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((Back Dated for IC purposes to 09/25/18 ))

Aria -
Seren hopped off the bus at her old stop, just a half a block from the apartment building, and stretched, smiling up at it as she began to make her way towards the front door. It had been a few days since she had move out, and this was the first time Nate had been free for an evening, so when he invited her over, she was one hundred percent on board with it. She had no idea what his plans were... He had mentioned food, but she did not know how he wanted to handle that.

She did not even know if he considered this a date, or something.

Still, she was excited to see him. She darted in the building, and used the elevator to go up... She'd done a long run today, and did not want to be sweaty or something when she got upstairs... And knocked on his door, a bright smile on her face, her eyes glittering happily behind her glasses. She'd put on some slim fit jeans that she thought flattered her, and a cute t-shirt, but otherwise had not gone out of her way.

Pao -
Nate had been out of the house, having left to pick up some food for the two of them. As much as he wanted to go out and do something fun with her, work left him exhausted and not ready to do anything more than spend a night in watching movies or something along those lines. So the least he felt he could do was provide the food; his house was only stocked with meal preps and snacks of the keto variety so he didn't have much of a choice but to go out.

He saw her step off of the bus on his way back, and he smiled that usual small smile as he followed her back to his apartment. He purposely waited for the next elevator, too, just to see if he could surprise her.

Once upstairs he watched her from the elevator entrance for a moment before approaching, and once he was close enough he curled around her and pressed a quick kiss to her cheek before fully stepping around and revealing himself so she didn't think it was some random pervert.

"Hey, stranger," he greeted, smile bright. Remy's yipping could be heard from beyond the door in front of them, so he quickly turned, unlocked it, and opened it for her. "Come on in."

Aria -
She jumped in startelement when there was suddenly someone kissing her cheek, and close up to her back. She almost shrieked and darted away... But then he came into full view, and she settled down, a bright grin on her face now. "Nate! You scared the heck outta me!"

She calmed herself as she followed him inside, laughing to see the excitable little pup on the other side of the door. "How are you, though? It's been a busy few days, meeting my roommates and all. But I got my room all set up, other then the bookshelves and curtain idea." She leaned down to scoop up Remy and snuggle the wriggly ridiculous doggo.

"Has Remy missed me?" She wanted to ask if he missed her, but that made her nervous, worried if she was pushing for too much, too soon. "And where had you gone, that you were behind me when I got here?"

Pao -
He couldn't help but laugh at her reaction, something he hadn't done since the last time they saw each other. The last couple of shifts were taxing, to say the least, and it left him both physically and emotionally drained. There hadn't been much to laugh about, so this was a much needed reprieve. He closed the door behind them, a soft smile spreading on his face as he watched her handle his pup. Remy adored her, and very clearly missed her, as he was trying his hardest to give her as many kisses as he could manage.

Nate, meanwhile, went around and set the bag of food down at the dining table. "I'm alright. Same old, same old. And I went out for food. I didn't really have anything here that we could eat and pizza didn't sound too good. Hope you like Chinese."

He spent a bit of time emptying the boxes into bowls, just to make putting away leftovers easier, and then set the table for the two of them. "You sure you're okay with just staying in?" he asked eventually, gaze lifting to meet hers. "I mean, I've got Netflix and a game console, but I don't know if you're into that kinda thing. We could still go out after dinner, if you want?"

Aria -
She was giggling at all the kisses and moved closer to where Nate was, watching him as she gave many rubs to the doggy's belly and ears. "I can see he DID miss me, the silly boy." She kept her eyes on the man, though, because she was busy admiring him, as he moved about his kitchen. She couldn't not appreciate what a fine, fit man he was, and how very handsome he was, too. Part of her could not believe that this handsome man would find her attractive, but it seemed like he, apparently, did.

"Glad to hear you're alright, and of course. Chinese is fine. I do like it... Don't get to have it too often, but it is delicious. I'm guessing you know all the good stuff at your local place, by now?" A light tease about the fact that that he didn't really cook much." She settled Remy back on the floor, then went to wash her hands, before moving over to Nate's side.

