"Well, I suppose they're free to be tasteless. If they really want to."

He laughs.

She smiles, and nuzzles him.

"I have no problem with taking advantage of their inaction." Like kissing him some more, she can do that.

She has such good ideas!

Yes, she does, doesn't she?

They can just keep doing this, then. Since it's such a great idea.

The morning is lovely. Not even just the kissing (though that's pretty great) but having him here. Waking up next to him. Holding him, talking to him, feeling his presence through the Force. It's nice. She thinks she wants this every morning.

But the prospect of there being a time limit to this particular morning starts to weigh on her mind. Not very overtly, but - she does not want to get rudely interrupted by an alarm, much as she'd rather be interrupted than shirk her responsibilities. She'd rather not need to be interrupted to prevent herself from shirking her responsibilities.

And they can always have other mornings, can't they.

"We should probably actually get out of bed," she murmurs gently, kissing his forehead.

"That sounds like a terrible idea," he jokes.

Nariveth giggles.

"It definitely is," she agrees. "But we'll have other mornings, and I think I'd find being rudely interrupted by an alarm annoying. At least this way I can feel a sense of pride for escaping inertia on my own."

"Well, all right, I can respect that logic."

Out of bed they go!

Yep! It's terrible. So terrible.

But she can kiss him again before going to get ready for the day. Which is nicer than it has any right to be, really.

And then, yes, actually getting ready for the day.

While rebraiding her hair, she wonders, "Do you want to be quietly spirited out of the manor, or would you rather just - walk out and not worry about it?"

"I think I can just walk out and not worry about it, unless you think there's something to worry about."

Snort.

"Not with my people - I mentioned they'll be concerned for your safety, and that's true, but we won't have to worry about vicious gossip or some kind of scandal. They're very good about not talking about certain subjects. But, you know. We didn't have a chaperone with us at all times, who knows what we might have done in here. I'd understand if Barrayarans were scandalized a little and that you might want to avoid it."

"It'll be fine," he says cheerfully.

"I'll trust your judgement." She finishes tying off this section of braid and starts on another. "But if people start saying you've been charmed by a sorceress, I'm saying it's your fault."

"No, everyone will think that spending one night at your house and then declaring my intention to marry you sounds perfectly in character for me and nothing about it requires an extraordinary explanation."

.... She's going to have to restart this braid section because now she's too busy laughing to have much coordination. Apparently there are hazards to spending the night with Miles Vorkosigan.

"Well," she laughs, "all right."

He grins at her and commences buttoning his shirt.

Soon enough they are both suitably ready for the day.

"I don't think I'm going to be able to have time tonight for a date night," she informs him, sadly, "but I'm free tomorrow night if you'd like one."

"Tomorrow night sounds good!"

"Excellent. I'll look forward to it, then." Kiss.

One benefit of not keeping this a secret: she can walk him to the door. So she does that.

And he bids her a cheerful goodbye and off he goes.

She smiles at him fondly, and then, to work.

Her workday is largely undisturbed by Imperials being concerned about Miles's safety, though everyone seems very mysteriously knowledgeable and do not ask any questions about Miles himself or what she did with her morning. Which of course means that the information has disseminated through the Imperial gossip network. Fine by her. As long as they don't panic, she can just - prove their assumptions wrong one day at a time. Miles will keep being one half of a consensual relationship, and they will be obviously very happy together, or -

Or she will let him go, if it comes to that. Which, she really hopes not, breaking up would be terrible. He said 'Of course I'm going to marry you' and now she's gone and believed him, and the thought of eventually being married to Miles fills her with a - a strange warm glow. It's weird, but not unpleasantly so. If she had more time, maybe she'd be tempted to sigh wistfully and maybe doodle 'Nariveth Vorkosigan' with little hearts instead of dots for the i's, but she's much too busy to actually have time to manage anything that embarrassing. Fortunately.

Callida has a check in with Occlus scheduled just before she typically goes to bed, this being partially why a date night with Miles wouldn't be very viable. She takes a minute to compose her thoughts so her mentor won't have to put up with the discomfort of having a lovestruck apprentice in her head, and then retrieves her crystals and reaches out.

Occlus.

Apprentice.

She gives a report of current events and how the planning for the station is coming along (well), and gives Occlus the finalized list of people to bribe to join Occlus in coming over. Here is a pilot with her own ship that was dating one of her biochemists, unconnected to the Imperial Military personally. She might be willing to be a disposable test subject for whether coming over will even work, if Occlus would like to arrange that it be tested before packing up her archives and blowing up what she doesn't take with her. Because Occlus might want to do that.

A good idea; she will arrange it. Look for the arrival shortly. She has some minor quibbles with the station design.

And with business concluded, I sense a certain... satisfaction in you, apprentice.