dominance | ( eudio inbox )

[ he doesn't think to deny that he likes the snow. it's unexpected for him. he thought he'd hate it, how cold it is, mushy and wet in his hands. but he's found that he's liked it, despite those things, seeing him keep a snowball in his freezer for almost a full year. ]

[ even though her gift is unusual and unique in how it's something no one else would be able to give him, bellamy still feels slightly uneasy in accepting it. having spent a good portion of his life giving his presents to octavia to see her feel as though she belonged on the ark and in the world, having something that's his is new. being given a gift intended for him is new. ]

[ it's nice of her to think to give him snow simply because he likes it, but bellamy doesn't need it. nor does she have to. bellamy doesn't know what he feels when she says it, and as he lingers on it for a little longer than he should. ]

[ ducking his head, his hand presses against her back accidentally ] Just for the future — [ tilting his head, he looks at her, ] You don't need to get me anything.

[ shaking her head, she tuts. ]

Oh, I know I don't need to get you anything. [ that is when she actually takes care to look at him, pausing on a corner. were his hand not on her back, she would reach for his arm for emphasis. ] But I want to. I would like to. That is something I do for friends.

[ and they are friends, as they have established multiples times already. her follow up statement is more of a question, reluctant and softly spoken though she doesn't look away from him. ] I hope that is okay.

[ bellamy doesn't know what he does for friends, other than infiltrate a mountain and try and train them to defend themselves with the weapons they're supplied with. he knows what he'd do for octavia, but for anyone else, he isn't so sure — a drink, a shirt, letting them take extras when they're eating. he doesn't really have anything for her. sometimes bellamy thinks there's a need to reciprocate, and he believes it's here, especially on days like this. the stupid ones he thinks are just that. ]

[ following her, he pauses when she pauses, except takes one step too many and turns to face her. his hand falls from her back as he stands to her side. it'd be easy to tell her no, to let her off the hook that way, but bellamy knows he can't go around assuming another person's actions. he had a reason to on the ark, with mom in his ear. in eudio, he has none, save for his own fear he knows mom would only tell him to slay. ]

Yeah. If you want to do it — you just need to know you don't have to.

Alright.

[ and so she will, though perhaps not so often that she overwhelms him. not everyone is as accustomed to being spoiled and she wonders if he would retreat as she might. but elsa has never met anyone keen to shower her with gifts and affection as she does to anna.

the conversation, she thinks, has ended, so she shifts topics. ]

I realize we just had hot chocolate together before. Would you care to drink more or try something else?

[ he begins to walk again, strides small and slow. bellamy often prefers to go with what's normal, not liking change all too much. it's often too sudden for him, going from being an only child to a big brother, being a part of a family to being alone in his home that feels too quiet and empty for him. but playing it safe has only thrown him into ruts or desperate situations — and there's nothing to fear in trying something new. ]

[ he ducks his head with a smile before looking at her, ] Something else. I'm feeling adventurous today. [ and he trusts elsa's judgement. her ice-cream had been better than what she'd sold it to him as, and so had her recommendations with chocolate in the store she seems to love so much. with an arch to his brow, he teases, ] Not adventurous enough to smell the air.

Oh, you're no no fun at all, [ elsa scoffs.

somehow still a little unsettled by the feel of his hand on her back, it doesn't still her from reaching for his arm, always carrying herself as if crossing a large ballroom even in her casual attire, even with a companion without a title. ] Well, then we shall be adventurous. I will let you follow your nose.

[ elsa keeps one arm looped around his, the opposite resting over his upper arm. ] It would do us both good to try something new.

[ bellamy arches his brow as he looks down at her. ] You're going to follow my nose?

[ his nose, which isn't attuned to the smells hers is. he's still getting used to coffee (and dog, not quite snowgie since he doesn't seem to smell at all). as much as he wants to give in and challenge himself to following his nose, bellamy thinks and follows his head instead. ]

What food do you like? [ he looks ahead. trying not to smile, he opts to teasing her instead, ] Ice chips. Ice chocolate. Ice pudding ...

Yes.

[ elsa sounds very certain about this. while she is confident in her own tastes, she doesn't want to be the one calling the shots. which is ironic, since she is calling the shots on bellamy calling the shots.

at his question, she shakes her head. ] No, no, this is all you. You will decide, even if it's based entirely on what the exterior of the eatery looks like! [ what a great idea, she thinks, good job elsa. ]

And there is no such thing as ice pudding.

