wu_lo (wu_lo) wrote in rrinitiative, @ 2013-03-21 01:33:00 |
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Entry tags: | carmel, carmel and wu, day thirteen, wu |
Awkward talks
Characters: Carmel and Wu
Setting: Carmel’s room, early morning
Patrol had been quiet indeed, blissfully so as Wu walked the perimeter of Block A over and over again for the hours he'd claimed. Each common room got a stop, an unfolding of his hands from behind his back, and a look beyond the door. And each time? Nothing. Whoever it was that had been acting out and creating chaos was sensible enough to lay low this night. Wu expected it, of course; only an utter fool would chance something on the first night of watch. But it wouldn't be the last, not if the volunteers remained willing. And it was good that they had spoken up at all, encouraging that so many cared enough to stand up when called for. Perhaps one of them was the problem as well, but if so? Wu would find them. He would deal with them.
That would be later, though; right now had been for his quiet walk and silent contemplation over his situation here. He was expected to lead, reunited with his trusted lieutenant, involved with a woman... it was truly strange, and far enough beyond Wu that he wouldn't even try to figure it out on his own. He'd do best to just react, to navigate it all as it came and trust the instincts that had led him through the decades. Of course, those instincts brought him to Carmel's door, lingering beyond with a mug of tea in hand as Wu idly stuffed his discarded tie into his pocket. It was already humid with the sun rising, today would be a damp and clinging thing.
Staring at her door, Wu couldn't quite bring himself to knock. If he woke her and found himself at a loss for words, he would look the fool. If he pressed for things? He would just be another man, eager to let his appetite draw him through life. And if he did nothing... would she withdraw? Perhaps it would be for the best if she did, Wu thought. But even if he thought so, that didn't stop him from raising a hand to rap lightly on Carmel's door as he held the mug readily. It was just bagged tea from the kitchen, but this early? It was always a boon, even if the quality suffered compared to Wu's own tea leaves.
Carmel had wanted to find Wu last night, but in the end, she had reluctantly decided to give him some space and then go after him tomorrow. She had no idea what kind of personal life he had had before prison, if he had left someone or many behind, but she did know that most men didn't like a pushy woman. So a day wouldn't hurt, she hoped.
Sleep had been a little harder coming, without his warm arm over her, but she had gotten some, anyway. Up early as usual, however, and contemplating her day while she showered, mentally setting a tentative menu.
She had just pulled on her purple tank top and jeans when there was a knock, and she went to peek out the window first to see who it was. Immediately her expression perked some, and she hurried to the door. Carmel opened it, knowing she didn't look quite put together yet with her damp hair and barely out of the shower look. "Wu!" she greeted him warmly.
He could never match such exuberance, could never even come close to the vibrance Carmel seemed to project with the solitary look at her as she said his name. What was it about her? Something compelling in the dampness of her hair and the fresh glow of her skin, to be sure, but there was more to it that caught Wu in the first glimpse of her, like every time. And like those other times, even if there wasn't some large show of expression from him? Carmel still drew out more than most people would, getting the corners of his eyes to crinkle as the smallest hint of a smile tugged the corners of Wu's mouth.
"Good morning," he greeted, raising the mug to offer it over in both hands. It wasn't morning for him, of course; Wu had been awake for hours and hours now, and was thinking a short rest would do him well before he settled in his office for the day. But there was still plenty of time before that came to pass as well, and while he could? He was going to ignore his nerves, damn his doubt and anxiety, and just see her... "I am pleased I did not wake you."
Carmel caught most of the little details, already somewhat used to the small expressions, always hoping to give him a smile. "Good morning," she replied, and her smile widened as he handed her the cup of tea. "Oh, thank you," she said, fingers lingering against his as she took it.
"Nope. You know me, awake more than asleep," she said, her tone cheerful but self deprecating in the way she had. She shifted the cup to one hand and leaned in, resting the other on his shoulder and pressing a kiss to his cheek gently before she could second guess herself. "Come on in," she invited. "Or if you'd rather, I could make you breakfast today."
For some reason he wondered if she preferred coffee, feeling a little sting of self-doubt that was entirely uncommon for Wu. He wasn't a man who hesitated or second-guessed, he killed based on his first response, and now he was wondering over drinks? It was worrying, though those worries died quick deaths as Carmel slipped her hand against his, then leaned in to kiss his cheek. "I..." Wu began, trailing as the fresh scent of her hair reached him. He breathed it in, fighting to still both hands at his sides before he set them at Carmel's waist. The hot drink in her hands was a good reason to keep from any sudden movements.
