(Written with Jonas)
Setting: The Red Dragon Inn
She couldn't stay in anymore. She had to get out. Where as the other night her family's house offered itself as a refuge, it quickly took on its past feelings of a prison and that, right now, wouldn't do. Her countenance was worried and her brow wrought with crinkles, her face downcast and her tiny body huddled in on itself. Quick steps brought her straight to the porch steps and up them, making directly for the front door. A hard push with a shoulder and she gained entrance. The bar was her intended destination.
It was approached quickly and, with little to no barrier between them, she didn't hesitate at all while en route. There was a quick glance upward, eyes bouncing all around, but Kingsley knew that the one she was looking for, and was the most scared to find, wasn't there. She didn't know how, but she knew. With not even the faintest smile to the few semi-familiar faces she saw, distress enough to sap from her every last bit of joy, her attention went hastily back to the floor. Soon enough the bar stools stood at attention in front of her and the Irish girl claimed one for herself, slipping atop of it and turning toward the bar proper, her frown aimed to its top.
He had seen her enter, that petite little thing of a girl, and he had watched as she strode straight across the main room until she plunked herself, lamely, atop of a lonely stool. He continued to stare at her then, confident that she wouldn't be able to feel his eyes upon her and that no one else would even care. Despair was like a fog around her, he didn't need special eyes to see that. Disturbingly, it brought a small smile to his face. It faded as he stood from his empty booth and made way for the bar, redirecting his course only so that he ended up taking the fork through the break.
"Having a rough day there, are you?" His voice was like rough gold, level but deep, eyes of blue sliding sideways so that he could see the girl as he stepped past her on his side of the counter. His goal was to take up an empty kettle, to pop off the whistler and fill it up with water.
The voice was such a shock to her, she actually jumped. Eyes akin to a frightened deer blinked widely as she looked from the bar top and her invisible mirror of misery up to find a man moving by her. Oh. He couldn't be talking to her, could he" Why would he" But his eyes were on her...Weren't they' Oh yes, they were certainly on her. "I-I?" She felt like she hadn't spoken in weeks, cobwebs and dust sticking to her throat. She cleared it, tried again. "Yeah?" Wow, what an answer, Kingsley. Well spoken.
He smirked, popping the cap back onto the kettle as he moved toward the stove. "Sadness isn't a feature meant to be on your face." He looked up at her from behind a fall of honest blonde, setting the kettle to boil. "You're too pretty for that."
The blush was instant and involuntary, lashes batting fanatically like wings as her eyes diverted away from him, finding an empty patch of counter to land upon. "U-Uh' Th-Thank you," she stammered, taken completely by surprise. Her current handicap of being miserable made the fight against the sudden flush a no-contest. She felt like she was going to be red for a month.
He chuckled, moving away again to fetch a large, hand-made ceramic mug from somewhere. From another small cupboard he began picking out loose herbs, tucking them into an empty tea ball. With the way he moved back there, it was almost like he had been there all along. "So what?s got such a pretty face looking so down, hm?" He glanced at her every now and then, watching her just as carefully as he was his own hands at work.
His question brought forth a fresh frown, a hard and distinct downward curve of her mouth. It looked wrong, even with the pain nestled deep in her eyes. (q)"Nothin".." Because that was the best answer, ever, she could give. Everyone would believe that one" Right"
He smirked again, shaking his head as he set the tea-laden cup over to one side. The kettle was starting to whistle so he took it up, pouring boiling water over the full tea ball. ?"Nothing" doesn't really seem like the right answer. A blind man could see how miserable you are." Setting the kettle aside, he next added a fair share of honey. "Did you get into a fight with someone"," he asked, looking up at her as he placed the steaming mug in front of her. "Break up with a boy?"
She had still been staring at that oh-so interesting part of the counter but at his last question, her eyes shot up. If she didn't verbally hand over the answer, those eyes certainly did. Her frown took on the slight hint of a pout, any determination on her face crumbling as her gaze sank down to the cup set in front of her. Still silent, both hands reached out to encompass the ceramic mug, lifting it toward her lips. As the steam hit her nose and the scents filled her senses, her eyes, again, darted up. A look of puzzlement echoed along her brow but she didn't put voice to it. Instead one set of fingers curled, nails scratching noiselessly against the glaze. "Y-Yeah' Somethin" like that.."