"I am totally ok with staying in, Nate." She gave a soft smile up at his face. "I would rather a relaxed night watching movies or something, or playing games, though I've only ever played Mario Kart before... then exhausting you more than your job already does. We can do stuff out another time, when you've had a chance at more rest, yeah?"

Pao -
Yes, he did find her rather attractive, both in looks and personality. She was easy to be around, easy to talk to, had the right kind of motivations in life, and he could relate to a lot of what she talked about. Nothing she said ever felt superficial or insincere, and it wasn't easy to find someone like that, at least not for him. Never mind the fact that she loved his dog. She could cook, too, to top it all off. And he was sure there was still more to learn and to find attractive about her.

He huffed at the little tease but gave a shrug. "I know a few of the better places, yeah," he admitted. His cooking left a lot to be desired and he wasn't ashamed to admit it, so the teasing didn't bother him in the slightest.

The brunette smiled rather gratefully when Seren voiced her understanding of his work situation. There were others he'd met, others he'd dated, that hadn't been, and to find someone who was, was a nice change. A needed one, really. So he sighed and moved a bit closer before learning in for a little kiss. "Thanks," he said quietly before kissing her again. And once more for good measure before pulling back. "We can take a look at my schedule tonight and maybe plan something for sometime this month?"

Aria -
She giggled at the huff, and gave him an affectionate cheek caress to show him she meant it only in the most friendly of ways, then nodded. "It's nice, being able to know the good places locally, I guess?" It wasn't something she could exactly understand, since for her 'knowing the good places' were 'That Costco has the BEST selection, and this grocery store has great price to quality comparison on it's fresh produce.' and the like.

She had been about to sit down, but he leaned in and kissed. "Of course!" Was all she had time to say, before they were kissing again. Once he had broken the third kiss, she stepped back, just a little, so that they wouldn't be tempted to kiss all night... The food would be best while still hot, after all! "That sounds like an awesome plan. I'd love to do that. Maybe go on a hike somewhere? I might not be as good as you two, but you guys can show me how it's done?"

Pao -
And it really was the easiest temptation to fall into, so Nate didn't mind that she slipped away after the third kiss. He pulled her seat back for her with a smile before considering their options. A hike meant at least two, maybe three days off, which he could probably pull off if they scheduled it for near the end of the month. "Not much to show," he said as he took his own seat. "Mostly dress comfortably and bring a good pair of shoes. You'll pick it up quick, I don't doubt it." As far as he could tell she was a quick study at a lot of things he'd shown her so far.

He quickly filled his plate up with food before pouring some tea into her cup first, and then his own. "Well, there's maybe a little more to it than that. But we'd start off on a short and mostly flat trail anyway, and work our way up. I'll teach as we go." At that he took his first bite of food, chewing slowly at first before starting to eat with a little bit more gusto.

Aria -
She settled into the seat he pulled out, and gave him a bright smile of thanks, as she settled into it. She tilted her head, listening to his advice, and considering the options of what she owned that would work. "Well, good shoes are not too hard, I make sure to have those for running in... Do running shoes count?" Her tone went suddenly unsure, as she had no idea if running shoes would actually be ok. "If not, what would you suggest?" She might have to dip into her clothing savings, but it would be worth it, for the sake of going hiking with him.

She had no idea, the part about it taking a few days, though.

She began to fill her own plate, and murmured a thank you for the tea, as she listened some more. "That would be great. That really sounds amazing, getting out into nature, away from the city, and seeing the world as we don't normally get to do. I bet it's pretty awesome at night, out there, too. Lots of visible stars?" She asked, curiously.

Pao -
"Mm," he mused as he chewed and swallowed the bite he had in his mouth when she asked. He took a sip of tea next, then nodded. "Yeah, if we go on a trail far enough that we'd need to camp for a night. Which we could, if you want. The views can be really great."

He went back to his food and soon emptied his plate, refilling only about halfway with a bit more of the entrees. "Not sure if you'd want that though. Y'know, we just..." he let the sentence trail, hoping she understood. He didn't want to say the temptation to chug along with whatever they had now might be a bit too hard to resist if it was strictly the two of them under the moonlight.