"I will prepare something later," he finally managed as his wits cleared, head shaking just a bit as Wu moved into her room. It wasn't that he distrusted Carmel in any sense, but for literal decades now Wu had overseen nearly every meal he ate personally, and old habits died hard. "You are well?" Wu asked as he stepped in, eyes lingering on her bed and slipping him back to the other night. "You sound it."
It was flattering and thrilling, to realize that for a moment she scattered his thoughts. At least she wasn't the only one who was affected. She backed off just a little and nodded, closing the door once he was inside and kicking the towel she had dropped earlier in order to dress to the side where she kept the laundry. The bed wasn't made, but she wasn't particularly upset over it. "All right," she said. Eventually she might get to make him a meal; her inner chef wanted to feed him. But there was no pressure there.
She noted how his gaze lingered, though, and she would admit to herself that it made her warm inside. "Pretty good so far," she said, sitting comfortably on the corner of the bed, one foot tucked under her. "Slept all right, all told." Better than some nights, at least. "How are you? You look like you've been up for a bit," she noted.
Sitting on the bed with her wouldn't just be presumptuous, it'd be asking for trouble, and that had Wu reaching for the chair in front of Carmel's desk. Tugging it out, he settled in with an absent adjustment to one rolled sleeve. "There was an unassigned shift of the patrols that were organized, I took it upon myself to walk our block," he answered, "It seems the best method to prevent more chaos for the time being. Or the most acceptable method, at least." There would be complaints if he started pounding down doors or authorizing the law enforcement staff to do the same, and he wasn't going to be given security footage by the administration, and that meant that for now? Prevention was the best he could hope for.
"I had intended to see you yesterday," Wu admitted, "There was much to do that kept me busy, already others here are eager to visit and discuss concerns." It'd have made him laugh in his old life to think that people would be so willing to find him, but then if Wu thought about it? This was another situation that would've had no place in his old life. Still, he wasn't looking to excise it before he even knew what it had been for Carmel.
A pang of disappointment went through her but Carmel amusedly tucked away the newly reawakened enjoyment of sex, focussing on his words and not her body. "Prevention is always good. I hope the patrols will help," she said. Prevention was always better than clean up, in her opinion and experience. She bit her lip then ventured, "I heard about the fight and all, after it happened. Maybe the patrols will help." And with whatever happened to Becka. She had a bad feeling she knew on that one.
"I had thought you'd be busy with settling in and all," she said with a nod. "And I didn't want to intrude." Or distract or get in his way, even if she did very much want to be a part of things while they were here. Though she had been tempted to find him before bed, to make sure he rested and ate and all. "I hope you got some rest, at least. Or that you'll get some."
"Fight?" Wu echoed as a frown etched itself onto his features, "Between who?" He'd heard nothing of this, clearly, and that was a problem. Wu needed to believe he could rely on the people he knew in both law enforcement and detention, even if it wasn't on a personal level. There had to be at least that basic etiquette between the positions here, or none of it would work, and as much as it'd clash with his want for proper conduct? Wu wanted to beat someone for the misstep. In this case, clean up was suddenly the preferred option.
Carmel frowned, drawing her other knee up and looping her arms around it, resting her chin on top. "Meg and Susanna, the other day? Ryan told me about it when he came to the kitchen. Meg ended up stabbing Susanna with a knitting needle, if I understood him correctly," she said. She was surprised he didn't know about it. "I know Cal has been pretty busy too, though not exactly who or what."
Quiet for a long moment, Wu leaned forward a bit in his seat, arms resting across his legs as he considered what he was hearing. This wasn't what he wanted to hear at all, not for Meg's sake, not for the lot of them, not even for Susanna. He had an inkling about her nature, but that didn't merit this. Not yet, at least. "I will make contact where needed, this must be addressed by our jury system promptly," he decided then, giving a slight nod of emphasis. It'd be better for all involved than leaving it to him.
And with his mind made up there? Wu could sever himself from the topic neatly, giving Carmel his full focus again. "You do not intrude, Carmel. You could not," he insisted in a quiet tone, watching her intently as he felt compelled to move closer and invade that defensive posture she'd taken. "When there is time for you to seek me out I will always welcome you..." He just didn't know what to expect with them past that, or how to even voice what he wanted, even to himself. "Any concern that may touch your thoughts, I will hear it."
