Lana was just serving up dinner when the tree told her Blaine was approaching so she had it pull back its branches for him. She was going to make a quip when she saw him to try to reduce the tension between them but his face looked so serious. She didn't know where he'd been hiding that outfit but she'd like to see it on the floor. Her body was heating up just looking at him.
She forgot what she was doing and just stood there with the pot and the spoon and he walked over to her. He got down on his knees in front of her. He opened a velvet-lined box that was too big to be a ring and too small to be a necklace.
"I'm sorry. I was out of line earlier and I hope I didn't scare you. Can you forgive me? Can we still be friends?"
Lana was all kinds of confused. She didn't even look at the box but his face, his eyes. "Of course we are still friends. What is there to forgive?" She flashed a big smile at him, just happy that he came to dinner, especially looking like that.
He quickly rose from the ground and hugged her then put something on her wrist that she was just now acknowledging. She looked at the shiny metal thing her friend just attached to her.
"Blaine! This is …" her mind grasped for an appropriate response too much, too expensive, I don't deserve this, too pretty. Tears started to leak from her eyes. "Thank you… It's beautiful!"
Blaine smiled, "I'm glad you like it." It's nowhere near as beautiful as you.
He took the pot from her and started serving everyone. He made her sit and served her as well then himself. He also got a bowl and set some aside for Paul before setting the rest on the table. There was a big bowl of rolls and a dinner pie for each. Blaine realized she had prepared more food than she normally would on a school night. He looked across the table at her and realized she hadn't taken a bite yet. Then he realized she was waiting for him.
He took a spoonful of the soup and tasted it. He closed his eyes and savored it then looked back at her. She was smiling and finally taking a bite herself. When they were done eating, they did the dishes then packed everything up. Blaine carried the food for Paul for her. She also needed to show Paul her cooking equipment.
She had sent a message to Paul before they left her tree letting him know they were coming. She let them in when they got to his room. Blaine set the food down on the table when Paul looked up and smiled at the aroma.
[Quest updated: EXPAND CULINARY HORIZONS: 28/30 dishes]
"You said to bring my cooking equipment with me this time?" Lana said.
"Do I understand that you like to cook outside?"
Lana nodded, "Yes. When we were in the orphanage, we used to hide in the woods and cook. Meals were denied as punishment so it became a thing for us. This stuff is all camping equipment," as she unpacked the stuff to show him, "for the purposes of cooking outdoors. If packed properly, it's silent so I won't attract attention if I'm running from beasties. I do still need to get a sauce master. It's on my list."
"Yet it wasn't silent the other night because of haste. Correct?" Paul responded.
"Yes, I lost track of time and didn't pack it correctly. The oven is still new. I don't have the beast crystal it requires for use so I make bread in my kitchen in my room." She looked at her watch.
"Leave these here. Allow me to create something more efficient and safe."
Lana smiled, "thank you!"
Walking out, Blaine's eye twitched.
Lana noticed the twitching when she closed Paul's door, "why does your eye do that sometimes?"
"I get irritated."
"Why are you irritated?"
"The no shit answer?"
Lana looked up sharply at him, "yes, the no shit answer."
As they entered the stairwell, "I just gave you something really nice and now he's going to one-up me…"
Lana stopped walking and looked up at him again, "are you two competing over something?"
Blaine sighed, "no…"
"Then why act like it?" She took his hand in hers for a brief second, "how much time does he spend with me? He is a scientist. An inventor. They love coming up with reasons to do science. And if he can help a fellow scientist by inventing something, why would he not? Can you imagine how lonely he is? You have Kyle, I have Dobin. Who does he have?"
Blaine started kicking himself for his behavior. Here he was holding her hand. He was lucky, or unlucky, there were other students in the stairwell.
"Do you want to help me with something else before combat class?"
Blaine's face brightened up, "sure."
