At least she was honest. Most people in their position didn't really have the opportunity to take on talents like cooking, so he couldn't blame her in the slightest. For now, he reluctantly pulled away from her presence and began to search through the cabinets and fridge for ingredients he could use. She was right, it was minimal at best, but he had a feeling he could work with what was available. He came back with a box of pasta, a lemon, milk, butter, and shredded parmesan. He started with milk and butter in a pan to make a heavy cream substitute, then began to boil water for the pasta.

While the water boiled, he began to use a grater to zest the lemon he'd fished out and then cut it in half and squeezed the juices out of it. The zest, lemon juice, heavy cream substitute, parmesan cheese, some starchy pasta water, and more butter were combined to create a sauce for the pasta. As he waited for things to finish on the stove, he cleaned up the dishes that he'd dirtied thus far. Once everything was finished, he carefully served the pasta into two separate bowls and drizzled the sauce he'd prepared for the both of them. Thankfully the food was simple, so it was something he could make with ease.

"Bon appétit," he hummed.

Topher sat across from her and twirled some pasta onto his fork and took a bite. The cheesiness of the sauce was matched only with the slight lemon taste. It had a decent balance of flavor, something he was pleased with. It had been the first time he had the opportunity to cook for anyone, so he stared up at Camellia in anticipation, waiting for her to take her first bite.

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Camellia Lemaitre

At the praise, Topher felt his heart swell as a pleased smile bloomed on his face. It wasn't often that he had the privilege to make something for someone else. So to take the time to do it for someone as special to him as Camellia was, he did it with the utmost gusto. After a few more bites, he eventually placed his fork down on his plate and let out a wistful sigh. Sure, the food was good, but maybe he was just quick to critique himself too highly. Maybe there wasn't enough cheese, maybe--

"It's ok, but there's a couple other things I'd rather be eating right now," he offered with a suggestive wink.

Ah, there it was.

It didn't take him long to finish his food, and once Camellia did the same, he happily took to cleaning up after the two. Sure, he was a guest, but he was the one who made the mess to begin with. Besides, it's not like it took him much effort. The sooner he got done with that, the more time he'd have to spend with her. Topher stretched his arms above his head which caused his shirt to ride up just a bit to reveal his midriff. It's a shame, some of the marks that Camellia had left in a previous session of theirs had begun to fade. Maybe it was his suggestion for her to reapply them. But he left that in the air.

"I have to admit, I'm not tired yet, maybe we could watch a movie?"

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Camellia Lemaitre

The couch sounded tempting just because the lack of room was something that he felt fine with. The closer quarters, the better. At least he thought so. But she made a point with getting clean, and while he was a little disappointed that he couldn't just hop into the shower with her, he figured a solo deal was the quickest way to get through it. Topher swiped his bag off the couch and took to her bathroom. Thankfully he was already accustomed to Camellia's shower so it was muscle memory at this point. As he pumped some soap onto a wash cloth, he stopped to enjoy the scent. It definitely smelled like Camellia. And with that thought...

Topher gave a huff while he quickly switched to the cold water. Enough to make him let out a sound of surprise. But it worked. Down boy. With the snap back to the present, he got through the motions of his shower and rinsed off. Now he could flop into Camellia's bed without any issue. Because pajamas weren't typically his thing, he leaned against the door frame in black silk boxers. At least it would make her job a bit easier at a later point. His bag met the foot of the bed as he flopped onto the plush mattress and rolled over to pull Camellia into his embrace.

"So what did you want to watch? Something lighthearted? Scary? Something to get us in the mood?"

His voice dropped a bit at the latter suggestion as a hand trailed up her thigh and firmly gripped onto it. But he knew it was too early to be playing with fire quite yet, so he reached over and grabbed the remote on the stand. Bold, he was almost treating her place like it was his, too. As he flipped through a few different streaming services, he figured a cheesy scary movie wouldn't hurt. Something about camp counsellors being picked off one by one by a vengeful victim from years prior. Topher laughed a bit.

