"Daaaad," Adam is sort of whining, which is uncommon for him (at least, as much as Jackie knows). He's usually too reserved for that kind of thing, but the late night -- and maybe anticipation of the new year celebration -- has seen him more animated than usual. The pair is in the kitchen, Ben getting drinks to prepare for the countdown in ten or so minutes, Adam to bother him.
"I already told you no," but Ben's in a good mood too, and there's a hint of laughter in his voice (though he means what he says). "Especially when you whine like that. You sound like you're about five years old." Adam takes his glass of sparkling grape juice from the counter with a huff and storms back to the living room (though the moodiness is over as soon as it's begun, and he's all shy smiles when he sits down on the couch, next to Jackie); Ben just watches him go, shaking his head, amused.
"Which movie was your favorite?" Adam's asking Jackie, sort of toying with his glass and looking there instead of up at her. He jumps a little when there's the sound of the cork popping free from a bottle of bubbly in the kitchen, and a moment later, Ben's emerging from the kitchen and headed to the couch too, two champagne flutes carefully held in one hand, the bottle in the other. He sets the bottle down on the coffee table before offering one of the flutes to Jackie, waiting for her to take it from him before he sits down next to her. He doesn't interrupt the conversation though, just putting his feet up on the coffee table, stretching one arm out along the back of the couch, behind Jackie. In his other hand, he's got his own champagne flute, and he wordlessly tips it toward her a bit, inviting a clink of the glasses together.
It was impossible for Jackie to suppress a grin when she heard the whine coming from Adam. Even if it wasn't the most flattering of sounds to come from a twelve year old boy, it was to the point where she was pleased with any sort of honest to God emoting she could hear from him. It wasn't that she thought that Adam disliked her or her presence, that idea was slowly getting shoved into the back of her mind when he smiles at her like that and adjusts his attitude when he sees her on his approach to the couch. But no matter what he was only a little ways away from being a teen and it showed a lot in his mannerisms. All that shrugging.
She's perched in the middle of the couch with her legs folded beneath her Indian style, a spot she seems prone to take these days when the three of them are together. At Adam's question her head tips back with an added 'oof' like he just hit her with a hard question. With her theatrics over she's lifting her head, a beaming smile firmly in place from ear to ear. The pop of the cork and Ben's approach steals a sidelong glance from her, but she's still obviously pondering Adam's question. "Can I say I got a tie? If so I'm gonna go with Gremlins and Poltergeist. Them're classics that never get old. What about you?"
The offered champagne flute from Ben is taken with a nod and a soft 'thank you'. Ben's tipped champagne glass causes a slight rise of Jackie's brows, a barely there hint of surprise that she doesn't linger on. Instead she happily clinks her champagne flute against Ben's and settles back against his arm. The glass is then shifted along to her other side, offering the same inviting tip for Adam to clink glasses as well.
Adam nods for Jackie's answer, apparently approving, and after thinking it over for a moment, "'They're hee-eeeere." Ben actually kind of makes a face in response to that, but he's laughing quietly, too.
"Special occasion," he tells Jackie quietly with a little smile after she gives him that look of surprise, right before her glass touches against his. There's more to it than that, but that'd do for now. His hand rests on her far shoulder when she leans back against his arm, but he doesn't do anything to encourage her to lean further against him. Happily, at least Adam doesn't seem to mind that much physical contact between the two of them, especially because he's distracted by clinking his own glass against Jackie's. "Are we going to watch another movie after midnight?"
Ben glances over at Adam, and the look on his face is that same mix of stern and amused that Jackie's probably seen a lot over the last few days from him. "No, you've got to go to bed. We've got a lot to do before you start school the day after tomorrow." Adam groans in response to that, but other than sitting back with a little huff, he doesn't really protest, and he might even seem a little excited about the prospect of school. All hints of moodiness are gone with he glances over at Jackie. "Maybe you can come over tomorrow night and watch something with us?" Ben's successful at not laughing, but he's not entirely able to suppress the little smile at how forward his son's being with Jackie. It's cute.
When Adam quotes Poltergeist Jackie's making a face as well. It's absolutely entertained and her head even tips back with an open laugh. A kid who liked horror movies, she could handle this! She quiets in time for Ben's explanation of his champagne and that is met with a far more reserved nod even if her mood doesn't dim. "A very special occasion." Agreeing in a similar quiet tone before her glass is clinked to Adam's.
At the question of more movies Jackie is automatically looking at Ben and attempting to keep the pleading off her features. She wanted to watch another movie, too! But with Ben's denial Jackie's bottom lip popped out briefly in a little pout of playful disappointment which is gone when she's looking to Adam again.
