She seemed so happy- so excited. And over such a small thing. It made him smile- a real, genuine smile. He liked this side of her- the unbridled joy, the excitement no longer hidden behind her mask she was so accustomed to wearing, the way she just glowed. It was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. And then she suggested he look at her art tonight, and his smile faded a little. Did she not realize the time? He was so very tired from the long day's workout- from the stress of worry. Ah, well. Her art would still be there tomorrow, would it not? "I would love to. Unfortunately, it is getting late and I'm tired. I am truly sorry, but tonight won't do. Tomorrow, perhaps? Once I am rested. Then I would love nothing more than to see your art." It was true- he was genuinely interested. But before she'd gotten there he had been considering curling up with a book before sleeping the night away. Even now the idea was calling to him, tempting his senses. Along with the idea of a good, long bath.

Lu furrowed her brow. Late? It couldn't be past- oh. Well. She really did need to sleep . . .

"Tomorrow . . ." Oh, goodness. Tomorrow she would be meeting with Bain to discuss the coloring- he really was such a nice man. A ditz, yes, but he tried his very best. Ah, well. Maybe the day after . . . ? As she thought about her schedule, Tallulah stood, taking her plate and his in hand and walked to the sink.

"Tomorrow I'm having someone over to discuss some paints. Business, and all." She scrunched her nose a bit- well, that was most of it, anyway.

While she cleaned their plates, Tallulah ran over different little to-do lists in her head. Tea- she'd have to make tea. Cakes, maybe. Have a few colors out, make sure to dress appropriately. Little things, but it would be enough to keep her busy all day. Damn.

"The next day- any time, really- feel free to stop by."

Turning to face Artemis, she gave him a look which was soft. Unguarded. Almost innocent- shy.

"Please, think of my home as your own."

She was hesitating, and he wondered, briefly, if he'd said something wrong. Then she explained- a guest. She was having a guest over for some art projects. Well, that was alright- great, even. It meant he'd get to see something fresh and new when he was able to visit her- the day after? Yes. Yes this was doable- convenient a time as any. He nodded a silent agreement as she continued speaking. As she gave him a soft look, almost shy. It gave him an odd sensation, and made him want to wrap her in a tight embrace.



Without missing a beat, his expression deadpan, his voice flat- "Does that mean I can think of your bed as my own as well?" After this, he grinned mischievously- it wasn't subtle, and by no means was it his most clever of remarks, but it got the point across nicely, and in a rather playful manner. He then straightened up, clearing his throat and shooing any redness from his cheeks. "I.. jest, of course." He smiled weakly, clearing his throat once more, "The day after tomorrow, yes. That would be the twenty ninth... Expect me then, around noon."

Tallulah's responding blush was quite sudden and quite bright, seeing as very interesting thoughts were forming in her head. Him. Her. Her bed, his bed . . . the kitchen counter . . . Gods. But then she realized that he was still talking, so she tried to shake her head free of such wonderful fantasies and muster enough ire to slap him playfully on the shoulder.

"Artemis, you're horrible- but noon sounds delightful."

Still, it made her happy to know he wanted her. He'd never, for all their kissing and secret looks, ever really told her that he thought of her in that way. 'Of course he did, of course he would,' she'd often think to herself (usually while looking in a mirror) but since she was a woman and in love, Tallulah was basically, essentially, and altogether one thing: insecure. For all her talk, she really didn't feel half as high-and-mighty as she seemed, sometimes. So, even under his teasing praise- she bloomed.

There was something to the way Artemis grinned, and even more to the way he seemed shy about his admission, that made Tallulah ache to hold him. So she crossed to him, intending to peck him chastely on the cheek; yet once she was there, her intentions slipped away. She instead reached up and almost delicately brushed that ever-present stray hair from his forehead.

"What would you like for lunch?"

Well. Her reaction was... amusing. It was good, though. No anger, no offense taken- just a playful swat and a smile, definitely a good sign. It made his smile broaden. He closed his eyes with the caress of her fingers against his brow as she swept away a careless strand of hair that had always chosen to be a bit of a nuisance.



He almost smirked, another off-colour, completely unclever joke springing to mind, but suppressed both joke and subsequent smirk, thinking it too much in a small amount of time- it would merely get tiring. Best to stop when ahead. So instead he thought it out a moment with a little 'hmm', before replying. "I've no real preference, to be perfectly honest. But I believe if you cook it, I will certainly enjoy it."

Tallulah saw something flare in Artemis’s eyes, something warm and joking and a little like the mischievous gleam in his eyes which excited her so, before he squashed it (whatever it was) under the boot of his mind like a bug; except it didn’t seem quite as unpleasant as all that, really. Hmmm . . . Anything? Well, that didn’t really narrow down her options, did it?

And then the strangest thing happened: maybe it was conscious, maybe not- but what ever the reason (and the reason was surely Artemis’s fault) Tallulah had moved almost unbearably close to him- she was standing on her tiptoes, almost leaning against him. Almost. Her full oval lips parted with the beginnings of a smile as her hand had moved to the collar of his shirt to rest very innocently on his chest. When she spoke, she spoke nearly against his lips.

“I’m sure I’ll be able to think of something.”

It was then that it occurred to her what she was doing. She was teasing him. The feeling of that certain kind of feminine power made her feel a bit light headed, and she tried to tell herself that was the only reason she felt warmth in the very tips of her fingers- but really? She was a bit more than eager to see his reaction.

In an instant, it seemed, she was so close, almost leaning into him, the heat of her body brushing softly against his and it sent a pleasant chill up his spine.



"I'm sure you will." A smirk tugged at the corners of his lips, still playful. A wolfish glint in his eye. "You're good at that." She was too damn irresistible, her hand on his chest, so innocently, the gleam in her eye when she smiled, the lovely, clean scent of lavender in her hair- the mere proximity of her lips to his own. He couldn't help but close the distance, one hand pressing into the small of her back to draw her nearer as he planted a kiss on her lips, lingered- before drawing back, smiling.