SSRP: Carlen Loft

[Granger1814]

Welcome to the loft of Brett Carlen, shopkeeper of Flourish and Blotts. Since Brett lives alone, his place is small, yet comfortable. A small living area with sofa and chairs are situated to the right once you enter the room. A large bookshelf with many genres of books sits near the couch. A few pictures hang upon the walls, along with a horizontal mirror. A coffee table in the middle completes the room.

To the left is a kitchen and straight ahead is the bedroom. The kitchen holds a small table, ideal for sitting up to four visitors as well as a few basic appliances. A counter top runs along two sides of the kitchen, and there are many cupboards to store utensils, thus giving plenty of space to prepare meals.

Bright lights make the place feel very welcoming, while a sitting area near the window in the kitchen gives the owner a sweeping view of the city streets below.


First Scene:

Artemis Chosen pays a visit to Brett to begin their planned day of baking and exploring Diagon Alley. This scene will follow the two through their adventures of cooking.

Brett Carlen: Granger1814
Artemis Chosen: D.A Forever

[D.A Forever]

Just like they had talked about, Artemis was ready bright and early for their day of baking and picture taking in Diagon Alley. Dressed in her usual muggle attire of jeans and a nice shirt (because she couldn't be bothered with wizard robes and frankly, her neighbors would think her insane), Artie shifted a rather large bag she was carrying to one arm and raised her other hand to knock lightly on the door.

[Granger1814]

Stretched out on the couch, book in hand, Brett was on the verge of figuring out the last word to the crossword puzzle when he heard a soft knock at the door. He tossed the book on the coffee table as he swung his legs off of the couch and stood up. Glancing into the mirror, he passed a hand through his hair and then headed to the door.

He swung it open, a smile immediately lighting up his face in greeting. "Hey." He said, glancing at the bag that Artie held. "Come on in." He stepped to one side to allow her into the room, while asking. "You need a hand with that?"

[D.A Forever]

Practically beaming with excitement when Brett opened the door, Artie could have chuckled at herself for being, or rather feeling, like a silly young child. "Hey!" She replied, stepping inside and pausing next to him to give him a one-armed hug. "Just lead the way to the kitchen?"

As an afterthought as she moved back to give him space again, Artie added, "Should I take off my shoes?" She knew some people were particular about that sort of thing, and didn't want to be rude by not asking.

[Granger1814]

Surprised, Brett returned the one-armed hug as Artie stepped into the room. "Sure thing. To your left. You can just put your bag on the counter; there's plenty of room."

He glanced down at the floor as Artie mentioned her shoes. "Oh, it doesn't matter to me. Keep them on or take them off. Whatever makes you comfortable." He, himself, didn't have any shoes on, but he usually didn't wear shoes around the loft.

He stepped towards the kitchen, talking over his shoulder. "You want something to drink? Like a cola or something before we start baking?"

[D.A Forever]

"Okay." Nodding once, Artie slipped her shoes off near the door, out of the way, and followed Brett toward the kitchen, explaining, "I wasn't sure if you would have everything we need, so I decided to bring baking stuff just to be sure."

After setting the bag down on the counter, Artie turned back around to face Brett as he asked her a question, "Yes, please." placing her hands absently on her hips, the young woman asked with a bright smile, "So are you ready to learn to bake with no assistance from dear old Mrs. LouLou?"

[Granger1814]

Brett opened the refrigerator and removed two cans of cold cola from its depths. As the door swung shut, he replied. "Thanks. I might be missing a thing or two, but I'm not entirely sure myself. Good thing that you bought extra, though I'm sure that we would have made do with what we had."

He handed one of the cans to Artie, and then leaned casually against the counter. "Sure am. Just remember to take it slow; after all, I'm just a beginner." He remarked with a wink. "What do we do first?"

[D.A Forever]

Artie shrugged slightly, accepting the cola with a quick 'thanks', "I wasn't sure exactily what we were going to make and this way, if we need it we have it and if we don't, atleast we're well prepared." Holding the cold soda between her two hands, the young woman chuckled at his reminder. "Don't worry, it'll be fun."

"We decide what to bake!" Artie announced, setting her drink down on the counter to get into the bag she had brought and pulled out a cookbook on baked sweets. "Do you have anything in mind you want to make?" There were many options!

[Granger1814]

Brett nodded and murmured a quick 'you're welcome.' "True...always thinking ahead." He kidded her with a warm smile. "Good qualities for your job though. Couldn't have someone who didn't have good planning skills."

