4 June 2018
Monday training had come and gone, a brutal flurry of physical activity and mental stress. The good kind, the sort that you grew from. But like always, Nicanora was a sweaty mess by the end of it and in need of nothing more than a cold shower (with beer), and a few hours to decompress. When the shower and accompanying shower beer were complete, she dragged her scantily clad (as much as a tank and shorts could be scanty) ass out of the bathroom into the even cooler open air of the loft apartment. She had precisely thirty minutes until Will would be off and though she could have saved the shower until then, she figured she wouldn't be opposed to another one even so soon. Instead she busied herself in the kitchen, something to sate a growling stomach and replenish her energy stores, and maybe if the paramedic got lucky, there would be something for him too. Maybe. Maaaaaybe.
For the paramedic, the better weather brought a fresh flurry of stupidity amongst the teeming masses of Rhy'din proper, which meant longer shifts and less downtime. Will certainly didn't mind the work, nor the money, but the increased imposition on his personal life had been more than an annoyance that was slowly beginning to upset the tranquility of the life he had managed to forge with Nicanora. She, of course, had mostly taken in in stride and was supportive, but more than a few times it had made their planned outings together akin to two ships passing in the night; him to bed and her to more clandestine activities with Crispin.
On a night like this, he made no apologies for cutting his nightly work wind down short, leaving the bulk of it to Ronny with a harried explanation before he was racing home in the jeep a sweaty mess. It was getting later, but there was a hope that he could salvage the night and let it rolled into a day or two off that would make up for the growing absences. Heavy boots thumped him up the steps into their loft apartment where he tossed his kit bag to the side with a loud chuff of breath.
He was greeted by the spicy simmering smell of paella, thrown together on a whim despite the rather arduous undertaking it proved to be typically. Thankfully, it was something she had made a million times and thus had it down to a science. On bare feet and swaying to music pumped from the tiny little speaker on her phone on the counter, she hummed along and peeked over her shoulder when the door opened. "Oye, you're home early!" The smile said she didn't particularly mind.
"I was gonna take you on a food truck scavenger hunt," he quipped with a wry smile, slipping out of his jacket and tossing it onto the couch, "but it looks like we're eatin' in instead of out tonight." Closing the distance to the scantily clad Spanish beauty, he leaned in to press a kiss to the side of her neck and give her backside a hard squeeze before moving to the refrigerator. A cold bottle of beer was taken off of a shelf and popped open, his gaze lingering on her during that first long swallow. "How was training?"
"I thought you might be tired and honestly, I kinda am too, so I figured I'd cook." She shot back with the rock of a shoulder and a push back of her hips against his grab. The shorts were short enough to give him a little cheek if he was so inclined, not that she cared. She was planning on marrying him, after all. Pushing a spatula through the bubbling mixture, a quick swish of the pan tossed the contents amongst itself before she pulled it from the heat. "Good as always. Cris seems set on breaking the monotony any way he can, so I'm not complaining. And you? How was work?"
"Another night, another person in need. Or two dozen of them." Will grunted and took another long pull from his bottle, trading looks between her and their impending dinner. Both made him eager. "Should have a few days off startin' now, so it'll be nice. The view isn't hurting either."
"It's the right city for that. You'll never want for something to do." She gave him a little smile and passed him to put the pan on a hot plate on the table. Back to the kitchen she went, opening the over to pull free a loaf of garlic butter slathered bread. That wasn't handmade like the paella, mostly because she wasn't about that life. She made sure to bend over too. He said he liked the view. "Then we can do food truck scavenger hunt tomorrow then?"
"The company is good too," he grinned and killed the beer before setting the bottle aside to reach for her. His hands caught her by the hips, fingers taking their time to get a good feel before he pulled her against him. Long arms wound around her toned frame to pull her into a hug, his face buried against her neck so he could breathe her in. "Missed you."
"Of course it is." Beaming. Thankfully she had everything set down when he snagged her and so she went willingly, melding against him with a grin and a pleased sigh. That safe familiarity. It couldn't be beat. "You were only gone eight... nine... uh... ten hours. But obviously you'll have to show me how much you missed me. But after dinner. A maybe a shower."
"There's never enough of you." A gentle kiss touched her jaw before he tipped her face to his for a more thorough one. Long moments later it was broken so he could stare down into her eyes. "This is where I get to be my best self."
"Never? Never ever?" She laughed quietly in the space between them before lifting her chin to meet his mouth. When it finally broke, she was left contented yet wanting more, her arms looped around him and her hips still subtly swaying to the music she had yet to turn off. "I think you're always your best self. And I know at work you're pretty amazing too. Ronnie says so."
