#// fhjdkhks listen i may have gone overboard this time fr it is not one but two chapters i fear

[prodixal]

He shrugs with a shy smile still on, observing as her face screws with a thought and her hands follow her every word, dim lights of the tavern danced against her skin and for a moment he understood what made the blood of Valyria so easy to admire. He'd nearly missed her question, but an arched brow indicated expectation of a response, so he shifted gently in his seat as he thought it over. "Aye, it -- it can be all those things." he says, but then his mouth takes over his mind and he does not much care what comes out. "To me it is, more subtle, I suppose. Like...a feeling of warmth? It is, it is finding them look at you as you speak, listening to understand 'stead to simply respond." he pauses then, biting the inside of his cheek before he goes on. "I am not above stories of knights and kisses of princesses, but -- I'd much rather she played with my hair as we lay down to sleep. That she knew me by the sound of my steps, smell of my skin. It is...the little things, the details, I think. Things others would not see. Romance is vast, and I do not long for grand gestures, or fighting wars to win over affections, I just...I just wish for someone to belong to. Or maybe I just don't want to be alone, or...insignificant." his voice is steady and honest, there is no deeper emotion behind. He simply wanted her to know. And his brows pressed further in thought. "To be honest, Dae --" he has to bite his tongue not to say her name, shifting awkwardly to the rest of the sentence. "Uh, I don't...I don't really know what I am looking for. Truly. I have met women, I have had every opportunity, and yet...well, it feels very much like wanting something, and somehow still not wanting it at all. Perhaps it is sweeter to dream?" He realises just then how much he had talked, and he shakes his head as if to shake it all off. It was most unbecoming. "Forgive me, late nights and little rest make my tongue loose."

A soft chuckle is afforded her confidence and he'll nod in acceptance of his defeat. "Aye, you are special." he'll lean in though, with utmost seriousness in his eyes if not his tone. "And not just to me." leaning back into his chair, his legs will spread out beneath the table and he will intertwine his fingers over his chest as he adds. "Oh and I am your best friend, just so you know. I've decided." His face will then twist in faked offence "I have been --" a lie so appalling he could not even end it. "-- near one." brothels never were, and would likely never be an attraction he would attempt to entertain. So at her push to affirm his own bluff, he dismisses the words with a gesture of a hand "Stop, this tavern is brothel enough for me. Look around." the behaviour of travellers and locals alone was akin to what he imagined a brothel entrance would be. And he could not quite picture the smell in the actual brothels, if it was already so horrid here. "See that --" he will begin as she offers her thoughts on the matter. They differed, fundamentally. "It is not mild to me. It is not so...meaningless." -- "I could not share it with just anyone." as she starts leaning in, ever so close, for the first time since they ventured this direction, his eyes do not shy away at her suggestions. "No, this might surprise you but...I am a man. I have desires, I assure you." there's a beat as he crafts his words. "Only I do not let them venture outside the confines of my mind." such was the nature of restraint. It did not take away the need, it merely forbade it realise. "My brothers and I were raised on the same principles, I had always felt less alone in thinking they might be showing the same sort of...respect for our ways. Knowing I am alone in it makes me feel -- like, perhaps I am wrong to deny myself something which others do not." it was an honest deduction, even if he disliked sharing it. "Wh--?" his brows raise suddenly in confusion, and he will shift slightly forward. All which comes next is in a tone of defence, though he was not sure why he had gotten defensive at all. "I have met lady Velaryon once, well, twice if you count her twin sister it is truly -- q-quite difficult to tell them apart. Rest assured I've no desire to kiss your cousin, quite frankly she was only the first person I could think of in trying to make you at least somewhat jealous. -- As you have made me with all the talks of your perfect secret friend who could best me in a fight. I have not forgotten -- you should know. You are not the only one who dislikes to share." Perhaps his attempt at inspiring jealousy had worked. If she was remembering it still. Why such a thought made him glad, he could not tell. Yet his gladness becomes much too obvious in the way his mood heightens from only moments ago. "There is someone, I would kiss. Given the opportunity." he says "And that someone..." following her example, he leaned further in across the table, and the stare upon her lips is shameless before eyes snap up at hers with a smile. "--- is none of your business." "Aye." Her leg is tied to his beneath the table and it was all the more apparent to him now, after their conversation, just how differently they understood such closeness. It almost made him recoil, but he did not. There was a variety of emotions at play, at the same time. First was spite, he would not deny himself something so casual, out of sheer spite. And second was a sense of undefined jealousy, for he could not accept she would be so affectionate with another friend. It was him, only him -- he convinced himself, as if believing it hard enough would somehow make it true. "Love may never find me but, you sure did. You won."