Okay. [ he smiles and nods his head. even though he knows he'll be looking for clues as to where it is she may prefer to dine, bellamy figures he'll take her to a place he knows. he has a feeling wherever he goes, elsa's not going to be displeased with his choice — unless it's someone else's ice-cream parlour. ] I'll take you to the place I like to eat at.

[ he looks down at her with a pointed look, ] That serves ice pudding.

[ elsa's eyes narrow at him for a second before she rolls them and looks away. shifting the arm around his, she joins both hands around his bicep ] I hope you'll be satisfied eating nothing, [ she sighs.

unconsciously, it's another effort of hers to learn more about him, not wanting to always dictate what they do and what they eat and what they discuss. even if they hadn't had much of anything up in space or on the ground, surely bellamy has found something he likes in eudio at this point. ]

I trust you.

[ he smiles. even though he wouldn't put it past an ice queen to possibly make an ice pudding, bellamy finds he likes to think everything in arendelle is made of ice. even though she's told him otherwise, he holds onto it. a snow queen has to live in a snow palace in a snow kingdom. it's just the way the stories work. ]

[ he looks down at her, brows raised, ] Are you allergic to anything?

Ah – no. Not that I know of. Oh, I certainly hope not.

[ she wishes he would consider her own story as something more tangible than a castle no one can live inside, with snow always covering the ground. she wants to remind him that she is just as real as he is. he, who hails from space only to find that the ground is more difficult than anyone anticipated.

or – that is what she imagines. he doesn't tell her much, and judging by the glimpse of his memory, which still sticks out in her mind even as she looks down at his hands while she walk together, she believes her assumption to be correct. ]

[ he doesn't wait until they're at the end of the sidewalk, standing before the traffic lights and any lines outlining a pedestrian crossing. ] Come on. [ gripping her arm more tightly, he leads her off the path and across the street. ]

[ once on the other side of the road, he doesn't let go of her hand. he knows where he's going, even if he can't quite remember the street. though the beach is often his favourite destination, using it as a starting point to see where he wanders off to, he doesn't move toward the boardwalk this time. far away from the sand and surf, he knows a little place that's easy to walk to. quiet, save for when the streets get busier, it's the kind of cafe he likes to dine in when he wants to be alone. ]

There's this place I like. It's … [ bellamy's brows furrow together for a moment as he tries to remember what he'd been told of it. ] Italian? They make the best pizzas.

[ not that he's gone around trying to find the best pizza place in the city. ]

It's around the corner.

[ his hand is warm in hers. that isn't a surprise. everyone's hand is especially warm on elsa's skin, but while she is accustomed to the way anna's hands feel when she holds them, she isn't sure how to feel when she hold's bellamy's. touch is a complicated subject for her and she wonders if he has realized what he has done by holding onto her hand.

rather than pulling away, she laces their fingers together for the short duration of their walk. ]

Pizzas, [ elsa starts distractedly. ] I've had pizza once, with just mozzarella. It was quite gooey, and I remember liking it.

That's the cheese.

[ he doesn't ask it, simply saying it. cheese was just cheese on the ark. sometimes people went on and on and on about the different types, but bellamy never paid much attention. cheese was cheese to him — and it still is, despite there being a plethora more for him to pick when he wanders over to subway. ]

[ he doesn't really take note of her fingers in his. leading someone (usually octavia) by the hand feels slightly normal. he's only ever truly done it with octavia, often taking someone by the elbow or pressing his palm against the small of their back. ]

[ keeping his gaze ahead, he spots the corner he needs to take her to and turn at. ]

I think they have that there.

I should hope so. I'm told that's what makes the pizza a pizza.

[ it is a simple dish, but it is a satisfying one. scandinavian food doesn't seem to be as rich as that of other cultures, though elsa does sorely miss the desserts available in her castle.

thinking about food is easier than thinking about what she ought to say next. ] Is that it? [ she asks suddenly, pointing up ahead. ]

Yeah.

[ bellamy doesn't speak again, pulling on her hand as though she's merely an extension of himself. walking past the several stores on their way to the mad italian, he doesn't stop, doesn't take note of what he's done or what he's doing. the cafe sits on the corner of the street near a quiet road, a few cars parked along the side with some people passing by. with some of its dining outside, and most of it in, it appears like a normal cafe place. it's what had drawn bellamy to it, at first, appearing much like the cafes along the boardwalk he'd observed people moving in and out of. it's the perfect place for bellamy — quiet, when he needs it to be, and loud when he wants it. ]

[ when they approach the door, he lets go of her hand to open the door for her. ]

[ with a slight quirk to his lips, he leans forward and teases, ] I've been warned it might make you a little mad.

