Topic: The Big Date - Part Two

Victoria Granger

Date: 2011-10-23 20:07 EST
Dusk was beginning to creep up on them in the manner of the encroaching autumn nights as they made their escape from the theater, despite it being only late afternoon. Vicki was still chuckling softly to herself at the memory of the look on the coat-check usher's face when she'd asked for her coat to be returned less than half an hour before the interval. Apparently people didn't usually leave the ballet this early.

Jon had helped her on with her coat, as it was the gentlemanly thing to do. He'd offered her his arm on the way out, noticing the approaching dusk with a small worried frown, dampening his mood a little. He opened the door for her when the valet brought the Bentley up to the door and waited for her to get inside before closing the door and going around to the driver's side. Once inside, he turned to her, suddenly unsure where she might want to go.

"Where to?" Her place" His place" A bit to eat' A drive somewhere" He knew what he wanted to do and where he wanted to go, but he wasn't sure it was such a good idea with evening approaching.

With her coat curled on her lap, Vicki twisted to smile at Jon, sensing the tension that was returning in him even as she leaned over to trail a teasing line of kisses to his ear. "I think it's time we got to know each other better, don't you?" she murmured impishly.

Her kisses both relaxed him and at the same time caused him to tense up, his body betraying him and conflicting with his worries and concerns. There was no denying that he wanted her, wanted to be with her, wanted to get to know her better, but something tugged at the back of his mind, making him hesitate now that they were no longer safely hidden from the world in the darkness of the theater. Despite his worries, he ran a single fingertip down her neck, sliding her dress back just slightly to reveal a bare shoulder. "How well do you want to get to know me?"

"Oh, much better," she chuckled, not even attempting to stifle the shiver that rippled down her spine in answer to the gentle brush of his fingertip over her skin. "The kind of better that doesn't happen in a car unless you're sixteen." She grinned, her hand rising to catch his, drawing the shoulder of her dress back up as she pressed a kiss to his palm. "I'd say my place, but, uh ....it's a room rented from a nosy old woman."

He smiled when she gently and presumably temporarily rebuffed him, not missing her reaction to his caress. "My place, then?" he asked, allowing her to take the lead, following her cues.

She smiled fondly, brushing the tip of her nose to his before leaning back. "What a wonderful idea, Mr Granger," she teased, agreeing in her own unique way. "I do believe you may have earned yourself a reward for thinking of it."

He chuckled as he pulled the car out onto the road. "Oh, yeah' What kind of reward" I'm not really into sponge baths."

"Oh, no, we'll save that for when you're arthritic and grouchy," she assured him laughingly, buckling herself into her seatbelt. "Just be thankful I'm not expecting to be carried anywhere - light I may be, but I corner the market in boniness."

"Arthritic and grouchy," he repeated with a scowl. He hoped he never got arthritic and grouchy, and yet, he'd been offered immortal youth and had rejected it. "You really think we'll still be together when we're old and gray, Miss Marshall?"

"Well, it's better to go into something expecting it to last than just waiting for it to go wrong, isn't it?" she asked gently, tilting her head toward him. "I'm not asking for a lifetime commitment here and now, Jon, don't panic." Her hand patted his knee gently, somehow refraining from doing more while he was driving. Movie star crashes car while being fondled was not a headline anyone would appreciate.

"I'm not panicking, just ....nevermind." He blew out a slow breath, the excitement he'd felt in the theater mingled with nervous jitters and just a little fear, but it wasn't her he was afraid of and it wasn't a fear of committment either. "You know why I came back to Rhydin?"

"Family?" It was a guess, entirely based on the fact that there were a lot of Grangers in Rhy'Din, and she figured he wanted to be around his blood kin again after a long haul on Earth. Another faintly cheeky smile made itself known. "You don't need to be nervous around me, Jon."

"I'm not nervous..." Okay, maybe he was, just a little. He looked over at her, his gaze quickly moving over her, enjoying the view. "I don't remember anything before the....All I know about myself is what I read about myself or what people tell me. So, I can tell you why I think I came back, but I don't really remember it."

Vicki's smile softened again. "Like I said before, you don't need to tell me anything until you're comfortable to," she reminded him quietly. "I solemnly swear not to hold you to ransom for all your skeletons."

"I'm sure you've heard the rumors, read the gossip columns. The funny thing is ....the more I read about myself, the less it seems to be about me. It's like ....it's someone else, not me. I don't know. Maybe I've changed."

"If a person is the sum of their memories and experiences, then yes, you are a different person now," the redhead mused thoughtfully, her eyes on the road ahead. "And if you're happy with the person you are now, then why try to conform to what people expect of the old you? It's none of their business anyway."

"Because they won't let the past go, Vicki. Not the press, not the public, not even my own family. I've forgotten, but they haven't. There's no forgive and forget, but I can't undo what?s already been done. I just want to move forward, you know?"

"Are you sure it's not you trying to be who they remember that's keeping the past in the forefront of their minds?" she asked with deceptive mildness. "You can't please everyone, Jon. Looking after Number One might sound selfish, but selfish is the only way to protect your sanity sometimes."

Victoria Granger

Date: 2011-10-23 20:09 EST
He was frowning thoughtfully, his eyes on the road. He wasn't even sure why he was telling her all this, but some part of him needed her to know. "Every time I look at them all I see is disappointment." Strangely, it wasn't like that with Lelah or Mataya, but maybe they understood him best, having shared experiences with him that his family would never understand. Experiences he didn't even remember.

"Is that all of them, or just some?" she asked, full of questions now that just gently eased the armor that surrounded him open a little more with each moment that passed. "I think you need to learn how to have fun again, personally. You've been all about work for months now."

"Work keeps me busy, keeps my mind off things. An idle mind and all that crap." He pulled the Bentley into the parking garage at Luks Condos and into the spot that was reserved for him.

"You're not at work now," Vicki couldn't help pointing out, not quite able to stifle the flickering tease of her smile as she looked over at him, letting the seatbelt flick free. "Does that mean your mind is idle at this moment?"

