[ she shoves at his shoulder gently and covers her mouth with her hand, not wanting him to see how she's smiling. she feels like she's smiled more with him in the past few weeks than she has in half a century. pressing her fingers down against the corners of her lips, she finds that she can't stifle that smile.
letting her hand drop down to rest against him, she tries to appear haughty and fails. ]
I like you like this. [ she rests her hand on his shoulder again and taps her fingers twice. she lies down against him so he can't see her face and she can return to hearing his heart thump and his blood rush beneath his skin. ] You're very cute when you're being obnoxiously cheeky.
Are you saying that I'm not cute in other situations?
( he can't help but smile at her smile. she seems to be trying to hide it which he knows is just something she's going to do but he can still see it, sense it, and that's enough for him. )
I would have thought I was since you keep sleeping with me.
( if she liked him when he was being cheeky, he'd try it out a little more. )
[ pursing her lips together, she takes a moment to mull over her answer and shakes her head. ] Nah.
[ she's been sleeping with him lately since it's a communication method that seems to work best for them right now. she can say how much she wants him and even needs him with the press of her body rather than words. but she chooses to because he's cute and funny and sexy, and he makes her feel safe. it's that feeling she runs to and sometimes away from. ]
That's all, huh? I'm just handsome? You don't like anything else about me?
( stefan's very aware that's a lie so his words are more playful than anything. she might not want to admit it to him but he knows she likes more than just that.
there's way too much history between them for this just to be physical. )
[ she chuckles. ] You're awfully eager to fish this evening. [ she sounds incredibly amused. when was the last time stefan ever fished for a compliment? she can't remember him doing it in 1864 and she severely doubts he would have developed a habit for it over the last century. if anything, she's gleaned from what he's told her that no one takes the time to compliment him.
reaching her hand to brush her fingers against his jawline, she starts to trace his face again. it's becoming one of her favourite pastimes. ]
I think you're handsome and I like it when you hold me. Isn't that enough?
( usually, it would be enough. just hearing that makes him smile but...well, he's had a hard night and he thinks he's allowed to fish for compliments in the hopes that she'll open up a little more. )
No.
( he shakes his head at her, trying to stifle a smile. )
[ oh, good. he's not being his usual self and denying himself the pleasure of being appreciated. even though complimenting him when it's tied to her has proven difficult, katherine does know he's been through an ordeal tonight. all she wants to do is ensure he knows someone wants him as he is.
she brushes her fingers against his mouth as if she can tease that smile out. ] I still like this. [ his mouth, that is. it's one feature she'll always like, no matter what. she preoccupies herself with tracing his lips and then his chin and jawline for a moment. ]
I like your smile. [ her voice lacks any playfulness, lowering in tone and accidentally shifting into something far more thoughtful. ] It always brightens up the room.
( he's surprised but pleasantly so. he can't say that he expected that to he the compliment she gave him but he doesn't hate it either. he just...smiles underneath her fingers and shakes his head. )
It doesn't do that.
( light up the room, he means. maybe it's nice but he's never thought of his smile as something that's that good. )
[ of course he'd say that. katherine rolls her eyes good-naturedly. she lets her hand fall away from his face as she folds her arms against his chest again. ]
It does. Maybe not for you… [ if it did so for him, then he'd be just as egotistical as damon. but it had been the case in 1864 and it's still the case now, which makes it all the harder for her to wedge distance between them when he smiles because of her.
shrugging a shoulder, her tone quietens. ] But it does.
[ knowing he's bound to be all stefan about it, she's quick to brush it off. she pointedly looks down at him. ] And if you're not going to accept the compliment, then you're not getting any more.
You know, that's really the whole pot kettle thing, Katherine. You never want to accept the compliment when I say you're beautiful but I'm supposed to accept yours?
[ she knows he's going to pry and ask why. why is it different? how can it be different? she's sure he means it—stefan doesn't say anything he doesn't mean—but she knows she doesn't deserve it.
rolling her eyes, she looks displeased. ] But fine. Accept my compliment first.
[ that makes her feel very, very good. now she can call him handsome and he'll just have to say "thank you, miss katherine" and not fight her on it. it'll make her passion project of making him blush far more fun now.
katherine feigns a yawn. ] What was it again? [ it may not be a good idea to ask him to say it all over, but she's having a little fun. she rubs her hand against her eye and rests her cheek on his chest, shifting against him. ] I'm tired and very old.
