[ There weren't a lot of red flags in their conversation, but it was definitely subdued enough and featured far less flirting than normal that Clary's... not necessarily worried but concerned. Enough so that she makes quick work about finishing up her errands, stopping just long enough to get a pizza on the way back. It's nothing particularly fancy, and nowhere near as good as the pies in Brooklyn, but it's easy and isn't terrible cold or reheated, so it feels like a safe bet. Just because Poe isn't hungry now doesn't mean he won't be later.
Box and a few bags in hand, she heads back to the apartment, keenly aware of all of the eyes and cameras on her. It's always something she feels when she comes back but with Poe on the way, even if she doubts this will end up becoming something the city would take issue with, the weight feels heavier. Her focus remains largely on their conversation, though, even as she sets the pizza box on the coffee table and starts putting groceries away.
Honestly, she's actually quite thankful for something to busy herself with, though it's hardly distracting enough for her to keep checking the time. Sitting still isn't her forte, especially when combined with the feeling that someone she cares about needs help — however minimal that need might be. ]
[ It doesn't take Poe much longer than an hour, so he won't keep her waiting. It's been a while since he made this trip to the Up, especially lately now that the process has become more tedious in the time since he moved out of these apartments himself, but truthfully he knows very few people who spend much time here either, and he's got plenty to keep himself busy between the garage and the arcade. Both places he would usually be found on any given night, if he's not home, but neither of them suit the mood he's in this time for reasons that he's not tripping over himself to divulge. Part of the reason he's here is that he knows Clary won't pressure him to tell her anything, and none of it is anything she needs to worry about anyway.
It's nothing that anyone needs to worry about, so obviously he's not eager to dump it on someone else's shoulders, but at the same time he's just... craving the kind of physical intimacy that's so easy with Clary. It doesn't have to be about sex, or necessarily involve sex at all, there's just a warmth to her that he's been drawn to from the start. And once he got to thinking about that he couldn't resist the temptation to text her.
He still manages a smile for her when she opens the door. He's clean, obviously not directly from the garage, and still smelling very faintly of aftershave, and he did bring drinks with him - taking into account Clary's preference for sweeter things. ]
Hey.
[ It is good to see her. ]
Is that pizza I smell?
[ The smell is distinctive, and he's acquired a certain fondness for it since he was introduced to it here in the city. ]
[ She's admittedly curious why her place and her company, in particular, is what Poe's craving tonight. Not that he ever needs a reason to spend time with her — she's certainly happy to oblige that desire any time she's available, wanting time with him as much as he does her. But it feels like there's something specific about her company or retreating to the Up that he's looking for. But it ultimately doesn't matter the why; honestly, she's just happy that he feels like he can lean on her.
Which is why Clary's smile comes easily when she opens the door (though with a slight edge of worry that she can't erase completely). ] Yeah, it is. [ She's barefoot, dressed in jeans and a simple gray t-shirt, hair loose but pulled over one shoulder — obviously intending for a casual day of errands and hanging out at home. ] I figured it'd be a safe bet in case you get hungry. And if you're not a fan, I've got plenty of other junk food stashed.
[ One hand on the door, she leans in to press a perfectly innocent kiss to his cheek in greeting, reaching for the drinks with her free hand. When she settles back on her feet, she nods in the direction of the apartment. ]
[ Poe doesn't doubt that she's figured out that something's bothering him. He's aware that he's pretty easy to read, let alone for people who know him as well as she does, it just makes him that much more grateful of the fact that she's not pressing him over it. That's not to say that he thinks her curiosity won't get the better of her sooner or later, and who knows, maybe he'll know what to say about it by then, but if not, that's fine too. It's hard when there are no easy answers, and that's just something he's going to have to learn to deal with — it's not like he's the only one. He knows that Clary's got a lot to go back to herself.
He passes off the drinks, and pauses for that peck on the cheek, a smile tugging at his lips despite everything. Instead of immediately leaving her at the door though he's turning back to her as soon as it's closed, lifting both of his hands to her face as he leans in to give her a kiss of his own. This one's not as innocent, but it's soft and fond and appreciative, lingering just a few seconds longer than he might have otherwise before pulling back. He won't keep her at the door with her hands full. ]
[ The kiss shouldn't surprise her, really, but considering they're in the Up — in her apartment, which is no doubt as monitored as the halls — it does. But it's the sort of surprise that has her melting a little as his hands cradle her face, her own empty hand lifting to catch his wrist as she kisses him back. She smiles as he pulls away, though her eyes are a little slow to open, basking in the moment as she is.
