Topic: Home

Helena King

Date: 2014-04-06 09:49 EST
The only trouble with having built a house on the beach, Lena was discovering, was the fact that the sand underfoot made it all the more difficult to hulk heavy boxes from the van. Thankfully, all the big furnishings had been put in professionally, since they'd all had to be bought new anyway. The boxes were just the personal belongings of the couple who were moving in. In a few days, Jack and Jasmin's house would be complete, too, but for now, King's Cove belonged entirely to Tommy King and his girl, theirs to enjoy for a night or two in their new home.

Kicking off her sandy shoes at the door, she pushed inside and set her box down on the nearest table, turning to look out through the wide windows at the sea. A year ago, this would have been inconceivable, and yet here she was ....engaged to an amazing man, living in a brand new house built just for them, and increasingly close to coming clean to her family about that little hobby of hers. She laughed suddenly, hugging her arms about hers. She was happy.

In the meantime, Tommy was lugging a box of his own personal belongings into the house. He didn't have much to call his own, other than for some clothes, his surfboard, and his hippie van. His surfboard was by far his most prized possession, not to mention his livelihood. "Midge!" he called as arrived at the door, carting yet another box into the house. "Can you get the door?"

Startled out of her contemplation of the waves, Lena moved to do as she was asked, grinning as she opened the door for her fiance. "Are you sure you don't want any help with all that?" she asked Tommy cheerfully, watching him struggle inside with his own box of precious somethings.

"No, I'm good," he said as he stepped past her into the house to deposit the box on the floor, for now. He shoved some wayward blond curls from his face as he took a look around. "It's really starting to look like a home," he said, even though there were boxes of this and that piled up here and there. It would take a few days before they got it all organized, but it was their home - the first house he could really call home. It was like a dream come true, not only the house, but the woman who came along with it.

Closing the door behind him, Lena followed Tommy into the main room, biting her lip as she looked around with a small smile. Even with the boxes, it looked like home - their home. "It might take a little while to fill it up," she mused quietly, a teasing flicker to the smile she sent in his direction.

He turned to face her, closing the distance between them to slide his arms around her waist. "Are you talking about furniture or kids?" he asked, smiling back at her. He was in no big hurry to start a family; it would happen soon enough. For now, he was enjoying this time alone with his soon-to-be wife.

"What, you want more furniture?" she laughed, easing her own arms around his shoulders to play with the curling strands of his hair as they shared that smile. "Next stop is the shop, and we can start passing the word around the city that this is the place to surf in a few weeks." She nuzzled close, happy to plan out the realization of his dreams. And very carefully not mentioning her own quietly held and hopefully never noticed dreams. Ah, but Tommy knew very well what those dreams were and was as excited to help her fulfill them as she was to help him fulfill his. "What about your studio' I haven't forgotten about that, you know," he said dropping onto his back on the couch and pulling her down on top of him.

He always managed to either phrase that question, or do something while he was saying it, in such a way as to make her laugh before she could answer - in this case, it was yanking her off her feet to land on top of him on their brand new, deep cushioned, ludicrously comfortable couch. Lena made a mental note to thank Des for talking Piper into helping with the furniture purchases, and looked into Tommy's eyes with a faint smirk. "That's a hobby, not a living," she pointed out. "And besides, only you know about that."

"So' You have to start somewhere, Midge. Surfing started out as a hobby. How does the old saying go' Nothing ventured, nothing gained" It's your dream, and you should never give up on your dream. I forbid it!" He poked her nose as he said it just for good measure, a broad, silly grin on his boyishly-handsome face.

"You forbid it?" This made her laugh again, her teeth snapping closed very close to the finger he'd poked her nose with in the first place. "You really think that's a good way to start a marriage, Moonbeam, forbidding your wife not to do something?"

"If it means not letting you give up on your dream, then yes! You have talent, Midge. All you need is some confidence and a lucky break. Wasn't it you who told me it was your dream to paint' I'm pretty sure I didn't imagine that," he told her as he pulled his finger away from her nose just in time to escape getting bit.

"If I can do what I love and help your dreams come true in the process, is that enough of a compromise for you?" she offered hopefully. "You make the boards, I'll paint them. How's that?"

"Only if you promise not to give up on your dreams for me." His expression turned serious, a small frown on his face. "I mean it, Lena. This isn't just about me. It's about you, too. I want you to be happy. You're a talented artist, and I don't want that talent to go to waste."

She sighed softly, knowing that look on his face. Her smile faded as she laid her head down against his chest, needing to hide some of what was in her eyes even as she answered the question he hadn't asked. Why" "I'm scared," she said quietly. "I'd rather leave it unfulfilled than try and fail."

"Do you know how many times I had to fall off the surfboard before I became a champion?" he asked in an attempt to make a point, but he didn't want to push her or argue the matter. There were ways he could help her achieve her goals without forcing the issue. He wove his fingers through her hair, stroking gently. "You just have to believe in yourself, Midget. That's all. I believe in you."

Helena King

Date: 2014-04-06 09:50 EST
"Having you believe in me is all I want," she admitted softly, raising her head, resting her chin on her own balled fist on his chest. "I don't need to make that dream happen, Tommy. I've got other dreams that I can make with you."

He didn't want to argue the first day in their new home. There was plenty of time for her to achieve her dream; it didn't have to happen overnight. He smirked at her remark, wondering just where her mind was going. "Such as?" he asked, brushing his fingers against her cheek as he pushed her hair back from her face.

"Oh, just little things," she mused, but there was a hint of teasing in her tone as she spoke, her eyes sparkling with impish mischief. "A beach wedding ....waking up every morning with you ....watching the sun set and the moons rise every night, with you ....at least a dozen kids ....maybe an elephant, I haven't decided yet."

She almost had him turning to goo, until she mentioned the elephant. He laughed at that and kissed her lightly on the lips, brown eyes twinkling with happiness. "Where would we put an elephant?" he asked, kissing her again, his arms going around her waist and locking his fingers at her back.

She grinned, nuzzling into his kiss tenderly as he drew his arms about her, hoisting her a little higher over him as they kissed. "Okay, maybe not an elephant," she conceded playfully. "How do you feel about miniature giant space hamsters?"

