#scarsdale

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"So " Earl asks Zara, "WHen did you want to start moving some of this furniture into your bedroom near Vassaar?"

"Well, we're going to take up some things... but my bedroom here will still be my bedroom. Your chair, obviously, is going. So is my wingback. But I'll be home, too - aye?"

"So I might be going to some used furniture places with Hirim and Ratchet. Oh, won't that be perfect? Finding just the right things? Like.. bohemian, nu?"

He looks surprised then, smiles "I sometimes forget you have resources some don't... furniture making uncles among them. I get it, you dont want too many.. holes here" He gestures to her bed room

She nods. "The fight will be their ideas... 'feh, that is not a chair!' say he, and then he'll insist on making a couch..."

"Remind them the place is only so big or we'll end up with some weird chofa jungle gym"

"And I'll have no head room" he pats his own dome

"Aye, aye..."

"I thought... the two chairs, and a sofa, and a nice coffee table suitable for tea.... I'm working on a doily that could serve as a tablecloth for it..."

"I've never had a doily" He admits "I feel all classy hearing about one "

"OH!" Remembering, excited. "Oh, wait here a moment!"

She abandons Earl and scurries up to her bedroom.

She is back quickly enough with a box, wrapped in blue paper.

"What's this? " He says but smiles

"Open it!"

"Well.. mmmm" The troll does so, slowwwwly, unwraping it carefully

Yup, he's got one half done...

Zara might suspect she is being ...well, trolled

Siiiigh.

"I know what is in it!"

a chuff of his own, "Okay okay.." And he opens it up quickly to see...

"Oh my...Zara, this is..where did you get this? It's amazing? Betrand?"

"Aye. And see, it can go in a window to catch the light... and it is NOT a beanbag..."

A blush "Definitely not ... Zara this is perfect. Thank you so much. You didn't have to, but... I"m glad you did, and this is the perfect tribute to Iowa and should placate my cousins when they visit" He admires it

"You really are welcome to your beanbag in your bedroom. I may even sit on it." She sticks out her tongue at him.

"Nope nope.. getting rid of that for the Stucco I've trapped myself with remember?" A shake of his head "I've got to stop trying to be clever. Smart I can do, Clever comes around and bites me. I'm just glad I didn't talk about like.. a murphy bed or something near your uncles. Can you imagine what they would have done to do it 'right'?"

A sigh. "I am sorry about that."

"Nope.. I think in a way it is karmic" He takes a free hand to squeeze hers "And I'll laugh about it later... I know that your family is important to you, and a part of you and they love you. I'm aware that that means now and then they will try to help. Just let me know when you want that help, and when you fear their help will lead to disaster"

She twines her fingers in with his. "They mean well, of course."

"Of course, and once in awhile we may have one of my cousins on a couch.. .DeBukes" He sighs

"So it goes."

"on the plus side, if both sets come at once, we can retreat to the cave and let Miriam wrangle them all" conspiratorial whisper

"Ha!"

A wolfish smile, pleased to have made her laugh at the image.

"But mostly, it shall be just us..."

"Yes, you the dedicated student filled with a yearning need to ever know more, I the moody and broody artist forever striving with my visions mercurial... we shall pine for prizes we can never fully reach...and in so failing we will be glorious."

Then "Too much?"

She snerks and pokes his side. "Nay."

"I have a most gothic paramour. And thus, despair we both."

"And we will be glorious" He gives her a sweet kiss.

A smile. And a kiss. Then another.

A pleased sound on the 'another', and one return, he strokes the side of her face as he does so, between kisses gazing at her eyes.

"I love you" He says "So much. "

"And I, thee." She nestles against him, eyes closed. "Even if we may disagree. It will be good to live together, aye? See how it is in truth."

"It will," he agrees as she nestles and strokes her hair, loving the feel of it, even as she listens to the lub dub of that heart in his chest "And I think it will be sometimes frustrating, but most often wonderful. " a smile "And while we have two yankee fans in our House, know that I will always take the side of the Mets."

"Oh, thou better."

a chuff of his own rolling in his chest "Are you kidding? I'm tempted to remind you that I can portal passage us or flicker flash us into any game you like just to score amazing boyfriend points. I am rather shallow at times"

"Like, 5,742 boyfriend points..."

"You are not discouraging me from jumping the ticket line here.." He bends down and kisses her gently, then when they part "I know you have things to do, but would you like to go out tonight? I don't think I've taken you on a proper meal date since that trip to the museum in Berkley"