"Ronnie's biased," he laughed. "But sometimes right. Tell you what... you training tomorrow?"
"I'm off tomorrow." She said with a smile and a little bob of her brows. "Got something in mind?"
"Original Trilogy tonight." The paramedic gave her another tight squeeze and a chaste kiss to the side of her neck. "Sleepin' in tomorrow. A matinee of Solo, then food truck scavenger hunt."
Gaaaaaaaaaaaasp. Her eyes widened and she instantly lit up, bouncing onto her toes to kiss him again before he diverted to her neck. Chaste, that was almost more teasing than a regular kiss. Wiggling, she nodded and drew back, grabbing for his hand to pull him over to the table. "Deal, deal, deal, and deal. But first, food. Get it while it's hot, then I can set stuff up."
"One of these nights I expect to come home to you in nothing but an apron," he teased, kissing her one more time quickly before allowing her to drag him over to the table. He sat down soon enough and looked for the easiest method to serve himself something up without her having to do it for him. He could only expect so much domestic goddess from his warrior badass wife-to-be, but was smiling up to her fondly. "Just a mini-staycation, you know? Just you and me. We could even look at come wedding stuff if you wanted to. I know that's gotta be a big deal."
"You've come home to me in less." She said with a playful roll of her eyes. Dumping him in a seat, she rounded the table to snag drinks and took a seat herself. In the pan was a spatula that would work for dishing or he could do it Spanish way and just rip some bread off and dunk it like that straight from the pan. "I like it. And I've been itching to see Solo though I don't know how it'll compare to Rogue One. And, I mean... you know, before we go looking at wedding stuff, we should probably... I dunno, figure out when we're doing all of that."
"I know but it would still be hot." There was a show made of leering at her salaciously, which was then transferred to the food before them. It wasn't long before the paramedic was tucking into the meal and heaving an overwhelming sigh of contentment. He grinned across the table at her as they enjoyed a late dinner together. "It'll be good. We'll do to the theater with the reclining seats and nothin' separating us. And, well, clearly you need to be summer bride. I couldn't see you in anything but summer sun or moonlight. So, maybe next year? Ultimately, I don't care when as long as I get to make you mine."
"I'll keep it in mind. Maybe." She teased. Of course it would inevitably end up happening. She was nothing if not indulgent when it came to her fiance. As she filled a plate with her share and tore off a hunk of bread, she sopped up the thick sauce and popped the piece into her mouth. After chewing and swallowing she nodded. "I think that's workable... gives us time to... I dunno. Get used to the idea. And then plan. And maybe convince some people that it's okay. Otherwise it'll be like... me, you, Ronnie, and Crispin and their respective ladies. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but you know."
The was indulgent and his own smile confirmed it, but it was enough to hush him for long moments as he worked through his meal with a voracious appetite. Will had nearly polished off his plate before he spoke again, but was nodding along with her train of thought. "Your dad. Christopher's parents. Nee. I figure you've got a contingent that deserves to be there."
"You know... there might be ways to get back to your Earth..." She said softly, lifting her gaze from her food to meet his with a level look. The expression said she would drop the notion in an instant if he didn't want to consider it, but something like this, she thought, was maybe worth risking.
"They think I'm dead," he told her softly after taking a few moments to digest the suggestion. It had occurred to him before, of course, but it would take a lot of effort and a lot more explaining to even consider it a viable option. "That Earth thinks I'm dead. Nothing supernatural or weird happens there. This... all of this might be more than they could understand..."
"Yes... but..." She chewed at her bottom lip before relenting for the sake of taking another drink. "You know, on my Earth, regular people think nothing supernatural happens there. Mundanes aren't supposed to know, you know. But you're proof that 'normal' is a farce, no offense hermoso. Even still... their relief that you're safe could outweigh the questions."
"Maybe," he replied softly, tearing off a small hunk of bread and stuffing it into his mouth. It gave Will some time to contemplate the notion in silence but had wiped the smile from his face. Eventually he swallowed and turned another look up to her. "I mean, I guess there are ways to spin it so they didn't have to know all of the truth but I don't like the idea of spinnin' a lie to them. It's gonna take some thinking. Figuring out how to do it without it blowing up in my face. It's been a long time since I've seen them and the government finding out could cause problems for them. Maybe. I just... maybe. Yeah, maybe."
It wasn't a subject she really wanted to discuss but they needed to talk about it at some point or another. When he looked up, he found her staring back at him, a soft deferential smile on her face and a portion of bread in hand. "We have time to think about it, talk about, plan, whatever. I just... wanted to throw the idea out, in case you wanted to consider it. There's plenty of time." Plus she still had plenty of her own issues to work out, but that was another barrel of monkeys. "So how about... September... twenty-first? Last day of summer and late September in Spain is... mmm, beautiful."