He laughed again, not even sure what she was talking about now. "Now, you're just teasing me. I'm sure there's no such thing. Would you settle for a dog or a cat' Or maybe a bird we can teach to swear," he suggested, only half-teasing.

"Oh, so you don't love me enough to teach a school of dolphins to be my bestest friends in the whole wide world, huh?" She laughed, and went on the offensive, using the advantage of her position to get a good long tickle attack in on his ribs before he retaliated.

"I would if I could, but I can't so I won't," he teased, a phrase he'd seen on a poster somewhere back in California. But before he could explain how he knew nothing about dolphins, she was tickling him, and as a result of trying to get out from under the attack, he rolled them both to the floor with a thud.

At least the thud of falling to the floor didn't bring anyone running from any other room - they really were completely alone here. Laughing, Lena scrambled away before Tommy could tickle her in return, poking at his backside with her bare toes from what she thought might be a safe distance. "Real smooth, Moonbeam."

"You're asking for it, Midget!" he warned once he caught his breath, getting up on all fours to stalk her like a cat, blond curls falling across his forehead.

Okay, so not such a safe distance. "Practically begging for it, Moonbeam," she countered wickedly, scrambling backwards on her elbows as he stalked in her direction. All she had to do was get to the other side of the couch, and she'd have a clear run for the stairs ....if she managed to get onto her feet before he grabbed her.

Some might wonder why she was playing so hard to get if she wanted him so badly, but for them it was just a game of cat and mouse that ended without either being the winner or loser. He stalked after her slowly, catlike, growling a low warning in his throat, eyes dancing with mischief. Left alone, without anyone to scold them, they were free to play all they wanted, and play the often did.

Well, if he was going to go slowly, that gave her a bit of a chance. "You know, you really should gargle with something," she commented with sweet wickedness. "That's a really bad throat you've got there."

"Oh, you are so going to get it!" he said with a grin, moving to his feet to dash after her. If she wanted a head start, she had better hurry. There was no telling what he'd do when - not if - he caught her.

She squeaked with laughter, rolling to fumble up onto her feet and make a break for the stairs, knowing full well he was going to catch her. And also knowing that it was entirely up to him where he chose to catch her, too. That didn't stop her, however, from snatching up a cushion from the chair as she ran by and throwing it back at him. "Think fast!"

He ducked his head but not in time to avoid the pillow, batting it away from his face as it came flying unexpectedly at him. "Run faster!" he countered, slowed down just a little by the pillow before dashing after her again, hot on her heels.

"I can't!" Still squealing, she went up the stairs almost on all fours, scrambling to stay one step ahead of him while being almost crippled by her own giggles. This was certainly one way to break in a new house.

She was almost to the top of the stairs when he caught up with her, catching her around the waist so she couldn't escape. He wasn't crude enough to force himself on her right there, but he didn't have any qualms about giving her a taste of her own medicine and tickling her, like she'd tickled him.

Well, she was already laughing, so at least the thump as they went down again didn't hurt. "No ....no! Not fair!" Squirming in his grip, she twisted about, flailing to try and keep his hands away from her ticklish sides as she gasped for breath. "Can't breathe!"

"You started it!" he reminded her, laughing along with her, but taking pity on her long enough to give her a short reprieve. He pushed her hair back from her face, leaning against the stairs beside her and looking ridiculously happy. "Are you happy, Midge?"

Breathless and still giggling, she let her head fall back against the steps, giving herself a moment to try and calm down before trying to answer that question. With her eyes sparkling, she turned her head toward him, reaching up to stroke his baby smooth cheek lovingly. "You know what? I think I am," she heard herself say through her smile. "For the first time in a long time ....I'm really happy."

Helena King

Date: 2014-04-06 09:51 EST
"You love me?" he asked, with that boyish grin, already knowing the answer but wanting to hear it for himself. He was glad she was happy; they'd both been sad for too long. It was about time they both had a little happiness in their lives, and it was all because of her.

"You asking or telling?" she countered playfully, pushing herself up onto her elbows to lean close, letting her lips nudge against a particular spot on his neck she had discovered after he'd shaved the beard off. "I love you," she murmured, nipping before she drew back. "I loved you before you knew me."

"You don't love that other Tommy better, do you?" he asked, fingers grazing her cheek, before sliding through her hair and down against the line of her neck. He didn't think about it too often, knowing he was the same Tommy she'd fallen in love with, even if she had come back in time to find him.

Helena's expression softened, understanding the question however unnecessary it might seem at first. "I didn't know that other Tommy," she told him softly. "I know you, and I love you more now than I thought I did when I came to find you. Sometimes I wish there was a word bigger than love, because I don't think it's enough for what I feel for you."

He smiled softly, the impish grin gone, all the love he felt for her reflected in that soft gaze. What could he possibly say to match that' It was as if she had reached into his heart and his mind and knew exactly what he was feeling, her words expressing it so much better than he could ever hope to do. "First night in our new house, Midget. We should celebrate." It sounded strange to even be saying that. Their new house. It was a new beginning of sorts, the first day of the rest of their lives, and they weren't even married yet.

She stretched, bent back over the top step and half onto the landing before relaxing once again, gazing up into his eyes with tender adoration. "Define celebrate."

He leaned over her, smiling warmly, eyes sparkling again with amusement and obvious affection. "Pizza, bottle of wine, walk on the beach, making love, not necessarily in that order," he suggested, leaning in to brush a kiss against the side of her neck. He didn't care what order they went in. They had their own house now, and they had the rest of their lives to make it a home.

"No elephants or hamsters just yet, then?" she teased impishly, her fingers combing into his hair as his lips brushed her neck. Her own lips pressed a tender kiss to his temple. "How about a bath?" she suggested softly, drawing her fingers down his back. "We got that big old tub just so we could do that, after all."

"Sounds good," he replied, making no effort to move from his lean against the stairs, enjoying the moment. "Now or later?" he asked, knowing they were both a little sweaty from the day's work, but unsure if she wanted to share a bath now or wait until after they'd eaten.

"Well, if we don't start moving from right here anytime soon, it's going to have to be later," she chuckled quietly, catching his earlobe between her teeth for a playful tug before letting her head fall back once again. "You're all kinds of distracting up close and personal, you know."