"Isn't there some saying about an idle mind being the devil's playground?" Not that he believed in the devil. Not literally anyway. He put the car in park and looked over at her again, his eyes once again admiring the view from top to bottom and back again.

"Idle hands do the devil's work." She flashed him a sweet wink and smile. "You look very handsome, by the way. I think I forgot to tell you in the middle of all the snogging."

He chuckled. "That one, too." Arching a brow at her, his mouth curled into a small smile. "Trying to change the subject and butter me up, Miss Marshall?"

The thoughtful frown that touched her face was flushed with amusement as she leaned toward him conspiratorially. "Do you need butter?"

He flashed as he leaned toward her. "I'm pretty sure I'm sweet enough just the way I am."

"I leave the proving of that in your capable hands, Mr Granger," Vicki chuckled back, teasing him with the ghost of a kiss even as she opened her door to slide out with an inviting twinkle in her eyes. His home, yes, but she wasn't exactly geographically minded right now.

He smiled, his mood shifting yet again. For some reason, she seemed able to calm the storm that was raging inside him. He wasn't sure how she did it, but he couldn't deny that he felt comfortable and safe in her company. He went around to help her out of the car. "So, tell me....you mentioned fun. What do you like to do for fun" Besides offer to play nurse for famous movie stars?" he teased.

For some reason, that question made her laugh, ever so slightly embarrassed by the answer she was about to give. "It's an odd thing, what I do for fun," she warned him, leaning back against the closed door as she grinned up at him. "Believe it or not, I volunteer at the Little Blessings Care Home." The laugh finally escaped. "I get my kicks playing poker with little old ladies who cheat all the time!"

Both brows lifted at her admission, obviously surprised, as he shoved a stray curl away from his forehead. "Really' You volunteer at a old folks home?" Somehow, he wasn't expecting that from her.

"Hmm, confusion. Not the reaction I was expecting," she chuckled, pushing forward to slip her hand in his as they turned toward the elevator. "Yes, I volunteer at an old folks home. It's a lot of fun, and it's an easy way to make a bit of a difference. Some of them have no family to visit them at all."

"You think they'd mind if I went along sometime?" He wrapped his hand around hers as he led her toward the elevator. He'd considered kissing her while she was leaning up against his car the way she was, but the timing didn't seem right and he preferred privacy. "I wouldn't want any old ladies to have a heart attack." He flashed a teasing smirk, though secretly he thought what she was doing was admirable.

"They'd love it," Vicki assured him with eager confidence. "They wouldn't know who the hell you are, either, so you'd just be Jon to them. Be warned, though, Edi and Edna like to flirt outrageously with all men, whatever their age." She laughed at his teasing, touching her cheek to his shoulder fondly. "Trust me, they would love to meet you."

"Maybe I could talk Mataya into putting on a little show for them. It would be good for the theater and good for the residents." His wheels were turning on the possibilities. He smiled down at her, charmed by her show of affection.

"Well, she did put on a show in the hospital for the realtor last year, didn't she?" Vicki chuckled softly. "If she can get away with that, I can't see a care home being a problem." Her finger reached forward to call the lift as she turned toward him. "That's not all I do, you know. I like the standard stuff - you know, music, films, lounging around in my pajamas, drinking heavily -" She laughed, blue eyes twinkling with merriment at her comments. "It's the company you keep, not what you do, that makes it fun."

He smirked a little at her reply. "Oh, I don't know. Sometimes it's the fun, but if you like who you're having fun with, that just makes it better."

"Alright, I'll concede that point. But let me ask you this ....who would you rather share a pizza with, your worst enemy or a friendly stranger?" She grinned up at him as the elevator doors inched open.

His smile faded at her question, reminded once again of things he'd rather not think about, looking a little puzzled by her question. "Why would I want to share a pizza with my worst enemy?"

Blue eyes lifted to his as she backed into the elevator, pulling him along with her. "Stop taking things so seriously, Jon Boy. Not every question is metaphysical, not every answer is going to change your life. It's a theoretical concept." The doors clanged shut behind him. "And it fills up the time until we're alone again." This smile was all manner of sweet and suggestive as she leaned back against the metallic wall.

Victoria Granger

Date: 2011-10-23 20:10 EST
"We are alone, Vicki." He reminded her as he followed her into the elevator, closing the distance between them and leaning in to press his lips against the side of her neck, his free hand moving to cup her cheek.

Her eyes flickered closed in that moment of closeness, the arch of her back welcoming the press of him to her as her head tilted back, enjoying without reservation the intimate affection. Fingers delved into his curls, encouraging making the most of this public privacy as her other palm smoothed over the beat of his heart. Her lips brushed his ear, her wicked sense of humor making itself known full force. "Want me to press stop?"

"Hmm?" His lips vibrated against her neck as he left a trail of kisses there, slowly drifting from her earlobe toward her shoulder. His heart was beating hard inside his chest, the teasing back and forth almost enough to drive him mad. He made no reply other than that, one hand moving to rest against her hip.

A husky laugh ghosted against his ear, dissolving into a soft groan to show her quiet delight with his easy-going tenderness. Her arm clenched around the hang of her coat draped over it as her lips found purchase just beneath his ear. It had been a long time since she had felt this way with anyone, much less wanted to feel more. "Jonathan Granger, I do believe you have designs on my virtue," she murmured teasingly.

He pulled away a little, a small amused smile on his lips, blue eyes dancing with a hint of mischief, a hand settled against the curve of her hip. "You said I need to have fun. What's more fun than this?"

"Hmmm, good question." With a sparkling smile, she made a show of thinking this over for a long moment, stroking her fingertips along the line of his neck. As the doors slid open onto Jon's floor, she offered, "Doing it in bed?"

He laughed. "Love in an Elevator was a hit for Aerosmith," he teased, reaching for her hand to pull her from the elevator and lead her toward his door.

