The way she smiled, with the corners of her eyes crinkling and those cheeks filling with dimples, made him nearly freeze he was so captivated by it. Which of course then made him blush, realizing how utterly pathetic and hopeless he was and marveling at how someone so interesting and beautiful could put up with it. Cohen didn’t miss the humor in how she turned his own words back on him, the playfulness (albeit hidden) making his own grin widen even as she continued. He honestly didn’t think he could look anymore foolish, but hearing Peisinoe say that she would like that probably took his smile to a level of goof that had yet to be seen in the natural world. He couldn’t help but chuckle slightly, running his hand through his hair as he shook his head. “If I didn’t do things just because they made me uncomfortable, I would lead an even more boring life than I do now,” he said, which of course was his own poor attempt at humor. “But you don’t make me uncomfortable at all.” At least in the way she was referring to, and Cohen’s expression showed clearly how rare that was.
If she were to mention her attire or appearance at all, Cohen honestly would have been surprised to discover she was not dressed “properly” or her hair would be considered “messy” by her standards. It just wasn’t something he noticed, or focused on, because Peisinoe was so much more than that outward beauty. It was the way she made him feel, comfortable yet buzzing with anticipation at the same time. It was the way he found himself relaxed, talking more than he probably ever had to anyone in his entire life, and without sounding completely idiotic to boot. She could have been wearing a potato sack for all the attention he gave her clothing. Especially when she smiled at him. “I honestly don’t think I’ve ever been more comfortable around someone ever,” he assured her, which of course was definitely the epitome of suave and smooth. Cohen was grateful that unicorns didn’t project emotions like they picked up on them, because the fact that he really wanted to tell her how happy he was that he had finally found her (and just being around her) would likely have been projecting in gross amounts from him at the moment.
It was almost a relief when Peisinoe moved into the kitchen in order to get the drinks. Cohen had a moment to draw in a breath, collecting himself as he tried to remember how to talk without sounding completely ridiculous. She made him comfortable in a lot of ways, but nervous in just as many. A good kind of nervous, to be fair, but still. He took the opportunity to walk slowly around the room, taking in the openness of the space along with the lovingly “lived-in” look. His own apartment wasn’t exactly bland, but it definitely didn’t hold so much…life. When he stopped at the posters, he found himself smiling, a fact that grew even wider as she confirmed it was her that was responsible. Her explanation only made him chuckle, though it wasn’t in a mocking way. “I am not as familiar with that brand of pop culture, so I’m not sure what MST3K is, but I used to watch Star Trek with my mom.” While not obsessed, he definitely held sentimental feelings about the show now. It held a lot of memories.
As his attention turned to the backyard, he was able to slyly watch Peisinoe as she got the juice, and felt another flush of warmth just thinking about the fact that he was here and this woman hadn’t turned him away at the door. “That sounds perfect, actually,” he said, smiling at the thought of being outside in the sunshine, sitting so close to her. Of course, as a grown man that shouldn’t have made him as giddy as it did, but here they were.