Maybe they're seeing something we don't, darling.

[talkyourwayout]

A lot had changed for Lexi from her childhood, through her teen years, and into adulthood. One thing that hadn't? Getting pulled into crazy adventures, oh joy of joys.

This particular adventure wasn't even a treasure hunt, either. No, this was one of her dumb best friend's explorations. Why did she keep letting herself get dragged along on these? Ugh. She and Gobo were checking out an old mining site near Birchpointe. It was supposed to have been cleaned out of valuable ores long ago, so... Still didn't count as a treasure hunt, which was always the silver (or gold) lining to these things.

Of course, Lexi wasn't actually having the bad time of it she was acting like - no, she loved to spend time with Gobo. For a while, there had been a number of factors that made that a rarity, but now it was easier to hang out and chill. Or hang out, trip, and nearly fall headfirst into a mining cart.

Luckily, Lexi managed to catch herself by grabbing onto the sides of the cart, but still. "I hate your dumb ideas," she muttered, glaring at Gobo. Partially because she was embarrassed about her stumble, but mostly because it was how he'd know she was okay.

Comments

[gobetween]

Gobo had been delighted when Lexi had agreed to go on this trip with him. He'd discovered this mine some time ago, and thought it would be a neat place to go through- a weird mix of the Rock area he was used to and Silly Creature influence. Exploring had gone swimmingly, at least until Lexi had tripped. Gobo had looked back quickly, then quailed under that glare, shrugging helplessly.

"Well- Just a little further! Alright?"

Okay, maybe not swimmingly, Lexi had been doing quite a bit of grumbling. But dammit, he wanted to have some time with her! Is that so bad?

[talkyourwayout]

She couldn't help a little chuckle once she caught up with him. "Yeah, sure," she sighed, looking around. "You know, even without anything worth money, this place is actually kind of cool." Another chuckle. "Definitely better than the path to Coot's armory, anyway." That was mostly because she had seen exactly one spider and zero Beagle Boys, but hey.

She looked back to Gobo, then. "I'll give you this much, you have a knack for finding out of the way places."

[gobetween]

Gobo laughed a little, starting to walk again as she caught back up. "Hallmark of the Fraggle, I think. Like how I found a little tunnel that led straight into the Gorg's castle."

He smiled at her, then looked ahead as they walked on. It was as nice down here as he thought it'd be, just the two of them hanging out, in this admittedly quite interesting old mine.

[talkyourwayout]

"Oh yeah," Lexi snickered, "you got a good bit of use out of that tunnel, if I remember right from the stories you've told me." She smiled as they fell into step alongside each other - sure Gobo's strides were a bit shorter, but Lexi was slower - lazier - in how she moved, so it balanced out quite well, really.

[gobetween]

As Lexi fell in stride with him, so did Gobo fall in stride with her, an easy pace that came from their long experience walking together.

"Sure did! Still use it from time to time too, whenever we're down at the Rock. It's a little bit quicker of a way inside the castle, rather than having to cut across the garden."

[talkyourwayout]

Lexi grinned at that. "Makes sense! After all, I appreciate a good shortcut." She tapped a finger against the end of her beak, slowing down her walk a bit as she did so. "Man, I can't remember the last time I visited the Rock."

[gobetween]

"Yeah, guess it's been a while, huh? I haven't been back lately either. Red likes to dive in from time to time, literally, and the kids sure love it." He snickered some. "But I couldn't tell you the last time I went there..."

A snort, after a few moments. "'Course, I get swarmed every time I go anyway, so..."

[talkyourwayout]

"Poor King... Heavy hangs the head that wears the crown," she teased, picking up her pace again to poke him in the side. Still, she knew firsthand how - especially at the start of all of that - Gobo often couldn't get a moment to himself. That wasn't just down at the Rock- Which made it really nice, even special, that he'd taken this trip with her. He could have gone alone, but he hadn't. And she was glad about that, just as she was glad that this trip was going well. Their trips often did not - the failed birthday camp-out or the tar mishap came to mind straight away.

Actually, to say those trips hadn't gone well was incorrect. They just hadn't gone as planned; still, they'd brought the two friends even closer, both incidents. The camping trip that didn't happen was easily her favorite birthday memory, and it hadn't even been her birthday.

