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 Posted: Mon Nov 13, 2017 10:47 pm
Pao
Exactly 45 minutes later his alarm went off from the nightstand on his side of the bed, and despite being a heavy sleeper it succeeded in pulling him back into the waking world. He groaned though, and nuzzled into Seren a bit more.
"Baby?" he murmured. "You up?"
Aria
She sighed at the sound of the alarm clock, and opened her eyes, not wanting to move out of the comfort of his warm, safe arms. "Mmm... unfortunately. And even hungry, but... Mmm so comfy too." She looked up at him, her eyes sleepy and comfy. "But we got things to do..." She sighed again, and wormed her way free, and slowly stood.
She urghed, as her muscles were definitely feeling the workout on the ice from earlier, and stretched, carefully, then she walked over to him, her hand held out.
Pao
He quietly groaned the entire time she wormed out of his arms, and then some more as he got up as well, taking her offered hand to get himself up off of the bed so he was tempted to just topple over and go back to sleep.
"Food and shops," he said through a yawn, stretching out once he was up. "Did we decide on what food?"
Aria
"Um... No. I originally had a place over by the museum in mind, but since things changed, I have no idea. Maybe let's see what's available by the shopping area you were looking at?" She asked, as she put her shoes back on. "We can get over there, look around, get food, then go shopping." She pulled her purse on, and walked over to pet the dinosaur plush, then turned to look at him again. "Or we can look something up here, and do that. I'm ok either way."
Pao
Rhys had followed after her once he was ready to go, too, and sort of shrugged. "Shopping and looking for food on the fly works for me," came his answer, and like her he went over and gave the giant plush a poke in the belly before taking her hand. "If it's a shopping center there's probably lots of food choices, even if it's stands and stuff. Might even be better than proper sit-down places, y'know. More...local?"
He tugged her along toward the door, fingers lacing with hers. "If that makes sense."
Aria
Seren chuckled, and shook her head and her silly man when he poked the dinosaur plush. She followed him, holding onto his hand happily. "You got directions to where the shops you looked up the times on are?" She asked before they made it out the door, so that they could get them via WIFI before they left.
Pao
"I did," came his confirmation as he stepped outside the door, offering her his phone so she could double check if she wanted. The notes would be the first thing she would see once she unlocked it, provided she knew his password. "If I remember right it's not that far from here, but you can see for yourself if you want. Change our direction if it isn't right?"
Aria
She followed him out and locked the door behind him. "I trust you, babe. I just wanted to make sure." She gave his hand a squeeze, her blue eyes focused on his, not even reaching for his phone. She didn't know his password, she'd never asked for it, and she probably never would. She just headed down the stairs, and out the door, hiding that she felt kind of stiff as she went. "Just guide me, baby."
Pao
He smiled that bright smile he always reserved just for her when she said she trusted him, so he pocketed his phone and pulled her closer as they headed down, leaning in to kiss her cheek. "I can do that," the brunette grinned, and once they hit the ground floor he did just that. First to the Underground station nearby, then off to a large shopping center that he was certain had the two shops she wanted to stop in besides the grocery store.
"So this is basically a mall, right?" he asked once they were there, looking over a display of the map of the place so they could get around.
Aria
She happily followed him, her eyes calm with her trust in him. One the train, she cuddled up against him, arms around him, ignoring the rest of the world. As far as she was concerned, right now they were the only two people in the car that mattered, so long as no one was dying or something horrible was happening, then followed him back out, and up into the shopping center.
She looked at the map, and said "Looks like it, babe..." She peered at the food options, then looked up at him, eyes hopeful. "You up for Thai food? Maybe?"
Pao
This whole trip had been just the two of them in his eyes, which was maybe why he was extra unpleasant when old snooty farts or snotty little kids or their Angry Moms intruded into their little world. He loved it when they were cuddled up and comfortable, regardless of the where, so the whole ride over had been peaceful and incredibly pleasant. Even just looking over at this map, her hand in his, was just...nice.
"Oo, haven't had Thai food in a while," came his reply, a bit of excitement in his tone. "Let's do it."
Aria
Seren gave a slight bounce of happiness at that. "Awesome! That's perfect for lunch." She looked over the map, and noted where in the mall the other places she knew of that she needed to go were, and said "You got any stops you want to add to the list? We can do dinner here, too, there's a bunch of options..." She was curious about the Indian food, for instance. She'd never had it, back home.
"Or we can look elsewhere, after, too. Just an idea... get our shopping done, eat, go back to the apartment and pack up most of the stuff for tomorrow, then have a bath?"
Pao
Her enthusiasm at his agreement got him to smile a bit wider, and at her question he looked back at the map for a second before tapping a little square on the first floor. "For some new sneakers, maybe? I've got a running pair I need to retire already." Which was depressing, but shoes wore out and that pair was definitely on its last leg.
Rhys couldn't see any fault in her planning so he just nodded once she hashed it all out. "All sounds perfect to me, babe," he replied, already starting to head off to find that Thai restaurant she must have wanted to try. He moved closer to her as they went, eyes up and looking around at the various shops along the way. "You're sure you only need to stop at two stores, love? We're surrounded by these things..."
Aria
She nodded at his suggestion, and went "Huh. Yeah some new sneakers might be a good idea, now that you mention it." She smiled and noted a shoe store on the map, then went to follow him down the hall, keeping her hand in his. "I... um." She sounded surprised, and looked around, her eyes a little wide. She wasn't used to spending on herself beyond necessities, so the idea of just shopping to get things she might just WANT was sort of one she had to consider.
Finally, she said "Let's... take care of the stuff we need the most, then worry about it, maybe?" She needed a bit of time to really think about that. Was there anything else she needed? She wasn't sure, and she wasn't sure if there was anything she just plain wanted, either.
Pao
He expected an immediate answer, so when it didn't come he glanced over at her, curious but not too worried. She wasn't an impulsive buyer by any means so he figured it might have just taken her a minute to think, but he did wonder if there might have been more to it this time.
"Okay, but if you see something you really like we can always stop and take a look." He really wanted her to have nice things, so spending a little bit on splurge-y type things she really was something he wouldn't mind doing. And if there really wasn't anything here, they had an ever-growing list of places they wanted to visit so there was always next time.
Aria
She gave him a warm hug, just to say thank you and that she loved him and how much he went out of his way to make her happy was amazing to her. After a moment, she slipped her hand back into his, and headed towards the restaurant, eyes looking around in wonder at all the interesting things on display.
She'd never really indulged in window shopping, because it had always just been disappointing in the past. That money had to go elsewhere every time. Even now, she was thinking ahead to a house and a tattoo, so to some degree the idea of splurging was a little unbelievable. But there was lots of interesting things, and she was fascinated.
Pao
He smirked, giving her hand a squeeze when she slipped away after the hug. It was so tempting to just pull her close as they walked, but when he saw the fascination in her eyes he couldn't bring himself to take that away from her. She'd been far more limited than him, and now that she was able to indulge he wanted to give her room to do that.
Still, every few shops he moved closer to playfully nudge her like he'd done even before they became anything more than coworkers. "What's the name of the restaurant again?" he asked after a few minutes of walking. "All these stores kinda make me all dazed."
Aria
She smiled at the playful nudges, something she associated with him straight back to early on in their friendship, or whatever it had been back then. It was comforting and grounding, which helped when she was feeling overwhelmed in this mall. It was FAR bigger then the one in her tiny little butthole hometown.
