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the last thing he wants is to get all up in his head about it as well, so even if it goes unsaid, the two of them are already on the same page before their date even begins.[break][break]

maybe that's why he already feels at ease. that said, his heart does flutter when he sees her walking back to him, and where she deadpans, he cannot for the life of him hold character.[break][break]

so he chuckles, turning into his shoulder to try to regain his composure.[break][break]

"right, okay."[break][break]

he clears his throat, then looks back at her.[break][break]

"i do. i don't think i've ever seen you around before. you, uh, new in town?"

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The laugh, she expects. It causes a grin to crack across her face as he fails to hold any sort of composure.[break][break]

Calla doesn’t fully expect him to actually play along, though. The hand not holding her glass lifts to cover the huff of laughter as she tries to keep up the act, before sipping from her drink.[break][break]

Angling her head up to look at him, her head tilts to the side playfully— her smile demure.[break][break]

“Passing through and needed to stop,” she says smoothly as she leans sideways against the bar, “it’s getting awfully snowy outside, after all.”[break][break]

But she’s just exaggerating for the sake of the bit, right. Right??[break][break]

“Would probably need a big guy like you to keep me warm out there.” She tries to hold her expression, but then her lip wobbles and a long pffffftt follows as the laughter finally breaks free.

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he's confident he would've been able to keep the act up for longer if not for how she calls him "big guy". it makes him hit his breaking point, laughing shortly after as well.[break][break]

"cal...we're so bad at this. like actually bad."[break][break]

it's why they would make terrible team rocket members. well, he would anyways. he's horrible at lying and keeping a secret.[break][break]

the fits of laughter eventually subside enough.[break][break]

"what drink did you get?"

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She's usually pretty adept at keeping a straight face. It comes hand in hand with how seriously she often behaves--a perpetual sourpuss around most everyone that isn't her twin. There's something about Uriah, though, that draws out her sillier side.[break][break]

Remnants of the Kantonian girl she used to be. The parts she tries her best to hide away.[break][break]

The fact that he isn't able to keep character either makes Calla laugh harder, joining in with him. "We've got time to practice, maybe someday we'll be better at it."[break][break]

It's a bolder statement that slips out, but she's going to glide over that for now and not ruminate on the implication her mutimous subconscious just spit out all on its own.[break][break]

"Something called a winter's kiss. Feels pretty experimental," she says, offering up the glass for him to try it if he'd like. Then her mouth twists playfully, "it's no Uriah bomb, though."[break][break]

Blue eyes flit up to his then, "No, but really, have you ever been here before? It's pretty interesting. I've never been." Then again, how often does she travel outside of Slateport?

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the implications are there but he decides not to pounce on them for now. there's no use in focusing on something that she might have just said in passing.[break][break]

"a winter's kiss sounds really sweet. maybe i'll get one next."[break][break]

he definitely does not need to try it to know it's no uriah bomb.[break][break]

"not to this bar specifically but i've been to verdanturf a few times before when i was younger. my family has a cabin here we use on vacations. it's in the woods and all magical and nice and everything."[break][break]

as he says that, he peers out the window to notice how the snowfall has started to grow considerably thicker. he doesn't pick up on what that might entail for them, however.

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Maybe I’ll get one next.[break][break]

She knows he’s talking about the drink of course, but the name lends to clever schemes. something mischievous flits through her expression before she reaches up onto her toes as much as her five foot self will allow, and presses a short-lived kiss against his lips.[break][break]

Hints of warm flavors, nutmeg and spiced berry lingering from her own drink.[break][break]

“Sweet enough? Must be handy for an escape when it’s needed.” Her smile is wily as she withdraws and settled back on her heels again, lifting her glass once more.[break][break]

“Oh, that sounds nice.” Cozy, even. Too crowded with the size of his family? Or is it one of those cabins that’s more like a full ski lodge given his family’s wealth? “Did you go there a lot?”

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it isn't what he was talking about nor what he meant but it turns out to be so much better. the kiss is returned, short-lived and brief and longing for more as she pulls away. he blinks down at her, surprised, and for moments he cannot find the words.[break][break]

"y-yeah. really sweet, actually."[break][break]

he feels warm and he's sure it's not from the beer. the rest of the bar seems to fade into the background as he focuses on her.[break][break]

"we tried to go every year which to my dad's credit we managed to do for a time. but then, you know, life happened."

be it school, work, or something else, they all drifted apart eventually.