"Ah, but we never heard the follow up, Hate in a Police Cell," she countered laughingly, stumbling a little on her heels as she followed him out of the lift, her coat hanging from her hand. "Alternative title, Frostbitten Buttocks from a Cold Elevator Wall."

"You just have to be creative. That's all." He was still teasing her, but as tempting as it sounded, he didn't really want to make love to her in an elevator. Not yet anyway. He wanted the first time to be special, romantic. He wanted to take it slow and take his time with her. He wanted to make it a night she'd never forget. And somehow he knew it probably wasn't going to happen tonight, but good things were worth waiting for.

Chuckling, she leaned against his back by his front door, releasing his hand to slide her arm around and beneath his jacket. "I don't suppose you have alcohol and shot glasses in there, do you?"

He darted a glance over his shoulder at her when he felt her arm slide beneath his jacket. "What kind of host would I be if I didn't have alcohol?" He pulled his keys from his jacket pocket and unlocked the door, pushing it open and waiting for her to step inside before following suit.

Slipping her arm free of him, she moved past him, glancing about for somewhere to hang her coat even as she stepped out of her shoes with a happy little groan, losing three inches in the process. "Oh, that's lovely," she moaned, wriggling her stockinged toes against the floor.

"Make yourself at home. Mi casa, su casa." He closed the door behind him and turned to lock it, not that it mattered. If vampires wanted to get inside, he imagined they'd find a way. "What can I get you?" He started toward the kitchen.

One of the bedroom doors was closed and locked, but otherwise the apartment looked mostly the way it had the last time she'd been there.

"I seem to recall a discussion about sharing a shower last time you said that to me," Vicki laughed, finally locating a hook to hang her coat on. Leaving her shoes by the door, she turned to follow Jon into the kitchen, leaning her hip against a counter to watch him with a secretive little smile. "I think a good old fashioned drinking game is in order," she suggested playfully. "Truth or Dare, Mr Granger?"

He arched a brow at her, head tilting at her suggestion. "You're not going to make me run downstairs, knock on someone's door, and sing some silly song, are you?"

"Now that's an idea," she laughed at his suggestion, giving into the urge to slide herself up onto the counter top and swing her feet back and forth. "Although I can think of a few things that can be accomplished without leaving the apartment." Her impish grin made itself known again. "Or there's always Flip, Sip, or Strip."

"I don't think I've ever heard of that one." He reached into the cupboard and grabbed a couple of shot glasses. "What do you like to drink, Miss Marshall?"

"What have you got, Mr Granger?" It was a predictable response, but Vicki wasn't that picky with her drinks. "So long as it isn't pineapple daquiri, I won't be decorating your bathroom with vomit."

Jon perused the bottles in his cupboard for a moment before making a choice, finally pulling out a bottle of scotch, and not the cheap stuff either. "How's this?" He handed her the bottle. "Smooth as silk."

Vicki let out a low whistle of appreciation as she read the label, impressed despite herself. "My, my, you do live well, don't you?" she teased, sliding back down onto her feet. "So what?s it going to be? Truth, or stripping?"

"There's not much point in having money if you don't enjoy it now and then." He closed the cabinet, the bottle in one hand, the glasses in the other. "How about we combine the two?"

Victoria Granger

Date: 2011-10-23 20:11 EST
"Mmm, I like the way you think. But not in the kitchen," she added with a quiet giggle, leaning up to press her lips to his in a languid kiss. Her fingers curled around the neck of the bottle in his hand as she tasted his lips, stepping back with a grin and the alcohol. "A game like this requires comfort." Her free hand crooked a beckoning finger toward him as she turned away, padding back to the living room to curl up on the couch.

He was only too happy to return that kiss, his lips lingering against hers as long as she'd let them, smiling when she took the bottle from him and beckoned him into the living room, like a spider coaxing a fly into her web. He followed along, setting the glasses on the coffee table and shrugging out of his jacket. "Maybe I should leave it on," he teased, the jacket only halfway down his shoulders. He silently counted how many articles of clothing she was most likely wearing, compared to him.

"Oh, think you're going to lose, do you?" With a practised flick of her wrist, Vicki unscrewed the bottle, pouring out two shots and setting the bottle down gently on the coffee table. Her stockinged feet stretched outward to settle comfortably over his lap, gently nudging at the personal space boundary. "I'll let you have the first go, give you a fighting chance."

"That depends on the questions." He wasn't sure he felt all that comfortable with this game, especially since he might not be able to answer truthfully if she asked anything about things he didn't remember. He sorely wanted to remove the jacket and shoes, but he left them in place for now, just in case. He reached for the glass nearest him. "How are we going to do this?"

"Hmm, let's see ..." She devoted a moment to combining a couple of games into one. "We'll take it in turns to share something true about ourselves. If you can't think of anything, you either take a shot, or you take something off. How does that sound?"

He chuckled. "Get drunk or get naked, is that it?"

"Well, since you put it like that ..." She let out a wicked little chuckle, lifting up one of the glasses. "Down in one to start." Upending the glass, she shuddered as the scotch burned smoothly down her throat, the heat sending a flush over her skin. "And for my first trick ....I dance around in my underwear to hits from the 80's when I'm feeling down." She winked at him, setting an interesting challenge.

His jaw dropped a little. "You're not serious. The 80's" What do you dance to' Thriller" Madonna?" It was only her first turn and he was already learning things he didn't know about her.

Laughing as she poured out more scotch, Vicki rubbed a hand through her hair, tugging the band out to let the copper mane fall over her shoulders. "Lionel Ritchie," she admitted, crooning almost in tune, "Helloooo ....is it mee you're looking foooor?"

He rolled his eyes and mimed inducing vomiting by sticking a finger down his throat. "Gag me. If you're going to dance in your underwear to music of the 80's, you should be dancing to, oh, I dunno....Flash Dance or something?"

"Hey!" She giggled, poking her wriggling toes into his side. "Your turn, stud muffin. Shock me with your intimate habits."

"My intimate habits," he muttered, trying to think of something that wasn't too horribly embarrassing, but wasn't too ordinary or boring either. "Okay....umm....I've got the hots for Marilyn Monroe." Which could be interpreted in several ways, depending on how you wanted to interpret it.