"Y'know, I don't understand how it's always the couple having sex that gets killed," he mused. "I mean couldn't be us."

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Camellia Lemaitre

As if a curious child, Topher couldn't help the way he crawled over Camellia to peer into her drawer. She was certainly right, she was armed to the teeth. A hunting knife with a wooden handle, a butterfly knife for more dexterous work, a multitool... He took the pistol out to admire the craftsmanship and seemed surprised by how heavy it was. Then again, he didn't handle firearms too often. But when he moved the gun, something rolled into its place and he felt his grin go from ear to ear.

"Oh, Camellia, you're bad," he teased.

But he tucked the gun back into the drawer before curiosity got the better of him. He maneuvered over his partner and proped open the drawer beneath the top one. The look on his face looked like someone who just found the motherload. Jackpot. He dug out a harness that was still wrapped in plastic and admired it for a moment. The leather to it seemed durable, the buckles equally as tough. But as he undid the packaging, he got a better look at just what the harness was and sucked in a breath.

"Can we?"

As he looked back at her, he seemed like an excited puppy.

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Camellia Lemaitre

Topher let out a breath at the sudden surprise of her words. He didn't expect her to speak of her own past so casually. Though to hear the small exposition she offered to him earned a look of sympathy. Part of him wished there were pieces of his past he could forget so simply, but the other part felt sorry for her -- she had no memories prior to the training she was forced to endure. It felt like innocence lost, that she was denied a normal childhood. But given her mannerisms and approach to things, he saw the correlation quite well.

As she paused for him to truly digest the information she had offered, Topher tightened his hold on her to practically press their bodies flush against one another. A reassuring 'shh' left his lips as he stroked a hand up and down her shoulder.

"Do you ever wonder what your life was like before then? The life you could have lived? The paths you could have taken?" he questioned one right after the other. "I ask because sometimes I wonder that too."

His brows furrowed. Sometimes he wondered what life would be like if he could simply live freely. Sure, Topher held plenty of admiration for Revocs as a whole, but it's not like he didn't wonder every once and a while what he'd be doing with his life outside of it. All the plans that fell through, all the opportunities he'd lost.

It wasn't a mistake at all though. And neither was Camellia.

"Tell me what you feel comfortable with telling me, I'll be here to listen."

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Camellia Lemaitre

For a moment, a look of hurt found its way to his face. A mixture of betrayal, anguish, and confusion blended thrice as he listened to her words. What did he want with her? It was a fair question to ask. His arms fell down to his sides as he glanced down to the covers. It felt like moments until he was able to offer her an answer, and the silence grew more deafening each passing minute. A shaky breath left his lips that he hadn't realized he'd been holding when he finally dared to speak.

"I don't want anything from you, I just want you," he admitted. "I don't care if the future isn't a perfect one. Like I said before, people like us don't get happy futures. We're both people with our own problems, but I want to be able to work through them with you if you're willing."

A hand left his lap to rest in the center with its palm face up. He was willing to meet Camellia halfway, but was she willing to do the same? Their romance (was that even the right word to call what they had?) wasn't exactly picture perfect, so why did that mean their future had to be too? It was all a matter of whether or not the two could brace things proverbally or even literally hand in hand. He didn't like the silence, it didn't offer any comfort in that moment. Instead, he chose to fill it.

"I know I'm in no right to say this, but I'm willing to wait for if and when you're ready."

And if that meant some time apart, he was happy to take it. His hand now retracted, Topher slipped out from beneath the covers and grabbed his boxers to slip them on. A look back to her and he spoke up again.

"I'll take the couch for the night."

It wasn't said with malice or any ill intent, in fact it was simply an offer. Perhaps they'd crossed boundaries they shouldn't have. He didn't seem to offer a glance back as he made his walk to the living room.

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Camellia Lemaitre