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Who: Evie and Harry
What: Social as Evie is, she doesn't feel a need to greet new passengers just yet. So she's looking for a quiet place to sketch some Evies4Hearts designs.
When: Day Sixteen, Morning.
Where: Quiet Car

Evie still remembers her re-arrival on the train, even though she doesn't remember her first visit. It was still a strange feeling, knowing she'd left and returned at the exact same moment, with a couple extra years thrown in for the fun of it.

So, this time around, Evie's avoiding it. Not to mention, she hasn't been sleeping well since returning from the mission. And she knows why. She'd gotten used to sleeping next to Harry or wrapped up in his arms or using his chest as a pillow and now they were in their own cabins again and Evie'd taken to wandering the train until she felt ready to sleep again. And she was usually very good about being social, but today she just wasn't quite there yet.

Journal in hand and a pencil behind her ear, she sought out one of the quiet cabins to sit in, kicking off her shoes, curling up on one of the benches inside and sketching away. This is probably the most at ease she's been since getting back on the train and it probably shows in the subtle smile on her face as she studies her work, tilting her head a little bit before continuing on with details.

This would be so much better if she had some colored pencils and fabric to work with.

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The trip land-side helped ease a fair amount of the tension of being stuck in a moving vehicle until somebody changed their mind. Harry hadn't realized exactly how much until he was in the thick of things, but it was definitely a much needed diversion.

With a few side benefits, but those at least he hadn't seen coming. Him and one of the 'traitors'? Not something he ever would have envisioned, exactly, not that he was in any way complaining. Nothing to complain about, that was for sure, and while okay, there's definitely a difference between roughing it and being back in the comparative cushiness of the train...Harry's also never really been one for thinking that kind of thing mattered. He and Evie had definitely gotten closer, in a way that probably would have been concerning if he ever stopped to think about things for any length of time, but he's always been a 'seat of his pants' kind of guy.

Sleeping alone is now really weird. It shouldn't be, 'what happens on shore stays on shore' is generally the pirate's motto, and yet. He got used to it, and now he misses it, and it's weird as Hades but it's still the truth.

Screw it. He follows his feet wherever they seem to want to go, which ultimately has him stepping into the quiet car, and who should be there but Evie. So he grins, and closes the distance to stretch out on the bench opposite her, tapping the back of it absently with the point of his hook.

"Not all gung-ho to say hi to the fresh meat? That must be a first."

Evie wasn't going to deny there was a pull to join him when he arrived, but she wasn't sure it was appropriate, or something he'd be okay with. Never mind the fact that this was Harry Hook. He was good with personal space in that he was very good at invading it, and Evie felt as though he was too far away.

For now, she compromises, testing the water (so to speak). Turning in her seat and stretching her legs across the gap between her booth and his, her feet now rest somewhere near his legs. If that's not okay with him, he'll shove them away. But she has her doubts that he'd do that much.

The smile she gives him is different. Like she's happy just to have him around, just to be near him again. And it's not a smile she's given anyone else on the train, nor has she reason to.

"The last time I left the train at a station with new arrivals, I ran through the ticket booth and then reappeared two years older, not remembering any of it. I don't want to upset anyone and do that again." Anyone here meaning him, for the most part. Closing her book and tossing it onto the seat beside her, she taps his leg with her toe.

"What about you? Why aren't you going off-board to meet anyone?"

He eyes her feet, and their movements, the gesture tugging the smile into a proper grin. Knowing, like he already has an idea for what she's up to. So he nudges back, using it as an excuse, or maybe permission, to close the distance. He scoots across the space to sit next to her, leaning into her space and draping an arm over her shoulders. She might be unsure about things, but he's got no such problem. He likes her, spent a fair amount of time with her onshore, and he'd never been all that great at letting things go.

"As fun as harassing the chum sounds. I can always do that later. More interesting chum right here."

A beat, and he reaches over to grab the book before resuming his spot.

"Like this, for example."

The moment he’s close, a lot of Evie’s questions are answered. Like whether or not it’s okay to be this close. It’s fine, and she’s surprised to find she feels worlds better with him there. So she relaxes against him, letting her head lean on his shoulder as she listens to him. It’s him. He’s what’s been missing. Of all the people from home to fall for, he was the last person she suspected. But she’s not displeased.

When he grabs for her journal, she almost grabs it back but there’s nothing personal in it. Evie stopped keeping a diary years ago. It’s become her new sketch book and Hardy will find several pictures of people on the train in outfits Evie wishes she could make for them. She has a very clear understanding of a lot of people’s personal style choices. Him included.

“Just give me time to warm them.” She’s teasing.

"Where's the fun in that? Sink or swim, princess."

The lean is good. He likes the lean. Its...calming, weirdly, but he does his best not to think too much about it. She's not pushing him off, so he'll take it.

Thumbing through the sketchbook gains her a few curious eyebrow raises here and there, and some approving noises.

