cruelwonder | IC Contact

God, yeah.

[He whistles softly, meeting her eyes for a moment.]

Your home sounds brilliant, though. God, I used to--

[He grins, shaking his head.]

I used to dream me and mine could live somewhere like that. My Ma and Pop and Ben . . . specially that it ain't in the city. I love cities, don't get me wrong, but it'd be nice to get out into the country too. What'd your father teach?

[She gives him a sympathetic smile.]

It was beautiful. I wish I could have shown it to you. You would have liked it.

[One day, perhaps she'd draw it...when she's not too afraid of invoking old memories of the fire.]

Oh, I don't really remember... History, I think. He had a wild passion for photography. Our entire living room was full of his photographs and film equipment.

[That earns a laugh.]

Nothin' wrong with that. He photo anythin' interestin'?

Bugs. People. The outdoors. He took pictures of anything to test things.

[She smiles.]

He took a picture of us once. I looked like such a terror because I wouldn't smile. They almost didn't let me have my rabbit in the picture with me.

[He snorts.]

That's my girl right there.

[Jack hesitates for a moment before leaning forward, handing her the paper. It's a rough sketch, not very detailed-- but it's definitely Alice, smiling, one hand curling in her hair.]

[She looks almost embarrassed.]

I was a wicked child.

[And a wicked adult. She takes the paper and stops, staring down at it. Slowly, her face breaks out into a smile.]

This is... Jack, it's lovely.

Ah, well, that's the subject more than the artist, you know.

[He smiles, though, obviously pleased with the reaction.]

Absolutely not. You have a talent.

[She leans over and kisses his cheek.]

[He smiles and leans over, kissing her more firmly.]

Let's call it both, hey?

[She murmurs against his lips:]

All right.

[And then she's a little too distracted with kissing him to think of much else to say.]

[He grins, pushing her gently back onto the sand, his fingers pushing through her hair.]

[She takes his shoulders and pulls him with her, tilting her head just slightly to fit their lips together better. She's gotten a little bolder since they've started dating.]

[Tilting his head, he pushes his tongue forward gently, trying to encourage her. He's noticed how she's gotten bolder, and he's proud of that-- but no harm in pushing her a little more.]

[She opens her mouth obligingly, pushing her fingers up into his hair and tangling them in the strands. She brushes her tongue with his shyly.]

[He smirks and shifts, one hand straying down to her hip-- not to start anything so much as to see how she reacts.]

[There's no protest from her. In fact, she moves just a little to accommodate him.]

[One thumb begins to stroke her hipbone as Jack settles carefully atop her, kissing enthusiastically.]

[She makes a quietly pleased sound in the back of her throat. Her other hand goes up to his cheek, her thumb stroking across his cheekbone.]

[He grins at that, turning his head to begin kissing her a bit more gently. Shifting, he straddles her hips-- half to test her limits, half because he just wants to lay like that.

[Her eyes open and her lips pause as he moves. She glances down at him, trying to see how he's adjusting himself...but he isn't intruding on her and isn't making her uncomfortable. She closes her eyes again, nipping tenderly at his lower lip.]

That's all right?

[He murmurs it, not pulling away from her-- but he does pause, not moving his hips, his hands staying still on her shoulders.]

[She opens her eyes again and looks up at him, her lips barely parted from his. She nods.]

Mmhm. I'm all right.

Good.

[He begins moving down, kissing at her neck, nipping lightly there.]

[She colors just slightly at the motion, shifting under him. She smiles.]

Jack...

Mm?

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