@romxna - con’t from here
He could tell by the detective's slightly elevated heartbeat and the tang of chemicals in the air that Rom seemed nervous about something, or at the very least, uncertain, so to say that Declan was surprised by Romana's revelation would be a severe understatement. In fact, he was quite shocked by those three little words, but outwardly he gave no indication as yet except, perhaps, a little tension in his shoulders. If the two of them were going to be truthful that evening, he should at least admit to himself that he missed her, too. Like an idiot, however, the witch had difficulty expressing that sentiment aloud given the nature of their break-up.
At the sound of movement, Declan finally opened his eyes to reveal their milky hue, signifying their cursed appearance, and gave up trying to meditate for the moment as a laugh rolled off his tongue. His head shifted in Romana's direction and he suddenly realized that she'd never been to a bonafide Ward-O'Connell family gathering. Sure, she's been to dinner with Moira and Ian and an aunt or uncle here and there, but never the whole clan, so to speak. It had to be overwhelming for her and Declan felt just a little sorry for the detective. The tension eased out of his shoulders as he leaned toward her slightly, a look of amusement on his face.
"Romana Harris, welcome to an official Ward-O'Connell family gathering and congratulations on surviving your first day!" he joked, straightening enough to reach for his mug of tea that sat on the ledge of the fireplace and taking a sip. The lightened mood only lasted briefly as Rom reminded the witch of his initial reaction upon her arrival earlier and the tension returned, radiating along his body.
A sigh was heaved as the mug was returned and Declan shifted to face the detective. His hands were folded in his lap, his thumbs fidgeting with each other the only outward, familiar sign that he was nervous and wrestling with some inner issue. Finally, his brows rose in an inviting expression as his hands unfolded and reached out toward Romana. When he felt the familiar weight and feel of her fingers, his mouth quirked in a small smile and Declan lightly gripped the detective's hands. His thumbs ghosted over the peaks and crevices of her knuckles, marveling not for the first time how she managed to keep her skin so soft given her occupation. The witch's smile faded around the edge's somewhat as he sighed again.
"Look..." His lips rolled inward, his tongue nervously sliding along them before he continued, "Moira means well because she cares. A lot. Because of that, she has this annoying tendency to stick her nose where it doesn't belong. She and Ian could've prepared me from all the way to Mount Olympus and back again and it wouldn't have made a difference because even if I had that knowledge I really don't know how I would've reacted knowing you'd be at the door." He really, really wouldn't. Gods, he missed her.
