A smile forced it's way upon her lips, and she laughed lightly. "But you're up, so that's the difference." She told him, just resting her hand that had been tracing his back. "I assumed you'd like this better than having pillows thrown at you." Referencing to that morning, she felt a smirk come to her lips.
She felt a slight weight on her back, and glanced back to see Inigo crawling along her back and curling up. "Oh come on you, not now. I'm trying to get him up, not snuggle more." She whined, with a heavy sigh. "I still have to go to the store, and make it back to my apartment before it gets too late!" Groaning again, she gave up when the little kitten didn't move.
"Ha." Kas looked up at her as best as he could, a small grin on his lips when he heard her complaints. He didn't feel like moving, so Inigo's little stunt was fine in his book. "Your own fault for snuggling," he reasoned, making a show of getting comfy once again. "And he's just a tiny kitten, you can move him."
Yes, this was much better than getting assaulted by pillows. He didn't care much for that method of waking him up in the moment of the assault, even though he wasn't truly upset by it. Kas just wasn't a morning person, so waking up to a pillow in his face wasn't exactly the way to improve his mood. But getting a hug of sorts from Joanna and her soft voice urging him to wake up? That he could live with.
"I know, but I can't really reach him from this angle." Joanna mumbled, nuzzling his back with her nose. "And I don't want to roll on top of him, I might crush the poor thing." She whispered now, yawning. "But I'll remember this for next time, pillows it is." A smirk made its way onto her lips, and she ever so gently rested her chin on his back.
"Bet you'd love that, now wouldn't you." Jo teased, her lips close to his ear. Her voice was low, but unable to be taken seriously as she had the slightest bit of a cute Canadian accent. Now she wouldn't call it that, but she had been told before. Though she ignored it, and tried to speak as 'normally' as she could. Though it never worked, and her true colors always slipped through.
He rolled his eyes and lightly pinched her arm, the one he was still running his fingers up and down. "I'm going to wake you up with an assault of pillows one of these days and see how you enjoy it," he grumbled, though he was still smiling. Without thinking about it, he took her hand and pressed his lips to the back of it, mumbling against her skin, "I don't want to move…"
Finally, he had some form of comfort where he wasn't wary of his surroundings or when he'd have to leave. Finally, he had a place to come back to that wasn't a hotel room, he had a friend—or whatever Joanna was to him—that wanted him to stay. He finally had some form of happiness, and it was almost concerning, with how this entire thing started.
"Ow," She mumbled when he pinched her arm, wanting to pull it away to rub it. "Why did you-" Before she could finish, she felt his lips against her skin, and her face flushed rather quickly. 'Never mind, he can keep holding my hand.' Her thoughts echoed, as she began to relax more into him. "You're really comfortable." She whispered, pressing a soft kiss to his back.
She really was comfortable here, but she knew she had to get up eventually. 'Why can't I just lay here and relax? Things would be so much easier if I could…' Everything was quiet, and soothing. The small kitten was purring on her back, and the steady breathing of the other underneath her was all relaxing. Just hearing his voice, calmed her nerves after her encounter with his brother.
He curled his fingers around hers and planted one last lingering kiss to, this time, the palm of her hand. "Not something I've heard before," he said with a chuckle, the sound resonating through his chest. He knew that he had to get her to get up so she could get back to whatever it was she did during the day, but he didn't particularly feel like doing that right about now, especially when he felt her relax even more into him and kiss his back.
Joanna's weight was almost reassuring in its solidness, like a reminder that she was there and not some sort of strange dream. He closed his eyes with a small smile and ran circles over her hand. 'Maybe just a few more minutes,' he told himself, getting comfortable.
"Well, have you ever had someone to snuggle with you? If not, of course I'd be the first one." She teased, her lips tracing up his back. When she spoke, she didn't bother to pull away, making her voice muffled. Tilting her head to the side, she rested it against his back. Her voice no longer muffled by the fabric of his shirt.
