"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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"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.
no subject
"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.