nifties | I'm way too young to lie here forever⭐️

There's always so much to do. Zari can't blame work completely. There are products that are years in development that had to be launched, there are live streams to host, and new videos to film. There's analytics to go over for the videos and products. John has a girl who he lost for years to settle into the world. Demons clearly still need to be fought. Together they have to save history from the latest stupid and yet incredibly dangerous thing to happen. Is it aliens this time? Zari can't even keep track until they figure out who the actual big bad is this time. Not to mention training with Behrad so they can live up to that Wonder Twin name that Nate still thinks is cool. Really the list goes on.

At least they finally got a night together. Zari stirs slowly as his hand moves. The words slowly filter in, causing her to smile even while not being quite awake. Her eyes don't properly open until his hand settles on her cheek. Brown eyes blink open slowly. (She doesn't bother with the face mask when they're sleeping together.)

That smile widens as she takes him in. "Nooré Cheshm-am." Zari greets fondly. She knows John has no idea what she just called him, but who cares? Her tone implies it's very romantic. "Am I dreaming?" She reaches up to touch the hand over her cheek to confirm he's really there. Obviously it's been forever.

If anyone else called him names in a foreign tongue all the time, he'd be concerned about what it meant. When Zari does it, it's just another thing about her he finds ridiculously endearing.

"Yes," he tries though it hardly sounds convincing. "Go back to sleep." Despite the words, he leans down over her to brush the softest kiss against her brow, his free hand pushing hair out of her eyes as his thumb moves across her cheekbone.

Edited 2020-11-24 04:25 (UTC)

She squeezes his hand gently as he showers affection on her. Zari couldn't be smiling any harder at the softness on display here. Her eyes to fall shut again at his touch. "I don't know. What if there's some strange man is in my bed reciting plays and watching me sleep?" She cracks one eye open playfully. "I bet he's just waiting for me to lower my guard as we speak."

"Well, that all depends... on if this strange man's advances are untoward." He blinks a few times in perfect innocence before bowing his head to kiss softly behind her ear and trailing down her throat. "...Or not."

Zari laughs as his lips press against such a tender spot. Both eyes are open now, gazing at John with pure adoration. "I'd say they are. Maybe I don't mind a little untoward behavior in the morning."

"So... you don't need rescue, is how I'll take that." It's a lot of pressure when she looks at him that way, which might be why he blurts the next bit out. "Do you know what today is?"

He's never been one to bother with anniversaries, but then again, has he ever even made it a year staring at anyone else?

"Hmm... after careful consideration..." Zari starts before his question filters in. Her eyes widen as she realize she truly has no idea what he is talking about. Zari truly has no clue what the actual day is much less if it's significant. She has been bribing herself with John time to get through quarterly reports and other tasks that Had To Be Done in a timely manner for what feels like ages. She never accounted for the actual day it would happen or if anything important was going on.

"Today is a day... a completely special day. Which I totally know about." That is why she is rolling out of bed. Zari makes a beeline for her purse so she can unearth the phone she stays off of when John is around. "Just give me a minute, baby. I totally know. Just need to confirm it." That's why her lip gloss is flying across the room as she empties her bag like a madwoman. She's so confident!! "And the plans! I bet we have plans! They're on my phone." She's totally going to call Leslay and make plans. What is the male equivalent for apology roses? She has to ask her followers.

He was fully expecting her to say 'no' but not for her to freak out so completely, which is on him honestly. After a moment of fruitlessly reaching for her, he lays back on his back, his hand laying across his forehead as he laughs to himself.

"Zari... Alright. Go ahead, but we don't have plans." He was trying to make some but she upended his whole cute thing he was doing so there's probably nothing left to do but get up. He'll still put it off a few more seconds, though. "Don't call that poor woman, please."

She finally locates her phone after a minute of digging. Zari doesn't check the date, of course. She immediately goes to call Leslay only to stop at John's insistence. She sighs, putting the phone back in her bag, and pads back to bed in defeat. She just has to own it. "I have no idea what you're talking about, babe. I'm the worst." She takes a seat on the bed and implores him with her eyes not to be mad at her.

"Tell me and I promise I'll make it up to you. Do you want a car? Or flowers?" She grins as Zari immediately gets carried away with the idea of a big gesture. "Oh! What about a car filled with flowers? Sky's the limit, babe."

The veritable wardrobe that he's never really worn save around the ship was the only "big gesture" that he ever accepted in terms of Zari's riches. Here where they're sequestered away from her stardom it's easy to pretend she isn't some disgustingly rich celebrity in her time. He smiles softly, slowly shifting to sit back up so the sheets pool forgivingly at his waist. Now that they're comfortable with one another, he doesn't see any reason not to sleep in the nude.

"It wasn't a trick question, I was going to tell you." John holds out his hands for hers once she gets back in range. "Though I suppose a car full of flowers wouldn't go completely amiss." He knows he shouldn't make fun of her, but sometimes he can't help but encourage her more ridiculous gestures.

