| Details for Little Rebels |
| Summary: | After the countdown at the Eibon New Year's Eve party, Llewellyn and Nicki go exploring and share a first kiss. |
| Date: | 01 January 1938 |
| Location: | Eibon Household |
| Related: | New Year's Eve Ball |
| Characters |
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Well, the first song was a slow one all right, just enough for Llew to run out of other people to glance at. Just as he turns back and starts looking, really looking at Nicki— it switches to a more upbeat number, a concession to the adults who are just getting pleasantly tipsy and wanting to keep the party going a while longer. Unfortunately, this also means the dancing has started to require actual skill and practice, so he takes the opportunity to duck out and make for one of the house's many obscure corners. It's been a good, what, ten minutes they've been holding hands without a break?
While Nicki has taken dancing lessons, it's not covered anything 'modern', and it's not really unclear that Llew hasn't had formal training. So, she's happy enough with him tugging her off the dance floor. Exploring is fun, and there's a lot of this house to explore. As he heads them off, a puzzled curiosity settles into her eyes. "Where are we going?" she finally asks.
Llewellyn shakes his head. "I don't know, it's not my house." If he knew, then it wouldn't really count as exploring, would it? "I think that room over there must just be for storage. Can't think why else they'd have it so crowded like that."
Nicki looks around him, eyes going to the door Llew indicates and brightening. "So lets see what's in it." From being led, Nicki at least takes an equal roll now, if not leading her housemate a bit toward the targeted door. "Maybe we'll find something really interesting." Although she has absolutely no clue what that something might be.
"Well, all right…" It wouldn't do to be noticed snooping around, so he closes the door behind them. And promptly discovers that the crowded little room is really crowded. "Oh, careful…" he says, instinctively reaching to catch Nicki's other wrist before it has a chance to brush against a rickety-looking stack of pots and pans.
As her wrist is taken to keep her away from something, Nicki flinches toward Llewellyn, turning toward and bumping into him lightly. She giggles, not pulling either hand away in the dim room. Her voice drops to a whisper without thought, "That would have been horribly loud. Ta."
Llewellyn smiles; that expression of hers is infectious, but there's more to it than that. Oh, if only Llew could read her thoughts just about now… "Nicki?" he whispers back, moving that hand to rest lightly against her shoulder as he dares to take a step closer.
Curiosity lights Nicki's eyes as she looks fully to Llewellyn. She doesn't move back, she's always been fairly comfortable around Llew and there isn't any reason not to be right now. "Hmm?" she responds, even the little sound having a questioning lilt to it.
Llewellyn bites his lip. "Well, I was thinking. Remember when we met at Ulric's a few days ago? Right before you left?" He doesn't actually name the incident, but she'll know which one he means. "I… I was wondering how you felt about that? Because I've decided how I feel about it."
By tilting her head down a small measure, Nicki can look at Llewellyn very nearly levelly, being on the short side herself. She pauses, then nods. "I remember." She squints slightly, tilting her head to one side as she regards him. "What did you decide?" she asks, instead of answering his question.
"I was disappointed…" Oh no, no no no no, that was the wrong way to start that sentence. But it's done now, so Llew decides to just bull forward. "…I was disappointed that I didn't try to kiss you back." And there it is, finally.
The first words draw a light frown, especially as he pauses, but then Nicki's expression eases as he goes on, from the frown to lightly pensive and her eyes drop, looking at their clasped hands. "I'm not supposed to. Things are being arranged." It's not entirely an unheard of thing in Pureblood families, even still, that children are married off for the benefit of the family standing, both socially and financially. This is probably when she should release his hand, but she keeps holding it and even tightens her grip a small measure.
Had Llewellyn heard about that already? He's familiar with the general idea, at least. But, suffering from that supreme confidence unique to teenagers: "I don't care. I mean… you want this too, don't you?" Unless she was trying to let him down easily, but that's not what it feels like. She could have drawn away instead of drawing closer…
"Well… yes…" Nicki says, the words coming slowly. She's never been one to display a rebellious streak, or even mention going against anything her parents have ever wished. Her eyes raise again to regard Llewellyn, clearly uncertain what exactly to do about this conflict.
And what does Llewellyn do? Gets in over his head, of course. Another step forward, and he reaches a hand up to rest against the side of Nicki's face, echoing her 'hold still a moment' signal from earlier… and leans forward, lips finally meeting hers. Actually dealing with the conflict can wait till later, clearly.
Nicki's eyes stay open, and slightly surprised, as Llewellyn decides the matter for now with his forward lean. She could still back away, but doesn't, letting her eyes drop closed finally as his lips press to hers. It's probably obvious she's not done this before, her lips rigidly pursed, nothing the least bit relaxed about her.
Llewellyn is hardly relaxed either, eyes flitting open again after a couple seconds, drawing back with that same little smile plastered across his face. "Brilliant! That… you… brilliant." And hey, why not: another quick little brush of his lips against hers, while they're at it. Only then does it occur to him to glance back toward the door, listening to see if anyone else might be approaching the same way. Imagine if someone else found the two of them like this!
Despite of their complete lack of knowing what they're doing in the least, Nicki still smiles, pleased about their accomplishment in a quieter way, but no less so. The second kiss is more of a surprise, and doesn't afford the same time to tense up. Despite it's brevity, it shows promise. Following his eyes, she looks toward the door as well, and hastily backs up a step. But it's as if her hand is glued to his, because she still doesn't release him. Her eyes swing back, unsure what to do now. "Should we… I mean, did you want to… explore? Or… go? We could go if you want."
So far… silence. Except for the two of them, and some other sounds that seem to be coming from the main hall, or otherwise from a good safe distance away. "Not much to explore in here," Llewellyn says. "We could go. Or stay! It's up to you. Well, I mean if we stay in here then someone's going to find us eventually…"
"We don't want that!" Nicki agrees with a slight note of alarm in her voice. What would her mother do? She doesn't want to find out. "Why don't we walk around a bit? Before it's time to go?" It's past midnight and not too much longer before everyone will be taking their leave.
Llewellyn nods. "Good thinking." Going slow and careful, he turns and eases the door back open, walking out once he confirms that the coast is clear. Still hand in hand with Nicki, but hey, no one's going to read anything into that, right? Right?