"So, let me distract you," he replied, that playful tug at his earlobe sending a shiver of pleasure up his spine. There was no one there to tell them what to do, and they had all the time in the world to do it. "How about you fill the tub and I'll get the wine?" he asked as his lips left a trail of kisses against her neck. He didn't think he was very good at being romantic, but she was slowly teaching him.

"Mmm, sounds like a plan." He didn't need to try and be romantic - Tommy's own brand of romance was just perfect for Lena. She drew him close for a long, lingering kiss, drawing back only when oxygen became an issue. "Need a map to get you to be master suite?"

He lingered in that kiss a long moment before finally breaking from her lips, mostly because they both needed to breath, not to mention the fact that the bathtub should be more comfortable than the stairs. "Nope, but if I'm not back in five minutes, send out a search party," he teased back with a final kiss before moving to his feet to thump back down the stairs. "Five minutes!" he called back.

Laughing, Lena watched him run back down the stairs, taking her time in getting up herself and turning to the rooms. It took her a moment to remember which door led to their own bedroom and the bathroom beyond it, but once there, she wasted no time in setting the bath to fill, adding just enough essential oil to fill the room with the spicy aroma of cinnamon and ginger - more masculine scents, to avoid denting his manly pride.

He wouldn't have cared if there were rose-scented bubbles filling the tub, so long as his Helena was there with him. Besides, who was going to know besides the two of them' Unbeknownst to Lena, Tommy had bought a bottle of wine, just for the occasion - the first night in a home of their own, a home that didn't harbor any bad memories for either of them, a home that was far enough away from Maple Grove to offer privacy but close enough for a visit. A home that would be filled with love and laughter for many years to come.

He wasn't gone long - less than five minutes, in fact - before he returned, bottle of wine in one hand and two glasses in the other. He had no trouble finding the master suite, as it occupied a good portion of the upper floor, though there were several other rooms left empty to be occupied at a later date, hopefully by children.

The tub was, as she'd said, big. Big enough to easily hold the two of them without causing aches and pains when they got out again. And in this tub, there wouldn't be a repeat of the time when she'd inadvertently elbowed him in the ear, either. Lena looked up as he came into the bathroom, her eyes focusing for a moment on the bottle in his hand. "When did you sneak that in?"

Helena King

Date: 2014-04-06 09:51 EST
"If I told you, I wouldn't be able to do it again, would I?" he replied with a grin, breathing in the scent of cinnamon and ginger and unable to resist teasing her about it. "Are we taking a bath or baking cookies?"

She snorted with laughter. "Well, I thought you'd prefer this to lavender or orange," she told him, hugging her arms about herself. "Why, did you want me to eat you?"

"So long as I don't smell like a girl when we're done," he said, setting the bottle and glasses down on the vanity, which, like the tub, was larger than the norm. There was more than enough room for the two of them in the house, with plenty of room for a growing family. He smirked at her question. "That's not what I had in mind, but I wouldn't object."

"Yeah, I didn't think you would." She grinned, leaning close to wrap her arms about his waist. "You do know that any day now Miranda's gonna show up and demand to know who's standing up with you so she can bully them into a suit. She really wants to us to get a move on and get married."

"Jack's my best man," he told her, but that much was obvious. Other than that, he didn't really care much who stood up with him. "I was thinking maybe your brothers." He wasn't really close to anyone else. His arms went around her waist, and he leaned in to rest his forehead against hers. "What do you think?"

Blinking up into his eyes, she smiled, stroking her fingertips against the small of his back. "I think it doesn't matter how many or how few people stand up with us," she mused softly. "Although I gotta get Vicki in a bridesmaid dress. She missed out through being pregnant last time around."

"And Dru," he added, knowing she couldn't possibly forget her little sister. The wedding party was getting bigger, but he didn't really care. The more the merrier, and Jack owed him for chickening out of a big wedding and eloping.

"Well, obviously Dru," she chuckled. "And Piper, and Lyneth. See" Even with just close family, it's getting bigger all the time!" She laughed, hugging him tight for a moment before turning to bend over the tub and turn off the faucet. Big tub was still not big enough to avoid overflow issues with two of them in there.

He chuckled, as she added two more names to the list, knowing they had to draw the line somewhere. She had a big family, which would likely result in a big wedding. Money didn't seem to be an object when it came to weddings, so he wasn't too worried about it. In fact, there wasn't much that did worry him. It just wasn't in his nature. "The more the merrier, Midge!" he said, touching a kiss to the tip of her nose. "Don't worry. It'll all work out."

"I know," she agreed, testing the water. Of course, she then flicked the droplets left on her hand into his face with a cheeky chuckle, but that was to be expected, on the whole. "I just don't want the huge formal thing that Des and Piper had. All I need is you and our family and friends, on our beach."

He chuckled, blinking as the water droplets wet his face. If there was one thing he wasn't afraid of, it was water. "Oh, you are asking for it, Miss Granger," he warned with a smirk as he moved closer. He made no comment about the wedding plans. They'd been over that before, and he was happy with whatever she wanted.

Lena pointed her damp finger in his direction warningly as he stepped closer, a wide grin on her face. "If you dunk me, you're coming in too, and denim is hell to get off when it's wet," she warned him through that grin, daring him to follow through on the threat she had assumed he was making.

"Is that a threat?" he asked as he inched closer, eyes dancing with mischief. If it was, it wasn't much of one. He was practically a fish in water, and it wouldn't be the first time he'd had to peel wet jeans off.

"It'd be a waste of water?" she suggested then, feigning mild desperation to avoid what she now knew was coming. Rather than back away, she held her ground, slipping her hands up underneath his t-shirt as soon as he came into range. Maybe distraction would save her from having to undress in the bathtub.

The only real problem was his sneakers, but even those would dry in time, and it was far too tempting to dunk her, especially for someone like Tommy who lived in the moment. Distraction might have saved her some other day, but not today. As soon as she made contact, he grabbed hold of her arms and took her with him into the bathtub with a splash of water and a cackle of laughter.

Lena came up spluttering and flailing, pushing her now sodden hair out of her eyes as she batted at him for following through. "You ....There isn't even a word for what you are for doing that!" she protested with a laugh, wrestling to at least be on top. If she had to get wet, she was going to make sure he was good and soaked before he had to get those pants off.