His question had her looking back. "Uhhhhhh... Thai 2Day I think." She gave his hand a squeeze, and nodded. "Same. This mall is ******** HUGE, babe." She looked around again, her expression eloquent of her amazement at the size of this insane place.
Pao
"Thai 2Day," he repeated with a nod. "I'll keep an eye out, but yeah...lots of stores." He was looking mostly everywhere else but at Seren, though still occasionally he would look over at her and smile warmly at the sight of her amazement. There was something so innocent about it that he thought was just adorable. The next time he playfully bumped her, he leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
"Too ********' cute," he murmured before moving away again, a smirk on his face. He couldn't help it, and it was a good chance to give his eyes a little rest from all of the bright store signs.
Aria
She blinked up at him, at the kiss, then blushed at his words, her eyes bright with her love for him. "You just love making me blush, don't you?" She said, softly.
After that, she smiled, however, and kept looking around, lost in how much there was to see. She found it all fascinating, but honestly, there wasn't much that caught her eye, at first. She just kept walking... Until they got to the restaurant. Just before they went in, she saw a bookstore across the hall, and her eyes widened a little. "Ohhh..."
Pao
"Maybe," he said, still smirking. "Adds more cute and a touch of adorable." Years ago he would never have imagined himself using either of those words in any kind of context, but with Seren he was doing lots of things he would have never imagined himself doing back then either. So he hardly cared if people gave them funny looks because he was being maybe a little too cheesy.
It wasn't too much longer before they made it to the restaurant, and as he was about to walk in heard her "oh" and looked back at her, curious again. "Hm?" Rhys followed her gaze to the bookstore, and he gave her hand a squeeze. "Wanna go?" he asked, though he'd already taken a step toward the store.
Aria
She sputtered a little, blushing more, and gave him a gentle shoulder bump at his words. He was so good at making her feel suddenly shy in a way she wasn't used to, but it felt nice. It felt really nice, honestly. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze, and a loving smile was on her face.
She bit her lip for a moment, then said "After lunch." Her belly rumbled lightly, and she pinked again, and shrugged. "I'm definitely hungry, after all that exercise earlier. Brunch was good but yeah..." She nodded and gently pulled his hand towards the restaurant. "But yes, please, after!"
Pao
He nearly frowned when she stopped him from going, but lunch did sound pretty good right about now so he didn't complain. Instead he just followed after her, a soft smile on his face. "Should'a guessed a bookstore would catch your attention," he said as they got in line to be seated. It was right around lunchtime so there were some people ahead of them.
"Ever thought of starting your own mini library at home?"
Aria
She leaned against him as they waited. "Is that a bad thing, that it is?" She said, her tone amused and clearly not bothered by his words. "But yes, of course it would. Some new reading material, preferably from my favorite authors, would be wonderful. I definitely want to take a look." She sighed in a happy way, at the idea of getting to browse the books. "And maybe a complete set of the Harry Potter books. I never got to finish them..."
She blinked at his question, and hmmm'd thoughtfully. "Maybe when we have more space, in the future? I don't want to over crowd our dorm, after all."
Pao
He shook his head at the silly question. "Nope. Just I know I'm in love with a beautiful bookworm so kinda wish I thought of it sooner so I could've looked out for 'em on the map." But they found a bookstore by chance so no sense in worrying about it now. He let it go, smiling as she briefly listed some books she was hoping to get.
"Astronomy textbooks, too, maybe?" he suggested before glancing down. "And we can always just put the bookshelf in my dorm 'til we move into a bigger space. It's not gonna be that full once I'm outta there, anyway."
Aria
She gave him that bright, loving look she gave him when he called her beautiful. She still wasn't at all used to being called beautiful, but it made her feel so good every time he did, and that phrasing this time was adorable and sweet. "Mmm and I'm in love with a gorgeous jock who might be getting into reading a bit, some, now too?" She said, in a warm, loving tone, not at all teasing. "So perhaps we should see if they have anything they recommend for people who like Harry Dresden books."
She shook her head at his suggestion. "Anything they have at a mall is unlikely to be an actual textbook, and more likely to have errors in it. I'll have to look into where I can find the books I would need for my studies, but I doubt it'll be here. And... that's a good idea, actually. I can't believe I didn't think of that!" She facepalmed a little.
Pao
He grinned, expression a little doubtful about it being anything more than a pastime, but it was a fair enough point. The compliment was easier to take than the bit about reading. "Might be," he repeated, "and only because I love you. And that Dresden guy is a bad-a**." The books were enjoyable, and there had been occasions where he'd lost track of time because it really was just that good, so it was fair to say that he was a fan.
"Alright, guess that makes sense. You'd know better than me about bookstores." So he shrugged it off as they stepped forward in line. The facepalm made him chuckle, and he turned to give her a little hug again. "I have a bookshelf already, and it’s mostly empty. Just needs books."
Aria
She smiled a little, a hint of amusement at his doubt, and said "We'll see. But as long as you enjoy the ones you're reading so far, I'm happy, and it's what matters most to me. I don't want you being bored, or annoyed." She sighed happily and just squeezed his hand. She wasn't going to pressure him. Maybe he'd have a love of reading awaken in him over time, maybe he wouldn't, but at least she got him reading some new stuff.
She hugged him back and said "That does make it easier, at least. Won’t need more furniture, that is a bonus. And then at some point, we might have space enough for a small library corner, if we find a bigger space."
Pao
It was their turn before he could reply, so it wasn't until he was seated that he could think of anything. They were in a booth in the back corner, a small and relatively private space...which he thought was perfect for them.
"I am enjoying it, yeah," he finally replied after getting comfortable in his chair. He had a huge smile on because of what she said, though, and rather liked not being pressured into reading something. He recalled hating class-assigned reading back in high school, and read all those books rather begrudgingly because he took time away that could have been spent at the gym or racking up hours at work.
"As for the furniture, definitely glad we don't have to requisition one. It takes forever for almost no ********' reason, I don't even get it. But yeah, stuff to put together for when we get more space could be another list we could put together."
Aria
She settled into her side of the booth, a little sad the seats were too small to share, but also happy that it was a fairly private corner. It gave it a kind of romantic feel, actually, which wasn't something she usually associated with lunch, but that was ok... It still felt really nice.
"Good. I'm glad you're enjoying it. Reading for pleasure should be enjoyable." She enjoyed the smile on his face, not really knowing why he looked so happy, but glad for it, whatever the reason was. She pulled her menu towards her, opening it and peering through it curiously, her fingers sliding along the page as she looked at the unfamiliar names of a lot of the dishes, her eyes alive with curiosity at how they might taste.
His next comment had her looking up, and she considered for a moment, then said "Ikea." In a significant voice.
Pao
He grabbed his menu and looked it over briefly, though he wasn't too unfamiliar with the choices. The flavors at this particular restaurant might be different than what he remembered, more than likely because it was a proper sit-down place and not the fast-food version of Thai cuisine that he used to have, but that was for the better.
When she said Ikea he looked up, blinking because it never occurred to him to order furniture before. He was pretty content in his little dorm with the furniture provided, so moving into a new space had, like most other things that came up when he and Seren talked plans, not really crossed his mind.
"They flatpack everything, right? 'Cause not sure how we'd get it home if not."
Aria
"Yeah, from what I understand. We could probably do multiple trips to various Ikea, and get the flat pack furniture that way... Bed there, shelves over here, etc, and bring pieces back over time? Get some stuff early, so once we have a need for it later, we won’t have to try to get it all in one scrambled rush. I mean. If you think it's a good idea, that is."
