the_lioness | (no subject)

(no subject)

It's awfully quiet in the flat.

Deceptively so.

The bedroom door is shut. Behind the bedroom door, utter chaos reigns. Alanna has apparently emptied the entire contents of her closet, trunks and drawers on the bed and floor, indiscriminately.

If one looks hard enough, she's just visible in the corner, sitting on the floor with a sulky expression.

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It's not even that late when Adam returns, pushing the door open with a hesitant smile on his face.

"Hallo?"

She stares up at him from a pile of sweaters and pants.

"Don't you dare laugh."

He doesn't laugh he doesn't laugh he doesn't-

it's hard, alright?

"What're you doing down there?"

"What to you think I'm doing?"

Isn't it perfectly OBVIOUS?

"Nothing bloody fits," she wails.

"But I can just fix that for you."

So what's the problem? At her silence, he continues hesitantly-

"or we could go shopping?"

Alanna's eyes narrow dangerously. Standing, she manages not to trip over a pile of shirts and tosses a dress at him.

Pretty dress. Shame about the wrinkles.

"You're missing the point," she insists. "I'm fat."

Her nose wrinkles as she speaks, like she's annoyed at herself for giving in and saying it.

"You're not fat, you're pregnant."

That's the right answer, right?

Sometimes.

Looking down, she kicks another stack of clothing aside.

"I was doing a sword drill earlier -- nothing hard or fast -- and I lost my balance."

She sniffles.

It's possible she's trying to look pitiful.

Well, it does get her a hug from behind, and a kiss on the neck.

"Your stomach is taking up more room than before. It's bound to throw you off."

"Hmph," is her helpful answer.

Alanna eschews logic at the moment.

Turning, she buries her face in his shirt and takes several soothing breaths.

Muffled, "how was your evening?"

Running his hands along her back, he places a kiss on her forehead.

"Interesting."

Alanna curses Adam for knowing how to relax her, and then laughs at herself for being stupid. It's not as if she wants to be agitated.

"Oh? In a good way or a bad way?"

Standing on her toes, she presses a light kiss to his chin.

"I suppose that depends."

His hands move to her shoulders, and his breaths are slow and calm, trying to get her to calm down.

"That sounds ominous," she says, still distracted.

His hands are warm through the thin cotton T-shirt, and Alanna leans into them, wondering if they will be able to dig the bed out before morning.

When did she acquire so much stuff?

"Not ominous at all."

Mostly.

He grins and kisses her again, dancing her towards the bed.

"So why won't you explain?" she asks suspiciously.

Of course, it's awfully hard to hang on to suspicion and worry when he does that.

He gets a begrudging smile and another kiss as they move across a stack of clothes that will prove to be his in the end.

"Because it involves somebody you don't really like."

Yeah, like she'll let it drop at that.

His hands, though, drop to her waist as he pulls her down towards him.

The scowl returns, briefly, as she glances down at her skirt. Still, she lets him maneuver her. That way, if she doesn't fit wherever he tries to put her, it's not her fault.

"I can't think of too many people who would match that description."

Please not Roger, she thinks. She would be sorely tempted just to stab him through the heart and get it over with again.

She'll fit just fine, she needn't worry. There's a kiss on her shoulder, and he turns his head towards hers.

"Elizabeth>"

That shoulder he just kissed abruptly stiffens. Alanna looks at him, her expression simultaneously indignant and worried.

"What did she do now?" Alanna demands.

"She didn't believe I was the Antichrist.

Well, she said she didn't, anyway."

"She's a proven fool," Alanna huffs. "I hope you set her straight?"

"I don't think she disbelieves me anymore."

"Good."

Wrapping her arms around him, Alanna contents herself with brushing her fingers back and forth over the back of his neck for several long moments.

"Why were you even talking to her?"

Adam sighs happily and leans into her touch.

"She approached me."

It's simplest, to put it that way.

Frowning, Alanna kisses his neck and sits up enough to see his eyes.

"Why?"

Goddess help Elizabeth Swann if she thought to flirt with Adam.

"She was angry, I think."

Adam reaches out for Alanna's chin, smoothing a finger over it with something like a smile.

Her expression softens slightly at the touch, and she ducks her head to press a kiss to his fingertip.

The calm is short lived.

"Angry? What to she had to be angry about? She's the one who... She... she shouldn't be angry!"

He tries to soothe her- hands working her shoulders, him leaning into her forehead.

"Angry at me."

"You?" She blinks up at him. "But I'm the one who knocked her down."

Elizabeth is proving herself even less intelligent than Alanna thought.

Adam winces a little.

"I spoke with her a few evenings ago.

I may have... given her something to loosen her tongue."

"Oh, did you?"

That right there? That DID sound ominous.

One eyebrow arched, Alanna eyes him expectantly.

"Learn anything interesting?"

"From what she said? Only that she's stubborn."

Alanna opens her mouth to say something, but can't do anything beyond watch him.

And then, because she knows Adam well, "what about from what she didn't say?"

Adam shakes his head, leaning forward to place his forehead against hers.

Closing her eyes, Alanna sucks a breath through her teeth and then kisses him, hard.

Because she doesn't think she's going to feel much like kissing him in a few moments.

"Adam Young," she grumbles, low. "Please tell me."

A demand masquerading as a request.

Quietly, holding on to her arm tight,

"Nothing. I just-

I don't think-

She's not quite so bad as you think."

"WHAT?"

She twists free with relative ease and jumps up, scowling.

"Adam! She-

"She killed Jack!"

"I KNOW! I know she did. But it's not-"

("Not so simple as all that, son.")

"it's not quite like that."

Alanna takes this in stride, accepting that he has Elizabeth's side of the story -- which, if she's honest with herself, she never bothered to get -- but she's upset all the same.

"How is it not like that? She left him behind! To die! You just don't DO that, especially to a friend!"

Outraged sense of chivalry aside, Alanna still hasn't gotten over the fact that Jack is dead.

She begins to pace. Carefully.

"Alanna-"

His voice drops as she stands, and he frowns, leaning his chin into his hands.

"What do you want me to say?"

"Don't go making friends with her!"

Waving her arms about, Alanna halts and stares at him with her jaw set at a stubborn angle.

A voice in the back of her head reminds her that she's killed people in less than ideal circumstances.

She ignores it.

Adam stares back at her, eyes ablaze.

"I'm not making friends with her, I'm just saying that maybe a little more consideration is due."

"Is it?"

Alanna looks as if she's either going to burst into tears or stab something.

"The same consideration she showed Jack?"

"That's not what I mean. Alanna-"

His voice cuts off, and he stands, trying for her hand.

His attempt goes unnoticed. Well and truly riled up, Alanna digs through a pile of clothes, searching for something.

"I'm not sure I WANT to know what you mean."

Whatever she had been searching for (shoes) is clearly not worth it, and she gives up, tossing her hair over her shoulder and storming out into the living room. She calls over her shoulder,

"Fine. We'll just see what Jack has to say about it, won't we?"

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