Back down in her room, they packed up 5 blankets, 2 sets of sheets and the pillows she bought. She said they needed to be carried to her tree in the agricultural area. Instead of using muscle power, Blaine decided to use telekinesis power.
Lana chuckled, "now that is sexy."
Blaine looked at her in shock, "really?"
Lana smiled, "let's go. We need to try to get this done before class."
Without being weighed down, they got the items to the tree pretty quickly. Blaine used his telekinesis to put everything in the room in the branches then the tree lifted them both in. He looked around the room which was 10-foot by 10-foot. Blaine stood there while Lana was opening the boxes. She opened up the pillows which had the air removed to make them easier to transport. Three of them side-by-side were the size of a mattress. The pillows zipped together to prevent separation if used for this purpose. She put sheets on them then two blankets. She left the others in a box off to the side. The other box, she closed back up and turned it upside down for a make-shift table.
"So… This room is a bedroom?"
Lana chuckled, "yes! I figure I'll get tired while I'm working on a weekend. I may want a nap."
She looked up at him, "Do you approve?"
"Can I suggest a couple of foam chairs? It will be tight but I think it would be nice if we could sit here and talk as well. I'd like to be able to talk to you about things without fear of others hearing."
She nodded, "that can be done. I don't know if there's room for a table or anything though. Actually, there is."
"Let's buy something tomorrow?"
"Okay but for now, I have to go learn how to kick people…" she giggled.
And I get to stand behind you and watch, Blaine thought.
Blaine once again leaned against the wall.
Sergeant Tanaka was in front of the class teaching how to do a snap kick and Lana just wasn't getting it. Blaine came up behind her and offered some assistance.
"Lift your knee up like this." He demonstrated to Lana.
She did but she was clearly confused about how this was different.
"Hold it there. I'm going to move your body for you." Blaine did just that. She marveled at the way she didn't stiffen up when he touched her. Even if the school doctor asked to touch her, her whole body would freeze. Testing her reflexes was always interesting. It was like her body was telling her to trust him.
Blaine moved her leg and ankle many times while she balanced on one leg. Soon, she had the move perfected. One of the other girls batted her eyes and asked him to teach her as well. He tried to decline politely and she got pouty. She started to approach him but Sergeant Tanaka told her to stay in her place and not disrupt the other students. She was still struggling at the end of class. She had platinum blond hair and looked like she was wearing more make-up than a girl rightly should.
Lana was pleased with her performance and she had Blaine to thank. They walked back to the dorms together.
"Come in for a sec," Lana said when she opened the door.
In her kitchen, "the trees have told me we will be asked to form our teams soon. We have a dilemma. Teams are of 5. The others think you should form a team with your roommates and work alongside us. You have a healer in your class that I have worked with in the infirmary that I think should be added to your team. I don't know who your fifth should be. What are your thoughts?"
"It means I won't be able to be in your room any more except for healing or quick stops like this. I don't like it."
Lana smiled, "I can be in your room. You don't have the restrictions. You just aren't allowed to keep a girl in your room past curfew. Your roommates also have to be okay with having guests."
"So, we can have movie nights in my room if the guys are okay with it?"
She nodded. "If they aren't okay with it, we can have a movie night in my room in the tree. We just need to be back here at Curfew."
Blaine smiled. "It means we have a place even if our roommates need quiet in our rooms?"
Lana chuckled, "I didn't build it with the intention of sharing it but, yes."
"A totally unrelated question, did you know Alto is getting bullied?"
"Excuse me?"
"I've seen him get hit in the hall and he goes to Doctor Tall or a student healer so no one sees."
"But he did well in the PT sessions!"
"It's elemental class where he's struggling now."
"Shit."
Blaine nodded. "There may be times I'm not available so I can investigate."
Lana nodded.
"I consider your friends as my friends, too."
"I feel the same about your friends. It's why I think our teams should work together."
"How long until I can't hang out in your room anymore?"
"Until the end of the month."
Blaine nodded.
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