"I would have told you yesterday, but I figured you knew," Carmel said apologetically. Certainly the kitchen and cafeteria were a hub of gossip, which is how she often stayed well informed, but... Well, that he hadn't been told surprised her. "I can make sure to pass along the interesting dribs and drabs from now on though." She smiled at him. "If it helps, I think Ryan brought her back to her room yesterday, so she can't be too bad."
Her shoulders relaxed more at his words, and her smile grew. Okay, so perhaps it was silly for a woman of her experience to feel fluttery over things, but she did now, a bit. She would always be welcome. Carmel really liked that. "It goes both ways, you know. Anytime, you're welcome." She was utterly sincere, too, meaning it absolutely, her eyes dark and earnest.
"It is not always easy for me to accept such offers," Wu warned with a slight humor, transfixed by Carmel's eyes as he sat and looked her way. "And I will speak with Susanna when the opportunity presents itself, though I do not doubt she will want a jury to consider this assault." The offer of another source of information was definitely welcome, and Wu planned to take Carmel up on it if for no other reason than the excuse to see her more often. Though he supposed that if he did? He'd do well to clarify what had happened between them, if only for his own sake.
"The other night..." he ventured more quietly, intently focused on Carmel's expression, "I admit I do not know what to make of it, now that time has passed. Or of you, or what may come next." He didn't want to point out how it could only exist in this place, or risk the blind fumbling of trying to navigate a life with room for someone else in it. Really, if Wu considered it, he'd feel foolish for so much worry over a single night shared with Carmel, but he had so little to compare it to and no correllary for her in his past. "What was it to you?"
Carmel smiled a tad lopsidedly. To say he wasn't easy to open up was to understate the matter quite a lot, but she found she didn't much mind. It made every little bit that much more meaningful. "I know," she said simply. "But I'm here regardless." And it wouldn't keep her from inquiring, or offering up her own thoughts sometimes. "She probably will. I know in her place I likely would." Though of course she didn't know all of the details. Having been stabbed, though, she would want such a thing.
She tilted her head, chin still balanced on her knee though she was relaxed. Her tongue flicked out to wet her lips as she thought, giving serious contemplation of how to reply to him. "I can't say I know what is to come, but last night did mean something to me," she told him quietly, sincerely. She pushed up, ignoring the way one foot pins-and-needled from having been sat on it, and walked over to stroke his hair back. She knew here was all they have, even if the thought pained her. But she refused to stop caring just because of that. She leaned down and kissed him softly. "It might have to be just here, but it means a lot to me." He meant a lot to her, the meaning went. It had been so long since she'd had any kind of conversation like this, she wasn't exactly sure what to say, but she knew she would be his whatever-he-wished-to-call-it, should he want it, for however long they were in here together.
A steadfast source he could turn to; that was what she was offering, and that was invaluable to Wu. yes, he had Haruko to seek out, and she'd undoubtedly understand his perspective, but Carmel would offer her own. And in some matters hers would be more seasoned, like the current situation between them. Still, even if Wu intended to take her up on her offer, he wouldn't repeat himself about it. She knew, and that was enough.
Besides, when she moved in close and brushed a hand across his hair? Wu forgot the words he might've used. And then his lips were stilled with Carmel's before he could even form any of them, and for all of it he had no complaints. He had nothing for that fleeting moment but a calm serenity and the fusion of her taste and feel combining on his mouth. Then... her words, which Wu believed. And that only made them terrifying in their implications, in the idea that now he had something to lose... "I will never see what you do in me," he said softly, "I cannot. But I will always give thanks for it, however long it may be." As sincere as that sounded though, it seemed balanced between encouraging Carmel's feelings and preparing to spurn her, and that was because Wu just didn't know what to do.
The wisdom would be to step away from this for her sake, to remove the liability from his life and the target from her back before it could land there. But right now? Wu didn't want to be wise or prudent or prepared; he wanted to admit that it had mattered to him on levels he couldn't explain, could only speak to the existence of in feeling them. Reaching out to encircle Carmel's waist with one arm, Wu pulled gently to urge her into his lap, feeling anxious and uncertain with the words in his throat. "Stay with me," he said plainly, voice still soft, "However long we have, however this may end... stay." Which, for him, was hugely significant as admissions went. "You know my crimes, you know my misery, and you know what I see for a future... but if you want this? It is yours. Ours."