Aria -
She grabbed a pair of the cheap chopsticks they included in meals like this, and used them to eat, her eyes calm as she listened to his words. The idea of camping with him had her cheeks turning pink a little at the thought. However, she did nod, because it sounded lovely. "Yeah... That sounds lovely, Nate. I've never gone camping, before, though."

She ate, as ever, slower then he did, though she smiled indulgently at the way he ate. And then she blushed again at his implications, biting her lip as she paused to consider the situation. "I... had thought about that, yes, being a concern." She brushed her hair back for a moment, considering her food as she tried to decide how to treat this. "Things are... pretty new... But maybe we should just... see how things..?" She sounded uncertain, though not in a nervous, just unsure how they should handle this.

Because she wanted whatever was happening to be built on a solid base, not something purely physical.

Pao -
He noted the flush of her cheeks with a knowing smile, glad that they were on the same page with what he was referring to. He continued to eat, only at a slower pace than earlier, and he kept his eyes mostly on her. "That sounds good to me," he said, holding his gaze level with hers. "No rushing, just...letting things play out naturally?" He'd rushed things before and those things never worked out, and he didn't want to make that mistake with Seren.

"So...is that a 'yes' to camping?" he asked slowly after another bite, his tone a bit uncertain as well. Hopefully he hadn't misunderstood her, but if he had it'd be good to clarify now rather than later. "For the thing we're planning next, I mean."

Aria -
"Yeah. Exactly." Seren kept her eyes focused on Nate's, so he could see the sincerity in them. "Let things grow naturally, and all." That was how they had gotten here, after all... No pressuring each other, nothing forced, just... getting to know each other, over time. It felt right, and far healthier than what she had experienced before.

She had learned things, later, that showed how unnatural what had happened then was,too.

"I... Yes. Yes, I think it is." She said, softly and a little shyly, but also showing that she trusted him completely in this situation. "Let's do it... Hiking and camping, my first time for each, all in one go. I like the idea of that." Her smile grew, and she looked a little excited now.

Pao -
He saw the sincerity in her eyes, the trust she was putting in this. In him. He nodded a bit, a soft smile soon settling on his face. "Alright then, hang on," he said, then quickly got up and disappeared into his room, reemerging soon after with a sheet of paper. He took a seat again and offered the sheet to her.

"Here, my schedule. Can still change if people get hurt or sick but other than that, that's what I've got. Pick a weekend? Something with at least 2 days off. I'll work the rest out."

Aria -
"Awesome." She continued to eat, slurping noodles up in the traditional fashion, while he was doing what he was doing. When he handed her the paper, she continued to eat with one hand, and used the other to take the paper, holding it carefully so as not to get any sauce or other food on it. After a minute or so of studying, she swallowed a mouthful, and set the paper down so he could see what she was pointing at.

"How about here?" She pointed at what was a three day weekend. "Gives you an extra day before, or after, to relax and not do anything, and gives us enough time to go hiking and camping. D'ya think that works?" She took another bite once she had finished talking, getting close to done with her plate.

Pao -
He worked through the remainder of his plate as she studied his schedule, and he set his plate aside once it was cleared off. He spent the rest of the brief pause in conversation sipping his tea and watching her, burning a picture of her in his mind so he didn't end up missing her as much as he did the past few days.

He looked over the weekend she pointed out and nodded his approval. "That works for me. I might be able to get away with four days off that weekend, but we'll see." He shot her a smile and set the paper aside before leaning back. "On a few other of my off days, if we're both free, maybe we can go look for some gear for you. Shoes, a pack, sleeping bag, that kinda thing."

Aria -
She grinned, pleased that he liked the weekend in question too, and took her last bite from her plate. She was considering whether she had room for seconds when he made his suggestion. Her eyes widened, and then she smiled, brightly. "Yeah, that sounds like a good plan. Do you know what kind of prices those things run? So I can budget properly, I mean."