"Can I be bluntly honest with you?" She mumbled, tracing his back once more. "You're honestly really, really hot." She whispered, breathing gently against his skin. "And I would've told you from day one if you had asked my honest opinion."
"Oh? I'm flattered," he said with a smirk, then frowned questioningly. He carefully turned around to face Joanna, letting go of her hand to gently adjust her so he didn't disturb her position too much. "But, where's this coming from?" he asked, looking up at her, "Why tell me in the first place?" He appreciated the compliment, really, but it was so random.
There was also the matter of the attractive woman lying on him. He couldn't deny that she was good-looking, but it wasn't something he'd admit out loud to just anyone. His hand lifted and brushed some strands of hair out of her face, fingers brushing against her cheek with the action.
A slight smile fell upon her lips, and she mindlessly leaned into it. "It's more genuine if it's at random. Or that's what my uncle told me." She shrugged, trying to keep from yawning. If she yawned, he'd probably make her go back to sleep for a second nap. And she really didn't have the time to do that. "He told me, the more random it was, the more it felt real. If I waited to tell you when you were in a tux, and you were trying, it isn't the same."
And this was her telling him the truth. Her Uncle Tom had always told her this, whenever he ran into 'the lady of his dreams' while they were out together. It was clear he liked the lady, Penny Hart, but she always kept it a secret she knew.
"Mmm, sounds like a smart man," he murmured, fingers loosely tangling into her hair. Now that she mentioned it, it did make sense. Coming unprompted, any statement would feel more genuine than one conjured by a question. A question would make it seem less honest, like just a way to answer the question instead of true feelings. He could agree with this unknown uncle.
Kas sighed and dropped his hand, though it draped over Jo's back lazily. "You have things to do," he whispered dejectedly, "You should get going so you aren't late to your job, or whatever you have to do. I…kinda forgot your whole plan for today," he admitted sheepishly with a soft smile.
A light laugh escaped her lips. "I myself don't even really remember. So I won't expect you to." She hummed, rolling slightly to make the kitten fall off her back. Once she felt the slight weight off, she rolled off his back to the other side. Once on her back, she turned her face to meet his. "But I know I need to get to work, and go to the store. But I don't know if I want to do that without you." She mumbled, noticing how close they were.
Pushing off that fact, she tilted her head back up. "But if you don't want to I understand." She smiled softly, tracing the ceiling with her eyes. Nothing exciting, but she just did it to think. "Oh, and if you don't want to leave because you want to cuddle or something, we can do that at my apartment."
He laughed lightly and pushed himself up onto his elbows, leaning over to kiss her forehead. "I'll keep you company, shortcake. No complaints here." Even if she hadn't asked, he probably would've at least offered to go with her to the store. His brother was still out there somewhere, and Kas still wanted to make sure that Joanna was safe from that psycho.
Though he lifted his head some after the kiss, he remained slightly hovering over her, just a little off to the side. His eyes scanned her face, took in the green of her eyes, her lips, her nose, everything. He memorized everything there was to memorize, then went over it all again just because he could.
She looked up to him, like a curious child. A relaxed look was on her face, but she seemed rather interested in him. Everything about his face, and being was just factually interesting. Without thinking, she slid her arm over his shoulders and drew her face closer to his. "I don't want to keep you for an incredibly long time. Yet again, I don't want you running into your brother alone." She told him, her voice low in a whisper.
Not sure what was keeping her close, she didn't pull away. Her arm stayed loosely over his shoulders, and her upper half was supported by her other free arm. She slightly ran her fingers through his hair, liking the feeling of his hair. It was a calm feeling.
His arm closest to her moved so that it was now on the other side of her. The new position allowed him to be closer to her without toppling over. He didn't protest against being pulled closer, nor did he comment on it, despite them talking about getting ready to finally leave. He just smiled in a way that was close to a smirk and said, "I have nothing more interesting to do, shortcake. And I appreciate the concern, but I'm more worried about you running into him. I've dealt with him for years." He even had the burn scars to remind him of that fact.