"Everyone's got the hots for Marilyn Monroe," Vicki chuckled, reaching over to tweak his nose teasingly. "I think you should take a drink." Of course she was going to cheat; this was the perfect opportunity to get them both tipsy and half-naked at the very least.

"I think you're trying to get me drunk," he grinned at her, nose tweaking and all. "How about if I take a drink and take off my jacket?"

"Oooh, that's exciting." With a wide grin, she leaned back, drumming her fingertips on her stomach as her eyes focused on him with teasing intensity.

"You've already seen me half naked on set!" He pointed out, shrugging his way out of his jacket. And so would most of Rhy'Din when the movie came out, for that matter. He hoped it was edited tastefully. He downed the shot, wincing a little as it burned its way down. The first shot was always the hardest. "Your turn." He leaned over to refill their glasses.

"With Lelah shouting instructions about what you were supposed to be doing," she cackled. "It's a little different to one on one nudity, Jon Boy." She watched as he poured out the scotch, wracking her brains for something she could share that he'd accept as enough of a risk. "I ....I ....um ....I ....Oh god. I hate chickpeas!" She was already lifting the glass to her lips to drink down the shot in punishment for her awful offering.

He was laughing at her again, or with her. For some reason, she always seemed able to make him laugh. "Yeah, thank God Lelah doesn't give me any direction in the bedroom. Lick her there, kiss her there. No, not there!" He did a poor job of mimicking Lelah's voice, probably because he was not female. He laughed again. "Chickpeas" Is that the best you've got' Take a drink."

Sticking her tongue out at him, Vicki knocked back the shot, the glass making a loud clack on the table as she put it down. "So ....what do you want me to take off?" With Jon's bravery in drinking and stripping, she'd decided that these were the rules now.

His eyebrows were getting a workout, and he looked her over thoughtfully, deciding to go easy on her for now. Afterall, she probably only had about four articles of clothing on all totalled. "Stockings," he said, pointing to her legs.

"Stockings." She nodded, a slightly mysterious smirk on her lips as she swung her feet down to the floor, rising to her feet in front of him. After all, where was the fun in this part of the game if you couldn't tease at the same time? Up slid the hem of her dress, just enough to prove that she really was wearing stockings and not tights. Her right foot rose to rest on his knee as she peeled the thin silk down along her leg, blue eyes on his in a cheeky little challenge all the way. "One down, one to go."

Victoria Granger

Date: 2011-10-23 20:13 EST
He whistled appreciatively as he watched her peel away her stockings from one leg. It was taking all his self control not to reach out and help her, and he wondered how long this little game was going to go on before one of them gave in to temptation.

One pair counted as one item, so his torture was going to be extended a little longer as Vicki slid the other stocking from her leg, folding herself up on the couch considerably closer to him than before as she grinned. "Your turn, stud muffin."

He had to clear his throat when she finished, his face a little flushed. "Is it getting warm in here?" He leaned down to pull his shoes from his feet. "I think maybe I should catch up a little, just to make things fair. This one's a freebie. Doesn't count." Once his shoes were off and he was in his stockinged feet, he counted in his head again, thinking them roughly even. Now he just had to think of some weird truth about him that no one else knew.

"Aww, what a gentleman." She waited until he'd freed his feet before giving into the urge to slide so close she might as well have been in his lap, one hand rising to turn his face toward hers to deliver another kiss that was just a little more demanding than others she had offered before.

Pleasantly surprised at the kiss, he reciprocated, lifting a hand to slide his fingers through her silken fall of red hair. His eyes drifted closed as he focused on that kiss, and when he opened them, his expression had softened. "I've never been with a redhead before." At least, to the best of his knowledge and memory. It sort of slipped out and was his next 'truth'.

Vicki's own smile softened in answer to that 'truth', nuzzling fondly to his lips as her thumb stroked over the line of his cheekbone. "I'm deathly afraid of snakes," was whispered back, the tone husky and deeply intimate. It didn't seem to matter what was said.

He pushed her hair away from her face, back over an ear, enjoying the soft feel of it between his fingers. He looked deep into her eyes, as if searching for something, and he tried to match her truth with one of his own. Something very very few people knew about him. "I don't like crowds." An odd thing maybe for an actor who had to stand up in front of a crowd nearly every night, but it wasn't that kind of crowd he was referring to.

The stillness that had settled around them was warm, charged with promise and shared confidences, her expression tender with oddly wise understanding. Being stared at wherever you went couldn't be fun at all; Vicki was deeply touched that Jon had chosen to share that feeling with her. So touched, in fact, that her mind was wiped clean of anything else to offer. Which was probably why the next thing she said was, "I think it's time I took the suspender belt off."

His gaze remained locked to hers, feeling an intimacy with her he hadn't felt before, like he wanted to bare his soul and tell her everything he could remember about himself, all the little things he was discovering, but there would be time for that later. If there was a later. There was that worry invading his mind again and ruining his happiness. He shoved it aside for now, living in the moment. "Let me," he told her quietly, turning to face her.

There was no need to offer any permission for him in her mind, the flush over her skin deepening with a surge of undiluted anticipation as her breath took on a lustily staggered cadence. Very slowly, unwilling to break their shared gaze, she nodded soundlessly, twisting to offer him free access to what was still hidden under her dress.

Instead of immediately sliding his hands up her dress, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close for another kiss, the game forgotten, letting whatever came to pass happen naturally.

He was right, in one sense. What had started as a game had turned tenderly serious, Vicki welcoming the kiss and the closeness it entailed as her arms looped fondly about his neck, drawing her fingertips in and out of his hair as her lips parted to taste and be teased. Without the conscious thought quite making itself known, one hand slid down between them, fingers easing buttons open to feel the heat of his skin beneath her touch as she nuzzled to him almost lovingly.

