will-never-be-a-swan:

wrapped-in-shadows:

will-never-be-a-swan:

Opening the door to their apartment was quite the ordeal as Stella and Roxy noticed the missing member of their family back, his familiar scent filling the room. They perked their heads up quickly, tongues lolled to the side as they gave a few excited barks, rushing over to greet ‘daddy’.

Giggling and helping him with his suitcase, Katelynn looked over her shoulder at him with such tenderness swimming in her brown orbs. “Look who else missed you..” she whispered, watching the two dogs jump up and down against his legs.

Their home finally felt complete once again at his return and she couldn’t help but let out a quiet sigh of happiness as she set his luggage in their bedroom. Deciding to worry about that later, Katelynn peeked her head out the door to watch him for a moment and just enjoy the fact that he was back.

As she’d said, he was tired, but not too tired to give some love to his second- and third- favorite girls. “H-hey there, sweetie,” he cooed as he scooped the wriggling Roxy up like a baby. “I missed you too. And you, Stella.” He took a seat on the couch, so that both the pug and the bulldog could find a place on his skinny lap.

After a few moments of being pinned down and kissed half to death by the dogs, Jack spotted Katelynn watching him from the doorway. “There’s room for you too,” he joked softly.

Holding onto the door frame for a moment and resting against it, she studied him carefully like an appraiser would a work of art, noting the subtle changes both in appearance and personality. Being in New York had given him a few new layers she hadn’t noticed before and was appreciating. His stutter seemed to be improving, not that she found anything wrong with it before.

Accepting his invitation as she made her way over to him she was careful not to sit on either of their dogs as she plopped herself down next to him, cuddling into his side and tucking her legs underneath her.

“I w-was getting dinner r-ready for you too..” she admitted softly, the food still cooking in the oven – a delicious meal of lasagna. She had found the recipe online and wanted to see if she could make it. “Unless you want to nap.” Looking up from her spot snuggled on his chest, she cocked her head to the side.

That was another thing Jack had missed: meals together. His manager in New York had insisted on dragging him to various high-end restaurants, and parties at the gallery had usually involved drinks and nibbling various things on toothpicks. But he hadn’t really known any of the people there, and the atmosphere had somehow left him feeling both like he didn’t belong and like he was the focus of everyone’s attention.

“I’m not th-that tired,” he said, shifting on the couch so they could lie down together. “I’ve missed having dinner with you. And I didn’t t-trust the food on the plane,” he added, with a small chuckle. “I’ll rest later.”

will-never-be-a-swan:

wrapped-in-shadows:

will-never-be-a-swan:

Her lips were slightly needy against his own yet patient and loving as she clung to him tighter, feeling her heart jump into he throat from having him kissing that way – having missed his caresses from their separation. She had tried to convince herself that the phone calls had been enough; that hearing his voice was all her heart needed but it felt like a delusion as it missed every piece of him.

She sighed happily at that feeling of completion washed over her, her better half returned to her side. She never wanted the kiss to end as it continued to last but as she gently broke, she rested her forehead upon his chin and panted to recover her bearings, hands fisting the material of his turtleneck.

“Jack..” she sighed, hoping to calm her frantic heart. “L-Let’s go inside..y-you must be t-tired..”

She wanted nothing more than to spoil the pants off of it though not literally of course. Jet lag could be killer after all and she just wanted to snuggle up to him and enjoy being close to his side. She had even tried preparing food in case he was hungry.

Jack hugged her tightly as he felt her gripping his shirt. He nuzzled his cheek against the side of her head, breathing in her warm, sweet scent as he felt the softness of her hair against his skin. A month ago, he would have felt like a creep for smelling her hair like this, but not anymore – he’d missed her too much to care.

“Th-that sounds good,” he whispered back.

It took him a long moment to let go of Katelynn so he could grab his suitcase. But, once that was done, the two of them quickly made their way inside.

Opening the door to their apartment was quite the ordeal as Stella and Roxy noticed the missing member of their family back, his familiar scent filling the room. They perked their heads up quickly, tongues lolled to the side as they gave a few excited barks, rushing over to greet ‘daddy’.

Giggling and helping him with his suitcase, Katelynn looked over her shoulder at him with such tenderness swimming in her brown orbs. “Look who else missed you..” she whispered, watching the two dogs jump up and down against his legs.

