Fourth floor common room, late Sunday morning

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

It had been a while since he'd done the open brunch thing and with things finally feeling like they were getting back to something resembling normal for him, it felt like a good time to do it again.

So here Dean was in the kitchen of the common room, dividing his attention from the food cooking and the book Karal had given him to read. Who said he couldn't multitask?

Comments

[remember5th.livejournal.com]

It took Evey by surprise, and she didn't have an immediate answer. But if there was anything she'd learned over the last few years, it was that sometimes honesty made up for a lack of eloquence.

"I -- I've never met anyone like him," she said, feeling her cheeks heat up suddenly. "He makes me remember how to be happy. He makes me happy, yes. He treats me like a human -- not a drone, not a machine, not a soldier. Like a person. He doesn't expect anything of anyone, but he gives so much of himself. It just makes me want to give him a part of me. I don't really know what he sees in me, frankly, but I feel lucky that he sees something, and isn't scared off."

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

Inara's first response was to hug Evey, who seemed to truly understand and appreciate all of the wonderful things that Karal was and could be, but she stopped herself, remembering that she'd just met her and there had been talk of imprisonment.

Instead, she smiled, and hoped that would be enough. "Maybe he sees someone who is a person, and a strong and perceptive one at that, and would like to know her better. You'll find Karal surprisingly hard to scare off--he's more stubborn than he looks."

"Be careful with him? His experience in this area is--limited."

[remember5th.livejournal.com]

Evey smiled. "I'll be careful with him, I promise. My own experience isn't that great, but I have no plans of any sort, and I'm not really known for my capricious heart-breaking ways, I promise."

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

She leaned over and whispered conspiratorially, "He's giddy over you." It never hurt a girl to have an advantage.

[remember5th.livejournal.com]

And yes, Evey was blushing again. "So I'm hearing. It's mutual, if I'm not gushing enough. I'm new at this."

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

"No, you're gushing plenty," she laughed again, hoping this conversation didn't get back to Karal. "I'll just stop interrogating you now."