[Veronica]

[plntfood]

Since his talk with Webster, Mathias has been doing a lot of thinking. Not necessarily thinking along the lines he's sure his friend would like him to think, but even this line of thought is a big step in what he hopes is the right direction

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[neptune_sleuth]

It takes a lot of effort for Veronica Mars to prepare for a date on a good day. It's generally worth the effort, but there's still a considerable amount, and that's been true since before she held a public office and the guardianship of a toddler. With her work done for the day and Sam turned over to Lucy's care with any number of her current favorite toys and books and a half-direwolf in tow, Veronica's put in the trouble, taking the time to neaten up before Mathias shows. They don't have quite as much time alone as they used to; she might as well make that worthwhile, too.

Opening the door, she kisses him first, takes him in later. "Flowers?" she asks, lopsided grin easing into place. It's sweet, if unusual. It's been a long time since she was the sort of girl guys gave flowers, but she kind of likes the gesture. "You pick those up at the gas station on your way here?"

[plntfood]

"Flowers," he agrees after leaning into the kiss, then holds them out to her. It's an awkward gesture on him, one he isn't quite sure how to execute, but then he smiles. "I bought the cheapest ones they have. Turns out they do not accept my excuse that this place has no currency," he teases.

She looks beautiful -- as she always does, even in the time they spent on the hill -- and he's sure Sam is gone. As much as he wants to leap straight into telling her how he feels, getting it all out in the open and off his chest, he just leans in and kisses her again. Because he can.

[neptune_sleuth]

Veronica shifts only to press against him and to get the flowers out of the way, pushed high on her toes to keep him close. She's not a needy girl - if anything, she's happier for having time to herself now and again - but these days, anytime he's around, she wants him closer. It's hard to shake the memory of losing him again and again, impossible to forget that everyone vanishes eventually, until she wants to make clear all the things in her head and heart, until she's too afraid of the inevitable to start.

"The bastards," she says, and it would be scathing if there were more effort in it, if she weren't smiling while she says it. "Well, regardless of how you paid for them, they're lovely. Thank you."

[plntfood]

"You're welcome," he answers, feeling only slightly awkward and, maybe for the first time, making no attempt to hide it. There's no reason for the awkwardness, but he also knows there's no reason for him to hide things from her. By nature, he's very reserved, but he's trying to be different with Veronica.

"I thought we might go for a walk," he says. "We can grab some dinner from the Compound and... I don't know. I would say look at the stars, but then it seems like I am trying some kind of line on you and we both know we are far past that point," he says, grinning.

[neptune_sleuth]

Veronica laughs, slipping inside to find somewhere to put the flowers for now. "Are you tryin' to seduce me?" she calls back over her shoulder, horrible Southern accent in full flower as she flutters her lashes. She thinks a moment when she's done, hands in the air like she hasn't yet figured out what she's supposed to do with them next, which she hasn't, and then she's looking for a good blanket for that kind of thing. "No, that sounds good. Go lie out under the stars, whisper sweet nothings. You can practice your pick up lines."

[plntfood]

"You only agree to this plan because you know how badly I need to practice my pick up lines and you are intending on laughing at me," Mathias accuses with a smile. He has never been one for pick up lines, never in his life. He wouldn't know where to start.

"Is Sam with Lucy?" he asks as he leans against the inside of the door. There are no ideas of patching together a family with someone else's child, but now that she is part of Veronica's life in such a way, she's a part of his life. That is something he can accept and deal with easier than what had happened on that hill.

[neptune_sleuth]

"Uh huh," Veronica says, finally circling back to him, hand coming to rest on his arm. "Got her toys, her books, her dog - anywhere she goes, she's ready to stay for a week. Gets her overpacking from me." It's still not the easiest of topics for her, between losing Jim and gaining a child before she was even remotely ready to start thinking about a family, but that's all the more reason to pull any joke from it she can. At least with all the stuff Sam insists on carting with her, everything will be alright if they run overtime - not least because Lucy's not the kind to ask too many questions.

