The Fish and the Princess [Abe, of course!]

[nuala]

[/b] 7 o’clock, PM.
Date: October 4th.
Place: Boardroom/banquet hall.
Status: Abe only, please!



The Princess still was not really used to human time – but according to the last person she had asked (and she had been asking anyone she could find for the time, just to be sure), it was about five minutes until seven. The time that she was supposed to meet Abraham for dinner. It would be wise for her to leave her room now, because she doubted she’d be able to find her way to the boardroom/banquet hall that Abe had told her to meet him in without some help as well, but… She was nervous.

Could she be blamed? She had never had dinner in this sort of way with someone, and she was afraid that something might go wrong, that she might make a mistake because she was not used to these human customs. It might seem crazy to others for a Princess to have anxiety about such a thing, but she could not help it. She stood in front of the mirror in the room she had been provided with since her arrival, examining her reflection for a moment, making sure there was not a hair out of place, and finally, heading out the door.

She had changed since early that day when she had spoken with Abe about the dinner – she now wore a slightly fancier dress (which was saying something, seeing as how she always dressed quite elegantly). It was a deep, royal purple in color, with silver and gold accents around the wrists, neck, and waist. Certainly fit for a Princess, and hopefully fit for dinner.

She wandered the halls for what seemed like forever – which made her afraid that the she was going to be late – when she had only been wandering for a couple of minutes. She finally stopped one of the agents passing her politely if he knew where it was – but he wasn’t sure which one she was talking about – apparently there was quite a few. Finally, he just gave her directions to the closest one in the hopes that it was the one she was looking for, and she headed off.

Finally, she came to the room – the door was open but a crack, and so, she peeked inside before barging in – just in case it wasn’t the room she was looking for. But, thankfully, when her gaze fell inside the room, she saw a table, decorated nicely with a single red rose in a vase in the center – and she knew this was the room. Opening the door completely, she slipped inside, her flavescent eyes running over the table again as the slightest of smiles made its way onto her lips. All worry and anxiety she might have had faded away, and was replaced with excitement. [/size][/ul][/color]

[Abe Sapien]

It had been a real race to get everything ready and still Abraham had not managed to achieve everything he desired. Of course silk curtains were a little hard to come by at the Bureau at short notice. Still he raced as if the very hounds of hell were at his heels and not in lockdown cell #42 waiting to be processed. He eyed the clock on the far wall just as he set the single red rose in a vase of water and straightened. A ungloved hand ran down the leather front of his uniform as if to smooth unimagined wrinkles out of it before nudging the vase a fraction to the left so it was perfectly centered. Abe deliberated before moving it back and pushed a salad fork into alignment with its brethren.

The table was accomplished, food was ready and waiting. He cast a quick glance at the cart that had several covered dishes and mentally thanked the women of the kitchen for their speedy and wonderfully prepared meals. No doubt he had ticked them off with his hovering and attempted comments of culinary tidbits but even as they shoved him out and promised the moon that the food would ready and waiting for him, did it occur to the man on what he would wear. The mere thought of wearing appropriate clothing baffled him and his sparse wardrobe. He could wear a suit, borrowed from the closet of any fellow agent but there were none that were tall enough nor would all of his extremities fit within the confines of someone built normally. He did have a nice trench coat, scarf and hat but the second he put it on he wondered why he never noticed how much of a crazy stalker he looked in it. His daily shorts and nothing but the skin he was made in wasn’t enough either. The uniform looked odd on him that night. It fit as normally, fresh and slick as the day he put it on but he was not battling monster or attempting to break some ancient code before the world ended in a upheaval of women screaming and gnashing of teeth. Tonight he was going on a dinner date.

Abe fluttered around the boardroom slash banquet hall. The board tables had been put away, leaving the room slightly bare but the cleaning staff had worked wonders with nearly nothing. Several vases of freshly cut flowers had been placed sporadically around the room, a marble statue had been moved into the far corner of a wilting woman with a beautiful simple dress that swept around her, the staff had even managed to find a large mirror to hang on the opposite wall and bring down the sound system from the library. Abraham reached for the remote to turn it on and static answered him back. “Oh dear,” he muttered to himself before wandering over to the system to see what the matter was. It was set atop a table with several scarves of some sort of material to mask the wiring and cables and beneath it, a wire had come undone. Bending down Abe pulled at the cording to find the right one before actually sliding to his hands and knees to get his lanky frame through the narrow space and plug it in.

