Welcome to Gaia! ::

"I meant any food. You've just listed four things that are far above and beyond any capability I have, so I wouldn't consider it basic. Especially - chicken parmesan, you said? How is that basic? That's like, a real meal or whatever."

She picked up another napkin. The strain of it was absolutely exhausting. "So I'd say the answer is yes. You should use that in your favor. So many hunters seem desperate for a hot meal nowadays - you could get some real sweet favors if you provided it for them."

She dropped the napkin in the bag, and then fell to the floor, dramatically tired. "I'd do anything for a maid, myself. Anything."

The smell wafted out of the bag as he pulled them out, and it hit her like a ton of bricks. She grabbed at her half and almost hugged it to her body, which would have been disastrous if she hadn't thought better of it a moment before it was crushed against her. She poked her fingers into the pie and pulled out a chunk, mostly apples, then ate it. Her fingers were glossy with glaze, and she licked them clean.

Could she have asked for a fork? Of course. Did she? Of course not.

"Oh, I didn't mean me. I'm not one of the people who were asking for a hot meal. I use my leave time to go out. Fancy dinners, expensive restaurants, you know. And then I bring home fast food because that stuff will stay for days." She left out the fact that she went on her trips alone, each time. She could have reached out to any number of people - and never did. Maebe found herself at a table for one more often than not, but it was her own choice, and that empowered her as it always did. Loneliness felt important when it was of her own choosing.

"Meri? Is that America?" Her fingers had been caught in the apple pie again, but she'd paused when she realized what he was saying. America was letting people stay at her place sometimes. She felt a strange twist of jealousy, and wasn't sure which one of them she was jealous of. "That's nice of her. I haven't been to her house yet. Is it nice?"

She couldn't help it. It was as if he was leaving her an opening that she knew he hadn't intended, but her words tumbled out before she could regret them, or think too hard on their meaning.

"If a window's all you want, you could always crash on my floor when you don't want to walk that far." She looked at her apple pie, and prodded it with a finger. "But I would absolutely require some form of recompense. So. There's that."

Maebe felt a warm and steady rush of embarrassment prod her, but she suspected that was just Thaw, trying to express his pride for seeing her grow up.

"The idea of you cleaning my room is too sexually enticing. I think you're safer from me if you brought me food." She smiled at her apple pie, and then went in for another fingerful. "That's what this was, I guess. Your way of finding out what kind of foods would be best to bribe me with. Now you know my weakness, Sir Grace." She finally looked up at him, and sucked one finger from stem to tip before finishing the thought. "Cinnamon Apple Pie."

What Dawson was offering sounded so very, very nice. It hurt to feel herself pulling away just because of how nice the idea of this comforting scene he had created would actually feel. It hurt to know that a normal girl, a healthy girl, could have truly enjoyed just spending time with him without intention getting in the way. This was why he stayed with America, he realized. He would never need to worry about the wrong intentions with her. America was exactly the right shade of healthy that Maebe knew she would never be.

But everyone had to be something, and she was this. That had to be enough.

"I love gossip." She admitted, slowly pushing her unfinished pie away. Her stomach always seemed to lock up when reality and self-doubt crept in. "It's one of my favorite things. We can sit and watch twitter go by and talk about what a load of s**t this island really is."

Maebe grabbed a napkin, and finished cleaning up her sticky fingers. "Give it time, my boy. Give it time."

But Dawson was right, this time, even though she would never admit it. She threw the napkin away and got up on her hands and knees, crawling over towards him and flopping down lazily beside him. Her head rested on his arm, and the rest of her would feel like dead weight against his side. Sitting up on her own was too haaard.

"But it has it's moments." Even she was starting to make concessions to things she'd literally just told herself she would never admit, and she wanted to punch him for it. He had no right getting her to admit that she kind of, sort of enjoyed just hanging out.

No right.

"But this is definitely not one of them." Despite the big smile hidden behind bouncing curls, Maebe thought she'd gotten away from that flawlessly.

It took her several long, silent seconds before she finally gave him an answer, in the form of a soft punch to his arm. "You know damn well I am. I won't believe for a second that you're unaware of your superpowers. You just choose to use them for good instead of evil, which I think is laaame." She closed her eyes, and became keenly aware of the amount of heat that his body was able to generate beside her. Inside of her mind she heard a huff of indignation, as someone took offense to the mere idea that she needed heat.

But Dawson's heat made her sleepy, while Thaw's heat always managed to fill her with intensity. Whenever she touched her weapon, and let it sear against her skin, she did it to feel alive. This, this moment of warmth and quiet, had no ulterior motive. It was just.. good.

And nice.

She let out a long, obnoxious yawn. "You should get going if you plan on leaving at all. You've stuffed me to the point of comatose. Unless you want to watch me sleep, this is your final warning to cut loose."

Though she'd caught the look of longing in his expression, she really didn't want anymore food, and waved it off with a flick of her hand. "It's all yours, enjoy it." She shifted back a few times, until her back hit the bed, and then lolled her head to lay back on the mattress while watching him work with vaguely slit eyes.

"I don't know if this needs to be said, Dawson." She muttered, immobile but intensely focused on him as usual. "But. Thank you."