Like a Knife and a Fork

July 23, 2015:

Together they just fit.

New York Wilderness

A waterfall and clearing in the forest well outside the city limits.

Characters

NPCs: None.

Mentions:

Plot:

Mood Music: [*\# None.]


Fade In…

Ollie's text was simple: Want to have lunch? I can pick you up in an hour.

He's up and getting ready as soon as he gets a 'Yes' back. It doesn't take him long to get everything he need either packed or organized. After a quick double-check to make sure he didn't forget anything, he slings a canvas duffel bag over his shoulder and heads out through the back door of the Queen household.

A few minutes later he's traveled the shortest distance between two points and he's touching down in a small civilian helicopter. It's quiet, at least so far as helicopters are concerned, so he leaves the rotors spinning while he hops out to meet Jesana. His landing pad of choice is the parking lot that's adjacent to the waterfront and her home.

Jesana had agreed of course. She really wants to see Ollie again. She had been surprised by the sudden invitation though. That hasn't happened before. Usually (okay, always so far) She's had to do the inviting or seeking out when she wants company. She's grinning nonstop as she gets ready. There aren't a lot of choices clothing wise. When you spend half of your time in fur, clothes are just a thing that is in the way most of the time.

"But isn't there.." Something appropriate for a summers day. Yet still nice. Yes, there. A soft, solid red cotton sundress. Jes doesn't remember buying it, it's nice and it's clean and it still has the tag on it? "What the hell?" She shrugs and has it on and a the pair of matching sandals she finds sitting in the closet beneath the dress. They both fit perfectly. She eyes the closet suspiciously. Just what the hell had her father done when he'd borrowed her body? Jesana sets that question aside for later and runs a brush through her hair. She's a little nervous. This is different. She looks around t rying to decide if she forgot anything. Shit, her wallet. She doesn't carry a purse, she doesn't even own one. After considering for a moment, she tucks some bills and an ID card between her breasts with a shrug. It'll do. Then she heads outside and jumps off the boat and onto the dock.

It's another casual day for Ollie. He's wearing a comfortable pair of jeans and a t-shirt that says 'Archers Do It With A Quiver.' His boots barely qualify for the name; they're functional, but appropriately light for the weather.

He's left his bag in the backseat of the Little Bird, so he has his hands free to take Jesana's as he approaches. "Hey," he greets her with a broad smile, then steps closer to brush a kiss along her cheekbone. "You look nice. Ready to take a ride?"

Jes doesn't really notice anything but Oliver. Unusal for her but she's very glad to see him and gives his hand a gentle squeeze before returning the kiss to her cheek with one to his. "Thank you. I am ready." She smiles at Ollie and it quickly turns to a grin when she reads his shirt. She's got to remember to see about those arrows. "Oh. Wait." Jes looks back to the boat for a moment. "Nah, its fine. If there's some kind of emergency then they can reach me with this." She pats where the pendulum rests on her chest. It doesn't look too out of place. Just like some a piece of the handmade jewelry people sell and buy online these days. A smoky quartz crystal that was probably quite nice at one point, until something cracked and singed it. Oliver might have noticed the other primal force members pendulums were in the same broken state.

"I'm really glad you texted. I was hoping to see you again soon." Jes says softly as she turns to walk with him. Finally she seems to notice the small chopper and blinks a few times before glancing at Oliver. Is that his? Her eyes dart around the area. She doesn't see anyone else nearby. Okay. It's just a vehicle, right? One that flies. In the air. Oh boy. Her grip tightens around his hand as they walk.

"Me too," Ollie replies. "On both counts." He glances across as Jes and gives her a wink. "I told the office I had an important lunch meeting. Which, to be fair, is true. You're important." There's laughter in his voice. It's as young and carefree as he's likely to look in any given day, if not longer. For him, 'carefree' and 'mischevious schoolboy' sometimes go hand in hand.

It doesn't take superior senses to tell that Jes is nervous. Not when you spend your days getting a read on corporate giants and your nights getting a read on the criminal population. Once they're next to the little aircraft Ollie opens the door and offers the lady a hand up. It's superfluous, but gentlemanly.

Jesana smiles though she still looks a bit surprised. She's only a little bit trying to hide her nerves, a mark of how much she trusts him, letting herself be seen as vulnerable goes against all her instincts. She's also clearly not used to such gestures but looks charmed by him. "Thank you, Ollie." Jes takes his hand and leans forward, her lips brush over his and meeting his gaze for a moment. Then she climbs inside, somehow managing not to flash the dockyard while doing it. Oliver might get a peek standing where he is. She also doesn't let go of his hand.

Oliver raises an eyebrow, but it's anyone's guess as to what elicited it. Probably not the grip on his hand. Rather than extract himself or say anything, he climbs up in next to Jes and then slides over into the pilot's seat as if that's how he does it every time he boards. Same with the headsets. He digs out an extra and situates it gently around Jesana's ears before he gets his own in place. It takes a bit longer to do one-handed, but he manages pretty well.

