Be Mine - Valentine's Day 2017

[londoncallingmods]

Lucky in love or not, London was a lovely place to find yourself on Valentine's Day. From romantic walks through various parks, to intimate dinners or shared deserts in the many restaurants and cafe's- There was something for everyone, because if wandering or dining wasn't for you, well, there were plenty of organised events to attend.

London couldn't claim to be the city of love, but it was certainly a city of possibilities.

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[faizel]

"It wasn't a pleasant time in my life," Faizel admitted. "My mother came home for a while, but she was restless. She didn't want to be there."

[akatawitch]

"She tried, though," Sunny mused, though truthfully she wasn't sure what to make of that. Faizel's own description of her was of a rather distant personality. "That's something."

The oil finally heated, she started adding things to the pot.

[faizel]

"I suppose she did," Faizel replied, though his voice lacked conviction. He didn't want to talk about this tonight though. Tonight was for happy things, surely?

[akatawitch]

Sunny didn't stop what she was doing, but she did hear that uncertainty, and she did turn to look at him as she pushed things around with a wooden spoon so nothing would burn. "Do you want to talk about it?" It was a tone that both cared and would leave well enough alone if he'd rather not.

[faizel]

"No, not really," he said honestly, bringing over the last of what he'd chopped. "I'm not even sure what I'd have to say about it all, if I'm honest."

[akatawitch]

"What you felt then," Sunny answered with a shrug. "What you feel now." It was a suggestion more than pressing for him to speak more. "God knows I could talk about my family and how crazy they make me for days." Though even as she said this the corner of her mouth lifted in amusement. Aside from her father, her family did drive her nuts, but she loved them dearly too.

When the onion went in she reached for the last of the vegetables he was holding and offered him the wooden spoon. "Trade you?"

[faizel]

Nodding, he took the offered spoon and started to stir a little.

"I honestly don't know how I feel about any of it," he admitted. "I don't dwell on it really. It happened, it can't be undone or changed.'

[akatawitch]

"That's a mindset I wish I could adopt," Sunny admitted. Having passed off stirring, Sunny started measuring out various spices and adding them to the pot. Though rather than use measuring spoons, she poured into her palm and judged the amount by sight. "But I think my cold war with my dad is going to go on until one of us dies. And probably for a few years after that."

[faizel]

"That sounds exhausting," Faizel said softly and honestly, frowning a little in thought.

[akatawitch]

Sunny shrugged and continue to bustle about, adding other ingredients. "When I was born, I could have been albino or a girl, but I just had to be both. And he's never forgiven me for that. If I want to keep having a mother and brothers, I get to keep fighting the war."

[faizel]

"It's good you have them at least. ...That must help, yes?" he asked, still stirring as he glanced over.

[akatawitch]

"Mm..." Sunny ticked off on her fingers to be sure she hadn't missed anything--vegetables, spices, broth, tomatoes, peanut butter, peanuts... And also it meant that she could affect coolness when she answered, "In the event that you meet my brothers, especially Chukwu, you never heard me say that I love them dearly."

She picked up the cayenne. "How hot can you go?"

[faizel]

Faizel chose to focus on the question, rather than dwell on the thought of meeting family. That was all a bit anxiety enduing, if he was honest.

"I have a high tolerance for heat, in the culinary sense. Please, make it to your liking."

[akatawitch]

Sunny squeaked with excitement and kissed his cheek. She could never love a man who couldn't handle heat.

... Not that she loved him. Hell, not that she knew yet.

"Ever had tainted peppers?" she grinned, adding cayenne and a liberal amount of black pepper to the mix.

[faizel]

He smiled softly at the kiss, hair falling in his face and prompting him to tuck it back behind his ears.

"No, I don't believe so."

[akatawitch]

"If you had, you'd know. We'll have to fix that someday," Sunny assured him. Satisfied, she put everything down and washed her hands. "Once that's stirred in, we can leave it alone for a while."

[faizel]

Faizel nodded a bit, returning to the task at hand. It was strange to stand over a pot like this, usually he just left things to stir themselves.

[akatawitch]

When her hands were dry, Sunny wrapped her arms around him and nuzzled his cheek. "Thank you. You can pick the movie. I was teasing, I don't actually mind learning about bird migration." She didn't, really, as long as some degree of snuggling was okay.

Though someday she was going to trick him into watching Amélie or something.

[faizel]

Faizel tensed a little this time, though he did offer a small smile to try and make up for it. He couldn't help it, he just wasn't used to having people in his space. He'd had a few students who were clingy, and it had always been overwhelming. All the hugging and touching- At the end of the day he'd needed to spend that much more time alone, quiet and isolated.

He knew he couldn't say that to Sunny though. She'd only get upset.

"I don't mind what we watch. Truly. ...May I use your bathroom?" he asked quietly.

[akatawitch]

"You already indulged me tonight, now it's my turn," she said. Sunny was not entirely ignorant of how introversion worked. Orlu, who was probably her best friend in the world, was perhaps not as introverted as Faizel, but certainly more than Sunny herself was. And Sunny in turn was more so than either Sasha or Chichi. She wasn't ignorant, but she was perhaps a bit out of her depth.

It was always disappointing when he flinched at her touch, but she could at least define it as overstimulated rather than repulsed and that helped. So she let him go with an easy, "Sure," and pointed in the direction. "Bedroom on the left, bathroom on the right."

Anyway, she needed to get some rice going and before he'd even left the room she'd started on that task.

[faizel]

Faizel nodded his thanks, certain he just needed a moment alone.

He used to be so good about hiding all this anxiety- Why was it so much harder around Sunny?

[akatawitch]

It didn't take very long for Sunny's yo-yo-ing mood and confidence to take another plummet once she had everything going in the kitchen. It crossed her mind that she should grab her knife and start cleaning up, but she had no real desire to do that. She'd tried to convince herself that this evening really was back on track, but there was still this niggling sense that they were dancing around a problem.

There was a part of her that wanted to go hide in her bedroom and wield her rabbit vibrator if he didn't go away. But that was stupid and she knew that was her bruised ego talking.

She sat down on her couch, hugged her legs to her chest, and rested her chin on her knees.

[faizel]

Faizel was gone slightly longer than he meant to be, but when he returned at last, he seemed calmer.

"Um, so that documentary. ...There's that one, or, um, there's one about sharks? I don't suppose either are terribly appropriate for the theme of the evening. What do people usually watch on valentines? Romantic comedies? ...I don't think I've ever seen a romantic comedy."

[akatawitch]

Sunny had only curled tighter into herself. She ignored everything he said and instead put forward her own question. "Is something wrong?"

[faizel]

Faizel looked over, then shook his head.

"No. I was feeling overwhelmed, but I took a moment to calm myself, and now I feel better," he said honestly. "It helps sometimes, when I feel- Overstimulated, I guess would be the word? Anyway, it helps to just take a moment to breathe. To remind myself that my worries are in my head alone. It's strange, I was getting so good at just- I don't know, faking it, I suppose. I could fake calm so well, and then- I stopped. Being able to fake it, that is."

He was silent a beat, and he looked thoughtful, rather than purely sincere, as he offered what he said next.

"I suppose it's just important I remain genuine around you."