sweethymns | Mι∂ηιgнт ιη Ƥαяιѕ

[ And, ah—

—blink and you'd miss it, he exhales softly and twitches his lips up in a semblance, a semblance, of a real smile. ]

Bold words.

[Was that just her imagination? That brief sincerity that's gone way too fast catches her off guard somewhat and she looks at him bewildered maybe even transfixed--...]

"IONA!! Why are you using my palette as face paint!?"

Oh! Sorry, sorry, I got carried away!

[Iona hops off of her seat to appease the disgruntled classmate, but not before whispering to Claude.]

Um, Oren should clean that off for you! Sorry, I got bratty there on you.

[ He slips back into distant amiability again, but not before he adds one last streak of blue on her chin. ]

No need to apologize, it's what I wanted to see.

Oh, c'mon!!

[She's ruffled by the extra paint on her chin, but instead of looking so, she laughs before going over to Oren and her classmates. Negativity seems to shed fast with her...]

❇ ❇ ❇

[... The rays of the afternoon sun makes the ocean sparkle at the horizon line and the air is fresh and salty at the same time.

Iona had been insistent about going to the beach especially since she had been cooped in the art studio for several hours and it's not hard to see why she'd make this place her destination. She had used magic to teleport all of them to this quiet and surprisingly empty and peaceful part of the beach where they could enjoy the view unimpeded.

She's taken off her sandals, feet digging into the sand.]

Ah. Much better!

I doubt you guys get to go to a coastline much, do you?

[ The salt and the wind are a refreshing break— it's not often that Gus moves away from Paris, and while the Seine delivers on glittering water and romantic sunsets, there's something unique about the ocean. Sprawling and infinite.

He throws his arms out, tilts his chin up to the light. Never has he wanted to photosynthesize more than he does at this precise moment. ]

—No, this is great! Thanks, Iona.

[ And his smile is as genuine as always, big and vibrant, as he kicks off his shoes and patters towards Iona, bare feet digging in sand. ]

Come on, come here!

[Iona walks over to Gus, her hair flying around her shoulders so she stops to tie it up. Oren is in the distance, keeping an eye out for the both of them.]

You're still a ball of energy even after all that's happened, huh? I feel like I'm barely keeping up with you.

It's how you have to keep on going, you know? Besides, there's too much to see— I've forgotten how to blink!

[ He takes her hand abruptly, with no warning, and starts trotting the both of them over to the water. ]

Come on, over here!

Ah...! Hey, let's not go too far out to the water now...!

[But Iona allows Gus to pull her along. Strange, it's usually the other way around.]

[ He doesn't stop when he gets to the edge, and keeps plowing through—

—and he eventually lets go of Iona's hand so he can flop backwards into the water.

He's staying down for a weirdly long amount of time... ]

... Gus?

[Iona kneels down, tilting her head at him.]

Having fun?

[ And, well.

Like the Loch Ness monster, one hand shoots up from the water, fumbles blindly...

...and tries to pull Iona down. ]

[She yells out in surprise as she's grabbed, resisting, but getting pulled in all the same. After the water washes over her she gasps for breath, shaking her head.]

Oh my god! What was that for?!

[At least she's laughing! And clearly enjoying this, it's all in good fun.

It is a good thing she is a witch sometimes because she didn't bring a change of clothes for this. (Meanwhile, Oren is watching from a distance, thinking, ah, so the date continues.)]

Hey, you're the one that suggested we go to th—

[ And he gets a mouthful of sea water, which he promptly starts gagging on. ]

—Aughhhhhh! My throat's burningggggg!

[Gus, no...! And with that, Iona effortlessly lifts him up from the water and pats his back.]

Alright, cough it out you goofball. I don't think Claude will appreciate it if I let you gag on seawater.

[ Wait for it, Iona... ]

...You can give me mouth to mouth...?

[ Nailed it. ]

[Cue a raised brow.]

Don't tell me you've used that line on other girls before?

I've been waiting for my chance.

[ Is he serious? Yes, the answer is yes. ]

[Speaking of though... Something in her expression softens and she reaches up to ruffle his hair affectionately.]

Guess you wouldn't have that many chances, huh?

[Not with the way he lived, not with the life he was born into.]

Well, I've fallen into the Seine a few times? But it's always been at night, so. Yeah, not a lot of chances.

[ He knows what she's talking about, but he chooses not to talk about it because of Oren's warnings: there are things she doesn't need to pull her heart into, is what he figures. ]

Maybe I should try drowning during the day more often!

Hey.

[She reaches down to take a hold of his hand with her right hand. Because of the glamor and magic, it feels normal. But there's that faint feeling of roughness from her hand.]

You don't have to sidestep things. That makes it harder in the long run, you know.

[ And, well. He knows that Iona is old enough to make her own decisions— older than him, even— so he stops, sighs, and throws a little bit of water on her in acquiescence. ]

Yeah, you say that, but Oren'd turn me into pâté if anything happened to you.

For a guy who's spent the past few years also telling me to take responsibility for my own decisions, he still worries too much.

[She lets go of Gus's hand to squeeze the water from her hair.]

Not that I blame him too much. Being a witch has is its own baggage, but hey. It got us out of a bad ending on our date, right?

...Yeah, it did. But I'm gonna say it again: don't do something like that again, okay?

[ Shaking some water out of his eyes, he goes right for the eye contact this time. ]

There are people who're gonna be hurt if you get hurt. Don't forget that. Okay?

... Mm.

[Don't throw her life down so easily...

After what's been done for her, it's easier said than done.]

Say... Not that I want to be a letdown, but are you expected to take charge of your family's half of Paris someday?

Me? Well...yeah, I guess that's the plan.

[ He says it like he doesn't really care, which is the only reason he's still able to keep going: to some degree, he doesn't take his role so seriously. he cares more about the people who get caught in it, honestly.

(It's what'll give him more trouble in the long run, but Gus will be Gus.) ]

Kind of glamorous, huh?

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