Their home finally felt complete once again at his return and she couldn’t help but let out a quiet sigh of happiness as she set his luggage in their bedroom. Deciding to worry about that later, Katelynn peeked her head out the door to watch him for a moment and just enjoy the fact that he was back.

As she’d said, he was tired, but not too tired to give some love to his second- and third- favorite girls. “H-hey there, sweetie,” he cooed as he scooped the wriggling Roxy up like a baby. “I missed you too. And you, Stella.” He took a seat on the couch, so that both the pug and the bulldog could find a place on his skinny lap.

After a few moments of being pinned down and kissed half to death by the dogs, Jack spotted Katelynn watching him from the doorway. “There’s room for you too,” he joked softly.

will-never-be-a-swan:

wrapped-in-shadows:

will-never-be-a-swan:

It felt so instantaneous – one second she had been standing there among the crowds like any other face, hard to distinguish and yet Jack had scoped her out without problem and she was swept up in his arms the next second, eyes blinking as she felt arms wrap around her.

Arms she had missed.

Heart pounding in a mixture of pain and joy, her own thin arms hugged him tightly to her person as she nuzzled into his chest, lashes moistening as tears began to collect at the corner of her eyes before falling down her cheeks. His smell, his body, his everything – how much she had missed it, craved it and now he was back, his voice filling her senses as the rest of him wrapped around her like a security blanket.

“J-Jack…” she choked out, unable to speak as her lips trembled from the force of her emotions. Her knees wobbled a bit and she clung to him tighter, all other thoughts, all other sounds blocked out.

“I-I missed you more…”

He wouldn’t argue with her over something as silly as that, instead he just held onto her for dear life. For a while it had felt as if he wouldn’t see her again, no matter how silly that was, truly. She had only been a phone call, and plane ride, away and yet he’d been incapable of doing either until now. He shivered before pulling back, and swiftly kissed her despite it feeling as if it were their first all over again since he had an eruption of nervousness and worry.

But her lips were warm, soft, and the kind of familiarity he needed right now to help him feel more grounded in the city that he called home. Yes, he’d been away, but he was back now and never again was he going to do something like this. He loved his art, of course he did, but he loved Katelynn more.

Her lips were slightly needy against his own yet patient and loving as she clung to him tighter, feeling her heart jump into he throat from having him kissing that way – having missed his caresses from their separation. She had tried to convince herself that the phone calls had been enough; that hearing his voice was all her heart needed but it felt like a delusion as it missed every piece of him.

She sighed happily at that feeling of completion washed over her, her better half returned to her side. She never wanted the kiss to end as it continued to last but as she gently broke, she rested her forehead upon his chin and panted to recover her bearings, hands fisting the material of his turtleneck.

“Jack..” she sighed, hoping to calm her frantic heart. “L-Let’s go inside..y-you must be t-tired..”

She wanted nothing more than to spoil the pants off of it though not literally of course. Jet lag could be killer after all and she just wanted to snuggle up to him and enjoy being close to his side. She had even tried preparing food in case he was hungry.

Jack hugged her tightly as he felt her gripping his shirt. He nuzzled his cheek against the side of her head, breathing in her warm, sweet scent as he felt the softness of her hair against his skin. A month ago, he would have felt like a creep for smelling her hair like this, but not anymore – he’d missed her too much to care.

“Th-that sounds good,” he whispered back.

It took him a long moment to let go of Katelynn so he could grab his suitcase. But, once that was done, the two of them quickly made their way inside.

will-never-be-a-swan:

wrapped-in-shadows:

And then a taxi pulls up outside the apartment block and the back door of it opens, Jack steps out and it’s good to see he hasn’t changed at all. He’s back in his turtle necks, his jeans, and of course his pencil thin moustache is firmly fixed in place. Nobody would ever talk him into changing THAT let me tell you.

“Katelynn!” he exclaims at seeing her, and already he’s rushing to her, arms out. “Oh god K-Katelynn it’s so—I missed you so much!” Jack wraps his arms around her, pulling the shorter woman against him while the taxi driver works at getting his luggage out of the boot.

It felt so instantaneous – one second she had been standing there among the crowds like any other face, hard to distinguish and yet Jack had scoped her out without problem and she was swept up in his arms the next second, eyes blinking as she felt arms wrap around her.

Arms she had missed.

Heart pounding in a mixture of pain and joy, her own thin arms hugged him tightly to her person as she nuzzled into his chest, lashes moistening as tears began to collect at the corner of her eyes before falling down her cheeks. His smell, his body, his everything – how much she had missed it, craved it and now he was back, his voice filling her senses as the rest of him wrapped around her like a security blanket.

