deercountry | ( the dog days are over )

( it catches him off guard and he laughs before he shakes his square head. )

You want me to get plastic surgery, see if I can't make it more oval for you?

( he laughs and tilts his head at her. )

[ katherine makes a show of eyeing him noticeably, trying to imagine him with a more oval head…

and she decides, with a disgruntled purse of her lips and shake of her head, that wouldn't be entirely good at all. ]

No. [ she scrunches her nose even more. ] Luca inherited your square head and I'd like him to have something that makes him look like his father. [ her gaze lifts up to his hairline. ] Hopefully he doesn't inherit your forehead.

What's wrong with my forehead?

( it wasn't square or anything, katherine. you were just picking at his features now. )

It's fine. There's nothing wrong with my forehead.

Other than it's a little on the square side?

[ she holds her hands up and mimics a large square. pursing her lips, she drops her hands and hums. ]

It is a little broad.

And yours is a little vee shaped.

( two could play that game. )

Like an arrowhead.

[ for a split second, katherine narrows her eyes in annoyance. she's quick to smile and tilt her head up as she preens beneath the backhanded compliment. ]

A cute arrowhead, of course.

[ no, that was not a question. ]

Has anyone in their life ever described an arrowhead as cute?

( he's pretty sure the answer is no. )

You're reaching.

[ she's slow to smile and look at the back of his head pointedly. ]

You'd be the first. How does it feel to do something for the first time, hm?

[ and, if he plays his cards right, the last. she sits smugly in her chair and digs into her dinner happily. ]

Edited 2022-04-12 10:55 (UTC)

This isn't the first time that I've...done something for the first time.

( he doesn't know why that sentence sounds weird. he makes a face. )

I've taken some of your firsts.

[ at his face, katherine playfully scrunches up her face. she chuckles low and gently brushes her toes against his ankle. ]

Some.

[ she'll concede, of course. there are not a lot of firsts and she doesn't wish to take that away from either of them. but she wants him to accept that he's taken yet another one. ]

And now another one. You shot through it like a cupid's bow. [ she snorts in amusement. ]

Good. I'll be sure to write about it in my journal tonight.

( he holds up a hand to forestall her next question. )

Nope, you don't get to read it.

[ with a heavy, disappointed sigh, she sinks with depression into her hair. she pouts and mouths "no fun". ]

Will you read it to me?

[ she's slow to smile. that's a loophole he didn't cover. ]

No, I won't do that either.

( he shakes his head. )

I've gifted you a few of my journals and you still want more?

Duh.

[ katherine rolls her eyes before regarding him like he's grown four extra heads. honestly, what kind of question is that? has water suddenly become dry? she wants and will always want to read his journals, even if he writes "stefan" over and over and over again. by that point, she'll merely analyse his calligraphy.

she smiles slowly much like a predator. ]

I can't get enough of you, Stefan.

( that's about the answer he expected. he shakes his head because she's incorrigible. he laughs. )

Well, I don't have a journal that I want to give you so I guess you're going to have to content yourself with me for now.

( what an awful fate, he's sure. she'll never want to do that. )

[ she scrunches up her face in mock distaste as if she's tasted a lemon. that isn't as ideal as reading a journal. after all, the journal doesn't talk back or refuse to give her the details she's after.

but then she settles back in her chair and crosses her arms against her chest. ]

Then tell me something you'd write in your journal right now.

Right now?

( stefan watches her and then crosses his arms, mirroring her stance. he thinks for a moment and then arches an eyebrow. )

I'd write that you are a very stubborn, very nosey person but I love you anyway.

Blah blah blah.

[ she rolls her eyes and lifts her hand to mimic talking. that's the surface level stuff. the way one opens their very delicious journal entry. she gestures with a hurried, impatient wave of her hand. ]

What about the good stuff? There has to be more than that!

There is.

( but he's going to be terrible and not tell her. he shrugs. )

I told you what I'd write about. I didn't tell you all I'd write about.

[ she lifts her brows and looks at him expectantly. ]

And?

[ she says it rather forcefully, leaning a little over the table in her eagerness. this is the carrot he often unfairly dangles before her. she wants to snap at it. she wants to know all he'd write. ]

Tell me. Come on.

( stefan opens his mouth like he's going to do just that before he snaps his lips closed and shakes his head. )

Nope.

[ her mouth begins to set into a firm line before she forces a sweet close-lipped smile. that only leaves her with one path of retaliation.

katherine picks up her napkin, bunching it into a ball, and throws it at him.

through gritted teeth, ] Tell me, please.

( the balled up napkins hits him in the face and then rolls down. he laughs and then shakes his head. )

No.

( not gonna happen, katherine. )

[ she thinks to throw another napkin at him, but soon she's going to run out of them. she has a feeling if she was to throw her plate that wouldn't be very much appreciated. ]

Why not? [ she smiles and pouts. ] Don't you love me?

I do.

( laughing, stefan throws the napkin back at her. )

And I'm sure one day I'll show you some more but you're going to have to be patient.

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