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The kiss lands its mark, and Calla’s smirk only widens when he confirms as much. “Good,” she says breezily, “there’s more where that came from.” Her confidence is only sort of steady, and it feels entirely too bold to say so, but it’s also sort of nice to be so blatant about it without the liquid factor that had been at play back in October.[break][break]

Plus, it’s sort of a little fun seeing if she can trip him up, and how much.[break][break]

Even so, her heart is fluttering in her chest, trapped and beating with nowhere to break loose. Without the stress of being somewhere they can been seen more easily, the affection in her expression is plain and obvious.[break][break]

“I can’t imagine splitting apart like that,” she admits, “it’s always been me and Kieran. Was that hard? Life getting in the way?”

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even if he doesn't say it, he's looking forward to more. but the way he's looking at her, gaze drifting down to her lips every now and then, says as much.[break][break]

"i think some of my siblings took it harder than me but maybe it's because i've always tried my best to keep in touch."[break][break]

a simple text every now and then helps a lot, he's found.[break][break]

"what's kieran like? i don't think we've spoken much about him."

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She’s much more eager for later than she’s willing to admit to, but it’s there—a flicker of heat in her gaze whenever he catches hers just right.[break][break]

“Do you feel responsible, being the oldest?”[break][break]

A fond little smile slips over her face at the thought of her brother. “Oh, Kieran’s, for one, a new ranger. I’m super proud of him. He’s sweet. Way sweeter than me,” she says with a scoffing laugh at herself. She pauses to take a sip of her beer.[break][break]

“I worry about him a lot, though. He’s just so prone to getting hurt.”[break][break]

Both because Kieran Roth has a soft heart and because he’s a little clumsy. She knows she’s overbearing sometimes, but she can’t help it. “It’s always been just us, you know? Our parents weren’t really all that involved.”[break][break]

Or interested in being parents.[break][break]

That’s way too bleak to talk about, though. “What’re yours like?”

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"i do. but it's also because of expectations from my dad."[break][break]

ever since young, he'd been expected to grow up into the perfect vision of what GABRIEL BLACK wanted for a son. he'd take over akura eventually and succeed him. that had always been the plan.[break][break]

it still is now, to some extent.[break][break]

he actively listens to her when she talks about her brother. though he's never personally met Kieran Roth, from what he's heard about him so far, he's sure they'll get along just fine.[break][break]

maybe even...friends?[break][break]

"if it helps, he's in very capable hands. the rangers really look after each other."[break][break]

he sips at his beer at her question.[break][break]

"dad's...dad. he was absent a lot when we were young which was something i resented him for. but i realized that he was just ensuring the family's future with akura."[break][break]

"mom's sweet. kindest person i know. i'm sure you two would get along great."[break][break]

but maybe that's jumping way, way ahaed.

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“That sounds like a lot.”[break][break]

Not for the first time, it makes her wonder if he’s really doing what he’d like to be doing, as opposed to what’s expected of him. Does that make him happy? Really?[break][break]

But then talk turns to her brother and the wondering stifles, just for a moment. There’s a softness to her when she speaks about her twin that doesn’t often show itself. An Achilles Heel for her, if there ever was one. “Yeah, I know. I try to remember that we’re not little anymore and he’s a lot tougher than he used to be.” She smiles lightly, glancing back up, “I think you’d get along well, actually.”[break][break]

They match similarly in enthusiasm and energy.[break][break]

Her head tilts, unsure if that’s really a viable excuse. But who is she to say so? “Is that really worth it, though? I mean, would you do that, if it were you?” Okay, maybe she’s going to say so anyway.[break][break]

The implication makes heat rise in her face. “You think so?” She doesn’t usually consider herself the meet the parents sort. And also, well…that would mean they’d even reach a point where it could happen.[break][break]

It’s an idea that sends a flutter of nerves twisting through her stomach, but they aren’t necessarily bad nerves, either.[break][break]

Awkwardly, she clears her throat and looks to the side– and it’s then that she really notices how heavily the snow is falling.[break][break]

“Er, was it supposed to be this snowy tonight?” she asks, grateful for a temporary distraction (not because of disinterest, but because she’s sure she’ll say something stupid or embarrassing, otherwise.)

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"me? nah, i think i'd rather stay home with the kids and my wife and enjoy the things i have in my life."[break][break]

he doesn't think he's ever seen GABRIEL BLACK truly relaxing. at least not in the same way most people do.[break][break]

"and yeah! i know so."[break][break]

perhaps one day the time will come to bring her home to meet his parents. but this is their first date, one that is going well so far, he'd say![break][break]

her question makes him glance out the window as well.[break][break]

"no...definitely not." but he did not bother checking the weather forecast so maybe it was. "cal, i think there's a chance we might get snowed in."