He makes sure not to go on too long or he actually will end up with a Tesla full of daisies.

"I'm actually not sure it's legal for me to drive... anywhere or anywhen. But I appreciate the thought. "

The only real change Zari has made is ditching the sleeping mask. She's still in her trademark silk pajamas, but John has never complained. They do feel heavenly. She takes his hands into his, squeezing gently. For the record, John absolutely was thirty seconds away from Zari doing just that.

She nods, mildly disappointed, but understanding all the same. "Right, I always forget you're super sketch in your time. No car." She brings one hand to her lips and presses a kiss to the back of it gently. "I still want to do know what today is and give you something that isn't a car."

"Unless it fills you with the utmost confidence to know Gary Green is driving me around the 21st century," he points out while squeezing her hands gently and looking deeply into her eyes the way he never seems able to prevent. He chews on his lips, suddenly nervous now that she's making a bigger deal out of this than he'd originally intended by bringing it up. "Unless I'm mixing my dates, which is rather easy to do on a time ship, admittedly... I do believe it's been a calendar year since I first laid eyes on you." And he hasn't looked away since- John swallows, forcing himself to maintain eye contact even as his cheeks tinge pink.

"It really doesn't." Zari replies flatly. She is going to have to pretend to have never heard that sentence for her sanity. She can't control what he does at his work anymore than he can hers. Her eyes search his before he ever utters a word. What he tells her actually fills her with relief. They've gone over already how they noticed each other at two different points. She wouldn't have saved the date the way she did when he officially agreed to date her.

Her gaze reflects her relief which quickly morphs into something so tender that surely only John and Behrad have ever seen it. She doesn't argue or run off to check her phone again. She takes his word for it. "What a year it's been." Zari remarks fondly. Sometimes she thinks they've been through more together than most married couples. Is she wrong? They've survived the death of a brother they loved, the death of all their friends, Charlie's betrayal, her possession, almost losing Behrad again, getting Astra back... the list goes on and on. They always stuck together even when Zari was her angriest with him and the world itself for stealing her precious Behrad. Who else can claim something like that?

"How do you want to celebrate?" She drops all the lavish gifts or overcompensating. It means a lot that he not only knows the date, but treasures it. This makes her feel so loved and cherished than a hundred positive comments on catchat.

"I didn't think so," he admits, unable to keep himself from returning that vulnerable look tenfold. He has to snort softly at her rejoinder, shaking his head. "So I take it the car is off the table?"

He takes her hand and pulls it close so he can brush his lips across the inside of her wrist.

"Well, I figure we're going to get roped into some ridiculous mission or another, yeah? But if we can, maybe, disappear for a while without anyone noticing..." Like they don't look for opportunities to do just that during every field mission. "Or find an opportunity to nick the jumpship for a few hours..." He's hoping she'll have a more specific idea, in other words.

"I'm not buying Gary a car to wreck." Zari confirms with a huff. She's kidding, but also not. She doubts it'll survive a week with Gary's antics. She hums at the rest, reading between the lines as always. Really both scenarios appeal to her. Zari always enjoys ditching the team to run off with her boyfriend. It's actually a miracle (aka Sara having no room to talk) they're still allowed to work together considering.

"Okay so basically your dream girl has to do all the work while you stand there and look pretty for her." Zari complains. She clearly doesn't mean it. That little kiss fills her belly with butterflies. "Fair enough. I think we're due for a romantic dinner and spa day. Are we going for your time or mine? I have a top ten list for both." That must be a joke except haha no. No. She really does have them.

"Knew you'd see it my way," he says smugly, leaning in to kiss her forehead next. "A spa day, hm? Am I getting ripe again?" John makes a show of sniffing an armpit then shrugs. As she knows, it's hard for him to accept her rather lavish lifestyle, let alone taking part in it.

His free hand snakes around her waist, his eyes imploring her in a new and deeper way.

"You'd risk being seen with me? In public?" Just like hers, it's both a joke and not.

"Very sexy, babe." Zari rolls her eyes at his dramatics. If he were that bad, she would have banished him from the bed and they both know it. That look has her melting again. Zari takes his face into her hands. She holds it delicately in her grasp; as if she could ever really hurt him. "I'm not ashamed of my beautiful moon." She pledges sweetly. Her eyes trail off as she concedes one problem with that plan. "I am worried about breaking the timeline, but if we go somewhere remote enough and I get my people to clear the place..." She shrugs. Her guards already get plenty of paid time off when she's away. They can drop everything to make sure wherever they go is secure from prying eyes and you know stalkers. It's what they're paid for.

"Or we go to your time and be as public as we want." You know save for all the enemies he made there. It can't be that bad, right?

His gaze trembles when she holds him that way, like he might shatter. His hands close over her wrists as he forces himself not to look away. As always, she's put way too much thought into this, just as she knew she would. She never has to remember a date with him when this is the outcome.

"Considering a bloody demon still found us after your people "cleared the place"... well. Perhaps it's time we took the chance."