She was not going to let anyone think she was going to try to mooch of anyone she dated, or... whatever they were doing. She insisted on people knowing that she was independent and able to care for herself. But she also liked the idea of him helping her find the stuff, because... Well, it meant spending more time with him, really.
Pao -
"Mm, a couple hundred if we find some good deals? Should be some sales going on somewhere, right?" he said in reply, thinking of a few stores they could go to off the top of his head. He enjoyed seeing enthusiasm about this kind of thing, and did notice that she made a point to say that she'd handle the expense herself. Which impressed him, and brought that small smile to his face.

"All done?" he asked, nodding at her plate. "We could talk on the couch. Uh, but if you don't mind, could you feed Remy while I do the dishes?" He stood up then, and started gathering his used dishes first. "Please?"

Aria -
"Ah. Good to know." Well, that would be easier to afford, now that her monthly rent had dropped a fair bit. She'd have to dip into savings a bit more than she thought, but... she could make this work. It wouldn't be too hard. None of that showed on her face, just a calm acceptance and acknowledgement of the amount he was implying. "Deals, of course, are always good."

She considered his question, snagged one more dumpling and ate it, then nodded. "Yeah, all done." She stood and carried her dishes over to the sink, to be polite, then blinked at him... Before chuckling. "Yeah, totally. It's not like I don't know how it's done."

She went over to where she had seen him grab supplies out when she had come over to pick up Remy, in the past, and got out the necessary, getting to work. As she leaned over to put the bowl down for the little guy, she found herself thinking how domestic this felt.

Pao -
He chuckled the whole way to the sink at the picture of her stuffing a dumpling in her mouth, then started on the dishes. "Thanks," he said simply, then did the dishes quickly but carefully. He had them dried and put back into the proper cabinets soon enough, and then he went and covered up the leftovers before getting them in the refrigerator.

"So, Netflix?" he asked as he headed for the couch. The words "and chill" quickly followed in his mind, but he cleared his throat and did his best to pay it no mind. "I think there's a few new shows on it, and movies, too. Might take a while to pick."

Aria -
"Of course." She moved over to the couch once Remy was all settled, and gently plopped down to wait for him, watching him over the back with soft eyes, filled with admiration of the man. Mmm mmm, he was a treat to watch. She wondered how soft his hair was, suddenly, and decided to find out, though maybe not tonight.

"Sure, Netflix works, I guess? I have no idea what's on it, to be honest. I've never splurged on an account." No TV, after all, and while she'd watch YouTube on her small laptop, she didn't watch many movies on there. "But nothing scary tonight, please? I don't want nightmares, or to be having that creeped out feel when I'm on the bus home." She wondered about the throat clearing, but didn't connect.

Pao -
He flopped beside her after he grabbed the remote and turned the TV on. It was a modest size, with good picture quality. There was a soundbar underneath it, and speakers on either side of the stand that it was on. If she had noticed, there were speakers on the stands on either sides of his couch, too. "Nothing scary, fine with me," he said as he made himself comfortable. "Mm, comedy? Rom-Com? Action? ...Thriller?"

He glanced over at her, an amused smile on his face. "Take your pick. I'm honestly okay with whatever." As long as she was there, he'd have a good time one way or the other. So he handed her the remote and waited patiently.

Aria -
She shifted, once he was on the couch, to get just a little closer, wanting that warmth and comfortable feel of being snuggled against him, but not wanting to push, either. She hadn't really noticed the speaker set up, honestly, because it wasn't the kind of thing that caught her attention. She still was kind of not up on all the tech toys, so she often just kind of shrugged them off, and took her experiences with them as they came. "Hmmmm..." She said softly.

She blinked in surprise, though, when he handed her the remote. "Was gonna say Comedy... Huh." She began to try to figure out how this system worked, her expression one of both confusion and curiosity, until she found something that sounded good and funny, called 'Shaolin Soccer.' She had no idea... but it was worth a try, right?

Pao -
He absently shifted toward her warmth beside him as well, chuckling as she started sifting through the comedy options. "Never seen it," he said when she settled on a title. "Could be worth it, hit play."

When she did he settled in even more, his leg brushing against her as he reached for the throw pillow on one end of the couch. "Hey, so you said you were gonna take the bus home?" he asked while the opening credits rolled. "What time do you have to go?"