A quiet chuckle came from him as he leaned forward, resting his weight on folded forearms that planted themselves atop of the bar. "You know what I do when someone gets into a fight with me" Forget "em. Sure, if I'm in the wrong and I figure that out, I'll apologize, try to make things right. But if they're the one that's in the hot seat and they don't come after me, apology in hand, we're done."
Kingsley's face screwed up as she listened to him, but otherwise she just blew gently down onto her tea. Her gaze was too busy being fixated on the tiny ripples her breath was making to discover the color of his eyes. It was a good thing, too. She didn't really think she would be able to lock eyes with someone for a good long while. (q)"That sounds kind of harsh.."
He grinned, just leaning there, watching her. "Yeah, maybe. But sometimes that's just the ways things have to go. Otherwise all you do is get hurt and if you don't take care of yourself, you're going to have a hard time finding someone else to do it for you." His head angled slightly to one side, eyeing her. "But then again, that's what boyfriends are supposed to do, right?"
How did he know" How did this stranger find out' This was the second time he had hinted at it and, both times, her heart jumped. She was trying desperately to get it back under control, swallowing down the swelling lump in her throat. He was probably just guessing, correctly, even though she really wished he wasn't. (q)"Yeah," she said down into her tea, "I guess so." With that, she gave the drink a tiny sip.
There'd be the faintest grin ghosting as he watched the tiny girl fluster by way of his words, a secretive gleam within crystalline eyes. He left it alone though, letting her savor the taste of honey and herbs in silence before he ventured to say anything else. "Do you like the tea?"
She nodded, swallowing down that first sip before quickly taking another, licking her lips. (q)"It's really good." She didn't tell him how she had initially freaked out because of what kind he had made. After all, lots of people drank tea. It wasn't at all that surprising that someone else just happened to like the same exact kind as her; chamomile and lavender with a precise hint of honey. Milk or cream was absent from the concoction and Kingsley bit her lip. It was a bittersweet realization, enough to bring a sting to her eyes. (q)"It's one of my favorites. Thank you."
He grinned, pretending that he didn't see the sudden onslaught of hurtful memory that blatantly coated her face. "You're welcome." He didn't add in the part that he had already known. Shifting enough to unfold an arm, he reached a hand out toward her. "I'm Jonas," he said. His eyes held a subtle amount of expectancy, careful hope.
She stared at the outstretched hand for what felt like a very long time. It was, in fact, only a couple of seconds, but to her it seemed like hours. Swallowing even though she hadn't taken another sip of tea, she slowly unfurled a hand. Tentatively, she reached for his, harpist fingers and a tiny palm easily fitting two-fold inside of his. "Kingsley." Shockingly, she swore she could feel the barest hint of a smile. "Or just Kings. Either way is fine with me."
Pay no attention to the man who just swallowed a mouthful of hope. "Kingsley." He said her name as if it were gold, his smile adding to the dot of the "i" a diamond. "That's a beautiful name. Unique. It fits you." His fingers wrapped warmly, protectively, around her much smaller hand. He made no indication of being the first to let go.
Another blush was dumped like a bucket of warm water over her head, the color a fine hue of rosy red against cream. "Thank you.." Her voice was soft, mild, a perfect match for the shade of her cheeks. Once realizing that he was in no hurry to let go, she retracted her hand rather abruptly, a shy smile offered in way of a wordless apology as she, again, wrapped her fingers around the warm mug. "So' Do you live here?" It was a feeble attempt to not fall into an awkward silence. She really hoped that it worked.
He watched her, amused, wearing a docile grin. He liked how she looked then, quiet and sweet. It made him wonder what sort of monster could ever hurt such a person. Well, then again? "Yeah. Well, I do now. Just moved here, actually. Seemed like an interesting place." For the first time since he started talking to her, he spared the rest of the room a glance. It was short-lived, though. What was sitting right in front of him was much more interesting. "What about you?"
She nodded. "Yeah. I've been here for a couple of months. Since the summer. I really like it. Well?" As she trailed off, her face lost its fragile luster. But she was determined, for some reason, to gain it back again, even just for the short time while she was here. She would have plenty of time to wallow once she got home. "I'm here with my family. It's nice havin" them around." Her cup hovered closer, taking another sip.
"Ah, I see." He watched her take that sip, so carefully, and he could see the glisten it left behind on her lips. Blue eyes fixed there, just for a few seconds. "So you're not from around here either." Gaze flicked up, properly finding her eyes again even if she didn't like to find his. "You're from Ireland, right?"
