Udinov Cabin (Dev #102)

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

He patted her back gently and turned to go. "Dev, can I talk to you?"

Dev looked up at Peter. "Sure, I'll walk you out." He signed to Hannah that he'd be right back before following Peter.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

Hannah nodded to say she understood, though she felt awkward for not walking him out. So she distracted herself by rewinding the movie back to where they had stopped watching. Or...a little after.

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

Dev wondered what was up and closed the door behind him.

Peter sighed and shook his head. "I'm going to ask you a question. And you can choose to not answer if you want. Hiw do you really feel about my sister?"

Dev smiled slightly. "I would do anything for her."

"If you hadn't died, do you think that the two of you would be together?" Peter asked him.

Dev was quiet for a moment. "Possibly. A lot of things changed then."

"What's stopping you now?" Peter asked him.

"I don't know if she feels that way," Dev told him. "I've always just been her protector. Since you asked me to be."

Peter smiled and shook his head. "You are definitely more than that. I see how you both are."

Dev had hoped but didn't want to push anything. But if Peter thought so. He had known Hannah so well before.

"Think it over. But I think you should go for it," Peter said, waving. "See you later."

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

Hannah waited patiently for Dev to come back, but now without her brother to distract her she couldn't help but think back to what had happened just before he came. Now, she couldn't be sure if it had happened or if she'd imagined it all. She hoped...really hoped...it wasn't just her imagination.

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

((Sorry for crap post. I was distracted typing it))

Dev turned and went back inside. He cane an plopped down on the couch beside her. 'Ready.' He signed looking between her and the screen.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

((It's fine, really))

Hannah gave him a quick smile. 'I just put it back to where we stopped,' she explained before reaching for the remote and starting it.

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

Dev put his arm up on the back of the couch again and smiled over at her.
Almost. He had almost kissed her.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

Hannah blushed a little as she settled back into the couch next to him. She tried not to let herself feel awkward and ruin this, or give him the wrong idea.

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

It was difficult but he didn't want to ruin the movie by interrupting it again. It was her favorite after all.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

She found it difficult to focus on the movie, with her mind continuously drifting back. But really, as much as she loved the movie, it was more for him than it was for her. Education! She didn't even realize she wasn't paying enough attention until Ursula was speared with a boat. It always surprised her, because of how gruesome an end it was.

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

When Hannah jumped, Dev wrapped his arm around her.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

She didn't think she had been that startled, but he seemed to be able to read her better than she herself could. So she just went with it and leaned a little closer to him for comfort.

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

Who was he kidding? He did it because he loved her. He wanted to be more. And he had put off waiting for so long. Each time they'd been interrupted. If he just went for it without hesitating then nothing could get in the way. Except maybe her telling him no. But he couldn't think about that.

Dev touched her chin gently as he looked down at her.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

Hannah looked up when Dev touched her chin. She tried not to get her hopes up, believing this all was in her head. But...just maybe he felt the same way.

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

He rubbed his thumb over her cheek as he looked into her eyes, hoping there would be a cue to tell him whether she longed for him as much as he did her.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

She leaned into his touch naturally, and under normal circumstances she would hope he wouldn't notice. But today, something seemed different. Today she was really hoping she wasn't imagining things. Today it almost seemed like he returned whatever feelings she had for him. And maybe it was that tease of a kiss before, but she really hoped he would kiss her. She didn't have the courage to do it herself, but when her eyes briefly flickered to his lips, she was both tempted and terrified to try.

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

As she leaned into him his heart fluttered. When her eyes momentarily went to his lips, it practically skipped.

Dev leaned closer and gently pressed his lips to hers.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

Hannah felt her heart stop for a second when she felt his lips press against hers. Her eyes fluttered closed and she leaned into it a little, though she could hardly believe it was happening.

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

He pulled away gently to look at her. She hadn't immediately jumped away but he was still anxious.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

Her cheeks were heated in a blush, and she looked a little shy. Even though he had initiated the kiss, she was a little nervous he regretted it now. Still she offered a sheepish smile.

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

His thumb was still on her cheek as he smiled back at her. Now that he'd kissed her once, He wanted to do it again.

Her expression was hard to read.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

She smiled a little bit more confidently, but she was still a little nervous it wasn't good or something. And she didn't even know how to ask what she wanted to know.

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

"I have waited over a decade to do that," Dev spoke, stroking her cheek lightly.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

Hannah laughed lightly, surprised by what he said. "Really?" she asked aloud, since she would have to move away more to properly sign and she didn't want to do that.