[ elsa appreciates being privy to parts of bellamy that she assumes he doesn't show many other people. perhaps she assumes too much, but it perhaps because she is always the first one to take him somewhere, to grasp his arm and lead him down paths now familiar to her. ]

I think – [ taking a deep breath through her nostrils, she closes her eyes and smiles. ] I think that is a risk I will have to take.

[ folding her hands under her chin, she opens her eyes and smiles at him. ] It smells divine.

Are you going to do your thing?

[ he asks it with a smile. elsa's different. it's not bad, by any means, but where he's used to being greeted with standoffishness, with someone holding back, being ill-prepared and hesitant to even expose a slip of themselves, she closes her eyes and inhales the room without much care of how she may appear. ]

[ she lives life. he knows he doesn't. ]

[ remaining by the door, his smile doesn't waver. ] The smelling the air thing you did before.

I did, [ she laughs, ] a smaller version. Shall I do it again?

[ hesitating no more, she lightly touches his shoulder as she passes through the entrance to make her way inside. it's warm and cozy, but the crowd isn't very thick considering the holiday and the optimal date areas to canodle. but she suspects that is why bellamy likes going here - there aren't too many people. ]

You really should try it some time, Bellamy. I won't tell anyone.

[ he easily follows her, remaining a step behind her. ]

Maybe later.

[ or never. bellamy's not the type to be so free like her. if he enjoys something, he does so quietly. it's always been the way of the ark, enjoying things quietly, as there was hardly anything to enjoy. ]

[ but he smiles, anyway, and peers up at the menu behind the counter, register sitting on it and staff bumbling behind it. looking around, he spies a few empty tables and booths inside, and some tables and chairs outside. ]

Take a look at the menu. If there's nothing you want, we can go elsewhere.

Oh, no, I want to try whatever you like here, [ she tells him, her eyes on the menu overhead. turning to bellamy, she lightly touches his arm. ] I'll leave that up to you. I trust your judgement.

[ it's a small step away from always wanting to have control over the situation, anyway. and besides, food is food and elsa isn't particularly picky, especially if she's with someone else. ]

[ trusting him with food. though bellamy's learned all he can of the different types of meals you can have in eudio, he still doesn't quite trust himself to pick well. but he's come to learn quickly not to argue with elsa about who gets to choose what — he suspects she'll be as unmovable as ice, perhaps easy to thaw, but taking a long time to get there. ]

[ glancing at her then the menu, bellamy brushes his hand through his short hair. it's slowly growing back, but isn't the floppy mess it'd once been. ]

[ with one last quick look over the large menu behind the counter, bellamy turns to her. he doesn't take a step forward to wait in the very short line to the register, but stays where he is, on the peripherals of the queue. ]

I'll order, if you go pick the table. We'll eat here. [ his smile is small and amused, ] I'll trust you to pick a good spot.

[ she wants him to make most of the decisions for this outing for a reason, wanting their friendship to be somewhat balanced and open, especially since she is determined to know more about him, even if it isn't as much as he knows about her. ]

Alright. I will take my duty seriously, [ elsa replies gravely before laughing, flouncing off to go in search of the perfect table. given all the choices, she goes for the best one, in her opinion: a booth by the window, but far from the door. ]

[ after ordering, it takes bellamy only a moment to spot her. elsa doesn't stand out in this crowd, not like he would expect a queen to — or a woman who can manipulate snow. he isn't so sure if he expects her to glow or sparkle like snow beneath harsh sunlight, but he doesn't believe she's the type to bury herself in the shadows, either. ]

[ manouvering his way toward the booth she's chosen, he slides into the opposite seat. glancing quickly out the window, she's chosen a spot that provides them the best view of the city outside — and him the place he'd rather be, able to observe a road he still hasn't quite gotten used to, not even after seven months of watching. ]

It was a good thing you told me you like mozzarella on your pizza. I asked for a lot of it. [ whether bellamy's joking or not — that has yet to be determined by his smile and now easy manner. resting his back against the booth, he pulls his phone from his pocket and leaves it with the screen facing down on the table. ]

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