At the mention of her homeland, her face lit up. Wide green eyes did indeed find his, all at once tossing aside any suggestion of shyness or sorrow-born shame. "Yeah, I am," she said, already a smile spreading slow across her lips. "You know it?" The hope she placed in that question was painfully plain to hear.
He laughed, shaking his head as his face turned toward the counter. The edges of his smile were hidden beneath the rough bristles of facial hair. "Yeah, I know of it." He kept on chuckling, still shaking his head. He lifted it, though, to look at her. He was glad he did. Her smile was golden. "I've been there too. A couple of times. Up in Sligo, Dublin, Galway, and a few times down in Cork." Even after his laughter had died, he couldn't keep that grin from lingering. Not like he didn't want it to.
"Cork" You've been to County Cork?" As if there was any other "Cork" in Ireland. Kingsley, for the first time in over forty eight hours, was pleasantly stunned. Actually, it had been a much longer time since any stun she had received had been pleasant, but that was beside the point. "When" Why' What for" Did you go to Ballincollig" How long did you stay' What was your favorite part?" The questions were fired out like from a six-shooter, her tea, and her misery, for the most part, forgotten.
Again, he laughed. How could he not when she was getting all excited like this" "Yeah, County Cork. Awhile back. I've got a few friends there I like to visit from time to time. Haven't been in awhile though and I doubt I could tell you any specific places." His chuckle was quiet, taking a moment to enjoy the sudden burst of mirth that had taken over her. Lifting a hand, he sent long fingers back through long blonde, shifting it in a way that the degrees of shades varied. "The landscape was probably the best part of it, aside from seeing my friends. Ireland's a beautiful place. Wouldn't mind going back there again sometime." A nearby torch crackled, the fickle light setting a gleam within peculiar eyes.
This time around, she couldn't explain the blush. It was more tamed this time, of which she was thankful, and it probably was hard to discern with such rough lighting. She smiled though, half-hiding it behind her mug. "I'm glad you liked it there," she said against the rim. "It really is someplace special." The sip she took was slow, meant to give her time for thought. Also, she'd admit only to herself, it was meant to give her time to bask in this new-found pleasantness. She knew it wouldn't last long. In the morning, she knew, sorrow would come over her all over again.
When the cup lowered, slender fingers laced through the curving loop of a handle, and at a sudden, dull chime, she glanced up at the clock behind the bar. The frown that came wasn't as harsh as the ones before, but it was there all the same. (q)"I should go." She didn't want to but even more so she didn't want to be here when" Taking a deep breath, she set the mug aside. Slipping off the stool, she offered Jonas a meek yet pleasant smile. "It was really nice meetin" you."
He, too, heard the chime but wouldn't have bothered to look at the clock except that she did. Glancing behind his shoulder, he gave little care to the time. But when she announced her intent to leave, that was reason enough for him to take interest. He looked back to her as she started what he guessed would be her goodbye, staring at her for a brief moment before standing up straight. "I'll walk you home." It wasn't forceful but was, nevertheless, a statement. It left little room for argument, especially since he was already making his way down the bar, rounding through the break to the other side.
"Uh?" She stared at him, wide-eyed and mouth agape. Surely, this couldn't be real. After all, no one else but Toby could be kind enough to walk a strange girl home" Right' Thought of the orange-haired boy had any relief she had just found, temporary as it was, flushing away and her cheeks grew pale and cold. But since Jonas was already walking around to her, she couldn't very well be impolite. "I, uh..," she tried again, forcibly shaking her head when she got it wrong that time too. Taking a deep breath, she was determined to avoid strike three. "That'd be really nice. Thank you." Success! And after all that effort, all she could offer him was a weak smile.
He came up to her, giving her a gentle smile that belied that he had noticed each of her little fumbles. "Not a problem," he said, bringing an arm up behind her. He used it to start her toward the door, not touching but close enough to hover and herd. "Even if it seems like a nice city, doesn't seem like the sort of place that a nice young woman should be walking around alone, especially at night." As they approached the exit, his modest height let him reach in front of her to push the door aside without having to get in the way. He smiled down at her, letting her step out first, naturally, before following after her.
"Yeah?" This was all very bittersweet to Kingsley and was probably happening all much too soon after the other night. But there was no way to get out of it now, not without being completely rude, and besides, it's not like anything serious was happening. So she sucked it up, biting back the pain that was patiently trying to get her attention and tucking it down low, deep inside. She'd deal with that later on. Right now, she was going to smile pretty and enjoy her escort home, saying a quiet "thank you? as she slipped out the door.