"You've been a busy little thing, haven't you?"

"It's fun for me because then I don't get a headache from all the people asking me if you're always like this." She is teasing so much more now, finger poking him gently in the ribs before her arm half crosses his chest and she turns on her side more. Now she's just flat out cuddling into him, just like they did in some of the caves they spent nights in or those open fields they rested in on that last mission. It was just as comfortable here as it was there, only quieter. There were no children playing and no fire crackling away, but this was still just as nice.

"They'd be so much better in color. And with fabric swatches and pattern designs. But the train lacks what I need, so it's just drawings I can't do anything with yet."

She'll figure it out soon enough, even if everything will have that Isle feel of several outfits torn apart to make a new one. "Have you found the ones of you yet?" There are several.

He squirms under the poke, but as she drapes an arm over him and turns towards him he doesn't do much about it. He rests his chin on her head and scoots his arm around her shoulder, keeping her close.

"I'm sure you'll score stuff one of these trips. You're an Isle girl no matter what. You've got ways."

Her question gains a chuckle, and a tap at one of the pages.

"You mean like this one? Pretty snazzy."

“You really like it?” She’s very glad he does and there’s a grin on her face when she shifts a bit to look him in the eyes, trying to not disrupt how he was holding her. Fairy Godmother, was this ever amazing. She was far from the type of girl that needed a guy to make her feel safe. Years on the Isle had made her a force to be reckoned with, and of how she handled the goblins on their last mission was any indication, she had zero problem with getting violent when the need arose. There were some still-healing bites on her arm that showed that much. That goblin hadn’t survived.

But this was just so nice being with Harry like this. She felt that he was the one person on this train that had her back the most.

And it didn’t hurt at all that he was just as good looking as he bragged.

“It’s either I find the tools I need or I improvise them. And there are several articles of clothing in the dressing car that are in dire need of being taken apart and turned into something new.”

Isle life requires creativity in all aspects and Evie was so good at turning the old into something new and far improved.

"Do I look the type to just say things to make people feel good?"

There's a tease in the question even for the honesty behind it; he's more likely to say things to make people feel terrible, honestly, just how he was raised, but the delight in her eyes is worth the tease anyway. He might have second-guessed...all of this, honestly, if he was someone else, but Harry had never thought twice about much in his life so far and he'd be damned if he was going to start now.

"If you ever need a model, let me know. Someone on this blasted train's got to show them how it's done, after all."

Edited 2019-10-04 12:53 (UTC)

“You don’t tend to say things you don’t mean.” Evie recalls his elaborate threats regarding Ben and while Harry can be the Pirate King of Extra, at the time Evie was fully aware he’d carry out every last one.

“You’ll be the first person I contact for modeling.” Yes, that was said in a flirty fashion. She shifts to sit up some, still leaning on his arm, this time facing him as best as she can in that position.

“Since you’re good at being honest,” Evie asks, and don’t worry Harry. This is a lot better than the ice breaker. She pauses long enough to make sure she has his attention and then asks, quite calmly. “Why haven’t you kissed me yet, pirate?”

The prelude remarking on honesty keys him up a little, puts him on edge. Another icebreaker thing, he figures, but she makes an abrupt turn with it, and the edge retreats, replaced with a wide, impish grin as he closes the gap.

"Oh, you want me to kiss you, princess?"

“I do.”

It’s surprising to her how easy that honesty was. How simply it just came out. Yes, she’d like to kiss the pirate. She’s wanted to since the last few days of their recent off-train adventure. But she’s also okay with letting guys move first. But it’s so easy for her to tilt her head a bit and kiss him briefly. To hopefully let him know it’s fine with her if the gesture is returned. So the first kiss is small, just bordering on teasing. She wants to see what he does with it.

He grins when she closes the gap, perfectly content to let her make the first move. But he doesn't let her make it alone; hers is tentative but his is more certain, a hand raised to cup her cheek as he deepens it little by little before retreating, grin still fully in place.

"Just waiting for the opportune moment, I suppose."

“There really weren’t any of those when we were surrounded by terrified children and fighting goblins, were there?” And yet, these two still managed to get closer than Evie ever imagined. Watching him do what he could to help and falling asleep with him almost every night did wonders for things between them. Even during their time taking a shift on watch didn’t leave much opportunity for something like a kiss. There was always a kid who had a nightmare or something moving in the woods that needed attention.

But now they were on the train. Things were easier and it felt so right to kiss him. So much so that she does it again, less tentative and certainly more sure of what she wants as her arms go around his shoulders. She’s made her choice and she chooses the pirate, something she never really saw herself doing, but here she is.

He would have answered. Would have said something dumb and pointless and disposable, but her lips are in the way before he can, and after that anything he might have said would be a thousand times more so. So he didn't bother, only returned it again, pulling her closer, like he wanted to close any gap that remained.

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