Fluffy Stuff for ceaselesslabor

[entirelymyown]

There'd been some discussion before they made their choices.

One of their bargains with the House was of course to deal with the problem of Kayne and the Blackstone and all that that entailed. John had taken care of that, citing the fact that he could be careful in how he worded it to avoid any such problems that they might have to deal with.

The other had been simple enough: the body that John was using, to allow them to keep it when they went back to their world. Not to Arkham, perhaps. Arkham had quite a lot of trouble still left behind, though John assured Arthur that he could handle it. And New York held too many memories, though John did intend to look up and check on a few people there, given the time differences.

No, they'd decided to head back to England, as John explains they had decided. Back to England, where Arthur could start up a fresh private investigation office with John as his partner and the two of them would have an apartment just above together as-

"...do we want to say we got married in the States, Arthur?"

They're standing in their new apartment, only barely furnished, and there are- well, there are some decisions to be made.

Comments

[ceaselesslabor]

It's been a whirlwind of a day already and all Arthur wants to do is - grab some coffee and keep going. He knows that if he sits down, he's going to stay there. He knows that all of the energy will leave him immediately, so he stands behind their couch, his hands on it, resting as he leans forward.

The question gets a bit of a raised brow.

"Well, John, that really isn't going to work unless you're - well, unless you look a little different," he points out, tapping his fingers on the fabric of the couch.

[entirelymyown]

"That was the question," he says carefully, and he shifts to something more appropriate for a bride, dressed appropriately in something he'd seen a woman just down the street wearing with his own usual flare. She tilts her head.

"'Joan' could always be your wife. And John your partner, no?"

[ceaselesslabor]

"'Never the twain shall meet,'" he says softly, turning his attention fully to her in that long skirt with the inviting waist. He walks over, taking her hand and squeezing it gently. "Yes," he says softly. "We were married in the states. I - uh - Joan Lester has a nice ring to it."

He brushes his fingers along hers.

[entirelymyown]

"Joan Lester and John Doe," she says primly, moving into his touch as she always does. She's noticed that even now, after all that time, Arthur still tends to be more forward when she's like this. It's not something that she minds, not hardly, but it is something that makes her smile. She leans over to kiss his cheek.

"I can manage something if we have to be seen together," she says with a little wave of a hand. "John and Joan, I mean. But it's just as easy to say that we don't get along very well." She leans in a little, teasing. "I think John's a little jealous of all the time I take up from you."

[ceaselesslabor]

He tilts his head a little, into that touch, that kiss, and scoffs. "Well, John will get his time, too. He's supposed to be helping design the flat, but - " He gestures to the windows. "We still need better curtains."

He doesn't let go of her, sliding an arm around her waist. He's so used to having her with him, against him, whenever he wants. Just because they're here in their reality doesn't mean that need goes away.

[entirelymyown]

"I am going to help design the flat," she says primly, "and I agree about the curtains."

She leans up against him, happiest when she's close to him. That is one thing that they've discussed; the need to keep some sort of personal space, especially here in England. She's made a firm decision that such rules will not be applying in their flat or she'll lose her mind.

As it is, she lets herself kiss him again. Then she breathes out.

"This is... real. All of this. Us. Here. It's real."

It's still kind of mind-blowing.

[ceaselesslabor]

One hand is still on the couch and he tightens his fingers against it, feeling the firmness of it underneath his fingers.

This isn't the resort. They do have to keep their social distance when they're outside of the doors, but here, safe in their flat, he wants John as close as possible.

"It's real," he agrees. "As real as we want it to be. And we just - have each other." No one else. No more jealousy.

[entirelymyown]

She nods and after a moment, she'll lay her head against his temple.

"We're going to... build a life together. You and I. With... friends. A-and a business. And a home."

[ceaselesslabor]

"Yeah," he laughs. "Yeah, we are. But first, we have to get some clients. Well, first, we should finish this place, and then we should get some clients." He grins a little up at her and lets go, wandering into the little kitchen to make tea.

"We should get our stories straight, though. What was our wedding like?"

[entirelymyown]

She stands up to follow after him, considering the question carefully. There's so many factors now that she's thinking about it.

"That would depend on you and I, wouldn't it? Who our... families are." A pause. "We were poor or rich? That would determine a great deal about our wedding."