Her fingers curved around the back of his neck, hand settling there like it was where it was supposed to be. "Perhaps you'll see it someday," she murmured. Maybe he'd learn to see himself how she saw him, and see the potential of everything the way she did. There was so much more he could have and be, if he could look at things like she did when she was around him.
She slid into his lap, her arm going around his shoulders and neck as she curled comfortably into his, a soft, content sound escaping her as she tucked her head against his. It felt so comfortably and right to be there, and she smiled to herself at the feeling. Her arms tightened almost protectively around him at his words, her heart aching hard and sharp at the way he said them, and how she knew he never asked this kind of thing. "I will stay," she said, equally as quiet. Indeed, she did not want to leave or let it go. "I want this. I would have it even beyond this place, if it were possible." He could have a future beyond the one he envisioned for himself, she knew; she could see him having so much more. Maybe he would see it someday, but even if he didn't, she understood. "Ours," she whispered repeating it like a promise and it was, really.
If it were possible beyond this place... It wasn't and Wu knew it, as much as Carmel if not more. In the dream world where they left, where they were freed together, how would she accept him needing to kill at least three men before resuming his reign? How could he bring her into that world? Neither of them could do that, neither would want the other to. But with her so close, Wu also couldn't voice any of that. It'd feel needlessly vicious to do so, given that he felt like she knew it all already. Wasn't that the point of this? That this could matter for while it lasted?
"It will not be simple," Wu cautioned gently, watching Carmel's eyes raptly with them so close to his own. "Less so in here than outside these walls, even." As if he could speak to how a normal relationship might evolve, or claim to have endured it before. But then, that was part of the risk Wu spoke of without specifying, simply warning Carmel in his usual sparse words. In time she might be a target for any enemies he made here, she might learn revulsion for the things he'd done, he might never get past the stumbling nerves that she prompted in him. Until any of that happened, though? Wu liked having her so close, feeling Carmel's arms around him to tether them both in the reality of the moment. 'Real' had rarely ever felt so good.
It was an impossible dream, of course. She knew it, even as she voiced it, but it was also a wistful dream. Its very impossibility wasn't going to take what they had going away from her, though. If anything it made it more valuable, this time with him. And if she could make his life brighter? If she could show him that he could have some kind of future besides the sparse one he envisioned? It would be worth it even more than it already was.
"Nothing in this world is ever simple," she replied easily, with the tone of someone who knew it all too well. Her fingers idly stroked the short hair at the top of his neck, soothing him or her, she wasn't sure. Her head tilted slightly, dark eyes still on his. "And nothing worth having is ever easy." Too true, that. If you didn't have hard moments, then it couldn't possibly be worth it, could it? "What sorts of added complications do you mean?" she asked evenly, tone curious but not afraid. She wasn't going to give up on this thing before it was barely started; she'd meant what she said. She wanted this, him. But being informed always did help.
"I mean myself," Wu clarified plainly, watching Carmel just as intently as she watched him. It was undeniably soothing to have her here like this, but it couldn't shatter all of Wu's defenses. Nothing shy of the rush of their night together had managed that, and even then it had been short-lived for him. "I am a cruel man, Carmel, and an angry one. It will bring me enemies in time, even in this place, and when I have them? They will look to you to target me." And it was all so even in his tone, so simple, as if the loss of life didn't faze him one bit. "Even if they do not, every day will not be like this," he added in warning, "Days of foul temper come to me, when I want no soothing. Days of solitude as well." There would absolutely be times when he spurned basic contact, when he dwelt for hours or even days in silence. And it had taken loyal men years to understand that, which left Wu thinking that Carmel couldn't grasp it so quickly.
She knew he could be those things, though he had never been such with her. "You aren't with me," she said simply, saying what she had been thinking. She shrugged slightly at the warning, not discarding it but unwilling to be afraid. "I can take care of myself." At least most of the time. "And I'll be careful." There were at least two knives in this room alone, and she could always start carrying one if she needed to. She listened further, her fingers still gentle on the nape of his neck. "And you know I won't be able to help but try to help," she said with equal seriousness, her eyes large and solemn. It was who she was, taking care of people, especially if age cared for them. "Or that I won't still try. I will try to respect those times, but this is who I am as well." She couldn't promise it might not hurt her sometimes as well, but she would do her best not to be.
