for Leah

[tooktheblack]

Ghost had been slinking off to see Leah for the better part of a month and Jon had, well, avoiding was a strong word. It was more like he was confused as to how Leah felt, given she'd been so cross with him and then followed it up with a kiss. After speaking with Charlie, though, he knew anything worth having was worth pursuing so when Ghost traipsed off, Jon made to follow.

He'd dressed as nicely as he could without being overt and brought flowers along with him. He figured he could always discard them if she seemed unamused and perhaps they would end on better terms than they'd left themselves at last time.

When he found where Leah was staying, he knocked lightly and waited. Ghost seemed...almost amused.

Damned direwolf.

Comments

[genetic_deadend]

People didn't knock on Leah's door all that often. She had a few friends by now, sure, but she usually saw them while she was out and about, either at meal times or somewhere around the Compound, maybe at the beach or during a class. She assumed it was probably Jake.

"Wrong door, your girlfriend's the next one over," she muttered to herself as she tossed her book down and got up to answer. Oh, well, that wasn't Jacob Black at all. Nope, had to be the guy she'd made a dumbass of herself in front of and had placed a big Abort Mission: Do Not Engage sign around, at least for the time being.

"Um." Leah fluffed her hair quickly with her fingertips and tried not to look terribly obvious in doing it. Thankfully she'd had a class earlier, so a little bit of effort had been put into looking presentable. She shot a quick glance down at Ghost and thought, you big freakin' traitor. "Hey."

[tooktheblack]

"I thought we might talk," Jon offered quietly, lifting the hand that held the bouquet to extend a hand in peace.

"I know Ghost has been coming to see you and I allowed it, of course, because he does what he chooses. But I did not want to be on ill terms with you and it seemed we were."

[genetic_deadend]

Leah stared at the flowers in a very obvious what-the-fuck stupor for a good two, three seconds before she finally accepted them. They were pretty, and it was sweet, and people just weren't sweet to her much anymore. The main reason being that she didn't invite it or do anything to earn it, of course, but the point stood.

"Um." Boy, aren't you the creative wordsmith tonight, Clearwater. "Okay...do you want to come in? Of course you want to come in," she sighed, and barely resisted the urge to thump her own forehead with the palm of her hand as she stepped back to let him pass through the doorway. "I mean I don't really want to stand out here myself, so. Come in."

[tooktheblack]

Jon stepped inside, grateful she hadn't gotten angry at him (yet) and chanced giving her a bit of a smile before looking to Ghost. He was behaved indoors, no chewing or marking, but one couldn't be too careful with a headstrong direwolf.

"Would you prefer Ghost goes on the hunt or may he stay inside with us?"

[genetic_deadend]

"Whatever he wants to do is fine." Leah wouldn't have had a problem saying no if she truly didn't want Ghost potentially knocking all her stuff over, but had a tendency to treat the direwolf like a person.

She lifted the flowers to her nose to smell the petals as she went inside, and let the two of them work it out. While she was at it, she looked around to make sure there were no stray pairs of panties or a bra laying around where there shouldn't be underthings laying. No point in letting herself get even more humiliated, but since there were no stray unmentionables, she set the flowers in a little cup and added some water. "You can, you know, sit wherever," she tossed over her shoulder.

[tooktheblack]

Ghost, predictably, followed Leah about while Jon settled in a chair and waited for her to be done with the flowers. The direwolf really cared for her company and as much as it puzzled him, it also pleased him; he couldn't be with anyone who didn't like Ghost and whom Ghost didn't like in return.

"Have you been well, then? I haven't seen you."

[genetic_deadend]

"I'm fine." Leah set the cup somewhere they'd be visible, knelt down quickly to give Ghost a quick scratch under the chin (even though he was a big fat traitor) before she finally flopped back down in the chair she'd been sitting in to read.

"I've had classes and I've been helping with the costumes for the musical. So, you know. Busy."

[tooktheblack]

"Have you done any better in archery? Or might you still need my help?" It was his attempt at being subtle; helping Leah in archery hadn't been much about archery and had been much more about spending time with Leah. He wouldn't be opposed to kissing once more, either, but time would tell.

His main concern was ensuring Leah wasn't still cross with him for kissing her the last time.

[genetic_deadend]

"I'm getting better." Leah became very preoccupied with a loose thread on the hem of her shorts, because bringing up the archery practice just wasn't all that subtle. The Thing happened because of that damned class. "Look, let's just clear the air. I kissed you, you kissed me, we didn't talk after that and now you're bringing me flowers. Did I miss a bullet point? Or does that about cover it?"

[tooktheblack]

"Er, no, that seems correct," Jon said, suddenly unsure of how to proceed when everything was laid out so bluntly for him. Leah was, however, a blunt creature and he should be used to that by now.

"I liked kissing you, Leah."

[genetic_deadend]

Leah very nearly started in on babbling a pseudo-apology that she'd done something dumb and impulsive and they could forget it ever happened and not be all awkward and crap over it because for God's sake it was just a kiss, but then had to say stuff that made her feel all stupid and girly. That was what'd started this whole thing in the first place.