Even with his slender build, he exhaled to make himself fit without knocking anything over and the sound of the cello from Bach’s suit no. 1 gently filtered through the speakers. Thin lips curled slightly in an attempted smile at the rich deep sounds of the cello and it helped soothe the nervous fluttering in his stomach. He had pushed to accomplish the night like a mission, taking control over the situation and falling into the brain position as he normally would. It was an outsiders take on the situation leaving him little room to listen to the little screaming voice in the back of his mind. Now, nearly hidden beneath the table and wiring he took a deep breath and collected his thoughts just as he sat back on his heels and his head appeared above the table.

“Your highness!” Though he had been expecting her, he was still surprised to see her there. Now. Abe stood hastily and banged his knee on the table’s leg and convulsed forward to grab at sharp pain that shot straight through his leg. He winced, his mouth twisting oddly and he closed one eye and gave a little hop before pulling himself to his full height. Ignoring the slight pain, he walked around the table and sound system and across the expanse only to slowly down to a crawl and stop about halfway as he gave the fair elven maiden his full attention.

She was dressed for royalty, the shade of purple like silk against her pale complexion, the silver and gold nearly shone under the fair lighting of the room. Like a princess out of a fairy tale story. Abe realized he was staring, his head slowly falling to a shoulder and he was sure he sighed somewhere along the way. He ran a hand against the front of his uniform one last time, grateful for the bulky absence of the utility belt and bowed deeply. “Your highness, I’m so glad you’re here.” Sapien rose slightly. “I hope there wasn’t too much trouble in finding your way here?”

[nuala]

[/b] She began - why should he bow to her when he was her equal? She did not want to be treated like she was some how above him, even if she was a Princess, she did not want Abraham to think that he had to treat her specially just because she was.

“I hope there wasn’t too much trouble in finding your way here?”

"I am still getting used to this place - but after asking for directions, I found it just fine." She responded with a light nod, folding her hands before her. She glanced over his shoulder for a moment, to try and get a better look at the tablescape that lay behind him. The rose was quite beautiful, and the music that played lightly in the background was something she had never heart before - but loved it all the same. "Thank you for doing this for me, Abraham..." She began again, returning her gaze to meet his own. "You certainly do make me feel like a Princess." She added with a light chuckle, the blush still quite visible on her cheeks. [/size][/ul][/color]

[Abe Sapien]

"You needn't bow to me, Abraham,"

He obediently rose, though it was not a command and overlooked the faint fading throb of his wounded knee. It would disappear with his brief moment of discomfiture that oddly made him want to laugh. Odd. When was the last time he had actually laughed? No matter, his attention was instantly drawn away from his own thoughts and to the princess.

"I am still getting used to this place - but after asking for directions, I found it just fine."

“I forget, sometimes.” He was furtively grasping at the simple task of talking, it'd be a miracle if he could complete a full sentence without stumbling over himself. His mouth parted as he took a particular deep breath, filtering the air through his gills. He raised his hand slightly, waving it languidly in slow circles as he momentarily distracted his own self. “The Bureau’s much more daunting to new people. Though I know with time,” Abe looked up briefly at the low ceiling. “it will become like home to you. I mean, that is, if you’d like, wish, it to be.”

"Thank you for doing this for me, Abraham..."

Abraham’s wide eyes blink and settled on Nuala, his gaze lingering across the royal mark across the bridge of her nose. One might see the faint etchings as a flaw but to him, she was perfect to him, a living sculpture of marble but he was certain she was so much warmer then stone. Which only brought to attention his cool skin and absently flexed his fingers, spreading them slightly at his sides. “It is…” he trailed off and looked down at the floor, curling one hand and he took a tentative step forward before bravely closing the distance between them in several smooth strides and offered his hand for hers. “It is my pleasure your highness.”

"You certainly do make me feel like a Princess."

