James visibly startled. Jerking first before immediately stilling, he swiveled around the desk as he kept a firm grip on his guitar. A discordant sound filled the air because of his surprise. And he couldn't quite hide the blush that'd spread across his cheeks. Partly because he didn't even know why he was blushing in the first place. For a moment it was as if he'd been caught. At what, James wasn't exactly sure but on a deeper level that he had yet to-and possibly might never-recognize it was as if a part of him had been laid bare. There was the small probability that he was blushing because Kenseigh had been the one to find him in his unknown moment of minute vulnerability. It was a probability completely unknown to James but one that he could warm to if he ever discovered it. Because James did like her, under the fond exasperation. He really did like Kenseigh and it for someone like James it was quite easy for that like to evolve quickly into something else if ... if she'd only stop giving him reasons to scowl at her. Or frown at her. Or sigh at her.
The third reason, the one that was most aware to both James' conscious mind and emotions along with his unconscious one, was the praise he heard in her tone. She was impressed, and for some reason impressing her was starting to matter. At that exact moment it mattered very much and that left him slightly bewildered. It was a feeling inside of him, as if he had to go out and kill something with his bare hands to present to her, saying: Here. For you .... just for you. Please like. Which was sort of funny. It wasn't as if wanting people to be impressed by him was anything strange to James. Moreover, it wasn't as if he'd been singing for her. Nevertheless, he was blushing just the same.
And he did like that accent. His ears, unthankfully pulled back half way from his face, reddened more as he recalled their talk on the journals. Sweet nothings, indeed.
"Yeah," James kept his eyes on hers and willed his voice and emotions to normal. They only partially listened to him. "Magnificent aren't I?"