Negotiations (part 5)
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Mr Zoat
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3rd August 2013
10:12 GMT +3
I feel Jade shift slightly in my arms, and then stop. In our current positions she can't quite tell how awake I am, but she knows that if I'm at all awake then I'll see her desire to become active and let go of her. It's-. It was almost routine, before the Anti-Life, and… Feeling her do that, I almost move my arms immediately.
But the thing is… While her sense of professional discipline normally overpowers her lassitude… Right now? She wants to be where she is.
I hadn't fully realised… I mean, I knew that she missed me, but I hadn't quite… Appreciated how much missing me was affecting her behaviour.
Huh.
"I felt your heart rate change."
"Mm."
"I know you're awake."
"Mn."
"Noo, more awake than that."
I pull her slightly closer and breathe in through her hair.
"If you miss smelling me that much I can just leave you my perfume."
"It's not the same."
"Hm. I assume you're holding on because I want to stay right here."
"Yep."
"Uuh. Okay. But in a few minutes I'm going to need to get up."
"They'll be enough hot water. We're basically on the equator."
"No, I mean I'll need to use the bathroom."
Or I could-.
She tenses as she realises that I just thought 'construct catheter' as a serious possibility, and now she actually wants to get up. Silently cursing my own imagination, I roll back slightly and move my left arm. She shuffles away a bit to start with and then pushes herself up into a sitting position, looking down at me.
"You had to ruin it."
I open my eyes, tilt my head back and sigh. "Yeah. Sorry."
She looks around, then realises that I put her clothes on a hanger last night. "Does this place have somewhere to work out?"
"Ah, yes. Bottom level. Just ignore the clones in the tanks."
That earns me a narrow-eyed glance as she puts her bra on. "I thought you moved those."
"No, I upgraded the security and added a self-destruct. I still need them somewhere secure, and I don't have anywhere better. Don't worry; they're in the corner and you won't notice them unless you look for them."
"Oh, I think I will." She considers her Darkstar field uniform. "Did you bring any of my clothes over?"
"No? Do you want me to?"
I don't mention the fact that I can fabricate molecule-perfect replicas. She knows that. If she wanted that, she'd ask for me to do that.
She walks over to the main window to look out across the verdant landscape. "If I'm moving in here, it's probably best."
"You don't have to. I mean, there's nothing wrong with your place in Gotham. Other than the location."
"And the-." She glances back at me. "Did you do anything to it?"
"It looks exactly the same as when you left."
She gives me a flat look. "And it could take a direct hit from a nuclear missile."
"Only if it was very low yield. Ah, if you're worried about clothes, maybe… Kara has something in your size?"
"Kara."
"Yes."
She makes a motion-. I realise that bra is designed for practicality, but it's actually very fetching-.
"Paul?"
"Hm, yes?"
"They wouldn't fit."
"Okay, B-." … "Taranna?"
"I'll make do." She puts on the blouse. "Did you tell Mom I'm back on Earth yet?"
"No. I thought I'd leave deciding how to do that to you."
"I suppose I could just join in with her morning jog."
I nod. "It's what I'd do. Oh-. Um."
"Problem?"
"Alan has told me that he's not completely adverse to dating, but that I'm forbidden from-" She's nodding. "-helping or making suggestions."
"Are you saying I should?"
"Um. No."
She looks at me. I avert my eyes.
"Paul, Alan's ninety."
"He hasn't been on a date for longer than I've been alive. He hasn't been on a date for longer than Paula's been alive."
"That-." She blinks. "No."
"No what?"
Her eyes narrow. "No 'don't even think about it' no."
"Um. Okay?"
"I'm going to go-" I transition out of bed and put my most normal clothes on. "-and do my morning set. Keep not thinking about it."
"I'll try?"
She walks towards the door, pausing briefly to kiss me as she passes.
Okay. Not sure what it is that I'm not supposed to think about, but if it matters to her..?
