[FIN] Bobbing for Apples

[BlackFireKitsune]

He felt a tiny pang of disappointment as the shorter blond ended the kiss, and for a moment or two he debated leaning in to begin another round - but then found Zevran's head on his shoulder, and he couldn't help but feel like it could wait a bit. "Oh, so there is," he noted idly, his gaze drifting out over the expanse of fair and forest, taking in the way the setting sun danced across the shifting leaves in the trees and the various tents and flags scattered about the fair, "but I think we have. Then again it's hard not to, when there's a much nicer view inside than outside," he finished with a smirk, his chin resting on his palm and his arm on the back of the bench as he glanced down at his friend, perfectly content to let him stay there on his shoulder as long as he liked - or until they had to get off the ferris wheel, whichever happened first.  

[TawnyAngel]

Right now in this suspended moment everything felt peaceful, an unusual sensation that he quietly savoured. "Mmh, I do rather like being distracted you know." He could probably have just stayed as they were for the rest of the ride around the ferris wheel but when he glanced up Abel's mouth looked very inviting; he touched the other blond's jaw and lent up for another kiss.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

"Personally I think it depends on the distraction," he said and nearly shrugged, but resisted the urge to do so at the last moment, "but I've been enjoying every distraction we've had today." As his friend leaned up, Abel tilted his head down to meet him so Zevran wouldn't have to crane his neck quite so much - or at all, if he felt like resting his head on his shoulder again - and as his rather occupied arm rested on the back of the bench, his free hand drifted up to the shorter blond's face and his thumb ghosted along the line of his jaw from his chin all the way up to his ear.  

[TawnyAngel]

Eventually somebody whacked the side of the carriage with their fist; "Hey, get a room you two and get off already!"

Zevran startled slightly at the shout but quickly switched to smirking as he turned to the ride operator. "Which? You have to choose one or the other! I mean these benches do not seem all that comfortable but I am sure we could work something out!"  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Abel crash-landed back in reality with a violent start that set his heart to racing, but the voice that yelled was decidedly masculine - it wasn't Alyssa. He aimed a grin that was both apologetic and slightly strained at the operator while he pushed at Zevran's shoulder to encourage him to get out rather than continue to sit there longer. He only pushed at him for a moment though, because the next moment he grabbed the large plush to tuck it back under his shoulder, then with his other arm he scooped Isaac up to carry him out. "I think he means in the opposite order," he noted with a brief chuckle to let out some of the nervous energy he'd suddenly found himself filled with, though he tried to keep it out of his face, "but the night is young and we have all of Sandalwood to explore still! I think that was everything we wanted to do here at the fair, yeah?"  

[TawnyAngel]

Hu, a shift in mood? Zevran hopped readily out of the ride with his basket in tow and his Dratini still around his neck. "Ah, si," he nodded to Abel and offered a reassuring smile along with it, though quite what he was assuring him of he didn't know. "Are you hungry again or shall we just have a little look around and then find someplace to stay?" He wasn't hungry himself but he hoped Abel would mention it if he was.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

"That's an excellent question," the taller blond said with a nod as they headed away from the ferris wheel - and away from anyone who might have seen; none of them knew Alyssa, right? She wasn't there, watching from somewhere.. right? No, no, she couldn't have been, and the odds that anyone she knew were there and would have seen were minuscule at best.

Neither his reassurances to himself nor Zevran's smile did much in the way of banishing his sudden nervousness, but he smiled back nonetheless to look as if he felt fine - not that he knew if it worked or not. "I do think we should get dinner at some point," he went on, loathe as he was to suggest Zevran buy him food again, "but I'm fine with walking around Sandalwood a bit. It'd probably be a good idea to drive over to the city proper first though, then get out and walk around." They weren't terribly close to the city after all, and plus he didn't want to have to walk this far to get back to his car in the morning.  

[TawnyAngel]

"Let us drive then, and find somewhere that will sell us something covered in delicious grease," Zevran agreed easily, turning his steps back towards the entrance they'd come through some hours earlier. "Perhaps we can park up somewhere central, walk around, eat, and then find a place to stay?" he suggested, bumping lightly against Abel again as they had done earlier because he still felt as though his friend was not as comfortable as he had been until they were so rudely interrupted.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

"That sounds like a wonderful idea," he said earnestly, already looking forward to it - it sounded so, so wonderful - unfortunately though at this point, he was more looking forward to going somewhere private mostly because he'd feel so much safer from prying eyes, eyes that might belong to someone who knew Alyssa. Hopefully he'd be able to relax before then - he felt guilty because surely Zevran, perceptible as he was, would notice some change in his demeanor - but he really wasn't sure he would. Maybe if he smoked a cigarette... Once they were out of the fairgrounds, in the parking lot would be fine.