She tapped the Pad Kee Mao thoughtfully, and then nodded, making her selection. That, and a Thai iced tea, would be the perfect meal, she thought. She had never had it before, but it sounded good, and that was what mattered here. She closed the menu and settled back, smiling warmly across the table at her boyfriend.
Pao
"Just short little day trips," he added to the plan a bit, sorting through his thoughts about how they could get it all back home without the normal people getting too suspicious. Then again, for all they knew he and Seren were just another couple picking out furniture because they were moving in together. Which...was exactly what was going to happen once they got back.
"Totally doable, yeah. Good we can use my dorm as storage for all of this, 'cause it would totally suck if we had to keep all of it in just your dorm."
He paused there and looked back at the menu, settling on crab cakes and green curry, and just water for a drink. The waiter came and left after they ordered, then came back again with their drinks shortly after.
Aria
She nodded. "Yeah, that's kind of what I was thinking. Day trips to the Ikea, get the stuff, bring it back... Store it." She smiled brightly at him, glad they were on the same page with this. She tilted her head and said "Full, Queen, or King, ya think? We'll still have to get a mattress of the right size, but I think Ikea might have those too... Not sure of the quality though."
They might have to make other arrangements for that, she had no idea. She'd never bought a mattress before. Her bed in the basement had been a futon, and honestly the mattress on her bed at Deus was heaven in her mind... And she didn't want anything of a quality that might be less than that. More was acceptable, however. "And yeah, no, I wouldn't suggest that if we didn't have your room to store stuff in."
She placed her order, then reached across the table to hold his hand. She took her tea when the drinks arrived, and took a slow sip of it, her eyes bright with delight.
Pao
"King," he said probably too quickly than he should have. He'd always wanted one, but he'd been stuck with a twin his whole life. Even when he got to Deus his room came with a twin bed, and that was find because he was used to it...but he swore if ever did need to buy a bed in the future it'd be large and would actually have room to move versus barely fitting him and his large frame.
When she reached over he pulled her hand close and leaned down, resting his head on it with a sigh. "Always wanted a King size, plus more room for...us..." he trailed from there, eyes closed for the moment. He wasn't sleeping or anything, just wishing she was next to him so he could cuddle up to her instead.
Aria
"King it is, then." She said, amused at how fast he responded to that. She could definitely do with a nice big bed. Not that they needed much room in her mind, they basically slept cuddled right into each other, and she didn't find she moved away from him much in the night, but if he wanted space, she was 100% A Ok with that.
When he leaned his head against her hand, she was surprised a little, but she found herself smiling softly, and she ran her thumb along his forehead, a loving caress. "It will be nice to have a big bed for us." She agreed, softly, eyes watching the man she loved. She found herself thinking that she hoped the house they eventually found had like... a breakfast nook space, so they could set things up in a way that meant meal time cuddling whenever they wanted.
Pao
Cuddled in or not, having the real estate to move around on a big bed was a luxury he just wanted to have. "Would be, yeah," he said, smiling at her caress. It was such a loving, comforting gesture, and another one of those things he didn't think he'd ever experience in his lifetime. "Also would give us more room for the other fun things besides cuddling."
He sat up at that, still holding her hand but a playful grin on his face.
Aria
She was smiling happily at his words, and then blushed in surprise when he went there, not having expected it. "Ah! I mean, yes of course that's true too." She sipped her tea, trying to act like he hadn't thrown her for a surprise loop with that comment, but her cheeks still very much telling the tale. She glanced up, and found herself grateful the food was coming, because it was something she could focus on to distract herself.
Because of course when he said that, she started thinking about those other fun things he had referenced.
Pao
Her blush had him grin even wider, amused and very much in love with the way she looked when she blushed and how she distracted herself from whatever thoughts she was having. He had them on occasion, too, so he knew the technique all too well.
"You okay there, babe?" he asked as their food was being served. He was hardly looking down at the plates though, because at that moment she was holding all of his attention.
Aria
She looked back at him, and gave him a gentle smile. "More then ok, love. Just..." She waited for the server to leave, and then finished "You gave me ideas that are inappropriate for the table, or at least for one in public." She closed her eyes halfway, gazing through her lashes at him. "A private table that wasn't used for food might be another story."
She then went to taste her pad kee mao, as if she hadn't said anything naughty, looking at her food, but watching him through her peripheral vision, to see how he reacted.
Pao
It was his turn to blush just a little at the fairly suggestive comment, smile steady despite knowing it was, at least for now, just a little tease. And he was happy to keep playing along despite her smooth transition to her food, because it was fun and her reactions never failed to amuse him. "Mm, I dunno. I could think of at least one thing we could do at a public table..."
Like her he went to his food as well, eyeing the crab cakes before turning most of his attention to his curry, though his thoughts were far from the food at the moment.
Aria
She arched a brow at his comment about something they could do at a public table, suddenly curious and trying to figure out what it could be. She continued to eat, thoughtfully trying to work it out. There were a few potentials she could think of but... Which was he thinking of was the question. Finally, she put her chopsticks down, and looked him in the eye. "You now have me curious. Tell me, what where you thinking of?"
She then sipped her tea, eyes still focused on his, her attention 98% on him, 2% on her food and their surroundings. She was very curious.
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Posted: Mon Nov 13, 2017 10:48 pm
Pao
He'd been eating rather happily, focus on his food as the conversation seemed to die where he left it. Which was fine, the topic really wasn't for an eating table anyhow, amusing at it was. So when she asked her question he nearly choked on the bite he was about to swallow, and he lifted up his hand as a sign to wait while he did his best to not choke and wash everything down with water.
"You..." he started once he set his cup down, coughing a bit still but otherwise. "Uh...under the table things..."
Aria
She half started to rise when he seemed to be about to choke, then settled back at the hand signal, eyes concerned. She had not meant for that to happen. She watched him with concern, then relief flooded her eyes when he spoke, even if he was still coughing a bit. His words had her raise her brows a little, and she said "Ahhhhhhhhhh. I see. My apologies for startling you, love. Not my intent. You just had my curiosity going so badly."
She watched him a little more, to be sure he was ok, before she picked her chopsticks back up and began to eat again.
Pao
"No, you're good," he said, taking another swig of water just to be sure. "And you get where I was goin' or...?" Needing to explain might take the fun out of it, but choking did most of that already so he wasn't too concerned.
Aria
She reached over and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "I can get some ideas of what you were getting at, yes." She continued to eat, though, feeling a little bad at making him almost choke. She just had been trying to figure out the kinds of things that he would think of when he wanted to... play... once they got that far.
She wanted to make sure he really enjoyed things, after all.
Pao
At this point, with the flirty suggestive undertone gone, the topic really seemed like they needed to be cuddled up in bed to talk about it. Still, her expression looked worried to him so he caressed her hand with his thumb. "I'm fine, baby, and if you're curious about what I like about that kinda thing...the quick and easy answer is I don't really know. So we'll probably end up doing a lot of experimenting."
And he knew that wouldn't be until he sorted through his issues, which seemed like it was still a long way off, so he couldn't offer more than a small, almost apologetic smile. "Soon, hopefully."
Aria
His words made her relax completely again, and she gave him a loving smile. "I just wanted to be sure... choking is no fun." She paused, and in a tone that was half dour, half amused, she added "You've had me half choking more than once, after all." She gave his hand another squeeze, to remove any sting that might have accidentally had. "Mmm nothing wrong with that." She said, and figured they could talk more, later.