Though she had given him permission to remove her garter belt, he didn't want to rush things or push her any farther than she wanted to go. He was trying to take his cues from her and thus far, she had only encouraged him. He broke the tender attention he was giving her lips momentarily to take a breath when he felt her fingers against his flesh, desire coiling hotly in his stomach. His hands slid up her back to take hold of her zipper, hesitating a moment again as if to ask permission, wanting to unwrap her like a Christmas present and find all the secrets beneath the pretty package.

She stilled, blue eyes opening to gaze into his with just a moment of indecision. Was she really ready for them to head down this path' Well, the obvious answer was yes, of course she was. The real question was ....would it ruin this connection between them' The gentle brush of his fingers at the zip of her dress solved her problem right there; if he didn't undo it, she might just explode. Her hand curled to his cheek, pressing another kiss to his lips. "I won't turn to dust if a little light touches my skin, you know," she teased impishly, drawing a tiny nip of teeth over his lower lip.

Her statement, though meant to be funny and reassuring, brought a small frown to his face. She wasn't a vampire. He knew that already, and he also knew she was probably only alluding to it because they'd just come from Dracula, but the mention of it made him feel awkward. Here they were, on the cusp of taking the next big step in their relationship, and she didn't know what might be the most important thing about him at the moment. It wasn't enough to kill the moment, but it was enough to give him pause. "Vicki ..." he started, uncertainly, wondering if he should just shut his mouth and let what was going to happen happen.

He was debating again, weighing not only his options but the possible consequences of his actions. Though he didn't know it, it was something he'd never really done before the shooting, always having lived life spontaneously, letting the chips fall where they may, acting before thinking. But as he'd already told her, he'd changed.

She felt his pause, his tension, and of course, leapt to the wrong conclusion. Disappointed, but prepared to wait however long it took, she offered him a smile, stroking her fingers against his cheek. "It's okay," she whispered tenderly. "There's no rush, Jon. Like I said ....I'm not going anywhere."

Victoria Granger

Date: 2011-10-23 20:14 EST
He sighed at her misunderstanding of his intentions and his hesitation. Should he tell her or shouldn't he" It didn't seem right to make love to her, to let them share that intimacy, without her knowing the truth. What would she think when she found out later" What would she think if his plan didn't work and he didn't survive it"

She watched his expression change, brushing the tip of her nose to his with a gentle sigh of her own. "You know, I can't help feeling that you're overthinking things again," she murmured softly. "I really like you, Jon, and ....I don't want to screw this up. If it isn't time, then it isn't time. There's nothing wrong with that."

He let his hands fall away from her zipper, sliding back down to her waist. He was still frowning, searching her eyes, trying to decide what to do. He couldn't deny that he wanted her. His body was on fire for her, aching with desire, but he didn't want to screw it up either. "It's not that, it's just ..." He lifted a hand to tenderly brush her hair back from her face, his expression warm, almost loving, but there was some kind of sadness in his eyes, something that he was holding back. "I like you, too. That's the problem."

"It's something to do with what?s bothering you," she murmured thoughtfully, watching his eyes as they sat tangled together on his couch. "The something you'll tell me when it's all over." Her head tilted, pressing her cheek into his palm as she smiled tenderly to him. "I'm a big girl, Jon. I'm not going to run screaming if things get out of control."

He felt torn, conflicted. While part of him wanted her now, not knowing if he'd even survive, another part of him wanted to protect her and wait til it was all over and they'd both be safe. "I'm not sure you'd say that if you knew the truth." He turned to glance at the windows to gauge the time. He was either going to have to take her home soon or ask her to spend the night. "It's getting late." He couldn't help but hide what he was feeling from his voice, not wanting her to leave, but know it was probably best.

"I trust you." Such a simple phrase, but with every word meant so fully, it carried power all of its own. Vicki's smile hadn't faltered as he spoke; she could guess what was going through his mind as he glanced at the darkening windows. "I could stay," she offered gently, not wanting to put any pressure on him, but not wanting the evening to end so soon. "No pressure, I can sleep on the couch." Her lips brushed his cheek as she drew him into a warm hug, whispering into his ear, "I don't want to go."

He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close, grateful for that embrace, not needing, wanting, or asking for more than that. At that moment in time, it was enough and more than he'd hoped for. To know there might be something more between them, that this feeling might grow, only made it even more important that he take time to do it right and think it through. "I don't want you to go either," he told her quietly as he held her close, his heart slowing its hammering inside his chest.

She let him hold on for as long as he needed to, palms stroking his back, his hair, her face turning to press close against his neck as she murmured soothing nonsense against his skin. But eventually she did draw in a slow breath, tilting her head back to smile at him with understandingly wry good humor. "I suppose I should call a taxi."

He was once again debating, feeling conflicted. It was killing him to let her go, even for such a short while. He knew it was probably better for her if she left, but he could hardly bear the thought of it. "I don't want to screw this up, Vicki. I'm trying so hard not to."

"Jon." Her smile had deepened, a sure sign that this was definitely not being screwed up. "No matter what happens tonight, you are not screwing up. Believe me, naked bottoms or no naked bottoms, I am still very into you."

He would have found the naked bottoms comment amusing if it wasn't such a serious conversation. He sighed, annoyed with himself and frustrated, both physically and emotionally. What the hell was the matter with him' And then, he realized what was the matter. He was starting to care.

"Hey ....no angst, remember?" The pad of her thumb stroked softly over his lips, threatening to tilt the corner of his mouth upward. "Patience is a virtue, as fuddy duddies who think they know everything say." Slowly, her legs slid down off his lap, missing the comfortable entanglement almost instantly. "Stop upsetting yourself like this, love. There's no need."

He knew she was trying to reassure him, that she meant well, but she had no idea how serious the situation was. He frowned when she pulled away from him and he got off the couch, shoving a hand through his hair, feeling frustrated and maybe even a little bit angry. Not at her, but at his own stupidity for beng the cause of all this. There was that old familiar feeling of weighing heavily on his heart again. He wanted to shed that feeling and finally be free. He pulled moved to his feet suddenly, needing to put a little distance between them so he could tell her what he needed to tell her without her trying to soothe his worries and fears. "Vicki, I can't tell you what?s going on right now, but ....it's dangerous for you to be with me." He wandered over to the window, glancing outside at the gathering night.

