mylandmyrules | Monday Night at Nell and Gladio's

Feeling like perhaps he should celebrate this first cat class, the drinks Gladio picked up on his way back home reflected that, and he'd taken an extra detour to the shelter to snag up some for the kittens as well.

And after that was taken care of, it was just a matter of steeling himself for not going and sampling some of the food Nell had made , but that was easy enough to do by going and finding her and therefore a different kind of hunger to satisfy.

"Hey," he said, leaning in to greet her with a kiss where she sat, "everything all set?"

"Pretty much," Nell said with a smile. "So you can sit here with me and enjoy the peace and quiet up here. Or tell me about your day - just so long as you're with me!"

It had been a few off weeks for making it over to Nell and Gladio's on Monday, but since everything seemed in order (knock on wood, although he was hardly a superstitious fellow), Ignis felt it was a good time to get back on his cake-related bullshit as his offering, with an approving sniff of the air to conclude that Nell's cooking rarely disappointed for that comfort that only more rustic fare could bring.

Nell had made it down in time to welcome her guests and was happy to see Ignis when he arrived. "Come in, come in! Hospitality and safety to you while you're here!"

Promtpo didn't come bearing any adorable unique beverages or any ridiculous fancy cakes today! He just brought himself and a baby!

....please, no one try to drink or eat the baby.

"Hello, sweet thing," Nell said to Noctra and then smiled at Prompto. "And greetings to you ascwell. I'm glad you both were able to make it today!"

"Well, there goes all my plans to just tell you about my day from another room, I guess," Gladio said witha snort. He stole one more looming kiss before going to sit next to Ne on thr couch, with proper adjustments to open it up to good cuddling.

"But there's not much to it. Back to the usual. Check on the gym, hit up class,then the store, then back here. Only bug difference is more cats this time.

"How'd your class go? You had that one today, right? First aid?'

Liliana'd managed to surprise Ignis, had a class about cats, and then hired a 'cat' as her newest employee, so all in all, it was (once again) a wonderful day to be Liliana.

...Most days were, which made the ones that were not all the more obnoxious.

"Hello, darlings," she greeted as she came in on Ignis' arm. "How was everyone's first day of the summer session?"

"So, why on Earth were you glaring at poor Issa like that today in class, Beefslab?" Liliana asked, gaily helping herself to one of the drinks.

"You did make a second cake and leave it at home for me, right, my darling?" Liliana asked, giving him big sad eyes he didn't need to see to know.

If asked, Liliana would reply that babies were delicious but hardly worth the bother, and then sit back and enjoy watching people decide whether or not she was fucking around.

"Good evening, Prompto," Liliana said, offering a grave nod to Noctra. "And how was your class today?"

Nell laughed as he opened up the couch - something she hadn't known it could do before Gladio started spending time there. "Be careful, we'll enmd up having to lock the door and shoo people away again."

She kissed him bakck happily. "Class was good. I think I'll enjoy learning more about first aid. And the flowers were awfully happy and singing at the store today. The bees were pretty happy their own selves when I went up to make sure they were all set today too!"

"I think she may have been our old roommate's cat," Gladio said, shaking his head a little. It had been a while, since something had happened to really remind him of the time disparity between how long they were gone on Eos and how little time had passed on Earth in the meantime. "I'll have to ask Iggy, he'll know for sure. But, hey, look at us." He flashed Liliana a crooked grin. "We're classmates now, Lils! Maybe if you ask nicely, I'll even let you copy off my homework."

"Quite good," Nell said. "The flowers were singing cheerfully at the shop and my first aid class was very nice. And my bees all made it through the winter and are doing very well."

"And suddenly, six more weeks feels like an eternity," Liliana drawled. Then eyed him speculatively. "You know, it almost would be fun going up against you in an academic rivalry."

Because obviously Liliana considered that fun. Obviously.

"...The flowers were singing?"

"Thank you, Nell," Ignis said, meeting that typical greeting with a soft but warm smile. "Very glad to actually be able to make it this week; it's been quite the ordeal for the last few occasions. But how have you been? Looking forward to the start of the summer sessions?"

There was a pause as the prospect of his current system of baking twice on Mondays found itself expanding to potentially thrice.

"....would you believe me," he hedged, "if I told you yes, but the second cake, though some bizarre trick of time and space, will not actually be available until tomorrow when I get home from work?"

Liliana laughed, soft and low and terribly, painfully fond, the laugh that was only ever for him, and leaned in to steal a kiss from him. "Not even a little bit," she informed him. "I suppose that that just means I shall have to fight Beefslab for the last piece is all."

"Hey, Nell," Prompto said, with a soft laugh as Noctra lifted her hand in her still-not-having-it-down-yet grabby-hand sort of wave and joined in with a "Eyeeeee Auwn'ell!" And then immediately, hopefully, "'Itkies?"

