he's standing in her kitchen like he has any right to be here, leaning against the counter whilst he watches her go about her tasks ; she makes a drink for herself, yet she doesn't neglect to make one for him too, even when he shows no real interest. as if to simply not leave him out, placing the glass within reach should he want it, should he change his mind. the kitchen itself is a cluttered thing, a mishmash of colours tailored to multiple peoples tastes and preferences. an amalgamation of a friend group, something aerion can't relate to. more often than not he shares a room with his elder brother, and more often than not he simply doesn't come home at night.
maybe he's been staring too long, maybe he hasn't been listening to her, because her fingers find his face a moment later ( gentle, slow, as if not to startle him. aware of his aversion to unprompted touch ) tilt his gaze gently towards her. down, because for once in his life he's not looking up at someone.
she says something along the lines of you're welcome here, you know that, right ? even though it's just the two of them, even though romeo wasn't there to perhaps filter some of that kinetic energy. a buffer, sometimes, if aerion had nothing to give and so they could simply orbit each other with more ease instead, letting him linger on the edges. his hands remain on the counter behind him, even as his face tilts a little further into the warmth of her palms, cradling his sharp, unforgiving features as if they weren't monstrous to her at all.
pale eyes flicker over her face for a moment, drinking her in, before he leans down to press a kiss to her lips, a surprisingly gentle and curious action from the likes of him. when he breaks away, he makes a non-committal sound, fingers flexing against the kitchen counter, but he's heard her all the same.
