"Oh no. That part I definitely enjoy," he returned, smiling as she propped her head on her hand as she leaned on the counter to watch him. Cohen very rarely felt so comfortable around someone so easily as to tease and, dare he say, flirt. It was nice to relax, to have her smiling at him as she looked at him as if he were the most interesting thing in the world. He found himself marveling at the fact that this beautiful, smart, interesting woman found him even half as enchanting as he found her.
He was stuck just staring at her then, memorizing the lines of her face. The fullness of her lips, those wonderful honey eyes that were both dark and light all at once. It was nearly enough to make him miss when Peisinoe spoke again. The echo of those words was heavier than their previous teasing had been, the quiet tone telling him just how intimate it was even if she might have been trying to play it off as playful. "It is definitely a good thing," he confirmed, a soft and gentle smile on his face as his own eyes (more green than hazel at the moment) fixed on hers. "I wasn't going to give up until I found you, though." Cohen's words were also quiet, carrying a weight he wasn't sure was appropriate for their first actual interaction without alcohol, but he had never been good at holding back when he sensed it wasn't what either person would want.
As she leaned in, extending her hand to him with the pinky out, Cohen found himself studying that finger for a second before his eyes raised to hers as she spoke. The words brought a rush of warmth over him, and his lips turned up more and more as she went on. It was refreshing, not to mention a relief, to have someone who was just as keen as he was on not trying to be coy or dance around things. "It's a deal," he replied, taking his own pinking and hooking it with hers. "I promise to tell you how I feel, even if I don't like talking about it, and I'll listen if you do the same. I can't promise I'll always have the best reaction, but I will listen and then discuss it with you. Because I like you and I respect you."
Once the promise was sealed, he stepped back a little, noting her own slight embarrassment as her eyes shifted to the side. He didn't have time to address it, however, as the conversation moved to the show she liked. "I'd be willing to give it a try. In the effort of seeing something you like and sharing it with you," he said with a smile and a bashful hand-through-hair trademark. The shy smile faded slightly as Peisinoe asked about his mother, though it wasn't because he was upset or put off by her asking. Cohen just hadn't had someone to talk about her with since she died. Mentioning her to his father after he discovered his secret life and family seemed a disrespect to her memory. "Yes we do," he agreed, though was surprised when she reached out to twine her fingers with his. The feeling sent a pleasant tingle through him, but his shock was once again his undoing. Story of his life, really. Peisinoe was pulling back and apologizing before he could return the gesture or offer her the smile it had brought, and he silently cursed himself as she turned and made her way outside.
As their bodies lined up on the bench, the warmth radiating between them both pleasant and like a buzzing of anticipation, Cohen found his eyes drawn to her hand. Her head was on his shoulder before he could make a move, and the way she leaned into him was a sense of comfort he hadn't ever experienced through touch before. "Only if this is," he replied, voice quiet and playful as he reached out to cover her hand with his.