would she find it pretty?

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Would she find it pretty? Or was pretty even the right word? Zoe already felt a bit like she was surprising Alice Hobbs with this as it was. No doubt Alice would already be somewhat suspicious, as Zoe had actually asked to meet her here instead of walking with her. Zoe had insisted that Alice come to meet her there though. She'd wanted to get everything arranged first.

It did feel a bit strange, having the show here. But the owner had been a mutant and had been willing enough to offer Zoe a significant amount of space on the second floor. Though it had felt somewhat odd having a visual show in this place, it also seemed to add yet another layer to everything. Plus, it was fairly easy to advertise to come here. That and Zoe liked knowing that her show was on display at a place called "Books of Honor."

And the show did seem impressive. You walked up the stairs and saw the photo of Quinn first. The firebreather was bursting flame into a darkened night, while Zoe's words wrapped around him, speaking his light being the one to pierce the darkness and how the new light could open up new paths. From there, the photos wrapped about, showing different people, all of whom Zoe had met and cared for.

There was the section on Roxana Strix, where the lean, fair woman sculpted crystals. Zoe had written poetry about the creation, about sparkling lights, about drawing something beautiful from nothing.

Or the section with Oneyka Duffour. The beautiful African model transformed into various people. Zoe had written about faces, about change, about how they all wore masks, even the beautiful ones.

There was a small section on a young plant communicator that Zoe had known and nurtured. A bit on a shy boy who turned invisible. A show for Liz and Beau working fire between them. A bit where a girl with devil's horns looked uncomfortably innocent in front of a camera. Another with a singing punk girl surrounded by spiders. Another of a man turning to steel.

And at the center, framed so that everything sort of led to it, was a series of images. They showed a hard looking yet still beautiful girl with the frail wings of a fairy, fluttering through a field of sorts. Another shot showed the same girl leaning against Zoe herself, the wings fluttering, their hands interlaced. Zoe stared at that image now, enraptured in it, feeling her heart pounding, so caught up that she didn't hear anything else.

[Alice Hobbs]

Alice had been anticipating this event from the second Zoe had mentioned it - and here she was, standing in the doorway to the bookstore she had been asked to come to, alone. Her interest had been piqued to say the least and she had honestly not been quite sure what to expect. Considering how Alice didn't know for sure just how formal this event was, she had opted for a dress that was something in between being formal and casual.

As she had stepped inside, she had immediately started looking over the pictures who were all as beautiful and tasteful as Alice had expected. However, as she'd made her way through and beyond the images, she had noticed the people passing her by looking at her - and to someone who wasn't used to the sudden burst of attention, she of course noticed it.

It wasn't until she finally found her girlfriend and saw the images that Alice understood what all the gazes had been about. Had it been anyone else, Alice would have showed them just where to stick their head for taking her pictures and putting them up for display like this, but Zoe wasn't just anyone else. Instead, it warmed her. It filled her with this warm, gooey and fuzzy feeling Alice hadn't quite experienced before. Was it a uncommon sense of pride? She didn't know. All she knew was that she was honestly to god touched.

Stepping up behind Zoe a warm smile spread across her lips as she brushed her lips against the back of Zoe's shoulder, making sure that her movements were slow enough to (hopefully) not scare her. "Wow," she whispered as she moved to stand beside her girlfriend. "This is just... Wow," she laughed, her eyes moving back at the picture in front of her. Leaning in close, she whispered, "Is this where people put their offerings to the altar?"

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Moving slowly just didn't seem to work: Zoe still jumped. Not least of all because she was a giant jumble of nerves at this very moment. She did feel the slight brush of lips and heard the words, turning to look. "I didn't mean to!" she said, speaking almost too fast. The words just ended up coming: "I was going to ask your permission, take you through on your own and see the show and the photos. I did that with everyone else, really. They did offer permission and I talked to them and the owner of the shop and everything was quite alright. I really was going to..."