Once everything is in place, Ollie leans across to give Jes a soft kiss of his own. "You're welcome. Thanks for coming with me. Are you ready?"

Jes watches him get ready with interest and a bit of nervousness. She looks grateful for the headphones. This might be quieter than most but her hearing is keener and it'd likely be more than alittle unpleasant without them. Belatedly she realizes he probably could have used both hands and Jes blushes and lets go, leaning over to kiss his cheek again.

"Sorry. I um. I've never flown before. Thank you for asking Ollie." Her smile is honest and bright and focused soley on him. She nods and glances around, checking for, really she doesn't know what. This is all new. "I'm ready.

"Nope." The boyish billionaire reaches out and takes Jesana's hand again. A switch is flipped and now his voices comes through the headset. "I fly all the time and it still scares me. I'm not holding your hand, you're holding mine." It's a very pretty lie. "Okay, here we go."

It doesn't take much to get the bird in the air. Luckily, the Little Bird is a refitted military craft. It's safe, it's stable, and it feels that way right off the bat. Like driving a Volvo.

"So. First time." There's a teasing lilt to Ollie's voice, but it's too affectionate to carry any sting. "I'll skip the obligatory jokes. Don't worry, it's not far."

Jes grins. She should probably tell him soon that she can scent truth from lie, most of the time. It's sweet though and very aprreciated. She doesn't like to admit to fear to anyone, even herself. Her eyes stay focused on him or the floor for a few moments and she laughs at his gentle teasing but it isn't long before curiousity draws her gaze upwards.

She's been in high places before, mountains in Canada, the tops of some of the buildings in New York and Gotham. Seeing the world spread out below. This is different, higher, the land stretching before them and passing beneath more distant and vast than the other viewpoints offered. Cars in minutare, streets and roads winding like concrete rivers and cutting through the urban jungle of suburbs and city. "Oh. It's beautiful." Jes's voice is full of wonder, her apprehension momentarily forgotten in favor of appreication at the vista below and ahead of them.

"It is," Oliver agrees. He's not looking out the window, though. He's looking at her. A crooked smile creeps across his face, then he returns his attention to the task at hand. "And it can be very peaceful. Especially at night.

While he speaks, he turns the craft until it faces north and puts on some speed. It doesn't take long until they're approaching the city limits, then beyond. Trees have taken the place of buildings, boulders stand in for cars, and the real rivers have reclaimed their territory.

"At night?" Jes murmurs softly. Still entranced by the view she doesn't notice his watching her. She has no idea where they are going beyond a general sense of direction. Navigating from the air isn't something she's ever tried. "It must be. So many lights, so many people." At least in the city. Her eyes widen and she grins as they pass over into a less populated area.
"This is incredible, Ollie." Jesana turns and at the last second seems to realize blocking his view would be a bad idea so she kisses his temple instead. "Thank you. I'dve never known how beautiful it all is from up here."

"You're welcome, Jes. After you shared your beach with me, I wanted to share something beautiful with you." Ollie leans against the kiss and there's a small, self-satisfied shimmy in his seat before he continues. "This wasn't what I had in mind, but watching you enjoy it is making me enjoy it more than ever."

A tiny tilt to the stick pulls the helicopter up and halts his progress. A second tilt puts it into a lazy descent over the first clearing that's been visible for miles.

Looking around in alarm at the difference in the movement of the helicopter it only takes Jesana a moment to realize they seem to be landing. A clearing, in the forest, alone with Olliver. Oh this day couldn't get any better could it? Her smile reaches up and lights her eyes and Jes bounces in her seat, just a little.

"Oh. I am. It is. Beautiful." Jes squeezes his hand. "So are you." Yes she'd noticed that little shimmy. "I'm glad we met that night. More than I know how to say." She'd always been taught it was action that mattered more than words anyway. Words can be lies. Actions are harder to fake. If she wasn't afraid it would end in a crash she'd be out of her seat and in his lap already.

"Me too. Turns out you rescued me from a lot more than a boring party." The memory prompts a chuckle from Oliver.

Down, down, down. The trees are close enough together that they form a canopy in places, casting the entire world into swaths of light and shadow. A flock of game birds take flight when the engine wash gets close enough to spook them.

Ollie cuts the engine and pops open the doors as soon as the runners touch the ground. The smell of clean, fresh air rushes in to meet them, washed in by last night's rain and carried off by today's sun. The sound of rushing, pounding water is also very present and very pleasant.

Now that they're back on the ground, Ollie finally lets Jesana's hand go of his own accord. Mostly so he can do things like stow headsets and tug his duffel bag out of the backseat.