The paramedic wasn't so much resigned as he was conflicted and it showed in his expression as he nodded along with her response. He soaked up another few moments with more bread before finally speaking again. "We have time. No need to rush anything and it gives us plenty to think about." Because they were an us now, no bones about it. "September's good. It'll still be warm enough and I did really like Spain. We know the wedding food will be rad as fuck."
"Still plenty warm, for sure. That time of year's like... twenty-six ish." She caught herself. "Close to eighty." Swiping the bread through a bit of sauce, she popped it into her mouth and got up from her seat. Though she was still chewing, she rounded the table and nudged his chair enough that she could slide side saddle into his lap, one arm looping around his shoulders. "Even if it were just you and I somewhere, it would be perfect. Everything else is just icing on the cake, no?"
Will accepted her with open arms, slipping his own around her slim waist so that he could all but crush her against his chest in a squeeze. His face was buried against her throat, a soft, wry smile pressed into her skin as she sought to reassure him. Nicanora had a way of subtly inspiring. "I'm a lot for most people to swallow on my best days. I've gotten very used to little to no company, though having some friends is nice. But all I need is you, in all the best and worst ways. No matter what, it'll be the best day I could ever have and that's all that's gonna matter."
"Hermoso, you're a lot to swallow in other ways too." That grin was positively devilish as she leaned back to peer down at him. Her free hand came up to catch the underside of his chin, drawing his face up so she could lean down and lightly kiss him on the lips. Short lived, if only because it would have inevitably led to more otherwise, she broke it a few beats later with a softer smile. "The ones that matter will be there, I'm sure of it."
In the spirit of being good, he let her little quip go, greeting the kiss just as gently before smiling. "We could totally do a line of food trucks for the wedding dinner..."
"Would that make you happy?" She asked with a tilt of her head. "It seems fairly suiting for us. Maybe unconventional, but we're unconventional, are we not?"
"I mean," he laughed. "We could have a nice dinner table set up. Silverware in case someone start some shit..." She was given another squeeze before he smiled against her throat again. "We've never been a conventional couple. I think it's what makes out relationship strong. If we tried to be someone else's idea of normal, one of us would have ended up miserable."
"Picnic tables could do the trick. Did you know they make plastic silverware that is shiny like real silverware? It's hilarious." There was that grin again, though less devilish and more amused as all get out. Leaning into his grasp, she sighed softly, albeit contentedly. "What is normal anyways? Even by my peoples' standards, I'm hardly normal. But we're happy. That's what matters."
"I figured something more formal on the table and dinnerware front, maybe a balance to the food trucks so your old man doesn't try to call the whole thing off before the first toast." The soft rush of laughter spilled warm breath against her skin and Will began to rock her slowly in their seat. "I've never been anyone's perception of normal, even before the weird stuff started happenin' to me. And I'll take happy. I'll never regret that night we went swimming in someone else's pool. It changed my life."
"But it's not about him, it's about us." She countered. For all that she loved and respected her father, she already knew he took issue with the engagement and likely would all the way until the ink was dry on... whatever sort of document they used for weddings. A contract maybe? She didn't know. Swaying with his motion, she brushed her fingers through his hair and nodded. "That was a good start to things, wasn't it... and that Christmas party at the station. I really thought you were going to bring me a venus flytrap, you know."
"Tell him that," he snorted a laugh and lifted a comb his fingers through her own hair. "The Christmas party was classic and... well, I mean I'm not a total goofball. Just mostly one. And I really liked you and fuck you were hot..."
"I have. And I'll do it again." She said firmly. Though she didn't laugh, she retained her good humor, nuzzling her head into the pass of his hand. "I would've been just fine with a little venus flytrap. But the lily was gorgeous too. I had a lot of fun that night... thinking back on it made me think December could've worked for the wedding too."
"I figured you'd want a warm weather wedding, with you outside in a slinky dress, demure of course, and all that sunshine or moonlight in your hair." Her hair was given a gentle tug. "Personally, I don't care if we're at the courthouse and it's ripped jeans and a tank top. I'm marryin' you either way."
"Winter in Madrid is balmy but not terrible. But you're right, I'm a summer child if ever there was on." A soft groan issued from her lips, a low warning rumble for the distraction he posted. "And really, it's not about the wedding, it's about the marriage. I read that somewhere."
"We're pretty much married now," he told her with a shrug and a smile as he looked up at her. "With careers and domestic bliss and everything. All we're doing is changing it to a specific word. I mean, so long as the sex doesn't dry up, I promise to keep you."
