mylandmyrules | Monday Night at Nell's

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Monday Night at Nell's

Nell had added the basics for making a variety of nachos to her usuals tonight. Lana and the Detective had been ~~handwavily~~ notified of the date change and Nell hoped they'd be able to make it. She was also hoping Gladio would be interested in staying over again tonight since that would be just the perfect end to the evening.

The kittens were out and about being adorable and getting into everything.

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"Hello!" Lana called from the doorway. "How are you doing tonight?"

"Lana!" Nell said cheerfully, "Come on in! It's good to see you!"

"It's good to be seen," Lana said, smiling back. "How have you been?"

[Ugh, sorry for the delay!]

"I'm doing really well," Nell said with a fond glance toward Gladio. "Really really well. And how are you? Things have been so strange around here."

[No worries!}

"I'm glad." Lana grinned at that glance. "I'm very happy for you. I've been well, although that one week was rather strange. Your place was safe, though, I heard?"

"It was," Nell said. "I think the soil here from Soulwood held it off. Whatever 'it' was."

"Good." Lana nodded decisively. "I honestly have no idea what it was, apart from odd, but I'm glad you held it at bay."

"What isn't odd here?" Nell said with a laugh. "But I'm glad it's over."

It was pretty well established that Nell didn't mind Gladio staying over very late during these evenings at her place, but hopefully she wouldn't mind him swinging by early either. Since it became pretty clear that he'd probably want to make himself scarce at the apartment, and errands only got a man so far. He thought about swinging by the Devil's Nest to let Eric know about his Monday nights being otherwise occupied for the foreseeable future, but he found he mostly just wanted to make his way over.

He knew she'd sense him coming, thanks to her soil, so the knock was just a formality before he started to head on up, variety pack of something new to try in hand, of course.

Nell was a little surprised to sense Gladio at her door, but she was also fairly delighted. He didn't seem upset or worried, so she just called out for him to come in while she finished washing her hands. No point getting jalapeno juice all over him when she kissed him!

Gladio would gladioly suffer through jalapeno juice if it meant getting to kiss Nell, but he'd admit, he definitely preferred not having to.

As soon as he spotted Nell, a grin grew on his face, and as soon as he was close enough, his free arm went to wrap around her to pull her in for that kiss.

"Hey," he said, once he'd pulled back just enough to do so and not an inch more. "Hope you don't mind me showing up a little early like this."

"I'm happy to have you at any time," she said with a smile, "As long as you don't mind the mess since I haven't quite finished up."

There was no mess. Everything was not in perfect spotless order, but it was all set to be cleaned up easily. Nell was absolutely a clean as you go person.

"Come keep me company while I do the washing up?"

She wouldn't object to another kiss or two either befoer she got started. Since they were already so close and all.

There was definitely going to be at least one more kiss, before Gladio would be looking around at this alleged 'mess.' Anyone else might have argued or pointed out that such a thing clearly didn't exist, but he lived with Ignis, so the familiar level of supposed 'uncleanliness' just made him shake his head with a fond smirk.

"What can I do," he asked, "to help?"

"Sit where I can see you and tell me about your day while I wash?" Nell suggested. "Or if you want to dry some of the dishes you can, but I don't mind them air-drying."

Gladio was giving Nell a bit of a wry side-eye when her answer seemed to involve him just sitting while she did all the work, but she redeemed herself a little in the end with that last part and he snorted. "We'll compromise," he said, "I'll tell you about my day while you wash, but I'm still drying. And if I do a good enough job, I get to hear about your day."

He was going to steal another quick kiss before going to find a towel.

"Not that there's much to tell," he said. "Mostly just some training in the morning, then went over to the gym to get a little paperwork out of the way before heading over to T&C to pick up drinks for tonight, and that takes me to here and now."

"I had a pretty quiet day over at the fdlower shop she said, "though everything turned orange for a while. And my food turned into definitely substandard nachos, which is why I'm making good ones now."

She leaned over to give him another kiss while his hands were occupied, and maybe accidnetally on purpose drip a bit of water on his neck. What? Her hands were wet.

"I'm glad you're here early."

