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[The kiss lands! He gently laughs, the force of it, though just a chuckle, reverberating in her body.]

I'd probably close the tab as soon as I read a comment like that. Too pretentious!

[But speaking of which.]

Ah...I'd better suspend my dating profiles, huh.

[He's not going to be interested in anyone else when Nariko has his attention like this! Hell, one of the reasons he invited her home is because he knew his thoughts would be nothing but her. Though a kraken doing a little love-struck dance around his apartment would be an amusing show, no one would be around to witness it!]

Edited 2016-04-06 02:07 (UTC)

[So he's a vibrating kraken, now!

But, there's a difference in their thinking because she can't pretend to understand.]

Boxer, [How can she even word this.] don't feel like you have to, or anything. This is our first date, so ... [Except she realizes how that sounds, so a little backpedaling has to occur.]

It's not that I don't completely and utterly adore you because I do! You're sweet and fun and amazing! [The man's just goddamn perfect. It'd be infuriating if he didn't return her feelings.] But you're dating, so that's a numbers game, right? I don't want you to limit yourself because you think I might run off or something. I won't.

[She's not going to date anyone else just because that's too much fucking work right now - Boxer was all timing and luck, it'd be a shame to pass this up, whatever it becomes. But that's only because of her breakup, he doesn't have that drama, so why just stop with her?]

[Only because she delights him so.]

It's okay, Nariko. I said "suspend," not "delete".

[He's spent a lot of time on those things, he'd never delete them. There are a few current contacts he might phone up at some point for a date, but...]

Put it this way: If I'm trying to schedule my time, whatever time you want to spend with me will prioritize anyone else.

[How's that for a statement on how he feels about her so far? This whole conversation may or may not contribute to a future misunderstanding on Nariko's stance about sleeping with other people while dating her...]

Okay.

[That sounds good. She's just made this mistake too many times, rushing into it, wanting a definition, wanting something solid from a situation that needed time. The whole thing with her ex-boyfriend is making her too cautious in a sense, but better to be careful than reckless, right?

Besides, it's easier to have an awkward but important conversation in the future.]

Thanks.

[For understanding, basically. She still feels kind of bad that he's meeting her at such a weird point in her life but it seems like he's willing to be a little patient ...]

[He gives a lil kiss to her crown.]

It's okay, Nariko. There's no pressure.

[Except that makes it sound like there's anything but this really intense chemistry--a chance that maybe things won't work out between them though he'd give all his tentacles to make it happen.

...maybe not the greatest sacrifice considering they can grow back, but still.]

[It'd still terrify her to see him without them, regrowth or not, so she'd say that's a pretty big sacrifice.

Rather than answer him she just relaxes that much more, lifts one of his hands so she can kiss the palm. No pressure, lots of patience, just not hyper focusing on what it all means, where it might go ... Because of course she wants it to mean something, wants it to go somewhere, but it's just easier to avoid thinking about right now. It doesn't need all of that.

And it's a miracle she just happened to find a man who understands that without a big explanation.]

[He'd still have his arms! He could still hug her! And finger her.

Boxer is more than content to just sit there and hold her for the rest of the trip. When they disembark at Bayside, Boxer gives her a big smile as they make the short trip to his apartment complex.]

Would you mind waiting for me to do a security round for the water before I made dinner?

[He's already pretty late, but he told who mattered that he probably would be.]

[Priorities.

When they're off she's in such a good mood, grinning like the biggest, happiest idiot in the world. When he mentions his work she actually feels a little bad.] Oh, no! Don't let me keep you from work! I can wait wherever, it's fine![Work is very important!!! Maybe she shouldn't be willing to, like, stand outside on the curb while he does whatever is needed but hey! At least she's supportive.

Also wow don't you dare tell her she made you late, Boxer.]

[He snorts. It's not her fault that he's late, he made the decision to handle it like he is!]

As if I'd make you wait anywhere besides my apartment.

[Don't you dare stand outside on the curb. He'll never allow it. Indeed, he brings her back to his apartment and puts his suit away, wheeling his naked self over to the balcony in the back.]

Make yourself at home! Be back in about an hour.

[And she gets to watch him vault himself over the railing into the water.]

I guess ...

[She feels a little silly for implying that she'd have to wait outside but, y'know, she's never actually been alone in his place! Nariko wouldn't blame him if he exercised a little bit of caution. Still, they make it up there and she sets her clutch down and then he's heading right onto the balcony and hopping off of it.]

Holy fuck.

[So that just happened.

After remaining in place a bit, utterly shocked, she takes her heels off and puts them relatively near his door and then takes up a part of his couch - a corner part that will probably become her favorite little hangout. Once she figures out his tv configuration that's turned on to a show about renovating houses.]

[If she thinks going out is crazy, she should see the entrance. Throwing himself over the balcony is one thing, but crawling back up it when there's no platform below him, with the additional weight of water? If she ever wanted to watch Boxer's muscles in action, now's her chance.

He pulls himself over the railing, vaulting over it and landing as water cascades down his form. With the right slow-mo and lighting, it'd be downright pornographic. His hand runs back through his hair to flick the seawater out of it, then he grabs a towel hanging on the wall and dries up the majority of the water before opening the glass door and crawling back in.

He gives her a warm smile.]

Miss me?

