nifties | You let the Devil in 😈

You let the Devil in 😈

Ever since he agreed to go on this trip with Zari, his mind's been turning over and over about it. Technically, yes, the Legends are adults. Some of them even managed to survive for years without them aboard (which seems miraculous now.) But that doesn't make it any easier for him to leave his hatchlings, no matter how many speeches Sara has about how they only live once and they should go enjoy themselves. And he knows Ava has pulled Zari aside to essentially say the same thing just in a more Ava type way.

The thing is, even when John is running away, it's never for long and he's usually only pretending to dick off. As he thinks back over the years, has he ever taken a real vacation? Ever? Something creepy or crawly always manages to find him wherever he goes and that's weighing heavily on his mind as well. If the team will be safe without him, will Zari be safe with him?

He keeps starting and stopping packing, not like it matters when he knows Zari is going to make him get a whole different wardrobe the second they're alone. He's been avoiding that one for long enough so he's kind of resigned to the whole affair honestly. Packing means leaving though, indefinitely the way his life goes. What if they damage the timeline by being out there together? And again, what if the Legends really really need them??

Yeah, so he's spiraling. When Zari finds him, he'll be pacing the length of his room back and forth - back and forth. Every time he crosses his suitcase, he drops something new in and/or takes something out so that the job never actually gets finished. He's so absorbed in his weird, manic ritual that he doesn't even notice her coming in until she's right in front of him. Her sudden appearance (from his perspective) actually makes him jump before he manages to focus his foggy gaze on her.

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John just looks bewildered at her offense, but is immediately grateful she decides to explain it to him anyway.

"I had no idea it was so official." Because yeah, that would be weird... though technically, again in the future so he isn't sure how to even be upset about it. Their whole thing is predicated on the weird time shelter they've built, which is precarious, but also the most precious thing he's ever had to protect. The two often clash for him no matter how hard he tries not to worry about it. "You know I trust you. And you know what's right for your... whole thing." A lot better than he ever will, as much as he appreciated being let into the loop. He opens his arms back out to hopefully get his cuddle buddy back for the rest of the ride.

She looks at him like he's high. How has he been this oblivious so far??? "Uh... yeah. When it's not that's how you end up with a Derek situation. God knows I don't need a repeat of that." She actually shudders. What a creep. Zari couldn't be happier that he burned bridges so thoroughly that he'll never be able to be seen stateside again. Let Europe have him.

Zari takes the peace offering as the ultimate cuddle lover. She falls back into his arms, settling her head on his shoulder once again. "I'll handle it. Now make up for lost cuddle time before I make you sign a contract too." Only not. He just does what she says so what's the point?

He still doesn't fully get it, but she doesn't seem to care about that so he holds her fast, burying his face in her hair.

"I know better than to sign my soul away, luv," he murmurs, reminding her that in his business contracts are no less skeevy. And yeah, real talk, it would be a waste of time since he'll literally do anything for her anyway. "You brought that sunscreen, right?" Because he definitely didn't and he sees a good sizzle in his future from being outside during the day more than he probably ever has before.

Zari frowns. That does sound pretty skeevy. She'll add that to the list of John things to never think about too deeply. Thankfully he gives her something better to focus on. She smiles proudly. "Duh! I can't trust you to protect your skin. We're leaving that in the hands of the professional aka me." She bats her eyes up at him cutely. Be charmed! Zari definitely brought one for every time of day based on his unique skin needs. :)

He's always charmed by her despite himself and he chuckles, kissing the center of her forehead sweetly.

"Alright, you're my personal stylist and skincare guru for a week. Anything else?"

Zari looks so unbelievably pleased with herself. "Lover as always, dietitian, and vacation guide. Oh! And we're going swimming. You're probably good at that, right?" Zari asks, genuinely curious. She doesn't know too much about John either truth be told. This is the time to find out.

It's precious how excited she is and John squeezes her against his chest, hand fanning out at her waistline as a mirroring grin stretches across his lips.