Prompto shook his head. "You leave those poor kittens alone until after we've said hi to everyone, Nugget, you know how this goes by now! And thanks, Nell. We'll see how it goes, she's had a pretty big weekend between the picnic and Mother's Day which has me holding my breath that she won't have an overdue meltdown while we're here tonight."

It would probably go over as well with Prompto as their last text conversation, really! Which had clearly stuck with him even through to today, as the smile gave Liliana was a little light and uncertain.

Thankfully, Noctra was quick to demand some attention anyway, as she held out her hand in what may have been a wave, but with Liliana was probably still reaching out for something, as she called out, "Eye, Auwn [Utterly Indeciperable Babble]! Itty? Pwease?"

Prompto had an urge to just lightly nudge Noctra's hand down and tell her not to do that now every time she saw Liliana, but, instead, he just gave her a half-hearted sort of grin. "Looks like you created a monster, huh? But class was good. Thanks. A little weird having it on Monday instead of being in the shop all day, but I'm doing extra duty there tomorrow now. Yours isn't until Thursday, right?"

"You tell me," Ignis suggested, leaning in closer than the stage whisper of his voice really necessitated, but it was a good way to have his shoulder against hers, his hand seeking out her hand, as well, "when it's down to that last slice, and I'll distract him with Cup Noodle^TM while you slip in to claim it."

Pfft, Liliana was going to stride through that uncertainty like it, and the text messages that had caused it, never existed. It was one of the things she was best at.

"Only a tiny monster, I'm sure," Liliana declared. "Thank you for using your manners, sweeting. They are very pretty." She shrugged off a pretty gold chain link bracelet and handed it over.

"Yes, mine is on Thursday and, thankfully, second period, not first." Which was still insupportable, but at least slightly less insulting. "I--" She paused and looked at Noctra thoughtfully for a moment.

"Sweeting, might I play with your hair?" she asked the girl.

That earned him another laugh, one that sounded surprised. "You would do that for me? Cup Noodle^TM your most egregious nemesis on this plane?"

That earned him a kiss - one a bit more ardent than their joking would have suggested.

"I don't believe there has ever been a more sincere show of devotion than that right there."

Well, he didn't mean opening up the couch, but his position on it, but that had all been pretty poorly written in general.

"Pretty happy day all around, then, it sounds like," he noted. "Good to hear about the bees, though, I should go up and say hi to them before I head into work tomorrow. And the book?"

As he asked, he craned his neck to have a closer look at what it might be to tell him more about what she'd been reading.

"Well, that's hardly fair," Gladio pointed out. "If I've gotta go up against you academically, I think it's only right that you also have to go up against me in a physical challenge as well."

He was just the dumb muscleman, after all! All brawn, no brains! That's what Ignis was for!

"Darling," Liliana said wearily, "try that nonsense on someone who hasn't read your books, honestly now."

Don't play a player, Gladio.

"What?" asked Gladio innocently. Though he'd probably pull it off better if it weren't for the small laugh. "I only read those for the pictures."

"Ah yes, the well-known and highly-regarded illustrated version of those history of warfare texts, I should have known," Liliana snorted. "And I suppose the reason Ignis keeps telling me to come to you with my many, many questions about magic and the Starscourge is simply so I got bother someone else?"

Nell nodded and hummed a bit of the song, quite tunefully actually. "They do that sometimes, though mostly they hum."

"If she does we can just tuck her right down in the spare bedroom," Nell said. "And yes, Noctra, once you've said hello to everyone, I'm sure you can see the kitties. Just remember to be gentle.

And when the kittens had had enough they were remarkably good at leaping onto shelves where little hands couldn't reach.

"It has been pretty crazy, hasn't it?" Nell agreed. "And I am looking forward to them. I'm doing yoga again." This was accompanied by a fond glance over at Gladio.

No reason why it can't be both!

"It was a very good day and even better now." She offered the book to him. "It's The Master and Margarita by Bulgakov. I thought I'd try some Russian literature. It's quite good, actually."

"...Huh," Liliana said. "For whatever reason, I was not expecting that."

"Always something surprising," Nell said with a laugh. "So how is your week going? Taking any classes this term?"

"Three classes, plus teaching my own," Liliana confirmed. "The first was today - I'm in Cats with Gladio, in fact. And you, dear."

"I'm not teaching anything," Nell said. "But I'm taking First Aid - that was today - then camping and yoga on Friday."

She smiled fondly over at Gladio.

"I have a philosophy class tomorrow, my own class Thursday, and then Gale's class on Friday. His is also about magic and I look forward to discussing the differences in our styles."

Because someone was a giant fucking nerd was why.

"That sounds interesting," Nell said. "I didn't get to the Welcome Party this weekend, but there seemed to be a fair amount of new people."

"Oh yes, moreso than I've seen in awhile," Liliana said. "Whyever didn't you go, dear one? Feeling all right?"

"Oh no, I'm fine," Nell said. "I quite often stay home. Even when I was a student. I'm not a big fan of crowds and I have plenty to keep me busy here. Gladio went, though."

Monday Night at Nell and Gladio's

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