She blinked at the smile, and the hint of apology in it, and returned it with one of love and caring. "No worries, babe... I know. Until then, I'm just happy to be with you."
Pao
He smirked but ultimately left the teasing there. He knew he'd given her a fair share of those kinds of moments, so piling on seemed unnecessary. Instead he focused on her comforting touch and her equally comforting smile and accompanying words, nodding slightly. "Thanks..."
He held her hand through the entire meal, pushing his cleaned out plate and bowl forward a little once he was finished. "Good food," he said before taking a sip of water. "Better than any other Thai food I've ever had. How was yours, babe?"
Aria
Seren just nodded at the thanks, smiling at her man, happy to have the chance to just sit in peace with him. Today had been wonderful so far, and they were going to go book shopping next... Things were amazing. She pondered for a moment about the stops they were making, and thought, maybe, she should sneak some... things into the cart when she got her ladies' supplies.
Better to have them at home in case things got to the point they needed them, then to be surprised without them. It wouldn't do for things to progress and then get held up because they weren't prepared.
She was still working on her food, unsurprisingly, when he finished, though she was nearly ready, and she looked up, and said "You want a bite? It's delicious, and just the right amount of spicy!" She offered her plate to him. "And yeah, it's so much better then the tiny shop in town at home."
Pao
He watched her continue with her food with a rather satisfied smile, happy to just be seated there spending time with her and sipping at his water. At her offer he shook his head a little bit. "That's all you, babe. I'm stuffed. Glad you're enjoying it, though." Seeing her take strides in her struggles really made him want to do the same with his own, though he knew that the pacing and timing of it all would be different for him so he just took the inspiration as motivation for the times when he felt ready to try and challenge himself again.
"So books after this, and then your two shops...and then sneakers?"
Aria
She shrugged and said "Yooooour loss!" And went back to eating, using the chopsticks happily. She was clearly used to, and comfortable with, the utensils. Her eyes glittered happily, and soon she finished every bite. She sat back, setting the chopsticks down, and took a sip of her tea, making a satisfied and happy sigh. "Thai Iced tea, pad kee mao... Life is so good, babe." She squeezed his hand again, just so happy to be here in this moment, with her partner.
"Mmm that was the goal, unless you think of anything else we need. There's some tech shops here, if you wanted anything for your laptop or whatever?" She had no idea what all was needed for such devices, but figured she'd suggest it.
Pao
The way she said "your loss" got an amused huff from him, and he watched her as she powered through the rest of her meal. It seemed her appetite was getting better and better every time, which made him rather proud of her. He gave her hand a squeeze in return. "Life's good only with you in it," he replied, smiling warm and lovingly at her.
"Nah, more tech means more expense 'cause you gotta get it ru-- modded. I got all I need for that stuff, anyway. I'll save it for when we get a TV and a DVD player someday. Big tech, big money." Which was...annoying, but he was just glad they could get normal tech at all.
Aria
She blushed at his words, and let her thumb trace a small pattern on his hand, eyes almost glowing with love for him. He was so good at making her feel wonderful, and he just kept doing it. She finished her tea, slowly, though she did offer him a sip in case he wanted some of the deliciousness. "You make my life amazing..."
She blinked some, and nodded thoughtfully. "Well that would be awesome, yeah. One more thing to buy furniture for, then... Couch and TV stand, yeah?" She asked, thoughtfully, leaning back onto her seat as she considered the idea.
Pao
"We could probably go all day saying sweet little nothings like this, huh, baby?" he smirked, eyes focused just on hers, loving and just overflowing with the kind of joy he never imagined finding in his life. And he found it with her, in just being with her and being part of her life. It still blew his mind, and he was grateful every morning whenever he woke up and she was in his arms.
"Coffee table, dining set," he listed a few more things. "And a good recliner?" He gave her hand a squeeze, sort of pleading with her using just that gesture and a slight shift in his expression. "Please?"
Aria
"Probably. Might make other people sick of us, though." She said, chuckling softly. "Though I'm not sure they're nothings. They're more sweet somethings if you ask me." She just gazed into his eyes, warm and loving, and proud to be here with him, and ecstatic she could be.
She chuckled softly at his pleading expression. "If we can get a flat pack recliner, definitely. If not, we'll have to look into how we can get you a nice laz e boy imported onto the island. The rest, those we can do pretty easy. I was thinking we should see if we can get a place with a breakfast nook set up."
Pao
He wrinkled his nose. "******** 'em," he said defiantly. "I'll whisper sweet somethings to my woman if I want." He held her gaze, momentarily lost in the mesmerizing blue of her eyes.
Talk of the recliner brought him back, and he gave her hand another squeeze. "I can deal with those terms. And a breakfast nook sounds kinda nice. Cozy type setting."
Aria
She laughed softly, her eyes crinkling a little at his words, and she lifted his hand, leaning forwards to give it a small kiss. "You can, indeed, and she'll return the favor too." She said, her voice amused and soft. "You're wonderful to me, and I love you for it. Along with many other things I love you for."
She smiled and said "Let's check what's on the Ikea website, maybe, when we get back to the apartment." Her grin spread wider, and she added "That's exactly what I was thinking, love."
Pao
He smiled, warm and loving, as she kissed his hand then said all these wonderful things about him. He knew she meant every word of it, which made it that much sweeter, and he leaned down and gave her hand a kiss this time. "I love you too, baby."
The waiter came by briefly and he asked for the check before nodding at her idea. "Alright, we can at least check it out. For furniture I think going and seeing the quality in person is also good, but we can scope out collections online. For the nook, too."
Aria
She sighed happily, not entirely wanting to go out of this private corner for the moment, simply because it was nice just to sit here with him. But at the same time, across the table wasn't her favorite place to be, so she would be happy to get up and head out.
She glanced at the waiter, and gave them a smile of thanks, then turned her attention back to her boyfriend. "Oh, I definitely agree... check it in person for sure. I just figured we'd waste less time if we know what the options are in advance. We can go places that have what we want to look at, instead of places that might."
Pao
The waiter came back again to drop off his card and the receipt, then thanked them before leaving once again.
"You're always full of brilliant idea, babe," he said as he pocketed his card, signed the receipt and left a tip because their waiter was nice and polite and he thought they deserved it. He scooted out of his seat then and got up, offering his hand to her once he was up.
"Books first though, Ikea website when we get to the apartment," he said, grinning. "Because we can start your little library sooner than we can get your breakfast nook."
Aria
She blushed and took his hand as she got up. His constant praise of her was just so strange to her, and yet so good. It felt like being in a mirror world, almost, to the one she'd grown up in... Instead of everything she did being stupid, or bad, or wrong, it seemed like everything she did in his eyes was wonderful and smart and good. She shifted, once up, to tuck herself under his arm.
"Yeah. Also, as long as I don't get too many of them, books are smaller to carry. We should get like... some large suitcases to help bring everything home, since we're doing a bit of stocking up. Or some duffels. Something."
Pao
He draped his arm over her shoulders and pulled her in close, giving her a quick kiss on the forehead as they walked out. Everything she did was wonderful and smart and good as far as he was concerned, and he loved giving her the praise he felt she more than deserved for everything that she did for him.
"We can probably find a store with a good duffle bag that we can put the books in," he paused and gave it a bit of thought. "Probably at the same store that has my sneakers?"
