Second Floor Common Room [Tuesday Afternoon]

[death-and-pies.livejournal.com]

The facts were these: Young Ned had found his way into the common room again after getting bored of his room. He'd come with the intention of baking and, yes, there was something cooking in the oven (but he wasn't going to just reveal his pie choice today).

There was something different about today. Today, Ned had the hiccups. Now, as a boy at Longburrow, he'd been made to just wait them out.

Now, without that supervision, he could try to get rid of them. So, he'd looked up some hiccup cures and was currently attempting to stand on his hand and recite the alphabet in the middle of the common room.

It wasn't working.

Yet.

[Open, of course!]

Comments

[death-and-pies.livejournal.com]

"Curiosity," he said, turning an even brighter shade of red and focusing on tapping his fingers against the counter in front of him.

[weefeetbigboots.livejournal.com]

"You're weird," she decided. "I like that 'bout you."

[death-and-pies.livejournal.com]

"I'm not really that weird," he argued even though he was. "I'm just different."

[weefeetbigboots.livejournal.com]

"You licked a tree. S'okay, I'm weird too," she replied.

[death-and-pies.livejournal.com]

"I don't think you're weird," Ned said, glancing over at her.

[weefeetbigboots.livejournal.com]

"Not even a little?" she wondered, smiling.

[death-and-pies.livejournal.com]

"I think you're real," Ned said quietly, not looking at her save for a few quick glances. "And I'm scared you're going to vanish because of that."

[weefeetbigboots.livejournal.com]

"Why would I go anywhere?" she asked softly, blushing slightly for some reason.

[death-and-pies.livejournal.com]

"Everyone around me tends to leave," he said, shrugging like it was no big deal.

[weefeetbigboots.livejournal.com]

She frowned a little, and replied, "I ain't goin' nowhere. Not for at least a couple years, anyways."

[death-and-pies.livejournal.com]

"Mmm hmm." He didn't want to accept things like that after what had happened in his past. "That's good, though. I think you'll have a lot of fun here."

[weefeetbigboots.livejournal.com]

"I mean, I maybe might go home for Christmas," she said, thinking about it now. "But y'all ain't gettin' rid of me 'til I'm good an' ready to leave."

[death-and-pies.livejournal.com]

"As long as you make that choice," Ned said, not going into what he meant. He knew what he meant. Her leaving would be so much better than other methods of...departing. "Do you have a favorite fruit?"

[weefeetbigboots.livejournal.com]

"Strawberries," she said immediately.

[death-and-pies.livejournal.com]

"I knew that would be your answer," he said, reaching behind him and pulling out a small container of said fruit. "I got these today for a recipe I hadn't made yet."

[weefeetbigboots.livejournal.com]

Kaylee actually bounced, lighting up. "Ooooooh!"

[death-and-pies.livejournal.com]

"Do you want them?" Ned asked.

[weefeetbigboots.livejournal.com]

"They're yours," she said, eyeing the strawberries longingly.

[death-and-pies.livejournal.com]

"They're yours," he said, gesturing for her hand. He couldn't make himself reach for it but this was some progress.

[weefeetbigboots.livejournal.com]

Kaylee bit her lip, reaching out. "Really?"

[death-and-pies.livejournal.com]

"I can get more strawberries," he said, putting them gently in her hand. "I don't get to see that look on your face as often though. It's my favorite one of yours."

[weefeetbigboots.livejournal.com]

"What look?" she asked, grinning down at the strawberries.

[death-and-pies.livejournal.com]

"Like you got a..." He didn't know tools. He tried to think of a tool he did know. "...a monkey screwdriver for Christmas. It's that pure happiness that's not tempered by anything. I don't see it a lot. I don't feel it. But I like to see it on you."

[weefeetbigboots.livejournal.com]

Kaylee blushed, and before she thought about it too much, moved up on her toes to press a quick kiss to his cheek.

"Ain't no such thing as a monkey screwdriver," she noted softly. "Thanks."

[death-and-pies.livejournal.com]

"Darn, I thought maybe I guessed right," he said, blushing a little and looking sheepishly amused.