Unfortunately, that frustrated retreat from her felt like a slap in the face. Vicki felt her back stiffen as she watched him, forcing herself to stay down on the couch as her arms wrapped about herself, trying very hard not to snap at him with the first words that came to mind. "It might well be dangerous, Jon, but it's not your decision," she told him after a moment of tense silence. "You've told me it's dangerous - that's your duty or whatever you want to call it done. Whether I stay or go, that's my decision, and you can't make it for me."

He'd told her something to that effect once before, and he thought she might think it was because of the shooter, but it wasn't. If only it were that simple. "You don't understand," he said quietly, leaning his forehead against the cold glass, longing for her embrace, but not wanting to make things harder than they already were. He almost wished he'd just kept his mouth shut. They'd be in bed by now, wrapped up in each other and not caring what went on in the world outside those windows.

"No, I don't understand," she agreed, rising to take a step or two toward him, missing the easy silences and gentle affection but aware that this was something they needed to address. "And I won't fully understand unless you tell me the whole truth. I'm not asking you to do that, Jon, but you can't give me half-truths and warnings without expecting me to push back. I like you, I want to spend time with you; I want to know you in every way you'll let me. But you pull me close, then you push me away. At the very least, it's confusing."

Victoria Granger

Date: 2011-10-23 20:16 EST
"I'm starting to ....I like you a lot and ....I can't let anything happen to you. I need some time." Wasn't that the same stupid speech he'd given Correy before he'd left' He was glad she couldn't see his face or the tears that were clouding his sight. He could almost feel her starting toward him. He so wanted to go to her, to take her in his arms, if only to hold her close a little while longer. "I don't want to push you away, Vicki. I don't."

There was a long pause, in which he might almost have been able to hear her thinking. Soundlessly, she moved behind him, making the leap he didn't seem to want from her by wrapping her arms about him affectionately. "Then just tell me what you need from me, right now," she murmured softly. "No mysteries, no warnings. What you need. What I can do for you."

He felt her arms go around him and his heart leaped into his throat at that show of affection, his emotions very close to the surface. He didn't want her to see that from him and yet, if she really wanted to be with him, she had to see all of him, all his faults, his weaknesses, his strengths. He knew he should tell her to go, to stay away from him for awhile, but he just couldn't bear to do it. He thought about her words a moment, knowing what he wanted, what he needed, and knowing she could give it to him. He turned his head away from the window and the darkness outside that he so dreaded these days, wondering if he'd ever again be a creature of the night. "Stay with me tonight. We don't have to do anything. Just ....don't go."

"I won't." Her arms loosened just enough to let her insinuate herself under his arm and around to lean between him and the darkness outside the window. Rising up onto her toes, she pressed a chaste kiss to his lips. "I'm not going anywhere."

He followed her with his eyes, his lips warm against hers, though he shuddered suddenly for some reason that had little or nothing to do with her. He grazed her cheek with his fingertips, blue eyes meeting hers. "Promise me, no late night horror flicks."

She grinned, amused by the request despite the serious tone in which it was made. "I promise." Her hands pressed flat to his back, one fingertip stroking against the line of his spine as she leaned into him. "So ....where am I sleeping tonight?"

He couldn't help but smirk at her question, his fingers drifting back through her hair. "Not on the couch, unless you prefer it to a bed."

"Only when the bed is made of nails," she smiled, relieved to feel his mood lift a little finally. "I'm going to make a formal request for a t-shirt or something you're not too attached to, though. Much as I like you, unless we're plunging headfirst tonight, there will be no nekkid sleepies." Her fingertip bopped him on the nose as though he had suggested she strip for him right then and there.

What was the point of her staying the night if he couldn't hold her close" "We could do a sleepover if you want, but I'm not very good at pillow fights." His mood had lightened a little now that they were out of serious discussion territory. His smile widened when she bopped him on the nose. He felt happy when he was with her, when his troubles weren't clouding his emotions. It was as if she was his light in the darkness and his hope for the future. "I think I can find something."

"That something had better not be nipple tassels," she warned teasingly, flashing her teeth in a wide grin that couldn't have been threatening even if she had tried. It was a relief to know that what could have damaged their burgeoning relationship had been eased past without incident, and cheering for what could come. The ability to hold an adult conversation was always a good sign. "Of course, a sleepover requires junk food and chocolate. And if you're really unlucky, I'll break out the make up and give you a makeover."

His mood was lightening again and he laughed. "Nipple tassels. Hmm. There's an idea. How about Band-aids?" He smirked. "I can probably scrounge up some munchies, but I don't do guyliner. Sorry." Not while he wasn't on stage anyway.

"Noted. No make up until you fall asleep." She nodded cheekily, walking her fingers around to give a testing wriggle against his ribs. After all, what better detail to learn than if and where he was ticklish"

He sucked in a breath when she found a particularly tender spot and grabbed her hand, tsking her a warning to stop. "Don't start something you can't finish, Miss Marshall." There was a lesson in that. They'd started something several times now and not finished.

"Oh, we're back to Miss Marshall now?" she laughed teasingly, grinning in triumph as she filed away the location of that spot on his ribs. "Does that mean I have to put my hair in a bun and wear glasses and unflattering blouses?"

"If it keeps other men from looking at you, yes." He smiled down at her, the dark mood lifted again, for now. "Hungry' How do you feel about Chinese" Does that work for vegetarians?"

"Oh, thank you very much." Snickering at the implication that he wanted her all to himself - as well as blushing lightly, but let's not go into that - Vicki leaned back, looking up at him. "Yes, it works for vegetarians," she assured him with a smile. "I trust you to order, I'm going to make use of the facilities." Bouncing up to kiss the end of his nose, she made to duck out under his arm and slip into the bathroom.

