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

"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.

Suddenly, it becomes all too apparent he touched on something he shouldn't have. He lets his own self-destructive behavior tangle with others' far too often. John cups her cheek tenderly, stroking the bone with his thumb.

"I listen to you." His voice crackles a little when he reminds her. Has he ever once shied away from who she is? It's more than a returned favor for how easily she accepts his bullshit. He bites into his lip, not wanting to sound too eager even if that's how he feels. "And I don't have to be one of your followers to hang off your every word."

Yeah, so much for not being eager. He presses a gentle kiss to her lips as he tries to come up with a better way to assure her of his loyalties. Old John may have been offended by this entire scenario, but she's changed him in ways he doesn't fully recognize yet.

"Look, I can't always promise to know exactly what you're talking about, but that doesn't mean I don't wanna hear it." She listens to his magic stuff just the same whether it makes sense to her or not. He tries to say the next part as gently as he can, but sometimes he really does think she needs the reminder. "I'm not one of your boyfriends by contract, Zari. I love you, all of you, even the boring parts."

She thinks he's pacifying her until the kiss comes. Zari returns it softly, drawing back to meet his eyes once it's done. He's so hopelessly earnest. Zari couldn't doubt him if she wanted to. As hard as it is to hear, she needs that reminder he isn't someone bought and bound by agreement. They're an experience that is only as good as she allows it to be.

She smiles apologetically, gaze soft as once again cups his face with only one hand this time. "Now you're being rude. I'm the most interesting woman you've ever met." She quips. Zari can't be sure that's even true considering the company they keep. "I love you too." She strokes her thumb over his cheekbone intentionally to mirror his gesture. "Why else would I let some strange man look at me for a year? No one else gets this kind of access to the Zari Tarazi you know."

He chuckles softly, impossibly soft really, as the kiss breaks and he can't help but rest his head against hers again. It never ceases to amaze him, how readily she returns his feelings, but he couldn't be more grateful for it in this moment.

"Don't I know it," he hums, bemused whenever she speaks of herself as the persona instead of the fragile woman before him. The disparity is what's so beautiful to John; that he's privileged enough to see behind the curtain. "And you are." The most interesting woman he's ever met, which is saying a lot really. He tucks some hair behind her ear and lets the silence lapse for just a moment before he feels compelled to dive back in with a joke. No surprise there.

"But we all have our mundanities, even us."

It is a good shield when she feels vulnerable. Zari wonders why she bothers at times. He can see beneath the persona and has for quite some time already. The influencer takes comfort in that and the warmth of his head against her. Brown eyes shut contently. A part of her wonders if they can't stay entwined like this forever. She knows realistically it's only a matter of time before one of their friends or brother come banging on the door. She has to enjoy this while she can.

"Really? Name one mundane thing about me." Zari challenges.

"Well..." he starts, finding the way their breathing mingles more distracting than it ought to be. "You hike, so."

John had intended to get up before they got in this position again, but now he feels effectively stuck. Pleasantly, of course.

"All I ask is you not judge me if you talking about shampoo bottle font changes gets me hot."

Zari scoffs playfully. "How dare you use hiking against me?" She laughs softly after the second. With great effort, she pulls back from John and smiles warmly. They really should get breakfast even if she is still clearly putting it off. "Oh, sweetie. I made me peace with how easy it is to get you hot a long time ago. You're powerless against my charms." She sighs wistfully like this has been such a burden for her.

"You're right, I actually find that you hike strangely endearing." He sighs as she pulls back, but recognizes it's for the best the moment they're out of the close proximity that was scrambling his brain. "And I do recall someone else being powerless not that long ago."

He leaves her with that as he uses her shoulder for leverage to get himself up and out of the bed, stark naked as he goes to hunt down his rumpled uniform. John makes sure to wink at her over his shoulder as he plucks his shirt off the floor.

Her face immediately gets hot which is exactly what he is going for or so Zari thinks. Zari's eyes narrow back at John. She gets out of bed, toes on her slippers, and shrugs on her silk bathrobe to do what else? Give him a peace of her mind. She hates when he gets her flustered.

"Hey!" She rounds on him to smack his shoulder in a display of maturity before he can get his shirt on. "Who said you could bring that up like ever? Don't forget who is actually in charge around here." Ignore the fact that she's blushing.

He shrugs on his shirt and considers the merits of buttoning it before he's found his pants, but then Zari is getting all indignant and blushing and it's really, really cute.

"Except when you aren't," he points out cheekily, murmuring a little aha! when he spots his trousers and moves to tug them from out from under the bed and then onto his legs.

It is ridiculously cute how flustered she gets. Zari only turns a darker shade of pink at his follow up. As usual once he plays with her, she can't help playing back. "You really want to go there?" She challenges just before she makes her move. It is extremely unfair to shove a man who is trying to get his pants and yet that is exactly what Zari does. She pushes him onto the floor and straddles him to prove a point. As if this in any way teaches John a lesson about embarrassing her. "Because you really don't look in charge right now."

Caught off-guard, it's extremely easy to overpower him, and he goes down hard. It knocks the wind out of him, but as he's catching his breath just as she pins him to the ground with his pants around his ankles and not one button done up on his shirt yet.

"Only cause you caught me with my pants down," he jokes with a dry laugh that quickly spirals into a cough.

Despite the actual violence she just displayed, he can't help the way his body wants to react to her right now though he knows they don't have the time. The only way he can think to retaliate is by nudging his hips up into hers, it seems suggestive until he uses it to flip her over so he's covering her on the floor now, his hands pinning her wrists against the hard floor.

"Why so red, sweetheart?" Nevermind the bright red flush crawling up his chest and onto his own throat.

Edited 2020-11-28 04:49 (UTC)

It makes for a pretty picture in Zari's book. Maybe it wasn't the nicest thing to do. She's certainly appreciating the view from above. Zari soon feels the nudge and prepares to shut that one down just as flips the script on her. She lets out a soft sound of protest as her back hits the floor. Zari glances at her wrists irritably as once again she remembers that he can do that.

"I could ask you the same thing." Zari meets his gaze, then drawing attention to the red creeping at his throat with her eyes, back up again. She's determined to play it cool even as she feels her body react, nipples pebbling underneath the silk. At least the robe is a nice cover for that, Zari thinks.

"You should get dressed, sweetheart. You look ridiculous." And you know if it gets her up that's just a nice perk. Actions having consequences is so overrated.

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