“Always.” Abe tilted his head down to meet her gaze again. Her close presence was overwhelming but delightfully so, reminding of their brief moment in the library. He was smiling again, at last he attempted to physically but in his mind he was. Her fingers were soft almost nonexistent in his, the palm of his hand an arrays of faint ridges and bumps and he rested the pad of his thumb atop the pale fingers, gently brushing it across them. A unaccustomed stir of excitement welled in his stomach, mirroring his and Abe realized he was trying to find a sense of her needs to help guide him on what he needed to do next. He curled his head sheepishly as he mentally backpedaled at his intrusion.

“I’m, I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I shouldn’t…” What could he say, sorry for being a nosy fishman and prying? It had always been a natural part of him to look and it seemed to come with ease when others were not really aware of his inner gaze. It was so much more different when it could be felt and shared.

[nuala]

[/i] His voice pulled her instantly out of her telepathy, and her golden eyes reopened, fixing on him. It almost seemed like that they had drawn closer in that small conncetion, for she found herself hardly a foot away from him now. "Do not apologize, Abraham." She said, giving his hand a small squeeze of reassurance. "It is in both of our nature to do such a thing, and I would be a hypocrite if I told you to stop." She was not going to lie to him, she had taken a small peek as well. It came naturally to them, and why should they stop it if they had it in common?

For a moment, Nuala thought of the nature of their connection. It was not as strong as her and her brother's was, of course, but it was... different. More pleasant, if you wil. With her brother, she could feel his anger, his pain, his sadness - everything. But with Abraham, seeing as he had no such emotions most of the time, she only felt and saw wonderful things. A change from what she felt with her brother, but a good change none the less. [/size][/ul][/color]

[Abe Sapien]

"Do not apologize, Abraham." She said, giving his hand a small squeeze of reassurance. "It is in both of our nature to do such a thing, and I would be a hypocrite if I told you to stop."

He nodded, a whisper of a tilt and the pang of guilt ebbed slowly out of him. It was vexingly easy to become twisted up by the princesses, something that still eluded a concrete reasoning. He enjoyed every moment he had with her, even as simple as passing one another through the hallway. He had once nearly ran into a statue on the way out on a routine assignment looking at her. Much to his chagrin, no one let him forget. Abraham squeezed back in return but he remained a respectable distance from her thoughts. Just as much as he could worry over boundaries, she made him feel that it was truly all right and there was nothing hidden behind it. No lies. That’s what it was, there was no lies between them.

“It’s different to have someone be able to look back at you.” The delicate gills along his neck fluttered as he took the breath needed to speak and stilled when he held it. “I don’t mind.” He added, if there was anything Nuala needed or wanted to know there would be no barriers to come against.

Though content to stand there, he reluctantly took a step back and twisted on his heels to bring himself at her side and raised his free hand to gesture towards the amenities that had been provided. “ I’m afraid it isn’t much but the staff were most haste in helping me. I haven’t looked to see what sort of dinner we may be having but I smelled fresh fruit and possibly chicken. It’s a bit like pheasant or quail, only bigger. And I brought music from the library, Bach and Mozart and Brahms to name a few. They were classical composers of the late 17th and 18th century.” He was talking too much again and trailed off before mentioning the little stash of books he had also brought. Though there was still just that last thing his heart wanted to say while his brain demanded he stop right there. He had to duck his head to look upon her.

“You look beautiful, your highness.”

[nuala]

[/i]

How Nuala wished she could say the same back to him. Of course, she had more than enough experience in sharing thoughts with her brother... And it was not a pleasant experience at that. At times, back when they were both in Bethmoora at the time of the war with the humans - she often caught glimpses of ttles he was in, of him kiling his enemies, and other unspeakable acts of violence... It was not fun. Even now, while they may be so far away, she still sometimes caught glimpses of his thoughts, and most of the time, she was in them. She missed and loved her brother more than anything, but she resented his actions - and he had brought this seperation onto himself, as much as Nuala hated to admit it. No matter, though. She should not worry about such things now - she had Abraham.