Brows rose at the invitation and a toothy smile bloomed. "That's a strong possibility. I guess it depends on how quickly y'all can finish your errands since I won't be able to stay too late. Maybe y' can motivate yer Daddy t' get outta bed bright and early so you both can get a start first thing in the mornin'?" She attempted to portray her most believable innocent expression while slowly looking to her other side at Ben. Did she just promise a rude awakening for Ben tomorrow morning? Possibly.
Both of the boys look pleased when Jackie laughs so openly -- Adam, because he's made her laugh, and Ben, because they're getting along so well. A very special occasion, one he hopes is just a preview of the year to come.
Somehow, Ben doesn't comment on Jackie's little pleading look or her pout, but when she encourages Adam to harass Ben in the morning, that's all he can take. "Well, I guess you better leave pretty soon after midnight, if I'm going to be woken up so bright and early. That's too bad." That's not even a believable innocent expression he aims back at Jackie, and it cracks into a lazy little grin before long.
"Look, look," and, past-his-bedtime-excitable, Adam's getting to his feet when he points out that there's just a couple of minutes left to go. With Adam's attention elsewhere, even if it's just for a few seconds, Ben tips his head against Jackie's, just briefly, with his eyes closed. It's not something he wants his son to see, those few heartbeats of his reflection on the past year and, more importantly, hope for this new beginning, but it only takes a few seconds, and after he brushes his lips to Jackie's cheek in a barely there kiss, he's opening his eyes and turning his attention back to Adam.
"Maybe I should let you have some champagne after all. You've got way too much energy for it being past your bedtime." He's teasing, and Adam knows it, but after shooting a little glare at his Dad, he's moving over to him anyway, squeezing between Ben and the arm of the couch before putting his arms around his father in a tight hug. Ben actually looks a little affected by this once the second of surprise wears off, and after pulling his arm carefully away from Jackie's shoulders, he's wrapping Adam up in a just as tight hug, momentarily protective. "Glad you're here, son." Adam tightens up the embrace for just a second before looking up at Ben, smiling. "Me too." There's a little quirk of a smile at Ben's mouth too, but then he's glancing at the television. "You're going to miss it," teasing again, and letting go of Adam, putting his arm around Jackie's shoulders again while Adam needlessly protests, "No, I'm not."
Ben was getting bold and giving Jackie a taste of her own medicine when he teased about her leaving soon after midnight. Not that it was that far from the truth, but nothing paired with a faux innocent expression like that can be taken lightly. "Well, I guess maybe I'll be here bright an' early in the mornin' to help wake you up, too. In case Adam needs any back up." Her arm not holding the champagne flute was lifted and she offered a flex, pointless beneath her sweater but she didn't care. She was having too much fun.
Jackie's gaze follows Adam when he rises to his feet, but the press of Ben's forehead to her temple diverts her attention even if she doesn't turn her head out of fear of disturbing him. Eyes closed similarly, a quiet inhale followed by a slow exhale. Her cheek tips into the kiss before she's smiling and eyelids lift, relaxed and feeling positive about what lies before them.
"The bubbles might jus' make him more excitable." Thoughtfully to Ben while she peered into her glass with a snicker. "Usually what happens to me." The amusement only lingers on her features for a short while longer while she watching Adam trek over to Ben. When Adam is wrapping his arms around his Dad, Jackie is already making the shift so it's easier for him to pull his arm free from behind her. No way was she going to get between a Father and Son moment or interrupt it. Her attention was on the television as the brightly lit ball made its slow descent. It's when Adam and Ben are teasing back and forth about missing the countdown that she chuckles. At least they had three sets of eyes to make sure such a thing didn't happen.
"Last minute of twenty-twelve, y'all. Make it count!" It didn't matter how many New Years she had celebrated in her life or where she was for each one. It felt like this was a good one, a great one, the one. This just might be the year that made a change in her life, even more than when she first came to RhyDin. She would have to take it day by day to see where her path was going, but if twenty-thirteen had more moments like this? She would call that a success.
Make it count. Ben thinks about that briefly, what would be a fitting way to spend this last minute of the year -- but he realizes that it's everything else that's happened to him this year, that he's done, that makes this minute count for more than he might have imagined possible. He's getting a fresh start in a new place. There's been progress and setbacks with his own demons, back and forth and back again, but at least there's some kind of path to follow now. He's got a great new job, doing something he loves.
And he's with his son, and he's with Jackie. He's finally found someone that is a true partner to him -- someone that wants to help, instead of just wanting him fixed. Somebody that brings out the best in him, makes him try harder, push harder -- and somebody that he can bring out the best in too.
