Gosh. Directness. Now he has a Kib in his lap.

But can he get a vague incoherent happy-noises Kip in his lap with more neck nibbling?

Oh yes.

Then this will be very satisfactory.

Excellent. Best fabric store hookup. Kind of awkward to have you in my lap since you're so tall but I would be delighted to figure out alternative reciprocal arrangements.

You can stay in my lap, just turn around and look at me.

Sounds like a plan. Well, telepathies like a plan.

And kiss me.

"I don't care to rebraid my hair just yet," he says afterwards, "I think I'd do it sloppily. Shall we stay here and cuddle?"

"Okay." Snuggles. "I'm impressed everyone manages to braid their hair so neatly, I'd imagine it'd be hard to do without looking."

"Lots and lots and lots of practice. Married hairstyles are more elaborate and most of them require your partner to do. I've always been tempted to just start wearing a married hairstyle, no explanation -"

"Aww. Well, you can do it on my world but nobody'll have a clue what it means."

"I am very glad your world exists. I would like to go there and kiss boys and attract no particular attention for it. But it's not what I really want. What I want is for it to not be wrong here."

"Well, wish granted, the problem is it's socially unacceptable."

"For all I know the Valar actually do have a reason, with respect to us. I am, obviously, not living my life around the possibility, but -"

"You'd think they could, like, mention that, if they had one."

"And then where would I be."

"Back home with bags and bags of gemstones and a very justified grudge against the stupid immortality world, probably. I like having you here better."

Snuggle. "Immortality would still have been nothing to sneeze at and maybe somebody would have tipped me off that there were places other than Tirion, but yeah, this is pleasanter."

And after a while he does, reluctantly, rebraid his hair and kiss Kib good night.

(Aly's inviting neighbors over because her teacher made way too much lentil soup, Aly's taking notes on a book about golem programming, Aly's talking to the Harthanic Preservation Society, Aly's cider is too hot and she burns her tongue)

- Kib wakes up in a very chipper mood.