Zoe paused, looked around for a moment, swallowed. "But it seems as though I got my dates mixed up or didn't tell them and this happened and I really didn't want everyone to see those without your knowing about it first," she seemed to actually be speeding up, and if anything, she was sounding more and more British as she went. It was sort of like if someone sped up a Merry Poppins record. "I can take it down if you like. I did, um, well, it's," she looked over at the photos, "it's in the center and all, which I did do, since you're in the center of my life now and I just--- it really just happened and--" and it was quite clear that the normally quiet Zoe was going to keep talking until she just became a solid, high-pitched, British-accented noise.

[Alice Hobbs]

Staring at the girl with an obvious amused expression, Alice didn't offer any insight even as Zoe continued on and on with her ramblings. Alice felt a little bit sorry for her, but truth be told, she found it even more adorable. Sure, she was incredibly biased in her opinion, but that hardly mattered. It was still adorable that Zoe actually thought that Alice minded this whole gig. Yes, had it been anyone else, Alice surely would have dragged them to hell and back, but she knew how much this meant to Zoe, and for Zoe to put Alice's pictures at the center...

Lifting her hand, Alice chuckled. "Zoe." Her smile widened. "Zoe, calm down. Breathe," she added with a faint shrug. "It's alright." She looked up at the image again. "You did a really good job with this. Don't apologize for it." She looked down at Zoe again and offered the Brit a small smile. "Am I conceited for saying that it looks amazing?"

Alice had come to learn a lot about herself after she'd met Zoe. She had grown a lot more than she'd care to admit, and she was happy about it too. Zoe had taught her that it was okay to let people close and that smiling didn't hurt. Heck, Zoe had even taught her that being happy wasn't such a bad thing either. Reaching out her hand for Zoe to take, the brunette's gaze lingered on Zoe's for a moment before moving back to the photo. "It never fail to amaze me just how talented you are."

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

A hand. Calm down. Breathe. Zoe somehow managed it, probably because she pretty well had that reflexive reaction to Alice's commands and suggestions. She lowered her eyes and flushed as Alice continued, insisting that it was a good job and that she looked great and all these other sorts of compliments.

"You're my girlfriend, you're supposed to say lovely things to me," Zoe mumbled, though without much actual enthusiasm. For one thing, Alice pretty well only said lovely things when she meant it. That was part of what made them work:Alice knew how to check Zoe before Zoe went into some sort of spiral and started doubting herself (and Zoe knew just in turn when to tell Alice to start feeling).

She looked over, smiling as Alice insisted that she might have been conceited. When she looked back, their eyes met. Their gaze held for a moment. Zoe took the hand. Then they looked to the photo.

"We all have our talents," Zoe insisted, leaning toward her girlfriend. She took another deep breath, feeling her heart slow. "I really did mean to get your permission. I swear," she looked over at Alice, her expression nearly pleading. "I just... it felt like you needed to be there. I needed to make you part of my statement," she looked back at the piece, flushing a little. "So I probably would have insisted..." And that just made Zoe flush darker still.

[Alice Hobbs]

"Well, clearly I don't know how to properly be a girlfriend then," Alice said as a smirk touched her lips. No, it was hardly a big secret that Alice was the type to really coddle anyone. She had always been the overly honest and blunt type. Often finding herself lacking in tact too. But alas, it was easier to be nice and compliment Zoe, and actually mean them too. There was little doubt about the fact that Zoe had been a good influence on the pixie.

"To be fair, I wouldn't really have minded either way." She shot Zoe a quick glance before smiling. "I'm hardly the most embarrassed person out there, and well.." she trailed off. "You make quite the valid statements, you know? Besides, the appreciation aside, I honestly think that something like that means more to you than what it does to me." She held her hand up, as if to stop Zoe from replying.

"Not the reason behind it, but the picture being up there. I adore the fact that it means so much to you, and that you wanted me there, but whether or not it's my picture hanging there, or someone else's, doesn't matter much." She glanced up at the image. "Even though I'm glad I'm at the center, and not someone else."