[ she opens her mouth, ready to protest, and doesn't. she wonders if she should ask him to repeat his compliment, but she thinks if he isn't going to right now, then she doesn't have to start accepting his compliments just yet. she does want to hear him call her beautiful, but she knows that she isn't ready to accept it.
right now, she'll settle for him making her feel it. ]
Maybe I don't want to. [ despite saying that, she doesn't lift her head to peer up at him. she does shift her heel against him as she gets comfortable using his body as her pillow. ] Maybe I want to stay up all night enjoying your smile lighting up the room.
she lets out a breath, disliking that he's thanking her for doing the bare minimum. she may claim she has no idea what friendship truly entails, but she does. she would've done the same for pearl and perhaps for lucy. joanie in pennsylvania only reminded her that friendship's the one thing she can be selfish with and it won't hurt the other person. ]
You're welcome. [ she thinks he needs to hear it, even if she doesn't think she should be saying it. she tilts her head upward so she can see his chin and adam's apple. ] But you don't have to thank me. It's what anyone would do for a friend.
[ she knows, and she hates that she knows that that's his reality, that she's given him far more of her time and attention than his friends have.
she keeps her cheek pressed against his chest. although she should lift her head to look pointedly down at him, she thinks that that's unnecessary for now. ] Only if you promise that if something doesn't feel right, you wake me up. You don't know what healing is like here. Things could change.
[ it's horrible and it can be so painfully frustrating. she had all of rapture to experience it. he may have been there to witness it, but he hadn't had to feel his body slowly heal and then seemingly stop. she doesn't want that for him. she wants his feeling to be easy and straightforward, just like it was at home.
she doesn't want to wake up later and find out that he had been in pain and too stupid to let her know. ]
( and he's trying to keep his promises to her. he hopes that that doesn't come to pass, that he falls asleep and everything is fine but if it's not, he'll wake her up. everything's felt fine so far so he thinks it'll continue as such. )
I feel fine right now but if that changes, I'll wake you up.
( and they could figure out what was going on from there. )
[ if he doesn't, she'll take every shirt he owns and render him in desperate need of a shop. considering she has him pegged as being anti-shopping, she suspects he'd learn his lesson then. she doesn't say as much, not wanting him to slip out from beneath her to go protect all of his shirts from her sticky fingers.
accepting that, katherine bows her head to his chest and plants a lingering kiss on his skin. then she lifts her head up to peer down at him. ]
Do you want me to get off of you so you can sleep?
[ katherine smiles before she rests her cheek against his chest and wraps her arm around him to hold him to her. she allows herself to enjoy the fact he doesn't want her to go anywhere—it means nothing that she's feeling a little giddy over it.
she stretches her leg out along his and closes her eyes, sighing contentedly. taking the time to listen to his steady heartbeat, she knows that her choice in lingering at stefan's had been the right one. she likes how that thump, thump, thump makes her feel safe.
still smiling, she murmurs, ] Good, because I am very comfortable.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
manipulative) wrote2019-12-08 11:16 am
no subject
letting her hand drop down to rest against him, she tries to appear haughty and fails. ]
I like you like this. [ she rests her hand on his shoulder again and taps her fingers twice. she lies down against him so he can't see her face and she can return to hearing his heart thump and his blood rush beneath his skin. ] You're very cute when you're being obnoxiously cheeky.
no subject
( he can't help but smile at her smile. she seems to be trying to hide it which he knows is just something she's going to do but he can still see it, sense it, and that's enough for him. )
I would have thought I was since you keep sleeping with me.
( if she liked him when he was being cheeky, he'd try it out a little more. )
no subject
[ she's been sleeping with him lately since it's a communication method that seems to work best for them right now. she can say how much she wants him and even needs him with the press of her body rather than words. but she chooses to because he's cute and funny and sexy, and he makes her feel safe. it's that feeling she runs to and sometimes away from. ]
I think you're handsome, but that's all.
no subject
( stefan's very aware that's a lie so his words are more playful than anything. she might not want to admit it to him but he knows she likes more than just that.
there's way too much history between them for this just to be physical. )
Feeling's mutual.
no subject
reaching her hand to brush her fingers against his jawline, she starts to trace his face again. it's becoming one of her favourite pastimes. ]
I think you're handsome and I like it when you hold me. Isn't that enough?
[ she's hopeful his answer is no. ]
no subject
No.
( he shakes his head at her, trying to stifle a smile. )
I need more. Please tell me more.