"It counts," is all he says, and as the final seconds tick away, he smiles sidelong at Adam (who is more or less transfixed by the ball drop on the television and counting down out loud) before turning just a little toward Jackie. It's the same pose as before, his forehead lightly to her temple, just for long enough to murmur, "Happy new year," to her before tipping his head and kissing her.
"I already told you no," but Ben's in a good mood too, and there's a hint of laughter in his voice (though he means what he says). "Especially when you whine like that. You sound like you're about five years old." Adam takes his glass of sparkling grape juice from the counter with a huff and storms back to the living room (though the moodiness is over as soon as it's begun, and he's all shy smiles when he sits down on the couch, next to Jackie); Ben just watches him go, shaking his head, amused.
"Which movie was your favorite?" Adam's asking Jackie, sort of toying with his glass and looking there instead of up at her. He jumps a little when there's the sound of the cork popping free from a bottle of bubbly in the kitchen, and a moment later, Ben's emerging from the kitchen and headed to the couch too, two champagne flutes carefully held in one hand, the bottle in the other. He sets the bottle down on the coffee table before offering one of the flutes to Jackie, waiting for her to take it from him before he sits down next to her. He doesn't interrupt the conversation though, just putting his feet up on the coffee table, stretching one arm out along the back of the couch, behind Jackie. In his other hand, he's got his own champagne flute, and he wordlessly tips it toward her a bit, inviting a clink of the glasses together.
It was impossible for Jackie to suppress a grin when she heard the whine coming from Adam. Even if it wasn't the most flattering of sounds to come from a twelve year old boy, it was to the point where she was pleased with any sort of honest to God emoting she could hear from him. It wasn't that she thought that Adam disliked her or her presence, that idea was slowly getting shoved into the back of her mind when he smiles at her like that and adjusts his attitude when he sees her on his approach to the couch. But no matter what he was only a little ways away from being a teen and it showed a lot in his mannerisms. All that shrugging.
She's perched in the middle of the couch with her legs folded beneath her Indian style, a spot she seems prone to take these days when the three of them are together. At Adam's question her head tips back with an added 'oof' like he just hit her with a hard question. With her theatrics over she's lifting her head, a beaming smile firmly in place from ear to ear. The pop of the cork and Ben's approach steals a sidelong glance from her, but she's still obviously pondering Adam's question. "Can I say I got a tie? If so I'm gonna go with Gremlins and Poltergeist. Them're classics that never get old. What about you?"
The offered champagne flute from Ben is taken with a nod and a soft 'thank you'. Ben's tipped champagne glass causes a slight rise of Jackie's brows, a barely there hint of surprise that she doesn't linger on. Instead she happily clinks her champagne flute against Ben's and settles back against his arm. The glass is then shifted along to her other side, offering the same inviting tip for Adam to clink glasses as well.
Adam nods for Jackie's answer, apparently approving, and after thinking it over for a moment, "'They're hee-eeeere." Ben actually kind of makes a face in response to that, but he's laughing quietly, too.
"Special occasion," he tells Jackie quietly with a little smile after she gives him that look of surprise, right before her glass touches against his. There's more to it than that, but that'd do for now. His hand rests on her far shoulder when she leans back against his arm, but he doesn't do anything to encourage her to lean further against him. Happily, at least Adam doesn't seem to mind that much physical contact between the two of them, especially because he's distracted by clinking his own glass against Jackie's. "Are we going to watch another movie after midnight?"
Ben glances over at Adam, and the look on his face is that same mix of stern and amused that Jackie's probably seen a lot over the last few days from him. "No, you've got to go to bed. We've got a lot to do before you start school the day after tomorrow." Adam groans in response to that, but other than sitting back with a little huff, he doesn't really protest, and he might even seem a little excited about the prospect of school. All hints of moodiness are gone with he glances over at Jackie. "Maybe you can come over tomorrow night and watch something with us?" Ben's successful at not laughing, but he's not entirely able to suppress the little smile at how forward his son's being with Jackie. It's cute.
When Adam quotes Poltergeist Jackie's making a face as well. It's absolutely entertained and her head even tips back with an open laugh. A kid who liked horror movies, she could handle this! She quiets in time for Ben's explanation of his champagne and that is met with a far more reserved nod even if her mood doesn't dim. "A very special occasion." Agreeing in a similar quiet tone before her glass is clinked to Adam's.
At the question of more movies Jackie is automatically looking at Ben and attempting to keep the pleading off her features. She wanted to watch another movie, too! But with Ben's denial Jackie's bottom lip popped out briefly in a little pout of playful disappointment which is gone when she's looking to Adam again.
Brows rose at the invitation and a toothy smile bloomed. "That's a strong possibility. I guess it depends on how quickly y'all can finish your errands since I won't be able to stay too late. Maybe y' can motivate yer Daddy t' get outta bed bright and early so you both can get a start first thing in the mornin'?" She attempted to portray her most believable innocent expression while slowly looking to her other side at Ben. Did she just promise a rude awakening for Ben tomorrow morning? Possibly.
