It was the cool tone that often made Idun suspicious, if only because she had long since learned the difference between genuine nonchalance and practiced cool. Or so she thought, anyway. His tells were tricky, as she was all too aware. Idun had no time for suspicion, not when he took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, but if Bragi hadn't hopped down a path of small, sweet romantic gestures, she would've glared suspiciously. And he would've quivered at the sight. Idun liked the hand-holding far more than glaring, so it worked. "That's different. Shaving goop just streaks all over your face and hides your jaw and makes it so I can't see you. And I love to see you, Bragi. I never liked you with a beard because it hid some of my favorite things to see." All those paintings with her bearded husband never did him justice. Not even close.
Idun had a short rant prepared for just this occasion, just this discussion of shaving cream and facial hair, but Bragi mentioned aquariums and her eyes widened with excitement. A soft gasp escaped before she realized it. A grin shamelessly took control of her lips. "And it isn't like she could possibly be afraid of parrotfish. Oh, we'll have to go just to make sure, absolutely, but it sounds wonderful. Truly wonderful. Maybe we can picnic in one of those glass tunnel things?" The thought of picnics always made her cheeks warm a bit. Warmer than usual. They were special to the pair of them, and had been as far back as Idun could remember. Hadn't that first afternoon in the orchard nearly counted as a picnic? An apple had been involved, so she always said it counted.
They still spent time apart, there was no secret in that, but sometimes Idun truly believed their separations, brief or long, made a sight like jaw-dropping mock horror that much better to witness. Would she surprise him like that if they spent every moment together? Idun would never know, and that was alright with her. She was happy. Bragi didn't retaliate, and that only made her happier. She had won! "Mm...second-best. I learned from the best, but that doesn't make me the best." She smiled. "Ah, I can't wait! This is going to be so wonderful."
She couldn't stop thinking of Lottie becoming family in an official sense. That was jumping to conclusions, but when did that ever stop Idun? Bragi scrunched his nose up. Idun couldn't help but drop the marriage thoughts to laugh instead. "Frustrating a girl into marrying you? Sometimes I suppose the results of that can be positive," she casually admitted. Because they were both so cool and casual, weren't they? That lasted for a split-second before Idun chuckled warmly. "Terrible sneak!"