Aria
"I was thinking it would be good to have a few... Carry other necessities we buy, rather than trying to haul all the various shopping bags we end up with. Pack it down into the duffels, and then we don't have as many things to carry when we catch our... ride... home." She said. "If they're decent quality, it'll mean we can use them on future shopping trips too... Like when we go to get things for our future home, the non-furniture stuff, like dishes." She loved saying that, 'our future home.' It felt so good to think about a place that was just theirs.
She walked into the bookstore, and her expression was one of joy and eagerness. It was almost like the expression of a child in a candy store. She looked up at him for a long moment, eyes bright with her happiness, and then headed for the fantasy section, arm tight around him.
Pao
He nodded while listening, making sure to keep mental notes for future reference. He smiled warmly at the words "our future home" as well, glancing down at the love of his life and again wondering how he got so lucky.
Once inside the bookstore he felt a bit lost, but upon looking down at her and seeing how happy and excited she was at just being there he chuckled and walked alongside her to her section of choice. "Got something specific in mind, love? Or just browsing?"
Aria
"Well, like I said... I want to see about a set of the Potter books..." She noticed a handbasket, and snagged one with her free arm. "And then some books from Lackey, McGuire, and maybe one or two others... But I also don't want to overdo it... Books are, sadly, heavy." She sighed and then noticed a display of eReaders. She looked at it, thoughtfully, and then said "Or... huh... I wonder how much a kindle would be to get it... converted..." She murmured that word carefully.
She paused, and looked up at him. "How did you get these..." She reached up and tapped her hair clips he got her. "Delivered? Maybe I could just get the potter books for now, and arrange to get a kindle, and then on our next leave, make some purchases somewhere with WiFi."
Pao
"Your boyfriend looks like this and you're worried books are gonna be too heavy?" Clearly he was half joking, but also half serious about it. Not that he took it as an insult though, since he was grinning, but still. "An eReader wouldn't be too expensive to get modded, but you'd have to download a s**t-ton of books on leave because we can't access the online stores from the island. At least as far as I know..."
A shelf of those Twilight books caught his eye and he curled his lip. Her question thankfully got his attention and he turned just as she pointed at her clips. "Oh, I had a P.O. Box set up and picked it up from there. Could do that, too, if it's easier."
Aria
"Well I was thinking the Kindle because then I can use the Amazon store... I think it's... bigger?" She sounded unsure, because she didn't know how much had changed on that since she'd gone into the Pod. "More selection. And yeah, but I could also buy textbooks that way, too, I think." She arched a brow up at him and added "My boyfriend looks like that but we're also making stops to get shoes, necessities, some food stuffs, and we have a giant plushie to carry back that is light but unwieldy... I don't want to make things difficult on us, baby."
She ignored the twilight books like the trash they were in her mind, just overlooking them completely. "Oh? Do you still have it to get mail? If so, I could order one tonight back at the apartment, and we can pick it up next month from the box, then! If... do you know how much it would cost to ru... convert it?"
Pao
He noted her list of things that really would add to making things more challenging than they needed to be, so he smirked and shrugged and let it go. Less to carry was always a good thing, anyway, though if she decided on a set or two of books he wouldn't mind carrying that for her on the trip home. "Amazon might have more to offer," he suggested, putting his focus on trying to be helpful as opposed to tooting his own horn, "so the Kindle gets my vote."
"And I do still have it, figured I might as well keep it so I don't have to keep changing the delivery address when I order things. We can definitely share, babe, no problem." He gave her a grin and briefly hugged her closer. "As for modding, not much? If you ask nicely someone might do it for cheaper, but I'd ballpark $500?"
Aria
She glanced around as they got into the right aisle, and found where the box set she wanted was. It was a nice set, with the original covers. She put it in her basket and smiled at him. "Kindle it is, then. Seems like it'll be worth it." She leaned up and kissed his cheek, then turned to head back to the front, and the check out. She looked around as they went, peering curiously at things but not letting anything catch her eye.
"Awesome. I'll order it tonight, then." She got it the line, and leaned gently against him, her eyes bright and happy. "Lots of options this way. And huh. Good to know. Should be able to do it, then, so long as I'm sure we have enough between us for the initial costs once we find a long term place."
Pao
"My laptop is," he nodded, smiling when she kissed him. He eyed the shelves as they went, names of authors and titles of books all unfamiliar and unable to really catch his eye. "The more options, the better. Pick the best one, you'll get your money's worth for it since you'll be using it for sure." He gave a sage nod, smiling softly as she leaned against him. "Doable, definitely. We can check how much we have between us when we get home? Staying where we are now to save is probably our best option, versus forcing it if we have just enough."
Aria
"Your laptop definitely is." She said, thinking about the two nights in his room where they feel asleep next to each other after movies. Even if the first one had been a bit upsetting, and awkward in the morning, it had been a good experience, in her mind. "I'm glad you have it." She rested her head against him, moving up as the line shifted forwards. "And yeah, no we definitely need to save up, if we're at just enough. We don't want to be surprised and caught low on money if something unexpected comes up. Definitely a good idea. D'ya think we could maybe use your laptop to do some expense tracking? Maybe on Excel? We should set up a time to meet that Rep fellow, too, so we can get a ballpark figure on costs to move in."
Pao
He smiled warmly at the memory of their movie nights back when they first started hanging out. When she leaned against him he gently rested his cheek against her hair. "Unexpected like?" he asked, but quickly added, "I'm totally for saving and expense tracking and all that, but just curious what you're thinkin' of."
Mention of Rep had him blinking curious over at the cashier that was giving them an "aww lookit the cute couple" expression. "I don't think I've ever seen that guy, but yeah that's a good idea, too. And track what we'd need for repairs if needed, and then furniture." It sounded like it'd be a while before they moved into a house...but the dorms worked well enough for him either way. As long as she was there, that was all that mattered to him.
Aria
"Mmmm I was thinking like... well repairs mainly?" She sighed and said "Think about the stuff Joy and Kai had to do recently, ya know? Better to be ready for the worst, that way we'll have the spare to cover it, then be surprised when the proverbial crap hits the fan, and have to scramble to make things workable and livable again."
She glanced at the cashier, gave the person an amused but friendly smile (far better reaction, after all, then the waitress from the night before), then refocused on her boyfriend. "I've only seen him on Twitter... I think. Honestly, I find him uncomfortable there, but maybe he's less appalling in person... I mean he somehow runs a successful pair of businesses, so he has to not horrify people away completely." She half shrugged the shoulder that wasn't next to him. "And maybe it won’t be as expensive as we thought, especially given that recent bonus. Might be better off then we knew."
Pao
"Repairs, gotcha. Emergency fund makes a lot of sense then..." Given what he knew could happen to houses on the island, it actually made perfect sense now that she mentioned it. "The emergency fund's gotta be pretty ********' huge, then," he added, though his tone was more even than depressed or anything like that. All it meant was another few months of them saving.
"Oh, yeah, and on Twitter." He listened to her as she described her thoughts about the guy, a very amused smirk on his face. "Successful businessmen know when, where, and with who they can be assholes." The comment was sort of deadpan, not really based on experience with businessmen but more working with various kinds of managers. "But yeah, with the bonus we might be closer than we think. We'll see when we get to the apartment."
With that he turned his head and gave her a little kiss on the forehead before they shuffled forward again.
Aria
She sighed some at that idea, and said "Yeah, I guess..." She set her books on the counter when they got to the front, looking lost in thought. "Another thing to ask about, then... We can ask Kai and Joy, maybe, how much repairs tend to run, and how you get them taken care of. I mean, I have no idea how to build stuff, fix plumbing, any of that, so DIY repairs aren't something I'd be any good at. But we'll make it work out."
