It wasn't the somber expression that brought a flickering thrill to Idun, but the break in the facade that followed. When Bragi looked away and laughed, it was very clear that he was breaking character, and very clear that the god beneath that character was far more intriguing. Idun wanted to hear him laugh like that more often. Such a desire was perfectly alright, she decided. It wasn't odd to look forward to the warm, genuine laughter of a friend. That's what they were going to be. It had been decided. And, as a friend, Idun just wanted him happy and laughing until his eyes crinkled in the corners. Being the one to make him laugh was merely a bonus. It wasn't a requirement.
"I think you've confused your facts a bit," Idun said, eyes a bit wide, brows lifted just slightly. "You don't seem to take murderous glares seriously at all. It's alright, though. Facts are easy enough to get jumbled." Yes. Continuing with the teasing discussion about glares. Wearing a playful expression that was just shy of being too silly to believe. This wasn't all that difficult. Not once she got into the swing of it.
Though getting into the swing of anything was very hard to do when his tone said something directly contradicting what was expressed in his eyes. Bragi had very revealing eyes. Idun looked into them and wanted to trust him. It was dangerous when that happened. Having a face that could be described as honest was far, far worse than a face that looked purely devious. Honest eyes made guards drop and, later, hearts break. Idun felt her lips part. Her brow furrowed with another drop of genuine concern. He looked so sad. I won't be bored. I want to know, Idun intended to say. She looked down at the ground briefly, to escape the sadness in his eyes that had her snared.
When she looked back up, it was because he'd stopped abruptly and shaken all her words clear away from her lips. Instinctively, Idun swallowed. Gulped, really. Her eyes widened as his did. He smelled very nice. It was distracting. Idun couldn't figure out what to do with her hands. One arm, her bouquet arm, was straight at her side, and that seemed appropriate. Innocent. Perfectly impossible to misinterpret. For a moment, she became very, very aware that her bouquet was in her hand, flowers facing the ground. Her other hand was hanging in the limbo between their bodies. She had no idea where to put it. He was so close and she had to tilt her head to meet his gaze, and he smelled very, very good.
She settled for his arm, for the innocent region between his elbow and his shoulder. It was the only place that seemed safe to touch. The elbow seemed too motherly, like she intended to guide him somewhere, or shuffle him along before he could dive headfirst into mischief. The shoulder seemed too intimidate, too close to the back of his neck, where a lover might rest her hand to stay balanced as she leaned up on her toes to close their height difference. The upper arm was a gray area. Idun didn't even like gray areas, but she needed this one. Everything else was distracting.
Bragi was speaking. Idun watched his lips curiously before finding his gaze again. "So...for a moment...we'll exist without existing?" she asked. Idun wasn't sure she understood, but she wanted to. Dangerous but not dangerous. Was that Bragi? "What does one do in two places at once?"
His smile wasn't helping. It wasn't hurting either. Maybe it really was a transitional rift. Idun just didn't know what they were transitioning into. "What does one do other than continue with vague statements, I mean," she added with a smile. Teasing. Friendly. Innocent. Right.