Wu gave a slight nod as they sat together, still intent in his focus on her as he listened to Carmel. He knew that in time, she would learn the difference between what he said and what those words really meant, and it saddened Wu to imagine that day coming. Some day he'd see pain in her eyes and know he caused it. "I say these things only to be honest," Wu explained, "Not to drive you away. My name was 'Devil' beyond this place, and when it is seen why? I would not have it be a surprise to you." And if she was smart, she'd do what Wu couldn't and put distance between them. But he hoped otherwise, he hoped she would stay no matter how poorly he thought this might end, and in the end Wu tried to convey that hope with a slight lean up towards Carmel, catching her lips with his own.
On a level, she did understand. She knew it wasn't an easy thing, this place or this man. That didn't mean she wouldn't do it, though. Or wouldn't give it her best try. Carmel was also someone who believed in evolution of people, of change, and that in most all people there was goodness.She saw it in him, even if he didn't see it in himself. So she simply leaned into the kiss, her arms tightening around his neck as she kissed him firmly, trying to let him know she wasn't going anywhere, that he didn't scare her - that she wanted this and wasn't afraid of hard work or enemies or what may come. "You're not going to scare me away," she whispered after a long moment.
And he could've argued that if he wanted, could've said that Carmel was wrong, but then Wu would have to prove it. He'd need a victim for his ugliness to cascade out onto violently, and claiming one would end his stay here. And above all else, above her or how he wanted her, above the confusingly soothing feelings Carmel prompted in him? Wu had to walk free from this place in the end. He would simply need to run the risk of Carmel being a part of his life now, no matter how it might sting when he left, because he would leave to claim vengeance. "The last thing I want is to scare you," Wu confided when they could speak again.
"But I will not hide what I am from you, either. You accept it, and I accept that in turn," he noted, reaching up to idly wind one of her curls with a finger, "There is nothing else I need to say, it has all been said." He wanted her, wanted to be with her, and had given her the chance to walk away. Past that? Wu was in, despite how much of what came next was entirely unknown to him beyond the hunger he felt for her; an appetite Wu still lacked the confidence to actively pursue. But with time he felt sure he would rise to the challenge; and not much time at all, given the effect every smile Carmel gave him seemed to have.
Carmel nodded slightly. She had already accepted what he was, and his past. She didn't have to like it, just like she didn't have to like her own past. But the past was just that, the past, and he'd never been anything but good to her, at least so far. She didn't have any star-studded dreams or anything, and she tended toward realism. But this was nice, and she wanted it while she could have it.
She kissed his jaw gently. "And I am what I am." And she would pursue him, and keep trying to feed him, and she'd have to learn when she had to leave him alone and when she could push things and spend time with him. She always tried to accept everyone as they were, with only few exceptions. She drew his head back to hers for another kiss, trying to assure him that she would do it, that she would try, because that was what she planned to do. She would do. She couldn't promise she would always succeed, but she was going to give all of this her best try.
Luckily for Wu, he was out of protests and warnings. If he'd had any left, none would be escaping his lips as he leaned up into Carmel's kiss all too willingly, letting the mix of sensations silence his worry and doubt. He could believe in this when it was right here between them, manifesting in the warmth of her body and the eagerness of her mouth on his. Despite anything in the past, Wu could try out the idea of it being more than plausible, more than possible even. "What you are is a marvel," he said at length when he finally broke from her for a moment, hands tightening possessively at Carmel's sides as they smoothed along her skin. "And one that no man can diminish, at that." One that, if he believed he would lose eventually, he intended to revere while he could. And that thought? That had those strong hands teasing along the lower hem of Carmel's top as Wu sat with her, not thinking beyond the impulse to feel her skin.
"Marvel," she repeated, a little amused and somewhat awed at being called such. Not that she hadn't been treated well in her past relationships, but it was something new to be treated like she was so precious and wonderful. She liked it, definitely, as well as the hands that tightened on her waist. Not only the bit of possessiveness she thought she sensed--and liking that, if only because she was very much a one person person--but the sensation of his hands on her skin. God, she had missed that as well, and she hadn't realized it. "You flatter me," she murmured, feeling warm and pleasant. "'m not indestructible. Just mostly," she said, humor in her voice as she chuckled quietly.
"You joke, but you are strong. Enduring," Wu agreed, almost smiling at the sight of Carmel preening in his lap in such a subdued way. It was amazing to watch, and to think he was the cause of it? Was too much. "And compelling enough that I could lose the entire day here," he admitted, saying it so he'd know that he couldn't let that happen, though it sounded divine... but there was work to do. Work that wasn't supple and soft, warm and inviting like Carmel, but was necessary to dealing with their shared surroundings. "Perhaps soon I shall choose a day to give up for that very purpose?" he suggested softly.
