crossmyheartandhope

[He goes very, very still as she comes back in - tracks her progress with his eyes as she goes for the tea.]

I - what?

[Dumps some tea leaves into a chipped tea pot, then adds the water]

That's the whole point of the electric kettle. I mean, I'm pretty sure the water here's potable without boiling it.

[Give him a second.]

[Actually a couple of seconds.]

[His brain is maybe buffering still, and he looks like he might start crying.]

[Looks over when she realises she's left to banter with herself]

...That a yes?

[He opens his mouth, and then closes it again - starts to talk, but all that comes out is a croak.]

Yeah, I -

[He swallows, hard.]

Yeah.

[Sighs, quiet, tension draining from her shoulders]

A-anyways, you gotta tell me if this one's any good. If it's not, you can just put booze in it, I guess. Got honey, too.

What - what kind is it?

[Makes himself uncurl from his spot in the blankets - picks his way out of the mattress fort, to come help her with the tea.]

Black?

[The box says Assam. The honey is shaped like a bear.]

...looks good.

[He knows nothing about tea.]

Here lemme help, you - you look like you stuck your hands in the freezer for a couple hours.

Takes one to know one.

[Except he is much better equipped than she is; her stiff fingers don't bend right around the cups or the teapot or anything, and even putting just a tiny bit of hot water into the cup to warm it is enough to make her bobble the mug as scalding, so--]

--Fine, fine, knock yourself out.

[Bends down, casual, to scoop up the electric blanket and dump it over her head, then reach underneath to steal the tea stuff.]

You want honey, or what?

[Shivers, now that she's under the heat of the blanket, oddly enough]

...Uh, nah, I'm good. ...At least, depending on how bitter the tea is.

[Hm. Hm. That is... not good, probably.]

Go on and get in those mattresses, kay? I'll play delivery boy.

[It's probably fine; she frowns a little, just because her extremities are pins and needles the point isn't to need to be taken care of, and she nabs the honey and a spoon before retreating to the fort]

...'S too much for one person to carry anyways.

Cool, then you're on honey duty. I want extra when it's done doing its thing.

[Doing its thing apparently is steeping. He sets both cups, poured now, near the edge of the mattress.]

[She sits in the corner, secure, huddled in the blanket with the honey (gotta warm it up somehow). Her tone's playful, though]

Extra for a normal person or extra for you?

Extra for me, duh. Extra for a normal person's just like regular.

[Hesitates a second, then just - climbs back into the fort.]

Just checking.

[Watches him climb back in, pauses. Then offers the end of the blanket, casual, if he wants]

[Hesitates a beat or two longer this time before he takes it and pulls it over his legs.]

...jeez, dude. Your socks are soaked.

[Shrugs]

[...Then tries to prod his feet with her wet socks]

...dude. Now my socks are soaked.

I'm totally declaring this a sock-free zone. Take em off.

[Attempts to kick hers off with as much success as one might expect]

You don't even need socks. You'd be good with sock.

Then it'd be all lopsided. 'S kinda weird with just one.

[Snags one of her socks and attempts to tug it free.]

You wear boots on top of it anyways. You wear one glove!

The glove's different.

[Going for the other one, too.]

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