“Yes, love, I am, and she can. But it didn’t work on me.” He kissed the top of her head, and his fingers splayed against her stomach. She squirmed and her cheeks reddened. “Besides, I was buying something for you when she confronted me, so even if she’d been better at her attempts she chose an absolutely horrid time.” Nevin gave a low, rolling chuckle. “And she got disgusted and freaked out by me, so it didn’t bother me.”

Eteri stilled at the words and her nostrils flared. Her eyes, her tired and dark circle lined eyes narrowed and the slow rumbling of her purring stilled. “I kill her if see. Take care of problem.” she hissed. Nevin grinned and shook his head, and tickled her stomach softly.

“Now, now, I’m not going to tell you what she looked like for that very reason. I don’t want to have to deal with the authorities over this. Besides, apparently our watchers have taken it upon themselves to handle the matter.” He shook his head again, then rested his chin on top of her head, breathing deeply as he did so. Her hair moved slightly with his inhales and exhales, warm air rushing against her skin. She calmed down at this and settled in his lap. They stayed like this for a long few moments as he held her, his arms tightening around her.

“Come, love. We should eat.” He nudged her gently, and tilted his head towards the food spread out on the blanket.

She groaned but obeyed. She shifted back and yawned, rubbing her eyes. “Fine, fine.” Eteri shifted away from his lap and crawled toward the spread. She started piling small cuts of meat onto two white plates.

“Fruits and vegetables, love.” He chided her in an amused voice, watching as her body swayed back and forth as she moved. She had been trying to avoid the other things that he had purchased and brought along, and he saw the way she ducked herself down, trying to make herself smaller when he said that, caught out in her attempt. She hissed at him but there was no anger behind it. Eteri reluctantly added fruits to the plates:an apple each, a pear for him and strawberries for her.

“Here. Just snack anyway. Already ate dinner so why matter if I no eat fruits?” she passed the plate to Nevin and started picking at her own. To her credit she ate her fruits first.

“Habits, my love. Good habits matter even in what you choose to eat. If you get used to eating these things any time we have even a light meal, it won’t bother you as much in the future.” He hummed as he bit into his pear, and the juices trickled around his mouth as he chewed. He wiped them away with his thumb, and with a mischievous glint in his eye, flicked the pear juice at Eteri as she munched on her strawberries.

“gah! Nevin!” she wiped the side of her face. “you is the butt.” She shuffled, turning so her back faced him. Her tail thumped against the blanket as she huffed and began to finish off the last of her food. He laughed, and continued eating his own meal, quietly enjoying just being near her for the time being. Concerns over what the missing steps were to finishing the longevity solution could wait, for one night -he’d finished the base of the serum, at the least, so affording himself some time, to avoid falling back into his obsessions, would be a very good idea.

At one point Eteri forgot she was supposed to be angry at him. She had shuffled back so she was leaning against his chest. She was idly opening and closing the clasp on her bag. Clicking it in and out. Nevin raised an eyebrow and leaned forward, resting his head on her shoulder and watching her idly toying with the bag. Watching her nimble fingers fiddle with the latch reminded him of his own purchase, and he grinned, hiding the expression behind her.

Thin twists of red slid from beneath his skin, darting out to the bag holding the purchase he had made in the enchanter’s shop. It took a little bit of work to get the first thing out without alerting Eteri - her hearing had always been rather phenomenal - but he managed it, mostly by distracting her as he worked. Light kisses and nibbles along her neck and shoulder, tugging at the skin as he pulled it out. Her only reaction was the increase in the rumble of her purring.

“I have something for you, Pet.” He said the words softly into her ear, his tone low and just edging off of a growl. He brought the collar out and around, thin, supple leather that hung before her. A simple silver clasp hung open as he held it in front of her face.

“Oh. Eteri have something… For….you...too ah… What is that?” she asked as her eyes followed the dangling leather. “is nice.” Instead of directly answering, he brought it closer to her, holding it against her skin as he hummed in thought.

“Hmm. You’ll have to give me it soon then, but not yet - this does suit your skin tone better than I thought, I’m glad of that.” The last was said mostly to himself, though not quite quietly. “It’s something to show that you are mine, my pet.” Carefully, gently, he draped the leather around her neck, the clasp hanging down her neckline. “It has a few… enchantments laced into it.”

Eteri stilled. He had her full attention now. “is.. Collar? What mean by enchanting?” her hand reached up to have delicate fingers dance over the leather. She was still, her actions slow. He could tell she was doing her best to be good. The redhead gave a soft hum of approval, and brushed her neck with his fingers.

“It is, dear. And the spells put on it are simple. The clasp, only I can open, keyed to my blood. The leather will stay soft and supple no matter what happens to it, so if you get it dirty it won’t get crusty and rough up your soft skin.” As he spoke of it, he kissed the back of her neck.

Goosebumps formed on her skin and she squirmed in his lap. Eteri made no complaint to the enchantments on it. “You very thoughtful.” He grinned, then dropped his hand down, pressing his hands against her stomach again. He was quiet and calm for a moment before he spoke.

“Only I can open the clasp. But anyone can close it. Your choice, love.” His voice was soft. He didn’t think she would reject him - he seriously doubted it, in fact, but he wanted the decision to be hers.

There we no hesitation. She lifted up her arms and clicked it together. As the clasp closed it shone a soft red glow before the glow and the clasp disappeared leaving naught but a single strip of leather. “Means Eteri is all yours now.” He let out a low sound of approval, a hum mixed with a growl, and tightened his arms around her.

She was shuffling around In her bag, Nevin couldn’t see what she was doing but felt her splay out his fingers. Then she slipped a ring onto his finger. It was a little loose - not sized quite properly. Without really thinking about it, the alchemist coiled threads around his finger, thickening it to the point where the ring would not slide off. Before he could ask what it was for, she spoke up.

“And will you belong to Eteri? Will marry me?” Nevin froze, and his eyes went wide. His arms locked in place around the girl. Even his breathing stilled, before a slight shudder ran through his body. He had not even considered she might be thinking of this, hadn’t thought that even the woman who loved him would want to stay. He took in a slow, shivering breath, and let it out just as slowly, his arms tightening around her even more - to the point of pain, almost, not that he could know.

“Yes, dear. Yes, my love.”

She squirmed around in his grip so she could swivel to face him. She pressed her hands to his cheeks. “no more jumping through fires. No crazies. If going to be dramatic maybe do eith godlings OK?” His breath caught in his lungs again, and he let out a strangled laugh and shook his head slightly, not quite able to breathe right.

“not good?” she lowered her hands so they would rest on his thighs. “not mind. Just want give you everything while I can. I love you Nevin.” He kissed her forehead, and rested his head against hers.

“That’s - not it, my love, my Eteri. I just…” He laughed. “I don’t really choose to do those dramatic things just off the top of my head. I’ll do my best not to. And don’t worry, my Eteri. I will find out how to give you longer.” Without the manic energy of earlier, he could see it now - a tiredness, clinging to the edges of her expression, a tightness that wasn’t there before.

“Well I choose to give you marry and godlings.” She grinned, the tiredness either didn't bother her or she wasnt showing it. She wriggled in his lap and shut her eyes to press her forehead into the crook of his neck. Nevin gave another choked laugh, and tightened his arms around her. This kind of impromptu proposal, it suited her. In this out of the way place that only mattered to the two of them, near the cave that she loved. He let out his breath, and held her tightly.