nifties | You poke at your phone posting aerial photos of you with your smoothie ✈️

You poke at your phone posting aerial photos of you with your smoothie ✈️

John walks Behrad to his door and just barely resists the urge to tuck the big idiot in before telling him sweetly good night and closing his door before murmuring a low incantation for no one else's ears; putting a protection seal over the room that flashes up gold for an instant before disappearing with the only proof it was ever cast. He turns quickly on his heel and almost runs directly into Zari who must be heading back to her room after leaving Nate. He smiles wide if lackadaisically, his high still pleasantly wearing off.

"Well, hello there, princess," he greets warmly, hooking her arm with his at the elbow in a way he means as charming. He clearly has no idea Zari could have seen what just happened. "I was heading to the galley for a cuppa. You'll join? It's because of these bloody clothes I'm freezing half to death." The implication being it's her fault because she dressed him, or something.

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A little pang stabs his chest at her phrasing and he shakes his head, fingers lazily working up under her top to stroke at her bare side.

"You're gonna break my heart."

Her skin pimples on contact. As always Zari kind of hates the way he can pull a reaction like that at a simple touch. She still leans into it reflexively. "That's the plan, sweetie. One of these days I'll take you down." She jokes sweetly as she runs her fingers through the small hairs on the back of his head.

"I'm counting on that," he admits lowly, eyes lidding in pleasure at the simple feeling of her fingers tugging through his hair. "What say you to a hot bath? Tea is barely scratching the surface. I'm chilled right to the bone." Always with the drama, but why change tacts when this one works every time?

"Hmm... I would say it sounds like you're luring me into another trap." Zari tugs on the back of his hair as if to chastise him. "But, I'll bite. I can't have you freezing to death on me." She presses a quick peck against his lips and smiles in a way that makes it perfectly clear which one of them is laying the trap. "Your place? Unless you want Mick Rory to kick down the door of that tiny closet we call a bathroom."

He chuckles, shaking his head. "It's Astra's now, remember?" Nevermind that they're time-travelers. Isn't it still in bad faith? Not that that's ever stopped him from taking something that doesn't belong to him. "I'll handle Rory," John pledges, deliberately brushing up against her in a decidedly non-innocent fashion while his fingers climb a little further up her ribcage, splaying out proprietarily. He ghosts his lips across hers while their breathing still mingles enticingly.

"Come on, then." John draws away all at once, the movement triggering a real shiver even as he reaches back out for her hand. "I hid a bath bomb, assuming no one found it in our absence."

Her breath hitches as brushes against her, skin flushing immediately. He is too damn good at this. Zari lets out a soft whine when he pulls away. Her brain is too clouded by him to point out the flaws in all that. She takes his hand anyways with only some complaining. "Fine, but I swear if you don't handle it and he walks in on us? I have to kill him. I've read his books, John. I do not need the world to have a very detailed description of my naked body." She yanks him along like any of this was her idea.

As always, he's addicted to how easily he can wind her up, smirking after her as she tugs him down the hall.

"No arguments here. Though that would give us custody of one more wayward youth." She's the only minor and somehow much more tolerable than the rest, so it's not exactly the worst thing. He shrugs his free shoulder, keeping a lookout for anyone who could cross their path and ruin their plans.

"We should be so lucky if that's the one we end up with. Lita is the most functional person on the ship after me and Ava." No offense.... except all the offense, losers!!! Get it together.

Zari weaves through the ship, finding it blissfully quiet. Nate is probably off pestering Mick. Ava and Sara are off being love birds themselves so she thinks this may actually work out. She grins as they make it to the bathroom, sliding through the door. "Get the bath ready. I'll keep the riff-raff out."

Zari lets go of John's hand so she can start typing in a code to make sure no one is getting in without it or breaking down the door in Mick's case and pulling out the wires that allow for manual opening for whoever (Behrad) is clever enough to think of that. Bless her possession sometimes. It comes in handy when sneaking around with her boyfriend.

"You're right... as usual." He's sure not about to put himself in that category so it's easy to agree as he predictably allows Zari to call all the shots. He watches with piqued interest as she does her hacker thing that isn't actually her hacker thing at all. It always makes his brain funny, like two memories colliding as a strange ringing cancels out all conscious thought. John frowns, turning to the task at hand and secretly relieved he doesn't have to cast a spell for this. He knows these little things he's been doing aren't sustainable, he used to only save magic for when it was absolutely necessary; but lately he feels himself slipping into old habits.