“J-Jack…” she choked out, unable to speak as her lips trembled from the force of her emotions. Her knees wobbled a bit and she clung to him tighter, all other thoughts, all other sounds blocked out.

“I-I missed you more…”

He wouldn’t argue with her over something as silly as that, instead he just held onto her for dear life. For a while it had felt as if he wouldn’t see her again, no matter how silly that was, truly. She had only been a phone call, and plane ride, away and yet he’d been incapable of doing either until now. He shivered before pulling back, and swiftly kissed her despite it feeling as if it were their first all over again since he had an eruption of nervousness and worry.

But her lips were warm, soft, and the kind of familiarity he needed right now to help him feel more grounded in the city that he called home. Yes, he’d been away, but he was back now and never again was he going to do something like this. He loved his art, of course he did, but he loved Katelynn more.

will-never-be-a-swan:

wrapped-in-shadows:

The past few months had felt like a dream, a nightmare, and a whirlwind all at once. 

Jack Maple. He’d been unknown, once. Sure he’d gotten some work put in a gallery but suddenly the mayor purchased one of his works to be displayed in City Hall. Then the orders began pouring in. People wanted to meet him. They wanted more of his work. He pulled so much out of storage to keep up with demands but then his manager had informed him he’d gotten him a ‘gig’ in New York.

Suddenly he was there, rubbing shoulders with the rich and artistic, whilst staying on the phone with Katelynn at night, missing her terribly. He hated missing out on the passing of her mother, and everything else, he hated being away.

But finally he’d ripped himself away from the people. He still had a lot of work to do, and had an open gallery travelling the country now without him (he really didn’t want to travel that much), and now heading home. He’d gotten in a plane, and now finally he was touching down in Metro City airport and he felt heartache at seeing the city.

How fast he’d come to love it, call it home, despite the dangers. But mostly, it was home, because she was here.

Needless to say he got in the first taxi he could to get home.

Having freshened up the best she could in a cute outfit and combing her hair to look presentable, Katelynn waited out on the sidewalk of their apartment complex for him, leaving their dogs inside the apartment as she wanted a chance with him first.

Bouncing on her heels, she cupped her palms together, heart aching for the one she loved. It was the longest she had been without him ever since they had paired up and each day felt like an eternity to her. She hating thinking she was clingy but the fact of the matter was that it just felt strange without seeing his wonderful smile.

Her eyes darted around as she waited for any tell-tale sign that he was there and that the text hadn’t been a dream. She even made sure to reread it several times to make sure.

She didn’t want to wake up in bed and find out it was indeed a dream.

I can’t wait to see you..! she mentally cheered, biting down on her lip and trying to keep out of the way of the other people moving around her. They towered around her, shielding her from view so she had to side-step them at times to see the cars passing by in front of her.

And then a taxi pulls up outside the apartment block and the back door of it opens, Jack steps out and it’s good to see he hasn’t changed at all. He’s back in his turtle necks, his jeans, and of course his pencil thin moustache is firmly fixed in place. Nobody would ever talk him into changing THAT let me tell you.

“Katelynn!” he exclaims at seeing her, and already he’s rushing to her, arms out. “Oh god K-Katelynn it’s so–I missed you so much!” Jack wraps his arms around her, pulling the shorter woman against him while the taxi driver works at getting his luggage out of the boot.

The past few months had felt like a dream, a nightmare, and a whirlwind all at once. 

Jack Maple. He’d been unknown, once. Sure he’d gotten some work put in a gallery but suddenly the mayor purchased one of his works to be displayed in City Hall. Then the orders began pouring in. People wanted to meet him. They wanted more of his work. He pulled so much out of storage to keep up with demands but then his manager had informed him he’d gotten him a ‘gig’ in New York.

Suddenly he was there, rubbing shoulders with the rich and artistic, whilst staying on the phone with Katelynn at night, missing her terribly. He hated missing out on the passing of her mother, and everything else, he hated being away.

But finally he’d ripped himself away from the people. He still had a lot of work to do, and had an open gallery travelling the country now without him (he really didn’t want to travel that much), and now heading home. He’d gotten in a plane, and now finally he was touching down in Metro City airport and he felt heartache at seeing the city.

How fast he’d come to love it, call it home, despite the dangers. But mostly, it was home, because she was here.

Needless to say he got in the first taxi he could to get home.