Setting: The Red Dragon Inn
She couldn't stay in anymore. She had to get out. Where as the other night her family's house offered itself as a refuge, it quickly took on its past feelings of a prison and that, right now, wouldn't do. Her countenance was worried and her brow wrought with crinkles, her face downcast and her tiny body huddled in on itself. Quick steps brought her straight to the porch steps and up them, making directly for the front door. A hard push with a shoulder and she gained entrance. The bar was her intended destination.
It was approached quickly and, with little to no barrier between them, she didn't hesitate at all while en route. There was a quick glance upward, eyes bouncing all around, but Kingsley knew that the one she was looking for, and was the most scared to find, wasn't there. She didn't know how, but she knew. With not even the faintest smile to the few semi-familiar faces she saw, distress enough to sap from her every last bit of joy, her attention went hastily back to the floor. Soon enough the bar stools stood at attention in front of her and the Irish girl claimed one for herself, slipping atop of it and turning toward the bar proper, her frown aimed to its top.
He had seen her enter, that petite little thing of a girl, and he had watched as she strode straight across the main room until she plunked herself, lamely, atop of a lonely stool. He continued to stare at her then, confident that she wouldn't be able to feel his eyes upon her and that no one else would even care. Despair was like a fog around her, he didn't need special eyes to see that. Disturbingly, it brought a small smile to his face. It faded as he stood from his empty booth and made way for the bar, redirecting his course only so that he ended up taking the fork through the break.
"Having a rough day there, are you?" His voice was like rough gold, level but deep, eyes of blue sliding sideways so that he could see the girl as he stepped past her on his side of the counter. His goal was to take up an empty kettle, to pop off the whistler and fill it up with water.
The voice was such a shock to her, she actually jumped. Eyes akin to a frightened deer blinked widely as she looked from the bar top and her invisible mirror of misery up to find a man moving by her. Oh. He couldn't be talking to her, could he" Why would he" But his eyes were on her...Weren't they' Oh yes, they were certainly on her. "I-I?" She felt like she hadn't spoken in weeks, cobwebs and dust sticking to her throat. She cleared it, tried again. "Yeah?" Wow, what an answer, Kingsley. Well spoken.
He smirked, popping the cap back onto the kettle as he moved toward the stove. "Sadness isn't a feature meant to be on your face." He looked up at her from behind a fall of honest blonde, setting the kettle to boil. "You're too pretty for that."
The blush was instant and involuntary, lashes batting fanatically like wings as her eyes diverted away from him, finding an empty patch of counter to land upon. "U-Uh' Th-Thank you," she stammered, taken completely by surprise. Her current handicap of being miserable made the fight against the sudden flush a no-contest. She felt like she was going to be red for a month.
He chuckled, moving away again to fetch a large, hand-made ceramic mug from somewhere. From another small cupboard he began picking out loose herbs, tucking them into an empty tea ball. With the way he moved back there, it was almost like he had been there all along. "So what?s got such a pretty face looking so down, hm?" He glanced at her every now and then, watching her just as carefully as he was his own hands at work.
His question brought forth a fresh frown, a hard and distinct downward curve of her mouth. It looked wrong, even with the pain nestled deep in her eyes. (q)"Nothin".." Because that was the best answer, ever, she could give. Everyone would believe that one" Right"
He smirked again, shaking his head as he set the tea-laden cup over to one side. The kettle was starting to whistle so he took it up, pouring boiling water over the full tea ball. ?"Nothing" doesn't really seem like the right answer. A blind man could see how miserable you are." Setting the kettle aside, he next added a fair share of honey. "Did you get into a fight with someone"," he asked, looking up at her as he placed the steaming mug in front of her. "Break up with a boy?"
She had still been staring at that oh-so interesting part of the counter but at his last question, her eyes shot up. If she didn't verbally hand over the answer, those eyes certainly did. Her frown took on the slight hint of a pout, any determination on her face crumbling as her gaze sank down to the cup set in front of her. Still silent, both hands reached out to encompass the ceramic mug, lifting it toward her lips. As the steam hit her nose and the scents filled her senses, her eyes, again, darted up. A look of puzzlement echoed along her brow but she didn't put voice to it. Instead one set of fingers curled, nails scratching noiselessly against the glaze. "Y-Yeah' Somethin" like that.."
