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]

"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."

[weefeetbigboots.livejournal.com]

"I don't either," she assured him. "Don't worry."

[death-and-pies.livejournal.com]

"Little too late for that," he joked, laughing nervously. "I already am."

[weefeetbigboots.livejournal.com]

"Why?" she asked softly.

[death-and-pies.livejournal.com]

"Because," he said, blushing but not moving his hand to cover it. "I am. I'm me."

[weefeetbigboots.livejournal.com]

"And I'm me," she pointed out. "I ain't gonna bite you or anything. And you're cute when you blush."

[death-and-pies.livejournal.com]

"Thank you," he said, blushing harder. "I didn't think you'd bite me or anything. I'm just unsure what...I'm doing here. I'm really nervous and I'm not thinking clearly and it's all...jumbly."

[weefeetbigboots.livejournal.com]

"That's a good thing," she said gently. "Sometimes it's good to not think so much."

[death-and-pies.livejournal.com]

"I think too much all the time," he admitted, looking sheepish. "Overthink. I'm doing it right now."