"Deal," She smiled in agreement.

Raising an eyebrow as he shifted suddenly, a small squeak left her as James tugged her close, her hands pressing against his chest. "You could have asked," She laughed lightly as she stuck her tongue out towards him. Freya did quickly settle in, shifting on her side so she was more comfortable but could still rest her head against him. "Well, I didn't want you to think you had to do it or anything, it was just a suggestion." She smiled. Shaking her head about the back hug, she then nodded. "I suppose I could stay for just one more movie~" She chimed, with a false groan. Once they had settled on a movie title, she was awake through about half of it before sleep began beckoning her. She did her best not to yawn too often, or rub at her eyes as she grew more and more tired, but eventually she slumped against James' chest, snoring softly. Ah, hot chocolate and James' warmth were always the perfect combination to lull her into an effortless sleep.

---

Come morning, Freya found herself still at James' apartment. "James?" She yawned, sitting up to rub at her eyes. She hadn't meant to fall asleep, but she just felt so at ease around James she couldn't help it. Did he have classes today? She didn't know his schedule or anything like that, just that he was taking classes. What time was it, anyway? Reaching around, her hands found her glasses, slipping them onto her face. Was he gone? Her intention was to call for him again, but the sudden urge to go the bathroom hit her, and she clenched her teeth. Finding James could wait just a few minutes. She needed to take care of this first.

Freya moved to wash her hands, but noticed the dispenser was out. Did James know? Maybe she should tell him.. Exoting the bathroom, and looked around again. Where was he? "James, are you here?" She called, moving towards the kitchen area. She didn't smell anything cooking, maybe he was next door? That is where most of the food was kept anyway..Turning on the faucet she began washing her hands in the kitchen instead.

What was with this girl? Why could James be so comfortable around her and yet, not feel like he had to put on a show or be something different. This was very unlike anything he had ever experienced and now they were drifting off to sleep for the third time in each other’s arms. By the time he had realized she had fallen asleep, he was almost asleep himself. Pulling off her glasses, he gently set them on the coffee table before giving her a peak on the head and falling asleep himself.

---

The following morning he wiggled his way out from under her and went into his bedroom. He had to make a call, he had to.

“You!” He barked in a whispered tone from his bedroom.

“Me?” An innocent female voice said over the phone.

“You gave her the key to the apartment, you told her I was taking classes; damnit Annie do you know how much of a panic you could have put this poor girl in if she went off on the tangent of thinking she was ‘helping me’ by taking care of herself then lighting the kitchen stove on fire.”

“She did that?” Annie responded on the other end of the phone with a chuckle.

“It’s a metaphor.” James responded in a soft groan. “Annie why did you tell her?”

“James, quit being stupid. She likes you. She would find out sooner or later and better it comes from me than from some random person or running into you at the school.”

A defeated sigh left James, a sigh that covered up the calling of his name. “Look, I appreciate what you’re doing but please let Freya and I find our own ways.”

“It’s the blind leading the blind; you aren’t even brave enough to ask her out on a da…”

“I’ll have you know we went on a date last night and she said she had fun so in your face.”

“Listen to you all growing up but it took a push from me to get you to do it.”

“Look Annie, please try not to stick your nose into our business. Freya gets frazzled enough as is and I don’t want any additional pressure. I’ve got to get ready before she wakes up, I’ll text you later.”

“Wait…” Annie called, “Is she at your apartment?!” All she got was a chuckle as a response before James hung up.

Walking out of the bedroom he entered into the bathroom as Freya made her way into the kitchen. Before long he had stripped out of his clothes and got into the shower. The moment he turned on the water, the warmth hit him and he let out a long sigh… that was until the water changed drastically dropped temperature and he let out a scream of surprise and sprang from the shower. “Cold Cold Cold!!”

Sighing as she rinsed the lather off her hands, she heard the shriek and nearly jumped herself. Quickly shutting off the water, she blinked. Was that James? Did he get hurt maybe?! She moved quickly back through the living room, and towards the bathroom area. "James are you alright in there?" She asked, knocking on the door. All she could really hear on the other side was the water running from the shower. She knew she heard James' voice from in there though. Maybe...Maybe he just stubbed his toe on something? It wasn't uncommon. But he hadn't answered her all morning...

