. It was the moment he thought truly, 'what a beauty.'

Omy. Shionne tilted her head, "..well, what -were- you thinking then?" Come to think of it, he didn't answer her back then either. She couldn't even be mad about it, since they both had things they weren't able to tell each other.

"Ah! Uhm well that's uh..." Alphen stumbled his face growing redder as he looked away and scratched at his cheek. Obviously flustered but no less confusing to Shionne most likely.

Shionne smirked at him, "Haha, and that was the same reaction you had back then too." She straightened, "But i suppose... if it's not anything bad, I don't need to know right now." She glanced over to the door, "Should we check if dinner is ready yet?"

That smirk and attitude. Dammit why did he find those things about her so damn beautiful. Still it seemed she had figured out just enough to not corner him for an actual answer so Alphen let out a faint sigh of relief.

"Sounds like a good idea to me."

Shionne got to her feet, letting her hand linger against his as long as possible before drawing away, watching him for a few seconds, before turning and padding towards the door. They'd been left alone long enough that food should be prepared - there's a mix of expressions on the faces of their companions when Shionne opened the door.

Suspicion from Rinwell, clueless cheer from Law, Amusement from Dohalim and a calm smile from Kisara. Shionne however, didn't expect to see a matching squint from Hootle, putting a hand to her mouth to stifle a laugh. Kisara glanced questioningly at Shionne, and then turned to Alphen. "I was just about to get you. We finished preparing dinner if you're hungry."

Shionne felt like she was always hungry, though that was mostly thanks to the thorns. "Sure, sounds great." She agreed, relieved for something -familiar- outside of the awkward, new and slightly inconveneint feelings that she kept having when she was with Alphen.

Alphen didn't pick up on as many of the looks though he did tilt his head a little at Hootle's expression. Usually he saw those kind of looks sent Law's way whenever he was being stupid about anything Rinwell related so he wasn't sure why he was getting it now. Then again unlike with the king of the owls he wasn't as adept at deciphering Hootle's meaning.

"So what's for dinner?" He decided to add on top of Shionne's answer as he followed everyone to the table.

"Beef Stew and steamed potatoes." Kisara smiled, watching Shionne beeline for the stew - of course by now Law and Rinwell knew better than to challenge Shionne for first serving, and Dohalim was under the impression still that someone would serve him. So he looked confused at first, as Shionne helped herself eagerly, though she found herself looking for Alphen.

Once she had her generous helping, she moved to a spot safely away from everyone else, though she was giving Alphen subtle glances. Or not so subtle. Kisara certainly noticed, and seemed bemused, "Is everything all right? You were in there for some time, the both of you."

Honestly seeing her so happy to eat put a faint smile on Alphen's face. At first it had been strained due to the sheer volume she could pack away per mealtime but now it was just something he had grown accustomed to and if she ate any less it would be cause for concern if anything.

He looked up at Kisara and shook his head.

"Everything is fine. We just talked about some things." He was not going to say what those things were since they were private affairs for Shionne and they had already decided she would be the one to tell them when the time was right for her.

He filled up his own plate of food before heading over to sit next to Shionne as if that was always his place.

Kisara nodded, moving to take her seat, careful to make sure there was a spot for Alphen closest to Shionne. "Then since the rain is stopping, we'll be on our way soon?"

Shionne nodded to Kisara, "Yes, there's no point in staying here any longer than we have to." Seeing Alphen move to sit over near her though, she scooted away a bit, whispering to him, "Don't sit so close..!" Surely that was just because of the thorns though. Or that and him being close just wrecked havoc on her.

"Sounds good. I think everyone's had a good chance to rest thanks to the weather so we should be good to go even harder than before." Unknowing that they were going to get absolutely demolished by a certain Lord.

"Oh? I thought you wanted me to with all the looks you were giving me." Alphen raised an eyebrow as he whispered back. After all why else would she give him those kind of looks.

They should enjoy the joking and fun times now, because they had some very grey skies in their future. Figuratively and literally. "We do have a lot of ground to make up." And Shionne hadn't slept much the last few days, from worrying.

She blushed fiercely at Alphen's response, leaning towards him, "I haven't given you any looks..!" She whispered back.

Honestly if she wanted people to not get the 'wrong' idea, she probably shouldn't be leaning so intimately close, whispering to him like this...

"I easily counted three times you were looking my way when I was talking to Kisara." Three times during such a short conversation no less. Very telling indeed. Still he had been keeping count of that...oh gods he had been keeping count.

As for how things looked to the outside...Alphen saw no issue in the slightest. He was closer to Shionne now. Was that something to be ashamed of? Certainly not in his book.

"W.. Why were you keeping count? A-anyway, you're mistaken... besides that's way more than how many times I looked at you. And I didn't look at you anyway -" Wait, did she or didn't she? Now she's getting confused by her own flustered defense. "I was looking at... at Hootle!" Who was in a totally different direction and nowhere near Alphen, but... surely he wouldn't call her out on that... right?

She did realize EVERYONE could see her getting flustered like that right? As for Alphen he could have easily called her out but seeing her react like that actually...amused him to an extent so he just chuckled in response without agreeing to her words.

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