semiautonomous kitchen

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The remaining two days of the walk are much more affectionate, and also much more free of wizards and snakes than the first two days were. Somehow, all three travelers manage to not realize that Bella has not yet produced her name, even though on at least one occasion it would have been convenient for Tony to have.

And there is the castle, and there is the -

"Skyvault," sighs Bella, diving into her hat for her specs.

Comments

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"Thank you," says Sherlock, and impulsively hugs her.

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Hugs! Bella likes hugs. She hugs back.

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Hugs and kisses?

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Oooh yes please.

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Mm. Kisses.

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"I bet," says Bella, "that you could also carry me if you so chose, if there were a better room than the kitchen for us to be in right now."

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"I believe that is true," says Sherlock, and picks her up.

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Yay! Bella is developing quite an appreciation for being carried around. She tucks her head in against Sherlock's neck.

"I have honestly no idea how my parents will react when I tell them I have gone and gotten engaged to at least one princess," she says.

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"I hope they will not be upset."

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"I don't think it will be a negative reaction. Well, maybe a little, because it's very fast - they have an unusual perspective because when they got married it didn't work out. They'll probably have all kinds of questions about how I can be sure I want to marry you."

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"And how are you sure you want to marry me?"

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"I think you're pretty much as you present yourself," says Bella. "Some people aren't, but I don't think you're one of them. I like the way you present yourself. If there weren't princess-related issues lurking about I'd probably want to wait longer before getting married, and just be your girlfriend for a while first, but I'd still really like you."

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"I am exactly as I present myself," says Sherlock. "And I really like you too."

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Bella grins. "So few people are exactly as they present themselves. I have a deal with myself that I won't pretend to be anyone I'm not to myself, but I'm not always perfect about being open with everybody else. I'm not proud of all my characteristics." She sobers a little throughout the course of this utterance.

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Sherlock waits, still carrying her toward her room.

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"Like, you said I was a helpful person. I am, in the sense that I help people, but that's just because I feel like it. I don't go far out of my way to do it. It falls by the wayside if it's competing with other things I want more. I've never been able to - never been interested in fooling myself into doing anything I didn't really want. And I'm good at figuring out what I really want. It just usually includes helping people who wander by."

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"I see," says Sherlock.

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"But," says Bella, "unless my thinking turns up something unexpected, I want to marry you, and I had not really been planning on kids anytime in the immediate future but I expect I can warm to the idea, and if I manage the technical stuff I want to marry Tony too, and I want to be a queen and do all your politics for you when that is called for, because I think being an effective and decent monarch sounds like a fascinating challenge."

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"That seems very reasonable to me."

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Nuzzles and neck-kisses!

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Nuzzles and cheek-kisses!

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Yay!

Is that Bella's new room there? Bella thinks it might be.

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It is!

Sherlock carries her into it and sets her down on her bed.

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Bella tugs Sherlock down after her. For snuggles. If she also waves a bare foot at the door in such a way that it is convinced to close, that's unrelated. Maybe.

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Snuggles!

Kisses and snuggles.