She arched a brow up at him, and said "Given home is so closed off from the outside, you'd think he'd be more concerned about it, with such a limited customer base, however. But at the same time, I guess we're all a trapped audience most of the time, so it's sort of complicated. Still. Hope he's not a d**k in person, that's all I have to say on the issue." She watched the clerk ring them up, her head going back to his shoulder. "Don't we need to be back home to check on all that?" She sounded curious.
Pao
He made a note for it as the cashier rang them up, and when she gave the total he didn't hesitate to pull his wallet out and hand over his card again. "I can do a lot of the smaller DIY things; I've done all kinds of work so anyone we hire's just gonna be for the bigger issues." Like whole rooms needed replacement and that kind of thing. "But yeah, we'll figure it out."
Once they were handed the bag and the receipt he started for the door, shrugging his free shoulder. "Yeah, I guess. Even if he is we still gotta be...civil..." he hesitated with the word, because being "civil" with assholes was a challenge he wasn't sure he could accept. "Since he's putting the price tag on the house. And I don't think so? But waiting 'til we're back home works, too. We just gotta check at some point."
Aria
She leaned up to kiss him when he paid again, and hugged his shoulders, then took the bag. "Well you can teach me, some, then... So I can help too. That's good to know. So then unless it's big, we can assume supplies for most basic repairs that might come up." She wondered how experienced he was with plumbing, because that was one she didn't think she would be any good at.
"I can manage that. Just wear my customer service mask, like I did when waiting tables." She made a slight face, because she had been happy to leave that mask behind, but for the sake of their own home, it would be worth it. "And all right, if we can do it at the apartment, that's fine. Just didn't know we could do account access here." She stepped out the door, and said "I think the store where we can find sneakers is just up that escalator. There next?" She figured the last stop would be the grocery-type store, where she hoped to use her lady's necessities as a reason to sneak off and make a purchase of her own... Those, but supplies for later too.
Pao
"Sure. Painting and putting up wallpaper's easy enough," and he went down a list of other simpler tasks that might come up as they walked out the store. He noted her expression at the whole being civil thing, and he sighed. "I know the feel, babe, but for our house..." He paused there, a little surprised by the last two words he said. It took a second for him to come back, too, but when he did he picked up right where he left off. "I mean, I'll do it if I have to."
He gave her question about the next store a bit of thought, trying to recall the map they'd looked over at the beginning. When it didn't really come back to him he just nodded. "Yeah, if it flows best."
Aria
She nodded, listening to the various things he could do, and what he could teach her. She was impressed, and it showed, by the variety. She wondered if he knew how amazing he was, with so many skills under his belt. A bit of a jack of all trades, or at least many, was her man and it made her smile happily. He was so much more clever then he gave himself credit for.
"Mmm I can do it, don't worry about it. I just didn't miss pretending to be Miss Friendly Sunshine with jerks. But I have the experience and the skill, so no point in letting it go to waste." She gave his hand a squeeze, slightly amused by the way he paused over the words 'our house.'
"Yeah I think so... The sports store is up there, then the Victoria's Secret type place is..." She pointed back towards the middle of the mall. "That way, on that floor. From there, we can head down, cause the grocery is in the basement area."
Pao
"Suckin' it up for our future," he grinned, leaning to give her a kiss on the cheek just as she squeezed his hand. He started walking to the escalator once she finished explaining the layout.
Once they made it into the store he glanced around, trying to remember the last time he actually bought new shoes. His eyes settled on their giant display of sneakers, smiling slowly as he walked toward it.
Aria
She smiled and nodded. "Exactly. It's worth it, for that." She said, softly, and followed him up the stairs, and into the store. She watched his expression as he approached the sneakers, a small smile crossing her face at his expression. She glanced over the display, and murmured "Take your time, babe. I'm gonna go look at the women’s' shoes, and maybe some duffel bags."
She gave his cheek a kiss, then went over to the section in question, and began peering over the many sneaker options. None were quite her theme, but there was a nice dark blue pair, with purple and pink accents, that she felt was close enough. She had to get assistance, however, because she didn't understand the European shoe sizing. She managed to get a good fit, though, and took the box over to the duffels next. There was a selection, and she studied them, lost in thought.
Pao
He nodded, glancing over with a very cheerful smile before turning his eyes back to the display. He flitted from one shoe to the next, a lot of the designs being his style, and settled on his top 3 before sitting down and trying things on. It took a good ten or so minutes before he finally decided on the pair he wanted; it looked very similar to the pair he was retiring, but much newer and a lot lighter. He was certain there were other benefits too, but those are what stuck out to him. Once he had his pair he walked around until he found Seren, and came up to stand beside her and look over the duffels.
"Hm..." he mused before looking down at her, gaze curious since she didn't seem to notice him. "Babe? You okay?"
Aria
She gave a little start, not having realized he had joined her, and made a "AH!" as she half spun to face him. "Ahhhh babe, whyyyyy do you always sneak up on me?" She sighed and gave his arm a gentle swat for the surprise, then said "I was just lost in thought, considering the bags, that's all. Trying to decide which is best for dimensions and sturdiness versus the cost factor?"
Pao
Rhys laughed lightly at her surprise, soon pulling her into a side hug and kissing her cheek. "Sorry, baby," he chuckled before turning to the display of duffels. "I didn't think you needed to focus that much to pick a duffle, though."
His duffle was carefully chosen, ironically, though the care was because he wanted one that suited his aesthetic versus the things she was looking for, which if he were honest were a lot more important than if the bag looked good on him. After a quick once-over at what was available, he pointed at a medium-sized duffle. "What about this one?"
Aria
She snuggled against him in the hug and said "You enjoy that too much. But I love you, babe." She sighed and then turned back to the duffels as well, considering them, her arm lightly looped around her handsome boyfriend, enjoying having him so close, and warm, against her. His comment made her go "Mmm. Just want to get the best for the money." She gave him a light squeeze.
She was amused by the care he, too, took, and even more when she realized he was picking for looks over her needs, and she shook her head, a little, amused at him and his need to stay true to his look. She was willing to sacrifice that here, partly because there were no star patterned duffels available. She might have been tempted if there were. She eyed the one he pointed out, and examined the seams with care, then said "Hmmmm... Yeah, I think... No." She noticed a similar one, but larger. She went to examine it's durability, then nodded. "This... it's only a little more, and it'll make it easier to be sure we can pack everything except Gigantosaurus Plush."
Pao
He was comfortable just standing there with her, looking over the display while keeping her close. It wasn't the smartest of positions given they had to move and make choices and the like, but he was grateful for it and was happy to stay that way until she picked a duffle she'd be satisfied with.
He nearly--nearly but not quite*--frowned when she vetoed his choice and went for a different bag. It was similar enough, which was why he didn't frown, and as she looked it over he just nodded. "You're probably better at figuring out quality than I am," he admitted, reaching over to see if he could figure out what about it was better than his choice. "So you're sure you want this one?"
Aria
She looked up at him and gave him a small kiss on the lips. "Yeah. This one is the same as the one you picked, but has more room, so if, say, anything we get is bulkier then we expected..." She paused, thinking about certain necessities that sometimes came packed in annoying ways. "We'll have a little extra room for packing. I probably wouldn't have noticed this one if you hadn't pointed the other one out. Thank you, baby, for helping."