He chuckled at Artie's reassurance that it would be fun. "Oh I have no doubt about that. I'm sure that there will be more than one fun occasion during the process."

She had brought a book of recipes? She had definitely planned this out. "Hm, something with chocolate." He said as he walked over to join her, his arm brushing hers as he leaned over slightly to see the cookbook. "I'm always partial to brownies...Do you like anything in particular?"

[D.A Forever]

Was she always thinking ahead? Probably. She hadn't really noticed, but that sounded accurate, especially if she were looking forward to that something. "In a joke shop that has children of all ages visiting during the summer?" Artie asked jokingly, shaking her head lightly. "Of course not!" The shop would be in utter chaos - Real chaos, not just the loud chatter, laughter, running and playing of the children that she considered under control. "It probably helps, coming from the family I come from." She added rather thoughtfully.

Smiling brightly, Artie nodded. He was definitely right about that. Something with chocolate, right! Opening the large book wide, she glanced up to see Brett as their arms brushed, and quickly turned dark blue eyes back to the book, "Mm, one of my favorite treats is a type of Greek cookie my auntie use to make 'Tria and I after school every day when we were young. I'll have to make sure you try those another time, though." Flipping through some pages, Artie paused and pressed her index finger that wasn't holding the book to the page. "There! What about that? Triple chocolate brownies." She asked, looking excitedly up at Brett.

[Granger1814]

"Exactly my point. It's definitely a good quality to have; to be able to control each aspect of the shop and to keep the chaos at a minimum." He shook his head slowly. Flourish and Blotts was crazy enough with sheer number of students who had to buy books. It was hard to imagine those same kids in a joke shop, wanting to try out the items before they bought them. "You're a strong woman, Artie." He murmured, quite amused at his thoughts.

"Mm, cookies are really good too. Chocolate, sugar, macadamia nut, oatmeal." He railed off. "What kind of cookie is the one that your aunt used to make? Or is it some sort of secret recipe?"

As Artie announced that they could make triple chocolate brownies, Brett grinned and nodded once. "Sounds great to me. Though are you sure that much chocolate won't get you too hyper?" He teased.

[D.A Forever]

The chaos of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes wasn't really at a minimum, or.. even close to that. But Artie didn't think it was out of hand nor boarderline worrisome, it was kind of like a happy medium chaos? Something like that. Her face flushed at his words. "Life experience makes everyone stronger, no?" She retorted bashfully.

Artie beamed as Brett spoke of different tastey cookies. She doubted it would be hard to turn him into a baker, which would have been a great surprise "It was a sugared almond cookie, but she use to add her own little twist to it. They were really good," Artie said, smiling fondly from the memory. "That and Greek mountain tea, those were the cure-all for a bad day at school and the perfect finish to a good day." Musing a moment, she added as an afterthought, "Do you like tea?"

"Hmm. Good question. I'm not sure, does it matter if we're going to explore Diagon Alley afterward?" She asked, looking up innocently at her dearest friend and then back to the recipe. "So we should probably get the ingredients out, and preheat the oven to 350°."

[Granger1814]

Brett chuckled and nodded. "Yes, I do believe you are correct in that. It definitely makes you stronger...and keeps you from making the same mistakes again and again." He added, inwardly smiling as a dull red lit up Artie's face.

Mm, sugared almond. That did sound pretty good. Then again, he liked sugar...and chocolate...and sweets in particular. "Tea?" He repeated. "I guess I should considering where we live, but I actually prefer coffee. Though I've never had Greek mountain tea. Is it a strong tea?"

Passing a hand through his hair, Brett grinned. "Well, that's the plan, so if we're going to be taking pictures and such, then we'd better have plenty of energy." Speaking of....He edged back towards the living room, picked up something, and returned to the kitchen. "Smile!" He said, raising the camera for a quick picture.

He set the camera on the counter and peered into the book at the recipe. "Do you want to preheat and I"ll get the ingredients?"

[D.A Forever]

Artie smiled warmly, commenting jokingly, "Right again? You really shouldn't encourage my recent discovery of constant perfect precision, it just may start going to my head one of these days." Then she nodded slightly, adding more seriously. "I would surely hope so; making the same mistakes over and over again.. that would be very unfortunate. Making a mistake once is understandable, it's how we learn that we've made an error in our actions and choices, but to repeat those mistakes.." Would mean the person didn't care or pay enough attention to know better.

