will-never-be-a-swan:

wrapped-in-shadows:

Jack couldn’t help it that the fact he was staring at her rear. How could he not? Every part of her was beautiful but he’d never seen her like this. On all fours, bent over like this. He moved closer towards her. If he were a bolder man he’d grab her, pull her against him but no.

He moved around her, couching slightly. “Girls, try to play nice now….”

Giggling, she looked up at him, a playful smile on her face. “Does that include me too or can I play dirty?”

She hoped the more playful she became with him, the more open he would be with her. It was a nice thought and one that encouraged her to continue as many times as needed for him to loosen up a bit more.

Oh Lord. The choice of wording made him blush.

“Oh uh. You can do. Do whatever you want. My house is your house.” he smiled at her before slowly sitting down on the floor. Roxy, spotting this, bound over to him and climbed into his lap, barking at him. “Yes, yes I know. You have a friend, a little girl! But she’ll be bigger than you one day. So be nice.” he said gently a she stroked her ears.

will-never-be-a-swan:

wrapped-in-shadows:

Luck though, was for once on her side. A familiar story she herself had helped put out there today played, drowned out by the laughter and the dogs barking. Jack was still in the kitchen, ordering the usual, but also a Hawaiian with drinks, and garlic bread. By the time he exited the kitchen, there was a commercial on the screen.

“All right that’ll take at least 20 minutes.” he said before staring down at her, on all fours, with the dogs.

What made it more interesting was the fact her rear was pretty much pointing right at him.

“Um. Yes. Pizza’s ordered!” he said louder, since Roxy was barking.

Katelynn giggled at the dogs, her rear the only supple part of her body and staring right at him. She turned to look at him and smiled. “Awesome! So then now we just wait to eat. I’m starting to get really hungry..”

She hadn’t moved from where she was, mostly because Stella had nipped at some of her hair and began tugging on it. “H-Hey you little scamp!” she exclaimed, picking her up and trying to get her to let go, though Katelynn was all smiles.

Jack couldn’t help it that the fact he was staring at her rear. How could he not? Every part of her was beautiful but he’d never seen her like this. On all fours, bent over like this. He moved closer towards her. If he were a bolder man he’d grab her, pull her against him but no.

He moved around her, couching slightly. “Girls, try to play nice now….”

will-never-be-a-swan:

wrapped-in-shadows:

“I’m a meat lover.” Jack said with a grin as he pressed the number. “How about garlic bread, do you want some as well?” he asked, pressing the phone to his ear as he watched the two dogs fawn over Katelynn.

“Oh I love garlic bread!” she exclaimed, smiling at him. “M-Maybe some soda too? I’ll pay for it.”

She lay back so the dogs could play with her better, Roxy licking her once again as she giggled, Stella trying to push Roxy away from her, being her overprotective self. Their paws were getting tangled in her hair but she hardly noticed.

“Got ya.” he said as he walked from the room, voice barely heard in the other room since she just now realized the television was on. It was on soft, though, and the images on it told her it was the news…

will-never-be-a-swan:

wrapped-in-shadows:

He mistook her uncertainty with post traumatic stress. People always felt odd after being robbed, unsure of themselves, scared. Jack smiled and rubbed her back gently. “It’ll be yours soon. Now, come on. I’ll order the pizza. You keep an eye on Stella and Roxy for me, okay?” he asked, reaching for the phone she set down.

“What kind of pizza do you like?”

“Hawaiian,” she replied softly, calling the two dogs over to her. Stella trotted after her as best she could, while Roxy bound into her arms, completely attacking her with her tongue and Katelynn couldn’t help but giggle, trying to hold Roxy at bay.

“W-What about you..?”

“I’m a meat lover.” Jack said with a grin as he pressed the number. “How about garlic bread, do you want some as well?” he asked, pressing the phone to his ear as he watched the two dogs fawn over Katelynn.

will-never-be-a-swan:

wrapped-in-shadows:

He had smiled at her as she leaned into him, and he had wrapped his arms properly around her, drawing her in closer to him. Then she was kissing him, and all his fears, all his concerns for her began to melt away. She wasn’t hurt, she hadn’t been robbed, she wasn’t wearing a bandage she was just Katelynn. Beautiful, wonderful, life changing Katelynn.

Gently he caressed her un-bandaged cheek with his hand, kissing her back just as gently, just as tenderly to let her know just how much she meant to him. How much of his world she had changed in such small, simple ways.

She enjoyed the a moment longer before the guilt ate her up inside and broke it gently to smile at him, though the smile was a bit crooked. “T-Thank you Jack..I love it…It’s the best painting I’ve ever seen..”