[ceaselesslabor]

"No one's going to believe that I came from money," he tells her with a smirk, taking down two glasses. "But you? You've got money. Good thing you fell in love with me instead of marrying the boring man your parents wanted."

[entirelymyown]

She raises an eyebrow before her eyes flicker to her fingers, to her ears. She always tends to appear with jewelry on.

"I suppose I prefer being... ostentatious. So that fits better." She walks over and leans against his arm for a moment. "Do you think my parents approve of you?" A pause. "I like the idea that you won them over."

[ceaselesslabor]

"They were skeptical at first," he starts off, turning on the stove first before he places a hand on hers. "They didn't think much of me. But - I made your father laugh. The first of your suitors to ever do that."

He pauses, letting out a breath. "And I played him your song and he knew that I was truly, completely, in love with you."

later - a strange scene

[entirelymyown]

Most of the time, they're never apart.

Most of the time, getting John away from Arthur was nearly impossible.

But Arthur had said that he was headed to a government office to put in their paperwork for their agency and when he'd described the entire process, John's face had said enough about his level of interest that Arthur had actually laughed and offered to go on his own while John stayed home and worked on the apartment.

It's only about an hour, maybe an hour and a half with travel, so Arthur is almost certainly going to be a little surprised by what he walks in on: namely, Joan, sitting in their living room on the couch, cradling an infant and singing a soft song to her as she feeds.

Re: later - a strange scene

[ceaselesslabor]

He closes the door behind him, all laughter lost in his throat. The sight of her, so natural with the baby, makes him freeze up.

"Joan, honey. What - what's going on?"

He sets his hat and coat on the rack.

Re: later - a strange scene

[entirelymyown]

She looks up and doesn't lift a finger, but the 'shuush' is implied from her eyes. Then-

Mrs. Chen next door had a family emergency and she needed someone to watch the baby immediately. She was knocking on doors and asking if anyone could help so I offered. A beat. She started getting finicky a few minutes ago, and her diaper was clean, so I figured it might be this.

Re: later - a strange scene

[ceaselesslabor]

What was the emergency? Is she alright?

He wanders over carefully, almost tiptoeing as he peers at the baby in her arms. And she looks so...natural at it. Like she's done this a hundred times. Like she knows exactly what she's doing.

Re: later - a strange scene

[entirelymyown]

Something to do with her mother. She said she collapsed while she was working. She said she'd only be a couple of streets down.

The baby, for their part, is busy for the moment and preoccupied with that. But John still doesn't want to chance them releasing and getting fussy again.

I... didn't think you would mind? You're always saying we should try and be good neighbors.

Re: later - a strange scene

[ceaselesslabor]

He knees down in front of her, gently stroking the baby's feathery hair. No. No, this is fine.

He was just surprised, and rightfully so. Seeing Joan - seeing his wife - with the baby was overwhelming, shocking, in a way. He doesn't quite know what to do with the information.

He touches her hand on the bottle. I'll get you a rag. You'll...need to burp her or she will cry.

Re: later - a strange scene

[entirelymyown]

Good to know.

She'd figured out food, and she'd seen an ad for formula and made the bottle, but she didn't know much beyond that, not for human children. As Arthur pets her hair, the little mouth pops off of the nipple and starts searching again. John glances over at Arthur.

How do I burp her?

Re: later - a strange scene

[ceaselesslabor]

He grabs a towel from the kitchen and sits beside her. "Uh. Well. Here. Give her to me and I'll show you."

He reaches for her automatically.

Re: later - a strange scene

[entirelymyown]

And John will carefully lift the baby from his arms to offer her to Arthur.

"She's so small," she says, tender. "And very soft."

Re: later - a strange scene

[ceaselesslabor]

"Well, yes."

He slings the rag onto his hand. "The nanny we had when - well, a long time ago showed me this trick." He props the baby up carefully with her chin, supporting her with his hand, and then he lets her sink into herself a little before gently patting her back.

It doesn't take much before the very unladylike burp and a dribble of milk, which he wipes away with the towel.

Re: later - a strange scene

[entirelymyown]

John watches Arthur at it, holding out a hand for the towel. She can help with that at least.

"How do you know when she's burped?" he asks with some wonder.

Re: later - a strange scene

[ceaselesslabor]

"She will fall asleep," he says and leans her back some, cradling her in his arms. "It usually just takes the one. And then she's fast asleep."

He holds her out to John.