She kept her grip on his hand, letting her gaze drift from him as he turned to stand by her side, to the tablescape before her. Listening carefully to his words, her smile soon grew. Most of her meals at the Bureau were not horrible, but they msot certainly what she was used to. She never complained though, for she was a humble Princess, but she did long for 'real' food. Most especially fresh fruit - Elves were quite fond of such things. And when he spoke of the music, she was very interested. How she wished to show him some Elven music, but unfortunately, Elves had not the music playing devices that humans had, and Elven music could only be heard live... Maybe some day.

“You look beautiful, your highness.”

The golden blush in her cheeks flared up again, and she looked sheepishly to the ground at her feet. Tucking a stray strand of her white-gold hair behind her slightly pointed ear, she slowly turned her gaze up to meet Abraham's. "Thank you...You look very handsome yourself, Abraham." She finally responded, her free hand fiddling with the edge of the fabric around her wrist. Okay, awkward silence... But a good one. If there was such a thing, anyways. [/size][/color][/ul]

[Abe Sapien]

It was an overwhelming feeling when the princess shyly looked away and Abraham’s attention shifted to the delicate pointed ear in which she slid her fingers across to push back stray hairs. It was oddly human to him, a simple motion that was beyond courtyards and libraries, a simple act that she would be so comfortable in doing it. He blinked against the lenses in his eyes and drew his head slightly back as she looked up at him. Her reply was everything he could ask for and startling. Handsome. Could the simple word be that foreign to him, it wasn’t every day he was called that. Abe closed his eyes slowly and the edges of his mouth curled a fraction. He didn’t think a sigh of contentment was appropriate and instead realized he was again standing there in awkward silence.

“I, we, Vivaldi!” It came out a little inelegantly but he was quick to smooth it over and take refuge in the music that flowed from the speakers across the room. “Yes, Vivaldi. He was a well versed virtuoso violinist and Baroque composer. His Four Seasons is perhaps the most widely known concerti and Winter…” Abe tilted his head, an unseen ear straining to listen to the building cresendo of strings. He lofted a hand into the air, his fingers weaving as though to lead the preordained sympathy of sounds. “Passar al foco i di quieti e contenti. Before the fire to pass peaceful.” Abraham brought the hand down atop of Nuala’s. “The ability to tell a poem by music is truly,” he turned to meet her gaze. “Truly… breathtaking.”

“Would you like to… would you care for something to drink, your highness?” Abe glanced at the table briefly then to the covered cart where two bottles of sparkling cider and red wine were chilling in an ice filled container.

[nuala]

The silence was broken quite abruptly by Abraham, causing Nuala's gaze to quickly fix onto him in a bit of surprise - she didn't really catch anything that he was saying because he was speaking so fast, until he said 'Vivaldi'. Wasn't that a human composer of music he had told her about once before? She tilted her head for a moment, listening closely to the music that now filled the room... And then to Abe as he began to speak coherently again - Nuala had been right. She smiled slightly both for herself, and for Abe, she was proud that she was finally getting well-versed in human culture, and actually remembering what she had learned. The music was beautiful, and she was pleased that Abe had picked it.

She watched with her golden gaze as his hand came to rest upon hers, and held back a flinch when she felt almost a small jolt between their hands when he did - that seemed to be happening more and more now that she had been working on her telepathy. Resisting the urge to take a peak into his thoughts and feelings, she curled her slender fingers around his, and smiled up at him. She was not going to let anything ruin tonight - most especially not her brother... She was focusing quite a lot on keeping him out of her mind, and it was giving her the slightest headache, but she didn't care. She would not let him catch her off guard with one of his bursts of anger... Nor would she let him see what she was doing - for that may cause his burst of anger.

"Oh," The Princess began, being pulled out of her thoughts, finally casting a glance over the table. She had almost forgotten that they were actually going to eat sometime tonight - perhaps they better at least get to sitting at the table before continuing on their conversation. "Thank you, Abraham, I would like something to drink." She finally responded, taking a small step towards the table to peer at the drinks. Wine and cider... Hmmm, she wasn't really sure what she would prefer - she'd never actually tried human wine before... She wondered if it was the same as Elven win... Might as well try it, the Princess was all for trying new things. "A glass of wine, if that's alright... I've never tried human wine before. Is it good?"