She tried to fight back her feelings, not letting them consume her.

He mistook her uncertainty with post traumatic stress. People always felt odd after being robbed, unsure of themselves, scared. Jack smiled and rubbed her back gently. “It’ll be yours soon. Now, come on. I’ll order the pizza. You keep an eye on Stella and Roxy for me, okay?” he asked, reaching for the phone she set down.

“What kind of pizza do you like?”

will-never-be-a-swan:

wrapped-in-shadows:

“No. For you.” Jack said simply with a shrug. “I found this canvas and I thought, I’m going to paint something. Something wonderful. Something beautiful. So I painted the sky first so I had something to compare the beauty with. Then, then the city because even if it’s a scary place it has beauty within it. And then… then…”

He gestures to the girl with the long hair, holding a leash where a little dog would be painted in soon.

“Then I painted the beautiful one.”

Her face filled with color, a hand coming up to hide the bandage where it sat, if only to hide the bit of ugliness she felt on herself. So it was her..? Once again he left her breathless, the words stolen from her lips, as she looked up at him with eyes full of love and wonder.

It seemed that the only thing she could think of to do was kiss him. So she did, leaning towards him gently and placing her lips gingerly against his.

Yet no matter how beautiful and amazing this felt, a pang of guilt entered in Katelynn’s heart. He thought she was beautiful when in truth she was far from it. Not if she kept her lie a secret…

She tried to shake it away as she kissed him.

He had smiled at her as she leaned into him, and he had wrapped his arms properly around her, drawing her in closer to him. Then she was kissing him, and all his fears, all his concerns for her began to melt away. She wasn’t hurt, she hadn’t been robbed, she wasn’t wearing a bandage she was just Katelynn. Beautiful, wonderful, life changing Katelynn.

Gently he caressed her un-bandaged cheek with his hand, kissing her back just as gently, just as tenderly to let her know just how much she meant to him. How much of his world she had changed in such small, simple ways.

will-never-be-a-swan:

wrapped-in-shadows:

Jack smiled faintly, still embarrassed. Maybe one day they could do games like that. Pretend to be other people. Flirt openly. Maybe even make love in that way. But he was still finding his footing, sexually, and he wanted to make it right for her.

“Oh you like it?” he asked gently. “It’s pretty isn’t it?”

She nodded mutely, scooting closer to look at it, not daring touch it as she could tell the paint was still wet. The detail and brush strokes..something she could never achieve with her camera, remembering Rapunzel’s remark about art versus photography.

“It’s beautiful…” she whispered, eyes roaming every inch of it. “A-Another new painting for a customer?” If it was then that meant the girl wasn’t her. As it was she was trying hard not to get a big head about it.

“No. For you.” Jack said simply with a shrug. “I found this canvas and I thought, I’m going to paint something. Something wonderful. Something beautiful. So I painted the sky first so I had something to compare the beauty with. Then, then the city because even if it’s a scary place it has beauty within it. And then… then…”

He gestures to the girl with the long hair, holding a leash where a little dog would be painted in soon.

“Then I painted the beautiful one.”

will-never-be-a-swan:

wrapped-in-shadows:

“I’m sorry.” he said weakly. “I’m really not that good at playing games like, like that.” Jack said, looking away, seeming sheepish and embarrassed, which he was. “I’ll try extra hard next time, for you.”

“Hey,” she said softly, leaning over to plant a kiss on his neck. “It’s okay..I was only teasing you. Don’t feel like you have to walk eggshells around me, okay? I want you to be however you want to be with me.”

She had been about to nuzzle him when she noticed the painting finally, seeing the detail and what looked like a girl with long hair. Was that..her?

Jack smiled faintly, still embarrassed. Maybe one day they could do games like that. Pretend to be other people. Flirt openly. Maybe even make love in that way. But he was still finding his footing, sexually, and he wanted to make it right for her.

“Oh you like it?” he asked gently. “It’s pretty isn’t it?”

will-never-be-a-swan:

wrapped-in-shadows:

“Oh yes. Very. Big.” he insists, grinning at her, before he gives a chuckle, then a giggle, and shakes his head. “Oh man. I can’t believe I just said that!”

Katelynn was her own mess of giggles, wrapping her arms around him and kissing his chin. “I can’t either but it was very cute and strangely sexy..” she replied, smiling brightly at him.

“Thank you for ruining the game though, Mr. Maple!” she teased, her hands running down his sides to tickle him.

“I’m sorry.” he said weakly. “I’m really not that good at playing games like, like that.” Jack said, looking away, seeming sheepish and embarrassed, which he was. “I’ll try extra hard next time, for you.”