"I'm sure Sandalwood has plenty of cheap places to eat," the blond went on as he hooked his thumb into his pocket, and though he noted the brief contact from his friend he didn't return it just yet, either because he didn't want to do so immediately after, or because he felt too nervous to in case someone was watching. Feeling such paranoia made him feel ridiculous, but he couldn't shake it. "Though hopefully they're open late enough to accommodate us," he added with a rueful smile. It would kind of suck if there wasn't anywhere they could get food, though he'd feel the most bad for Zevran. Personally he'd had plenty of practice going hungry, though not for the same reasons.  

[TawnyAngel]

There was certainly something wrong here; it was like a little cloud that had moved in over Abel's mood, no more bumping back against him and smiles that did not reach his pretty eyes so well as they had. Well, they would sort that out later. "Oh I wouldn't worry about that," Zevran chuckled, "there will always be a place selling things to eat even if it is one of those big chain burger places that serves all night." There passed a moment in silence before Zevran looked straight ahead and rather quietly added; "I am more interested in the company than the food."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

"That's true," he ceded; cheap burger places were a dime a dozen, nice and cheap, and usually were open as late as their competition. Assuaging his worries over being out too late to get food was something he expected Zevran to do - and he did - but what he didn't expect was his last comment. He almost missed it entirely with how quiet he said it. The brief moment of slight surprise ended, and he smiled softly as he gently bumped into his friend again - not before subtly glancing around for a fleeting second - and responded in similarly quiet tones, "Me too."  

[TawnyAngel]

He didn't know what to say to Abel's return of his sentiment and so for a little while he said nothing at all.


Later they were under the towering trees of Sandalwood City, lights illuminated the road from the sides and at intervals hung from the boughs above too. "Ah, there, car parking?" Zevran gestured towards the sign. "I think we are far enough in the centre now to find some nice sights to walk around and somewhere to get food." And then, later, somewhere to stay. "I hope there is a tall viewing platform somewhere, I would like to see what the rest of Sandalwood looks like from above." Perhaps the stars too? Well stars were always pretty no?  

[BlackFireKitsune]

When they fell into companionable silence - with maybe only trace amounts of awkward - Abel let it continue. Once they reached the parking lot and after assuring himself that there wasn't anyone behind them to be affected by the smoke, the taller blond stayed downwind of his friend as he lit and smoked a cigarette on the way to the car.

---

"Oh, perfect," Abel said when Zevran pointed out the parking sign, and he carefully guided the car into the lot. After leaving the fairgrounds he'd begun to feel much better - or safer, to be precise - although he hadn't fully recovered. No, he probably wouldn't feel completely better until they were alone later, behind thick walls and closed doors where neither Alyssa nor anyone who knew her would be able to see or hear him. If only he could stay in such a place forever, and not have to worry about the consequences of doing so... Too bad it would never happen.

"I think so too, this definitely looks like the middle of the city. Or I think it does, anyway," he added when he brought the car to a halt in a parking space before he leaned forward to try and look up through the trees to see the city proper. He couldn't really see much from there though, so he shrugged it off and unbuckled himself. "I'm sure there's plenty of platforms up there, though I don't know about the tallest ones. There has to be at least one around here somewhere though, we'll just have to go hunting for it." Leaving the Nidoqueen plush in the backseat of his car for now - he wouldn't miss having to carry it around everywhere - Abel scooped Isaac up and let him settle on his shoulders again as he got out of the car and pocketed his keys, then rested one elbow on the hood of his car and settled his chin on his palm so he could watch Zevran over the top of the vehicle, a lazy grin on his face now that they were in a much less populated area. "So, which way first? I'll follow you, I don't want to block your view or anything."  

[TawnyAngel]

"Oh no, more time alone with you as we hunt? How am I to cope with that?" Zevran chuckled as he got out of the car. Like Abel he left behind his spoils of the day: the basket and its contents, the Dratini, but from the back seats he grabbed his leather jacket and shrugged into it against what he perceived as a slight chill in the air. When he looked up again he realised that Abel was watching him and, smirking, he ran a hand back through his hair. "Let us go... that way," he pointed, "westward from here after the setting sun. Perhaps you could walk beside me though? The nights are not so warm anymore at least to one born and raised in beautiful Antiva City. She is warm all the year round, the change is mainly in how much rain falls and we love her whether it pours or shines." Ah, he did miss Antiva. He hadn't intended to say so much but it was harmless really, nothing to trouble himself over.