Brett liked coffee better than tea. Somehow, Artie wasn't very surprised - despite where they lived, as he did mention, it just.. fit. He didn't really strike her as a heavy tea drinker, but then again Artie wouldn't know by the looks of anyone whether or not they drank tea; it was simply something she had come to think in the time she'd known the man. "Hmm, sort of. My aunt would probably call it a 'required taste'."

"I think we're safe to go with the triple chocolate brownies then," Artie was happy with their choice, the brownies sounded delicious and very rich in flavor, and with that much sugar and chocolatety goodness there was no way they wouldn't have plenty of energy. Noticing Brett sneaking away, Artie eyed him playfully. A laugh escaped the young woman as he raised a mostily square, fairly small object and she smiled once more.

Artie nodded at his question and set the book on the counter, making sure that the page didn't turn as she did. "So, Mister Carlen. Since we met those four fateful years ago," She started as she moved toward the oven and looked it over, her dark blue eyes searching for the appropriate knob to turn, purposely throwing in the 'fateful' in a playful sense since that was something they had talked about in the past. "We've talked a bit about where we come from, where you've been, my.. somewhat crazy, but very caring and loveable family. I told you a little bit about Mister Frost," Locating the knob, Artie turned the oven on to preheat and turned back around to face Brett. "And of course, many other conversations. I'm curious, though." She paused, letting her words fade.

[Granger1814]

Brett gave a soft laugh at Artie's words. "That isn't a bad thing." He pointed out teasingly. "Being right can be a nice boost to your ego." His eyes narrowed slightly as Artie continued to speak. He should know that sometimes making a mistake isn't enough to keep you from making the same mistake or a similar mistake over and over again. He shifted his position, leaning against the countertop near the sink. "Required taste?" He questioned. "Or acquired taste?" He had heard of the latter, but not the former.

Brett smiled and nodded in satisfaction as he waved the small photo in the air. "Very nice photo; it'll be the first in our album." He set the camera down onto the counter and walked towards the fridge to begin to gather the ingredients for their brownies. Mm, chocolate...triple chocolate.

His back was to Artie as he selected the required ingredients, but when her words slowly trailed off, he straightened up, and glanced over his shoulder at her. "About what?" He asked, curious himself.

[D.A Forever]

"I suppose that's true," Artie agreed, her tone light. "I wouldn't want to give the impress I'm conceited, though." No, Artie wouldn't like that at all. Being right sometimes was one thing, she was surely never always right nor was she a perfect person. The young woman was well aware of her own faults and flaws, and that was okay by her. It made her human. Not quite noticing the change in the expression he wore, as she checked to make sure the oven was on and preheating, Artie brushed a stray, curly dark lock of her hair behind her ear and stood, leaning against the counter directly across from Brett with her hands behind her back. "Required. Aunt Erimentha says there are certain things that you have to have a special taste for, or have been raised on from a young age, to appreciate." The brunette then added with a small shrug, as an afterthought, "She probably did mean acquired; Her Greek is better than her English."

Artie shook her head, smiling all the while as Brett waved the photo around. She chuckled at his remark, "I should have looked surprised, that would have been a great picture to see when you first open the book. And speaking of great pictures, you need a chef's hat." Dark blue eyes sparkled, twirling her wand between her fingers. Hmm, should she conjure one of those up?

Pressing her lips together as he looked over to her, Artie took her time to collect her thoughts and figure out how to phrase her next sentence, or more importantly what exactily she'd say. She was curious and interested in knowing about a lot of things, but what to start with? "mmm," she hummed softly, deciding that being a little bit straightforward was okay because she was being completely honest. "Everything that I don't know about you, I suppose is the best way to answer. What's your family like?" That was the first question to come to mind out of the others, since that had come up in a conversation with two of her brothers and she realized then she didn't know.

[Granger1814]

Brett smirked as Artie stated that she wouldn’t want to give the impression that she was conceited. “Oh, I wouldn’t think you as conceited, far from it. Then again, I’ve known you for a while so I can say for certainty that you are not conceited. But if you insist on not being shown persistent perfection, then I shall refrain.” He promised.
Required…hmm. “I would definitely think she meant acquired, but required can work too, I suppose…but yes, I’ll definitely have to try it when I visit Greece. I don’t tend to shy away from trying new things.”