( feed him nice words, katherine. )
no subject
she brushes her fingers against his mouth as if she can tease that smile out. ] I still like this. [ his mouth, that is. it's one feature she'll always like, no matter what. she preoccupies herself with tracing his lips and then his chin and jawline for a moment. ]
I like your smile. [ her voice lacks any playfulness, lowering in tone and accidentally shifting into something far more thoughtful. ] It always brightens up the room.
no subject
( he's surprised but pleasantly so. he can't say that he expected that to he the compliment she gave him but he doesn't hate it either. he just...smiles underneath her fingers and shakes his head. )
It doesn't do that.
( light up the room, he means. maybe it's nice but he's never thought of his smile as something that's that good. )
no subject
It does. Maybe not for you… [ if it did so for him, then he'd be just as egotistical as damon. but it had been the case in 1864 and it's still the case now, which makes it all the harder for her to wedge distance between them when he smiles because of her.
shrugging a shoulder, her tone quietens. ] But it does.
[ knowing he's bound to be all stefan about it, she's quick to brush it off. she pointedly looks down at him. ] And if you're not going to accept the compliment, then you're not getting any more.
no subject
( that's not very fair, is it? )
You accept my compliments and I'll accept yours?
( how about that as a deal? )
no subject
[ she knows he's going to pry and ask why. why is it different? how can it be different? she's sure he means it—stefan doesn't say anything he doesn't mean—but she knows she doesn't deserve it.
rolling her eyes, she looks displeased. ] But fine. Accept my compliment first.
no subject
Fine, I accept your compliment about my smile. Thank you.
( and now. )
Accept my compliment now.
no subject
katherine feigns a yawn. ] What was it again? [ it may not be a good idea to ask him to say it all over, but she's having a little fun. she rubs her hand against her eye and rests her cheek on his chest, shifting against him. ] I'm tired and very old.
no subject
( tsk. )
You can go to sleep, though.
( just because he wasn't going to tell her now doesn't mean it's not going to be the very first thing he tells her in the morning. )
no subject
right now, she'll settle for him making her feel it. ]
Maybe I don't want to. [ despite saying that, she doesn't lift her head to peer up at him. she does shift her heel against him as she gets comfortable using his body as her pillow. ] Maybe I want to stay up all night enjoying your smile lighting up the room.
no subject
( but just be prepared for him to call you beautiful several times tomorrow.
he sighs, reaching to rest a hand on her back. )
Thank you for tonight, though.
no subject
she lets out a breath, disliking that he's thanking her for doing the bare minimum. she may claim she has no idea what friendship truly entails, but she does. she would've done the same for pearl and perhaps for lucy. joanie in pennsylvania only reminded her that friendship's the one thing she can be selfish with and it won't hurt the other person. ]
You're welcome. [ she thinks he needs to hear it, even if she doesn't think she should be saying it. she tilts her head upward so she can see his chin and adam's apple. ] But you don't have to thank me. It's what anyone would do for a friend.
no subject
( he hasn't been shot like that before but he's been injured and very few people have cared that much about him and gone that far for him. )
So, thank you. And rest. We've both had long nights.
no subject
she keeps her cheek pressed against his chest. although she should lift her head to look pointedly down at him, she thinks that that's unnecessary for now. ] Only if you promise that if something doesn't feel right, you wake me up. You don't know what healing is like here. Things could change.
[ it's horrible and it can be so painfully frustrating. she had all of rapture to experience it. he may have been there to witness it, but he hadn't had to feel his body slowly heal and then seemingly stop. she doesn't want that for him. she wants his feeling to be easy and straightforward, just like it was at home.
she doesn't want to wake up later and find out that he had been in pain and too stupid to let her know. ]
no subject
( and he's trying to keep his promises to her. he hopes that that doesn't come to pass, that he falls asleep and everything is fine but if it's not, he'll wake her up. everything's felt fine so far so he thinks it'll continue as such. )
I feel fine right now but if that changes, I'll wake you up.
( and they could figure out what was going on from there. )
no subject
accepting that, katherine bows her head to his chest and plants a lingering kiss on his skin. then she lifts her head up to peer down at him. ]
Do you want me to get off of you so you can sleep?
no subject
( stefan puts a hand on her back and presses down, trying to keep her there. )
Don't go anywhere.
( they'd probably separate or move around when they fell asleep but she was fine for now. )
no subject
she stretches her leg out along his and closes her eyes, sighing contentedly. taking the time to listen to his steady heartbeat, she knows that her choice in lingering at stefan's had been the right one. she likes how that thump, thump, thump makes her feel safe.
still smiling, she murmurs, ] Good, because I am very comfortable.
no subject
( he sets up a slow, rhythmic stroking against her back, trying to lull her into both sleep and comfort. )
I'll be here in the morning.