Ah… Breakfast.
10:12 GMT +3
I feel Jade shift slightly in my arms, and then stop. In our current positions she can't quite tell how awake I am, but she knows that if I'm at all awake then I'll see her desire to become active and let go of her. It's-. It was almost routine, before the Anti-Life, and… Feeling her do that, I almost move my arms immediately.
But the thing is… While her sense of professional discipline normally overpowers her lassitude… Right now? She wants to be where she is.
I hadn't fully realised… I mean, I knew that she missed me, but I hadn't quite… Appreciated how much missing me was affecting her behaviour.
Huh.
"I felt your heart rate change."
"Mm."
"I know you're awake."
"Mn."
"Noo, more awake than that."
I pull her slightly closer and breathe in through her hair.
"If you miss smelling me that much I can just leave you my perfume."
"It's not the same."
"Hm. I assume you're holding on because I want to stay right here."
"Yep."
"Uuh. Okay. But in a few minutes I'm going to need to get up."
"They'll be enough hot water. We're basically on the equator."
"No, I mean I'll need to use the bathroom."
Or I could-.
She tenses as she realises that I just thought 'construct catheter' as a serious possibility, and now she actually wants to get up. Silently cursing my own imagination, I roll back slightly and move my left arm. She shuffles away a bit to start with and then pushes herself up into a sitting position, looking down at me.
"You had to ruin it."
I open my eyes, tilt my head back and sigh. "Yeah. Sorry."
She looks around, then realises that I put her clothes on a hanger last night. "Does this place have somewhere to work out?"
"Ah, yes. Bottom level. Just ignore the clones in the tanks."
That earns me a narrow-eyed glance as she puts her bra on. "I thought you moved those."
"No, I upgraded the security and added a self-destruct. I still need them somewhere secure, and I don't have anywhere better. Don't worry; they're in the corner and you won't notice them unless you look for them."
"Oh, I think I will." She considers her Darkstar field uniform. "Did you bring any of my clothes over?"
"No? Do you want me to?"
I don't mention the fact that I can fabricate molecule-perfect replicas. She knows that. If she wanted that, she'd ask for me to do that.
She walks over to the main window to look out across the verdant landscape. "If I'm moving in here, it's probably best."
"You don't have to. I mean, there's nothing wrong with your place in Gotham. Other than the location."
"And the-." She glances back at me. "Did you do anything to it?"
"It looks exactly the same as when you left."
She gives me a flat look. "And it could take a direct hit from a nuclear missile."
"Only if it was very low yield. Ah, if you're worried about clothes, maybe… Kara has something in your size?"
"Kara."
"Yes."
She makes a motion-. I realise that bra is designed for practicality, but it's actually very fetching-.
"Paul?"
"Hm, yes?"
"They wouldn't fit."
"Okay, B-." … "Taranna?"
"I'll make do." She puts on the blouse. "Did you tell Mom I'm back on Earth yet?"
"No. I thought I'd leave deciding how to do that to you."
"I suppose I could just join in with her morning jog."
I nod. "It's what I'd do. Oh-. Um."
"Problem?"
"Alan has told me that he's not completely adverse to dating, but that I'm forbidden from-" She's nodding. "-helping or making suggestions."
"Are you saying I should?"
"Um. No."
She looks at me. I avert my eyes.
"Paul, Alan's ninety."
"He hasn't been on a date for longer than I've been alive. He hasn't been on a date for longer than Paula's been alive."
"That-." She blinks. "No."
"No what?"
Her eyes narrow. "No 'don't even think about it' no."
"Um. Okay?"
"I'm going to go-" I transition out of bed and put my most normal clothes on. "-and do my morning set. Keep not thinking about it."
"I'll try?"
She walks towards the door, pausing briefly to kiss me as she passes.
Okay. Not sure what it is that I'm not supposed to think about, but if it matters to her..?
Ah… Breakfast.
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...Wait, are you suggesting...