He laughed again, finding her reaction hysterically amusing. "You look like a wet rat!" he told her with that boyishly mischievous smirk. He didn't really care what she called him; it was all in good fun and perfectly harmless, though there was a bit of a puddle on the floor from the splash.

"You're so lucky I love you, Tommy King," she informed him with a smirk, leaning down to kiss him, proving that she really didn't care that they were both going to start to chafe pretty soon in their sodden clothes.

"No argument there," he replied, mirroring her smirk. Part of the fun of getting soaked was peeling their wet clothes off, but before they attempted that - and before they started to chafe - he returned that kiss, slowly and thoroughly, letting her know without words just how happy he was feeling.

Helena King

Date: 2014-04-06 09:52 EST
She pulled him up as they kissed - she didn't want to drown him, after all - until they were sat together in the warm, spice-scented water, as close as they could get. Her fingers found a sodden hem and began to draw it upward. "I can't take you anywhere, can I?" she teased him affectionately between kisses, daring him to disagree.

"Where were you planning on taking me" We're home, Midge!" he reminded her, lifting his arms to help her with his shirt. They were literally baptizing their new home with the bathwater, but he wasn't too worried about it. He flung the wet shirt over the side of the tub before sliding his hands beneath her shirt to ease it upwards, while his lips returned her kisses.

"Well, now ...." she laughed her low laugh, raising her arms to let him strip her of her shirt in the process. "I was kinda hoping you might take me. Am I gonna be disappointed, smoochikins?"

He didn't even bat an eye at the double-entendre from his bathmate, only too happy to oblige. "Smoochikins?" he echoed with a laugh. "I wouldn't dream of disappointing you, snookums," he countered as he peeled the wet shirt up off her arms and torso and over her head.

Caught up in laughter and tender affection passed back and forth, neither one of them heard their own front door opening downstairs, completely unaware of there being anyone else in the house with them. Until an over-grown puppy pushed open the bathroom door, and jumped into the bath with them with a joyful bark, declaring to his owners that he had found the happy couple.

Taken completely off-guard by the sudden and unexpected arrival of Jack and Jasmin's over-grown puppy, Milo, Tommy burst into another fit of laughter. "Sorry, Milo, but three's a crowd!" he told the dog, who was shaking the water off and making even more of a mess than the couple had already made on their own. If Milo was there, then he knew Jack and Jasmin couldn't be far behind. He smirked over at Lena, as he ruffled the dog's wet fur. "Looks like we're gonna have to learn how to lock the door."

"Milo!" Jasmin's voice was clearly audible, but thankfully, she seemed to have stayed downstairs. The wet golden retriever lifted his head and leapt back out of the tub, pausing to shake himself damp before charging back out through the door to reacquaint himself with his owners. "Get dressed, lovebirds, we brought dinner!"

Lena stared at the now open door, her mouth open in disbelief. "I don't believe this," she sighed, rolling her eyes as she looked back at Tommy. "You need to teach them how to call first."

Tommy smirked, clearly amused, both by the unexpected interruption and Helena's reaction to it. "Why do I need to teach them?" he asked as he moved to his feet to reach for a couple of towels. "Maybe we'll just pay them back when they least expect it." Of course, this was coming from the same guy who was mostly responsible for Jack falling out a window, so it could have been seen as a little payback on Jack and Jasmin's part, but thought never crossed Tommy's mind. "Should I tell them to go away?" he asked, knowing Jack would feel bad enough for interrupting as it was.

"No," she grumped, moving to clamber out of the tub. Raising her voice, she called out through the doorway, "Keep it warm, we're coming!" Letting her soaked skirt hit the tiles, she stuck her tongue out at Tommy. "You owe me, like, four mind-blowing orgasms for this."

"Oh, four!" he echoed with a smirk. "Do you want them all at once or should I space them out?" he asked as he slung a towel around her shoulders and pulled her close into a kiss. They were both sloshing a bit, soaked to the skin from head to toe, but he'd never felt happier in his entire life, even if they had been interrupted. He couldn't bear the thought of hurting Jack and Jasmin's feelings by telling them to go away, and he knew Lena felt the same, even if she was a little frustrated. "Should we leave the wine here for later or take it with us?"

Yes, she was frustrated, but it was hard to be angry with Jack and Jaz, much less with Milo. They were family - more than that, they were the closest friends they had. Drawing back to look up at Tommy, Lena smiled faintly. "No, let's take it down with us," she conceded. "Tell you what, though, dinner had better be pizza, or I'm sending Jack back to the city to get some."

"Wanna get them drunk?" Tommy asked with a smirk and a waggle of his brows. There was nothing funnier, in Tommy's opinion, than getting his best friend drunk - so long as they didn't decide to spend the night. "You hear that, Jack?" Tommy called from the bathroom. "That better be pizza we're smelling!"

"Are you saying my husband's farts smell like pizza now?" Jaz shouted back to them from somewhere below, resulting in Lena's laughter echoing down the stairs to where their friends waited.

Squeezing the water from her hair, Lena gave Tommy a poke. "C'mon, let's get dry and down there before they start unpacking for us."

"I didn't fart!" Jack was heard saying from somewhere downstairs and sounding slightly insulted by his wife's insinuation, but Tommy only laughed.

He tried not to pick on Jack and poke fun at him, but sometimes he just couldn't help himself. "What's the matter with letting them do a little unpacking?" he asked. As far as he was concerned, there was no big hurry, other than for the promise of a warm meal.

"Really?" Lena asked as she shed sodden bra and panties onto the tiles before heading into the bedroom. "You really want Jaz poking through all your intimate belongings" I mean ....doesn't she tease you enough already without her seeing some of the things only I've seen?"

"Like what?" he asked, following along behind her, his sodden sneakers squeaking with every step. He apparently either didn't care or didn't have the sense to strip down before leaving the bathroom, unless she told him otherwise. He was searching his memory for these intimate belongings she had mentioned, but wasn't quite sure what she meant. He was, however, admiring the view of her without the intimate belongings known as bra and panties.