Aria -
"Nor have I. We can give it a try together." She subconsciously leaned more towards him, as she hit the play button, before setting the remote down where he could grab it if he needed to do so. She settled back into the couch, just a bit more, thinking it was comfy, but not as comfy as him.

The brush of his leg made her shiver, just a little, and she blinked, wondering what he needed the throw for. "Mmm yeah, I am. Safer then running home, after dark." Though she could probably run home faster... now... but she was not yet ready to risk running into someone. Especially not the Man in Green. "Ummm buses run all night... I don't have class until 11 tomorrow, soooo as long as I am on the bus by... say, midnight, I should be ok. The stop near home is 'Easy 2 minute walk', so '30 second run' if needed."

Pao -
He set the throw pillow on his other side, then glanced around and whistled for Remy. The pup came waddling from behind the couch, quiet but with a bounce in his step. He hopped onto the couch and started making himself comfortable, too. Right on the throw pillow.

Nate glanced over at her as she replied, brows furrowed a little bit as he imagined that situation. It wasn't a happy look to say the least, but before he said anything he wrapped an arm around her first, and pulled her close enough that there wasn't any kind of gap between them anymore.

"Can I go with?" he asked, eyes now on the screen. "Just to drop you off? Midnight's kinda late, and I know you've probably taken the late bus plenty of times but still."

Aria -
She watched him settling things in, including the adorable little dog, and chuckled softly. The only thing that would be better would be them snuggled up with Remy draped across their laps, was what she was thinking. He was such a silly little wiggle butt.

And then Nate pulled her right against him, and she found herself thinking maybe Remy would be extraneous, because this was plenty wonderful on it's own. "Mmmm." She sighed out softly, getting entirely comfortable, now that she was in his arms, feeling safe and secure.

His question had her eyes going wide, because... she had never had anyone offer to go with her before, to try to protect her before. "I... I mean, yeah, if it won't ******** up your schedule? I would enjoy the company." Her tone held gratitude, lots of it, in it... Because honestly, even being used to it, it was scary.

Pao -
He couldn't help the smile on his face as she got comfortable against him. He did much the same from where he sat, simply happy and content in the moment. It was the slight change in her tone that pulled his eyes from the screen and down to her. "Mm, I'll be fine. I'll drop you off, no worries." He gave her a bright smile at that, and then he pressed a kiss to her hair before looking back at the screen.

Aria -
She smiled up at him. "Alright then, I really do appreciate it." She settled back, mmm'ing softly at the kiss, and dropping her head to rest on his shoulder as the movie played. It didn't stay there, though, because she was laughing so hard, she ended up folded on herself more than once, just trying to breath around the laughter. The movie was ridiculous, in an utterly hysterically funny way. She had never seen anything like it, and she knew, immediately, that this was being added to her mental list of 'Really Good Films."

When it was over, she found herself wiping her eyes, and taking a few deep breaths to calm herself, before she turned her head to look up at Nate. "I hope you found that as funny as I did?" She still had a few laugh-tears leaking, and her cheeks were flushed a happy sort of red.

Pao -
Being snuggled together didn't last too long considering Nate was also constantly laughing, though not quite as hard as Seren all the time. He did enjoy the movie though, and when she asked he nodded as he wiped at his own eyes. "Pretty sure I did," he replied, still chuckling at the memory of some of the scenes. "Not sure Remy did, though." He gestured toward the pillow the pup had previously occupied and the pup was nowhere to be found.

Nate reached for the remote and offered it to her again. "Another one?" he asked. "You picked a good one first one, so I feel like the second one'll be just as good."

Aria -
"Glad you liked it." She blinked, and looked across him to where the doggy had been, and she could not resist chuckling. "Oh no... we probably bounced him too much while we were laughing, poor boyo. Still, I'm sure he's comfy..." She glanced around, trying to spot where her dog friend had gone to. She saw him curled up on a doggy pillow, in a corner, giving them the 'HMPH' look that only an offended pet can manage. "Sorry, buddy!" She called out to him.

