Kris perked up. Faelwen had just unintentionally reminded him that he'd been considering rethinking the poison he usually applied to his daggers as a failsafe. She was sure to have a much more extensive knowledge of the topic than he did, and with any luck she'd be pleased that he showed interest in her expertise. Ah, but until then, he still needed to do a fresh application of his usual concoction when he next had the chance. What with her suitors taking up a good chunk of her time in the upcoming weeks or months, Kris doubted he'd lack the free time to get on top of that at some point. Just how much time would he have to kill while she was busy, anyway? Maybe I should get a hobby... In any case, she'd invited him to see the greenhouse, and the fact that he liked the idea showed in his smile. "Thank you. I'd like to see it. I'd be a poor boyfriend if I didn't show any interest in what makes my Vanya tick." He'd have tapped her on the nose if he had a hand to spare, but by then they were on the orphanage's front stoop anyway.
Unsurprisingly, Kris was quite grateful not to be swarmed by hyper children this time around. The visit went without incident. When Lillian expressed her wish to be held for a while, he couldn't help but smile, and he offered to take a turn with the task once Faelwen got tired. For some reason, it felt nice to have a little one in his arms—one who behaved, at least. What with his lifestyle up until recently, the uncertain circumstances of his future, and his lack of experience working with kids, he knew he had no business raising a child, but if the child were as sweet as this...if that child were a Lillian, maybe fatherhood wouldn't be so bad. He was surprised to realize he felt this way, but he felt it nevertheless.
They were on their way after a few minutes, and once the door was closed behind them and they were on their way, something occurred to Kris that had slipped his mind before. "Oh, almost forgot," he said. "Your name." He stepped closer to her and lowered his voice. "Obviously, I didn't mean to let that slip earlier, and I'll try harder to be careful. But if I ever do it again, I feel we should have a consistent story to stick to. No offense meant, but 'Kris accidentally calls his girlfriend the princess when he gets flustered' might be pushing it." His brow furrowed in thought. "Do you think we could get away with me saying that Fae's my pet name for you, as in 'fairy'? You're certainly as pretty as one." He grinned and gave her a nudge with his arm as he complimented her.
((Edit: nose tap. He didn't have a free hand. :P))