Oh my gosh--

What if he fell and hit his head and he was unconscious?! She put her hand on the handle, pushing it forward. "Oh my gosh, James no!" Freya was met with a small bit of steam, looking about her eyes settling on James. He was...not wearing clothes. It only took her eyes getting to his chest before she turned bright red. "OH MY GOSH! J-James I'm so sorry I thought you had fallen and then you were unconscious because you weren't answering me and I was looking for you and--"

He. Was. Still. Naked.

"Ahhhh!" Freya's cheeks burned as she fervently scrambled for a towel on the hook nearby and thew it at James' face. She turned around and covered her eyes, sinking to the floor. "P-Put that towel on!! Why are you outside the shower with the water still running?! You gave me a hear attack!" She shook lightly. "I-I've been looking for y-you all morning!"

“Oh man!” He muttered rubbing himself in an attempt to get the cold water off of his skin. That was freezing! What happened? Was Freya awake and using the kitchen sink? The water tank in the apartment was next to nothing and he wasn’t doing any laundry so it shouldn’t be a surprise that something like that could cause a change in the water temperature.

However, before he could do anything, he heard the sound of the door open. His mouth opened to tell her to stop but it was too late and he watched her eye begin to travel downwards. Luckily she reacted but unfortunately it was a scream followed by him getting a towel thrown in his face. It wasn’t until he was pulling the towel from his face before he realized his was probably the first time she had ever seen a guy naked. It took him a moment before he swallowed his laughter and tied his towel around his waist. Reaching down he placed a cool hand on her cheek and squatted down behind her. Turning her head to face him, he removed her hands from her face and gently kissed her forehead. “I’m sorry I worried you.” He whispered softly.

“Why don’t you go and fold the blankets in the living room for me? I’ll be out in a minute.” With that he stood up and began to close the door before calling out. “Oh and I’m in here by the way. So you might want to refrain from entering without knocking.” A teasing tone left his voice as he continued, “You could end up seeing something…” With that he shut the door and proceeded with his shower doing his best not to laugh.

Ohmygoshomygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygo--

She flinched slightly as James' cooled hand made contact with her burning cheeks. "Y-Yes?!" She stammered, holding her hands firmly in place as he turned her around, worried he wasn't fully decent yet. It came as no surprise that he easily pried her hands away and she watched with wide eyes as he leaned in. W-Was he going to kiss her like this?! Relief washed over her as he simply kissed her forehead, and she immediately felt silly for even thinking James would do something like that. At his apology she puffed out one side of her cheeks, pouting a little. "I thought you were supposed to make life easy for me." She teased, and nodded. "...'Kay."

As she stoood and made her way outside of the bathroom, she quickly snapped her head back, narrowing her eyes. "Hey! Th-That's not fair!" She whined, as he shut the door. "S-Something?!" Why did that almost sound like an odd invitation? She put a hand to her forehead. Ugh, she felt like her head was spinning from what just happened. Just fold the sheets. That's all she had to do...

Freya made her way down the hall and into the living room. Her hands grabbed at one of the blankets on the couch, shaking slightly.

Just fold the sheets.

Her hands found the center of the sheets, and she folded it in half, turning it to fold it in half another time, before folding it in half a final time. Was it getting warm in here? She felt her nerves building. She reached for the next sheet, following the same routine. Her head was really feeling dizzy, was she breathing funny? Thinking about it only seemed to make her panic, and she quickly scanned the rest of the living room.

Just...Just fold the sheets, Freya.

Should she have waited longer before entering the bathroom? James didn't seem mad, if nothing else he was making fun of her for just waltzing in! Maybe he was just hiding how weird it had been? He had been dripping wet, oh gods he was a lot more fit than he appeared under his butler uniform. She didn't even really get that good of a look but she definitely saw the strength in his shoulders. Did she over-react? Placing her hand on the back of the couch, she steadied herself. Wrinkling her brows, she looked around James' apartment for any suckers to calm her nerves, but couldn't find any within the immediate vicinity. It made sense, why would he have that around his apartment? He wouldn't expect her to just be here and having a moment with her nerves going out of control. Focus. She needed a distraction. She reached for the couch again.

There weren't any more sheets.

"Please, I just...I just want my head to stop spinning..." She breathed, falling to her knees and holding her head. Why was she so shaken up about what happened? Just calm down, that's all she had to do. If she didn't calm down she was just going to spiral until she blacked out. Beginning to mumble to herself, she did her best to make her breathing as even as she could. How long had it been? He seemed to be taking forever..

