[To say she was 'on the money' would be an understatement but his initial commitment to making those dates enjoyable for her was still present and strong even as he felt that barrier to welcoming her had already weakened before he even considered what they'd be doing for the first. Monika, with all her quirks intact, had been so pleasant that he couldn't turn her away with any reason other than his own crude traits in mind and she'd already made it clear she intended on weathering them.
To have her air his concerns out in the open spoke worlds of how sharp she was and he didn't seem at all interested in protesting. Instead, he smiled and gave her arm an affectionate little pinch.]
If you're hoping to settle your nerves, Monika, I must say that's a terrible way to go about it even as cute as it is.
[Really, she nailed his affectations near perfectly and to the point that he grew silently concerned that she'd kill at family get-togethers with that kind of material. Still, he could worry about that later. In the moment, he felt compelled to give her every opportunity to enjoy their first foray into that relationship without worries over whether or not the word 'success' had to be tied to it. In that, he supposed, he'd already lost his effort to protect her and instead wanted to soften the landing when she realized she already had him.]
After all, half of this is about you. If you're so worried about appealing to me, you'll forget the fun in being the other half of an equation. [With that, he offered her the canvas bag he'd been carrying for no reason other than to let her keep her hands busy while they walked.]
no subject
[To say she was 'on the money' would be an understatement but his initial commitment to making those dates enjoyable for her was still present and strong even as he felt that barrier to welcoming her had already weakened before he even considered what they'd be doing for the first. Monika, with all her quirks intact, had been so pleasant that he couldn't turn her away with any reason other than his own crude traits in mind and she'd already made it clear she intended on weathering them.
To have her air his concerns out in the open spoke worlds of how sharp she was and he didn't seem at all interested in protesting. Instead, he smiled and gave her arm an affectionate little pinch.]
If you're hoping to settle your nerves, Monika, I must say that's a terrible way to go about it even as cute as it is.
[Really, she nailed his affectations near perfectly and to the point that he grew silently concerned that she'd kill at family get-togethers with that kind of material. Still, he could worry about that later. In the moment, he felt compelled to give her every opportunity to enjoy their first foray into that relationship without worries over whether or not the word 'success' had to be tied to it. In that, he supposed, he'd already lost his effort to protect her and instead wanted to soften the landing when she realized she already had him.]
After all, half of this is about you. If you're so worried about appealing to me, you'll forget the fun in being the other half of an equation. [With that, he offered her the canvas bag he'd been carrying for no reason other than to let her keep her hands busy while they walked.]