3/14 Instance: Blooming Romance

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Slarti
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Title: Damn Not Given
Nightscrawlearth Character: :icey :phoenix

3/14 Instance: Blooming Romance

Post by Slarti »

Timelined for Valentine's Day

<Jessica> Jess sat up in the cupola wrapped in a blanket and cradling her daughter while she read her the story of the very hungry caterpillar. Sure, she wasn't old enough to appreciate the story yet but she would eventually.

<Shaw> Sebastian looked at his phone again, calculating the time required in his head, to his best estimate. Deciding it was time, he powered down his work and started up the stairs to see what Jessica was doing.

<Jessica> "On Wednesday," Jess read, "he ate through three plums! But he was still hungry..." her exaggerated tone and facial expressions earned her happy gurgles so she assumed Miriam was enjoying the book.

<Shaw> He stopped at the top of the stairs, watching them and completely unable to stop himself from smiling. "That is definitely a hungry caterpillar."

<Jessica> "It gets better," Jess told him with a smile, "Shall I read to you too?"

<Shaw> "Mmm, I may listen at that. Sounds more relaxing than what I was doing." He moved over to them and took a seat. "When you're done, why don't you let me take her so you can relax for a bit? Perhaps take a bath?"

<Jessica> "Are you saying I smell?" She leaned to give him a kiss, "A bath does sound nice though."

<Shaw> "I am not," he said with a chuckle, reaching up to catch the back of her head and linger in the kiss. "It is Valentine's Day, koibito, and I thought you might enjoy some time for yourself."

<Jessica> "I would," she smiled, resting her forehead against his for a moment, "It's a good way to enjoy all the quiet."

<Shaw> "An excellent way," he agreed. They'd had most of the day to themselves already. It was bliss.

<Jessica> "A nice hot bath with lots of bubbles," she grinned, "So..." she looked back down at the book, "Thursday... on Thursday he ate through four strawberries... and he was still hungry."

<Shaw> Pleased, he sat back to watch Jessica read to Miriam.

<Jessica> Jess continued to read to the end of the book until the caterpillar became a butterfly then she closed the book and cuddled her baby, "Now it's bathtime for mummy so you have to be good for daddy, 'kay?"

<Shaw> "She's always good for daddy," he said, moving over and carefully taking the baby. "Enjoy your bath, love." He gave Jessica another kiss.

<Jessica> Jess smiled at him, "I'm sure I will." Providing nothing dramatic happened elsewhere in the house while she was in there. It would be just their luck that something would explode.

<Shaw> Sebastian sensed some slight tension in the link, but gave her his reassurance along with a kiss to Miriam's fuzzy head. "Come on, little girl, let's go watch something inappropriate on television."

<Jessica> It didn't take long for Jess to organise herself a nice hot bubble bath and she happily slid into the tub with some music playing quietly so she could focus her attention on that and attempt to block out the sounds of the world beyond the house. It was a technique she'd long perfected but lately she'd been struggling, the empathy interfered with her concentration often.

<Shaw> While he did turn on the television, it was to a music channel playing children's songs and classical selections set to images of toys, puppies, and kittens. Miriam was installed in her bouncer and he stared at the screen himself for a moment. This was educational?

<Shaw> Now that Miriam was happy and Jessica was occupied, he pulled out his phone and sent a text message. Then, he snapped to work, as quietly as he could.

<Jessica> Jess closed her eyes, enjoying the relaxing heat and music and the scented bubbles. Now if only she wasn't picking up the road rage from the street it would be perfect. She tried not to think about it.

<Shaw> Ordering Sharky to watch Miriam, he met his contact at the door and soon, everything was prepared.

<Jessica> The water was starting to cool down so Jess decided it was time to get out of the bath and get dressed again but she took her time to do the latter.

<Shaw> He had just enough time to change Miriam's diaper once more for good measure and was in the rocking chair with her now, singing softly and hoping that would do the trick.

<Jessica> Once dried off and dressed, Jess crossed the hall to the nursery, leaning against the door frame and watching them with a half smile.

<Shaw> The girl seemed to be nodding off, and he looked up at Jessica with a smile and held out his hand to her. Did you enjoy yourself? You certainly smell much better.

<Jessica> She poked her tongue out at him, taking his hand, I enjoyed my bath, yes. Thank you for asking.

<Shaw> He brought her hand to his mouth and nuzzled her knuckles, then turned it to kiss her palm, watching her face. I'm glad. When Miriam is asleep, I have a surprise.

<Jessica> What kind of surprise? She raised an eyebrow, never keen on the idea of them.

<Shaw> One you'll like. He gave her a winning smile, thumb brushing over hers as he moved his attention to her wrist, kissing there as well.

<Jessica> She bit her lip, Careful or I'll be too distracted to think about any surprise...