He felt bad for making her panic. Maybe that wasn’t the best choice but as he climbed into the shower he was finally able to chuckle out loud. Maybe James was her first experience with a male’s body. Sure she’s been to pools and things like that but it must be a surprise to see the full form. It was embarrassing to say the least but at the same time, it was hilarious. After scrubbing himself down he hurried through getting ready before he threw on the pair of jeans and a black t-shirt he had pulled out for the day.

A very casual looking James left the bathroom with the towel on his head as he scrubbed the midnight blue locks. Where was she? Did she leave? Walking into the living room he found her cupping her head with her hands and dropped the towel onto the floor and sprinted to his hallway. Throwing open the closet door, he reached up and grabbed a box that was readily available near the entrance and exit. Kicking the door shut behind him he dashed back down the hallway and slid into the living room, stopping next to her.

Opening the box he reached inside and shoved a hand in. Reaching over with his free hand, he placed his large palm under her chin and lifted her head up. With her eyes closed he reached up and pinched her nose. As soon as her mouth opened, he pulled his hand from the box and slipped a skillfully unwrapped sucker into her mouth with a POP before letting go of her nose at the same time.

“Are you alright?” He asked quickly as he sat back on his heels.

Did someone open a door? Oh, James was out of the bathroom...maybe?

She frowned, and felt a hand on her chin. She panicked for a moment, but figured it could only be James. Frowning as he pinched her nose she did eventally have to open her mouth even if it was simply in protest, her tongue tasting strawberry. What was this? It only took her mind a few moments to register what happened and she slowly reached up to confrim it was in fact a sucker, feeling the stick. Slowly turning her attention to James, she sighed. "I...Y-Yeah..Thank you. I was freaking out about...yeah." She shook her head, not wanting to go back into her frenzy of thoughts. "Thank you, James..I didn't think you just kept these at your apartment." Freya sat there, finishing the sucker fully to help her relax, grabbing another sucker after that was done, feeling better.

"You're wearing the jeans I bought you." She noticed, smiling softly. "I didn't mean to give you a scare, sorry...I didn't mean to get trapped in my thoughts, it just sort of happened...I was trying to distract myself but I ran out of distractions..." But, that was in the past. "You're dressed pretty casual. Planning to go anywhere?" Her stomach grumbled, the lollipop stirring it awake. "I-I'm so sorry." She rubbed the back of her neck, embarrassed. "Did you..want to make something? Or would you rather go out for breakfast?" Freya paused, realizing that she was still wearing her date outfit from the night before. It wasn't very formal, but she did want to take a shower and change. "A-Actually...I'm going to shower. I'll be back, okay?" She stood up, and made her way next door, shutting the door behind her.

Going into her room, she grabbed a skirt, leggings, undergarments and a loose fitting shirt before heading into her bathroom, starting the water. Undressing, she got under the water, welcoming the warmth to get her skin clean again. At least she didn't have to worry about James just walking in. That was going to haunt her for a while, wasn't it? Was he going to tease her about it? It was James she was talking about, he was going to tease her a little. Saving washing her hair last, she got out, drying herself off and slipped into her outfit, emerging from the bathroom, attempting to dry her hair further with the towel. Would they go out to eat? She wasn't sure what they could make with what was in the fridge. Maybe it was time to go shopping to restock it?

Her mention of the suckers caused his attention to move to the box before a knowing smile moved across his face and his blue gaze shifted back to her. “If I left them in your apartment I wouldn’t know if I was out or not.” He said with a nod, “And if you’re going to be coming over here I don’t see a reason to move them into your apartment.” His voice was a bit cheeky seeing as she finally began to calm down. As she stood up, he followed suit, taking the wrappers and tossing them in the nearby trashcan before leaving to return the box to its proper place and shutting the closet door.

When he arrived back into the living room she commented about his pants and his attention turned downwards. A small smile moved across his face as his gaze returned to her face. “Yes, yes I am.” Then her explain why she was about to go into a meltdown he nodded. His large hands slid into his pockets before his shoulders rose and fell with a shrug. “It happens; I’m just glad you’re alright and I was able to help you through it.” She’s always apologizing for things. A smile moved across his fine lips, a soft smile. “Freya, you shouldn’t apologize for things, especially if it’s things you want. Life will be easier if you try to enjoy things without apologizing for your own happiness.” His head rose and fell with a nod.

Falling unintentionally back into butler mode, he followed her out of his apartment and into hers grabbing her hair dryer and brush before she got the chance to get into the bathroom. Setting up her hair dryer and cleaning out her brush he noticed his phone was blinking. After disposing of her hair and placing the brush down he picked up his phone and checked the messages.