It was his own fault, really, since he'd taken the towel for the dishes and all, but, really, if Nell kept that up, why, his shirt might get wet along with his neck and then what? He'd have to just go and take it off, or something. Gladio grinned at her and the warm bit of water against his skin and absolutely had to lean in for another one of those kisses himself.

"So that what I'm smelling," he said. "Smells amazing. I'd feel bad for you for having substandard ones earlier, but if that means I'm getting better ones now, well....hard to really feel too bad," he snorted, "in that case...

"And," he added, the grin really getting shameless now, "yeah? You are? What, d'you miss me or something?"

Oh no, not a shirtless Gladio! (My how things had changed.

"Can't quite get over it," she said with a smile. "I know things are different here, but you wouldn't catch any man I knew drying dishes. I swear they'd have died of thirst before they'd even lower themselves to get a glass of water.

"Mmmmm, it gave me a craving," she said and then smiled at him with a mix of shy and daring. "Miss you all the time. Plus when everyone's here I don't feel as comfortable putting my hands all over you."

"We'll work on it," Gladio decided, shooting Nell another grin, this time with wink thrown in as well; there was a nudge, too, and that nudge turned into a little bit of leaning his arm into her shoulder. "I can't even imagine that, to be honest. If I asked Iris to get me a glass of water, there's a good chance all she'd do is tell me where I could shove it. Or go get it and them promptly dump it over my head."

There was a beat, as he considered his height compared to Iris'.

"....or my shoes, actually. Unless she got a stool first."

"I'll make sure to keep a step stool handy," Nell assured him with a nudge and lean of her own.

She turned to look at him. "You didn't happen to bring things to stay over tonight, did you? Be ause I'd love to have you."

Gladio shrugged. "Not really," he admitted. "Don't really need much, anyway. I should probably just leave some stuff here, at this point, really."

He found he couldn't really help glancing over at Nell, to catch more of what she might've thought about that.

"Oh," she said, disappointment in her voice. "You should. That would make it easier. I have an extra toothbrush and all, but nothing I own is going to fit you obviously."

"I've gone a heck of a lot longer than just two days in the same clothes," Gladio pointed out, his grin a bit softer. "It'll be fine. Or it's not very far for me to ho get something, either."

He snorted faintly. "I'll just have to make a warning call first."

Nell had brightened immediately, but now she was curious. "Oh? Why is that?"

Gladio's grin was back full-tilt. "Part of why I'm here early," he explained, "is 'cause Liliana was coming over."

"Ohhhh..." Nell grinned at him. "Then I'm guessing he won't be here tonight. Should we start inviting her along as well?"

"Yeah," Gladio shook his head a little, "that'd be a pretty good guess. And I don't know. Would you want to invite her?"

"I like her a lot," Nell said, "but sometimes... I'm not sure how comfortable you are with her. Nothing I can quite put my finger on... but I wouldn't want you to be uncomfortable here."

Gladio shrugged a little again, but there was a sigh that went along with it, wondering if he could really explain it to Nell in any useful kind of way.

"I like her, too," he admitted, "but it's complicated. I just kind of worry about Iggy."

"I understand that, I guess," Nell said. "If Iggy knew more about me he might worry about you some too."

"Well, it's not necessarily that," Gladio said, frowning little, but he snorted again. "He knows he doesn't have to worry about me. They're just...pretty intense. And I know how hard he took everything with the last guy, so if this ends up not working out, either..."

She turned enough to rest her head on his shoulder. "All we can do is support him and be there for him in sadness and joy," she said.

"And not make fun of him," said Gladio with a very firm and very serious nod, before turning his head so he could plant a kiss on Nell's, "too much when he screws it up."

Nell laughed against hs mouth before she returned the kiss. "You be nice, now," she teased.

"No promises," Gladio warned her, "but I'll do my best. Only 'cause you said so, though."

Nell finished the last of the dishes and rinsed out the sink before turning and drying her hands on Gladio's shirt. "Ooops," she said unrepentantly. "I think I got your shirt all wet. Whatever will you do?"

What? No one was expected for another half hour or more at least.

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Monday Night at Nell's

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