Once the water is deep enough, he goes to retrieve the purple glitter ball he'd stashed behind a drawer in the vanity. This tiny bathroom is so cluttered with everyone's stuff no one thankfully noticed the false back he discovered some time ago.

"Brilliant," he mutters, doing his best to ignore Zari until the most technical part of her job is done, impressed by her foresight to pull the wires out. He'll have to remember that trick... He drops the bomb in the water and watches it fizz for a moment, closing his eyes to take in the warm scents of cedar and lavender.

"That smells heavenly." Zari points out softly as she comes up from behind to wrap her arms around John. Her fingers slip beneath his top to shamelessly feel him up. Her hands are definitely a little gross from mucking around with wires. She doubts John will mind. "How long have you been planning this?" No one just stashes a bath bomb on a ship with one bathroom for themselves. Even Zari isn't that bold.

He shudders at her possessive touch, leaning back into her chest predictably without noticing any grossness at all.

"It wasn't so much a plan as... a hope." That they'd get a freaking moment to themselves - and then when they got a whole vacation he forgot all about the silly thing. John turns his head to kiss her cheek while her touch raises gooseflesh wherever it roams. "But here we are so I suppose it came true."

"It did." Zari agrees, smiling at the kiss. She's soon tracing the line of his rib cage with great care. It's intoxicating for her too; the way his body reacts to her. Every pimple encourages her further. She really could spent her whole life in that vacation home just touching John and indulging her every whim with him.

"You really are cold, baby." She sing-songs before abruptly pulling away from him. Zari smiles proudly at herself. "Get in the tub and warm up." :')

He lets out a shivering breath as she pulls away cold, feeling that chill travel up his spine even as he feels a stirring of warmth much lower. John treats her to a blown-out stare before swallowing the dryness in his throat and turning to face her while he strips his shirt off in a show. "Yes, ma'am," he murmurs smokily, making quick work of his shorts, pushing his underwear off his hips with them and toeing out of socks and shoes smoothly, proving he can actually do that when he's not being ~quirky.

Tearing his gaze from her so he can step into the steamy water, he smiles to himself too, feeling her eyes on him as surely as her touch moments ago. Once he's hunkered down in the cascading purple depths, John stretches a foot over to turn off the tap and loll his head backward so he can see Zari's face again. It reminds him acutely of that first night, how she'd stayed to talk him down and then much, much more. It makes his pulse race and his heart pound as well as inspiring more fleshy anatomy to take notice.

"Won't you join me, my love? I'm afraid I'll never heat up unless you do."

Dark eyes trail his every move. She loves the show he puts on for her. It leaves her wanting more especially once he gets in the bath. Zari flashes back to that first night as well. She recalls vividly the feeling of his shirt and the line of his nose as it pushed it up. Her cheeks flush at the memory just as the question hits her.

"Since you asked so nicely." She wastes no time reaching back to unzip her dress. Zari shrugs off one shoulder at a time until it pools at her feet. From there she unsnaps her bra, letting it fall carelessly as well. It isn't long before she is leaning down to shimmy her panties off, staying down to remove the straps holding her heels on. It's a long process by comparison; made longer by her stopping to grab a hair tie to put her long locks into a pineapple bun. Finally, Zari moves to slowly step into the tub. She hisses softly at the heat that envelopes her. "Don't get too excited, prince. I need my recliner." The influencer soon slots into her usual spot against him, sighing contently as the warmth hits her bones pleasantly. "Much better. Warm yet?"

He watches her wantonly, biting into his lip as more and more skin is exposed. John hooks his arms back over the edge of the tub and leans back in anticipation of her getting in. John sighs as she settles between his legs, closing his eyes to savor the sensation for a long beat.

"You know I can't promise that," he murmurs, leaning in close to her ear, his eyelashes fluttering against her cheek as his eyes come back open. "Not when you're so exciting."

John closes his arms around her middle and hugs her with his whole body, laying his head on her shoulder and soaking up all the heat that offers him.

"Getting there," he admits, reaching out a hand to cup her breast, groping shamelessly. "Closer."