She meant it, too. She really had missed this one, because it was kind of tucked behind another, more expensive but ridiculous looking bag. She tucked her arm through his and said "Shall we go check out?" with a warm, and loving look in her eyes.
Pao
He smiled when she kissed him, tempted but holding himself back from returning it because otherwise they might get stuck here longer than they needed to be. He puffed up a bit on the inside when she thanked him. "I didn't do anything, but anytime, baby," was his reply, and he finally gave in and gave her a little kiss, too.
"Yeah, let's check out...got more shops to hit." With that he slipped out of her arms and just took her hand instead, leading her to the register. He set his box down and gave her space to set down the things she was gonna buy, too.
Aria
She laughed at his denial of helping, shaking her head lovingly at him, then mmming softly at the kiss. She followed him to the register, and put her box and the duffle next to his stuff, and leaned against him while the cashier rang them up.
She found herself gazing in amusement at the various 'PROTEIN WHEY TO HELP YOU GET STRONGER' type advertisements, even if they never actually directly said that, and shook her head, fairly sure neither of them needed any of this nonsense. Once the purchases were rung up, and paid for, however, she said "All right, time to go to the next stop." She straightened up and took one of the bags in one hand, and his hand in the other.
Pao
He followed her out, bags in one hand, hers in the other, and when they were out of the store he moved beside her he playfully bumped into her as they walked. "Victoria Secret, huh?" he mused, realizing that he'd never gone near the store before. He never had a reason to, of course, so it wasn't any kind of regret or anything like that. It was just...a thought.
"I get to imagine you in sexy lingerie the whole time you're shopping?" The brunette grinned over at her. "Or should I just wait outside?"
Aria
"Indeed. I can finally afford to pay for quality, so I am." She said, tired to death of Wal-Mart hell. She had high hopes that a properly fitted bra meant it would not leave as many uncomfortable dents on her skin. She also hoped to sneak a few surprises into her purchases for when things progressed. She gave his hand a squeeze, and led them in the direction the map had said the store was.
At his question, she turned her head to tilt a brow at him. "If you're not coming in with me, I would suggest finding a small snack stand nearby. Hanging around outside a women's underwear store without an obvious reason is going to make people think you're strange, weird, or worse... creepy as ********. And odds are they'll think creeper."
Pao
"Quality's good." He knew that feeling all too well, thought he didn't see a reason to get quality things for working out because he didn't think he needed them now that he was at Deus. Though a good skateboard would be on his list...maybe next time. "You deserve good quality."
The tilted brow was met with a series of clueless blinks, and when she explained he just wound up making an "o" shape with his mouth. "I'm not really hungry so guess I'm goin' in with you. I can carry bags and stuff so you can grab everything you need." Then he shrugged, a small smile directed at her. "Do what I can."
Aria
"Quality is very good." She did want quality for her workout gear, it would reduce risk of things like chafing. She gave his hand a squeeze at his comment, and said "So do you, babe." She paused, and added "I meant it, when we were in that abandoned mansion. You'd look good in a suit... Or fitted clothes. Maybe once we get stuff saved up, you could get some nice fitted stuff?" She paused, then added, unsure if he'd take that the wrong way, "I was thinking so we could go out to some nice places on dates."
She laughed a little at the expression he made, and shook her head, amused it didn't even occur to him how that might look. "Yeah, all right. Sounds good, babe. I appreciate the help." When they got to the overly pink entrance, a thing she winced a little at, she led him inside, and grabbed one of their net-cloth 'baskets' for gathering stuff in, and went up to an associate. "Can I get a proper fitting? It's... been awhile."
The associate guided them to a spot where Rhys could sit with their purchases, then led Seren to the back, where the fitting rooms where. After a few minutes, they came back out, and Seren began to browse, slipping things into her basket every so often.
Pao
Once inside the store Rhys felt completely out of place, but he had to admit that the stuff looked pretty good quality so he was happy that Seren was getting some stuff from here. While she browsed he did as well, eyeing the various articles of clothing with a very curious eye.
At one point he picked up a lacey string-looking thing, squinting as he held it out so he could see all of it. Which wasn't much...but that was the point of lingerie. His imagination wandered some before he set it down and decided it might be best to just hover a bit behind Seren, in case wandering through the store and looking through stuff on his own was considered a creepy thing to do, too. He noted her basket with a little smile.
"Finding things you like?"
Aria
Seren had noticed his wandering, and chuckled as he examined a lacy string thong, wondering if people assumed he was looking for gifts. That was, frankly, normal enough that he would be ok doing that, though the close inspection was a bit unusual, she suspected. She refocused on the task at hand and blinked up at him.
"Felt the need to abandon the seat she gave you?" She teased him gently, before answering. "Yes, I am. Some of them you might like too." That was also said in a slightly teasing tone, if a different one. "And I'm saving those for another time." She paused, and added "I'm going to ask you to let the lady at the register pack things up without you looking. I want to be able to give you a few surprises down the line."
Pao
"Maybe?" Oddly enough he rather liked it when she teased him, and even more so when the teasing was of that nature. He leaned down to give her a kiss. "Mm, I love surprises," came a little bit of a whisper as he pulled away. "I'll wait outside once you head to the front if you want?"
Aria
She kissed him back, a happy smile on her face, and she murmured back "Good to know. I'll have to keep that in mind for other surprises in the future." She gave a gentle sigh and hugged him, and nodded. "Since that'll be just for the ring up, shouldn't be long enough for you to get labeled a creeper or something. Sounds good." She went back to making selections, then said "All right, I'm going to go pay."
She had noticed a sale was on, too, and was taking full advantage of it to get the things she both needed and wanted. She looked forwards to the day it was safe to show off the things, and not worry about having anything go wrong. In the meantime, she could plan ahead.
Pao
The idea that she was getting surprises ready for when they were ready brightened up his smile, as always it kept his hopes up about his issue becoming more manageable than it was now. He hovered behind her until she said she was going up to pay, to which he nodded, kissed her, then headed out to wait in front of the store.
Sure enough he did get some curious looks while he stood and waited for his girlfriend to come out, but he ignored them in favor of Googling possible things he could do to surprise her, too.
Aria
She kissed him back before he left, and headed straight to the register. She got everything rung up, and checked out, looking happy. She leaned on the counter, waiting calmly as all the pretty things were packaged up, wrapped nicely in tissue paper for protection, then bagged. She paid, then took the pink bags, and headed outside to meet him.
When she got to his side again, she leaned over and gave him a small kiss on the cheek. "Hey. Ready to head down to the basement, where they have a 'Waitrose', which apparently is a local supermarket?" She pulled out the duffle she'd bought, and tucked the pink bags into it, along with her shoebox, thus condensing all that she was carrying from her shopping today into one bag, making it easier to carry.
Pao
He was busy with research when she finally came out, smirking as he gave her a nod while hurriedly bookmarking the pages he was on and closing the browser app before slipping his phone into his pocket. "Yeah, grocery store," he replied, taking the duffle to put his shoebox in it after her before slinging it over his shoulders. "Also, great idea with the duffle, babe."
He took her hand before they started off, and after a second he gently nudged her. "You mentioned nicer places for dates earlier, right? I kinda got distracted by everything in that store so I forgot to say, but nicer places would be cool. Classy places mean more formal wear? So... a suit type thing?" He'd never worn a suit before, now that he thought about it.
