juststopped | (no subject)

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krem

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This time, she's going to make sure that they eat dinner. She's got bread in the over, pasta bubbling away - nothing particularly exciting, a similar dish to the one that she'd eaten the first time they ate together. She's dressed comfortably because she's staying at home, in capris and a pretty blouse, barefoot in her kitchen with her hair caught into a braid over one shoulder. She's spent enough time around Krem that she feels entirely comfortable in his company but there's still a flutter of anticipation at knowing that he's on his way.

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Krem was, at least partially, certain that at this point he could call this all something a bit more serious. However, as was his wont, the prospect of assigning any sort of particular import before the other person carried a risk that gave him terrible nerves. So, whatever this was, he was just happy that it was, and was willing to not think too far beyond that at all.

He arrived at Adaline's apartment was a growler of dark beer that he rather liked from Semele's. He knew that Adaline was expecting him, but he still knocked, and waited patiently on her doorstep, fidgeting just a bit, like he had anything to have nerves about.

Adaline opens the door barefoot and smiling, in the process of twisting her braid up onto the back of her head and pinning it in place. When she sees him, her smile broadens and she leans in, curling her arm around his neck.

"Hello," she says, smiling at him. "How're you?"

"Well," Krem said, something in him instantly settling to see her and have her embrace. He kissed her cheek and presented her with the beer even before she'd let him in.

"My contribution to dinner. From one of the pubs here in town, Semele's. Have you been yet?"

"Not yet," she says, taking the beer from him with her free hand and turning her her to catch the corner of his mouth with a kiss. The height difference is slightly less pronounced when he's wearing shoes and she's barefoot. "You'll have to take me."

He smiled a little at the way she turned to catch just the edge of the kiss. The prospect of taking her to Semele's certainly had appeal, but it also presented the dubious situation that he still had so much to lay out and be honest about. He'd certainly have to navigate that, sooner rather than later.

"What's on the menu for tonight? The bread already smells delicious."

"Pasta with clams and white wine," she says, turning to lead him into her apartment. "The bread's almost done. And I've baked desert, too. Just to prove that I am a woman of many talents."

"Well, we knew that already," Krem said, the tips of his ears vaguely pink. Still, he smiled softly. "Would you like some beer now, or should I wait for food? I feel like I should have gone for a wheat beer, if I'd known. I miscalculated the palate for the evening."

He leaned up against the counter, giving Adaline plenty of room to move around but making himself available to help if she needed it. For the moment, at least, he would just settle for admiring her.

The reaction to that is charming and Adaline can't help but remember how he'd looked spread out in bed like that. She goes back to the stove, turning the music down a touch as she starts to pull the dinner together.

"I've got wine we can drink with dinner - the beer can come later?"

"I think I've drunk more wine with you than I have with anyone else since I was in the military," Krem said with a laugh and an easy smile.

He stepped away from the counter. "How can I help get everything ready?"

"Are you complaining?" she says, eyebrow raised imperiously as she glances over her shoulder at him. "You could lay the table for me? It's my least favourite part of having someone over for dinner."

"Certainly not," Krem said with a smile. "Merely pointing it out. Speculating on it, so to speak. But it's definitely not something to complain about in the slightest. Especially since you hold your wine so well. Where do you keep your plates?"

"Top cupboard," says Adaline, pointing over her shoulder. She takes a moment to just watch him moving around in her smooth, handsome and broad. He's an entirely reassuring presence. Adaline can feel herself getting used to having him around.

"Of course it's in the top cupboard, did you also put them on the top shelf?" Krem laughed, going to the indicated cupboard. "Did you want to see me jump or climb on your counters or something?"

Even as he said it, he reached easily for the plates, sought out the wine glasses, then found her cutlery drawer as well, and went to her table to set it. He was quite certain, if his mother could have seen him, she would have given him a dressing for back sassing about setting the table; but then, his mother would have given him a dressing for more than just that.

"Oh, stop," says Adaline, rolling her eyes at home, bending over to take the bread out of the oven. It's turned out pretty well, even if she does admit it herself. "You're not that short."

"The difference between me and a Dwarf is less than four inches and a subterranean lifestyle," Krem quipped from the dinner table, peering over as she bent over to take out the bread. He didn't even bother to act like he wasn't looking at her appreciatively, though he shifted his gaze to the bread once she'd turned all the way around.

"Well, it doesn't matter when you're lying down, now does it?" says Adaline, bringing the bread to the table and then going back to the stove, starting to transfer the pasta into something she can serve from. She shoots him a slightly wicked look.

Krem tilted his head back and laughed, even if his cheeks colored a little at the teasing. As she passed him, he reached out and gave her ass a swat for it even; they seemed to be at that point in whatever this was between them, the casualness of their banter and a physicality that had been between them quickly.

"I certainly make up for the difference."

The slap makes Adaline laugh, her own cheeks colouring slightly as she comes back to the table with the pasta and sets it down.

"I believe you," she says, starting to serve pasta for both of them.

Krem picked up a knife for the bread and cut into it, thick, hearty slices. He smiled, watching it release steam, making sure there were a few slices cut before setting the knife aside with a satisfied smile.

"Where's the wine?"

"Refrigerator," says Adaline, carrying the pasta and serving utensils to the table before she slides into her seat and just watches him. "I could get used to this."

"Yeah, slave labor," Krem quipped mildly, going to the refrigerator to suss out the bottle of wine and deal with opening it while he was still in there. It gave the bottle a few moments to breathe while he carried it back to the table, smiling at her softly.

"You don't think I'd make a good mistress?" she teases, starting to serve the food as he brings the wine back to the table. "I'd be very benevolent and fair."

"Oh, surely the best," Krem said, though his voice took on a slightly distant tone, even for the teasing. He had no one to blame for that but himself; he'd been the one to start the line of teasing, and he either had to stop it lamely or allow it to continue.

The thing of it was that he wasn't entirely sure which he wanted. The teasing meant nothing. There was a sort of appeal, though; much like there was to everything about Adaline.

He poured her some of the wine, smiling softly.

He pours the wine and Adaline serves them both pasta, getting up from the table again when she realises that she's forgotten the butter. She sets it down on the table and then settles into her chair.

"I hope it's edible," she says. "At least I'm actually feeding you dinner instead of just dessert?"

"I'm sure it will be. It smells very good," he assured, and sat down in his chair, smiling softly. He poured himself some wine, put a slice of bread on the side of her plate before grabbing one for himself.

"You were hardly complaining about only getting dessert, as I remember."