She smirked at that as she shrugged her shoulders. Alice's eyes wandered though, looking over the other pieces along with the various people. "Besides, you managed to get my good side."

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Zoe smiled as Alice teased about her talents. "You're a wonderful girlfriend and you know it," she insisted, giving the hand a squeeze. Yes, Alice didn't coddle or hold back, but Zoe knew she was growing because of it. Already she'd gotten Alice to curve her words and tendencies, to use that honesty and bluntness to help from time to time, or at least to consider that what she was saying may affect other people.

Not that Zoe wanted to change Alice: she loved her the way she was. And it was hardly surprising that Alice wouldn't have been embarrassed about being in the show or what have you. Yes, it did make Zoe somewhat disappointed to hear that Alice thought this was more important to Zoe than to Alice even if, well, she did agree with it to some degree. Though as she opened her mouth to say something, a gesture from Alice stopped her.

Oh, so Zoe did adore it, that it meant so much to her or... Zoe just smiled, giving her girlfriend's hand a squeeze. Yes, Zoe got it: Alice cared about her, she loved the gesture, but she didn't know how to say or wasn't quite capable of it because she was Alice. Zoe understood.

"Well," she said, looking back at it, "you're quite appealing from all sides," she said, nodding. She smiled a little confidently, her eyes shining, "It probably helps that I'm quite a skilled photographer too, but, ah," she leaned forward, pointing, "there's, um, a poem... too..."

"Wings

you give me wings.
your words sew chitin to my skin.
each digs for a moment.
each pricks at the soul.
prick.
prick.
prick.
I bleed onto your fingers.
You keep sewing.
prick.
prick.
prick.
Wings are drawn together,
a fragile set.
born aloft by your words.
sewn onto you.
They unfurl.
And we realize we match."

And yet again, Zoe found herself holding her breath.

[Alice Hobbs]

Zoe was right. There was a poem next to the image. She hadn't noticed it until she'd pointed it out. Lowering her gaze, Alice stepped closer to read the words. As she read them, a soft, almost gentle smile spread across her lips. She could feel the warm, fluff she had once hated oh so much spread across her chest and she sighed. "This is beautiful, Zoe," she began, her voice lower than normal. She turned her head and looked at the other girl. Her girl. "You are beautiful."

She reached her hand out for the other girl to take. She had all these emotions swelling up inside, and she didn't know quite how to translate them all into actual words. The way the girl touched her... She didn't know. It was unlike anything she'd ever felt before.

With the back of her hand, Alice rubbed her eyes and chuckled meekly, the sound nothing more than a low whisper. "Geeze," she shook her head, still chuckling. "What are you doing to me?" There was a faint hint of a flush on her cheeks, though, she wasn't sure if it came from the sudden rush of emotions, the embarrassment from crying or both. "I love this."

Was she referring to the image...or them? She didn't know.

And then the brunette realized just what kind of words that fit the way she felt. Three words. Three words Zoe had already uttered that Alice hadn't been quite ready to. Not because she didn't feel it, but because she she didn't know how to voice them. Pulling the smaller girl in for a hug, Alice's head rested upon Zoe's shoulder, hiding against her neck. "I love you."

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

"It's just how I feel," Zoe half-mumbled as Alice praised her. She did know that she did this fairly well, that people were impressed by her talents, that she actually had talents. she'd just been telling Alice how people should use their gifts, after all. In this case though, well, Alice was special, hearing her praises... it just meant more than it would coming from someone else. It should mean more.

Even the comments about how Zoe was beautiful, which just had the shy Brit flushing again, squirming. She felt the hands going to hers, another grasped, the warmth spreading faster than Zoe's own paralyzing touch. She saw Alice move to wipe her eyes, making sure to look away, knowing that Alice wouldn't want someone, even Zoe, to see the moment of weakness like that. Zoe was tempted to shift and block so that Alice wouldn't have to worry about people looking. Though people were bound to look at a striking lesbian couple anyway, even in Kalispell, where it was decidedly more commonplace than the rest of the state.