Carmel's lips fell into a faint, unconscious pout when he said he'd have to go to work. She knew it, of course, but that didn't mean she didn't want to spend a bit more time with him. "Sure you can't stay for awhile? Rest a bit?" she said, arching into his hands just a little. She'd be more than willing to while away a few hours with him, she had no really pressing business right now. "I would like that very much," she told him sincerely. "And you're welcome by any time." She wouldn't care if he came by at night or like now, during the day.
Somehow Wu was thinking that if he stayed he wouldn't get much rest, and that whenever he did manage to leave he'd need even more of it. Of course, he wouldn't complain about such sorts of exertion, and the curve of Carmel pressing into him told him that not only would she not either, but maybe it'd be good to wear himself out... "Rewards are only deserved when work has been seen to," Wu insisted lightly, grudgingly removing his hands from her, "And you are much, more more reward than I have yet earned. I must tend to this fight you spoke of, and ensure the others know what steps to take." Though with that invitation on the table? Wu knew where he'd be heading if and when his tasks for the day ever ended.
She sighed softly. Well, it had been worth a try, and she wasn't going to press because work was important, and she'd always believed that. "All right," she said, smiling warmly at him. "I'll let you know if I hear anything else." She leaned in and kissed him gently before reluctantly sliding off of his lap, fingers brushing his hair back to precisely how it had been, in case she'd mussed it. Appearance was important too.
With that tiny bit of space between them, Wu could admit to himself that there was some flutter of anxiety in him too. The first night together had been propelled by want and heat, and that same longing had spurred his confession to Carmel that this mattered, but to really consider something familiarly physical? It had Wu nervous, and he knew that would sabotage this as surely as anything else could. "It will not be long," he assured her, pausing as Carmel kissed him, "Before there is time that this place does not claim from me. Time for us." But before it arrived, he'd need to come to terms with what this was. Still, she drew a small smile from Wu as her fingers touched up his hair, finally standing and leaning in to kiss Carmel again. "Very soon, I hope we will have a proper morning..." One where they woke up together, where he could watch her sleep. That? That was the kind of reward Wu spoke of.
Carmel smiled up at him as he smiled at her, always pleased to see the expression on his face. "I hope so too," she told him, quietly and sincerely. She looked forward to getting to wake up next to him and see how that would be. See if she could consistently sleep with someone again, and if the nightmares might not chase him away, too. "Good luck with work. If I can help at all, just let me know," she said.
Reaching up to Carmel's hairline, Wu's fingers teased the edge of her skin fleetingly before he smoothed the whole of his hand over her hair. "I will, and you already help in ways you cannot know," he said before he pressed one last brief kiss to her forehead. That was when Wu had to step back, otherwise he'd linger here and the day would slip past in a blink. "If there is anything you need, anything at all, come to my office or send word," Wu stressed, "And if there is not? Seeing you again cannot come soon enough." Which he'd never admit in public, either, but it was the utter truth. Had there ever been such a welcome problem in his life?
She nearly giggled as his fingers barely trailed over her skin. It sent shivers through her and made her wonder things best put aside for another day when they actually had some time on their hands. "I'll come sometime," she said, the words more a promise than just a statement. Maybe she'd go eat her lunch down there, or dinner, or just go sit for a little while provided she wasn't interrupting anything. She didn't want to get in his way, but she would like to visit.
Somehow Wu thought she knew by now that she couldn't actually interrupt him, not with how often in the past he'd either dropped what he was doing or shifted it to include Carmel. Thinking that way kept him from needing to reaffirm his offer as he nodded slightly, grudgingly withdrawing from her. "I will see you sooner than 'sometime', I hope," he said with just a hint of awkwardness, unsure of how to properly say goodbye under whatever their new terms were. And at length? Wu just gave a slight nod and a look of pining, perhaps, before he turned to slip out of Carmel's room. "Gather yourself, fool,' he cursed in soft Cantonese, head shaking disbelievingly as he started away. Hopefully there'd be work to distract him.
Carmel smiled, not bothered by this initial awkwardness. She bit her lip briefly and moved forward, arms slipping around him and hugging him briefly, her lips pressing lightly to the back of his neck. "Sooner than sometime, Wu," she murmured in agreement. "I will be down later to see you." She let him go, hand smoothing down his back as he left. Yes, she would certainly be down to see him.