Aria
She blinked as he took the duffle bag from her, then smiled up at him, once again amused at how he took care of her... Amused and touched to the core. She tucked her arm in his, on the opposite side from the duffle, and began to walk to the elevator that would take them to the store. "I'm glad you agree... It's not like we get to go shopping that often, so stock ups are gonna need space."
She hit the button for the elevator, and blinked at the nudge. She tilted her head while he talked, and gave him a soft, warm smile. "Yeah... I was thinking we could start with like... nice casual, rather than a suit? I mean, I've never gone anywhere super fancy before, I don't know about you, so I thought we could, like... work our way towards the fancy places." An excuse to get a fancy dress, though, did make her smile.
Pao
"Good we have storage then, for all the stocking up we'll have to do 'til we get our own place."
He tried to think of what kinds of places were "nice casual," relieved that she didn't seem to be in any rush to go all fancy with their dates. "Fancy places were a waste of money before," he said in passing when she mentioned she’d never gone to one before, "but won't be if it's with you. Nice casual seems like a good start...like...the Cheesecake Factory?"
Aria
She nodded and stepped into the elevator, moving to the back to lean on the wall, after hitting the button to go down. She beamed up at him, eyes bright with love, and said "Once we have that place, though, things will be awesome. No literal neighbors right on the other side of the walls, so no more noise bleed." She didn't add 'and no concern for us either.' though she thought it.
"Mmmm that might be nice. I've heard they have really amazing food." She said, looking thoughtful. "So we should, at some point, get some nice casual clothing, then go out to the Cheesecake Factory. Yeah. That's a wonderful idea, in fact, babe." She beamed up at him, then led him back out of the elevator once they hit the bottom. She looked around the store, then got a shopping cart.
Pao
He beamed back, gaze warm and loving as he listened and nodded in agreement. "No noise problems so far," he thought out loud, "but the potential is there." After a beat he added, "And since we still don't know how we'll do with that once...yeah...the idea of privacy's extra nice."
He walked beside her as they started going through the store, eyeing various things on the shelves with vague interest. "At some point, meaning not while we're here?" he wanted to clarify.
Aria
"Aaaah yeah, indeed." She knew she could be quiet, but... she had noticed her boyfriend could be quite noisy with somethings, and she had a feeling this would not be any different. And she didn't mind, though their neighbors might once things progressed that far. She squeezed his hand gently, and began to browse. She considered, and said "What do you think we should stock up on? Nonperishables, obviously." She planned to get some cocoa, and some canned soups, for nights when she was just too exhausted to cook, but wondered about other things. Oh, some treats too.
His question had her smiling. "Yes, babe. Not this trip. This is stuff for the future... Maybe once we're a little more sure of where finances are going to be at, long term, regarding the house."
Pao
He smiled softly when she squeezed his hand and left the topic there as they started browsing. "Storage solutions for when we borrow the cafeteria kitchen and have leftovers? Sandwich bags or a cheap Tupperware set maybe?"
They passed the snack aisle and he paused at the sight of a bag of Doritos. "Okay," he eventually replied once he got over the bag because he knew he didn't need the extra junk, "more for us to do in another city."
Aria
She slid into the snack aisle calmly, and snagged some chocolate, because frankly they deserved to have the occasional treat. She led them to where the Nutella was, and grabbed a jar of that. "To make sure we have enough. It's been a month since I made crepes, and I promised..." She said calmly. "And those are really good ideas." She went hunting for the aisle with that sort of stuff, and found a cheap set of Ziploc brand plastic storage containers. She grabbed two multi-sets of different sizes, just in case.
She then headed for the fruit aisle. "Bananas, so we'll have them this time." She grabbed a bunch with 2, figuring that would be enough, and then headed for the canned goods aisle. She saw a cocoa mix display on the way, and snagged the Swiss Miss, giving him a grin, then went into the canned goods. "You got any soups you prefer? Just... for exhausted nights, or any night when one of us has to be busy for duty."
Pao
He watched silently as his girlfriend thoughtfully grabbed a number of things, smile soft and full of love. He pushed the cart along, grinning back at her when she tossed the Swiss Miss in. When they stopped in the soup aisle he reached for her hand and tugged her to him, leaning down for a kiss.
"Mm...no soup preference," he replied, hovering close still. "You?"
Aria
She made a startled eep, having been thinking about soup options, then kissed him back, arms going around him for the moment. "Mmmmm." She considered the question and said "Pity they don't have like a canned tom kha gai, that would be amazing." She considered the options, then said "Minestrone, maybe some meatball soup... Chicken noodle?"
She caressed his cheek lovingly, then moved to grab some cans of the second two, and soup packets of the first, along with some other soup packet boxes. "Lighter then cans, it occurs to me..." She put them in the cart, then looked up at him. "Got any ideas on anything else? If not, can you maybe run this to the register? I'll um... Get my necessities myself."
Pao
The options all sounded alright to him so he just nodded and let her slip away to grab the aforementioned soup cans and packets. Once the cart was loaded up he gave her question some thought before shaking his head. "Not really? I'll go take care of this, then."
With that he took the cart and started off for the registers, but only after turning and adding, "I'll wait for you up front, babe. No rush, alright?"
Aria
"Sounds good." She sighed and leaned back for a moment, watching him go, then went and found a hand basket. She walked to the Lady's supplies, and made appropriate selections, then quietly went to the aisle where they had certain other supplies. She made some guesses based on what she'd seen, and selected some boxes, then tucked them under her other selections.
She went to the front, and made sure to select a register where she could get her stuff rung up without him seeing everything... She didn't want him to get the wrong idea, or feel pressured... and got checked out, with an odd look from the clerk, given the combination. She paid a bagging surcharge with a sigh, but was glad it was paper, not plastic, then went to rejoin Rhys. "Mmm ready to go, babe. Back to the apartment, put stuff away, then dinner? We could order take out maybe."
Pao
He got checked out and put everything into the duffle, then waited patiently until she joined him again. When she did he gave her a big smile and nodded, offering her his hand.
"Yeah, let's go," he replied, "Take out sounds good. Delivery or...?"
Aria
She tucked her bag into the duffle, then took his hand, heading for the exit nearest the subway station. "Delivery, or pick up, I'm good either way. I've picked most of the restaurants this trip, why don't you figure out something you want, and we'll get that?" She gave his hand a squeeze, and got them onto the train. They'd apparently hit a quietish spot, so there was a seat, plus the seats for the elderly and disabled.
She glanced at the free seat, and leaned up to murmur "We could share?"
Pao
"What haven't we tried around here?" he asked, thinking on what he maybe wanted for dinner. He wasn't that picky and didn't really have any cravings for anything specific, so thinking on possibly delivery he said, "Pizza and pasta?"
He noticed the empty seat too and considered her suggestion with a smirk, then nodded. "Lap?"
Aria
She considered the options, nodding a little. "Yeah, or... Indian food?" She had no idea if there was Indian delivery, or if that was even a thing. She'd never had Indian food, but she'd heard it was really good and was curious about trying it, and she knew there was a pretty good-sized population of people from India in England. She had no idea if he was into Indian, however.
She chuckled at his question and nodded. "That's what I figured. The other option is we each have half the seat, and somehow, that sounds extremely uncomfortable." She moves towards the seat.
Pao
He followed after her, taking a seat and pulling the duffle off so she had room to sit in his lap comfortably. "That would be uncomfortable, yeah," and he patted his lap.
"And I could do Indian. Probably just pick up, not sure if any place around here delivers. We can check for places when we get back."
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