[Abe Sapien]

The opaque eyes closely studied every minute detail of the elven princess, as a man who relied on body language to convey what his features could not, very little escaped his attention. The thin barrier and bridge of their individual abilities kept him from overstepping despite the echo of an intimate ache. The fact that he could feel it told him he was looking and slowly let the inner grasp fade, not wanting to worry her.

"A glass of wine, if that's alright... I've never tried human wine before. Is it good?"

“Oh… well.” Abraham glanced away as the memory of one drunken night with brother Red surfaced. The throbbing pain that blistered his thoughts and the queasy smell of antiseptics overshadowed the previously off key singing. He vowed he could never touch the stuff again for as long as he lived. “Truth be told, I’ve heard it is. I don’t know from personal experience but I was told that it was a Chardonnay and that it would go well with dinner.” His gaze drifted back to meet her haunting one but she was looking out at the table. Abraham moved his hand slightly to lead the princess to it and gently pulled the closest chair out to allow the elven maiden to sit.

As soon as she was, Abe moved to the chilling wine and glasses and paused at the corkscrew. He awkwardly picked it up and stared at the dangerous looking thing before he decided he could do this. The music drifted on as the man twisted and coerced the unmovable cork from it’s home. “The,” he said, tugging again on the corkscrew and felt the weight of the silence against his back. “The ancient Greeks used to use wine as a trade commodity but it was also used in various methods, one in particular medical. Anthesteria was the harvest that – ” The cork came loose with a loud pop and Abraham turned as it slightly as it foamed and grabbed a white towel to wrap around the bottle.

“Ah, there.” Momentarily pleased with him, he poured the nearly clear golden wine into two glasses and faced his dinning companion. “Your highness,” the man said and the set a glass down for her and stood a moment longer as if to inspect everything before taking to his own chair. The leather suit creaked and pinched slightly and he shifted faintly and folded his hands on the edge of the table before unfolding them and lightly tapped his fingers. Abe picked his glass up absently and held it between slender fingers.

“A toast?” It was hesitantly requested as drinking was a normality for him but pouring the princess a glass and none for himself seemed dubious. A few sips wouldn’t hurt and a toast followed by an anecdote was always present when wine was. Of course, it has always been with brother Red and none of his toasts were suitable for the common man, let alone royalty. “To aspirations of possibilities, to… knowing a most wonderful and incredulously beautiful soul. To a good meal.”

[nuala]

When she was led to the table and he pulled the chair out for her, she smiled thankfully up at him - such a gentleman! Of course, most of the Elven suitors who had come to ask for her hand in marriage when she was living in Bethmoora had the same mannerisms.. But they were not sincere. They only had feelings (if you could call them that) for the fact that she was a Princess... And in marrying her, they would gain status. Abraham cared about her as she was, even if she was not a Princess, she knew that he would still love her... She supposed that technically, she wasn't a Princess anymore - she was not living in her home land, nor was she ruling over anyone or anything... Upon thinking this, she relaxed a bit, and watched as Abe poured them both a glass.

That relaxation didn't last long though, and for a moment, Abraham's voice and the music playing in the room faded out to a muffled sound - and her eyes closed for a moment, a small headache overtaking her. A moment later, her eyes opened as quickly as they had closed - and she tried to hold back a gasp that might have escaped her. She had heard his voice as clear as day, "I cannot stop.", and she felt him... touch her hand. She glanced down to her pale hands that were folded in her lap, and she let out a shaky breath. No. She would not let him ruin this! She mentlaly slapped herself for letting her guard down for even a moment, and tried to push any and all trace of him away, just as Abraham opened the bottle of wine with a loud 'pop', causing her to jump slightly.

Forcing herself to put a smile back on her face and acting as if nothing had happened, she took the glass from him with a nod of thanks, holding it carefully between her pale fingers. It sparkled in the gentle light of the room, and bubbled sligthly. It did ook good, but all of a sudden Nuala had a slightly sick feeling to her stomach... Not because she was nervous, but because she was worried... Why had her brother reached out to her like that again? What did it mean?