Dearest <3 James, it is I! Ur partner ‘n crime ur partner for the midterm Rebecca I have the ingredients for our meal. When can I come over so we can put it together?!? :-*

The face at the end of the text message caused his brow to push together. What the heck does an asterisk do on a face? And why was ‘Dearest’ less than three? Shrugging thinking it was just a ‘girl thing’ he texted her back.

Good morning Rebecca,

1pm would work out splendid for me; I have the utensils we need to properly cook the meal. If this doesn’t work please do let me know and we can reschedule.

Send

He got a response almost instantly.

SEE U @ 1!!!!!!!!! :-* <3

Great, now the asterisk was less than three, why?? Shaking his head he locked his phone and placed it on the table top. Knowing Rebecca from class, she normally came prepared to make more than one copy of the dishes but in order to pass, all the flavors must be tasted, and they need to be able to tell the difference between the flavors. He stood in Freya’s kitchen tapping his chin in through before he heard the bathroom door open.

Walking to the entrance into the kitchen he poked his head into the hallway and waved her to come into the kitchen. He guided her in a comfortable silence and began to dry her hair much like he did as her butler, expect this was a little different. He wasn’t her butler right now. “Your hair is looking a lot healthier since you switched your shampoo and conditioner.” Much like most of his actions towards her, his hair brushing and drying was gentle and kind. A comfortable silence filled the room until he finished.

He clicked off the hair dryer and placed it down onto the table followed by the brush. “Let’s go out for lunch.” He said softly as he offered her a large hand to help her from her chair. His keys and wallet already on him, “Do you have any plans for this Sunday? I could use your assistance around 1 if you are free.”

Even as she showered she thought about how accommodating James was. Maybe she should take his advice and apologize less about things she wanted. As she made her way into the hallway she couldn't help smiling as soon as James' head poked out. Nothing got past him. Nodding she kept trying to try her hair on her way over and almost protested when it was gently taken from her grasp, as she sat down in a chair. Feeling James hands beneath the towel dry her hair, she felt slightly embarrassed. "You know you don't have to do this, right?" She laughed. "I can dry it, James." He was already done, and moved already to brushing and de-tangling her curls.

Something about him noticing her hair made her feel warm inside. "Oh! Th-Thank you. Annie was telling me about it so I thought I would give it a try!" Happy to hear the dryer power down and the final brush strokes, she gladly took his hand and slipped down from the chair. "Alright, let me just grab my shoes." She turned to head into her room, slipping on a comfortable pair of flats, and grabbing a small flower hair accessory to clip into her hair before returning to James. On her way out, she slipped her hand effortlessly into his as she locked her door, and began down the stairs. "Sunday? No, I shouldn't be doing anything."

As they made their way through the parking lot she smiled, letting go of James' hand as she had to get into the car. After buckling up, she casually laid her hand on the middle console, looking out the window as they drove to lunch. As the car rode downtown, she pointed to a small cafe. "Oh, can we stop there for lunch, James? I've heard people in my class say it's really good." She asked, looking back to him. Even if he didn't want to stop at this particular shop, a good thing about the downtown area was that there were plenty of food options just waiting to be explored. Once they did park and she got out of the car, she slipped her fingers between James' large ones as they started walking towards their lunch destination. "Oh! I forgot to ask, what did you need me for Sunday?"

It was surprising to find her being so… so causal about holding his hand. Her small hand slipped perfectly into his large one and he felt his heart pound in his chest. Normally it was him who made the initial effort to hold her hand and now, now it just seemed common. A shiver crawled up his spine as he intertwined his fingers with hers. Even just the small path from the apartment to the car was a nice little walk. Holding the door open for her, he let her get inside before shutting the door and going around the front. Soon he was in the driver’s seat taking them into town. One hand was on the wheel and the other had taken hers as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

When she pointed out the shop he needed, “As you wish.” He responded sweetly before properly turning the car around and heading back to the direction of the café.

Upon arriving he got out of the car and held the door open for her. Again, her hand went straight to his and she even slid her fingers through his hands. And once again, his heart pounded in his chest. Then she asked the question about what he would need her for today (Sunday). “Oh…” He shook his head, pulling himself out of his thoughts before he responded as he opened the door to the little café.