"Are we?" She asked, her grin blooming once more. For some reason the notion tickled her in all the right ways. Different ways, of course, than Will had a way of tickling. But that was a subject for a far more intimate time. "Only reason the sex would dry up is if you get old and impotent. Considering you hit the big three-oh last year, I'd say you've still got... at least five good years left in you." Teasingly.
"We are," he confirmed with a nod, reaching down to pinch her. "And I'll have you know, I'm gonna be a white hot shooter until the day they lay me in the ground, Fanny. So you better keep that sweet ass in shape and keep up."
One good pinch deserved another, her own finding his arm with a laugh. "You better hope they keep making those little blue pills then. And please, when was the last time you saw a fat Shadowhunter? Not even the old ones get fat. I'm pretty sure they don't even make Gear in plus sizes, considering I had to special order my pants because my ass wouldn't fit in standards."
"Well, Cris is kinda fat. Mostly between the ears." His mouth quirked, trying not to grin. "And I wouldn't have your ass any other way. Junk in the trunk is the way to go and Sir Mixalot was a prophet."
"That's... maybe a compliment? I think? But I don't think he's take it as such?" Though he tried not to grin, she let free another laugh and pinched again at his arm. "Tell the Iron Sisters that. You'd think as women, they'd know that not all girls are boards, but noooooo. It's practically unisex."
"I mean, your ass is perfect. Multifunctional. It keeps me entertained for hours, it's a great pillow, a wonderful chew toy, something nice to hold onto..." He was unabashed in his appreciation for her ass and gave her hip a playful pat. "It's beautiful like fine art. I feel like I should... write a sonnet about it."
"Go on, tell me more." She was full on giggling at that point and bowed her head into the crook of his neck to loose more laughter. Her teeth found his skin for a light nip before drawing back to fix him with an appreciative smile. "Write a sonnet or pin it to the wall, like fine art should be." Brow bob.
"The latter happens on a regular basis." He leaned in to rub his nose against hers. "I'm marrying you woman. You know that, right?"
"I had no idea! I just thought this ring on my finger was like one of those Chinese finger traps, you know, the ones you can't get off no matter how hard you try." Scrunching her nose against his.
"You're mine." He kissed her gently. "No taksies-backsies." Will smelled strongly of smoke and antiseptic that close, wrapping his arms around her tightly again. "Finders keepers and there's not a thing in the world that I wouldn't do to keep you."
"I think I'm past the return policy timeframe anyways." Still teasing, she returned the kiss with a series of peck-peck-pecks to his mouth, cheeks, and nose. "Be careful, you never know when the universe might decide to try and test that. The fates are assholes like that."
"Let them test it," he told her with a smile, but his eyes were dangerously earnest. "I've waited my whole like for a sex life this good with just the right level of crazy to make me fall head over heels in love. You were one of the few missing puzzle pieces to fill in my misshapen heart. No one takes that."
"Hey, any crazy here is completely on your side." She countered, snapping her teeth at him. Still, her smile softened and she sank against him with a little nod. "I'm willing to fight for us. No matter what or who or any of it. I wanna make you happy and drive you crazy for the rest of my life, William St. Jude."
"All of my crazy is yours," he told her in a murmur against her neck, a very sobered tone heating her skin. "Whatever it takes, we're gonna make it. You'll put holes in people. I'll patch holes in people. There'll be laughter and food trucks and Mario Kart and wild sex. Churros. There'll be those. I never knew I wanted anything so bad before I met you, Nicanora. You fill in all the empty spots."
"You know, if you patch the holes I make, it sort of defeats the purpose." She teased with a smile, reaching to touch his chin and draw his face up so she could kiss him one more time. "I'm glad we took a chance... a couple of 'em actually. But I'm glad, hermoso, you're a special sort of everything for me. That said. Do you want dessert? I have dessert in the freezer."
"Well, I didn't mean I'd patch the holes of the monsters," he mused wryly. "Just other holes. Needy people holes. I'm like a rolling medical charity, yanno. We did take a chance and I finally got a little good karma in the form of one hot ass Spaniard babe." One kiss turned into two, then a third before he nodded along. "If you wanna get dessert ready, I'm gonna go shower real quick, then we can move things to the couch. Cool?"
"You can fill my holes if you want. I volunteer as tribute." She smirked, cuffing him lightly on the underside of the chin before slowly and tortuously extracting herself from his lap. With a nod and a wink, she sashayed back to the kitchen with a little shooing motion his way. "Go clean up. We'll get dirty after you're done."
"All up them are perfectly fillable." She cuffed, he kissed, and then Will was on his feet to trudge towards the bathroom. He shed his clothes as he went, leaving them in something akin to a pile before disappearing through the door.
