knightsoflegend | open ♔ valentine's day

[ He gasps at her in mock surprise, hand clutching at his chest. ] Was that... Was that a compliment, Mills? Are you feeling alright?

[That gets an eyeroll.]

I'm capable every now and then. Not that surprising, is it?

[But maybe take her temperature, just in case?]

Astonishing, actually. You're a pod-person, aren't you? [ He squints at her, then pushes himself up to his feet to step closer and pretend to reach out to feel her forehead. ] A doppelganger? Possessed, maybe?

[Huff.]

Are you done being dramatic, yet?

[She drops one hand to her hip-- the one holding the candy, just to keep from damaging the other gift he'd brought her.]

Depends. Do I get another compliment from you if I do?

[ His grin is wicked and bright as he comes to lean over her, one hand braced on the wall beside her head as he takes in her stance, a familiar one for her. One he always finds adorable, considering how tiny she seems in comparison to him, but those are words he knows better than to voice to her. ]

[Smart man.]

Maybe. Wouldn't want you getting spoiled, though. Your ego doesn't need a whole lot of stroking.

[He does plenty of that himself.]

What, no stroking whatsoever? After I risked life and limb and potential deportment to bring you those?

[ Besides, it's more fun if she does the stroking. ]

Deportment?

[She braces a hand against his chest, giving him a gentle shove-- just enough to give herself room to slip out from under his arm and head to where she'd left the remainders of the pizza she and Kate had dug into earlier in the evening.]

Not sure they'd go that far over candy.

[She's not even commenting on the stroking.]

They're British. They might take it that seriously. Aren't they supposed to take everything too seriously? Just look at Crane.

[ He gives her a pointed look and wiggles his eyebrows at her. It's a gamble, bringing up her missing partner so lightly, because he knows she must miss him, worry about him. The two had been inseparable since long before he'd stumbled onto the scene, but it wasn't something she seemed to talk about a lot. At least not with him. ]

He does have something of a sense of humor.

[Look, he's a big part of her life, whether he's here or not-- she has to defend him, but even she knows how serious he can be. Of the two of them, she's usually the one trying to lighten the atmosphere, which says a great deal. Here, she needs Hawley to do that for her, because left to her own devices and without Crane to make her look easygoing by comparison, she certainly won't.

She raises an eyebrow in reply, challenging.]

Alright, so you risked a run-in with the law for M&Ms. You want a medal?

[ He smirks at her challenging look, stepping closer again. ]

Somehow that's not the right holiday mood I was going for here. How 'bout a kiss instead?

[For a moment, there's no response, and it almost seems like the silence might be followed up with another resounding 'no,' just like every other advance he's ever made--

But instead, she shakes her head, letting out a laugh as she looks downwards for a moment, disbelieving.]

You really don't give up, do you?

[And for once, instead of a criticism, it sounds almost like she finds it admirable.]

It's part of my charm, didn't I tell you that?

[ His voice is light and warm, and perhaps a little cautious, because that hadn't been the response he'd expected from her, not when he's become so accustomed to her rebuttals. When she laughs instead and avoids his gaze he takes another step closer to close the distance between them. ]

That wasn't a no. Also wasn't a hell no. I really am beginning to suspect you're a pod person.

Not quite. I've still got standards.

[She looks up again, arms folded, unflinching despite the fact that her personal space has been severely compromised, lips pulled to one side.]

First off, you gonna ask me on a real date or what? If we're doing this, we're doing it right.

The last time I tried to ask you out on a date, you showed up and told me it wasn't a date.

[ He feels like this is a valid point to be reminding her of here. He's been doing a lot of asking, Mills. ]

Are you saying that if I ask you again, your answer's going to be something different this time?

Meeting up in a bar to exchange information for work doesn't equal a date.

[She's still standing firm on that one-- but if he'd asked her properly back then, she still would have said no. They weren't the only people who would be impacted by her answer, after all.]

Try and see.

You were the one that brought work. I was more than happy with just the 'meeting up in a bar for drinks' part. Which does, in fact, constitute a date.

[ He knows, Mills. There had been a reason he'd tried to ease her into it. Has been trying for months now, even though he'd nearly given up on the idea. Had started asking more out of habit than the thought that she might change her mind anytime soon. You're a stubborn one, Abbie Mills. ]

If this is a tease I'm gonna be really upset with you, Mills. And if you're actually a succubus - again - this isn't going to end pretty for anyone. [ The words are drawled and wry but there's a flicker of interest in his eyes now as he leans forward, invading her personal space further as he bends down to meet her gaze. ]

But alright. Abbie Mills, will you come out with me for dinner and drinks with the muually agreed-upon understanding that it is, in fact, a date?

You know, it occurs to me we never really had words about that succubus situation.

[But she's distracting him from the point at hand, and her smile hitches a little bit wider as he leans in, her stance unmoving even as her personal space becomes damn near non-existent. She smirks as he meets his eyes, as amused by his wording as she is his list of provisos.]

Yes.

[ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED]

Do we need to have words about the succubus situation?

[ He's not sure he wants to know the answer to that question.

Still, her answer to his invitation gets an arch of eyebrows in surprise for a moment before he squints at her. ]

And you're sure you're not a pod person? Because you've been pretty emphatic all this time about how hell would freeze over first.

Being forced into another dimension has the tendency to grant you some perspective.

[As does time-travel. If she remembered anything about her stay in Purgatory, she would have included that, too.]

You want me to submit to some tests to be sure? Pretty sure there's someone down in the Dragon's Hoard who could confirm for you.

Tell me about it.

[ His voice is oh-so-dry at that, because he knows just as well as she does.

Although her offer to involve the other Knights has him lifting his hands in surrender and backpedaling quickly. ]

No! No thanks. Last time I asked one of those people for confirmation on something, I ended up stabbed. Let's avoid the mortal injury part of this date if it's all the same to you. Our first not-date had more than enough already.

[ He squints at her a moment in thought before breaking into a grin. ] So you want to try a real date this time, huh? Alright, Abbie Mills. You're on. One week from today. You and me. Five PM. Dress comfortable and meet me out front.

First mention I've heard of any stabbing.

[Does she need to keep you on a leash, Hawley? ~~Actually, don't answer that.~~

She cracks a smile, nodding to confirm.]

Alright. Five PM. I'll be there. Even leave work behind this time. [That should say a lot, considering it's near impossible for her to manage any other day of the week.] I trust you to show me at least a moderately good time.

Have I not complained to you already about the menace of a lawn gnome in this place?

[ Stop him now before he goes on a tirade to rectify this, Mills.

He gives a playful gasp at her oath, clutching his chest. ]

Look at that, Hell really has frozen over. And please. Every time out with me is a good time. You won't be disappointed. I don't do things by half-measures.

Apparently not.

[But they can come back to that later. She lets out a brief snort in reply, resisting the urge to shake her head in disbelief all over again. Of course there are dramatics.]

Works out. I could do with some demons being put on ice for awhile. [She has so seen enough of them.] So. While I'll be expecting your A game a week from now, I've still got pizza and a copy of Hot Fuzz tonight.

Well, we have one. And she stabbed me. And then got all huffy when I had the audacity to get upset over it.

[ He sounds so outraged over the entire matter, regardless of the fact Taradiddle had healed it moments later. It was entirely beside the point.

Still, her reaction to the dramatics gets a grin from him and he slings an arm around her shoulder. ]

Sounds like the best way to spend the rest of the evening to me. I'm in.

open ♔ valentine's day

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