“My mid-term is a partner project in building a meal based on a country and in order to get the best grade my partner and I need to make sure it tastes good and the way we want it to. Would you be willing to be a taste tester for us? Also…” He said, his voice sounding soft and almost embarrassed, “I would like to spend a bit more time with you.”

Freya tilted her head slightly in a bit of concern as her question seemed to interrupt a train of thought he was having. She opened her mouth to say something, but he was already opening the door for her and she gave a small smile of thanks as she moved in front of him to enter. sliding her fingers out of his so as not to tug him forward if she moved inside too quickly. Inside she was delighted by the sounds of groups of people chattering, thankful that they seemed to be droned out by the hum of the large oven on display the the people were using to make their confectioneries.

"A taste tester? James, please." The young woman giggled. "An opportunity to sit back and eat your cooking? I wouldn't pass that up for the world! Though, if I have to be honest--" She paused, her own embarrassment coming through as she gently cupped her own cheek. "I'm glad you like me around enough to keep me when I don't have to be there." Continuing her thought from before, she smiled. "I do think that it would be best for you to have multiple taste testers. I haven't taken your class before, but..if it's anything like on television there might be a panel of judges to taste the dish you two come up with. So, better to have different palettes available to get different feedback, right? I'll stop by Dianne's place to see if she minds. Though, if I bribe her with your cooking I'm sure she'll agree." She suggested with a giggle, moving towards the counter to order.

It was a rather simple menu, but everything on it seemed to be carefully thought about. Browsing the selection, she decided on a blueberry muffin, a warm turkey and swiss sandwich with a house dressing on it, and a simple glass of milk. Motioning back towards James, she looked to the cashier, and handed them her card. "Whatever he would like as well, please." Once James had ordered, they asked for a name to call when they were finished making everything, and she glanced to James. "Do you mind putting it under your name? I'm going to find us a place to sit, okay?" She might not be able to hear them over the hum of people when they sat down and got further from the oven, but she was sure he was used to having to still hear instructions over people chattering. If he wasn't, he wouldn't have worked at the mansion for very long.

She walked from the counter, finding a small table for two by a window. Outside she would watch where they had a small window plant growing, as the wind outside gently blew the plants about. This was such a great morning to be out and about, especially with James. It was easy to try to relax a little more when he was around. When he got back to the table, her attention moved from outside the window and she smiled. "Thanks for letting us come here, James. I'm...I'm really glad we can be out like this." She admitted, shyly glancing out of the window. It didn't seem like long before their order was ready, and she couldn't wait.

It was always kind of her to pay for their outings. Sometimes he would get the opportunity to pay for it but on most occasions she tended to beat him to the punch. In his own way, he tried to make up for it by cooking for her at her home and showing her with attention. She was so good to him, more than he could describe; that he could only hope that his treatment of her was somewhat close to how she great she treated him.

He placed his order of a chicken Caesar salad and an ice water before joining her at the table. “My pleasure. I’m glad you didn’t want to go home just yet. And different plates is a good idea,” He said in reference to her statement. “However, I…” His face turned slightly red as his attention went to his hands as he sat across from her. “I don’t know if having her around and seeing me as your… not butler would be a good idea. Many things could go wrong and get back to your father if others were to find out that we had a personal relationship outside of the butler and mistress situation.” His response was soft.

“I don’t want to cause any problems for you. So if you feel she can be trusted than sure; she is welcome to come. And maybe I’ll have Rebecca invite someone as well. Between three people we can get a good idea of how everything lays out on the taste buds.” Slowly, his blue gaze shifted up to look at her. “I just… don’t want to cause any problems for you.”

Seeing James' body language shift suddenly caused Freya to tilt her head. "Hm?" Hearing his concern, she frowned slightly. "Ah, right...I'm not saying that she wouldn't be able to be trusted...She would, but I don't want to make you uncomfortable by any means." She smiled. "Although, that point does lead me to ask - what about your classmate Rebecca? Hasn't she seen us out and about? Does she know I go to school here also? I don't want to cause you any issues by being involved in your school activities." She smiled. "Maybe I shouldn't have brought up bringing other people..." Freya sighed softly, nervously twirling some hair around her finger.

"Order for James!"