"I didn't mean..." Zoe began as Alice asked what she was doing. Zoe turned to look at her girlfriend. "I'm not---" she paused as Alice said she loved it, flushing herself, looking down and away. "It's just how I feel and--" she paused again, feeling arms wrapping about her, pulling her into a hug. A head went down to her shoulder, almost burying.

"I love you."

Zoe's heart skipped a beat. She felt it, literally felt the heart skipping, her whole body lurching for a moment. Three words dropped into her ear to worm their way down into her heart, hitting it hard enough to literally make it skip for just that moment. Zoe's hands were moving to cup Alice's face, pulling her off her shoulder so they could look one another in the eyes.

"I told you," Zoe said, her voice soft, "you don't have to say that to me if you don't mean it. I'm not... I'm not going to stop loving you and...and you don't have to say or do anything to keep me around. I did this... I do things like this because I care about you so much, and...and I..." she laughed, her head lowering to connect with Alice's, even though she knew that would just be another point of contact for her power, "I said it all in the poem, really..."

[Alice Hobbs]

Alice felt Zoe's hand on her cheeks and willingly let the girl cup and lift her face so that their eyes could meet. There was a faint flush visible against her olive skin and a small smile played on Alice's lips. It was obvious for anyone to see that the girl was flustered. It was a weird feeling and not one that Alice was used to. It wasn't a situation she often found herself in. She wasn't particularly emotionally attached or anything, but words like that didn't come easy to her.

She felt relieved though, now that she'd finally managed to man herself up enough to finally utter the words that described exactly how she felt about the beautiful girl standing oh so close to her.

"I do mean it," she began, her hands lifting to cup over Zoe's and squeezing them gently. "I do love you, Zoe. I know-- I--" Alice took a deep breath and tried to focus again. Her brows narrowed slightly. "It's not that I didn't feel it before, when you said you loved me, I just didn't know how..." She chuckled. "I'm not good with explaining my feelings or even expressing them, but I do love you. Really."

It wasn't something she said to keep Zoe interested or make sure that she didn't leave. Even though feeling this way made Alice more vulnerable than she'd ever been before, she didn't mind. She was happy she'd finally managed to tell her. She felt relived. "I love you."

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Mean it. Then hands moved up: Zoe felt them covering her own. She felt the shiver running down her spine at the sensation, a shiver that seemed to curl up at her very core, heating her from the inside out. She tried to push it back, remind herself that she had to go at Alice's pace. An almost immediate counter voice, a weak one, one that seemed to sound somewhat like Alice's, countered: though don't lose yourself in the process...

It seemed as though it didn't matter: Alice was already working through things, speaking, brow furrowed, trying to figure it out. Zoe looked back, silent, smiling, moisture gathering in her brown eyes as she stared at the girl who'd managed to capture her heart so very thoroughly.

"I think I knew," she said, softly, smiling, "back then, when you just said you couldn't explain it or... I don't know," she ran her hands down to circle around Alice's neck, "I just... I love you too, I guess," she smiled, leaning forward, giving Alice a light kiss.

[Alice Hobbs]

Returning the smile, the brunette nodded vaguely. She was glad that she had been able to -somehow- show it without actually having to tell Zoe. She understood why it was more important to actually say the words, but she was still glad that she wasn't too far off when it came to showing Zoe how she felt, as she wasn't the best at telling. Then again, all of this was very new to her, so really, she figured that she'd get better at it with time, and once again, Alice had to smile at the thought that Zoe had really taught Alice a lot about herself, and in the matter of such short time, she'd grown so much.

Alice leaned into the kiss, deepening it slightly before her lips curled up into a warm, but small smile. Her hands dropped to Zoe's waist and she pulled the smaller girl into a warm embrace, her lips seeking Zoe's once more before she pulled away just short enough for their lips not to touch, but close enough for them to remain close.

