[ he holds up his own hand, two fingers offering a subtle wave from afar in greeting before she approaches, lips curving into a small smile when she interlinks their arms, tilting his head as he peers to her with a softened gaze.
he shrugs gently with his unoccupied shoulder, a playful scoff in his breath. ] Nah. Was just out here performing tricks while I waited. Juggled a bit. Played the cello. Turns out the crowd can't get enough of me.
[With all they've been through--not only here, but long before they ever met--she's always astonished that the two of them can joke like this. It's amazing to her that this small part of them hasn't been broken by the cruelties of not only this world, but their own. She doesn't think she'll ever stop being thankful for that. It makes her lean into him a little, and if they weren't almost of height, she might even have leaned her head on his shoulder. Instead, she nudges her elbow into his side, belatedly hoping he doesn't have a bruise or stitches there.]
[ it's something he's found himself clinging to more often lately than not, the casualness that can somehow be found here despite the circumstances. when diana had met him, she'd seen him in a moment of darkness, the feral eyes of a man ready to kill, his "penny and dime" moment β but somehow she'd never abandoned him thereafter, silent forgiveness granted again and again every time they spoke or lay together.
he's found that every time he's with her, he admires her more and more, even if the guilt never fully departs. ]
What, you don't think I can? [ there's a playful smirk in response, tilting his head to her, never bothered by how she has an inch or two advantage over him. ] Got plenty of secret talents you don't know about, Diana.
[She starts to steer them into the coffee shop, nudging open the door with her foot so she doesn't have to release his arm to enter. She takes a deep breath, savoring the smell of fresh coffee along with how good it feels to have him standing beside her. But she snorts at his quip, casting a glance at him from the corner of her eye as a smirk pulls at her lips.]
[ it's a scent that's familiar to him, comforting even, with how much he's become so heavily associated with the drink over the past several years, considering just how many cups he settles on downing in a single day. if he wasn't already relaxed in diana's presence, he'd certainly start to be now as his senses begin to work in the heavy aroma at his nostrils.
he huffs a chuckle in his breath, turning away briefly when she looks his way if only to uselessly hide the slight smile it prompts from his mouth. ]
You know me. One way or another, I'll always keep you on your toes.
[It's an indirect way of bringing up why she'd wanted to meet him in the first place. She's been thinking about it for a while, and the deadline the LIERs had set for her is coming up--
--Diana doesn't want to have another contract forced upon her. Not if it means risking someone else's safety. There's only so much they can do to her with her designation, but anyone else seems to be fair game to them. She won't let Frank fall into that category.
She leads them to the counter, ordering for herself before tilting her head, prompting him to do the same. It's on her today.]
[ he doesn't interpret it as anything more than the tease that it seems, his voice light to showcase his own equal returning response, laced with casualness as he walking alongside her.
he hasn't been thinking of the contracts, hadn't even wanted one the first time around when bill had asked to form one with him. since his return, new memories tearing apart every single one he'd had with his best friend who'd since betrayed him with a nauseating truth, he'd accepted being a submissive without a dominant, not since his relationship had been torn apart with his previous.
initially, he considers declining the offer to be covered, but his eyes linger on her, wondering, and when he finally makes his order of a simple cup of hot coffee, black, he looks back to her, tilting his head. ] You didn't ask me out just for coffee, did you?
[As she waits for her coffee, she isn't surprised to see the wheels start turning in his head. She'd expected him to read into this meeting--she would have done the same thing. That kinship is one of the bigger reasons why she's going to make him an offer for a contract. On a very particular level, she and Frank understand one another in a way she's rarely encountered during her long life. That draws her to him, makes her want to keep him close. That and, of course, the fact that she cares for him so much that sometimes she can't believe her heart hasn't burst from it.
Once her coffee is safely in her hand, she offers an almost, almost apologetic smile.]
No, I didn't.
[She isn't going to lie to him. Diana gestures first to an empty table near a corner and then to the door.]
[ sometimes diana is a little harder to read than others, mostly because of how careful she presents herself, something wiser within for all the additional years she has on her. itβs mostly that what would ultimately be expected to be hard edges after all the experiences is still coated smooth, fascinating him to watch her more than he expects himself to, observing mostly.
curling his fingers around the cup, his eye follows where she gestures, gnawing his lip briefly before he turns back to her. ]
Letβs walk.