Looking up and towards the counter, she glanced back to James. "Seems like it's ready." When they had gotten their food, she immediately picked up the muffin, tearing off small pieces to eat. "I could always just be nearby if you like? I'm not sure how you want to present me to your classmate." Her eyes made their way outside again to the flowers, and she watched them for a few minutes before returning her attention back on James. "I don't want to cause issues for you, either. I'll do what you think is best here. If you wanted to invite another person from your other class to taste test too, you could. This isn't about me, though. It's your project, and a very important one at that. So..." She paused, eating another piece of the muffin. "So, it might be selfish for me but I want you to make the call for this one. I don't think it would be fair for me to just tell you how to handle your own project. That's silly." Freya giggled.

Her concern for him made him smile softly but her question about Rebecca made him push his eyebrows together in thought. “Please don’t feel bad about asking about other people. That is not an issue.” He said softly, his face relaxed as he looked back up at her. “Please remember that our… relationship---is against the standard practice of my job.” He explained softly with a nod. “Rebecca has seen us out and about in town but never as butler and mistress. So I do not see her being a problem and… if I may,” His face turned pink as he looked away from her, having an issue with maintaining eye contact. “I’d rather not have to act like a butler if I don’t need to when I can be around you…”

James’s name echoed around the café and he found himself moving quickly feeling embarrassed that he admitted he’d rather be himself than her butler when they were together. Something about admitting that out loud made him feel embarrassed but, at the same time, gave him butterflies. Returning to the windowed seat, he placed down the tray with their food and drinks before they began to eat.

Her statement about letting him make the call made his face turn red. Normally she would make the call because she was the ‘boss’, if you will, and now it was his choice. “I think it would be best if you came but not as my mistress. In fact, if I were to think back on when she saw us last… she might think we’re… d…” He muttered the word into his food before taking a small drink. “So my thought is that you would come as representation of an outside opinion and she could bring someone. Anyone who would know that I am your butler would be people who came to your apartment.” Rising and falling his head with a nod, he turned his blue gaze to her, “would you… mind helping me?”

The delicate nature of their relationship was something that Freya was fully aware of, but something about hearing it said to her made her heart ache, if only for a moment. The feeling was quick to be pushed off as he gave a few good points with Rebecca. She had seen the young woman before, but it was so brief. When James avoided her gaze, she tilted her head, curious. "You may..." She blinked, noticing the pause.

His confession made her cheeks warm, and her heart pound. Of course she knew James would rather be himself around her, but...still. It was one thing to simply be aware of an obvious thing, than to be told it, anchoring it more into truth. She moved to respond, but heard their order being called under his name. Freya couldn't help giggling softly to herself as he quickly excused himself to gather their things. As they ate, she smiled towards him as he turned red. It was a rather selfish thing for her to do, but she felt it necessary. This was James' project, something she shouldn't really have too much of a say in. He wasn't her butler right now anyway, so anything she said would just be a suggestion.

Finishing off her muffin, she looked up at James. "Wait, what? I didn't hear what you said, you mumbled James." She laughed. "You can't talk and eat at the same time," She teased. He quickly moved on to another topic though, only raising her curiosity more. Freya simply nodded at his suggestion on them each just bringing one person. "Of course, James. You know I don't mind helping you." She took a small drink before she giggled. "You're so confusing though, James.." Oh how Freya loved to tease him. She gently kicked her feet under the table. "So, am I to be just an outside opinion, or..." Her gaze went from her sandwich, to James' eyes. "Or am I meant to be something more? I just...want to make sure is all." She gave a small playful smile towards him.

Letting the question sit in the air for a moment, she reached her hand out and gave his hand a gentle squeeze, giggling. "I'm just kidding, James~" Leaning back, she continued to eat her sandwich. "Oh, shouldn't you let Rebecca know to bring someone with her to taste test?" She suggested. Her eyes glanced towards the clock hanging on the walls. It was almost half past eleven. "I suppose we should start heading back, don't you think?" She stood, stretching upwards as she finished her meal. "Right, if you're cooking a meal shouldn't we stop for ingredients? Or...That might have to wait until Rebecca joins us maybe?" Freya began gathering her garbage to take it to the trash can nearby. Moving to head back outside, she went to grab James' hand, her fingers gently brushing the tips of his before deciding against it. Was it bad that she always wanted to hold his hand? Perhaps it was just because she wanted to use the same excuse James had when they were headed to the carnival that one evening.

Just so I don't lose you...

She playful picked on him which made him smile under his embarrassment. It was an honest smile, something that he seemed to only show Freya and the rarity of it seemed to be occurring more and more frequently. Her question, however, hit him like a ton of bricks. What was she to him? Was she really just an outside opinion or was she meant to be something more. The silence between the two of them left him contemplating in his food. What… what was she to him? The wheels turning at high speed in his mind did the best he could to try and find a logical answer.

