Room 238, Wednesday night

[can_be_more]

Aeryn heads back from the common room after talking with Callisto, idly wondering what John will get turned into for the next Advanced Journalism class. At the very least, she didn't have to come home to a meerkat.

She thinks.

If Rory sent a followup E-mail, she hasn't seen it yet.

He'd better not still be a meerkat.

Maybe tomorrow she'll go to the library and look some things up. You know, just in case she has to take care of a fuzzy boyfriend for longer than a class period. But for now she makes herself comfortable on the couch. With a printed photo of Meerkat!John on the table.

Comments

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

After getting out of his Valentine's Day meeting, John's very distracted when he walks in the door. He strips off his coat, takes his shirt off and heads into the bathroom.

Once he's in the bathroom, he realizes that Aeryn was, in fact, outside. So he opens the bathroom door and comes back out.

"Hey babe." He scratches his head. "How's it hanging?"

[can_be_more]

Aeryn reaches over, picks up the photo, and holds it up for him to see. "Two days in a row, John..."

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

John winces.

"Yeah, two days." He tries to smile. "I was kinda cute though, right?"

[can_be_more]

"You were furry."

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

"Blame Skeeter," John says. "She has this thing about turning me into furry animals! I didn't do anything!"

[can_be_more]

Aeryn laughs. Because come on. "I can't believe you just lied to me like that," she grins.

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

"Hm." John finally comes over to the sofa and sits at the other end. "She does hate me, you know. I'm not that bad."

[can_be_more]

Aeryn really wonders what he did that she hates him.

She turns so that her back is against the arm of the sofa, letting her prod him with her feet. Speaking of not that bad... "Funny how you were in the gym with Cameron the morning after I told you about that thing," she says. It's not accusatory. Just wondering.

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

He flicks her toes.

"I was just talking to him," he says innocently.

[can_be_more]

"And he wasn't talking to me," she points out.

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

"So?" John shrugs and flicks her toes again. "Maybe he was busy..."

[can_be_more]

Uh oh. "John."

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

"Yes?"

[can_be_more]

She's going to have a lot of fixing to do tomorrow, she knows it. "What did you say?" she sighs.

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

"Nothing bad," he admits. "I just asked him about it."

[can_be_more]

Except he's avoiding the question. "Well, either you can tell me, or I can try to get him to tell me," she says, "and I'd rather hear it from you."

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

"I asked him about it, if he was serious about it and that was it. He wasn't serious, I said I trusted you both and we laughed it off!"

[can_be_more]

She nods, accepting that. "Okay," she says, and pokes him with her toe again.

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

He picks up her feet and puts them on his lap.

"Honey," he says and sighs. "There's something else."

[can_be_more]

It still worries her to hear leadoffs like that. "What?" she asks cautiously.

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

John laughs and shakes his head.

"In addition to turning me into a fuzzy animal, Skeeter also gave me detention."

[can_be_more]

"Congratulations," she tells him. "You don't have to spend it as a meerkat, do you?"

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

"No," he says, shaking his head. "Least I don't think so. I just have to be there all day Saturday."

[can_be_more]

She might be a little disappointed at that. It's not that they need to spend every day together, but... weekend. "You'll survive it," she says.

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

"It's only during the day," he says, patting her ankle. "I'll be home in the evening!"

[can_be_more]

"Good," she smiles, and catches one particular word. And promptly freaks out for about three seconds before dealing with it.

She raises one foot to poke him in the chest. "Why Maine?"

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

The change of subject startles him before he shakes it off.

"It's pretty. Cold and snowy. Very quiet," he says. "Private."

[can_be_more]

"Hm. I wouldn't really have thought you'd like all the quiet," she says.

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

"Why not?"

[can_be_more]

"We had six people and a dog sleeping in the room the other night," she says. "I have this thought of you needing people to antagonize." She's smiling a little at that last part.

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

"No, those are perks," he says quietly. "I like the quiet. You and me in Maine? It'd be perfect."

[can_be_more]

The smile fades a little because that's a big thought, but she knew she'd set herself up for it. She'll freak out later if she needs to. "Perfect, hm? Tell me about it," she says.

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

"Okay." He smiles and rubs circles on the top of her feet. "There's snow, obviously. And you're covered in a blanket and I'm playing with one of our dogs outside in the snow and you're smiling, you do that a lot, and drinking something warm. And I come inside and kiss you and I've got snow on my jacket and you get wet and smack my shoulder and your hair is longer and it's just nice."

[can_be_more]

It's really weird to both freak out at not freak out at the same time, but Aeryn's somehow managing to do it. The 'our' is hitting hard, that's for sure. "I can barely handle Sean," she reminds him. "And the DRD hates me."

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

"You'll learn," he says. "I'll help. Or we can get a cat. Or a rabbit. Is this something you'd wanna do?"

[can_be_more]

That might be panic. It's slight, and she hides it, but that probably is panic. Or something very close to it. "I'm just thinking," she answers.

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

"Okay." He nods once and doesn't push. "If you didn't like Maine, we could go somewhere else, you know."

[can_be_more]

"Like?" she asks, and doesn't know why she's pushing this subject. She just wants to know.

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

"Depends," he says. "Colorado's nice, quiet. New York's a big city. Honey, you pick, I'll go. I'll follow you."

[can_be_more]

She swallows, and wonders if she's freaking out because she's really not panicking. She's really not sure. She pulls her feet off his lap, pulling herself to her knees and leaning in to kiss him.

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

That catches him off guard and he's slow to respond. Finally, he does and leans back against the couch.

[can_be_more]

"I love you," she murmurs, and she really, really does. Ex-meerkat or not. She leans against him a little, kissing him again.

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

"I love you too," he says, pulling her closer so she's lying nearly on top of him. He pulls away so he can brush her hair back from her face and then kisses her softly.

[can_be_more]

Aeryn deepens the kiss just a little because this is nice, sliding one hand up his chest to stroke her thumb against his collarbone.

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

He just smiles and slowly slides his hands up her shirt, tracing patterns on her back.

This was a much better than being an animal.