Dead-beat Serious

[Jules]

Zizzy rooted through the numerous bags in various girlish colors she’d laid out on the bed. She was looking for the bottoms to the pajamas she was wearing. It didn’t make any sense; the pair should’ve been together. The top was cute, thin straps with several flimsy layers that were mostly opaque. It barely reached passed the top of her thighs. A pretty champagne colour, it was perhaps the most luxurious piece of clothing she had ever owned.

By the time Armand came in, she'd realized there were no bottoms. Embarrassed and self conscious in the shirt she now realized was supposed to be a one-piece deal. She attempted to duck to the floor so quickly that she lost her balance and barely caught herself in time to keep from hitting her head on the night-stand.

“I’m fine! I’m fine, stay there.” She urged from the floor on the far side of the bed. “Please, please stay there.” Her cheeks, of course, a bright, bright blue.

[Miss Jack]

Armand hadn't paid special attention to her as he came into the room, but he did hear the loud thump as she hit the floor. He could see the top of her had, and the faint glow she cast on the side wall, but that was it.

"Zizzy...?" he asked, daring a few steps forward. He glanced down at the array of clothes still spread on the bed. "Are you alright?"

[Jules]

She sat up a little ways so that she could see him over the bed. She would've pulled the blanket around her, except it would upset all the clothing. "Just don't come any further." She begged. Looking at him made her heart ache and her blush faded slowly.

"Armand..." She started and then sighed. Was she seriously going to conduct a serious conversation with him having to stay half-a-room away from her? "If you laugh, I'll kill you." She said and stood up, arms wrapped tightly around herself. She was blushing again and walked around the bed towards him. "I think we need to talk."

[Miss Jack]

He raised an eyebrow and did as she said, holding up his hands in surrender. He was tempted to laugh, but thought better of it.

And then, she put on the 'serious' voice, and he was entirely unprepared for the outfit (or lack of) she was wearing when she emerged from the side of the bed. His eyes grew soft and darkened. "I'm not laughing," he said, stepping toward her, gingerly taking her wrists and unwrapping her arms from herself, "but I'm not sure I feel like talking."

[Jules]

Zizzy looked up at him and smiled softly. "Compromise? Try to feel me, like you did that day. They've been too many misunderstandings between us." She slid her wrists from his hold and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him towards her so she could kiss him.

Zizzy wanted him to feel that she no longer doubted his love for her, that her love for him made her heart want to burst, that she was happy but was afraid she was trapping him. He would pick up on her more negatives thoughts too, if this worked. The fear of Iker, and of being a bad mother. And mostly the knowledge she couldn't ever marry him because she was a nobody.

[Miss Jack]

Some part of him wanted to remain in ignorant bliss, not sure if he wanted to know Zizzy's true feelings or not. However, he was not in a position to resist the touch of her lips, even if he'd cared to. One arm wrapped around her waist, and his other hand move to the back of her neck, fingers pushing into the roots of her hair.

And then it happened; the rush of emotions and feelings and memories, until every fiber of his being was matched with Zizzy's, the knowledge complete and intimate and inavoidable.

He pulled away at last and cupped her face in his hands. "Zizzy," he said with a mixture of love, sadness and frustration. "I love you more than I can say. More than my own life." He quoted his tattoo.

He let out a long breath. He didn't know which feeling to address first. She wasn't trapping him, that was easy. They both feared their capabilities as parents, also easy, because they shared the doubt. And the fear of Iker.

The worst was the refusal in her mind to even consider marriage, and he wasn't sure it was worse or better that she didn't put the blame with him, but herself.

"I wish I could return the favor," he said. If only she could read HIS thoughts.

[Jules]

Her stomach flipped and warmth spread for a moment before once again she felt him pull some of herself into him. She trembled, but continued to kiss him until he pulled away and cupped her face. One hand twined in his hair as she listened, and a lazy smile spread. "I know." She murmured.

Zizzy had thought about that too. Perhaps with practice one day he would be able to let go of himself the same way he took some of her. But he was so trained in containing and suppressing everything, she was sure it would take a while to break through those barriers.

"I'm sorry, so sorry about this mess."