Even after she explained that she was only kidding, his mind continued to work as if desperate now to find an answer to her question. It wasn’t until she mentioned that Rebecca should bring someone to have taste test as well that he truly snapped back into reality. “Oh yes, that would make sense.” With that he pulled out his phone responding to the text that Rebecca had sent earlier informing her that she should bring a single person over so they can have a taste tester.

He then closed his phone and rose to his feet along with her. “No, Rebecca is going to bring the ingredients and we are to cook at my place. So all we need to do is wait since we have a little while left before she is due to arrive.” At that the two started out of the café, feeling her hand brush against his made him smile and without giving it a second thought, he took her hand and laced her fingers in with hers as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

Holding hands the whole way, including in the car he opened the door to his apartment and let her inside first. Once inside he shut the door softly and went into the dining room/kitchen area. Straightening up what little mess was in there, he then returned with her to the living room.

Sitting down on the couch next to her, he laced his fingers in with each other. His blue gaze focused solely on them before shifting to look up at her. “Freya…” He asked softly, “Can… can I take you on another date sometime soon?”

She was a little glad to hear that Rebecca was bringing ingredients over, although she couldn't help but worry about the quality of ingredients she would bring. She was so used to knowing where the food she was eating was coming from, or in the very least, could leave food selection in capable hands like James. Hands... She sighed mentally as she resigned herself to not hold his hand, surprised and embarrassed when he seemed not to miss a beat, easily slipping his hands in between her own and making their way towards the car. Her delicate fingers curled to hold his hand, a shy smile creeping to her face.

Getting situated in the car, she closed her eyes, simply enjoying the soft music that played in the car, content with the feeling of James' hand in her own. Upon reaching the school parking lot, she only grew more embarrassed as he held her hand as they made their way up towards his apartment. Smiling and giving a small thank you as he motioned for her to head inside first, she slipped her fingers out of his grasp, watching as he began to pick up a few things, moving to fix some pillows on the couch.

Sitting back on the couch, Freya glanced over towards James when he called her name. At the question, her cheeks flushed. He was asking her out again? It was surprising, even if they had an amazing time last they were on a date. She had to admit she was a little hesitant. What if she ended up saying something silly? Their first date had gone so well, should they even go on a second one? That didn't make sense. She brushed the thought away for the moment, and nodded. "I'd love to."

They sat in silence for a moment. "Hey James? Can you put your head on my lap? I want to play with your hair for a moment while we have some time to ourselves." Even though she asked, she was already tugging at his arm, and her fingers gently gliding through his dark blue strands. Humming to herself, she closed her eyes. "I can't believe it's already close to midterms. Soon we'll be packing up and heading home for summer break." Freya giggled softly. "I do miss home, I can't wait to be back and tell Daddy about how much fun I had so--" She stopped in the middle of her sentence.

It was sinking in a little bit. What they were doing right now...it couldn't happen in any capacity when they returned to the manor. Her hands slowly kept moving through his hair, and she eventually broke the silence by clearing her throat. "S-So, James. What...What country--"

She looked up as the doorbell rang out. They hadn't even been inside that long. Was Rebecca here early??

She said yes, she said YES! His heart skipped a beat and his face flushed red with excitement and embarrassment. However he couldn’t get rid of the smile on his face when she said yes. Now he’d have to think of something else for them to do. A nod rose and fell his head as he felt so more and more excited at the thought of going out with her again.

Then, she began to tug on him, laying him down and resting his head on her lap. James’ blue eyes flickered closed as he relaxed in her lap. A small moan of enjoyment echoed in his throat as her fingers ran through his hair. That was one of his favorite things and it was so peaceful he felt himself wanting to lay there forever. Her mention of going home brought both of them to a pause. Wait… they had to leave? They had to leave and they wouldn’t be able to spend time together like this… under the eyes of everyone else.

It wasn’t like James to break the rules, it wasn’t like James to go against the wishes of his master and yet, as she stopped talking he reached down and took her free hand, bringing it up he gently placed a kiss on the palm of her hand. A kiss, no a promise; an unspoken promise that this wouldn’t change no matter where they are, in his mind when he was off work he was just James and she was just Freya.

She finally picked back up with talking before getting cut off by the doorbell. A defeated sigh left him as he laid in her lap for an extra moment before finally getting off of her. “Thank you.” He said softly, gently running a large hand across her cheek before leaving her in the kitchen and going to the front door.