Monday training had come and gone, a brutal flurry of physical activity and mental stress. The good kind, the sort that you grew from. But like always, Nicanora was a sweaty mess by the end of it and in need of nothing more than a cold shower (with beer), and a few hours to decompress. When the shower and accompanying shower beer were complete, she dragged her scantily clad (as much as a tank and shorts could be scanty) ass out of the bathroom into the even cooler open air of the loft apartment. She had precisely thirty minutes until Will would be off and though she could have saved the shower until then, she figured she wouldn't be opposed to another one even so soon. Instead she busied herself in the kitchen, something to sate a growling stomach and replenish her energy stores, and maybe if the paramedic got lucky, there would be something for him too. Maybe. Maaaaaybe.
For the paramedic, the better weather brought a fresh flurry of stupidity amongst the teeming masses of Rhy'din proper, which meant longer shifts and less downtime. Will certainly didn't mind the work, nor the money, but the increased imposition on his personal life had been more than an annoyance that was slowly beginning to upset the tranquility of the life he had managed to forge with Nicanora. She, of course, had mostly taken in in stride and was supportive, but more than a few times it had made their planned outings together akin to two ships passing in the night; him to bed and her to more clandestine activities with Crispin.
On a night like this, he made no apologies for cutting his nightly work wind down short, leaving the bulk of it to Ronny with a harried explanation before he was racing home in the jeep a sweaty mess. It was getting later, but there was a hope that he could salvage the night and let it rolled into a day or two off that would make up for the growing absences. Heavy boots thumped him up the steps into their loft apartment where he tossed his kit bag to the side with a loud chuff of breath.
He was greeted by the spicy simmering smell of paella, thrown together on a whim despite the rather arduous undertaking it proved to be typically. Thankfully, it was something she had made a million times and thus had it down to a science. On bare feet and swaying to music pumped from the tiny little speaker on her phone on the counter, she hummed along and peeked over her shoulder when the door opened. "Oye, you're home early!" The smile said she didn't particularly mind.
"I was gonna take you on a food truck scavenger hunt," he quipped with a wry smile, slipping out of his jacket and tossing it onto the couch, "but it looks like we're eatin' in instead of out tonight." Closing the distance to the scantily clad Spanish beauty, he leaned in to press a kiss to the side of her neck and give her backside a hard squeeze before moving to the refrigerator. A cold bottle of beer was taken off of a shelf and popped open, his gaze lingering on her during that first long swallow. "How was training?"
"I thought you might be tired and honestly, I kinda am too, so I figured I'd cook." She shot back with the rock of a shoulder and a push back of her hips against his grab. The shorts were short enough to give him a little cheek if he was so inclined, not that she cared. She was planning on marrying him, after all. Pushing a spatula through the bubbling mixture, a quick swish of the pan tossed the contents amongst itself before she pulled it from the heat. "Good as always. Cris seems set on breaking the monotony any way he can, so I'm not complaining. And you? How was work?"
"Another night, another person in need. Or two dozen of them." Will grunted and took another long pull from his bottle, trading looks between her and their impending dinner. Both made him eager. "Should have a few days off startin' now, so it'll be nice. The view isn't hurting either."
"It's the right city for that. You'll never want for something to do." She gave him a little smile and passed him to put the pan on a hot plate on the table. Back to the kitchen she went, opening the over to pull free a loaf of garlic butter slathered bread. That wasn't handmade like the paella, mostly because she wasn't about that life. She made sure to bend over too. He said he liked the view. "Then we can do food truck scavenger hunt tomorrow then?"
"The company is good too," he grinned and killed the beer before setting the bottle aside to reach for her. His hands caught her by the hips, fingers taking their time to get a good feel before he pulled her against him. Long arms wound around her toned frame to pull her into a hug, his face buried against her neck so he could breathe her in. "Missed you."
"Of course it is." Beaming. Thankfully she had everything set down when he snagged her and so she went willingly, melding against him with a grin and a pleased sigh. That safe familiarity. It couldn't be beat. "You were only gone eight... nine... uh... ten hours. But obviously you'll have to show me how much you missed me. But after dinner. A maybe a shower."
"There's never enough of you." A gentle kiss touched her jaw before he tipped her face to his for a more thorough one. Long moments later it was broken so he could stare down into her eyes. "This is where I get to be my best self."
"Never? Never ever?" She laughed quietly in the space between them before lifting her chin to meet his mouth. When it finally broke, she was left contented yet wanting more, her arms looped around him and her hips still subtly swaying to the music she had yet to turn off. "I think you're always your best self. And I know at work you're pretty amazing too. Ronnie says so."