“Yes, I’m sure you would have been, but it’s a great photo all the same. Then again, I’m sure that you would look great no matter when expression you would have worn, whether happy or surprised.” He paused, eyeing Artie’s wand, and slightly frowned. “Don’t even think about it.” He warned playfully, though he probably wouldn’t object to the hat if she did attempt it.

He waited patiently as Artie seemed to debate something, and when she finally spoke, he slowly turned around to rest against the oven. His family? Well, he certainly hadn’t expected that subject to be brought up. “My…family…Two parents and a brother.” He said simply. “Honestly, there’s not much to tell. I was the rebellious kid, my older brother was the intelligent one who did everything right.” A slight frown caused his brow to furrow in thought. “I talk to my parents from time to time, but we really aren’t all that close.”

[D.A Forever]

Artie was glad Brett didn't think she was conceited and he was certainly right about knowing her quite a while now, she couldn't help from laugh at his little promise to refrain if she wished for him to. "Hmm. I'm not sure how to respond to that," She admitted, smiling all the same.

"I think you're right," Artie agreed, her smile growing as he continued, mentioning when he would visit Greece. Yes, she was excited about that still, and would be until long after they returned. It was going to be so fun to finally go back and bring Brett with her. "Good, because I'll make sure you get to try tons of different things." and see every thing, or at least the most important things and most beautiful sights.

A faint blush appeared in her cheeks, caused from his complimenting of the picture - though really, he was complimenting her. Feeling slightly bashful, thankfully Artie didn't have to think much about it or consider the thoughts that drifted through her mind, her smile turning into a playful look at his reaction. "Too late, I'm already thinking about it," she stated, still twirling her wand. A soft-spoken incantation and a second later, a chef's hat appeared in Artie's open palm. Setting her wand aside, holding the hat behind her back she tried to slyly step closer to Brett (though really, being Artie, it probably looked more silly than sly) until she was standing in front of him. She was so going to put that hat on him, "All the professionals wear them, you know.."

Artie wasn't exactily sure what she had expected to hear about his family, and while parts seemed to fit and make sense to her - she had sort of known Brett had been the rebellious type at some point, - some didn't and they were probably the least expected to be heard. It was the brother part, that Artie didn't know what to make of the most. "You make it sound like because your brother did everything right, you did everything wrong." Artie commented, unable to stop the words from coming out. She doubt that, though. Strongly. But she also felt they were tredding on at least one subject Brett wasn't entirely comfortable with speaking about, and despite her wondering exactily how long it had been that way - how long it sounded as though he had been on his own, without his family for support, Artie knew better than to push matters. "I'm sorry if that was too personal of a question to ask. You can tell me if you don't want to talk about something, I would understand." Maybe she was wrong, but judging by the change in his expression Artie didn't think so. And she didn't want to make him uncomfortable. So, back to the recipe? "We should probably start chopping the chocolate now,"

[Granger1814]

Brett flashed a quick smile at Artie's response to his statement that he would refrain from showing her to be persistently perfect. "Eh you don't have to respond; we will just be in silent agreement."

He removed the items from the refrigerator and stacked them onto the counter as he nodded in agreement with Artie's promise. "Sounds great to me. I"m sure you'll make sure I don't miss any of the necessities." He would willingly try new things, especially if it would please Artie.

Watching warily as a hat appeared in Artie's hands, Brett wondered if she really would attempt to stick it on his head. A crafty idea planted in his mind and he his a smile. Now he hoped that she would try it.

He waved away the concern of it being a personal subject. "It's fine." He replied as his expression turned thoughtful. "Not really everything right versus everything wrong. It was just that he always listened to my parents and I...didn't. I gave them much heartache; just became mixed up in the wrong type of crowd and was too stubborn to accept any help."

He glanced at the stack of chocolate on the counter. "I suppose that we can."

[D.A Forever]

Silent agreement, Artie nodded. She liked that. Though really what she liked was how easy it was to simply be with Brett. To be silly or serious or quiet, it didn't make a slightest bit of difference; Never once had he looked at her funny, even all that time ago when she'd mentioned Mr. Frost - the snowman she had thought up as a child that controlled the winter weather. It was nice, very nice to feel at complete ease with someone outside of your family.