“Jjjjjjaaaammmmmeeeeeessssssss!!!” A high pitched squeal echoed into the apartment as soon as he opened the door. Rebecca soon came into view along with another bleach blonde girl in a skimpy outfit. Obviously Freya was not the individual they were expecting to see and the look of disappointment on both the girl’s faces were easily read as they saw her.

“Rebecca, this is Freya, Freya this is my partner for the project, Rebecca.”

“Hi.” Rebecca said short before giving a boring gesture towards her guest. “This is Molly.”

Molly greeted them before the four took a seat in his living room.

“This is our goal.” James began picking up a notebook from the table and flipping it open. “We are creating a dinner dish based on the French cuisine. So what we’re hoping to achieve is different flavors that play in layers on your tongue. For the appetizer we will be making: Coquilles Saint-Jacques, for the main course it will be Pan-seared Foie Gras with Confit de Canard
and for dessert we will have Baked Camembert. It will take us about 45 minutes to prepare everything and I have a list of questions for each of you to answer so you know what you’re looking for. Describing the overall taste won’t help us so look at these questions and focus on those. We will give you samples of everything along with black coffee or tea to clear your pallet before you start on the next dish.” James handed each of them an elegantly written list of questions with spaces to write responses.

“Rebecca let’s get started to we can insure that we don’t use up anyone’s time.” With that the two partners headed into the kitchen and began cooking.

[I provided links to the recipes so you can describe the taste. -laughs-]

It always made Freya feel warm inside when she could help. She felt like he needed just a few moments to relax. She had felt him stiffen slightly after the realization they had to go back…Would everything that was happening here just evaporate? Would they just return to pretending like they weren’t…enjoying being together? In that moment she felt James take her hand in his, and her cheeks flushed as his lips made contact with her palm. He didn’t say anything, but even still it reassured her.

As James walked away to answer the door, she moved her own hand up to up her cheek, it tingling from where he had just been. He didn’t need to thank her, honestly. He did so much for her, it was the least she could do.

A ear-shattering shriek came into the apartment, and she was thankful that she was James’ neighbor and not another person. Was that Rebecca screaming like that? Her brows furrowed slightly and quickly fixed her demeanor as the girls walked in with James following close behind. Standing as they were in the living room, she couldn’t help but falter slightly at the utter disappointment coming off of the other ladies. Was she…not supposed to be here?

“H-Hello. It’s nice to meet you.” Freya smiled, giving a small wave. Wasn’t Molly cold?

Sitting back down on the couch, everyone was looking at Rebecca and James’ goals for their midterm. As they listed out the different courses that they would be having, and handed over a sheet of questions, Freya smiled and nodded before they headed off into the kitchen. She couldn’t shake the odd feeling in her stomach as they disappeared behind the wall, though…

“S-So! Molly, right? Are you good friends with Rebecca?” Idle chatter was nice? Sitting in silence for forty-five minutes was something Freya wasn’t looking forward to. “Sorry if we sprung being a taste tester on you last minute like this, I appreciate you coming on such short notice.”
[Haha, thanks~]

As the two worked in the kitchen they made idle chat between discussing the meal. Questions about who Freya was and why she was here instead of another friend were the general questions that she was attempting to lead into through many different avenues. After a few minutes, James realized he had left Freya out in the living room with someone she didn’t know and no way to relax. “Pardon me.” James said quickly excusing himself out of the kitchen and into the hallway.

Pulling open the hallway closet door he grabbed a handful of suckers and went back to the living room after kicking the door shut. “Here,” He said with a smile placing the large handful of suckers down on the coffee table. “We can’t have anyone starving before the meal. Maybe see if you ladies can guess what kind of flavors these are.” With that he shot Freya a tiny wink before disappearing back into the kitchen.

“My apologies, where are we now?” He said to Rebecca as he came up beside her in the kitchen. Her actions were... odd to say the least, she kept trying to take the pans from him or the spoons he would be using for scooping things. And when he’d let go so she could take it, she wouldn’t. Man… girls were weird.

“Alright.” James called out from the kitchen. “Please come into the kitchen ladies, we’re ready.” With that he and a disgruntled Rebecca set the table in an elegant fashion (much like Freya was used to). James pulled out Freya’s chair and soon the appetizers were set in front of the girls and the two creators stood back to observe their responses.