He smiled at the kiss and turned to watch her go. There was one room that was off limits, but it wasn't the bathroom and the door to the room in question was locked, so he wasn't too worried about it, unless she got nosey. Then he might have some explaining to do. He pushed that thought aside and made his way into the kitchen, rebuttoning his shirt as he did, but leaving it untucked and open at the collar. He rifled through a few takeout/delivery menus he had stashed in a drawer and, choosing one, went to find his cell phone. "Do you eat shrimp?" he called to her from the living room where he was pulling his phone from his jacket pocket.

"Yes, shrimp's fine," she called back to him, bending to flick cold water over her face. Cold water, good - or bad - for the libido. A little inventive wriggling later, and she had the accursed suspender belt off as well, dangling it from one hand as she made her way back into the living room with a smile. "Do you have any idea how uncomfortable these things are?"

Victoria Granger

Date: 2011-10-23 20:18 EST
Oh, relief. She ate fish. That made things slightly easier. She wasn't a pure vegan. He could do fish. By the time she came out, he was placing their order, and he just about dropped the phone when he saw her brandishing the suspender belt on a hand. He was going to need more than cold water on his face. "Uh ..." he blinked. "Yeah, Luks Condos. Just hit the buzzer and I'll come downstairs."

Vicki honestly hadn't thought anything of it until she saw the look on his face, glancing down at the black lace hanging off her fingers with a faintly guilty chuckle. "Ooops. Sorry." Balling it into her fist, she moved to tuck it into her coat pocket, together with the stockings she swept off the floor in the process.

"Jesus Christ, Vicki ..." he muttered, as he got off the phone. He wasn't Christian, but he'd managed to pick up a few choice euphemisms during his time spent on Earth. "You're gonna give me a heart attack again."

"Oh, come off it," she laughed, turning back to him with her hands settling on her hips comfortably. "You're what, twenty-four, twenty-five" I'm more likely to give you a stroke from all that built up pressure." She flashed him an impish wink, challenging him to disagree.

"Twenty-five," he corrected her, though lately he felt like fifty. He set his phone down on a table, smiling over at her. "It's not my head that's gonna explode. Okay, well it is ....but not the big head."

Her mouth opened, but she evidently thought better of what she had been about to say, letting out a blushing laugh instead. "Oh God, censoring myself is going to be really hard if you keep lining them up like that!"

"Who said you had to censor yourself?" He flopped down on the couch and reached over to refill one of the two shot glasses. He'd only had one and wasn't feeling anywhere near relaxed enough.

"I'm having mercy on your stressed out wonga," she teased, stretching her arms toward the ceiling for a moment before folding herself onto the couch beside him. "Is it crowds that upset you, or being the centre of attention when you're just trying to have time to yourself?"

"My wonga thanks you," he grinned and tossed back the ridiculously expensive scotch. And then she changed the subject and he sobered, considering a reply. "I'm not sure exactly." The trigger for that fear was in his past, so he didn't completely understand it, but memory or not, the feeling lingered. "It's sort of a claustrophobic kind of thing."

"It makes sense," she shrugged, not wanting to delve too deeply into anything that would send his mood plummeting again. "For example, I am terrified of heights. Because I fell out of a bunk-bed on a Brownie trip when I was eight."

"Really?" he asked, finding out a little more about her, and they weren't even playing the game anymore. Amazing what people find out about each other when they actually converse. "So, roller coasters are out of the question then?"

"I'll give anything a go, but be warned, I can scream for England," she chuckled merrily, absently letting her fingers toy with his as they spoke. "Ferris wheels I can do, just about. Provided I have a distraction close at hand."

The shot glass in one hand, the fingers of his free hand interlocked with hers. "What about planes, mountains, high rises?" He ticked off a short list of things that he thought were fairly commonplace but high off the ground. Places he was most likely to encounter at one point, needing to know if she would be willing and able to go along with him or not.

"Hmm ....Without floor to ceiling windows, I'm happy enough in a high rise," she began to tick her answers off on his fingers. "Planes are a necessary evil, unfortunately, but I sedate myself to fly. And mountains ....well, provided I'm not expected to hang off them on the end of an impossibly thin rope, I'm pretty okay with those, too."

He frowned a little at her reply. "So....skiing is out then." Ski lifts were about as close to dangling from a rope as one was going to come. "And here I thought you were fearless." He smiled, teasing her a little, and giving her hand a reassuring squeeze before letting go so that he could refill their shot glasses. One more shot and he'd switch to something less numbing.

"Oh, no, I'm just very good at hiding it," she smiled, slightly surprised by how easy it was to share these things with him when she didn't usually even hint at them. "Or, as my dad would say, ignorant stubbornness."

He handed her the refilled shot glass. It seemed almost easier to share things now that it was no longer a game but just simple conversation. "You don't have to hide things from me."

"I know." And to her amazement, she actually did know she could trust him with the Vicki who peered out from behind the brash, loud, and always cheerful face she showed the world in general. "It's a habit, you know" Developed it to get away from the bullies in school, and it worked so well, I just never stopped doing it." She shrugged, chuckling softly. "That sounds ridiculous now I come to say it."

"No, it doesn't. I've had my share of bullies. I don't remember it much though. Most of what I know I've either read or been told. I used to keep a journal, I guess. It's kind of weird reading about your own life in your own words and hand writing and not remembering a damn thing about it." He threw back the scotch and leaned over to set the glass back on the table, having had enough of it and not wanting to overindulge, like his former self might have. Maybe with any luck, he wouldn't need any booze or pills to help him sleep tonight.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything," she frowned in concern, tilting her head to look at him. "I'm so comfortable with you, I keep forgetting not to wander into backstory. I don't mean to make you feel uncomfortable." She knocked back her own shot with him, setting the glass down close beside his.

"Don't be sorry. You're not making me uncomfortable. It's just a little strange. I can tell you about myself, but I can't remember much of it. I've tried." He leaned back into the cushions of the couch, looking mostly at ease, though there was a slight crinkling of his forehead. "I remember bits and pieces, like a jigsaw puzzle with too many pieces missing."