[ always easier for him to keep moving, old habits making him accustomed to it rather than the discomfort of stillness. ]
[The way she presents herself now is a far cry from how she acted a hundred years ago. Even twenty years ago, if she's honest. Sometimes she wonders what Frank would think of her if he had met her when she'd been at her most brash--but she never considers it for long. Thinking backwards has never helped her before, and she doubts it will now.
Diana offers a nod, leading the way back towards the exit. Walking is probably a better idea because for the first time in a while, she's full of what could only be called nervous energy. Gauging Frank's reaction to some things has been difficult since his return, and she can't pin down what it will be to to this.
Once outside, she pauses to take a sip of her coffee, readying herself, and starts down the sidewalk. She's thought quite a bit about how to broach the subject, and had settled on a direct approach. One quiet, deep breath, a sideways glance, and she more or less blurts:]
I would like to contract with you.
[It comes out more formally than she'd intended, but she's never had this conversation with anyone before.]
[ his lip curls within his mouth, teeth gnawing gently at it as he stares ahead. somehow, a part of him might have expected it, so once the words are out, itβs less shock and more wonder, a soft sight eventually escaping his lips, almost like an exhale of disappointment.
it isnβt disappointment that itβs coming from her; dianaβs a good woman, one of the most honest and admirable that heβs come to meet, in and out of this city. but she also deserves better, better than all of this, better than him. ]
You shouldnβt. [ he says it almost quiet, guilt in his tone. ] I ainβt a good choice for that, Diana.
[The seconds that pass between when she voices her wish and when he answers seem to take forever. She thinks she's run every possible scenario in her head, and considers herself ready for everything.
He still surprises her.
Pressing her lips together to hide a smile, she shoots him a sly glance.]
Neither am I.
[Holding dominion over anyone had never been her desire. She knows--she faced the ultimate temptation of it. She and Ares could have taken the world for themselves, could have ruled everyone on it without contest. Instead she'd chosen a life of anonymity among mankind, drifting from one place to another, unknown, ruling only over herself. It had been, in its own lonely way, a sort of bliss.]
Perhaps that makes us the best choice for each other.
Ah β you know anybody would be damn lucky to have you.
[ maybe there's a little of a tease in there, maybe it's just necessary to add because he isn't too sure of how else to feel about it. because he shouldn't be asked, and especially not by her.
because she deserves far better than him.
he sighs, his gaze on her as if somehow searching for some possible way of convincing her. ]
[No matter how hard she tries, she doesn't think she'll ever be able to convince him that he deserves the faith she puts in him; but the fact that he continues to let her try has touched her heart in an indescribable way. And when he turns that searching gaze to her, all she can do is smile.]
There isn't a single other person I'd rather bind myself to.
[And anyway, it isn't about options, not really. It's about choice. The first time, she didn't choose. She and her submissive were both forced into a contract, and Diana can't bear to let that happen again. She knows Frank, understands him. That would be more than enough for her to want to contract with him; he just also happens to live inside her heart as well.]
[ there's something in that gaze she provides, a twist right there to his own heart, squeezing within his chest. because he knows there's sincerity behind her words, and he knows that despite everything she's seen, the broken man she's witnessed with her own eyes, she still believes in the best for him, that there's hope for better in him β
and for all that he refuses to believe that for himself, it still means something that she chooses to do it in his place.
fairly silent still, he takes a breath before he takes a step in closer to her, fingers drifting up until he can trace them gently to her jaw, fingertips brushing lightly across her cheek. ]
You know that's damn insane, right? [ but there isn't hostility in the words even if he offers a fair squint in question. there's even a hint of affection when his lips slightly curve into something that could mimic a smile. ]
Alright. As long as it means you'll let me look out for you β I'll do it.
[When he reaches for her, Diana keeps still, almost as if she's afraid any sudden movement will make him change his mind. Because she can see resolve growing in his eyes, just as it had grown in her heart over the past weeks. She'd been surprised not to have thought of it sooner, but as soon as the idea entered her head, she hadn't been able to get it out again. And in the end, she'd gauged that the possible benefits of asking and being accepted far outweighed the consequences of a rejection.
And that fact that he's agreed lifts a weight she hadn't really realized she'd been carrying.
A quiet laugh slips past her lips, and she raises her hands to place them over his, holding them against her face.]