Seren blinked at the remote for a moment, then leaned up to kiss his cheek, before saying "I picked first, so it's your turn. I'm sure you'll come up with something just as good. You probably are more familiar with what's on here, too."

Pao -
He smiled at the kiss and started scrolling through the options, mostly just half interested. The kiss was a bit distracting, and every now and again he would glance over at her and wonder if she'd be okay with pausing the movies for a bit of time just for them. "Mm, how 'bout one of the Bourne movies?" he asked. The cursor currently highlighted the first movie in the original trilogy.

"It's been a while since I've seen 'em. Or..." and he cycled through a few more titles before landing on Child's Play. "Since I'm walking you home?"

Aria -
She leaned against him as he scrolled, watching things flicker past as he went, but not really focusing on them. She was focused on him, and so she did notice when he glanced at her. It made her wonder what he was thinking in those moments, if he was thinking about her, or just whether she would be interested in a movie he was considering. When he spoke again, she stretched a little, languorously, before she responded.

"I'll give a Bourne movie a go, if you want. No horror, please, even with that. I get... Nightmares, too easily, and I don't want to risk waking my housemates with screams, if they get too vivid."

Unlikely, honestly, because she'd learned to be quiet when afraid or in pain young, and it tended to carry over into her sleep, but occasionally, the fear would win.

Pao -
"Got it. Bourne movie it is." He cycled back to the first movie but didn't hit play. Instead he turned to her, worry etched in his features as he studied her face for a moment. "Nightmares?" he asked. "Is it something I should be worried about?" Because he would, even if she said he didn't need to. And he wouldn't try to convince her to watch another scary movie, either.

Aria -
"Awesome." She was about to settle against him, when he asked a question that had her entire body going stiff for a long moment, and then she sighed, collapsing on herself a bit. "I... Did not have the best childhood, and sometimes, if I have something that causes me to be vividly scared, I'll have a bad night of it, because it'll bring up some of the less good things."

She hoped that was vague enough, while still answering his question enough, that he could accept it without probing.

Maybe someday she'd feel able to tell him the truth. Right now, though, even as she trusted him, she felt it was too much vulnerability.

Pao -
He frowned slightly, not because the answer wasn't enough but because that was the answer at all. He knew that there would be more to learn there, if she was ever ready to tell him about it, but for now that was enough. He sighed and pulled her close again, this time pressing a kiss to her lips, soft and, he hoped, comforting. "Okay," he said once he pulled away. "No scary movies, then. Sorry."

Aria -
She snuggled against him, accepting the comfort his closeness offered, and the caring shown. The kiss just added to it, and she closed her eyes, letting it fill her with happiness. "Maybe sometime in the future, during the day, so I'll have more time to be sure I'm past the fear, but thank you." She kissed him, in turn, soft and sweet, letting it distract her brain from the discomfort of having gotten that close to the truth of her past.

It never occurred to her to say that it might be different if she had someone to share the night with, because she'd never had that and therefore had no idea how comforting that could be.

Pao -
"Mm," he mused through the kiss, pressing against just a tiny bit more. It was a happy distraction that he happily sank into, and it was another long moment before he pulled away. "Hey, I can live without scary movies. I don't want you to force yourself just 'cause of me." It made him wonder if it would help her through a bad night if he was beside her, but he left it alone. If she brought it up again later on he might offer, but for now?

For now he just wanted her to have a good time spending some time with him. So he leaned in for another kiss, wondering, hoping she wouldn't mind spending a few minutes like this before they started the movie.

Aria -
She slid her arms around his shoulder during the kiss, holding him close and letting the tension go. His words made her smile up at him, a smile full of caring and gratitude for the fact that he cared enough about her to say that. It was something astonishing to her, that someone could care enough about her to want to spare her misery. "Thank you. I really appreciate that."

The second kiss was met willingly, and she let herself get lost in this one, too. She was in no rush, so if he wanted to indulge for a little bit, she was more than agreeable.