Jes's eyes follow the birds, a bit of hunger in her expression but when they land and he opens the door her face turns to grett the cool, clean air. She closes her eyes for a moment, nostrils flaring and lips parted as if she's tasting what she scents upon the wind. Maybe she is. She can hear the water in the distance and the birds still crying their alarm after she removes the head phones.

In the brush her ears pick up the scrambling of a rabbit, no, two. Squirrels in the trees overhead. "Wow. I haven't had chance to be out anywhere like this since…since I got back." The ocean outing with him had been similar but there hadn't been anything to hear there but the waves and each other. "I've always had a good ear but now.." Jes's eyes open and she smiles, though it doesn't meet her eyes. "Well, something good came of it all anyway." Her hand reaches out and she tenderly brushes Ollie's cheek with her fingertips. "Something very good."

"Seems like it," he agrees cheerfully. "But you never know. Once you get to know me, you might decide you can't stand me. Wish I could say that it wouldn't be the first time, but the emotional baggage, the scars, the long hours. Plays hell on the love life."

Ollie's cheer doesn't waver, but unbeknownst to him there's a Charlie Brownesque quality to the moment. He's not wrong. It's hard to date when you have two regular jobs, or even one. 'CEO' and 'Vigilante' hardly qualify as regular, either. He gives his head a minute shake to clear it and wraps one arm around Jes. After a few seconds, he lowers his bag to the ground so his other arm can join. He gives her a squeeze and then lets all of her go but one of her hands. "Look at me ramble. C'mon, the best part is up here."

The source of the rushing-pounding sound is just on the other side of the clearing. It's a waterfall. It's not particularly tall and the current is slow and lazy, which lends it a very different sort of beauty. Though the source of the river is probably high above and far away, as far as the world is concerned it all starts right here.

Jes is quiet as she follows him out of the aircraft. She looks out at the waterfall and smiles, content to stand at Oliver's side for a few moments and just enjoy the view. She's thinking about what he said though. She turns away from the fall and its beginning. It seems appropriate in more ways than one, and wraps both her arms around Oliver drawing herself up against him and looking into his eyes.

"Anything worth having is worth working for. I'm not perfect, I don't expect you to be. And I have more than a few scars myself. I'm willing to try if you are. Meeting you..I think we rescued each other. I'd just gotten back but I was so lost..I wasn't feeling much hope for the future. Now, that's changed."

There's a shy duck of the head from Mr. Queen, but his eyes stay on Jesana's. "If you put the weight of the world on my shoulders like that, I just might crumble."

Again, his tone takes away from the seriousness of his words. He leans in to rest his forehead against hers. "I'm happy we're both happy. We'll figure the rest out as we need to."

A beautiful kiss with a beautiful woman in a beautiful place isn't a bad notch to have on your belt before noon.

Jesana smiles and returns Ollie's kiss with eager passion. "No weight, no pressure. Just me, and you and where ever we end up together." Her arms give him a gentle squeeze. She lives in the moment and doesn't really think about the future. They're here now, together now and that's all that matters. Anymoe than that she's learned not to ask for.

"This day has turned amazing and it isn't even noon yet." Jes grins, echoing Ollie's thoughts and ducking her head to nibble along the side of his neck. Her nose presses down against the soft skin there and she takes a slow, deep breath. "God you smell good." A tiny dab of warmth and wetness as she nibbles ever so gently.

A low, rumbling purr comes from somewhere deep in Oliver's throat. Like any hunting cat, the right touch brings about predictable results. "I'm pleased that you're pleased. I've always loved this place." His eyes drift shut for a few seconds while he soaks up the sun and the sounds and the smells that surround them both.

"Holding you feels… good." He manages to make this simple statement into something more. He sounds content. Relaxed. "It's like we fit together," he continues. "Not like spoons. Like a knife and fork, maybe. It's the differences that matter just as much as the similarities for us. I like that."

Jes smiles against his Oliver's neck. A knife and a fork? She likes that comparison. It fits. "That's perfect, I think. I feel good being with you. I'm half human at least, but it's so rare for me to be able to be myself around others. I like that I can with you. That we have things in common, but not everything. That doesn't turn out as well as you'd think." She knows, she's tried it. Or been compelled into trying it.

"I think, I'm really glad I didn't meet you until now though. Now, when I'm free to know what I want and what I feel without it being decided for me. I'm with you because its what I want. You make me feel wonderful, Ollie. I'll try my best to do the same for you." There are a few things yet she's going to need to tell him. Or maybe just explain. Nothing near so shocking as the other things and he took them in stride so Jes isn't really worried.

This sweet, wholesome claim from Jes is more than enough to melt Ollie's heart, along with most of the rest of him. He 'awws', but silently and out of sight. Then he hooks a finger under her chin and tips her head back. "You just did," he admits.

Secrets shared and secrets kept. A packed lunch that they may or may not get around to eating. A blanket that they'll definitely get around to using. Another kiss, this time while they both stand under the waterfall. These are only a few of the reasons they're still there when the sun goes down.

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