"Is that why I get flowers?" she asked with a hint of a smile.

[tooktheblack]

Jon nodded, slightly embarrassed for his own part. "Er, yes. I wanted to bring you a token of my affection to see if your feelings were the same as mine. I thought flowers would be acceptable? Do they give flowers in your world?"

He hoped so. Otherwise, well. This was going to be more awkward.

[genetic_deadend]

Leah pressed a hand to her mouth to smother a snicker, though the humor was clearly visible on her face and in her eyes. For whatever reason, the way he worded things ('A token of my affection'? Really?) was more funny than irritating, for the moment at least.

"Yeah, for all sorts of reasons. I like them. I don't even know if I said that, or said thanks, so. I like them, thanks." She blew out a breath, and shoved a hand through her hair. "Look, I'm completely aware of how difficult I am. I guess I make a better wolf than a person. The big guy seems to think so."

She jerked her chin at Ghost, who seemed to have made himself right at home.

[tooktheblack]

"Ghost seems to like you just as you are," Jon remarked, looking at how the wolf had gravitated toward Leah instead of Jon. "Your wolf side seems to hold much sway with him and I guess he thinks of you as part of his pack."

He grinned a bit, shy. "So I guess it makes you part of mine."

[genetic_deadend]

Well, that was the first time anyone had actually seemed happy about that sort of news...then again, Jon didn't have to put up with her being in his head, so it didn't really mean the same thing.

"I really don't know what to do with how nonchalant you are about the wolf thing," she admitted with a small smile of her own. "It's...nice, though, having someone know and be okay with it."

[tooktheblack]

"I wish I could do it," Jon said quietly.

"I liked...even if I didn't understand the connection Ghost and I had, I liked being able to see through his eyes and to know his dreams and wants. Actually becoming the wolf, not just taking over his body, I can't imagine what it feels like but it is something I am interested in. How could I not be? I am half Stark."

[genetic_deadend]

Leah started to snap and tell him he didn't have a clue what he was talking about, but she stopped herself and tried to see where he was coming from; it really wasn't fair, not when her own experience with phasing was so shitty. Hell, if she could change a few things she might not hate it so much.

"So you want to be a werewolf and ride dragons," she quipped instead, and didn't bother to smother the chuckle this time. "I never know what to even do with you, Galahad."

[tooktheblack]

"Perhaps, if it's not assuming too much for my part, I could kiss you again? On a regular basis?"

It wasn't as nervous as he felt, asking her, because he'd decided he wanted it and was seeking it out instead of the way Ygritte had pushed things with him.

[genetic_deadend]

"On a regular basis," Leah repeated, and rolled her lips between her teeth to keep from either laughing or rolling her eyes and yelling what the hell are you again. "Yeah, we can give regular kissing a try."

[tooktheblack]

Jon motioned her close. "Come, then, Leah, and let me show you how I feel? I'm not very good with words. Actions tend to come easier to me than anything else."

Somehow, he got the sense that she was very much the same.

[genetic_deadend]

She had to hand it to Galahad, he could be direct when he wanted to be. Since there wasn't a lot of room in her chairs, Leah got up from hers and just sat down in his lap.

"Guess I should start calling you by your name," she quipped, curling her hands loosely around the back of his neck.

[tooktheblack]

"It would be nice, Milady," Jon teased, hand drifting through her hair to play with it. "But I won't expect it on a regular basis. You've...it's almost as if you were calling me sweetling or love like we would back in Westeros. I don't particularly mind it."

[genetic_deadend]

"I guess it was kind of a pet name, maybe, sometimes," Leah admitted, pursing her lips a little as he played with her hair, what little was there to be played with. She was trying to grow it out, but she couldn't do much to make it grown faster. Figures she'd get a boyfriend--or whatever--and he'd have prettier hair than her.

"Mostly, I was trying to annoy you."

[tooktheblack]

"You did a fair amount of that, too," Jon said, laughing. Nobody had ever really gotten under his skin the way Leah had except Ygritte and they were alike in more ways than one.

"Did you take lessons to find what would be most annoying at any given point?"

[genetic_deadend]

"Extensive notes," Leah deadpanned with a somber nod, tapping her temple. "All up here. With notations and bullet points."

Her lips quirked a little, before she leaned in and stole a quick kiss. "So don't piss me off. Or do and be prepared to face the music, either one."

[tooktheblack]

"I'll aim for the former," Jon said, pulling her closer for a deeper kiss. In this, at least, they were on equal footing.

"I want you to meet my brother. It isn't something...not a betrothal, or anything, just meeting him and his son."

[genetic_deadend]

Leah blinked, then narrowed her eyes at him and tugged his hair, just hard enough to be obviously intentional.

"You sneaky jackass," she huffed. "You kiss me brainless and then spring a 'meet the family' request on me. All that chivalry crap's just a cover, I'm onto you now."