Second Floor Common Room [Tuesday Early Afternoon]

[death-and-pies.livejournal.com]

The facts were these: Ned was baking a pie again. He'd almost tried to theme this particular pie with that of a volcano but the volcano was long gone and so was that idea. Ned didn't really want to simulate lava in a pie anyway.

He'd chosen a new recipe this time, something he'd never baked before and had set out to prep and cook in the common room.

He wouldn't call this a routine yet but it was relaxing. And it was nice to get out of his room and do something besides annoy himself with all his issues.

[Open common room is open. Work is boring. I am hungry.]

Comments

[death-and-pies.livejournal.com]

"Ned," he said and spelled it out with his thumb against her cheek. And tried to keep a straight face.

[weefeetbigboots.livejournal.com]

She didn't even try to not laugh. "Wow, y'learn somethin' new every day, right?"

[death-and-pies.livejournal.com]

"Some people might know my name," he said which was true. He hadn't met a whole ton of people since arriving. "And now you know for sure. Good, right?"

[weefeetbigboots.livejournal.com]

"Very good," she agreed, still kind of laughing. "An' you know what to call me if you get mad at me. That's how I know I'm in trouble at home, my mom calls me Kaywinnit."

[death-and-pies.livejournal.com]

"Why would you think I'd get mad at you?" Ned asked, watching his fingers swirl a little higher on her cheek, stopping just under her ear.

[weefeetbigboots.livejournal.com]

She shrugged slightly. "Just in case."

[death-and-pies.livejournal.com]

Ned had started to convince himself that he was dreaming. It was the only valid reason that he could attribute to not having run from the room and hidden in a bathroom.

"I doubt that'll happen," Ned said and just touched the bottom of her ear with one finger.

[weefeetbigboots.livejournal.com]

"I dunno," she said softly, biting her lip. "It could."

[death-and-pies.livejournal.com]

"I don't really do mad," he said and traced her ear with one finger, seemingly fascinated with the fact that she A) wasn't dropping over dead B) she was letting him and C) he still had all his fingers attached.

"No point in doing mad."

[weefeetbigboots.livejournal.com]

"Things don't ever make you angry?" she asked softly, once again kind of not really paying attention to what she was saying.

[death-and-pies.livejournal.com]

"No," he said, watching his fingers on her ear, watching them barely touching a few strands of her hair. "Things make me sad, more often."

[weefeetbigboots.livejournal.com]

"Don't be sad," she replied quietly. "I don't want you bein' sad."

[death-and-pies.livejournal.com]

"It's kind of my normal state," he said, shrugging a shoulder. "How I always am."

[weefeetbigboots.livejournal.com]

"Be happy," she said softly.

[death-and-pies.livejournal.com]

"It's not that easy for me," he explained, touching her hair again and concentrating on that. "It's been a long time since I've been happy."

[weefeetbigboots.livejournal.com]

"Then I'll just have to work real hard at it," Kaylee said, smiling at him.

[death-and-pies.livejournal.com]

"You're confident," he said, laughing quietly. "And I'm not because I have no idea what I'm doing right now."

[weefeetbigboots.livejournal.com]

"It's nice," she offered, very quietly. "What you're doing, I mean."

[death-and-pies.livejournal.com]

"Maybe," he said, tapping his fingers lightly against her ear, "but I still don't know what it is. I don't usually...touch."

[weefeetbigboots.livejournal.com]

"I know," she said, smiling a little hesitantly. She didn't want to accidentally do something to make him stop.

[death-and-pies.livejournal.com]

"I'm that obvious?" Ned asked, smiling a little ruefully.

[weefeetbigboots.livejournal.com]

"Only sometimes," she replied reassuringly.

[death-and-pies.livejournal.com]

"Do you...want me to stop?" Ned asked quietly, not looking at her again. He could look at his fingers and keep doing it. Looking at her might rattle him.

[weefeetbigboots.livejournal.com]

"No," she said softly. "No, I don't want you to stop at all."

[death-and-pies.livejournal.com]

He nodded, managing a quick look back at her before returning his eyes and his focus to the fingers still playing light against her ear.

"I'm not really sure what I'm doing," he said again. "I'm just...doing."