<a href='https://mylandmyrules.dreamwidth.org'>My Land, My Rules

The pickings on interesting and unique beverages to bring in were starting to get a little slim; Gladio might need to poke at Summer a little bit to see about expanding the store's selection here pretty soon, but there were still a few popping up every once in a while that seemed worth trying and bringing over to Nell's for Tuesday night.

This week, however, he had managed to procure a nice variety pack of something that warranted trying based on the packaging and themes alone, he felt.

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"Good evening," Nell said with a smile. And since he was the first one there she went up on her tiptoes to give him a quick kiss

She didn't think he'd mind

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The only thing Gladio minded about a greeting like that was simply how quick it was.

"Well," he stated with a grin, "it certainly is now."

And he was going to go ahead a make it just that much better with another kiss, slightly less quick.

He didn't think she'd mind, either.

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She didn't, though she blushed realizing that Ignis was on his way in as well. He might not be able to see, but she was pretty sure he knew what was going on.

"Excellent way to be greeted," Nell said, tucking a loose strand of hair back behind her ear. "I rather like it."

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He was, if anything, annoyingly observant for someone who couldn't even see.

"Yeah?" asked Gladio, grinning down at Nell a little more and looking terribly pleased with himself the whole time. "I'll have to do it more often then."

It was tempting to try for a second greeting like that, really, but seeing the blush and the subsequent tuck of her hair behind her ear, Gladio would be good and hold off until maybe it could be utilized as a way to say goodbye as well.

"Things good?" he then asked, diverting his attention away to look around a bit. "Anything you need help with?"

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"I guess maybe you will," Nell said with a smile. She thought about stealing another kiss as well, but with Ignis right there. Well, he'd probably head home a little early as usual, leaving her with more kissing options.

"Everything's pretty good, I think," she said, "but maybe you could open one of those drinks for me."

She looked down at where Rigel was circling Gladio's feet. "And maybe give the kittens a little attention."

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Gladio took a moment to look down, too, and had to laugh, especially when Rigel just sat right down and looked up (and up and up) at him and let out a meow.

"Now I kind of get how Sidon must feel," he said. "Hey, little guy. Didn't see you down there. Give me a sec, okay?"

His attention shifted back to Nell. "Any flavor preference? Or dealer's choice?"

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"You can pick," Nell said. "I'm happy with any of them."

She looked down at Rigel who was beginning to yowl for Gladio's attention. "I think your friend is getting impatient."

Was she amused by this? Yes. And utterly delighted.

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"Well, he's just going to have to wait," said Gladio, looking back down at Rigel with an arched eyebrow to let him know that those tricks weren't going to work on him, before making sure to take his time trying to decide which soda to pick out for Nell, just to make him sweat it out a bit longer. "Hasn't he ever heard of Ladies First?"

But he finally picked out a Boppim' Blueberry and handed it over to Nell, taking the opportunity to maybe sneak in just a quick kiss since he was there, before finally crouching down to offer a hand out to Rigel.

"Alright, guy," he said, "what's all the fuss about, anyway?"

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"No such thing for cats," Nell said with a smile as she took the blueberry drink. "For them it's Cats First. Always and forever." She could really get used to this stealth kissing thing.

Rigel, on the other hand, couldn't have cared less as long as Gladio was petting him. And Cygnus was not about to let Rigel get all the attention even if he was less demanding about it.

"I think they missed sleeping with you," Nell said. 'Those two nights you were under Nell Watch."

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Well, lucky for them both, Gladio had two hands that were pretty good for petting and scratching and he could distribute some of that attention pretty equally.

"Can't really blame 'em," he said, diverting some of that attention back up at Nell with a wink. "I am very nice to sleep with."

Maybe she'd noticed.

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Oh, she had. That first day dozing in his arms, the second night curled on top of the covers with him again. When she woke with quiet nightmares he was there and she could just close her eyes and go back to sleep. It had almost seemed strange to be back alone in her own bed Monday night.

"You did offer lots of acreage for them to sleep on," she teased.

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And Ignis would absolutely blame the soup he'd whipped up for the diner earlier that day for sparking a particular mushroom-heavy inspiration for tonight's fare, as he came bearing stuffed mushrooms and little mushroom bouchees for his offerings in the food department.

And absolutely no pumpkin spice.

(Yet).

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"Oh, I love mushrooms," Nell said. "These look amazing, Iggy. Come in, come in!"

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Ignis stopped himself before telling Nell that he was going to have to take her word for it, because, really, that joke could only be used so many times....

"Thank you, Nell," he said. "I seem to be in a bit of a mushroom kick today, for some reason, but the good thing is, it makes for a very versatile ingredient. And how are you this evening? What do we have to look forward to from your kitchen today?"

Of course, he could just take a deep breath as they moved into her house and make his own assumptions, but then where was the conversational value in that?

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"Peach cobbler is probably the only new thing today," Nell said as she preceded him into the kitchen. "Got some really good looking peaches at the market and figured it would be great served hot with ice cream later on."

She smiled at him, figuring even if he couldn't see he could hear the smile in her voice. "After we've devoured your mushroom creations."

Edited Date: August 22nd, 2023 04:25 pm (UTC)

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"That would certainly be the proper order of things, yes," said Ignis, with a tone of agreement and a small smile back as if in acknowledgement of her own. "And that does sounds quite excellent; they won't be in season for much longer, so it'll be good to enjoy them at their peak while we can."

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"I had one of them with my lunch and they were at juicy and ripe," Nell said, "so I knew they'd be perfect for a cobbler. Though... we could always be rebels and have dessert first..."

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"And I highly doubt," Ignis mused, with a mildly approving tone, "we would have to worry about it ruining the appetite of anyone here. And it's not mesrly enough that I get to enjoy the fruits of someone else's culinary labors."

Not ones that weren't horrific, anyway.

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