He is so unfair. It's not even right how unfair he is. The hard line of his body against her is amazing in itself. The feel of his breath on her ear and soft lashes against her skin makes Zari shiver against John. It's her turn to be cold, she supposes.

Zari laughs at his antics, nuzzling her cheek against him even as his facial hair once again stabs her delicate face. "Try both hands. I think that will do it, sweetie." She banters even as he solicits a sharp exhale when a callous scratches her nipple. Her eyes flutter shut as the sensation.

Edited 2020-10-27 03:41 (UTC)

"Don't mind if I do," he murmurs in that same low tone, lifting his other hand to cover her breast and hissing at the reaction it draws from her. His own nipples pebble against her back, no longer from the chill but for how easily he can affect her without even trying - not that he's not. He always is on some level. "Oh yeah, that's even closer. Maybe..."

Instead of talking, though, he finds the only angle he can meet her lips without twisting his neck too painfully, sighing into her mouth at all of the sensations colliding. It's like they're in their own little bubble in here, not to be disturbed, and it eases the sting of their vacation drawing to an end.

The blood rushes to her breast, making them firmer under his touch. It draws a needy whimper against his mouth as their lips meet. The kiss is sloppy by her standards but, Zari can care less. This is pure bliss that their vacation captured. She can't pry her mouth off his until a second later than she should. Even she struggles to catch her breath as the side of her head rests against John's.

"Well? Still cold, baby?" She bumps her head against his in a lazy nuzzle.

He indulges himself a few more squeezes as steadily his lungs start to burn. By the time Zari breaks the kiss, he's already huffing desperately, a smile curving his lips as he rubs his temple back against hers and drops his hands to sink into her waistline again, hugging her to him snugly.

"Warm from head to toe, as luck would have it."

She feels bereft for a moment before forcing herself to put that aside. Zari does love hugs especially while in the tub. She sighs contently as the warm sinks into her bones along with the lovely smells.

"Perfect. I don't want anyone to ever accuse me of not taking care of my furniture." And now he's downgraded from prince to something to rest on. Classic Zari. She knows he loves it so why stop?

The stupid quip cuts for a second before he remembers just what they are to each other. And that he'd 'slighted' her first by deescalating things. It's interesting to him, how one moment she can be in total control and the next she wants everything handed to her. It's one of his favorite things about her, her contradictions, but it also gives him pause.

"I don't feel taken care of," he points out, mocking her tone in his own glib way.

She purses her lips together in playful offense. Zari does tend to get a little mean when things don't go her way. It's something she really needs to examine more. First, she needs to get back to their banter. "Really? What does my sweet prince need?"

A little quiver of pleasure goes through his middle at the ask, remembering how she'd told him in no uncertain terms she would do anything he needed. John has always been a man of conditions, for others and that others imposed on him. He even took comfort in knowing that nothing and no one was serious enough to be without structure the way he and Zari are, but now he doesn't know how he would live without their unbridled devotion to one another.

"Seeing your face would be a nice start, my darling," he drops it honey sweet in her ear, knowing from experience how much more intimate it will be when she turns to face him like he suggests. His tummy flutters in anticipation as he reluctantly loosens his hold on her so she can make the move.

The words vibrate through her body. Zari's toes curl reflexively. It's wild how making eye contact with John makes her tummy flutter. Whatever mild offense she took is now a million miles away as she slowly shifts to face him. Zari straddles him, both knees coming to rest on the side of his thighs as she gets comfy. Her hands go to gently take his face once again like it's this delicate and precious thing she couldn't bear to damage.

"What else would satisfy you?" Zari questions softly. Those lovely brown orbs lock onto his. It's perfect mix of warm, adoration, and plain desire. Is there a single moment of the day where she doesn't want him though?

John pulls in a sharp breath as she shifts, hardly disappointed with the results by the time she settles over his lap. A thrill goes through his tummy as arousal starts to awaken lower, but he ignores that for now in favor of staring deeply into her eyes. It's addictive, and slowly hands come up to smooth over her back before locking around her just as tenderly.

"What if I'm already satisfied?" he asks even as his voice falls into a husky register beyond his control. Of course, his flesh is never satisfied where Zari is concerned, but just this is enough to make him feel whole.

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