And speaking of family, Artie's thoughts lingered on their trip to Greece. It was going to be wonderful and she tried hard not to think too much about it, not wanting to become too eager for the date to come sooner than it would. Part of her, though, was the littlest bit nervous. The nerves would grow when the leaving day began to approach, and worries of how her family would behave would haunt her. She loved them like nothing else in the world and it wasn't fear of them embarrassing her (though she was sure at least one person would manage that too), Artie worried slightly about how Brett would react to them; She didn't want them to overwhelm him, at least on the first day. But for now, she would push those thoughts away. "Of course, I've already started a mental check-list of what cannot be missed or forgotten about while we're there," She said jokingly, her grin showing as much. Artie didn't like the idea of planning out the trip, because that sucked the fun out of it. But she did know a few things off the top of her head that were a must.

Artie raised an eyebrow, wondering if Brett would try to snatch the hat if she attempted her plan or react sooner. Though she tried, Artie couldn't hide the playful smile on her lips, growing with amusement. Casually fluffing out the top of the hat and making sure it was ready to be worn, she stood on the tips of her toes to be more at level with his height, a mischievious sparkle in her dark blue eyes and made to put the chef's hat on him.

Nodding slightly, Artie briefly remembered a previous conversation of theirs about being stubborn. It made more sense now than it had back then, little had she known at the time. But she didn't mind, either. "Did you know you needed the help, at the time?" Artie asked, genuinely interested in knowing. There was no judgement what-so-ever in her voice or visible on her face. "I'm sure your parents must forgive you by now. Is that why you're not close?"

[Granger1814]

Chocolate...butter...frying pan...baking pan...utensils...Everything seemed to be in place for their baking project. All they needed to do was to get started with it. Brett looked on as Artie spoke jokingly about creating a mental list for their trip, his own smile appearing. "Be sure to keep that in mind or write it down. We don't want to forget anything. After all, it might be my only opportunity to visit Greece. I don't want to regret the trip." He said, playfully winking.

Aha, he knew she was going to try to make him wear that hat. He had seen it in her eyes. There was no stopping her now, though he really had no intention to. His gaze appraised her as she moved closer and elevated herself to his height, gently settling the hat on his head. His hands reached up instinctively to ensure that the hat was on properly before sliding carefully to Artemis' wrists.

"Oh..they've forgiven me. I think it's mostly me that's not making the effort I should be to try to rebuild the relationship." He admitted quietly. "Something I intend to remedy in the future."

For a moment, there was silence, and Brett's thoughts were on how Artie had shown no indication of judgment based on his past, something he was all too familiar with in regard to other people. Those people judged far too quickly, and though he had done certain things in the past, he was a much better person now. It was all too unfortunate that his reputation preceded him at times.

His hands still on her wrists, Brett drew in a quiet breath as he looked down upon Artie. Artie, who had been his friend for years. He could still remember the first day she walked into the shop. A small smile worked its way to his face before he finally did what he had been wanting to do for some time. Before he chickened out, though he had never done such a thing in his life, Brett leaned his forehead against Artie's for a moment. Accidentally dislodging the chef's hat in the process, he laughed quietly, but ignored it, and quickly, in a matter of seconds, pressed his lips on hers. He hoped he wasn't making a mistake. Oh, how he hoped.

[D.A Forever]

"Oh, I'll remember." Artemis assured him, supressing a laugh. After a moment to consider what he'd said, she gave him a mock gasp. Only visit to Greece, hmm? "Are you trying to say you're not sure you'll want to visit again with me? I'm not sure how Juliet will feel about that," She teased, all in good fun.

Artie's smile brightened even more, if that were possible with the hat settled in place on Brett's head, he even helped make sure it would stay. It took quite a bit for her not to laugh but the capturing of her wrists proved to be a distraction, curiosity subduing the giggles.

"You should, I think they would like that." Of course, Artie didn't know his parents personally. She was taking a guess, a faithful one based on all that she knew of parents in general. "I'm so glad you said that."

Her wrists still being held captive, Artemis glanced down at their hands for the first time and then back up at Brett, her expression slightly curious though not questioning at all, she couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking about, having become quiet. It didn't bother her, though. It was a nice kind of quiet, a thoughtful one. And her hands, they were perfectly fine right where they were; She hadn't tried to pull away once, and she knew if she did try Brett would have let her. Why she would do that though, never quite crossed her mind.