[She's incredibly fascinated by a waterfront property and growling at the wife on TV who's insisting upon gutting a gorgeous little bungalow, but when she hears noises on the railing Nariko jumps and stands up over the back to see .... A really lovely sight.]

Oh goodness. [His arms! And his chest and the water and then the towel and, uh, yeah she might be drooling a little there. What a gorgeous man, even better when wet.]

Y-Yes. Yeah. Absolutely!

[While she tries to tell her ovaries to calm themselves Nariko manages a smile.] How was it?

[Ohohoho. He knows when someone's checking out the meat department. Boxer makes his way to his wheelchair, and after he settles into it he helps him to a gratuitous amount of stretching. Normally he does stretches to avoid cramps afterward, but right now he has an audience, and he's determined to have her admire the way his muscles gather and stretch out as he moves.]

Little old me? [There's a little grunt as he changes position.] I should've left you with more to entertain yourself while I was gone...

[It's just a shame she can't see his back when he's in his chair...]

It was fun! Mostly uneventful.

[Back in her apartment Nariko had a choice. She could pack something vaguely sexy and sort of make an attempt, or she could be a good, non-sexual being for more than a few hours and just play it straight. Considering that he's showing off and all she can do is gawk and memorize his very fine form .... That was a horrible decision. She should have been prepared for this!]

I figured out how to work your TV. [Wow, that sounds lame, but she likes these hgtv shows, okay.]

'Mostly'? [Did he have to smack someone - or something?]

[Hey, he likes her bit playing the straight man to his...sexy man. Her blasé response paired with her unrepentant staring honestly does make him feel like he's so sinfully sexy that she can't top it with her own sexy response.

Or something like that.]

Yeah, [he sighs out, relaxing into his chair after finishing his stretches.] Just some recreational boaters that thought they could stay up past their bedtime.

[That's pretty much what just happened!]

Dad was away, so they thought they could play.

[It's no wonder he has to patrol the waters pretty damn regularly. Wouldn't it be incredibly dangerous to be out on a boat so late at night? And even if you were, you probably weren't doing anything legal anyway.]

Well, I'm glad you came back safe.

[She leans over one end of his couch and makes unidentifiable, wide gestures, come over here, Boxer! You get a 'Good Work' kiss!]

[Some? Yeah. Others? Mostly just drunk and losing track of time.]

You don't need to worry about me when I'm out there.

[Still, he's scooting up to her to fetch that rightful kiss of his..]

It's my territory, after all.

[The kiss is had! It's gentle and drawn out, both of her hands resting on his shoulders. When she pulls away,] If we're going to have any sort of relationship Boxer, you need to accept that I will worry about you.

[It's just a way of life, it's how she shows her affection.]

But I do trust that you're as big and strong as you look! And obviously you're good at what you do.

I suppose that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make.

[He's never had someone worry about him before! Does it make him feel loved? Or does it make him feel suffocated? He's having a hard time figuring that out. He returns the kiss and ruffles her hair a little bit before heading towards the kitchen. He's off to fry up some fish!]

That's only one of the reasons why I love my job.

What are the top five?

[There are probably lots of reasons that he enjoys his work so it's better to exercise reasonable expectations, here. And once she sees that he's heading for the kitchen she goes ahead and follows, takes a seat at his dining table and spreads herself over the top of it, watching him.

Man, he's great. It just strikes her in that moment, it's a good thing he can't see her expression right now.]

Five? Hmm.

[Gonna start up some rice first, though! Dirty wild rice, in fact. Could use some veggies though.]

Well, it takes place in the water. That's the best part. I get to challenge myself regularly both physically and mentally. Get to hang out with my friends as work and meet new people. Oh, and I can pick up dinner while I'm out there.

[Like what he'll be making tonight! The fish, anyway.]

Catching it myself really helps with the food bill.

[Which is good, considering how much he eats.]

[It's like watching the food network channel! Except far more interesting and explicit.]

I still can't get over the fact that you eat fish. [You have to give her more than twenty-four hours, Boxer, but the acceptance will come. She lets herself remain on the table until .... Well, that becomes boring! It'd be much more fun to sidle right on up near him so she can really see what he's doing.]

At least you get it super fresh.

[An upside to everything!] Also wasn't that only four aspects? 'Physically and mentally' occur in the same body, after all.

[So it's one.]

[Explicit!! He's not trying to be sexy right now, he's just naked and cooking!!

Would you have preferred it if I told you I ate humans?

[He could. It'd probably be his diet if he was "wild". But he doesn't want to, for obvious reasons.]

Is that how you're counting it? You're a stickler, aren't you? [He laughs, then thinks about it for a minute before settling on it.]

I make a ton of money.

[Government work. What can you say.]

[Doesn't the naked part make it explicit? Even if he does spend a good amount of his time naked. But the little 'joke' there kind of makes her grimace. She doesn't ... Want to think about him eating humans. It makes sense and she knows he isn't human, it's not right to ignore that he's very obviously a kraken, but it's so ... Well, it's hard for to voice the right way.

Basically it's good that they move on pretty easily.]

'Devil's in the details' as my grandmother always said.

[But the true fifth detail makes her laugh.] That's never a bad thing.

[Only if you're a PERV!

Don't feel to unsettled, Nariko. He's had to answer enough awkwardly-worded questions about it that he's pretty desensitized.]

I don't keep any devils anywhere.

[Ah. How about some steamed edamame? Aww yeah.]

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