Dinner with Jessica

[abyssum_invocat]

When Malcolm had told her about having dinner at his mother's house, Sinthia really hadn't expected he'd be so nervous about it: she'd agreed readily enough, and had brushed Avi's coat until all the loose fur had shed off (there might have been a hand-held vacuum involved) so he didn't leave a cloud of white fur everywhere he went. She left the working harness on him, though his was elegantly embroidered in golds and silver and blues against the bright orange fabric for visibility.

"You really don't have to be so nervous, Malcolm. It's okay. I won't walk out and leave you." She smoothed down her skirt--demure black, and to her knees, but leather and only a few shades shy of completely indecent. It went with her heels, tall enough that she could comfortably lean her head over and lay her chin on Malcolm's head.

"You want Avi?"

Comments

[abyssum_invocat]

"Yes," Sinthia affirmed, smoothing his fur. "He's a registered service dog for CPTSD. But he...mostly helps me stay calm. He keeps people from crowding me in public, and other things." He knew several commands (though not in English) to help her or retrieve medicine or the like, but stayed a silent companion beside her.

"I hoped you might like it. I came across it at work and could take some time to restore it." She looked back at Malcolm, taking his hand as they crossed through the house. "Did it look like this when you were growing up?"she asked. "It's very elegant."

[abrightboy]

"Yeah, it hasn't changed much," he replied. "The decor was always my mother's."

[abyssum_invocat]

"I'm almost afraid to let Avi come in," she said slowly, looking around: she lingered at the spots which could hold either escape routes, or possible weapons, and Malcolm would notice. Of course Malcolm would notice that.

"I don't want to disturb anything." It was a pretty place, and she could see where Malcolm got his fashion sense: it blended very well with his mother's home, though not as well as with his own. She skimmed her hands down her skirt restlessly, tunnelling her fingers through Avi's fur. "Does she not like animals?"

[abrightboy]

"Of course Avi comes in," Malcolm said with a wave that said 'stop that'. "She doesn't object to animals on principle. She objects to dirt. Avi isn't dirty." He looked at Sinthia. "Mostly, though, she objects to having to deal with mental illness because it reminds her of all her failures as a mother. But that's not your fault either."

[abyssum_invocat]

"Would it make her more comfortable to not speak about it?" she asked, catching his hand as he waved, bringing it down between them with a tiny crooked smile. "Malcolm. I still want to meet your mother," Sinthia murmured.

"I just don't want to upset her because we haven't told her we're dating." They hadn't really told anyone, but a few people had figured it out. Namely Malcolm's boss at the NYPD, which had been...entertaining to learn, when Sinthia had met the man.

[abrightboy]

“Sinthia, I just brought you home. She isn’t stupid,” he pointed out, giving her fingers a gentle squeeze.

[abyssum_invocat]

"Not because she won't figure it out," she murmured, squeezing his hand back and lacing their fingers together as she shifted her grip on Avi's lead. "Because we didn't tell her beforehand."

She smiled at him and leaned in to kiss his cheek. "Should I be prepared for her reading me as easily as you did?"