[ After their game of chicken earlier, this seems like a tame request. Well, it wasn't all that lurid before, either, or she might not have agreed to that portion of tasks. But particularly now it feels like a deescalation..
A cute deescelation. ]
You should have just said so.
[ She slides off his lap and onto an unoccupied portion of the seat. She pats the tops of her thighs as a form of invitation. ]
You were more willing to go along with everything else than I'd expected.
{ and this would be much easier in a space that didn't only have chairs. }
This would have been more comfortable back home. { it's a soft mumble, the only complaint he'll give about the chairs stability, before he's twisting until he's laying back with his head against her lap, looking up at her. }
[ If this was him being shy, that would be cute. But given his concern about his political standing, even here, she knows the discomfort comes from a place of fear--which makes it substantially less cute. ]
{ it is a lot less cute, even if the reasoning is rather understandable. still, once he's sitting up and moving to follow her (not leaving the cake or drinks behind, they may want to have those later) some of the tenseness is already subsiding. small wins. }
[ She opens the door to one of the tiny rooms. It's lined by booths on all sides with a small table set in the middle, presumably for drinks and food. There's karaoke equipment and a TV hung in the right corner of the room, indicating the room's purpose on any other given day. ]
{ he hasn't actually seen karaoke equipment before, so that gets a brief glance, curious, but his attention moves to the table set instead, putting the drink and cake down before they settle. }
[ This is actually probably the most relaxed she's seen him. ]
That's good. You don't really let yourself do that very much.
[ She fiddles with her phone until she has it playing some very soft instrumental music and then proceeds to hum along. Since he hasn't told her to stop, she takes that as tacit permission to continue threading her fingers through his hair, gently running her fingertips against his scalp. ]
She's quiet for a moment as she considers that. It's both surprising--and not. He lives his life with such wariness, in a place where, outside his own family and staff he can't trust anyone. Of course he doesn't feel safe enough to indulge in this sort of thing. ]
... Well, we can stay here like this as long as you'd like. To make up for that.
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{ of course she isn't the only one telling him to actually live his life while he can. }
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Do I get to know what the other option is?
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Considering you've complained I don't get enough rest, I was considering asking to borrow your lap for a nap.
{ should he be more embarrassed about this? maybe. is he? nah. }
I believe something along these lines was on the menu.
{ unlike the cake sharing and lap sitting- }
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A cute deescelation. ]
You should have just said so.
[ She slides off his lap and onto an unoccupied portion of the seat. She pats the tops of her thighs as a form of invitation. ]
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You were more willing to go along with everything else than I'd expected.
{ and this would be much easier in a space that didn't only have chairs. }
This would have been more comfortable back home. { it's a soft mumble, the only complaint he'll give about the chairs stability, before he's twisting until he's laying back with his head against her lap, looking up at her. }
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Maybe we can invest in some rented loveseats or couches next time. How did you think this was going to go down?
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Will there be another event like this for fundraising then?
{ she will probably notice how he skips answering her question- }
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Hmm. I could answer that--if you answer my question. I did ask first.
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I was hoping for somewhere more secluded at least.
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[ She points to them; they're designed like little karaoke rooms in terms of size and (to some degree) setup. ]
We can still move if that's preferable.
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{ honestly she can probably feel he's still a little tense trying to rest like this, even if he isn't look around. }
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C'mon. Let's go check out the back.
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And here we have it! What do you think?
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It's quieter, thank you.
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[ No problem. Actually, I think I owe you an apology. If I'd known things were going to end up as they were, I would have suggested this before.
She knows he's still very sensitive about his reputation and appearance, he's said so probably a half dozen times by now.
She sits down on the cushioned seat and pats her lap. ]
You wanted to rest your head, right? Go ahead.
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{ but this time he's much more relaxed as he takes a seat as well, leaning down until his head can rest back against her thighs. }
But thank you, nonetheless.
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[ She reaches down and combs some of the hair away from his face. ]
Better?
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Much. I already feel rather relaxed.
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That's good. You don't really let yourself do that very much.
[ She fiddles with her phone until she has it playing some very soft instrumental music and then proceeds to hum along. Since he hasn't told her to stop, she takes that as tacit permission to continue threading her fingers through his hair, gently running her fingertips against his scalp. ]
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I don't normally have the time to.
{ but it is really pleasant, very relaxing, enough that even his hands flop to rest against his stomach.
and his next words are a small mumble, intended only for her ears. }
Nor do I normally feel safe to.
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She's quiet for a moment as she considers that. It's both surprising--and not. He lives his life with such wariness, in a place where, outside his own family and staff he can't trust anyone. Of course he doesn't feel safe enough to indulge in this sort of thing. ]
... Well, we can stay here like this as long as you'd like. To make up for that.
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Just for a while is more than enough. I imagine you have people lining up to see you.
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You are worth the wait.