A quiet chuckle came from him as he leaned forward, resting his weight on folded forearms that planted themselves atop of the bar. "You know what I do when someone gets into a fight with me" Forget "em. Sure, if I'm in the wrong and I figure that out, I'll apologize, try to make things right. But if they're the one that's in the hot seat and they don't come after me, apology in hand, we're done."
Kingsley's face screwed up as she listened to him, but otherwise she just blew gently down onto her tea. Her gaze was too busy being fixated on the tiny ripples her breath was making to discover the color of his eyes. It was a good thing, too. She didn't really think she would be able to lock eyes with someone for a good long while. (q)"That sounds kind of harsh.."
He grinned, just leaning there, watching her. "Yeah, maybe. But sometimes that's just the ways things have to go. Otherwise all you do is get hurt and if you don't take care of yourself, you're going to have a hard time finding someone else to do it for you." His head angled slightly to one side, eyeing her. "But then again, that's what boyfriends are supposed to do, right?"
How did he know" How did this stranger find out' This was the second time he had hinted at it and, both times, her heart jumped. She was trying desperately to get it back under control, swallowing down the swelling lump in her throat. He was probably just guessing, correctly, even though she really wished he wasn't. (q)"Yeah," she said down into her tea, "I guess so." With that, she gave the drink a tiny sip.
There'd be the faintest grin ghosting as he watched the tiny girl fluster by way of his words, a secretive gleam within crystalline eyes. He left it alone though, letting her savor the taste of honey and herbs in silence before he ventured to say anything else. "Do you like the tea?"
She nodded, swallowing down that first sip before quickly taking another, licking her lips. (q)"It's really good." She didn't tell him how she had initially freaked out because of what kind he had made. After all, lots of people drank tea. It wasn't at all that surprising that someone else just happened to like the same exact kind as her; chamomile and lavender with a precise hint of honey. Milk or cream was absent from the concoction and Kingsley bit her lip. It was a bittersweet realization, enough to bring a sting to her eyes. (q)"It's one of my favorites. Thank you."
He grinned, pretending that he didn't see the sudden onslaught of hurtful memory that blatantly coated her face. "You're welcome." He didn't add in the part that he had already known. Shifting enough to unfold an arm, he reached a hand out toward her. "I'm Jonas," he said. His eyes held a subtle amount of expectancy, careful hope.
She stared at the outstretched hand for what felt like a very long time. It was, in fact, only a couple of seconds, but to her it seemed like hours. Swallowing even though she hadn't taken another sip of tea, she slowly unfurled a hand. Tentatively, she reached for his, harpist fingers and a tiny palm easily fitting two-fold inside of his. "Kingsley." Shockingly, she swore she could feel the barest hint of a smile. "Or just Kings. Either way is fine with me."
Pay no attention to the man who just swallowed a mouthful of hope. "Kingsley." He said her name as if it were gold, his smile adding to the dot of the "i" a diamond. "That's a beautiful name. Unique. It fits you." His fingers wrapped warmly, protectively, around her much smaller hand. He made no indication of being the first to let go.
Another blush was dumped like a bucket of warm water over her head, the color a fine hue of rosy red against cream. "Thank you.." Her voice was soft, mild, a perfect match for the shade of her cheeks. Once realizing that he was in no hurry to let go, she retracted her hand rather abruptly, a shy smile offered in way of a wordless apology as she, again, wrapped her fingers around the warm mug. "So' Do you live here?" It was a feeble attempt to not fall into an awkward silence. She really hoped that it worked.
He watched her, amused, wearing a docile grin. He liked how she looked then, quiet and sweet. It made him wonder what sort of monster could ever hurt such a person. Well, then again? "Yeah. Well, I do now. Just moved here, actually. Seemed like an interesting place." For the first time since he started talking to her, he spared the rest of the room a glance. It was short-lived, though. What was sitting right in front of him was much more interesting. "What about you?"
She nodded. "Yeah. I've been here for a couple of months. Since the summer. I really like it. Well?" As she trailed off, her face lost its fragile luster. But she was determined, for some reason, to gain it back again, even just for the short time while she was here. She would have plenty of time to wallow once she got home. "I'm here with my family. It's nice havin" them around." Her cup hovered closer, taking another sip.
"Ah, I see." He watched her take that sip, so carefully, and he could see the glisten it left behind on her lips. Blue eyes fixed there, just for a few seconds. "So you're not from around here either." Gaze flicked up, properly finding her eyes again even if she didn't like to find his. "You're from Ireland, right?"