<Shaw> Mission accomplished, Sebastian kept her hand while he checked Miriam, then grinned up at her. Perhaps that's part of the surprise as well. He carefully stood and stepped close to give her a kiss, squeezing her hand once before he let go to put Miriam down.

<Jessica> She laughed softly so she didn't wake Miriam, You mean to tell me I wasted time getting dressed?

<Shaw> That's never a waste. It gives me a gift to unwrap as well. Sebastian smirked, giving Miriam a last fond look before he went back to Jessica and reclaimed her hand. Shall we?

<Jessica> After you, she smiled at him, giving his hand a squeeze. She was curious but apprehensive, surprises from Sebastian weren't always well received even though he generally had his heart in the right place.

<Shaw> Sebastian led the way up the stairs to the dining room, where the table was set and ready. Candles were lit on several surfaces, casting the room with a flickering glow. In the center of the table sat a pot of hibiscus flowers.

<Jessica> Her grip on his hand tightened in her surprise and she smiled at him again. She wasn't expecting this at all but she already liked it, the dining room looked lovely lit up by candles - it was almost like indoor camping again.

<Shaw> He felt her pleasure and grinned, turning to give her a quick kiss, then led her to the table. Letting go of her hand, he pulled out her chair.

<Jessica> "Such a gentleman," she laughed softly, taking her seat, "Thank you."

<Shaw> "I do try." He helped her settle and smiled down at her, picking up her hand again. "Excuse me, for just a moment." After a quick kiss to her knuckles he poured her a glass of wine and went into the kitchen.

<Jessica> Jess watched him go, an eyebrow raised in silent question, then she remembered she had wine and took a sip. It was one of her favourites and she made a sound of approval.

<Shaw> He was relatively quick in the kitchen, uncovering a few dishes and plating them up, ensuring everything was still hot. Japanese soup and salad were loaded onto a tray, along with a covered serving dish, and he brought the lot into the dining room. "It's not such an unpleasant surprise, is it?"

<Jessica> "It's not... I'm sorry I doubted you." She smiled at him then cast her eyes over the collection of plates and covered dishes.

<Shaw> "As you should be," he said with a smirk as he placed the bowls and dishes in front of her, then served himself. He poured more wine and sat down.

<Jessica> She laughed a little, "You went to all this trouble... when did you do all this?"

<Shaw> "I'm devious, love," he laughed. "Haven't you learned that by now?"

<Jessica> "Apparently I'm incapable of learning lessons from experiences."

<Shaw> "Apparently." He nodded toward her dinner and picked up his spoon to try the soup. The smirk showed his amusement at her assertion.

<Jessica> She smiled, picking up her own spoon. "It's one of the things you like about me, right?"

<Shaw> "Yes, dear," he deadpanned, not hiding his grin as he took a sip from his spoon.

<Jessica> She laughed, trying the soup herself and making another sound of approval. "You wouldn't have happened to put together a meal of all of my favourites, would you?"

<Shaw> "Me? Whyever would I do that?" Still grinning, he took a drink of wine and watched her.

<Jessica> "Because you're amazing and you have to rub it in?"

<Shaw> "I'm glad you can acknowledge my greatness, koibito." He raised his glass to her with a chuckle.

<Jessica> She laughed, returning the toast, "I do acknowledge it, and my luckiness to have you to myself."

<Shaw> "We're both lucky there. It's wonderful to have some time to ourselves." He smiled, turning his attention to the food.

<Jessica> "Yeah... it's been a while.... been a long time since it was safe to talk out loud about everything too..." She hated having to watch what she said all the time, "It's exhausting trying to word things properly...."

<Shaw> Sebastian snorted and sipped his wine. "Tact is overrated," he said with a smirk.

<Jessica> "Maybe with some things... but not with everything. You know it can bite you in the ass. How many times has it done that already this year?"

<Shaw> He waved a dismissive hand. "Details."

<Jessica> She laughed, "The devil's in the details, remember?" She had a sip of wine.

<Shaw> "Well, I believe we have managed to navigate the worst of it." He had a bit more of the soup and salad.

<Jessica> "Yeah, we've done okay so far... but we're in unnavigated waters here so we're bound to bump a few rocks... just as long as we don't sink."

<Shaw> "We'll be fine, love." Until they needed to discuss Shinobi, but that was a conversation for another time. "But for tonight, it's just us, love."

<Jessica> She smiled and nodded, "It is... it's so weird. I don't know what to do with myself half the time because there's always people in the house... and now I'm not sure what to do with it being so empty..."

<Shaw> "Well, fortunately for you I have some ideas." He grinned over his wine glass.

<Jessica> She laughed softly, shaking her head, "I'll bet you do."

<Shaw> "You would expect nothing less." He stood and uncovered the main course - the grilled salmon from Jessica's favorite Japanese restaurant.

<Jessica> "Of course not, that would be underestimating you." She couldn't disguise her happy at seeing her favourite dish had been selected for their main course. There wasn't much point in trying with the combination of empathy and their link.