It is insane. But so is this place.
[And perhaps not in the worst way. Without the insanity of this place, she never would have found him and Wynonna. She could never regret that.
His smile is mirrored on her own face, but she rolls her eyes just a bit.]
We can negotiate that when we work out our contract.
[ frank still despised the city, hated it for all that it was and all that it wanted of them. the very things forced upon them were as despicable as it came, but the only reason he got through it without letting himself go on a constant rage, without immediately charging in to rip them all apart, was because he had people to look out for.
diana and wynonna had been here from the moment heβd arrived, both some of his earliest encounters, and maybe it was just a coincidence they both lived alongside one another, that he ended up on their floor, ended up in that bed with both of them that night β or maybe thereβd been a reason for all of it.
all that he knew was that heβd go to hell and back for both of them. without regret.
he manages a short laugh, shaking his head. ] Shit, youβre really gonna make me go over terms with you?
[Diana turns her face to kiss one of his palms before flashing him a grin.]
Just a few. Nothing... questionable, I promise.
[Terms aren't really something she'd begun thinking about until recently, but she has a few things in mind already. She knows she can't put too many restraints on him, but she's thought of one or two conditions she doesn't think he'll take amiss.]
But we can talk about that later. For right now, I'd like to enjoy our walk.
[ he has a suspicion on some of the things she might ask of him, specifically something that had brought them together in the first place. not that heβs too sure heβll be able to abide by it if she asks it of him, mostly on account that typically heβs not in control of the circumstances heβs placed into.
but he feels the soft press of her lips on his skin, warm to his palm and he canβt think of complaining about it even before she asks.
instead, he chuckles into a smile, nodding his head. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
action;
he shrugs gently with his unoccupied shoulder, a playful scoff in his breath. ] Nah. Was just out here performing tricks while I waited. Juggled a bit. Played the cello. Turns out the crowd can't get enough of me.
action;
[With all they've been through--not only here, but long before they ever met--she's always astonished that the two of them can joke like this. It's amazing to her that this small part of them hasn't been broken by the cruelties of not only this world, but their own. She doesn't think she'll ever stop being thankful for that. It makes her lean into him a little, and if they weren't almost of height, she might even have leaned her head on his shoulder. Instead, she nudges her elbow into his side, belatedly hoping he doesn't have a bruise or stitches there.]
What did you juggle--knives?
action;
he's found that every time he's with her, he admires her more and more, even if the guilt never fully departs. ]
What, you don't think I can? [ there's a playful smirk in response, tilting his head to her, never bothered by how she has an inch or two advantage over him. ] Got plenty of secret talents you don't know about, Diana.
action;
At least I know I'll never be bored with you.
action;
he huffs a chuckle in his breath, turning away briefly when she looks his way if only to uselessly hide the slight smile it prompts from his mouth. ]
You know me. One way or another, I'll always keep you on your toes.
action;
[It's an indirect way of bringing up why she'd wanted to meet him in the first place. She's been thinking about it for a while, and the deadline the LIERs had set for her is coming up--
--Diana doesn't want to have another contract forced upon her. Not if it means risking someone else's safety. There's only so much they can do to her with her designation, but anyone else seems to be fair game to them. She won't let Frank fall into that category.
She leads them to the counter, ordering for herself before tilting her head, prompting him to do the same. It's on her today.]
action;
[ he doesn't interpret it as anything more than the tease that it seems, his voice light to showcase his own equal returning response, laced with casualness as he walking alongside her.
he hasn't been thinking of the contracts, hadn't even wanted one the first time around when bill had asked to form one with him. since his return, new memories tearing apart every single one he'd had with his best friend who'd since betrayed him with a nauseating truth, he'd accepted being a submissive without a dominant, not since his relationship had been torn apart with his previous.
initially, he considers declining the offer to be covered, but his eyes linger on her, wondering, and when he finally makes his order of a simple cup of hot coffee, black, he looks back to her, tilting his head. ] You didn't ask me out just for coffee, did you?
action;
Once her coffee is safely in her hand, she offers an almost, almost apologetic smile.]
No, I didn't.
[She isn't going to lie to him. Diana gestures first to an empty table near a corner and then to the door.]
Do you want to sit or roam while we talk?
action;
curling his fingers around the cup, his eye follows where she gestures, gnawing his lip briefly before he turns back to her. ]
Letβs walk.
