She really was terribly alluring. Eleven was almost sure she could talk him in or out of most anything if she just kissed him like this. He met her kiss wetly, thrilling in the touch of her tongue to his. The banked desire from before threatened to return far more readily this time.
He broke off from her mouth with a sharp, wet sound.
"I.. uh, if you want to go, we probably should now."
Breathing raggedly all over again when he broke away she nodded, aware that she was steps away from bringing them against the wall at her back to spend the rest of the evening feeling him pressed against her.
"Yes," she shook her head as if to clear it and gave him another nod, confirming. "You're very right," detangling herself from him again was almost as saddening as it had been in the gondola, but they needed to get ahold of themselves and make it to the surface.
Distracting herself from kissing him again she pushed her hair back, resolving to give up and just braid it once they got up into the light of the street. "We should absolutely go, but," she grinned dazedly, tilting her chin up at him. "Merlin's beard, you're really something else."
He let her go and stepped back with a hard breath, dragging a hand across his mouth like it might help erase the memory of her lips and thus, temptation.
Eleven caught her eyes with a sheepish grin, inordinately pleased with himself.
"Just following your example," he admitted, smoothing his hand down his front again. "Certainly was an inspiring one."
"My example? I just talk rubbish," she smoothed down the front of her dress again with a little sigh, wondering if she was ever going to get rid of the tiny creases in her skirts left behind from being crushed up against him.
"You however seem to be taking to being rather dashing," her eyes narrowed at him in the dim light and she grinned, leaning in just enough to bump her hip against his playfully before hurrying past to get up the stairs.
The sooner they reached the street, the sooner she would get to stop wondering whether or not they ever would.
A pleasant heat washed over him, grinning to himself in the dark for a moment before he took up to follow after her.
As expected, the evening air proved wonderfully refreshing; a reminder that there was more to the world than being pressed up against Lily, as wonderful as that had been. Eleven hummed a pleased note, bright with energy like he could swim the length of the canal or race all the way back to the palace without too much trouble.
It wasn't until he looked at Lily that he recalled what they probably looked like, and fidgeted as that energy morphed to nerves. Naturally, she wasn't looking any more put together now.
Eleven laughed to himself. "Seems even I'm faring better than Macaluso is."
As they reached the top of the stairs and the first cool brush of night air hit her Lily finished plaiting her hair in a thick braid before she fished the mask she had been wearing when they met by the canal out of her pocket. Frowning a touch at its rumpled state she gave it a shake before pulling it on over her eyes.
Laughing at his remark Lily gave her dress one more smoothing over before she stepped closer to him and took his arm. "I think we wouldn't be the first two people to walk down these streets after falling into a bit of, er," she tilted her head to the side.
"Quality time." Quality did not do it justice as a description.
Eleven took a moment to secure his own mask and gave her a grin as she took his arm. 'Quality time', indeed. At least here, away from the palace, they could easily look the part of an ordinary young couple.
And there was something wonderful about how she held onto him; a thrill that she'd choose to stay this close to him in public as though announcing they were together. Quiet elation welled up in his chest as they walked.
"That was fun," he sighed, smiling and content. "And a drink sounds wonderful."
Slowly getting her bearings and coming to her senses again Lily looked around at the various stalls dotting the street. They would still have to be mindful of their surroundings, but if they were discrete there was no reason this couldn't be just a night out together for a typical young couple.
Thinking the word made the tops of her ears grow warm and cast a quick sideways glance in his direction. Maybe at some point she would broach the topic of how obviously more than friends they had become in such a short span of time, but not yet.
Tonight had already gotten off to a wonderful start, there was no reason to do anything but continue to enjoy it, and him.
"Up ahead around the next corner there's a tavern we're likely to blend into," she glanced around as the crowd thinned biding her time before kissing his cheek quickly when she was certain no one was looking.
Warmth spread through is face- this time, not the self-conscious sort, but rather pleased and happy for the simple display of affection. Eleven turned a fond smile on her, then glanced ahead to follow her direction.
The tavern itself was easy to pinpoint after a too-loud laugh sounded from inside. He veered them toward it and led them in.
Busy but not overly crowded, Eleven swiftly found them a table with his only regret being that he had to sit across from Lily rather than settle next to her. Still, it was far from a terrible thing to have to look at her for the rest of the night. He could hardly keep the smile off his face.
"Ale?" he asked, "Or would a fine wine better suit?"