"I float if that's what you're asking." He turns to speak into her ear, silly more than sexy but he always wants her so it's a fine line anyway. "Tell me more about your duties as 'Lover.'"

She laughs softly, predictably having to pull her ear away as the spot just below her belly tingles. He's so rude!! They have an audience!! "Gidget, can you tune out on our audio for a few minutes?" She waits for the AI to confirm she got the message before getting into it. Zari's gone through a lot of trouble for Gideon not to hear or record this part of their relationship unlike everyone else on the ship who basically have hours of sex tapes just waiting on the Waverider hard drive. She's not losing that battle right before vacay.

"See, I knew that would catch you attention. For starters, I picked out a few bedtime outfits I know you'll like." The corner of her mouth curves upward. Of course she keeps track of what he responds to. Spoilers: there's a lot of silk involved. "And since we'll be completely alone I thought maybe we can try some of the things we talked about before." She strokes the hand on her waist as she talks, very obviously fantasizing about it. "Maybe one night you have me and the next I have you..." She notes suggestively. It is the real chance to indulge without ghosts or pesky roommates bugging them. "You know there's a very large tub too." She insisted on that one. Zari stops there because she is definitely getting ahead of herself. He gets the picture of what these duties are going to look like by now. She plans to make his fantasies and a few of her own a reality while they have actual privacy.

John bites into his lip when she tells the AI to go dark, knowing that means she's going to get intimate. He holds his breath as she gets into details, his fingers digging gently into her side without him noticing. He's not sure anyone ever picked out lingerie specifically for his benefit, but of course Zari is extra enough to do exactly that. It gets his heart going even without seeing what she brought, it just might explode when she actually puts them on.

"This is all in the itinerary, I assume?" he quips, but his voice is tellingly breathy and he knows if they go much further down this path he won't be able to stop himself from taking this over the line before they get to their cabana. John closes his eyes and blows out a deliberate breath, trying to regain his composure, that is before he hears about the tub. He lets out a full-on groan, only half a tease, at that revelation. "Should've led with that to begin with, I wouldn't have kicked up such a fuss about leaving." Yes, he would have.

She loves the way John digs into her flesh when he wants her. As much as she accuses him of being the temptress of the relationship, Zari is just as bad if not more. Since he asks she doesn't feel guilty about teasing him a little before they can actually do anything about it. "With a little room for improvisation. I don't want you to get bored." Zari teases as if they ever had a dull moment in their relationship. Their quietest moments together are often the most precious to her.

She snorts the tub complaint. "No, you wouldn't which is rude. I bought some really nice soaps just for you to try." With her very hands-on help naturally. She'll stop now. :)

He scoffs, bemused; like there's ever a dull moment between them. Or if there ever is, it's cherished. John's other hand trails down to her thigh, an innocent promise of what's to come as his lips catch not-so-innocently against her throat. By now, she has to know he loves the rush of the chase, which is why she calls him a tease, naturally.

"Oh, I'm rude," he commentates, genuinely more excited for the bathtub and her warm hands on him than anything else she listed. He'll endure her every whim, of course, but especially because she sought out his one request he hadn't even vocalized. It's hard not to feel taken care of when someone goes to trouble like that. "Do I have the power to bump that up to agenda item #1?"

Zari's breath catches as his lips touch the delicate skin of her throat. This is why he's the temptress of the two. He's so unfair sometimes. She manages to stay focused enough to give that request some consideration. "Hm... I'll allow it since you're letting me play dress up." Zari notes benevolently. "Don't get used to it. I'm still the princess." She jokes even if lowkey it's kind of true. She runs this show.

Oh, right, they're going shopping... he laughs, a deliberately smoky chuckle against her ear before nipping at her earlobe in a full-out tease. He knows he needs to stop, but her reactions keep him coming back for more every time. His fingers indent her leg, again beyond his control, and he concedes bathtime should probably wait for practicality's sake.

"Alright, maybe #2. This is the only change I packed." Even without knowing details about one another, they seem to know enough to get by, don't they?