Helena King

Date: 2014-04-06 09:53 EST
"How about the dried starfish with the word Snugglewums written on it?" Lena suggested, pulling open a box to drag out something to wear. She smirked over her shoulder at him. "Or maybe that collection of pressed flowers?"

He winced as she pointed out a couple of silly little gifts he'd made for her since he'd arrived in Rhy'Din. "Okay, okay, I get the picture." There wasn't much he kept secret from Jack, but he didn't want to give his best friend or his best friend's wife any fuel for future ribbing. Just so long as they didn't find her failed attempt at trying to paint him in the nude. He toweled off his hair, letting it do its own thing, which was usually to curl into a tangled mess atop his head.

She laughed, dragging a t-shirt on over her head. Her own hair usually ended up a tangled mess all on its own, though she wouldn't enjoy combing it through later. Hopping to get into first panties, and then a pair of shorts, she slapped his *ss on the way past. "Hurry up, Moonbeam, or I'll eat all your pizza."

His wet jean-clad *ss, to be specific. He was dreading trying to get them off, but he had no one to blame but himself for that one. "Help me with these jeans!" he pleaded, unzipping his jeans and attempting to tug them down over his hips. It was only then that he wished he'd taken them off before dunking her in the tub water.

Laughing at his miserable attempt to undress himself, Lena turned back to her fiance. "You do realize you're asking me to put myself in a position of great temptation, right?" she warned, crouching down to get a good grip on the denim and yank downwards.

"Yeah, but I can't get them off!" he exclaimed, as she tugged on his jeans. He tried to help, but instead of helping, lost his balance and fell backwards with a thump that was loud enough to be heard by their guests on the first floor below them. It took a bit of wriggling and tugging, but the wet jeans finally came off, along with a pair of soggy sneakers.

Just as well he so rarely wore underwear, or that would have come off as well. Lena was laughing by the time she ended up with a lapful of wet denim, imagining scenes like this involving children - their children - as the years went by. "Need me to kiss anything better before I head on down?"

"Now who's doing the tempting?" he asked with a smirk. "Tell them I'll be down in a minute," he added as he rolled to his feet and rewarded her with a kiss. He wouldn't be long. He just had to get dressed and clean up the mess before he joined them. "You can kiss something later," he added, with a playful waggle of brows.

"Mmm, lucky me." She laughed, giving his now bare rear end another playful swat before pulling herself onto her feet once more and turning to make her way downstairs, very nearly silently.

Finding Jaz poking around in one of the boxes with her back to the stairs, Lena grinned, catching Jack's eye and laying a finger to her lips before sneaking up behind her cousin and jumping on her back. Jaz let out a wild shriek and overbalanced, tipping both of them onto the floor in a flail of limbs, where Milo - enthusiast that he was - jumped on top of both of them.

"You said it, not me," Tommy remarked as Lena swatted his bare rear and made her way out of the bedroom to join their friends. From the sound of the racket downstairs that soon followed, he wasn't quite sure what was going on, but whatever it was, they sounded like they were having fun doing it.

As for Jack, he smirked silently as Lena snuck up on Jasmin, cackling with laughter when the two of them went over onto the floor and Milo joined the dog-pile. "Sorry, Lena," he apologized for both of them. "Are we interrupting anything" We just thought maybe you guys would like a little help."

Giggling cheerfully, Lena gave Milo a little push so she could sit up, bursting out laughing again when the dog transferred his affections to Jaz, who was having a little more trouble getting upwardly mobile again. She grinned up at Jack. "Let's just say ....any later, and you would have been interrupting something," she told her friend, gathering herself onto her feet to give him a hug. "Tommy's just kissing his boo-boos better, and he'll be down in a sex."

Master of the Freudian slip, Jaz didn't let that one pass, erupting into a cackle of laughter as she finally got to her own feet. "Down in a sex""

Not surprisingly, Jack blushed a little when he realized what their friends had been up to, though he was a married man now and was no stranger to a little afternoon - or early evening - delight. He didn't even touch the sex remark, letting Jasmin field that one, though he did smile, glad the other couple was getting on so well. As much as they enjoyed teasing each other, Tommy and Lena were the closest friends he'd ever had. He couldn't stop himself from apologizing again, a little embarrassed that they'd interrupted without calling first. "Sorry," he said again, as he wrangled Milo. Well, at least that explained how the dog had gotten so wet.

"Oh, shut up." Lena gave Jaz a gentle shove as she laughed, her own cheeks lighting up in a blush at being caught out in her slip, choosing to ignore her cousin in favor of reassuring Jack. "It's fine, Jack," she promised him. "We'll return the favor one of these days, and we'll be even." She winked at him, gently patting his cheek.

"So," Jaz said, leaning against the table, "how long before you start expanding in the waist area" 'Cos, you know, your brothers will have fun torturing Tommy if it happens before you guys actually get married."

"Her brothers will have fun torturing me whether it happens before or after we're married," Tommy pointed out helpfully, as he arrived on the scene with that bottle of wine and two glasses. Now if he could just remember where he'd found them, so he could unpack two more.

Jack flashed a glance at Lena, wondering if the other couple was planning on getting a head start on them. "You're not, are you?" he asked, curiously.

Helena King

Date: 2014-04-06 09:54 EST
"Well, if it isn't Bum Fluff," Jaz grinned, turning to give Tommy a warm hug. No matter how much she teased him, she actually quite liked Tommy King. He just needed to learn not to take offense quite so much, and he'd be almost as perfect as her Jack.

Lena chuckled at Jack's curious concern. "Oh gods no," she assured him, crouching down to finally say hello to Milo, who was completely torn between exploring the house and saying hello to everyone as often as he could, still very much a puppy, despite his increasing size. "We might be on a fast track, but we're gonna do things in the right order here."

Jack wasn't sure Tommy cared much about doing things in the right order, but he figured Lena's family might have something to say about that. Tommy snorted at Lena's comment. "Fast track" We're not the ones who couldn't wait to get married," he interjected as he awkwardly returned Jasmin's hug with the bottle and glasses still held in his hands. It was Jack and Jasmin, after all, who insisted on an impromptu and unplanned wedding on Christmas Day.

