Rain pattered softly on the window panes as he entered the apartment. It was a small place, inexpensive and utilitarian with one bedroom and one bath and a kitchenette right out in the open when you first walked in, but it was home for the mean time. Konstantin shrugged off his hood and smoothed back his hair. His top was dry but his tail and paws were another story. The rain wasn't heavy but the walk from work had been long enough to give him a nice soak even with only a drizzle. He took the jacket off and hung it on the back of a nearby chair. There was no need to call for the one who shared his home, he knew she was here; the scent of fresh tea lingered in the air and the smell of books that was dull but always present seemed more crisp whenever she took them off the shelf.
”Home,” he announced calmly, though his mind was anything but. There was something he wanted to talk about today, something that had been on his mind for quite a while, but now it scarcely left.
”Welcome home,” said a soft voice from the bedroom.
The apartment was meticulously clean, everything dusted and swept, decorations in their usual place; over the couch was a folded blanket, the coffee table rested squarely on a recently dusted rug and atop the table were two mugs of tea – both steaming.
Coming from the bedroom, Lelia daintily approached Kon to take him in a gentle hug. ”Did you have a good day?” she asked, sliding her fingers down his arm to meet his hands, where her own rested.
The grimm's dark hands curled around her pale fingers, delicate in his wolfish grip. He wasn't much one for changing his expression out of its neutral position but it always softened some whenever he looked at Lelia.
”It was long,” Konstantin gave both of her hands a soft squeeze before releasing them. His arms fell to his sides and he lifted his chin to get a better whiff of the tea; a cup of white for her and black for him, as usual. His eyes stayed on the mugs, almost wistful as he spoke next. ”Can we talk?”
Lelia's fingers remained splayed as Kon pulled away, a soft smile across her lips. ”You're home now,” she mused, her eyes never leaving Kon's face. Her dark eyes, disrupted by moon-like irises, eased as his expression did – though with his question, widened just a little; not out of surprise, necessarily, but in acknowledgment. ”Of course,” she said as she presented the couch with her arm.
With her gesture, Konstantin moved to sit opposite his designated mug. He waited for her to sit as well, face to face, before discerning whether the tea was too hot to drink. It was fresh and steaming but nowhere near boiling, just cool enough to drink with only a cursory blow of air.
He realized, all too late, that he rudely brushed past asking how her own day was but the moment had passed now. If he back peddled, it would only make them both anxious to get to the point.
”I was thinking,” he started, looking into the darkness of his tea, ”about soul stones.”
Taking her seat in front of her own mug, Lelia didn't mind nor notice that the topic of her day had been pushed aside, a delicate smile still painted on her face.
Soul stones.
Raising her brows, the geist stared at Kon in silent awe for a moment, clearly thinking it over. However, just as her vaguely shocked expression was sudden, so was its return to a neutral-happiness. Having ignored her tea for now, Lelia placed a hand on Konstantin's knee.
”Have you, now?” she responded, squeezing the grimm's leg lightly. ”For how long...?” Her question was met with a sympathetic look. If he had worried about this topic for long, Lelia could only hope that it wasn't bothering him. Finally, she reached over and took her tea, taking a dainty sip before setting it back down.
”A while,” admitted Kon, expression nigh unreadable as it often was. This wasn't something to address lightly. ”Off and on. I wanted to know if you ever thought about them.”
Letting out a soft hum, Lelia leaned in closer to Kon, resting her chin on her knuckles and closed her eyes. She had never really thought about them, admittedly, but the idea of it being with Kon... well... she certainly liked the idea.
A family...
”Well... I have not, but... with you...” she said, her voice trailing off in thought, though she was obviously happy with the possibility. Lelia offered a closed-eyed smile to the grimm, sitting up a bit more proper as she placed her hand on Kon's knee again. ”I fancy the idea.”
This time when she touched him he looked at her. Mug lowered to his lap, Konstantin didn't maintain eye contact for long – rather, he glanced to Lelia's hand on him.
”Our magic could be good together.” Hers pale as the moon and his dark as the night. ”Good for us. Good for a pack.” A pack – Grimms. Lelia wasn't a Grimm, she was a Geist, but it didn't matter; he wasn't pure in his heritage in the first place.
While Kon couldn't keep eye contact for long, Lelia relished the small connection they had made before his eyes fell to his lap and hers followed. His expression was like stone, while hers was fluid – her brows knitted upwards but her smile didn't fade.
”A pack,” she repeated. It wasn't a mentality that she ever had, not being a grimm, and while she wasn't sure she was right for the job, if Kon thought so... ”If it's what you want, I want it too.”
If only briefly, without the comfort of eye contact, his brows knit.
”I do. There's so few of us.” Us, as if he were pure. ”You're the only one I feel comfortable doing this with.” Imbuing stones, raising children, leading a pack. All of it and more. ”But,” still hesitant to meet her eyes, he moved one of his clawed hands over hers upon his knee; his brow creased, dark eyes narrowed, ”is that the only reason you want to?” She wanted it because he wanted it. If that was enough for her, he supposed it would be enough for him, but a weight hung in his center. He wanted her to do this because she wanted it too, for herself, not just for him.
Lelia hummed again as Kon spoke, brows high and eyes still closed. It was true: the Grimm were few in number nowadays... and... ”...to be honest, I feel the same way about you,” she confided, opening her eyes and placing her free hand over both of theirs. ”I want it because you want it, but I also want it because I want us to have our family.”
Family.
Packs were a little different, he understood. They were large clans with many bloodlines, varying magic, while families were usually small and closely knit – they were closer, weren't they? He thought so. A family would be a start, a stepping stone toward a pack but a step he felt both obligated and honored to take.
Konstantin regarded Lelia for a moment, his claws curling around her gentle fingers. He closed his eyes and leaned forward, dark hair mingling with white as he rest their foreheads together.
”Thank you.”
As they connected, Lelia hummed a soft tune happily and closed her eyes once more. The feeling of his claws around her hands was comforting; a feeling she had only ever truly felt with no one but Kon.
”Anything for you,” she said after a brief pause, her thumbs gently running over the grimm's clawed hand.