Lily couldn't help but feel just the slightest twinge of disappointment at the arrangement of the seats at the table they claimed, though once she settled in her chair, stretching her legs out so that one of hers rested comfortably against one of his, she supposed it wasn't that bad.
That they had barely left the tunnel and she found herself missing that closeness made her stomach flutter, and she smiled at him, cocking her head to the side as she considered the question.
"Ale, it reminds me of the stuff in the pubs back home, and I think wine makes me far too cheeky." Raising her eyebrows at him her nose wrinkled amusedly. He would know.
"Ale it is." Levering himself up to stand, he wove his way up to the bar. A span of minutes later, he returned with twin tankards and set one in front of her as he settled back in.
His fingers wrapped around the handle, then flexed indecisively. He smiled.
Looking after Eleven as he went, Lily smiled to herself before sitting back in her chair. While she waited she looked around the tavern comforted by the sight of patrons who mostly appeared too engrossed in their comings and goings to notice the two of them. It was a relief - she wanted to enjoy their night together, not spend it looking over her shoulder and thinking of progressively more discrete places to go.
Then again, the alcove had been lovely.
Just as she let her thoughts drift back to El's gondola he returned. Straightening up in her seat she smiled at him innocently, hoping the look on her face didn't betray the direction her mind had gone without him.
Lifting her tankard and having a drink she tilted her head approvingly before his words made her return her attention to him, a crooked grin on her face.
"Celebrate?" Something about it struck her as terribly flattering, that anyone should be that pleased to have gotten close to her was a very charming thought. Feeling her face grow warm she took another sip of ale before shaking her head at him, her cheeks pink.
"It's just me El, same as ever." Which was both true and not true, but Lily always floundered when it came to receiving sincere compliments from people she especially liked.
Eleven took a long draught of his ale and let the wash of alcohol settle pleasantly over his tongue. He shook his head.
"You're wonderful," he insisted in a repeat of words spoken earlier in dimmer lighting. His legs laxed under the table to brush close to hers this time.
His voice softened. "You've become a source of great comfort to me. It means a lot in a place like this."
Holding her tankard up as a shield between them she turned her face to the side, wishing she had let her messy hair down. It looked a sight but at least then she could have hidden from him while growing progressively redder in the face.
She stretched beneath the table in response, her knee nudging his before settling her legs against his.
"Having someone that I trust like I trust you has made me feel so much more at ease about this place, I'm happy that I've gotten to know you like I have," Lily laughed nervously. "All the ways I've gotten to know you have been remarkable."
His pleased satisfaction was short-lived, coloring himself as he went to take another drink.
All the ways. He sipped his ale and tried not to think about it too much. But trust. She trusted him. That was an honor enough itself.
"I'm glad," he said finally, eyes dropping to the table over a faintly embarrassed smile. "It's nice to find someone else that values kindness and compassion."
"It's nice to know someone who makes you very happy and helps you feel safer in a strange, dangerous place like this one." Lily spared a glance around them before she reached across the table with her free hand, catching his to squeeze it briefly.
"Should we drink to something then? Since I think we celebrated a fair bit earlier."
Eleven's heart tumbled through his chest. He well understood the importance of having someone to rely on in a dark, foreign world- having needed and found such presences twice over, now. If he could be that for Lily without the complication of navigating uncertainty..
He returned her gesture with a soft slip of a smile, then held his ale aloft.
"I'll drink to the lights holding through the darkness."
Just as the color on her face had begun to dim, the toast he offered made her turn red beneath her freckles all over again. She gave him a bashful smile, bringing her tankard to her lips before pausing to tip it in his direction.
"I'll drink to that, and to your company," she said before taking a drink, her leg bumping his affectionately beneath the table.
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He broke off from her mouth with a sharp, wet sound.
"I.. uh, if you want to go, we probably should now."
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"Yes," she shook her head as if to clear it and gave him another nod, confirming. "You're very right," detangling herself from him again was almost as saddening as it had been in the gondola, but they needed to get ahold of themselves and make it to the surface.
Distracting herself from kissing him again she pushed her hair back, resolving to give up and just braid it once they got up into the light of the street. "We should absolutely go, but," she grinned dazedly, tilting her chin up at him. "Merlin's beard, you're really something else."
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Eleven caught her eyes with a sheepish grin, inordinately pleased with himself.
"Just following your example," he admitted, smoothing his hand down his front again. "Certainly was an inspiring one."