"Oh, c'mon," Jaz laughed, poking at Tommy's unprotected midriff. "Why spend a fortune on a wedding when we could do it then and there, and have the people who matter most right there with us?" She flashed her husband a tender grin as she said this, knowing full well it had been the single most impulsive decision of her life.

Lena snorted with laughter as she ruffled Milo's fur, leading the dog over to the hearth to watch as she encouraged a fire to start blazing.

Tommy had clambered into a pair of worn out blue jeans and a slightly ragged t-shirt with a faded Grateful Dead logo, his feet bare and his hair an unruly blond mess, as opposed to Jack, who looked almost preppy in his khakis and button-down shirt, clean-shaven and hair perfectly combed. "My point exactly!" Tommy replied with a grin, though their situation was different. He wanted Lena to have the wedding of her dreams, surrounded by her family and friends, and he was willing to wait a few months for it.

"Yeah, well, you weren't proposed to in front of the entire family," Lena pointed out with a warm chuckle. "We can't elope like that, or several people will enjoy strangling us for it." Humphrey and Miranda, to name but two.

Jaz chuckled again, shaking her hair out. "So I take it the house is exactly what you wished for?" she asked curiously. "Guys, this place is huge!"

"The first place I've ever lived in that I can really call my own," Tommy remarked before correcting himself. "Our own," he added, not forgetting Helena. "We were just about to celebrate," he continued as he held up the bottle of wine to prove his point.

"This place is big enough for half a dozen kids!" Jack said in agreement with his wife, as Tommy poured.

"Baker's dozen," Lena grinned impishly as she passed Tommy by, stealing the bottle of wine out of his hand on her way to the kitchen, where she hoped she'd be able to find another couple of glasses. "Yours isn't as big, sorry."

Jaz laughed as she bumped Jack's shoulder playfully. "I think we might hold out for just two on our end, if we ever get there," she mused. "Right now we're having too much fun having sex on every surface and wall we own, and in a few days, we'll have to start all over again!"

"A baker's dozen. Isn't that thirteen?" Tommy asked, letting Lena take the bottle to the kitchen, confident she'd find two more glasses, since he'd given up looking. He laughed as Jaz teased Jack, the other man's face flushing with embarrassment. "It's okay, Jack. You're married now. You're allowed to have sex with your wife."

"Yeah, but some things should stay private!" Jack replied, eying his cheeky wife as she bumped his shoulder.

"Oh, says the man who accidentally let Milo off the lease the second we got in here, just in case they were naked and needed advance warning that we'd arrived?" Jaz laughed, hugging Jack warmly about the waist. One thing you could say for her was that she teased everyone equally, but only if she liked them.

From the kitchen, Lena's laughter was clearly audible as she absorbed what was going on out there above the clink of glasses and plates.

"It's not my fault they don't have a door bell!" Jack pointed out. Or maybe he'd just been too busy with Milo to notice. Either way, the other couple had gotten a little prior notice of their arrival without being caught in an compromising position. "You might want to lock the door next time," Jack added.

"You might want to call ahead," countered Tommy, playfully.

"Besides, it's not like we don't all know that men from the 1970's have the healthiest sex drives in the universe," Jaz added with a shrug, slipping into the kitchen to help Lena bring wine and pizza back out for them all to share.

Helena was still chuckling as they came back into view. "We'll get you back one of these days," she promised the other couple. "Get comfortable, it's easy to do in here!"

"How about we hang a Do Not Disturb sign next time?" Tommy suggested further.

"How about you just lock the damned door like normal people?" Jack suggested again, before arching a brow at his wife's remark and a questioning glance to Tommy. "We do?" he asked, thinking she was perfectly serious.

"Doesn't hurt to let them think that, Jacky-boy," Tommy replied with a chuckle as he play-punched his best friend's arm. Milo followed Jasmin into the kitchen to nose about, hoping for a treat, while Tommy started moving boxes around to make room for the other couple to make themselves comfortable. "Is that pizza I smell?" he asked inquisitively, his stomach growling at the smell of it.

Helena King

Date: 2014-04-06 09:56 EST
"What, you think we'd come all the way out here and not bring pizza?" Jaz objected, feigning hurt and grinning. "Park your *ss and tuck in, Bum Fluff." She thumped down onto the couch, setting down two large boxes the contained the smell that was making Tommy's nose twitch.

Behind her, Lena rolled her eyes. "You know, that nickname really doesn't work anymore," she informed her cousin, bending to pour out the wine into two glasses ....and two mugs, because she hadn't been able to find the other glasses. "My man's all silky smooth these days." She stroked Tommy's jaw to prove it, and Jaz cackled.

"Where's the variety in that?" she grinned. "Me, I like a little scruff. Sometimes I like a lot of it. Right, honey?"

Tommy rolled his eyes at the nickname that didn't really fit him anymore. He'd been clean-shaven for months now and since Lena seemed to like him that way, he had no intentions of growing the beard back.

"You want me to grow a beard again?" Jack asked, somewhat confused. He'd thought Jasmin liked him clean-shaven, too. He plunked down on the couch beside Jasmin, while Tommy took a seat on a chair nearby and leaned over to pick up a glass.

"No, but I do like the fact that sometimes you forget to shave," Jaz chuckled, kissing her husband's cheek affectionately. "So if Bum Fluff isn't appropriate, what am I supposed to be calling you? Tootsie?"

Lena choked on her mouthful of pizza, settling herself comfortably on the arm of Tommy's chair. "My fiance is not a man in drag, Jasmin," she complained laughingly, fairly sure this was going to go way over the heads of the men with them.

Tommy didn't quite get the Tootsie reference since that movie had come out after he'd come to Rhy'Din, and it was one he hadn't come across yet.

"Dustin Hoffman in drag," Jack explained, which wasn't really much of an explanation.

"Dustin Hoffman?" Tommy echoed. Though he wasn't much of a movie buff, he knew who Dustin Hoffman was. "Must have made a pretty homely woman," he remarked, holding up his glass. "A toast. To our new home and our best friends."

"Absolutely," Lena agreed, lifting her mug in a corresponding toast, dropping a kiss on Tommy's curls as she did so.

With a small chuckle, Jaz raised her own mug, leaving Jack with the other glass, and added her own voice to the toast. "To King's Cove," she said, "may it always be a mecca for the awesome."