[Miss Jack]

He stroked her face, resting his forehead on hers. "Don't be," he said. He touched her lips. "I need you with me, Zizzy. If that means giving up my birthright, then fine. I don't want it."

Stripped of his title, he was just as much of a nobody as she was, and they could be nobody parents in some no-name part of the Isle of Morpheus, and raise their nobody child, and be happy.

[Jules]

Zizzy considered it for few minutes. It would be just like she'd imagined life with Armand before coming to the belated realization he had major obligations. She so badly wanted to say yes, so much so that she had to remain silent and bit her tongue to keep it from getting away from her.

When she trusted herself to speak, she let out a slow breath first. "I'm not going anywhere. I won't ask you to give up anything more for me, however. Only, please Armand, only give it up if that's what you want. I just can't be royalty."

[Miss Jack]

"If that's what it takes," he said. The truth was, ruling the Isle of Morpheus had always seemed like a faraway event that would eventually someday take place, but not any time soon. Of course, he'd thought the same thing about marriage and children.

He touched the tip of her nose. "Why can't you be royalty?"

[Jules]

"No! You're not listening to me Armand. I don't want you to do anything so drastic because of me. What if you regretted it later on?" She sighed and tried to focus. Which she was having a hard time doing because he wouldn't stop touching her face with light, feathery strokes.

So instead of answering his question right away, she kissed him, hard, for a moment before pulling away again. "Surely...I'm from the worst slums in Chimera, I'm unemployed again, I've got no rank of importance whatsoever anywhere, I'm a nobody. Don't you think people will be kind of pissed if a nobody becomes their Queen? What right do I have to rule over anyone? Even saying it feels weird and pretentious."

[Miss Jack]

His head spun a little when she pulled away, and it took serious effort to focus on what she was saying. Between that half-dress thing and those surprise kisses, she was lucky he didn't ignore her completely and drag her to the bed.

"And what right do I have?" he countered. "I'm born and I've earned the title? Besides, I know someone that rose from the underbelly of Chimera and became the king."

[Jules]

"Oh don't pull that. I'm not going to list your virtues, but you have many that entitle you. You would make a wonderful King. And I've done my research. Your father wasn't exactly untalented either, and wasn't he the answer to a prophecy that brought the two realms together? Wasn't he also one of the first marelocks ever? That's hardly being a nobody."

She rested her head on his shoulder, tucked herself in close, and knew no matter how selfish it was, she wouldn't be able to leave him for his own good, or for the good of Morpheus or whatever. And he wanted her there, with him, so there was no guilt.

[Miss Jack]

"Ha!" He pulled away just enough that she could see his smug grin. "So you admit my right to a king has more to do with my virtues as a person than my inherited title. And you, my love, have more than enough virtues to commend you as a Queen. Go ahead, argue." He lifted a challenging brow. He leaned in and held his lips a breath from hers. "I'll win."

[Jules]

Zizzy opened her mouth to do just that, argue. But she thought better of it since she really didn't feel like getting into a heated debate over her virtues.

It was getting increasing hard to focus, but she had to. There were still things to talk about. But his proximity made her spend longer than she should of weighing the pro and cons of remembering she was mad at him against sex.

Very, very reluctantly, Zizzy took a step back, and another. Distancing herself from him had the adverse effect of making her way more conscious of what she was wearing. She blushed, taking up the hem of the first layer to fiddle with and wished more than anything it wouldn't seem stupid to go slip on her discarded sweats. She could barely even look a him anymore. Zizzy was well aware she wasn't gorgeous, or the type of woman who should wear lingerie.

But the distance also allowed her to remember her anger. "I know I'm not...like most girls. But just a tip. If you do propose again, try to actually mean it. Also, in front of your pissed off parents in a tone more appropriate for asking me what I want for dinner isn't a memory I can cherish."

Although it was clear she was angry, her less-than-confident stance juxtaposed her confident tone. "And it would really help me if you could stop being so damned self-sacrificing. It's so hard to tell where I stand with you when I know you'd give up your own happiness for me." She took a deep breath, still unable to make direct eye-contact. "And I need to know if you're still in love with Iseabail."