Poe's comment, however, pulls her out of it with an amused huff and she elbows him gently as she passes by, heading for the kitchen. ] Are you kidding? It's cookies and ice cream and pizza every night here in the Fray household.
[ Except when she opens the fridge to put in the drinks, grabbing two before letting the door close, there's plenty of healthier options stockpiled in there as well. Just because she has a sweet tooth doesn't mean she indulges in it all the time; her mom made sure she had a balanced diet and even on her own here, no Institute to supply her with food while her mother's indisposed, she embraces that philosophy.
Turning back towards Poe, she offers one of the beverages. ]
So what kind of movie are you in the mood for? Whatever it is, I hope you brought it, because I'm pretty sure the only channels I get are porn. And that weird, naked news one.
[ He's seen enough of Clary's place to know that she's not that bad, though he's obviously much more inclined to invite her over to his place. As young and impulsive as she is she's also probably a lot more reasonable than he was at her age, so he's not judging her too harshly anyway. His late teens and early twenties were — anything but reasonable, to say the least. In any case he's just making casual, off-handed small talk out of habit, because otherwise the silence would feel way too heavy. If he wanted to sit around and brood over basically nothing he could easily have done that alone. ]
I'll find something for us.
[ Honestly he's probably not going to be paying very much attention to it anyway, but having some background noise that isn't sexual to the point of distraction will be nice. And he's had practice flipping through the channels, he did spend quite a few months in one of these apartments after all. Not that he spent too much of that time watching movies, most of that time's been split between the arcade and the garage.
He'll accept the bottle from her and make his way over to the couch, glancing around for a remote before he settles in. ]
Of course. You know you're welcome over any time, Poe. [ With very few exceptions, of the variety she's not too inclined to mention to him.
Obviously, Poe has other sexual partners than her, not to mention Finn and Gwen, and they're only friends with some seriously wonderful benefits, Clary still doesn't feel the need nor have the desire to bring up anyone else she might sleep with. Not that she particularly wants to keep anything from him, more just that when she's with him, sometimes she forgets that other people exist.
The remote is easy enough to spot, sitting on the coffee table beside the pizza box. If Poe hasn't found it by the time Clary circles around to the couch as well, she'll offer it to him as she sits down — angled towards the spot he'll surely take, one elbow on the back of the sofa, feet pulled up beneath her. She doesn't settle into the middle spot, though she also doesn't tuck into the corner, leaving him the option of some space between them or sitting close enough that her knees could end up resting in his lap. ]
And though you definitely don't ever need an excuse, you know I'm here for you if you need to talk about something, right?
[ It's an open invitation but if he doesn't take her up on it, she'll let it drop. At least for the time being. She doesn't want to press but she is curious and, more than that, wanting to make sure he's okay. Because something's definitely off and it's making the small pit of concern in her belly twist further. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
i usually at least pretend to make an effort
I'll be back home in an hour or so; you can swing by whenever.
it's very admirable!
[ It's way too subdued compared to his usual. He's just not very good at faking, so he rarely makes an attempt. ]
An hour works. It almost takes that long to get back into the Up these days.
no subject
But you know you're always welcome at my place.
no subject
1/2
I'll see you soon.
→ action.
Box and a few bags in hand, she heads back to the apartment, keenly aware of all of the eyes and cameras on her. It's always something she feels when she comes back but with Poe on the way, even if she doubts this will end up becoming something the city would take issue with, the weight feels heavier. Her focus remains largely on their conversation, though, even as she sets the pizza box on the coffee table and starts putting groceries away.
Honestly, she's actually quite thankful for something to busy herself with, though it's hardly distracting enough for her to keep checking the time. Sitting still isn't her forte, especially when combined with the feeling that someone she cares about needs help — however minimal that need might be. ]
no subject
It's nothing that anyone needs to worry about, so obviously he's not eager to dump it on someone else's shoulders, but at the same time he's just... craving the kind of physical intimacy that's so easy with Clary. It doesn't have to be about sex, or necessarily involve sex at all, there's just a warmth to her that he's been drawn to from the start. And once he got to thinking about that he couldn't resist the temptation to text her.