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"You however seem to be taking to being rather dashing," her eyes narrowed at him in the dim light and she grinned, leaning in just enough to bump her hip against his playfully before hurrying past to get up the stairs.
The sooner they reached the street, the sooner she would get to stop wondering whether or not they ever would.
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A pleasant heat washed over him, grinning to himself in the dark for a moment before he took up to follow after her.
As expected, the evening air proved wonderfully refreshing; a reminder that there was more to the world than being pressed up against Lily, as wonderful as that had been. Eleven hummed a pleased note, bright with energy like he could swim the length of the canal or race all the way back to the palace without too much trouble.
It wasn't until he looked at Lily that he recalled what they probably looked like, and fidgeted as that energy morphed to nerves. Naturally, she wasn't looking any more put together now.
Eleven laughed to himself. "Seems even I'm faring better than Macaluso is."
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Laughing at his remark Lily gave her dress one more smoothing over before she stepped closer to him and took his arm. "I think we wouldn't be the first two people to walk down these streets after falling into a bit of, er," she tilted her head to the side.
"Quality time." Quality did not do it justice as a description.
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And there was something wonderful about how she held onto him; a thrill that she'd choose to stay this close to him in public as though announcing they were together. Quiet elation welled up in his chest as they walked.
"That was fun," he sighed, smiling and content. "And a drink sounds wonderful."
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Thinking the word made the tops of her ears grow warm and cast a quick sideways glance in his direction. Maybe at some point she would broach the topic of how obviously more than friends they had become in such a short span of time, but not yet.
Tonight had already gotten off to a wonderful start, there was no reason to do anything but continue to enjoy it, and him.
"Up ahead around the next corner there's a tavern we're likely to blend into," she glanced around as the crowd thinned biding her time before kissing his cheek quickly when she was certain no one was looking.
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The tavern itself was easy to pinpoint after a too-loud laugh sounded from inside. He veered them toward it and led them in.
Busy but not overly crowded, Eleven swiftly found them a table with his only regret being that he had to sit across from Lily rather than settle next to her. Still, it was far from a terrible thing to have to look at her for the rest of the night. He could hardly keep the smile off his face.
"Ale?" he asked, "Or would a fine wine better suit?"
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That they had barely left the tunnel and she found herself missing that closeness made her stomach flutter, and she smiled at him, cocking her head to the side as she considered the question.
"Ale, it reminds me of the stuff in the pubs back home, and I think wine makes me far too cheeky." Raising her eyebrows at him her nose wrinkled amusedly. He would know.
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"Ale it is." Levering himself up to stand, he wove his way up to the bar. A span of minutes later, he returned with twin tankards and set one in front of her as he settled back in.
His fingers wrapped around the handle, then flexed indecisively. He smiled.
"I almost feel like celebrating."
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Then again, the alcove had been lovely.
Just as she let her thoughts drift back to El's gondola he returned. Straightening up in her seat she smiled at him innocently, hoping the look on her face didn't betray the direction her mind had gone without him.
Lifting her tankard and having a drink she tilted her head approvingly before his words made her return her attention to him, a crooked grin on her face.
"Celebrate?" Something about it struck her as terribly flattering, that anyone should be that pleased to have gotten close to her was a very charming thought. Feeling her face grow warm she took another sip of ale before shaking her head at him, her cheeks pink.
"It's just me El, same as ever." Which was both true and not true, but Lily always floundered when it came to receiving sincere compliments from people she especially liked.
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"You're wonderful," he insisted in a repeat of words spoken earlier in dimmer lighting. His legs laxed under the table to brush close to hers this time.
His voice softened. "You've become a source of great comfort to me. It means a lot in a place like this."
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She stretched beneath the table in response, her knee nudging his before settling her legs against his.
"Having someone that I trust like I trust you has made me feel so much more at ease about this place, I'm happy that I've gotten to know you like I have," Lily laughed nervously. "All the ways I've gotten to know you have been remarkable."
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All the ways. He sipped his ale and tried not to think about it too much. But trust. She trusted him. That was an honor enough itself.
"I'm glad," he said finally, eyes dropping to the table over a faintly embarrassed smile. "It's nice to find someone else that values kindness and compassion."
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"Should we drink to something then? Since I think we celebrated a fair bit earlier."
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He returned her gesture with a soft slip of a smile, then held his ale aloft.
"I'll drink to the lights holding through the darkness."
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"I'll drink to that, and to your company," she said before taking a drink, her leg bumping his affectionately beneath the table.