"Ronnie's biased," he laughed. "But sometimes right. Tell you what... you training tomorrow?"
"I'm off tomorrow." She said with a smile and a little bob of her brows. "Got something in mind?"
"Original Trilogy tonight." The paramedic gave her another tight squeeze and a chaste kiss to the side of her neck. "Sleepin' in tomorrow. A matinee of Solo, then food truck scavenger hunt."
Gaaaaaaaaaaaasp. Her eyes widened and she instantly lit up, bouncing onto her toes to kiss him again before he diverted to her neck. Chaste, that was almost more teasing than a regular kiss. Wiggling, she nodded and drew back, grabbing for his hand to pull him over to the table. "Deal, deal, deal, and deal. But first, food. Get it while it's hot, then I can set stuff up."
"One of these nights I expect to come home to you in nothing but an apron," he teased, kissing her one more time quickly before allowing her to drag him over to the table. He sat down soon enough and looked for the easiest method to serve himself something up without her having to do it for him. He could only expect so much domestic goddess from his warrior badass wife-to-be, but was smiling up to her fondly. "Just a mini-staycation, you know? Just you and me. We could even look at come wedding stuff if you wanted to. I know that's gotta be a big deal."
"You've come home to me in less." She said with a playful roll of her eyes. Dumping him in a seat, she rounded the table to snag drinks and took a seat herself. In the pan was a spatula that would work for dishing or he could do it Spanish way and just rip some bread off and dunk it like that straight from the pan. "I like it. And I've been itching to see Solo though I don't know how it'll compare to Rogue One. And, I mean... you know, before we go looking at wedding stuff, we should probably... I dunno, figure out when we're doing all of that."
"I know but it would still be hot." There was a show made of leering at her salaciously, which was then transferred to the food before them. It wasn't long before the paramedic was tucking into the meal and heaving an overwhelming sigh of contentment. He grinned across the table at her as they enjoyed a late dinner together. "It'll be good. We'll do to the theater with the reclining seats and nothin' separating us. And, well, clearly you need to be summer bride. I couldn't see you in anything but summer sun or moonlight. So, maybe next year? Ultimately, I don't care when as long as I get to make you mine."
"I'll keep it in mind. Maybe." She teased. Of course it would inevitably end up happening. She was nothing if not indulgent when it came to her fiance. As she filled a plate with her share and tore off a hunk of bread, she sopped up the thick sauce and popped the piece into her mouth. After chewing and swallowing she nodded. "I think that's workable... gives us time to... I dunno. Get used to the idea. And then plan. And maybe convince some people that it's okay. Otherwise it'll be like... me, you, Ronnie, and Crispin and their respective ladies. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but you know."
The was indulgent and his own smile confirmed it, but it was enough to hush him for long moments as he worked through his meal with a voracious appetite. Will had nearly polished off his plate before he spoke again, but was nodding along with her train of thought. "Your dad. Christopher's parents. Nee. I figure you've got a contingent that deserves to be there."
"You know... there might be ways to get back to your Earth..." She said softly, lifting her gaze from her food to meet his with a level look. The expression said she would drop the notion in an instant if he didn't want to consider it, but something like this, she thought, was maybe worth risking.
"They think I'm dead," he told her softly after taking a few moments to digest the suggestion. It had occurred to him before, of course, but it would take a lot of effort and a lot more explaining to even consider it a viable option. "That Earth thinks I'm dead. Nothing supernatural or weird happens there. This... all of this might be more than they could understand..."
"Yes... but..." She chewed at her bottom lip before relenting for the sake of taking another drink. "You know, on my Earth, regular people think nothing supernatural happens there. Mundanes aren't supposed to know, you know. But you're proof that 'normal' is a farce, no offense hermoso. Even still... their relief that you're safe could outweigh the questions."
"Maybe," he replied softly, tearing off a small hunk of bread and stuffing it into his mouth. It gave Will some time to contemplate the notion in silence but had wiped the smile from his face. Eventually he swallowed and turned another look up to her. "I mean, I guess there are ways to spin it so they didn't have to know all of the truth but I don't like the idea of spinnin' a lie to them. It's gonna take some thinking. Figuring out how to do it without it blowing up in my face. It's been a long time since I've seen them and the government finding out could cause problems for them. Maybe. I just... maybe. Yeah, maybe."
It wasn't a subject she really wanted to discuss but they needed to talk about it at some point or another. When he looked up, he found her staring back at him, a soft deferential smile on her face and a portion of bread in hand. "We have time to think about it, talk about, plan, whatever. I just... wanted to throw the idea out, in case you wanted to consider it. There's plenty of time." Plus she still had plenty of her own issues to work out, but that was another barrel of monkeys. "So how about... September... twenty-first? Last day of summer and late September in Spain is... mmm, beautiful."