He still manages a smile for her when she opens the door. He's clean, obviously not directly from the garage, and still smelling very faintly of aftershave, and he did bring drinks with him - taking into account Clary's preference for sweeter things. ]
Hey.
[ It is good to see her. ]
Is that pizza I smell?
[ The smell is distinctive, and he's acquired a certain fondness for it since he was introduced to it here in the city. ]
no subject
Which is why Clary's smile comes easily when she opens the door (though with a slight edge of worry that she can't erase completely). ] Yeah, it is. [ She's barefoot, dressed in jeans and a simple gray t-shirt, hair loose but pulled over one shoulder — obviously intending for a casual day of errands and hanging out at home. ] I figured it'd be a safe bet in case you get hungry. And if you're not a fan, I've got plenty of other junk food stashed.
[ One hand on the door, she leans in to press a perfectly innocent kiss to his cheek in greeting, reaching for the drinks with her free hand. When she settles back on her feet, she nods in the direction of the apartment. ]
Come on in.
no subject
[ Poe doesn't doubt that she's figured out that something's bothering him. He's aware that he's pretty easy to read, let alone for people who know him as well as she does, it just makes him that much more grateful of the fact that she's not pressing him over it. That's not to say that he thinks her curiosity won't get the better of her sooner or later, and who knows, maybe he'll know what to say about it by then, but if not, that's fine too. It's hard when there are no easy answers, and that's just something he's going to have to learn to deal with — it's not like he's the only one. He knows that Clary's got a lot to go back to herself.
He passes off the drinks, and pauses for that peck on the cheek, a smile tugging at his lips despite everything. Instead of immediately leaving her at the door though he's turning back to her as soon as it's closed, lifting both of his hands to her face as he leans in to give her a kiss of his own. This one's not as innocent, but it's soft and fond and appreciative, lingering just a few seconds longer than he might have otherwise before pulling back. He won't keep her at the door with her hands full. ]
I hope you don't just eat junk food all the time.
[ He's just teasing her. Mostly. ]
no subject
Poe's comment, however, pulls her out of it with an amused huff and she elbows him gently as she passes by, heading for the kitchen. ] Are you kidding? It's cookies and ice cream and pizza every night here in the Fray household.
[ Except when she opens the fridge to put in the drinks, grabbing two before letting the door close, there's plenty of healthier options stockpiled in there as well. Just because she has a sweet tooth doesn't mean she indulges in it all the time; her mom made sure she had a balanced diet and even on her own here, no Institute to supply her with food while her mother's indisposed, she embraces that philosophy.
Turning back towards Poe, she offers one of the beverages. ]
So what kind of movie are you in the mood for? Whatever it is, I hope you brought it, because I'm pretty sure the only channels I get are porn. And that weird, naked news one.
no subject
I'll find something for us.
[ Honestly he's probably not going to be paying very much attention to it anyway, but having some background noise that isn't sexual to the point of distraction will be nice. And he's had practice flipping through the channels, he did spend quite a few months in one of these apartments after all. Not that he spent too much of that time watching movies, most of that time's been split between the arcade and the garage.
He'll accept the bottle from her and make his way over to the couch, glancing around for a remote before he settles in. ]
Thanks, by the way. For inviting me over.
no subject
Obviously, Poe has other sexual partners than her, not to mention Finn and Gwen, and they're only friends with some seriously wonderful benefits, Clary still doesn't feel the need nor have the desire to bring up anyone else she might sleep with. Not that she particularly wants to keep anything from him, more just that when she's with him, sometimes she forgets that other people exist.
The remote is easy enough to spot, sitting on the coffee table beside the pizza box. If Poe hasn't found it by the time Clary circles around to the couch as well, she'll offer it to him as she sits down — angled towards the spot he'll surely take, one elbow on the back of the sofa, feet pulled up beneath her. She doesn't settle into the middle spot, though she also doesn't tuck into the corner, leaving him the option of some space between them or sitting close enough that her knees could end up resting in his lap. ]
And though you definitely don't ever need an excuse, you know I'm here for you if you need to talk about something, right?
[ It's an open invitation but if he doesn't take her up on it, she'll let it drop. At least for the time being. She doesn't want to press but she is curious and, more than that, wanting to make sure he's okay. Because something's definitely off and it's making the small pit of concern in her belly twist further. ]