"It will be so long as we live here!" Tommy agreed, before taking a swallow of the wine.

Jack lifted his mug to join them, "To Tommy and Lena for bringing me here, and to Jasmin for putting up with me." Milo joined the foursome in the living room and plopped down by his mistress' feet, hoping for a handout.

He didn't quite get a handout, but he did get some love as Jaz's hand descended to ruffle his fur affectionately. As hard work as he was sometimes, Milo was almost universally adored.

Lena smirked at the sight of her cousin cuddled up with a husband and a dog. "To wine, pizza, and kicking you two out when I decide it's time to christen the bed," she added as a last toast.

Jack took a sip of his wine and then leaned close to Jasmin to brush a kiss against her cheek. He'd meant what he said and as the softer hearted of the two men, he wasn't afraid to let his feelings be known.

Tommy laughed at Lena's toast. "I'll drink to that!" he said and took another sip before he started on his pizza. As fond as he was of their friends, he wanted to pick up where he and Lena had left off at some point.

To be fair, it didn't look as though Jack and Jaz would mind being kicked out, not if the kiss she gave her husband was anything to go by. Lena smirked, setting her mug down on the table to start on her pizza all over again. "So are you two camping out in your unfurnished house tonight, or driving back?"

It would be interesting to see which of the two couples ended up starting a family first. Neither seemed in much of a hurry and both were young enough that they still had plenty of time, but if things kept going the way they were going, it seemed children might not be too far in the distant future. Jack was distracted by Jasmin's kiss for a moment, and as welcome as he felt at Maple Grove, he'd live all his life near the ocean and missed the sound of the surf rolling up on shore. The house couldn't be finished soon enough for him. He shrugged, leaving the decision-making to Jasmin. "I don't mind camping out, but Jaz might miss her bed." Milo was happy whenever they went, so long as he got to tag along.

"I thought that was why we brought the air mattress," Jaz mused comically, stroking Jack's thigh for a moment before leaning forward to snag a slice for herself. "Or is that just an inflatable you intend to cast us adrift on if we get drunk enough?"

"Mmm, gonna play at being Blue Lagoon castaways, huh?" Lena teased them fondly, looping her arm about Tommy's shoulders as she lounged close to him. "Hate to break it to you, Jack, but I think Jaz might not be a virgin."

The Blue Lagoon reference was once again lost, this time on both Tommy and Jack. They both still had a lot of catching up to do, after all, and Jack had been focusing mainly on music, while Tommy had been busy with the house. "I guess that answers that question," Tommy remarked with a smirk, assuming the decision had been made. "In that case, we'll expect you both for breakfast, but not too early! I plan on sleeping in!"

Jack quirked a brow at Lena, but said nothing. Well, of course, Jasmin wasn't a virgin anymore. Neither was he!

Helena King

Date: 2014-04-06 09:57 EST
"Sleeping in what, Toots?" Jaz snickered. "Or don't I want to know?"

Lena threw a pizza crust at her. "In me, obviously, Jasmin," she stuck her tongue out at her cousin. "Happens to be a perfect fit, once he's all squeezed in."

Tommy laughed again at the friendly banter between the two cousins, who seemed about as close as him and Jack, though they weren't related by blood. "Nice and cozy," Tommy agreed.

Jack gawked at the three of them, though he was mostly used to this by now. "I can't believe you two," he muttered mostly to himself, glancing over to see Milo munching on the pizza crust Lena had tossed at his wife.

"Really?" Lena grinned again, winking in Jack's direction. "Modesty from the man who went skinny dipping with us on his last night in California" Also, might I add, the same day I first met him," she added for Jasmin's benefit.

Jack's wife looked at him with a chuckle, brows raised curiously. "And you blush every time I suggest skinny dipping," she pointed out. "Should I be concerned about that?"

"I was drunk!" Jack pointed out, blushing not for the first or likely the last time that night. "And it was dark."

"You have to give him that," Tommy interjected scarfing down his second slice of pizza. "We were pretty drunk, and he thought we were leaving him behind."

"No, we were drinking and ....high," Lena glanced at Jaz, who sensibly chose not to comment on her younger cousin's drug use, "because we'd just told him we were bringing him with us. He mooned a whole town as a farewell gesture!"

"Well, if we were drunk and high, how do you expect me to remember it?" Tommy pointed out again with a chuckle. The last night in Half Moon Bay was a little fuzzy in his mind, but what he remembered was a good memory.

"I did not!" Jack exclaimed, fighting the rising blush. "Did I?" he asked, unsure himself. He hadn't told Jasmin the details of that night, mostly because they were a little fuzzy in his mind, too, and he wondered what she'd think to know they'd gotten high together.

"Yup," Lena informed Jack with a wide grin. "Showed off that lily-white *ss and then waddled off to scream like a girl when you hit the sea." She smiled, very fond of Jack anyway. Her teasing wasn't meant to offend or upset.

Jaz chuckled, tucking her arm around her husband's waist. "I think you and I should recreate this at some point," she suggested playfully. "And you'll definitely get lucky this time."

"It was cold," Jack explained further, a little embarrassed, but unable to hold back a smile at the memory of it. He and Lena had bonded that night, and it was her who'd talked him into coming along.

Before he could respond to his wife's suggestion, the free-spirited Tommy piped up. "Why not recreate it together" When the weather gets warmer maybe."

"Oh, would this be before or after you teach my little sister and my big brother how to surf?" Lena challenged Tommy with a small laugh, sliding down off the arm of the chair to curl into his lap comfortably. "Because I'm going to need advance warning of that. I want to take pictures."

Jaz looked up from her fond nuzzling against Jack. "Wait ....Dru wants to learn how to surf" She'll break like a twig the first time a wave hits her!"

Tommy licked some pizza sauce from his fingertips before sliding his arms around Lena's waist. "Good question," he said, with a smirk that answered nothing and kissed Lena's cheek. "She has a boyfriend now, you know. Sorry, Jack," he continued, with another grin toward Jack who had been the object of Dru's affection since his arrival, but seemed to have been replaced by someone closer to her own age.