<Shaw> Sebastian knew she'd appreciate it, but seeing and feeling her reaction was gift enough for himself. For now. "Happy Valentine's Day, koibito." He served her portion, then himself, and returned to his seat, sending her a wordless wave of affection.

<Jessica> "Thank you... I'm going to have to find a way to make this up to you..." she could think of a few ways and she made sure to send the images over their link.

<Shaw> He hummed his approval. "I told you I would enjoy unwrapping my gift later," he said, giving her a wolfish grin as he took a bite of salmon.

<Jessica> "And I never doubted that," she laughed, "Almost makes me want to rush dinner."

<Shaw> "Now, now, pleasures are greatest in anticipation, love, yes?" Taking another slow sip of wine, he watched her eat.

<Jessica> She nodded, "They are... and I can be patient," she glanced up at him to offer a smile, "And I'm enjoying my food too much to rush it."

<Shaw> "I'm glad you are." He ate a bit of his own, ordering his thoughts.

<Jessica> She focused her attention on her plate, enjoying the comfortable silence and her favourite meal. As always, she was listening for sounds from Miriam but their daughter was fast asleep.

<Shaw> "So, this isn't the only gift I thought to deliver for the holiday," he started, catching her eyes and inclining his head toward the plant at the center of the table.

<Jessica> "It's not?" She looked at the flowers again, they were very nice.

<Shaw> "You know that flat spot on the roof behind the tower? I thought, when the weather allows, perhaps we could make it into a garden, as we're already having some other work done."

<Jessica> She smiled, "That sounds like a good idea... it's nice up there..." then she could sit outside in the summer and not look like a weirdo for sitting on the roof.

<Shaw> "Now, you just need to keep that alive until we can plant it," he smirked, stretching out his arm to brush his fingers over one of the orange blooms.

<Jessica> She laughed, "I can do that... we'll have to think about what we plant up there though, with all this cold weather we get over winter, they'll have to survive frost and high winds."

<Shaw> "Or, some may be portable enough to come inside for the winter, I suppose." He looked at the plant, considering. "But yes, I agree."

<Jessica> "I suppose I have something to do now," she laughed, "Google plants."

<Shaw> "Indeed. Or, we could locate a botanical garden. Do some first-hand research."

<Jessica> "I like that plan, gets me out of the house... we could take Miriam and make a day of it."

<Shaw> "Consider it done then." He grinned.

<Jessica> "One thing has to be priority though... everything in the garden has to smell nice."

<Shaw> Smirking, he chuckled. "As nice as you currently smell?"

<Jessica> "Nicer," she nodded sagely.

<Shaw> "But you do smell quite nice." Sebastian scented the air, looking like a predator on the hunt.

<Jessica> "I would hope so too," she giggled, "Spent long enough in the bath."

<Shaw> "Long enough I was most tempted to join you, although that would have rather ruined all my well-laid plans."

<Jessica> "Well, not all of them... just this part." She smiled at him, "I think I'd have been fine with either outcome."

<Shaw> "You tempt me to lure you back into the bathtub now." Sebastian slid his chair down the side of the table, closer to hers.

<Jessica> "Before or after dessert?" She turned in her seat to watch him.

<Shaw> "Well, those two could be simultaneous events," he said, pretending to ponder the idea.

<Jessica> "Dessert in the bath? Hmm... I could agree to this."

<Shaw> Sebastian leaned in closer and reached to trace her collarbone with his fingertip. "Whenever you're ready, then."

<Jessica> Jess bit her lip and carefully set down her knife and fork before capturing his hand, "Ready."

<Shaw> "Are you quite sure?" He looked down at her plate, but was pleased to see she'd eaten quite a bit. For her.

<Jessica> She nodded, "I'm sure." Pushing her seat out a little, she got to her feet, reaching her other hand to touch his cheek.

<Shaw> Sebastian rose as well, and took a step into her for a kiss. I've missed this, so it's a good day indeed.

<Jessica> She slid her arms around him and rested her forehead against his, I've missed being able to be affectionate with you and not hear disgusted noises from some corner of the room...

<Shaw> And the reverse as well, I suppose, he chuckled, brushing their noses together.

<Jessica> Laughing softly, she gave him a quick kiss, Maybe a little bit...

<Shaw> It made him laugh as well, watching her face. Beautiful. He kissed her again, then moved back and scooped her up into his arms.

<Jessica> She shrieked a little in surprise then laughed again, putting her arms around his shoulders, "Now where is this mysterious dessert?"

<Shaw> "In the kitchen, but I'll get it while you get everything ready." He moved as quietly as he could down the stairs, pausing to listen at Miriam's door.

<Jessica> "She'll be out for a while yet," Jess assured him, shifting in his arms to press a kiss to his cheek.

<Shaw> Turning his head, he traced her lower lip with the tip of his nose, then pressed his lips there instead. Excellent, because I intent to take my time with you.
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