With a decisive hum, as he's been debating on this for a while, he dipped his head down towards hers and grazed his lips over hers, almost in a way to ask for permission. They were still having a conversation, after all, but he's had the urge to kiss her almost all morning.
With lips close, she didn't bother to pull away before her next statement. "You don't have to be too worried about me." She hummed, her breath against his lips. Everything seemed to be in slow motion, even her thoughts for once. She could actually think before she leaped in. "Only just a little bit." Joanna teasingly said before pressing her lips against his.
It was an odd feeling, wanting to kiss him. They had done it a few times already, so why did it feel special still? They weren't even on the 'dating' stage, yet somehow kissing him just felt normal. Why was that? She had no clue, but she liked knowing she could when she wanted to. He wouldn't push her away, or tell her to leave him alone. He liked it just as much it seemed.
Even Kas was confused as to why he was so comfortable and willing to kiss Joanna. He's never been with anyone before, so this was all new to him, but he felt so at ease with her it hardly even occurred to him. So he kissed her for a few seconds, then slowly pulled away just enough to break their lips apart. A smile curved up his lips, and he rested his forehead against hers.
"You're a strange one," he murmured, still smiling. Not strange in the sense that she was weird, but in the sense that she was a strange anomaly in his dislike for being around others. Always has been. He couldn't get away from her, even if he were to try to—and, he realized, he's never really tried to get away.
Her arm was still around him, her hazy green eyes fluttering open once he had pulled away. "Am I now?" She whispered, lightly brushing her lips against his when she spoke. She liked everything about being close to him. From the touch of his skin, to the look in his eyes. It was practically perfect.
"I mean it makes sense." She continued to whisper, tilting her head to the side. When she did, there noses bumped making her laugh. It was a sweet, calm laugh, nothing too loud. "Because I laugh at things like that." She snickered, relaxing back onto the bed. They weren't as close anymore, but Kasiya was hovering over her, so if he wanted to he could drop down and pin her in place. Though he wouldn't do that. Would he?
He chuckled and dipped his head further down to press a fond kiss to her shoulder, then another one. He was close to her neck, but he was careful to avoid that area. "True, but that's not what I meant," he whispered against her skin. He moved to her cheek, strangely wanting to keep doing this. Okay, so maybe they were verging on the line of dating, but it was better to figure where they stood with one another than to put a label on their relationship.
"You're strange because you're not like anyone I've ever met," he continued in a hushed tone. "I've always wanted to get away from people, but I always came to you after we met. Even if it was just to bug you, you were still someone I'd want to be around and stick with. You're just…" He closed his eyes and let out a soft exhale. "Special."
Rolling her eyes, she huffed some. "Yeah, right." She said simply. She had held her breath when he kissed her shoulder, not sure where he had intended to go with that, but when he had pulled away she had let it out slowly. A look of a little annoyed disbelief was on her face, and it would be taken obviously she didn't believe him.
"I am not special, I'm just different. I stick out, but that doesn't make me special." She hummed, running a hand through her hair. It wasn't long, only brushing past her shoulders, so it was rather manageable. "Unless you give me a better reason, I'm going to stick by that." She told him firmly. "I've been given proof I'm not. So I really doubt you can sway me."
(Just bumping this, I get if you aren't in the writing mood. I've been out of it lately…)
((yeah, sorry. I've been in and out of the mood, and just recently got home from a party and making my sister cry with a story prologue I wrote this morning))
((Yeah you're fine! I get it, like legit, this isn't important compared to life ahah))((And for real? It must be really good then))
((Thanks! I'll get something up when I can))((It's on this chat if you want to check it out!))
((I'd love to! And seriously, take your time (; ))
Rolling her eyes, she huffed some. "Yeah, right." She said simply. She had held her breath when he kissed her shoulder, not sure where he had intended to go with that, but when he had pulled away she had let it out slowly. A look of a little annoyed disbelief was on her face, and it would be taken obviously she didn't believe him.
"I am not special, I'm just different. I stick out, but that doesn't make me special." She hummed, running a hand through her hair. It wasn't long, only brushing past her shoulders, so it was rather manageable. "Unless you give me a better reason, I'm going to stick by that." She told him firmly. "I've been given proof I'm not. So I really doubt you can sway me."