Pao -
The kiss was slow and very easy to get lost in, which he very much did. Still, he kept it slow and savored every moment of it, being there and so close to her. He eventually broke away for a breath, though he kept his eyes closed and rested his forehead against hers. "So...earlier we said we'd let things flow naturally, right?" he asked before kissing her again, though this time he started to gently push her down onto the couch.

Not that he had other plans to do anything more than what they were doing, but he figured they could get a little more comfortable while they got just a little more intimate.

Aria -
She sighed softly when the kiss broke, but her lips were curved up into a smile of happiness. His question made her brows lift a little, as considered it, but all she said was "Yea, that's what we agreed on." She followed his gentle push, not fighting it, or him, at all, eyes soft and focused on his face, watching him to see his intentions... Though she also kissed him back, because she was enjoying herself, and their time together, and she did not want it to stop.

She did not expect things to get too much further tonight, though. Neither of them were... really prepared for it, she suspected.

Pao -
He didn't show any signs of wanting to stop either, so he simply didn't. He rested his arm on the couch to keep most of his weight off of her while they kissed, and now again he would break off for a breath before leaning in again. But the pace was slow, the kisses soft and gentle and he didn't push her for anything more.

"We've still got a movie to watch," he said quietly after finally pulling back so he his face was hovering well above hers. Her eyes were what he was focused on, a bright and vibrant blue. Beautiful, to say the least, and he smiled softly as he reached with his free hand to brush against her cheek. "Or we could just stay like this for a little bit longer."

Aria -
She got thoroughly lost in the feeling of kissing him, of the warmth of him pressed against her as they kissed... Though she also noted the way he took care of her, too, during this, by supporting himself for her sake. It was something important to her, because it was another way he showed caring, and made her feel like to him... She was valued and worth something.

When he pulled back to speak, she gave a soft sigh, and then mmm'd thoughtfully. His green eyes were captivating, really. She had always liked the color green (as long as she wasn't wearing it) and his were... probably her favorite shade. Green eyes were so pretty, like emeralds, she thought. His second suggestion made her lips curve up and she chuckled softly. "I could stay like this for a bit longer, though not too much more, or I might be tempted for more then we're ready for."

Pao -
He chuckled and gave a small nod, though he didn't lean in right away. He just watched for a moment, caring and warmth in his eyes as he studied her features. Decided where he wanted to press gentle kisses to, later on, when they were both ready for more than this.

"How much more would be too much?" he asked as he brushed his thumb over her lower lip. His eyes, now full of curiosity, will lifted to once again meet hers.

Aria -
She couldn't help blushing as he continued to study her, making her feel a little shy... But good, too. He really seemed to have a talent for that, she was finding. She admired him in turn, though, her lips curved in a gentle smile, despite the pinkness of her cheeks, and her hand slid to his, to twine her fingers through his.

His question made her cheeks go from pink to a rather bright red, however, and she bit her lip for a moment, before murmuring "I think... Anything that might... lead to hands beneath clothes might count." She was clearly shy of saying more, but at the same time, she wasn't going to ignore his question.

Pao -
His lips curved up in their usual small smile when she flushed a bright red at his question. "Cute," he murmured under his breath before he went back to simply admiring her as he listened to her reply. It was an understandable line to draw, and neither of them were ready to cross it just yet. Or at least he thought so.

So he nodded, giving her hand a gentle squeeze before he slowly started leaning down. Their lips touched soon enough, in a very brief kiss. "Tell me when?" he asked before teasing her with yet another brush of his lips against hers.

Aria -
She heard the murmur, just barely, and if it had been possible for her to turn a brighter red, she would have. However, she'd have to develop the ability to glow to blush any redder, and as yet, that was not in her list of skills. As such, she just bit her lip a little, feeling a bit more shy... and very happy.

She mmm'd softly into the kiss, though, and the color started to fade as she refocused on the feel of it. "I will, promise." She murmured back, her eyes drifting closed again, so that she could enjoy the sensations more fully, with no distractions for how good this felt.

Pao -
The way she bit her lip got him smiling just a little bit wider. It made her look that much more irresistible to him.

