sedatedkiss | IC inbox for empatheias

W-well, I was all fired up at the time, ok?!

[You know how she gets, Joshua. You know how she gets.]

It was girl talk, you know?

At least it's comforting to know you were that determined.

[He still has her twintails in his hands, playing around with her hair some more.]

But let's be honest with ourselves. You always followed me around, so in that sense you're like a dog that needed to follow it's master everywhere!

[Not that she can see, but he makes the twintails in his hands more pointed to look like dog ears.]

Maybe you're the one that needs the collar and leash!

[He smiles, just amused.]

[Does Joshua really want a doggie imitation? Because he's about to get one when she shakes her head lightly, causing her hair to flop about like floppy dog ears.

Welp.]

I was the one following you around? As I recall it, it was the other way around. I didn't even need a leash.

If that's how you want to remember it, be my guest.

[Or maybe they should just both admit it was 50/50 and more they were attached at the hip than following each other around.]

I remember it that way because it happened that way, obviously.

[Smugly said with a wave of her pastry. Nah, it had definitely been 50/50 back then..... Estelle admitting it though? Nah.]

Or did it happen that way because for so long you threatened me if I didn't follow what you said?

[Listen, he loves her, but that doesn't change the fact she was violent as a child. For now he lets go of her twintails to let them fall behind her back again and grabs his nearly empty mug of cider to finish it off.]

[Well that sure took the wind out of her sails. She looks a little sheepish after his comeback.] H-hey, I didn't... I was just trying to keep an eye out for you, you know?

Though I guess I kind of overdid it sometimes.... [It's a weak defense and she knows it, so she'll just settle for taking a somewhat larger bite out of her pastry to sooth her wounded ego.]

[Well, perhaps he did really go a little too far with that one. So once he finishes his apple cider off, he wraps his arms around her and pulls her to his chest while stroking the back of her head. Sure they were just making a bet earlier, but hurting Estelle is something he doesn't like to do... even if sometimes she needs to hear the truth.]

I know you were. Even if you were violent and rough around the edges, I don't think it would have gotten through to me otherwise.

[He remembers how he was back then. Empty, a violent puppet who listened to his master's orders. This was the girl who cut the strings and taught him how to stand on his own.]

[Joshua manages to catch her right in the middle of a big bite of pastry, so the somewhat surprised look she gets combines with her mid bite pause to produce.... Well. What basically amounts to a chipmunk in headlights.

If there was ever any doubt about who was the sexy one in this relationship--

She swallows quickly, a blush coming to her cheeks.]

Well, I just wanted you to have fun, you know? At least that's what I remember anyway...

[Joshua wouldn't exactly call himself the 'sexy one', but it's true that Estelle isn't exactly sexy. Though catching her off guard may have been something he did very intentionally. Honestly, he's just assuming she's blushing because she was caught off guard and nothing more.]

I know you did, especially since you were convinced that your bug and lizard collection would cheer me up.

[Hey, Joshua is fond of that memory even if he recalls being pretty pissy back then. Her need to go into danger to find the 'legendary bug', too. He also recalls pretending to not be impressed.]

W-well, you know.... I didn't really know of anything else to try, so I just.... did what helped me you know?

[That blush is unfading. Fact was, she was a pretty awkward kid, even with all that energy and gusto. Estelle had always been something of an oddball. The other girls chatted and played with dolls, Estelle got into fights with the boys, played with mud and hunted for bugs. Most of her hobbies were solitary ones for a reason.] Getting out, playing, seeing new things-- that sort of thing.

Besides, you didn't exactly discourage me. If I recall correctly, you even challenged me! [Trust her to remember that and not the size of those rinociders--] I know it sounds silly, but I just really wanted to help you find a reason to smile again.

What helped you was very unique to you...

[He still remembers going up to Cassius and asking him what the hell was wrong with him for one, not telling Estelle anything and two, allowing her to just get scraped up like that. However, it's clear that's what made her happy. It really spoke to Joshua, too.

But she's right. He did challenge her... after she got the legendary bug after being nearly attacked by those rinociders...]

But you gave me every reason to smile again... even if that bug really wasn't that impressive.

[Well, it wasn't like Cassius had a lot of idea of how to raise Estelle alone. He tried, certainly, but between work and various issues.... well, Estelle had always handled it her own way, and thrived in her own way. She was a very hardy child.

Still, there were some things she probably could have used more constant parental guidance concerning...]

Oh come on, wasn't it like... bigger than my head?! How much more impressive can you get?!

[Bug tales, much like fish tales, tend to get grander with age, apparently.]

I suppose I wasn't exactly unselfish there though.... I've always loved seeing you smile.

It wasn't that big.

[Sure, it was a large bug, but nothing that could be considered monstrous. That and the fact she put herself in danger to get it... Well, truth be told if she hadn't run off into danger he would have left that day. So he's probably more grateful than he lets on that she did do that -- that it made him realize that day that this eccentric girl had wormed her way into his heart.

Just kind of like he's holding her against his chest right now close to his heart. Can she hear his heartbeat?]

It's just very you to want to make sure everyone has a smile on their face.

[Missing the point that she loves his smile.]

I'm telling you, it was big!

[There's no heat in her words at all though, only amusement. It was really kind of hard for her to feel anything but warm and happy, curled up in his arms like this. She could indeed hear his heartbeat, but she could also feel his warmth and touch like this, her pastry utterly forgotten for the moment.]

I don't know about that-- [It's true she likes seeing people happy, but--] But it was always your smile that made me happiest, Joshua.

[Shame, it seems, is also forgotten at the moment.]

Edited 2016-10-23 23:09 (UTC)

[Here he was betting that she would need to get up within a set amount of time and instead he's holding her to him almost to ensure that she'll not want to get up. Probably a good thing neither of them set bets, then. It just feels so natural to have her in his arms like this.

However, her words cause his face to turn a light shade of red and there was no stopping that goofy smile that is forming on his face.]

With how much you make me smile I certainly hope you're happy, then.

[Gosh, Joshua, sabotaging things just a little aren't you? Not that Estelle seems to mind or care at all about bets at the moment, really.

Ok, honestly she's probably forgotten all about it by now.

She smiles widely up at him, slowly turning into a fond grin as his cheeks turn red, and she presses a soft, cheeky peck to his chin from her cuddled up position. He really was too cute when he blushed like that.]

Most definitely.

Edited 2016-10-26 02:05 (UTC)

[Well, he's only sabotaging himself since he was the one who said she wouldn't last long staying there.

When she kisses his cheek, his grin just grows wider. Seeing this ball of energy pretty much tame within his arms is certainly something. He moves down a bit to nuzzle into the top of her head before planting a kiss on it. Yeah, he's done this a lot since they started snuggling on the couch, but it's to a point he can't help it. He really just loves holding her and showing her affection. It definitely goes both ways with these two.]

You make me happy, too.

[Maybe something she knows, but it doesn't hurt to vocalize it.]

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