Once again Alice's cheeks flustered slightly, a vague pink color spreading across her face as she felt the all to familiar warmth. She suddenly realized that they were standing in a very public place and even though Alice didn't really mind, she knew that Zoe might. Besides, public affection was on the very long list of things that was new to her as well. "God, what are you doing to me you beautiful girl?"

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Zoe felt Alice leaning in, felt the hands going to her hips and pulling her in for an embrace. She nearly let out a little squeal as she felt her girlfriend pulling her bodily closer, only to part lips. Zoe smiled up at Alice, those eyes of hers dancing again, shimmering with affection. She could practically feel Alice's breath intermingling with hers, and she swore she could again hear their hearts beating in time.

"The same thing you're doing to me," Zoe said, smiling and leaning in for another light kiss. Unlike Alice, she hadn't quite realized that they were in public, and that the handful of people there for the show were alternating between looking at them and the photos, making the quick comparisons. "Making you love and feel and lower walls," Zoe said, her voice soft. She moved to interlock their hands again, bringing it up to show that her own ungloved hands were interlaced between Alice's: no doubt still tingling, but not rendering Alice's digits numb.

"Prick, prick," Zoe said, flushing as she used her own words, before leaning in to kiss the digits.

[Alice Hobbs]

Alice's smile widened at her words and she could feel the flush deepen, making her shift, but not uncomfortably so. Alice had never expected something like this to feel quite this amazing. She had actually never believed that she'd experience something like this. She'd wondered what it felt like to be so hopelessly in love with another person, and here she was. Falling stronger and harder for each interaction. Zoe truly made her a better person and made her view the world in a much brighter and positive light. As Zoe interlocked their fingers, Alice could feel a pleasant shiver run down her spine.

"You're amazing. Did you know that?" she asked as she too leaned in to place her lips against Zoe's forehead, her thumb caressing the top of Zoe's hand. Her brown eyes dropped to the hand Zoe was kissing and her smile softened slightly.

She finally understood what all those novels and movies had been about. Before, they had always made her roll her eyes and claim that stuff like that didn't happen in real life. She had always been the one to look at other couples and snort, finding them stupid for acting like two lovestruck carebears, and yet, here she was... Finally understanding what it was all about.

"Thank you," she whispered. "For making me love and feel and lower walls." And with that, Alice moved her other hand out of Zoe's grip and placed her index finger under Zoe's chin, lifting it up so that she could place a kiss on her lips.

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Amazing? Zoe flushed, but her eyes danced as she looked up and smiled. "Why yes, I do: I have this incredibly sexy girlfriend who keeps telling me so." And the words only made her flush deeper. God, how she wished she could just keep telling Alice how important she was. How the girl had helped her grow, become the person she'd always wanted to be but was too afraid to try. How Zoe loved herself so much more now that she was with Alice than she had. How this was her: a soft photographer who loved other girls, who saw the words with a poet's eyes, who wanted to cleave to someone harder, darker, but just as warm as herself at the core.

It really was like something out of a dream.

A whispered thank you slid right into that, made Zoe tremble slightly. The words made her heart pound, and she felt hands on her chin, felt lips moving up to take hers. She felt her heart thud, her stomach contorting as Alice kissed her with those lowered walls. it felt so much deeper now, so much sweeter, and Zoe desperately didn't want it to end.

Then she heard a soft cough. And a soft "excuse me."

Then Zoe remembered that they were, in fact, in a public place. And that most of the people were looking at her: the obvious photographer with her obvious girlfriend very obviously in love. Most were smiling kindly: they had gone to the show knowing who Zoe was, and Alice's picture set was right there.

That didn't stop Zoe from dodging behind Alice and burying her head. Or from turning a flush scarlet, even as the middle-aged man who interrupted (whose partner stood a few feet away, an amused look on his face) complimented her on her work and how she was "making an impact not only for mutants, but for them as well."