At the mention of her homeland, her face lit up. Wide green eyes did indeed find his, all at once tossing aside any suggestion of shyness or sorrow-born shame. "Yeah, I am," she said, already a smile spreading slow across her lips. "You know it?" The hope she placed in that question was painfully plain to hear.
He laughed, shaking his head as his face turned toward the counter. The edges of his smile were hidden beneath the rough bristles of facial hair. "Yeah, I know of it." He kept on chuckling, still shaking his head. He lifted it, though, to look at her. He was glad he did. Her smile was golden. "I've been there too. A couple of times. Up in Sligo, Dublin, Galway, and a few times down in Cork." Even after his laughter had died, he couldn't keep that grin from lingering. Not like he didn't want it to.
"Cork" You've been to County Cork?" As if there was any other "Cork" in Ireland. Kingsley, for the first time in over forty eight hours, was pleasantly stunned. Actually, it had been a much longer time since any stun she had received had been pleasant, but that was beside the point. "When" Why' What for" Did you go to Ballincollig" How long did you stay' What was your favorite part?" The questions were fired out like from a six-shooter, her tea, and her misery, for the most part, forgotten.
Again, he laughed. How could he not when she was getting all excited like this" "Yeah, County Cork. Awhile back. I've got a few friends there I like to visit from time to time. Haven't been in awhile though and I doubt I could tell you any specific places." His chuckle was quiet, taking a moment to enjoy the sudden burst of mirth that had taken over her. Lifting a hand, he sent long fingers back through long blonde, shifting it in a way that the degrees of shades varied. "The landscape was probably the best part of it, aside from seeing my friends. Ireland's a beautiful place. Wouldn't mind going back there again sometime." A nearby torch crackled, the fickle light setting a gleam within peculiar eyes.
This time around, she couldn't explain the blush. It was more tamed this time, of which she was thankful, and it probably was hard to discern with such rough lighting. She smiled though, half-hiding it behind her mug. "I'm glad you liked it there," she said against the rim. "It really is someplace special." The sip she took was slow, meant to give her time for thought. Also, she'd admit only to herself, it was meant to give her time to bask in this new-found pleasantness. She knew it wouldn't last long. In the morning, she knew, sorrow would come over her all over again.
When the cup lowered, slender fingers laced through the curving loop of a handle, and at a sudden, dull chime, she glanced up at the clock behind the bar. The frown that came wasn't as harsh as the ones before, but it was there all the same. (q)"I should go." She didn't want to but even more so she didn't want to be here when" Taking a deep breath, she set the mug aside. Slipping off the stool, she offered Jonas a meek yet pleasant smile. "It was really nice meetin" you."
He, too, heard the chime but wouldn't have bothered to look at the clock except that she did. Glancing behind his shoulder, he gave little care to the time. But when she announced her intent to leave, that was reason enough for him to take interest. He looked back to her as she started what he guessed would be her goodbye, staring at her for a brief moment before standing up straight. "I'll walk you home." It wasn't forceful but was, nevertheless, a statement. It left little room for argument, especially since he was already making his way down the bar, rounding through the break to the other side.
"Uh?" She stared at him, wide-eyed and mouth agape. Surely, this couldn't be real. After all, no one else but Toby could be kind enough to walk a strange girl home" Right' Thought of the orange-haired boy had any relief she had just found, temporary as it was, flushing away and her cheeks grew pale and cold. But since Jonas was already walking around to her, she couldn't very well be impolite. "I, uh..," she tried again, forcibly shaking her head when she got it wrong that time too. Taking a deep breath, she was determined to avoid strike three. "That'd be really nice. Thank you." Success! And after all that effort, all she could offer him was a weak smile.
He came up to her, giving her a gentle smile that belied that he had noticed each of her little fumbles. "Not a problem," he said, bringing an arm up behind her. He used it to start her toward the door, not touching but close enough to hover and herd. "Even if it seems like a nice city, doesn't seem like the sort of place that a nice young woman should be walking around alone, especially at night." As they approached the exit, his modest height let him reach in front of her to push the door aside without having to get in the way. He smiled down at her, letting her step out first, naturally, before following after her.
"Yeah?" This was all very bittersweet to Kingsley and was probably happening all much too soon after the other night. But there was no way to get out of it now, not without being completely rude, and besides, it's not like anything serious was happening. So she sucked it up, biting back the pain that was patiently trying to get her attention and tucking it down low, deep inside. She'd deal with that later on. Right now, she was going to smile pretty and enjoy her escort home, saying a quiet "thank you? as she slipped out the door.