Sebille arrived to the living room and sat down beside the tall man. She'd been out the whole day and needed to relax a bit for the evening.

"Phew. My feet are hurting like crazy. I'm clearly not as out-going as I used to be."

It was true: she no longer modeled, except on special occasions, and thus didn't attend PR parties and the like. Now, if she went out she got tired too quickly for her taste.

"Hm?" Null brought his hand to her shoulder and slowly pulled her to lean against him.

"Well, aren't you gentle today..." She spoke in a whisper as the man's long fingers moved through her hair.

His voice was a little quieter than usual; "If you say so..."

"Oh, by the way." Sebille spoike, ignoring the man's tone and changing the atmosphere completely.

"I confiscated this off Camille. Again."
" ..."
"I really wish you'd stop giving it to her. She keeps playing with it and you know how I feel about guns."

She moved the lock to the front and fiddled with it as the man spoke:
"She takes it without permission now."

Sebille sighed.

"She wouldn't if you scolded her about it." The woman didn't look at Null as she offered the necklace back to him: "Here."

The girl was already shy around him, if he were more strict with her she would stop taking it.

" ..."
"I know you want to be a good parent but a part of that is being strict when needed."

"Speaking of strict..."
Sebille turned to look at him:
"Camille wants a new doll, although she just got one for her birthday. And you're not to buy it for her when she comes and asks for it."

Sebille knew she would. Whenever her mother denied something from her, she went straight to Null. The first doll had been insanely pricey already and she would not be getting another one in a few years. The kid was lucky Null didn't really care what things cost. The young mother, however, wanted to teach her daughter that she could not have everything she wanted.

A dangerous edge became clear in her tone; "Pray that I don't find out that you've gotten her a new one."

The man just looked at the trinket, not saying a word.

"Null? Are you listening?"

"Yes..."

The woman sighed again. Talking with him was impossible sometimes.

Her mind wandered to how things had ended up this way, and then she remembered what Hati had asked her just a few days ago.

The marriage question was still on her mind and she wondered if it should be brought up.

Little did she know that Null was also thinking of similar thoughts.

"Null..."

" ?"

But before she could think of how to ask him, she got cold feet.

"Can we go to bed? I'm getting tired..."