[plntfood]

"Am I in for a lifetime of unpacking and repacking behind your back?" Mathias asks with a smile, reaching out to smooth some of her hair back, letting her joke about it, because he understands. He isn't able to make jokes about Henrich or the hill, but he still understands that need.

"Come on," he says. "Let's head outside before you decide you need to take your toys, your books, your dog..."

He's nervous now, too. He can feel himself growing warmer and wants to get outside where there might be a bit of a breeze, if he's lucky.

[neptune_sleuth]

It's just a small question, a small gesture, but Veronica leans into it, smiling, softened before she goes back to joking. The idea of a lifetime is terrifying, given how true it might be in his case, how much it's freaked her out in the past, but somewhere along the way, it became appealing, too.

"Please," she says, shaking her head as she steps outside, "I don't need all that. Just my blanket, my camera, my laptop, a different outfit, something to read in case I get bored..."

[plntfood]

"So now I am boring, too," Mathias says, feigning offense as he leads Veronica outside and toward the path, reaching for her hand. "I know I can't compare with a little girl in terms of energy, but I am not yet old enough to be boring."

He will be one day. If he stays on the island, he hopes to one day become old and boring. He's looking forward to it, of all things.

"If you are going to read, then I am going to play games on your laptop," he decides.

[neptune_sleuth]

"Ooh, burned by my own technology," Veronica says, wrinkling up her nose. Her fingers twist through his, easy and automatic. She veers toward the Compound first, remembering his plan. It's so easy to follow when it's him, not to feel insulted by it as she sometimes was with the guys before. She only clashed with them, fighting to steer when now she shares so readily. It would be unsettling if it weren't so pleasant. "Of course you're old and boring. Young and fascinating's my shtick; only one of us can do it or it'd be weird.

[plntfood]

"So I am just here for contrast, is that the case?" he asks, forcing himself not to blurt everything out in that moment. The way she wrinkles her nose, the quick responses, it's all a part of what he's fallen completely in love with.

He can think these things, but saying them eloquently is much more difficult.

"I guess I can live with this, so long as you keep me around in exchange," he decides, squeezing her hand lightly.

[neptune_sleuth]

If it were up to Veronica, that wouldn't be a concern, but she knows all too well how quickly things end around here. It's all the more reason to ignore that fact, try to forget what she saw on the hill and move on, but that's easier said than done, her awareness of how easy it would be to lose him all the stronger these last couple months.

That doesn't mean she's going to say as much. "Well, yeah," she says, smirking. "Doesn't work unless you're around."

[plntfood]

They're not even going to make it to the Compound for dinner. Mathias wants so badly for this to be perfect, but maybe that's the problem. He'd screwed it up the first time, screwed it up horribly and he wants for this to be right in every way it can be, but some things don't have the perfect moment.

Or maybe they do and they're just not the ones that are expected.

"Veronica," he says, pausing on the path and pulling her hand to tug her closer to him. It's such a silly cliche, but his mouth is dry and so, to give himself a moment, he leans down to kiss her.

[neptune_sleuth]

Something is wrong. That's the first thing she thinks once she's gotten around to thinking, but that doesn't keep Veronica from kissing him back, pressing into it as automatically as breathing. Maybe it's because she thinks something's about to happen and she doesn't know what, though her first instinct is to believe it won't be good.

"That'd be the other reason I keep you around," she says a few moments later, the blanket in danger of slipping from the crook of her elbow as her hand finds his neck. "Everything okay?"

[plntfood]

His heart is hammering in his chest and he's sure she must be able to feel just how hard it's knocking against his ribs, but there's nothing wrong. Nothing at all. Not even that he died in front of her. Not now.

"I'm in love with you," he says, pulling back just far enough to see her. "I have been for a long time now." There's so much else he wants to say and it's a strange feeling, wanting to speak when it isn't necessary, but he holds himself back. He's said the important part and he's said it without stumbling or trying to hide it in something else. He's just finally said it properly.