No, it didn't matter. She was here with Abe now, and she would not let this ruin her dinner. She focused her attention on Abe as he lifted his glass for a toast, and actually managed a sincere smile, lifting her glass as well. His toast was lovely and eloquent.. And made her smile grow, and almost made her forget about what had just happened. Slightly bowing her head to agree with his toast, she added her own last bit to it, a small two-worded phrase, but it got out all that she wanted to say, "To us."

With that, hoping to get lost in this moment and forget about her brother, she brought the glass to her pale pink lips and took a sip - it was not even a big sip - but she choked ever so slightly on the drink. It was stronger than Elven wine, that was for sure, and it was good, but... The Princess, obviously, was not a drinker. She placed the glass back down on the table, wiping her lips gently with her cloth napkin, and coughing a few times before looking up at Abe with a light gold tinge of a blush on her cheeks. "I'm sorry, it... It was not was I was expecting." She started with a small chuckle, "It is ...pleasant in taste, though." She added with a nervous smile - really, it was, she just wanted Abraham to know that she was happy.

[Abe Sapien]

"To us."

In all of his vast knowledge of languages, ancient and newborn and the infinite structure of the human tongue, those two simple words were perfect. He raised his glass a fraction higher to concur with the toast and idly thought what an elven toast would be like. He was curious to learn the language of the elves. While the late Professor Broom had a few antediluvian scripts that had a myriad of homes that passed through countless hands, no singular meaning gave way to his touch. Abraham followed just as the princess coughed and the sharp fruity tang of the wine burned his mouth and throat when he swallowed. He winced but only visibly succeeded in his eyes fluttering closed. The strange warmth of it traveled and he felt it all the way down to his empty stomach where it dissipated.

“Nor was I,” he replied and set the glass down a little further then necessary and curled his fingers inward. He mirrored the princess’ unspoken nervousness and where she fell silent all he wanted to do was go on about various pseudo-pagan rituals, which he deemed highly inappropriate at the time. That was more of a after dinner conversation. His hands returned to the edge of the table and fidgeted slightly.

“I’m very glad you came.” Abraham leaned forward slightly and the hand that rested on the table twisted slightly up to reveal the ridges and pock marks that were his own version of a finger print. He had been the one to ask her to come, the Bureau would always open her arms to those that needed help and he was truly uncertain what he would have had she said no. “I was afraid,” his voice caught slightly and he paused before continuing. “that you wouldn’t.” Would she see what he really meant, hiding partially behind the evening’s invitation of a meal. The man ducked his head unable to met the elven maiden’s gaze.

[nuala]

The Princess knew exactly what she meant. In fact, she had been waiting for him to bring up such a thing since she had come here - for she had been lingering on that idea as well - what if she hadn't come to the Bureau? What if she had gone with her brother back to Bethmoora... What would she be doing now? There was no doubt in her mind that her brother would have taken over as King, she would be Queen, and he would already be well on his way to another attack on the human world - despite her pleas and attempts at reasoning with him. And she would probably never be able to see Abraham again.

On the other hand, though... She would be back in her homeland, the place where she felt at peace for most of her life.. And she would be finally ruling it, along with her brother, just as it was supposed to be when they were born. It was something she had been waiting for all of her life - but because of all that has happened... She knew that it could never end that way now. Things were too complicated. Did she regret not going back with her brother? Yes, sometimes.

But she sometimes imagined if she had gone back.. The loneliness she would feel... Being pulled away from someone she cared for - perhaps even loved - never to see them again. Her brother would, no doubt, try to fill that hole, and she wasn't entirely sure how that would end either. She forced such thoughts from her mind, finally, realizing that she had been silent for what seemed like forever. She had been staring down at the table, at Abraham's pale blue hand, lost in her thoughts. She slowly brought her gaze up to meet his, and her hand to lay atop his as well. With a slight push of her telepathy, she passed over her emotions to him - the tiniest bit of regret and sadness, as she did not wish to hide anything from him, but a great deal of gratitude and happiness.

"I am glad I did as well, Abraham," She spoke softly, barely above a whisper, "I would have it no other way."