...She hadn't been aware of reaching for Gobo's hand, but when she did realize she was holding it, the idea of letting go seemed silly. Instead, she laced their fingers together. Yeah, that felt right.

[gobetween]

He laughed, nudging her in return for that poke, then falling in step with her all over again. It was nice here, just the two of them. There was something soothing about the peaceful quiet, that gave them the "only people in the world" sort of feeling, to his mind anyway. Another reason he wanted to come down here, for the privacy...

The touch to his hand caught his attention and he blinked, glancing down without drawing attention to it. His eyes then flicked to Lexi, as their fingers laced. He wondered what she might be thinking, what he was thinking, but then, that just felt... nice. That was the important part. Smiling a bit, he closed his fingers in with hers, returning the hold.

[talkyourwayout]

When he returned that gesture, she wondered exactly what they were doing- But it was easier not to think about it. Safer. Which really told her everything she needed to know, didn't it? For as long as she could manage, though, she'd just enjoy these moments with him- At least, that was the plan. But something in her wanted to know, the part of her that needed security and certainty; that found comfort in seeing every angle of a situation.

"We should, um-" Lexi lost her words - and her nerve - for a second. She stuck the tip of her tongue out in a mix of frustration and thought, then sighed. It wasn't an unhappy one, though, more like... Contented, even amused. "Do we need to talk?"

It was straightforward enough, but still gave her an out if he wasn't on the same page.

[gobetween]

Gobo looked up at her, slowing to a gradual stop, though he didn't let go of her hand. He watched her face, as if studying it, looking for a trace of his thoughts beyond what she'd said already, what she'd done. What he saw he could imagine in his own eyes, in his smile as one appeared, with a little head tilt toward one shoulder.

"To others? Yeah, eventually. To each other, though?"

He'd been dealing with this a while, if he was completely honest. He'd never said anything for multiple reasons: the complicated network of his relationships, or whether this was only because Marble and Lexi existed, being the most paramount in his mind. So he hadn't said anything, like he had with other twinges of his heart. Sometimes it went away, sometimes it didn't. Looking at her though, he could see that with her too, and so he readjusted his fingers, opened them and closed them into a tighter squeeze.

"I don't think so."

[talkyourwayout]

Lexi gave a light, almost disbelieving chuckle - because he was right, huh? She could tell he was on the same page, now that she stopped to just feel instead of think. That page was simply them, right here and now... Which in a sense was where and who they'd always been.

Letting herself feel what she felt didn't always have to be so scary, did it?

"Yeah," she agreed, then gave his hand another squeeze before she let go of it, looped her arm around his head to give him a noogie. When you had two brothers, you became an expert in pulling off things like that with quick expertise, and it wasn't more than a few seconds before she grabbed his hand again, reconnecting.

Speaking of her brothers, when and if they got wind of this, she was ruined. Dewey used to tease her about this possibility, and Huey and romance was still as dangerous an area as ever. But even with that thought, she just kept smiling.

"You're right, Gobs, and hey- Next time you do make it down to the Rock, I'll tag along." She knew she didn't have to ask if that was okay; would have known that even without the exchange. "Might need some magic help to fit there these days, but..." She shrugged. It was something else they could do together. That was all the appeal there needed to be.

[gobetween]

Gobo laughed at the noogie, but before he could even begin to push back she'd released him. Smiling, he rested his tail along behind her, almost automatically; in a way it was, a natural gesture of affection for him, no matter who it was.

"Thanks. Your company would be really great to have down there." He smiled at her, lingered, realized he was lingering and why and then looked away with a bit of a cough in his throat. "So. Further down?"

[talkyourwayout]

She raised her eyebrows a bit, she noticed his gaze staying a little 'too' long. He was a loser, he was adorable, and he was a prince of a guy. She shook her head, amused.

"Yeah, down we go," she agreed, but didn't start walking again just yet. Instead, she leaned down and kissed his cheek. "For luck."

[gobetween]

His eyes widened a little at the kiss, and he looked up at her, blushing faintly across the snout. Then he smiled and gave her hand a little squeeze, starting to walk off down the tunnel with her.

[talkyourwayout]

She grinned on seeing him blush, and gave a quick wink his way before they headed off. Though there was an added layer to things in this instance, it was also exactly the way they'd gone off on their next adventure countless times over the past several years: Together.