He quietly hummed into the kiss as well, quickly getting lost in the feelings again. It felt good, and with the lack of distractions and a very singular focus of wanting to keep the good feelings coming, he traced her lower lip with his tongue. He was quietly asking if even that was too far.

Aria -
She shivered a little at the feeling of his tongue, and, a little shyly, opened her lips in a welcoming way. This was possibly the limit, a little deep kissing, but she wanted to taste him, just a bit, before they drew the line for the night. Her arm that was still around him tightened, just a little, as she thought about how wonderful this night was going.

And the fact that they had plans for what might be an even more wonderful weekend.

Pao -
He took her invitation and slipped his tongue past her lips, getting his first real taste of her since they started...whatever this was. Dating? Messing around? He honestly hoped the former.. but whatever this was, it seemed to him they were both having a pretty good time of it.

But he felt his body starting to warm a bit, the longer they kissed. The longer their bodies were pressed together just close enough that he could feel whenever she shifted beneath him.

Aria -
The taste of him made her smile into the kiss, and her hand slid up to rest on the back of his neck, her fingers just brushing the short hairs at the base of his head. She let the kissing go on for a good while, until she could feel herself grow too warm, too excited by how close he was and the way he tasted and felt. She sighed softly, and slowly pulled back, gently breaking the kiss.

"I think... we need to take a break." She said, her cheeks flushed from the excitement. Her expression made it clear she wished this was not the case, but... Well. She wanted this to be right, to build into something real, and while going further did not automatically prevent that, rushing scared her.

Pao -
It was a mix of relief and regret when she finally pulled away. He knew he'd pushed himself a bit too far this time around so he was grateful that she drew the line, as she promised she would earlier. So when she said they needed a break he took a second to catch his breath before nodding, and then slowly he sat back up and scooted away to give her room to do the same.

"Good call..." he said, his cheeks a bit flush as well. He wasn't sure what to say for the moment, still needing more time to get his head on straight, so he awkwardly said, "I'll go get us some water," before getting up and heading for the kitchen. He was back in minutes with two glasses and a pitcher of water, and he poured one for each of them.

"You okay?" he asked after downing half his glass. He still felt quite a bit warm, so he kept a little gap between their bodies for now.

Aria -
She sighed, softly, as he pulled himself up again, but kept herself firm, and did not reach over to grab him and pull him back. Better to wait, now, and build something more stable between them then rush, and regret. She sat up, with care, making sure to give him space, just as he was doing for her. She appreciated it, just as much as she wished he did not have to do that.

"Mmmm thank you, Nate. Water sounds like an excellent idea." She did not find it awkward, because it gave them both a moment to calm down, relax, maybe cool down a bit. And a nice, cool cup of water would help with that too. She stretched herself, slowly, making her body get all those joints loose again, because the excitement had added some tension... Good tension but still tension.

She sipped her glass, slowly, and when he spoke, she just gave him a smile for a moment, before nodding. "Yeah, I'm good. You?"

Pao -
He glanced over at her before pouring his now empty glass, nodding at the question she returned to him. "Same, more or less," he said with a lopsided smile. It wasn't something he was used to, he had to admit, but he was grateful all the same for it. If he did what he'd done with all of his previous relationships, he had a sinking feeling this one would wind up the same way. So he sighed and reached for the remote, finally hitting play to get their movie started.

He scooted a little closer to her when he managed to get himself cooled off and settled down, but he left it up to her to close the gap for whenever she was ready. There wasn't much to say at the moment so he sat in the relatively comfortable silence, only now and then chancing a glance at her to make sure she was doing okay like she said.

Aria -
"Good." She said, softly, and continued to drink her water, settling in as she let herself relax more. She watched the opening of the movie, enjoying it, before she needed to get more water. She was pretty calm, at this point, relaxed and comfortable again in the presence of her... dear friend? Guy she was dating? She wasn't sure, but she also wasn't going to push for definition, unless he wanted it.

She wasn't going to push.

When he moved closer, she smiled at him, sidelong, and shifted closer too, tucking herself gently against him. She got lost in the movie, not noticing the way he kept half an eye on her, but she was as fine as she said. She was, in fact, happy and comfortable in his presence, looking safe.