She squirms in his hold, giggling as the hot air hits her ear. The way he grips her thigh makes hard to stay focused. "So you were planning to let me have my way with you." She jokes, reaching over to grip his chin between her thumb and index finger. "I almost forgive you for luring me into this trap now." Obviously cuddles were just another excuse to seduce her in front of poor Gideon. :'(

"You always talk about my clothes," he points out. Not that he usually cares when people make fun of them, it's part of his whole persona. But a part of him is curious to know what they'd look like with matching curated outfits okay, he's only human. "And you weren't around yet, but I made Sara promise I didn't have to play dress-up to move in." Which she only violated like... twice.

When Zari takes hold of his face, it captures all of his attention as he turns the full brunt of his soft gaze on her gorgeous face. It's not unlike trying to look directly at the Sun, but he can't stop himself anyway.

"Oh it's a trap now, is it?" Well, maybe. He leans in to kiss her thoroughly, affection and adoration rising to the top as he shifts so he can lean into her fully.

She returns his kiss with open affection and desire spilling into the contact, eyes closing as she focuses on the feeling of John's lips against hers. It is a rich as ever. Zari's tongue sweeps over his bottom lip, enjoying the contrast between them as she catches a sharp crack. He is always rough where she's soft. It's as sexy as ever.

Zari breaks it off a little early to be mean, but also so they don't take this too far. Seriously Gidget is watching. "You know I'm helpless against you." She jokes, lips brushing over his as she teases him. Maybe in some ways she is even if Zari holds most of the power here.

Edited 2020-09-13 01:02 (UTC)

He feels it too, the contrast addicting as he predictably chases it down only to be left wanting more and heaving for breath. John nips at her lip as the kiss breaks in lame retaliation, shivering at her words whether she fully means it or not.

"You will be," he pledges, fire in his eyes and his belly in equal measure. As much as he loves being subject to her whims and constant need to be in control, he's so looking forward to breaking that down piece by piece. He's confident he can make it enjoyable for her too if she can let go a little. "I think we're here."

The windshield clears to show blue skies and bluer waters; it barely looks real and he finds himself almost as captivated by the view outside as in while Gideon gives them the rundown of the temperature and everything else they need to know. It's what he needs to cool down in lieu of a cold shower and John starts buttoning his shirt in anticipation of actually seeing other humans, however reluctantly.

She feels a shiver down her spine at the words. Zari doesn't have a quip for once in her life. She finds herself in John's shoes for a change, throat dry as she wonders what John has in store for her. The blue soon catches her attention. Zari pulls herself out of his lap to get to her feet. She gasps at the endless blue, back to her childish excitement in a second flat. The virtual tour did not do this place justice.

She claps her hands before turning back to him. "Isn't it amazing? Just wait until we get outside. The air quality is supposed to be a million times better here than anywhere else." She notes like that's a thing that matters to John. Zari goes over to collect her purse and do her usual once over with her phone while John gets himself sorted.

"That's incredible, sweetheart," he says breezily, mostly because he isn't sure what it means, before returning to the task at hand.

He needs a minute to gather himself still so it ends up working out more-or-less as he steps back into his shoes on his way back to his bag. John pulls back on his tie which thankfully didn't get snotty and throws his coat over one shoulder and his duffel over the other... before he sees her veritable cache of baggage.

"I'll make a few trips."

She bats her eyes innocently. This is why she adores him. Well that and all the real reasons why. "Love you, sweetie." Zari actually has the nerve to wink at him as she starts to exit their ride. "I'll get us checked in. Remember we're under Adrianna Tomaz in case you get lost." During his million trips back and forth.

It takes some time and a very helpful staff, but eventually everything is dropped off at their place for the week. The only really pause is to fish out some sunscreen for John since at the very least they're going to protect his face, hands, and neck before they go out properly.