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

As always, her voice surprised him. But it was a welcome sound.
"Really. I just went and died," Dev replied.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

Hannah smiled sadly. "It's too bad. I wish this could have happened sooner." Her blush turned brighter at the admission, but there was nowhere to hide.

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

Dev shook his head. "I've tried to tell you but things kept coming up," He admitted. He brushed her hair gently behind her ear.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

Hannah stared for a second, since that made it all click into place. She had to laugh a little. She had thought he wanted to leave her, but he was just trying to tell her this? "That's much better than what I thought you wanted to say."

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

"What did you think I wanted to tell you?" Dev asked her, searching her face.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

Hannah pulled away from him then, since talking was a little more difficult and uncomfortable. 'Something along the lines of letting me down gently that you thought we were spending too much time together or something,' she replied, signing instead.

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

"I would never. I would spend more time with you if I didn't think you'd get tired of me," He told her.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

'I could never get tired of you,' she replied and shook her head. 'It's just the deep rooted insecurity.'

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

"Well," He straightened up carefully. "Hannah, my princess, you have nothing to worry about when it comes to my feelings for you. They survived death. They aren't going anywhere."

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

She blushed at that, though she couldn't truly explain why. There was just something about how he said it. 'I guess that's long enough to be sure,' she signed with a slightly teasing smile.

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

"And your feelings?" He asked her.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

She wrinkled her nose a little as she tried to figure out the best way to say it. 'Its a bit more complicated than that. I had a crush on you when we met, but it's different because when you died....' She paused, lost on how to continue. It wasn't like she'd dreamed of him coming back and kissing her during those ten years. Then, she'd just wished for his companionship. 'When you came back, it took a while to sink in that I wasn't just losing my mind. But the more time we spend together, the more I'm sure of how I feel about you.'

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

Dev's face fell slightly. It was just him then, at least before.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

Hannah panicked a little because he didn't seem to understand and she didn't know how to explain it. How was this part harder than admitting it in the first place? 'Was it immediate for you?' she asked instead, wondering if she was alone in that.

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

'Not immediate, no. But I knew from the beginning that I was choosing to be around you, not just because your brother asked me to protect you,' Dev signed.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

'And I liked having you around,' Hannah signed back. 'If I didn't, I would have ditched you very fast, and easily. I liked you a lot. The crush at the time didn't mean very much. I was only fourteen and crushes came and went.' Still, she recalled wanting this crush to stick around, remembered how it started when he'd defended her after the incident with the corset, remembered how she felt when she realized he could fluidly sign to her that day of the ball. It had felt very real then, but it had always seemed silly wishing for that after he was gone. 'When we started to get close was when my life started falling apart again, and it's hard to tell what I felt then because it's all clouded by the hurt.'

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

Dev couldn't describe the awful feeling inside. But he knew that if he shoes any of it, he would lose her.

'Of course. It's wrong of me to assume. I spent all that time watching over you when you were hurting, wishing I could bring you comfort,' Dev told her.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

Hannah felt awful too, and her face had surely drained of all color. Their situations had been different. She could understand to an extent how it had been for him, but she couldn't really expect that of him for her. 'Does it really matter?' she asked, desperate to find some way to fix what she'd screwed up. 'We're still here now.'

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

'It doesn't,' He signed to her, then taking her hand.
'I'm not upset. I got a second chance for a reason I think.'

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

Hannah watched him for a moment, trying to make sure he was telling the truth. But it wasn't like she could manufacture all the feelings she had when she was a child. Well she couldn't but it wouldn't be right. But they were here now, feeling the same, so she believed it made little difference. She nodded and gave him a smile. 'I'm very glad you got a second chance.'

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

'Me too.' He wondered where this left them now. He'd always pictured it differently.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

'So what now?' she finally asked. She could think of things that would be different now that....this, but she realized they were already acting like it to an extent.

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

'Thay depends on what you want since-' your feelings are different, he almost said.
'-I am happy to do whatever you like.'
He smiled at her, truly happy even though he had such dark feelings stirring below the surface.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

She considered for a while, not sure what to do with that. It didn't really help, nor did it make her more sure everything was actually alright. 'I think I want to go on a real date,' she signed. 'I've never done one before, I think it could be fun.'

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

Dev smiled then. "Sure. We can do that. I don't know if I can get a rowboat with a chorus of sea creatures though."

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

Hannah laughed lightly. 'You could get the water itself to serenade and it wouldn't make a difference,' she joked. It wasn't like she could hear the song. 'Rowboat might be nice though. In the future.' She would have winked to emphasize, but she had never mastered that skill.