[Abe Sapien]

Desperation was such a bold word, but with an ability to know the entire world around him paled in compression to the desire that welled him. A evanescent emotion that refused subside, the unconscious tug towards the one who so much like him, it hurt. It made his chest ache and his eyes prickle though he thought, idly, he did not have the ability to shed them. He was staring at his hand, at the odd coloring that bled along the lines of his palm and seemed to pool in the center, at the odd color that he had awoken to with no memory prior. And then he was there, with her, her thoughts and emotions suddenly upon him with such grace and delicateness he lofted his gaze to hers as if expecting to see and hear her talking.

The frighteningly beautiful golden eyes touched upon him and met them inquisitively. His thin lips parted at her elegant touch and embraced the inner. Abraham let her thoughts, the emotions spill onto him like warm rain and absorb him, drawing him further. The longing of a homeland overshadowed by the love of being here, the loss of so much. It made him want to draw her into his arms, hold her and promise her that never would ever hurt her. Abraham wouldn’t hide his anger towards her brother and though he couldn’t make himself hate the elf, it would be like hating a part of the princess, he could still be angry at what he didn’t do and everything he did. The anger didn’t last long and it was washed away by the shaking relief beyond his reticence. He wanted to be her rock of safety. They had spent months skirting around each other, stealing glances at one another, leaving a room before the other entered. They didn’t have to do that anymore, he wouldn’t run from her and hide his thoughts anymore. Abraham couldn’t say it at least with his mouth, but he selfishly cherished every moment they shared.

She spoke in a voice that often made him forget to the breath and all he wanted was to see her smile at him. His finger curled instinctively, his thumb resting atop as if to hold her should she float away. It was a silly notion and the tinge of a bemusement slid beneath his thoughts. He felt the truth of her words and doubted himself, did he really need to hear these words to comfort himself. Abraham pushed those thoughts away before they could manifest fully.

“Nuala,” Abraham breathed, both her name and air, remembering. Each time it had been princess and your highness, always wanting to say her name and never wanting to be churlish. Her name was like spice on his lips and his fingers tense as if already waiting to be rejected. “Will you dance with me?”

[nuala]

Just as Abraham let her thoughts flow into his mind, she did the same - and saw his reaction to each and every strand of her own mind. She was almost tempted to embrace him after the first thought that he had, but resisted, simply closing her eyes for a moment, lost inside both of their minds, thoughts, and feelings. The thought of her brother came up, and she knew Abraham did not like him - no one at the Bureau did, except for the Princess herself, of course. And even then, she resented his actions - but the fact that Abraham did not hate him entirely, like she knew most here did, made her admire him that much more.

Finally, her thoughts had ended, and now, she just listened to his. She knew that since she had come here, they had been stuck in a sort of game, they both knew they had feelings for one another, but they could not show it past a glance, or a touch of the hands. The Princess remembered once, she had come across a few other Bureau agents talking about them - saying that they should just 'get it on' already. She had wondered what that meant, and assumed it had something to do with expressing their love for each other... And, she wanted to do nothing more than that! But, she couldn't. There was something that stopped her, and something that stopped him as well. Was it her brother? She felt a bit guilty when she thought of that.

But, after she had spoken, and somewhat broken their concentration and connection, she reopened her eyes, and stared up at him, with a faint, soft smile on her lips. When he said her name, she almost had to take in a gasp of surprise. That was, perhaps, the first time he had ever called her by her first name! Not by 'princess' or 'your highness', or anything else that everyone always had to call her by - but by her name... Nuala. Her smile grew at this, and she tightened her grip on his hand, just waiting to hear what he had to say.

For a moment, she hadn't registered what he said. Dance? The last time she had danced was... Well, a very long time ago, when her brother still resided in Bethmoora, before the war with a humans - when there was reason to dance. Could she even do it any more? Whilst being at the Bureau, she had caught a glimpse of someone doing a dance on a television, ballet she soon found out it was called, and had spent a bit of time researching it - but other than that... She had to search her mind throughly, remembering step patterns and the like. But, after a moment of silence and thinking to herself - she stopped. What did it matter if she could dance or not? She would be dancing with Abraham, and that was all that mattered... Who you were dancing with, not how well you could dance. So, the smile finally returned to her face, and she nodded slightly, "I would like nothing more than to dance with you, Abraham."