Both of the boys look pleased when Jackie laughs so openly -- Adam, because he's made her laugh, and Ben, because they're getting along so well. A very special occasion, one he hopes is just a preview of the year to come.
Somehow, Ben doesn't comment on Jackie's little pleading look or her pout, but when she encourages Adam to harass Ben in the morning, that's all he can take. "Well, I guess you better leave pretty soon after midnight, if I'm going to be woken up so bright and early. That's too bad." That's not even a believable innocent expression he aims back at Jackie, and it cracks into a lazy little grin before long.
"Look, look," and, past-his-bedtime-excitable, Adam's getting to his feet when he points out that there's just a couple of minutes left to go. With Adam's attention elsewhere, even if it's just for a few seconds, Ben tips his head against Jackie's, just briefly, with his eyes closed. It's not something he wants his son to see, those few heartbeats of his reflection on the past year and, more importantly, hope for this new beginning, but it only takes a few seconds, and after he brushes his lips to Jackie's cheek in a barely there kiss, he's opening his eyes and turning his attention back to Adam.
"Maybe I should let you have some champagne after all. You've got way too much energy for it being past your bedtime." He's teasing, and Adam knows it, but after shooting a little glare at his Dad, he's moving over to him anyway, squeezing between Ben and the arm of the couch before putting his arms around his father in a tight hug. Ben actually looks a little affected by this once the second of surprise wears off, and after pulling his arm carefully away from Jackie's shoulders, he's wrapping Adam up in a just as tight hug, momentarily protective. "Glad you're here, son." Adam tightens up the embrace for just a second before looking up at Ben, smiling. "Me too." There's a little quirk of a smile at Ben's mouth too, but then he's glancing at the television. "You're going to miss it," teasing again, and letting go of Adam, putting his arm around Jackie's shoulders again while Adam needlessly protests, "No, I'm not."
Ben was getting bold and giving Jackie a taste of her own medicine when he teased about her leaving soon after midnight. Not that it was that far from the truth, but nothing paired with a faux innocent expression like that can be taken lightly. "Well, I guess maybe I'll be here bright an' early in the mornin' to help wake you up, too. In case Adam needs any back up." Her arm not holding the champagne flute was lifted and she offered a flex, pointless beneath her sweater but she didn't care. She was having too much fun.
Jackie's gaze follows Adam when he rises to his feet, but the press of Ben's forehead to her temple diverts her attention even if she doesn't turn her head out of fear of disturbing him. Eyes closed similarly, a quiet inhale followed by a slow exhale. Her cheek tips into the kiss before she's smiling and eyelids lift, relaxed and feeling positive about what lies before them.
"The bubbles might jus' make him more excitable." Thoughtfully to Ben while she peered into her glass with a snicker. "Usually what happens to me." The amusement only lingers on her features for a short while longer while she watching Adam trek over to Ben. When Adam is wrapping his arms around his Dad, Jackie is already making the shift so it's easier for him to pull his arm free from behind her. No way was she going to get between a Father and Son moment or interrupt it. Her attention was on the television as the brightly lit ball made its slow descent. It's when Adam and Ben are teasing back and forth about missing the countdown that she chuckles. At least they had three sets of eyes to make sure such a thing didn't happen.
"Last minute of twenty-twelve, y'all. Make it count!" It didn't matter how many New Years she had celebrated in her life or where she was for each one. It felt like this was a good one, a great one, the one. This just might be the year that made a change in her life, even more than when she first came to RhyDin. She would have to take it day by day to see where her path was going, but if twenty-thirteen had more moments like this? She would call that a success.
Make it count. Ben thinks about that briefly, what would be a fitting way to spend this last minute of the year -- but he realizes that it's everything else that's happened to him this year, that he's done, that makes this minute count for more than he might have imagined possible. He's getting a fresh start in a new place. There's been progress and setbacks with his own demons, back and forth and back again, but at least there's some kind of path to follow now. He's got a great new job, doing something he loves.
And he's with his son, and he's with Jackie. He's finally found someone that is a true partner to him -- someone that wants to help, instead of just wanting him fixed. Somebody that brings out the best in him, makes him try harder, push harder -- and somebody that he can bring out the best in too.
"It counts," is all he says, and as the final seconds tick away, he smiles sidelong at Adam (who is more or less transfixed by the ball drop on the television and counting down out loud) before turning just a little toward Jackie. It's the same pose as before, his forehead lightly to her temple, just for long enough to murmur, "Happy new year," to her before tipping his head and kissing her.