"I suppose making new memories is better than upsetting yourself with what you don't remember," she mused curiously, turning his hand in hers. Her thumb pressed into his palm, an odd massaging gesture as her gaze lowered to their joined hands. "Do you think you'll get those memories back?" In the back of her mind, a worry perked up - if he did start to remember his past, would he go back to a former lover"

He shrugged his shoulders at her question, following her gaze to their joined hands. "What's done is done, Vicki. The past is the past. Remembering it isn't going to change it. I want to move on."

"And are you?" It was a seemingly simple, innocent question that carried a lot of weight as her eyes lifted to meet his.

"I'm trying to, if people will let me," he told her solemnly.

"Then do you really need other people's opinions for you to take the bull by the horns?" she asked softly, leaning against his side fondly.

Her question gave him pause. It wasn't the first time something she'd said or asked made him have to stop and think for a minute. "No, I guess I don't."

"Then where's the sense in wasting energy worrying over it?" Vicki's brow rose with smiling enquiry, her head tilting to offer him a good view of the twinkle in her blue eyes. For all her ambling through life as though she had already seen the joke, she had a perspective that is only natural to only children. There was no point trying to protect everyone else from your actions, if you didn't look out for yourself first.

Victoria Granger

Date: 2011-10-23 20:20 EST
He wrapped an arm around her and quieted a moment to think about her words. "People judge you by your actions, Vicki, and when you're in the public eye, like I am, everything gets examined under a microscope. Like I said, it's like living in a fish bowl. Everyone thinks they know you and know what?s going on in your life. Nothing is private. And everyone wants to judge. You're presumed guilty until proven innocent."

"That's part of what being an actor, especially one so good he gets famous, is all about," the redhead murmured gently, letting her head rest against his shoulder. "It's a horrible part of it, but accepting fame means allowing people to think they know you. That's just the way it is, Jon. All you can do is be yourself."

"That's why people write tell-all books when they're still in their twenties. To set the record straight. I know I'm no angel. I've done some pretty stupid things, but I've paid my dues, and I'm trying to start over."

"You're dwelling too much on what you don't know." She looked up at him thoughtfully. "Wipe the slate clean properly; don't take any notice of references to a past you don't remember. What matters is you, here and now. And the people who love you know that."

"Then what do I tell them when they bring up the past' To bugger off?" He really didn't know and wasn't very good at being rude.

"That if they have nothing better to do than to rake over old muck, then they need to find someone else to do it to, because you're not playing any more." Vicki shrugged lightly; speaking her mind was evidently not a problem for her.

He smiled and brushed a wisp of hair away from her cheek. "Do you want to tell them that for me?" He was teasing, sort of. She was far more assertive than he was. He tended to brood instead of speaking his mind.

She laughed quietly, rolling her eyes. "Well, it wouldn't make the best impression, would it?" she grinned, drumming her fingers on his leg for a moment. "I'll happily tell your enemies in the press to swivel on it, though."

"If they see us in public together, you just might get your chance." He smiled and leaned over to press his lips against her forehead. "Promise me you won't deck anyone. I'm told I was sued for that once."

"No decking people. I'll try." She chuckled, her eyes closing briefly in enjoyment of the seemingly unthinking affection in his kiss. "But only if you promise not to be the king of all angst for at least an hour a day." Yes, she was teasing. If he couldn't work that out, he was going to have one hell of a headache by the time she went home in the morning.

He chuckled. "Just an hour" I think I can give you more than that." He set his fingers beneath her chin, tipping her head toward him and leaning in to press his lips against hers, eyes drifting closed to savor the moment.

Her hand rose to touch just the tip of her forefinger to his jaw as he kissed her, drawing back for a fuller caress when the door buzzer intruded rudely into their intimate moment. She broke away with a grin. "Time to feed the hungry redhead, Jon Boy."

He opened his eyes, his hand falling away from her chin, a smile on his face, having completely forgotten about the Chinese he'd ordered not long ago. "What's the matter, Vicki" Can't live on love alone?" he teased, pulling away from her and getting to his feet. He snagged his jacket, pulled his wallet out of one of the pockets, and started toward the door. "I'll be right back."

"I'll be here." She watched him move away with another smile, pleased that the playfulness and seriousness of the evening had evened out into something comfortable. Something natural. And something she was growing increasingly determined not to let go.

He made his way down to the front door to fetch the Chinese, careful to make sure it really was a delivery and not vampires who waited at the door. He paid for the order, along with a tip, and glanced outside a moment before making his way back to his apartment with an armful of food. "I hope you're hungry. This stuff smells amazing," he declared as he stepped back inside, hip bumping the door closed behind him.

Vicki jumped as he came back in, the lid of the breadbin in the kitchen thumping back down from where she had been holding it, peering inside to see what sort of a bread eater he was. She grinned slightly guiltily over at him. "I wasn't snooping, honest!"

He arched a brow at her, for just a split second, worried she'd been snooping around the guest room, but her voice was coming from the kitchen. Joining her there and setting the boxes and bags of Chinese on the table, he smirked over at her. "Checking to see if I need groceries, Miss Marshall" Care to do my shopping for me?"

"Well, judging by what?s in your fridge - or rather, what isn't in your fridge - I'd hate to think how tough it must be for you to pass a decent movement." Did she just say that' Why, yes, she did, and she honestly didn't care how ridiculous it sounded.

She did not just say that. His jaw fell open and then he broke into nearly uncontrollable laughter, probably the most he'd laughed in a very long time. He was laughing so hard, tears were coming out of his eyes.

The laughter was infectious, too. God alone knew what Jon's neighbours thought of the cackling guffaws emanating from his apartment, but right here and now, it didn't matter. A fun time was being had, and they hadn't even eaten yet. For a fourth date, things were definitely progressing to plan.

((Almost exactly one week later, and the Big Date is over. Keep your eyes peeled for A Broken Night. And massive thanks to Jonathan Granger for indulging me so wonderfully!))