John has been scared of bringing Zari around his time, for so many reasons... But after a year, it isn't like she's going to become any less a part of his life. Maybe it's time he show her a few things.

"And I do have access to a lovely place in the charmingly rolling hills of Atlanta..."

Zari frowns at the criticism. She's actually very fond of her employees. It's what gets her into situations like the one with Derek and her old assistant. She refuses to learn save for her tormenting of poor Leslay who she makes every effort not to get too close to. "Hey! They're only qualified to handle human and metahuman threats to my person. They don't know how to keep demons from stalking my boyfriend after I ask them to clear the area nor did I ask them to." Because that's too insane... okay maybe not to Paul. She feels like marines probably know demons are a thing, but he's too competent to scare off if she's wrong.

The mention of Atlanta effectively distracts her from defending their honor some more. "Oh! That's actually on the list for your time. Let's go there. We can hike!" She's already mentally picking up the boots for it.

"That wasn't a criticism of them, luv," he assures her, tipping his face against hers. Subtlety is maybe not his strong suit, but still he tries. The next bit distracts him the same as it did her, easily moving on from her entire staff and the fact that she even has a whole staff to clear spaces. "You hike?"

That strikes him as so completely odd in the moment he actually pushes back from her, wrinkling his nose as he tries to picture it.

"I mean... you know I don't hike." The word even sounds weird coming from his mouth. Has he ever said it before?

Zari drops her hands to his shoulder blades. She's actually surprised that is a surprise. 2040s have less of a deadly bug and plant problem so that might be a factor. "Duh, babe. Do you have any idea how much I have to work out to maintain this body? Just because I'm not super jacked like Sara and Ava..." She sighs wistfully. Not what she'd aim for in an ideal body at all, but Zari does think they look hot.

"Okay, point taken. We do need to take advantage of the natural beauty so what are you into? Bonfires? Sure, my hair will smell, but we could grill. We could also cuddle under the stars."

"...No, actually." He blinks a few times, but easily falls into her eyes again. After a year, it still feels like there's so much she holds back from him, even if it might not be intentional. John's always afraid to ask if it is. "I mean, I would- try to hike. If you wanted me to."

Since he definitely isn't sure he's into grilling. John lets out a nervous chuckle, pushing a panel of her hair over her shoulder.

"Are you describing... camping?" Because that is funny to picture, for either of them honestly.

Zari looks surprised at her oversight. This is mostly unintentional on Zari's part. She's conditioned pretty thoroughly at this point to never get into the details of anything she's doing. If John saw how things were with her parents, he'd quickly get why. Zari barely gets a sentence out when the dismissals come. She couldn't handle it if John ever behaved that way so she never gives him the chance to. The only thing she hides is weird online experiences that everyone with her celebrity gets into. That he definitely is better off never getting stressed about.

She shudders at the thought of camping. "God, no. I'm describing... selective moments outdoors. No more than an hour." She nods, mind already buzzing with a new plan. "New proposal: we hit up a really nice restaurant, head back to this place of yours, and walk off our meal around it? Finish off our day indoors doing whatever works for us." She grins slyly though it fades quickly as she realizes she knows nothing about this place. "Please tell me this place has a tub. There's no way we're skipping a bath bomb on an anniversary. We're not animals."

What she describes sounds much more his speed, both personality-wise and physically and he's grinning by the time she gets to the bath.

"Like I'd stay anywhere without one," he reminds her unnecessarily of his ridiculous obsession while rubbing his nose up against hers. Something is still bothering him and while usually, he'd gloss over it, the fact that no one has vaulted through their locked door yet means he has a few more minutes of intimacy to waste on insecurities. Lucky him. "You know I'd never... judge you, yeah? I mean, look at me."

Literally a walking disaster. He doesn't care how much she works out or, doesn't. Or how many people she hires to make sure everything in her life that can be controlled is controlled. He gets the impetus behind that one anyway. There's pretty much a constant spiral going on over here.

John would touch on insecurities this early in the morning. Zari sighs against his face which makes her cringe. She's positive her breath can't be that attractive in the morning. "I know.... kind of." Zari chews on her lip anxiously. She should just drop it or claim she's kidding. The truth spills out of her in a rush instead. "People don't listen to me. I know that sounds insane when my followers fall off my every word, but that's different. I'm talking about them even if I'm not saying their names. Zari is a whole different story." There is a reason why even Leslay could steamroll her when the topic of engagement came up. Zari couldn't draw up an act for that. That's how she loses ground every time.

She can't meet his eyes as they discuss this. Her eyes fixate on the curve of his shoulder as if she hasn't mapped that with her hands and mouth a thousand times over at this point. "I just don't want you to roll your eyes and say that's nice when I tell you about meeting one of my goals at the gym or how many font changes I had to make to a shampoo label. I know it's not that interesting to anyone else." It matters to her. She has an image to maintain and followers to please. She likes getting both right. These are the little details in her life that no one else gets.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject