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[sealeted]

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[sealeted]

[She pulls a face back at him for that expression, since they already agreed to disagree on the 'branding' issue. Sort of. Silently. They have a running list of things they Just Don't Talk About, and she's reasonably sure it's on there somewhere.]

I could toss a negligee under there, if it bugs you that much.

[guerrilla]

Nah, don't bother. You'd probably just pick something tacky anyway.

[This is definitely a jab at the tattoo without actually making a jab at the tattoo. To be fair, though, he thought it was a little tacky that she got her ears pierced, too, especially since she made him hold her hand the whole time.]

[sealeted]

I just have the one and it's probably tacky by your standards, so I don't know what to tell you. It was a gift. I'll just have to keep on disappointing your ne'er-do-well hopes for my private life.

[She stretches out on the bed, making sure her tattoo is fully visible for five consecutive seconds, to make a point, before burying both her hands beneath her pillow and snuggling up, still watching him work.]

[guerrilla]

I'm pretty sure I've told you this before, but I don't give a single shit about your private life.

[The words come out a little more hostile than he intended, and he swears a lot louder this time as he stabs himself right in the index finger. A few moments and an expertly applied bandage later and he's back at work, however.]

[sealeted]

[It's a lot more hostile than he's been with her in a long time, and it visibly startles her. Luckily, it almost coincides with his sudden exclamation, so if he asks (unlikely) she has an easy out. Still, she wilts around the edges and hugs her pillow a little tighter, falling silent for a moment rather than firing back a dry retort, the way she usually might.]

...right. Uh, I guess... just, um, give me a yell if you need your fingers patched up later. You work with pretty volatile substances, so please don't just tough it out.

[guerrilla]

[He knows immediately that he screwed up, but there's no real way to say "this whole thing bothers me on an emotional level I don't quite comprehend" without having to think about things he told himself he'd never think about. Fortunately, he might have an easy out too.]

...Listen, I didn't mean to snap at you. I've been - hemming isn't as easy as I remember it being.

[He does his best to sound convincing, at least, holding up one of his hands. They're all covering tiny puncture wounds, but there's four bandages on it.]

[sealeted]

...it's fine.

[Well, no, it isn't, she didn't deserve that level of hostility in the slightest. But, the confirmation that she didn't do anything to deserve it is somehow reassuring enough that it motivates her to sit up, set her pillow aside, and cross over to his side of the room.]

Here, let me. Being distracted by those can't be helping your efforts, either.

[When she reaches out, it's with her bare, right hand.]

[guerrilla]

[Robin hesitates, then turns his eyes back to his sewing.]

Don't interpret this as me brushing you off, because it's not, but you might as well wait until I'm done. I'm probably gonna stab myself a few more times before this is fixed, so there's no point in healing me twice.

[Something so tiny can't be much of a drain on mana at all, but it's still more efficient just to get the whole thing done at once.]

[sealeted]

I... don't mind either way. But, it makes sense. Just... let me know when you're done, I suppose.

[Her hand curls shut and falls back to her side, before she uncertainly drifts back to her bed and sits, drawing her legs up to her chest.]

Have you been at it long?

[guerrilla]

[Robin glances out the window, then tilts his head in thought. Clocks are pretty convenient, but the position of the sun is still his default timekeeping device.]

Looks like about an hour.

[He's almost done with it, so it shouldn't take much longer to finish from here.]

I was hoping I'd be done before you got back, but like I said, I don't remember it being this difficult.

[Because now she'll know exactly how much effort he went through to stitch something together from scratch for her, and that is the last thing he ever wanted.

Incidentally, it's more difficult this time around because he's actually putting effort into it, instead of just haphazardly sewing closed the holes on his sleeves to avoid arousing suspicion in his old village.]

[sealeted]

I see.

[It may be the last thing he ever wanted to let slip, but it makes something in Hakuno's chest relax to the point of melting, sweet and warm and touched. She endeavors not to let it show, since he can be... touchy when feelings come into play.]

Do you think you could teach me some time? I only know the very basics, so I haven't had all that much time to practice or check out different techniques.

[guerrilla]

I don't think anyone has to be taught to stab themselves with a needle.

[Jokes are good. Maybe if he makes enough of them he can stop feeling like shit for snapping at her.]

There are better people to learn from, since I'm only really good at fixing things. But if you're okay with that, then I don't mind teaching you.

[sealeted]

You should know best of all how little I mind fixing things.

[Goodness knows she's patched him up enough times. She wrinkles her nose at him teasingly.]

I still have to cash in on that week of lessons we never had time for.

[guerrilla]

...

[Wait, what is that supposed to mean? If he knows best how okay she is with fixing things, then...

He looks a little irritated for a few seconds before letting it slide. She pressed a pretty sore spot, but it doesn't look like it was on purpose, and it's more productive to work toward being a little more reliable than it is to get mad, anyway.]

The only things I won't teach you are traps and assassination, so if you have any other requests I'm all ears.

[sealeted]

[Well, now the scales are evened. He lashed out when he had no reason to, and carefully grit his teeth and bore it when he could have kicked up a fuss. She hadn't meant anything bad by it, that much is true. It's more a credit to him than a mark against him, from her perspective. Robin is one of the most self-preservative people Hakuno knows; for all the damage he takes over time, it's self-evident just how hard he works.

But it's awkward to say so out loud.]

Identifying edible plants from dangerous ones, and... um...

[She falters, her cheeks going pink.]

...you can't laugh at me.

[guerrilla]

[That's a good one. He wonders if anything in particular inspired the first request, briefly recalling that damnable cursed forest.]

...You know starting with something like that is going to make it really hard not to laugh, right?

[But he'll do his best. It's a rare treat to see her so flustered, so he's in something of an acquiescent mood.]

[sealeted]

....

[Well, that's as close to a promise as she's going to get, probably.]

Do you... know how to tie up a hammock?

[guerrilla]

Why do you...

[He was expecting...well, he isn't sure what he was expecting, but a hammock wasn't it.]

Why do you want to learn how to do that?

[He can't imagine it's for anything weird, but he just really wants to know, since it's pretty far out of left field.]

[sealeted]

Nothing. It's dumb.

[She hunches her shoulders, looking away. But... no, she's the one asking a favor here. She can't just brush him off like that.]

...they look comfy. And I've tried out a bunch of other types of beds already, so...

[guerrilla]

They're not comfortable at all, unless checking the knots every thirty minutes until you're so tired of worrying you pass out is your idea of comfortable.

[Whenever he slept in a hammock, they were usually highly-suspended to avoid detection, so his view of them is more than a little skewed.]

But if you want to learn so bad, I don't really see a reason not to teach you.

[sealeted]

As long as they aren't hard, it will be a worthwhile experiment.

[God, does she hate hard beds.

Still, her expression finally brightens noticeably for the first time since entering the room.]

They had a few different types up for sale in Capablanca, so maybe we'll find one that you like too.

[guerrilla]

["We," huh...a few months ago, Robin would've been annoyed at the easy way the word tumbles from her lips, as though the two of them doing something together were a matter of course. Now there's a soft, small comfort in it.]

...If we're going to Capablanca anyway, is there anywhere else you'd like to go while we're out of town?

[They should probably decide when they're going first, and he's not actually expecting her to say yes. He's not even really sure why he's bothering to ask.

But it would be nice if she agreed, he thinks.]

[sealeted]

...you're going to call me masochistic but...

[She heaves a small sigh.]

You remember how much the ocean used to unsettle me? I've gotten over it, but I want to make sure I'm not... That I'm still making progress. The aquarium sounded pretty familiar. I won't ask you to go in if you don't want to, because that's a big request, but if you could just... be outside, just for a while, I think that would help. Ah, and I wanted to check out some of the shops and cafes too, since Jumin and I were considering that as a location. Aside from that, maybe some normal sightseeing would be nice.

[guerrilla]

No, I'll go in with you.

[He seems to surprise even himself with his prompt response, but it's too late to take it back now, so - ]

Even if I don't have to drag you out of the aquarium, I like animals, you know? Seeing new ones is interesting.

[So a trip to the aquarium and a cafe or two...Hakuno's not the only person whose limits will be tested here. She's still the only person whose cooking he's really comfortable eating.]

[sealeted]

[Her expression dawns into something bright and brilliant. It means a lot, that he's willing to do this, given their respective hangups and aversions.]

...for the record, we only have to scout the cafes. We can bring our own lunch and have a picnic somewhere, if you'd like.