The paramedic wasn't so much resigned as he was conflicted and it showed in his expression as he nodded along with her response. He soaked up another few moments with more bread before finally speaking again. "We have time. No need to rush anything and it gives us plenty to think about." Because they were an us now, no bones about it. "September's good. It'll still be warm enough and I did really like Spain. We know the wedding food will be rad as fuck."
"Still plenty warm, for sure. That time of year's like... twenty-six ish." She caught herself. "Close to eighty." Swiping the bread through a bit of sauce, she popped it into her mouth and got up from her seat. Though she was still chewing, she rounded the table and nudged his chair enough that she could slide side saddle into his lap, one arm looping around his shoulders. "Even if it were just you and I somewhere, it would be perfect. Everything else is just icing on the cake, no?"
Will accepted her with open arms, slipping his own around her slim waist so that he could all but crush her against his chest in a squeeze. His face was buried against her throat, a soft, wry smile pressed into her skin as she sought to reassure him. Nicanora had a way of subtly inspiring. "I'm a lot for most people to swallow on my best days. I've gotten very used to little to no company, though having some friends is nice. But all I need is you, in all the best and worst ways. No matter what, it'll be the best day I could ever have and that's all that's gonna matter."
"Hermoso, you're a lot to swallow in other ways too." That grin was positively devilish as she leaned back to peer down at him. Her free hand came up to catch the underside of his chin, drawing his face up so she could lean down and lightly kiss him on the lips. Short lived, if only because it would have inevitably led to more otherwise, she broke it a few beats later with a softer smile. "The ones that matter will be there, I'm sure of it."
In the spirit of being good, he let her little quip go, greeting the kiss just as gently before smiling. "We could totally do a line of food trucks for the wedding dinner..."
"Would that make you happy?" She asked with a tilt of her head. "It seems fairly suiting for us. Maybe unconventional, but we're unconventional, are we not?"
"I mean," he laughed. "We could have a nice dinner table set up. Silverware in case someone start some shit..." She was given another squeeze before he smiled against her throat again. "We've never been a conventional couple. I think it's what makes out relationship strong. If we tried to be someone else's idea of normal, one of us would have ended up miserable."
"Picnic tables could do the trick. Did you know they make plastic silverware that is shiny like real silverware? It's hilarious." There was that grin again, though less devilish and more amused as all get out. Leaning into his grasp, she sighed softly, albeit contentedly. "What is normal anyways? Even by my peoples' standards, I'm hardly normal. But we're happy. That's what matters."
"I figured something more formal on the table and dinnerware front, maybe a balance to the food trucks so your old man doesn't try to call the whole thing off before the first toast." The soft rush of laughter spilled warm breath against her skin and Will began to rock her slowly in their seat. "I've never been anyone's perception of normal, even before the weird stuff started happenin' to me. And I'll take happy. I'll never regret that night we went swimming in someone else's pool. It changed my life."
"But it's not about him, it's about us." She countered. For all that she loved and respected her father, she already knew he took issue with the engagement and likely would all the way until the ink was dry on... whatever sort of document they used for weddings. A contract maybe? She didn't know. Swaying with his motion, she brushed her fingers through his hair and nodded. "That was a good start to things, wasn't it... and that Christmas party at the station. I really thought you were going to bring me a venus flytrap, you know."
"Tell him that," he snorted a laugh and lifted a comb his fingers through her own hair. "The Christmas party was classic and... well, I mean I'm not a total goofball. Just mostly one. And I really liked you and fuck you were hot..."
"I have. And I'll do it again." She said firmly. Though she didn't laugh, she retained her good humor, nuzzling her head into the pass of his hand. "I would've been just fine with a little venus flytrap. But the lily was gorgeous too. I had a lot of fun that night... thinking back on it made me think December could've worked for the wedding too."
"I figured you'd want a warm weather wedding, with you outside in a slinky dress, demure of course, and all that sunshine or moonlight in your hair." Her hair was given a gentle tug. "Personally, I don't care if we're at the courthouse and it's ripped jeans and a tank top. I'm marryin' you either way."
"Winter in Madrid is balmy but not terrible. But you're right, I'm a summer child if ever there was on." A soft groan issued from her lips, a low warning rumble for the distraction he posted. "And really, it's not about the wedding, it's about the marriage. I read that somewhere."
"We're pretty much married now," he told her with a shrug and a smile as he looked up at her. "With careers and domestic bliss and everything. All we're doing is changing it to a specific word. I mean, so long as the sex doesn't dry up, I promise to keep you."