With that, Zari is finally free, and by Zari we mean John who actually did all the work, to live out her dressing up my boyfriend fantasies. She drags him (while gently holding his hand!!!) to a boutique she clearly vetted before their arrival. She dismisses anyone who attempts to help them after they walk in and makes a beeline to what she knows she wants already. Spoilers: it's that top Behrad will chill with him in later.

Now to sell John on it. "So... can I pick anything I want for you?" So innocently asked. Once again Zari is batting her eyes at him like that will get an instant yes.

He can't be that annoyed by it, this place really is beautiful, and each time he laps back to the ship he gets to see a slightly different view. Already tired by the much walking, he just closes his eyes and hangs there on his feet while she spf's him. It feels nice so he really can't complain about that either.

When they enter the boutique it's bright and loud but he squeezes Zari's hand to ground himself and flashes a helpless look at the associate she waves away. The shirt she beelines too confuses him more than he has an opinion on it either way and as a result her question pushes him all the way over into sensory overload.

"Uh," is all he manages for a long moment, looking around the store and trying to determine if he finds anything outright offensive. "I'm not wearing anything with holes in it." Then John makes the ultimate mistake at idly glancing at the pricetag of the innocuous if bright-looking shirt in her grasp. Even in Euro it's shocking and he points at her as if to solidify his point. "Stop looking at me like that! I have veto power too." Which still means he'll probably try anything on, he just won't allow her to buy the entire store.

Maybe she should have ordered it all online. Zari has to concede that while he plays along that would have been a step too far. She raises her free hand to show she can cool it. This is clearly a lot for him. "Okay, okay. How about enough outfits for the week and whatever catches your eye?" She suggests gently. It's not like pajamas will be much of an issue when he sleeps in the nude most of the time. "... And accessories. At least one? Please? I saw some bracelets that will look so nice on you." That's more than one, but he gave her an inch. She wants the mile now too.

"Everything in here is eye-catching." Which is usually what he tries to avoid, but he's starting to calm down at the mention of accessories. New clothes are scary for a few different reasons, but jewelry doesn't offend him overly, unless it's cursed. "You want to buy me jewelry?" he teases, trying to distract himself from this entire situation. It's mostly working.

John lifts their joined hands to brush his lips across her knuckles before reluctantly unwinding from her.

"I do need a swimming costume," he admits before gesturing back towards the dressing rooms. "I'll just be preparing my runway walk." He snatches the shirt from her playfully and heads back there, expecting she'll bring whatever it is she wants to see him in and then some. He's done enough pack muling for her for one day, not to mention that very muscly Grecian guy she told off earlier is still circling so John is sure she'll make use of him if need be.

Zari takes a mental note of the turn around. He doesn't hate accessories? Okay. That's actually fantastic since that and the shorts are what she expected some resistance on. Zari smiles as his lips touch her knuckles, expression soft and loving just before he takes off on her. She makes a show of being put out for a second. It's soon time to get to business.

The influencer locks eyes with the muscly guy tracking all this and smiles. Thankfully a tourist trap like this means she can keep using English. Thank you, American tourism industry!! "You want to work for a living? Fine." That is all the warning this poor man is going to get before she's pulling out her phone and bossing him into retrieving her top eight outfits for John along with top four swimming shorts. Zari goes herself to pick up the accessories and the essentials like socks, underwear, and shoes that are suitable for the weather. Enjoy some muscly guy constantly dropping off outfits as he finds them!! She'll be by soon with the shoes since she doubts John will veto socks and underwear.

As he takes off his shirt, it feels like divesting himself of a character more than mere clothing. His tie and rumpled Oxford hit the bench and while the shirt she gives him is loud, he doesn't hate it. Maybe just for this week, he can be someone else. That certainly has its own appeal.

"You're not going to make me wear sandals, are you?" he affects in a whiny tone that's hardly serious. Instead of Zari's voice he hears a manly grunt and it makes him jump a little before he cracks the door open to see their friend. At least he's nice to look at, and John winks at him with a soft, "Thanks, mate," as he does a twirl past him to show Zari the first outfit. He's self-conscious of his pasty English legs, but he'll let her be the judge.

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