Kas also rolled his eyes and pulled back some to level a blank stare on Joanna while also making her focus on him by removing himself from her space. "You're special to me, so trying to convince you to think of yourself in a different way is useless. I see you how I see you because of my past and how different our relationship is compared to any other one I've ever had, friend or otherwise. So of course I'm going to see you in a different light than how you see yourself."
He opened his mouth, then closed it and looked away almost guiltily as he realized something. "And… I suppose that also applies to me. You see me differently than how I see myself based on different experiences and opinions. You can't force me to think I'm as great as you say, and I can't force you to think I'm as bad as I think I am. Same thing, really." He shifted in a way that conveyed a shrug. "So no, I'm not going to give you a better reason to try and sway you."
A definite nod came from Joanna. “It makes sense. You don’t try to sway me, I don’t try to sway you. Simple as that.” She hummed, wanting to pull him back in for another kiss. But she wasn’t going to, otherwise she would probably seem kind of… needy. She didn’t like that, not particularly. So to avoid it, she didn’t pull him back in.
“I really don’t want to get up now.” She groaned, shutting her eyes. “I just want you to snuggle with me, and then we can just go back to sleep. Why do you have to be so tempting?” She muttered the last bit, trying to work the energy to sit back up. “You need to make me get up, otherwise I won’t. So please, make me.” She mumbled, biting her lower lip.
Kas chuckled and smiled down at Joanna. An idea was forming in his head, and it was neither a good nor a bad idea. He came back down to her, propping himself up on his elbows so he was a smidge closer to her than before he had pulled away, and placed a quick kiss to her jaw. He was going with his gut yet again, acting before thinking, or simply acting without thinking at all.
"What are the consequences of having a lazy day today?" he murmured, eyes slightly hodded since he wasn't really looking at anything in particular. Joanna needed a small break from life, that much he could pick up on from her willingness to simply lie there and be with him, and her inability to bring herself to get things done. She even looked worn out when they first saw each other yesterday.
Her gut churned at his kiss, and her eyes bulged. Blinking a few times, and shaking her head she put a hand to his chest. She wasn't sure why, maybe it was to stop him from doing it again, or maybe she just wanted to. Because feeling him, against her, was reassuring and comforting. Joanna jutted her chin out slightly, trying to think of a reason she couldn't stay.
"Well, I kind of have a ticket to pay for. The more days I take off, the less money I have to support us both in my apartment." She told him, letting her lip slip from her teeth. "Unless you have an extra thousand dollars, I can't really take off of work. I jumped the gun a little with my apartment, so I'm trying to keep a steady income. Little days off as possible."
He sighed and let out a disappointed groan as he rolled over and off of her, effectively releasing her from the trap that he was. "Damn," he huffed, "And here I thought I could turn you." He grinned over at her and got off the bed, fingers digging into his hair and ruffling it. Inigo instantly ran up to his feet and attempted to climb up his sweatpants.
"In that case," he said as he bent down to grab the kitten before it hurt him and itself, "time to get up, shortcake. Wouldn't want to miss work and not get paid." He peered at the purring kitten in his hand, then arched a pierced brow in her direction. "Don't make me throw a kitten on you," he threatened playfully, a smirk on his lips.
"Oh no, the ferocious kitty." She laughed, sitting up and rubbing her face. "Do I really have to though?" She mumbled, knowing she was being incredibly difficult. She was back and forth, wanting to stay and wanting to get up. "Don't scold me, I know…" She mumbled some more, sliding off the bed. Shuffling over to him, she leaned against his back, her face digging into the fabric of his shirt.
She really, truly didn't want to go, but she knew she had to. So with a heavy sigh, she kissed his back and pulled away turning while she paced. "I can drive you back to the apartment, and then get ready there. I'll have to skip the store today." She told herself, trying to figure out her plan. Once she was set straight, she turned back to him, and smiled brightly.