"Are we?" She asked, her grin blooming once more. For some reason the notion tickled her in all the right ways. Different ways, of course, than Will had a way of tickling. But that was a subject for a far more intimate time. "Only reason the sex would dry up is if you get old and impotent. Considering you hit the big three-oh last year, I'd say you've still got... at least five good years left in you." Teasingly.
"We are," he confirmed with a nod, reaching down to pinch her. "And I'll have you know, I'm gonna be a white hot shooter until the day they lay me in the ground, Fanny. So you better keep that sweet ass in shape and keep up."
One good pinch deserved another, her own finding his arm with a laugh. "You better hope they keep making those little blue pills then. And please, when was the last time you saw a fat Shadowhunter? Not even the old ones get fat. I'm pretty sure they don't even make Gear in plus sizes, considering I had to special order my pants because my ass wouldn't fit in standards."
"Well, Cris is kinda fat. Mostly between the ears." His mouth quirked, trying not to grin. "And I wouldn't have your ass any other way. Junk in the trunk is the way to go and Sir Mixalot was a prophet."
"That's... maybe a compliment? I think? But I don't think he's take it as such?" Though he tried not to grin, she let free another laugh and pinched again at his arm. "Tell the Iron Sisters that. You'd think as women, they'd know that not all girls are boards, but noooooo. It's practically unisex."
"I mean, your ass is perfect. Multifunctional. It keeps me entertained for hours, it's a great pillow, a wonderful chew toy, something nice to hold onto..." He was unabashed in his appreciation for her ass and gave her hip a playful pat. "It's beautiful like fine art. I feel like I should... write a sonnet about it."
"Go on, tell me more." She was full on giggling at that point and bowed her head into the crook of his neck to loose more laughter. Her teeth found his skin for a light nip before drawing back to fix him with an appreciative smile. "Write a sonnet or pin it to the wall, like fine art should be." Brow bob.
"The latter happens on a regular basis." He leaned in to rub his nose against hers. "I'm marrying you woman. You know that, right?"
"I had no idea! I just thought this ring on my finger was like one of those Chinese finger traps, you know, the ones you can't get off no matter how hard you try." Scrunching her nose against his.
"You're mine." He kissed her gently. "No taksies-backsies." Will smelled strongly of smoke and antiseptic that close, wrapping his arms around her tightly again. "Finders keepers and there's not a thing in the world that I wouldn't do to keep you."
"I think I'm past the return policy timeframe anyways." Still teasing, she returned the kiss with a series of peck-peck-pecks to his mouth, cheeks, and nose. "Be careful, you never know when the universe might decide to try and test that. The fates are assholes like that."
"Let them test it," he told her with a smile, but his eyes were dangerously earnest. "I've waited my whole like for a sex life this good with just the right level of crazy to make me fall head over heels in love. You were one of the few missing puzzle pieces to fill in my misshapen heart. No one takes that."
"Hey, any crazy here is completely on your side." She countered, snapping her teeth at him. Still, her smile softened and she sank against him with a little nod. "I'm willing to fight for us. No matter what or who or any of it. I wanna make you happy and drive you crazy for the rest of my life, William St. Jude."
"All of my crazy is yours," he told her in a murmur against her neck, a very sobered tone heating her skin. "Whatever it takes, we're gonna make it. You'll put holes in people. I'll patch holes in people. There'll be laughter and food trucks and Mario Kart and wild sex. Churros. There'll be those. I never knew I wanted anything so bad before I met you, Nicanora. You fill in all the empty spots."
"You know, if you patch the holes I make, it sort of defeats the purpose." She teased with a smile, reaching to touch his chin and draw his face up so she could kiss him one more time. "I'm glad we took a chance... a couple of 'em actually. But I'm glad, hermoso, you're a special sort of everything for me. That said. Do you want dessert? I have dessert in the freezer."
"Well, I didn't mean I'd patch the holes of the monsters," he mused wryly. "Just other holes. Needy people holes. I'm like a rolling medical charity, yanno. We did take a chance and I finally got a little good karma in the form of one hot ass Spaniard babe." One kiss turned into two, then a third before he nodded along. "If you wanna get dessert ready, I'm gonna go shower real quick, then we can move things to the couch. Cool?"
"You can fill my holes if you want. I volunteer as tribute." She smirked, cuffing him lightly on the underside of the chin before slowly and tortuously extracting herself from his lap. With a nod and a wink, she sashayed back to the kitchen with a little shooing motion his way. "Go clean up. We'll get dirty after you're done."
"All up them are perfectly fillable." She cuffed, he kissed, and then Will was on his feet to trudge towards the bathroom. He shed his clothes as he went, leaving them in something akin to a pile before disappearing through the door.