As Brett leaned his forehead against hers, Artie smiled softly. She was still terribly curious to know what was going on in his mind, but the chef hat falling turned her attention from those thoughts. "Aww," She hadn't even gotten a picture yet! That was, of course, the furthest thing from her mind when his lips met hers, as was the pout she had been about to attempt. Thoroughly surprised, a series of waiting butterflies took flight in her tummy but Artemis didn't step back or pull away. Instead, she kissed him back.

[Granger1814]

Brett shook his head immediately. "No, not at all. I'd love to revisit Greece with you again after this trip. And I certainly can't resist the possibility of seeing little Juliet again." He smiled at the mention of the little girl's name. She certainly was one adorable child.

He smiled wryly as Artie stated that she was glad he was planning to remedy the lack of a close relationship with his parents. It was just like Artie to say that.

He had been unsure whether or not this was mistake, but it was with a great sigh of relief when he didn't feel her attempt to pull away. Instead, she returned the kiss. He kissed her back for a moment more before reluctantly pulling away. For a few seconds, he merely watched her, a smile playing on his lips, before he glanced down at the floor where the hat lay. "Whoops." He said, his subsequent laugh sounding with a mix of elation and relief.

He reached up, his fingertips playing with a few strands of loose hair around Artie's face. "Thank you." He murmured. "For everything."

[D.A Forever]

Though Artie tried to hold them in, a few giggles did escape at his response. She was only playing with him but it was wonderful to know he would keep her company during her further-future visits as well. It sort of helped relieve any worries that she may forget to show him something or have him try something during their first visit, too. Because there would always be more opportunities ahead, what with half of her family still living in Greece. "I can't wait to go," Artie admitted quietly, briefly thinking about what their trip would be like. Her smile grew at the fondness Brett showed for her adorable little 'neice'. "Juliet will be thrilled to see you."

Her own dark blue eyes blinked as Brett pulled away, as if a little bit dazed, her cheeks coloring with visible warmth. A small, shy smile had returned to her lips though as she stared back right back at Brett, her mind moving a mile a minute as it caught up with what just happened and the obvious shifting of change to their friendship. That part she hadn't yet figured out, still wasn't sure about, but there was a definite shift; Artie only hoped that it was for the better. She certainly thought it was.

Still quiet, whether because she didn't want to break the silence around them or because she simply couldn't find words to speak, with another blink of her eyes Artemis followed Brett's gaze toward the chef's hat, momentarily forgotten on the floor. Tilting her head back up at him, Artie found her voice again. "If I didn't know any better, I would think you did that on purpose, Mister Carlen. I wanted a picture," she spoke softly, poking him in the side. Her smile grew a little bit and rather bashfully, she wrapped her arms around his middle. "That was a little bit unexpected," Or maybe she was just a little bit oblivious to these types of things. That was probably more likely to be true. "A nice kind of unexpected, though.. I liked that surprise." Was that silly to say? Even though it was true? Probably. But Artie didn't care.

Biting her lower lip slightly, Artie couldn't help the first thoughts that had come to mind when he spoke, thanking her for reasons she didn't know, was that it reminded her of some one who didn't think they had much time left; Someone very ill, or even dying. That was something she had probably witnessed too many times between being a child and going to work with her mother, and working at St. Mungo's herself after her school years. But Brett wasn't ill as far as she knew, that wasn't a possibility and so those thoughts were immediately shoved somewhere far back in her mind, locked up and shut away for good. Nothing was going to ruin this moment. "I would say you're welcome, but I have no idea what I did to have you saying that." Artemis confessed in a quiet voice, "You don't need to thank me anyway."

[Granger1814]

Brett was looking forward to seeing Juliet as well. The trip would come quickly, as did all other events. He was certain that she would be excited to see him as well. He would have to bring her something related to monkeys though. "I'll have to buy her a stuffed monkey or something." He said with a quiet chuckle. "Imagine her reaction then."

As Artie finally spoke, Brett's smile grew a bit. "Who? Me? I would never." He protested. Oh. His next thoughts quickly evaporated as Artie wrapped her arms around him. He tentatively reached down, lifted one of Artie's hands, and gently pressed a kiss to the palm. "I agree. Surprises are the best." So apparently it hadn't been a mistake. She had enjoyed the kiss, and obviously was not going to reject him.

"I beg to differ." He replied with another smile. "But to explain, thank you for not being judgmental as so many others have been in the past. Thank you for taking the time to look past the physical and to look at who I am inside, as cliche as it sounds. Thank you for making me feel as though I can be myself with you and not have to put up a facade."