-

Too lost in his own mind, Rickon did not notice the change in her own mood. And as they reached the stairs and she spoke to him gently, he was almost confused. It appeared as if she felt regretful, in a way. He could not for the life of him figure out why. -- So he smiles, looking down to her eyes, and he will adjust her hat slightly. "We've more important things to find first." his mood improves, even if only to lift up her own. "Come on." he'll pinch her cheek gently before his focus shifts ahead and he further leads the way. The stairs were tight, and the hallway seemed to be leaning. Each door was a different sort of wood and age, and people passed in and out like it was freehold. Once they reached the very end, he flipped the key within the lock and pushed the door open. The candles were poorly lit, and he looks over at Daenya only to say. "Should you think the lights are bad so we are less likely to spot the rats?" Truly it was not so bad, and once he shuts the door behind them, he focuses on the rest of the room. A single bed with different coloured pillows was placed against the wall to his left-hand side. To the other side of it stood a small table with three chairs, and a candle which reflected the light onto the window that had now stood half open before him, letting in the freshness of the night breeze. A closet was shoved in the corner, and it did not seem to serve any sort of purpose. Finally, beside the closet to his right stood a small opening leading to, what Rickon could only assume, was the toilet room. He drops his bags onto the floor, and takes his shoes off with a grunt of relief. Then he pulls out his pipe, and drags two of the chairs toward the window, setting them across from one another. "Let us share, before we rest." he says as he lights the match, lighting up the smoke which relaxes his nerves in near instant. "They will bring the hot water soon, I think. Here --" he passes the pipe, then observes her freely, gladdened by the sudden realisation he could speak her name. "Is travelling what you had thought it would be?"

" WELL ." DAENY HUFFS A BIT AT THE QUESTION , HER FACE QUICKLY SCREWING UP IN THOUGHT . " the stuff in books ! love matches and ... kisses with princes and being rescued by knights on grand horses , things such as that ." daeny's words are accompanied by vague gestures of her hands until she feels a bit silly for it . she toys with them instead to keep them busy . " ... and what is romance to you ?" she asks with an arch of her brow . her face scrunches once again as he continues , amusement in her gaze even as she leans across the table to meet his eyes and insist , " i am special ." the words are playful and daeny's eyes twinkle with it even as she shrugs , as she adds a disclaimer of , " to you at least ." daenya keeps up the act at rickon's grin , her attempts to smother her own smile quickly failing . " that's because you have never been in one . you know not what they offer ." her eyes twinkle as they meet his , as she feels a swell of something warm in her chest at the broadness of his grin . the feeling is uninterrupted as she snorts indelicately at the accusation of being a temptress , a sound that is only interrupted as she blinks as rickon continues . " oh , will you ?" daeny's brows arch playfully . she gestures with a hand again , pointing vaguely to the door of the cavern with a jape of , " i'm sure there is one around here somewhere . shall we go ?" daeny listens intently as rickon speaks , her gaze unyielding as it follows him curiously . her eyes scan him from the flush on his cheeks to the shift of his gaze , and it's with a tilt of her blonde head that she tries to catch his eye . " why ?" the question is honest . her eyes search his . " it is only a kiss . as far as indecencies goes it is mild and — " a beat as she chews her words . " to want to experience something such as that after the bleakness of winter and before the unknown of war is fair ." she leans in further still , near leaning across the table as she says , " who knows what could happen . or when you would next get the chance !" daeny falls back a bit in her seat then , her brows furrowing a bit before she's shrugging to say , " i understand it ." she watches him again then , her gaze scanning over intently before it falls to the table as she asks , " ... is it just seeing your brothers experience this that has provoked such longing ?" the lilac of her eyes is on him again , her head tilting to say , " or do you yearn to experience this with someone in particular ?" an attempt to meet his eyes as she asks , " ... a lady velaryon perhaps ?" daeny tries to allow the words to be casual in their inquiry . and they are . rickon's fancy for the lady velaryon was clear even with his insistence on friendship . after all , beauty played little influence in friendship . and while perhaps the lady velaryon might provoke that reaction from rickon , daeny is quite sure that that likely does not compare to the bond between them and so it was very much fine . truly . she has done so much to convince herself of this that by the time rickon next speaks daeny has to blink in surprised to have the thoughts so quickly vocalized. in an instant something in her heart eases . " ... truly ?" daenya finds herself asking , and for the briefest , strangest moment she feels almost shy . thankfully the emotion is balanced out by the familiar , if sudden , urge for closeness with him , an urge which daeny satisfies with subtly hooking her leg together with his under the table . as she looks at him then it is through her lashes , her eyes narrowing ever so slightly in something half playful and half sincere as she toys with her fingers . " ... you are not just saying that to please me ?" and yet daeny finds herself pleased regardless . the feeling only grows at rickon's answer is spoken between them . she has not been left behind . rickon , at the very least , is still with her . despite herself she brightens a bit with the thought . it only occurs to her that she should perhaps not be so pleased when his smile falls .

that smile ! do you take joy in it ? in suffering ? guilt comes quite quickly after that . just because daeny did not care for love did not mean she should forget how much rickon did . the feeling eats away at her as she swallows at his decision to leave , as she follows him up and they pass the counter . it is only once they reach the stairs , once his hand is offered that daeny feels something in her relax . perhaps he is not cross with her after all . she takes that hand like a lifeline . desperately and without hesitation . " you will find it , you know ." daenya tries softly and certainly as she gives his hand a squeeze . she swallows thickly as she tries not to focus too much on what those words may look like , on the possibility of giving her friend away perhaps forever . " love ." she strokes a thumb over the back of rickon's hand as she follows him , as she softly tries , " i am certain of it ."