[ always easier for him to keep moving, old habits making him accustomed to it rather than the discomfort of stillness. ]
action;
Diana offers a nod, leading the way back towards the exit. Walking is probably a better idea because for the first time in a while, she's full of what could only be called nervous energy. Gauging Frank's reaction to some things has been difficult since his return, and she can't pin down what it will be to to this.
Once outside, she pauses to take a sip of her coffee, readying herself, and starts down the sidewalk. She's thought quite a bit about how to broach the subject, and had settled on a direct approach. One quiet, deep breath, a sideways glance, and she more or less blurts:]
I would like to contract with you.
[It comes out more formally than she'd intended, but she's never had this conversation with anyone before.]
action;
it isnβt disappointment that itβs coming from her; dianaβs a good woman, one of the most honest and admirable that heβs come to meet, in and out of this city. but she also deserves better, better than all of this, better than him. ]
You shouldnβt. [ he says it almost quiet, guilt in his tone. ] I ainβt a good choice for that, Diana.
action;
He still surprises her.
Pressing her lips together to hide a smile, she shoots him a sly glance.]
Neither am I.
[Holding dominion over anyone had never been her desire. She knows--she faced the ultimate temptation of it. She and Ares could have taken the world for themselves, could have ruled everyone on it without contest. Instead she'd chosen a life of anonymity among mankind, drifting from one place to another, unknown, ruling only over herself. It had been, in its own lonely way, a sort of bliss.]
Perhaps that makes us the best choice for each other.
action;
[ maybe there's a little of a tease in there, maybe it's just necessary to add because he isn't too sure of how else to feel about it. because he shouldn't be asked, and especially not by her.
because she deserves far better than him.
he sighs, his gaze on her as if somehow searching for some possible way of convincing her. ]
You really all out of options?
action;
There isn't a single other person I'd rather bind myself to.
[And anyway, it isn't about options, not really. It's about choice. The first time, she didn't choose. She and her submissive were both forced into a contract, and Diana can't bear to let that happen again. She knows Frank, understands him. That would be more than enough for her to want to contract with him; he just also happens to live inside her heart as well.]
action;
and for all that he refuses to believe that for himself, it still means something that she chooses to do it in his place.
fairly silent still, he takes a breath before he takes a step in closer to her, fingers drifting up until he can trace them gently to her jaw, fingertips brushing lightly across her cheek. ]
You know that's damn insane, right? [ but there isn't hostility in the words even if he offers a fair squint in question. there's even a hint of affection when his lips slightly curve into something that could mimic a smile. ]
Alright. As long as it means you'll let me look out for you β I'll do it.
action;
And that fact that he's agreed lifts a weight she hadn't really realized she'd been carrying.
A quiet laugh slips past her lips, and she raises her hands to place them over his, holding them against her face.]
It is insane. But so is this place.
[And perhaps not in the worst way. Without the insanity of this place, she never would have found him and Wynonna. She could never regret that.
His smile is mirrored on her own face, but she rolls her eyes just a bit.]
We can negotiate that when we work out our contract.
action;
[ frank still despised the city, hated it for all that it was and all that it wanted of them. the very things forced upon them were as despicable as it came, but the only reason he got through it without letting himself go on a constant rage, without immediately charging in to rip them all apart, was because he had people to look out for.
diana and wynonna had been here from the moment heβd arrived, both some of his earliest encounters, and maybe it was just a coincidence they both lived alongside one another, that he ended up on their floor, ended up in that bed with both of them that night β or maybe thereβd been a reason for all of it.
all that he knew was that heβd go to hell and back for both of them. without regret.
he manages a short laugh, shaking his head. ] Shit, youβre really gonna make me go over terms with you?
action;
Just a few. Nothing... questionable, I promise.
[Terms aren't really something she'd begun thinking about until recently, but she has a few things in mind already. She knows she can't put too many restraints on him, but she's thought of one or two conditions she doesn't think he'll take amiss.]
But we can talk about that later. For right now, I'd like to enjoy our walk.
action;
but he feels the soft press of her lips on his skin, warm to his palm and he canβt think of complaining about it even before she asks.
instead, he chuckles into a smile, nodding his head. ]
Yeah, alright. Letβs walk, Miss Prince.