"Dru's a lot more resilient than she seems," Jack remarked. Though he wasn't sure why, he seemed quite sure of that fact, especially considering everything she'd been through. It was no big secret that he was rather fond of Lena's baby sister and thought of them both almost like the sisters he'd never had.

"Yes, she is," Lena agreed with a nod. Like Jack, she'd seen a side of the little princess not many people were privileged to be shown. "But it's good that she's found someone closer to her own age she can hang out with. Josh is a good guy."

Jaz glanced back and forth between her husband and her cousin. "Ever get the feeling something's going on that you don't know about, Toots?" she asked Tommy with a faint grin.

"All the damned time," Tommy replied with a good-natured smirk. He was far too happy-go-lucky to worry too much about the intrigues and gossip surrounding any of the Granger clan, including himself. He'd never cared much for that sort of thing, letting people think whatever they wanted.

Jack finished off his slice of pizza, smiling as Tommy was the one on the receiving end of the teasing for once.

"You're damned all the time, Toots?" Jaz twisted his words with a fresh grin. "Lena, you need to get this boy laid before he starts developing a complex."

Helena laughed, making a vaguely rude gesture in her cousin's direction. "I was trying to do that when you guys dropped in!"

Tommy practically echoed Lena, laughing. "We were working on it when you two interrupted!" The two of them looked like they could pick it back up anytime with Lena lounging comfortably in her fiance's lap.

Teasing or not, the comments only made Jack blush further and mutter quietly to Jasmine, "Maybe we should go."

Helena King

Date: 2014-04-06 09:58 EST
"Maybe we should," Jaz agreed with a low chuckle, nowhere near as embarrassed as Jack seemed to be as she squeezed his thigh. "They already promised us breakfast, maybe we should get started on christening our own house before the furniture arrives. You know, just so we know it intimately right from the start." She grinned, catching his lips in a soft kiss before he could protest at her risque suggestion.

Jack made no attempt to protest that suggestion, returning her kiss with equal fervor now that his belly was full. He had a feeling no matter how fond Tommy and Lena were of their friends, they had other business they wanted to tend to that didn't include them. "Careful not to break the air mattress!" Tommy teased, overhearing the other pair whispering back and forth.

"At least, we're legal!" Jack countered. "You two are living in sin!"

"Milo, kiss," Jaz added, and Lena let out a loud yelp as the heavy puppy threw himself up onto her lap, placed a paw squarely on her face, and started to give Tommy what amounted to a tongue bath. "You were saying, Toots?"

Tommy grunted as he found the puppy who was growing by leaps and bounds every day added to the weight on his lap, laughing as he received a thorough licking and attempted to push the big puppy away. "All right, all right. I love you, too Milo!"

Jack echoed his friend's laughter. "Would you two like to puppysit while I make love to my wife?" A rather bold comment from the shy young man.

"No!" Giggling, Lena joined her hands to Tommy's push the over-grown puppy off them, pulling a face in Jack's direction. "You're the ones responsible for teaching him about the birds and the bees, you do it."

Jaz snickered, moving to field the dog as he bounded away and reattach his leash to the collar about his neck.

"Maybe we should get them a puppy for a wedding gift," Jack remarked as he, too, clambered out of the chair to help Jaz grab hold of the playful canine. He got his face licked in reward, the dog's tail pounding both their legs.

"Asha would have any puppy trained in days to stay out of the house," Lena laughed, moving to slid off Tommy's lap and up onto her feet to say good night to their closest friends. As Jack straightened up, he got an armful of Helena hug. "Thank you for dropping by. We do appreciate it."

Jack was surprised by Lena's hug, as he always was by these little displays of affection. Even now, he was still unaccustomed to the affection and welcome showered upon him by the Granger family, though it was by no means unappreciated or unwelcome. "We'll call first next time," Jack promised, returning her hug albeit awkwardly. He wasn't quite sure if they should call before venturing over in the morning for breakfast, but would leave that decision to his wife.

"Not too early tomorrow, Jacky!" Tommy warned, as if he'd read his friend's mind. "I'm planning on sleeping late in the morning." Which meant he probably was planning on keeping Lena up late into the night.

"Midday suit you, Toots?" Jaz grinned as she gave Tommy a hug of her own, stepping back to reclaim her husband from Lena, who just chuckled and moved out of the way.

"Something tells me none of us is going to get too much sleep tonight," Lena smirked faintly, winking up at Jack. She knew he struggled sometimes, and hoped that he would get used to their dynamic sooner rather than later.

"Toots yourself!" Tommy said, returning Jasmin's hug. "Midday suits me fine. Think you two will be up by then?" he asked, letting the double-entendre hang there for anyone who wanted to comment on it.

"Speak for yourself, Tommy," Jack interjected. "I don't have any problem getting it up."

"Zip up, boys, no one wants to see a pissing match when there are much nicer things you could be doing this evening," Lena interjected cheerfully, utterly unfazed by the occasionally contentious, close relationship her best friend and fiance had with one another. She waved her hands at Jaz and Jack impishly. "Shoo."

Tommy only laughed, amused by Jack's comeback and proud of him for having the gumption to say it. As much as he teased his friend, it was all meant in good fun, and he loved when Jack dished it back as good as he could take it. "That-a-boy, Jack! I knew you had it in you," he clapped his friend on the shoulder, while Jack gave him an odd look.

"You have a strange sense of humor, Moonbeam," he said, using Lena's nickname for his best friend.

"We'll see you at noon," Tommy said, not bothering to walk them to the door. They weren't guests; they were family.

"On the button, not a minute later," Jaz warned as they headed toward the door, tugged along by Milo straining at his leash. "You promised us breakfast!"

Rolling her eyes, Lena tucked herself under Tommy's arm. As much as she enjoyed their company, she was glad Jack and Jaz had other plans to fill their evening. Tonight was the first night in their new house; she wanted it to be all about Tommy.

"You kids be good!" Tommy called after them, as Jack and Jaz led Milo from the house to entertain themselves in their own newly-built house, which was only a short walk from their friends. Once they were gone, and Tommy heard the front door close, he turned his attention back to Lena with a wide grin on his face.

"Now ....where were we?"

((King's Cove finally has some residents! Woohoo! And huge thanks to Jack and Tommy's player for this scene!))