Who: JJ & Derry What: Walking Date When: Saturday, June 8 Where: The Lake, then the Greenhouse (because Snow in June!?) Warnings: Fluff, Making out. Fun stuff.
Derry wasn’t working today, but by living in the bunkhouse it meant being able to wander around the reserve was easy to do. He was waiting for JJ downstairs at the bunkhouse so they could do just that, but avoid the woods today and go explore the lake instead. He was a bit nervous while he waited to go meet with JJ for their date.
There had been a few motivations going through his mind when he’d offered to call their outing a date. The first one had been very obvious at the time, he wanted to make JJ happy. He was pretty sure that was successful. Secondly, after working with Njall he was more hopeful that maybe he could live a life that was more normal. And because of that hope, his third motivation was that he was looking forward to spending time with JJ and getting to know her.
That realization had inspired the poem he’d sent her the day before. He knew it would have been the end of a long week, and wanted to let her know that he was looking forward to seeing her. And now that it was the day off, his anticipation wasn’t any less.
With a definite bounce in her step, JJ came in from outside, but she had to pause to shake some of the snow from her hair. "It's June, and it's snowin'! These mountains sure are bonkers." She grinned as she came to join him. For a second or two, she considered hugging him, but instead she kind of rocked back on her rain boots heels and stuck her hands in her pocket. "It ain't so bad, though. Nothin' a coupla warmin' charms won't fix. I&mash;"
Her cheeks went hot, gaze going toward the ground. "Thank you very much for my poem. I loved it. Totally made all the madness of this past week worth it."
Derry was used to wearing big coats or long sleeves so he was already prepared for the snow. He smiled as JJ came in and chuckled at the way she shook the fallen flakes from her hair. “And after I’d thought all the snow was cleared up in the woods,” he said while shaking his head, completely agreeing that the weather was ridiculous. “Warming charms are an easy fix then. It might be colder by the lake anyway,” he agreed.
He hadn’t really expected JJ to be the shy type, as she looked away from him while she thanked him. “No, thank you. You were the inspiration for it,” Derry assured her. “Are you ready to go out or do you want to warm up a bit first?”
Rather than fall into the 'no, thank you' cycle, JJ just smiled at him and cast another warming charm on herself. As almost an afterthought, she summoned a slouchy knit hat from her room and stuffed it on her head. "Nah, I'm ready! Let's get this walkin' date on the road!"
Although it was really tempting, she didn't reach out and take his hand as they moved outside. The wind was bracing, but couldn't cut through the bubble of warmth surrounding her&mash;at least not for now. "Were you able to escape any more of the madness of the Week of Ridiculously Pretty People?"
Derry performed a warming charm on himself as well before they headed out of the bunkhouse. His hands had gone right to his pockets though that was more habit… Njall had helped reduce the bark on his skin, but it was instinct for Derry to hide his hands just in case even when gloved.
The wind was cold, and he wondered if this was even a good idea, but didn’t voice that question as he did want to spend time with JJ. So conversation was a good way to not doubt and question every action. “I did avoid most of it though I ended up walking by the shoot yesterday at the fairy enclosure. Not intentionally though,” he explained. “Did you have fun? I know it was a lot of work, but was it all worth it?”
"I did! And I think it will be. They raise a lot of money every year, and I'm a sucker for a good cause." She smiled at him, and then she let out a tiny gasp as her eyes widened. "Did you say the fairy enclosure? Did you actually get to see Dr. Glitterstar?"
JJ had this happiness and positivity about her that was very infectious. Derry couldn’t help but smile while listening to JJ speaking about the good cause and where the money was going. When she gasped though and asked about the photoshoot at the fairy enclosure, Derry actually laughed. He didn’t really know Kent Brightstar, but he knew enough by reputation to know that was a name the man would not want to get around.
“I didn’t realize what I was seeing at the time, but yes I guess I did. He’d looked a weird combination of shiny blue and purple at the time,” Derry explained. “I wasn’t really that close, or there that long to tell. Did you see him?”
A weird little hiccuping laugh kind of caught in her throat as she tried to hold it back. It wasn't particularly kind, even if the idea was hilarious. That didn't keep her from attempting to visualize the sourpuss decked out in head-to-toe glitter, nor did it keep the sparkle of amusement out of her eyes. "Nah, I was runnin' around to some of the other areas, tryin' to help get things set up for the last session which was just pickup shots. I missed the whole thing, but one of the 'Potters that was there for it told me about it afterwards. For the record, she was the one that called him Dr. Glitterstar, not me."
After a brief reflective pause, JJ's mouth pulled to one side and her gaze drifted to the ground. An uncomfortable feeling settled in her stomach, and she didn't quite know what to do with her hands. They fidgeted with the edge of her coat for want of something better to do. "I don't suppose that's very nice, though. Maybe I shouldn't tease so. I'm sorry. I try not to be that person."
What started out as a funny story seemed to fade off into something more concern. Derry felt bad with JJ looking down, and he wanted to reassure her in some way. So… taking his hand out of his pocket he reached for JJ’s hand that was closest to his.
“You don’t have to be sorry. I laughed too. You didn’t mean any harm,” he said as he threaded his fingers with hers. “It was a long week. You’ve been busy. Doesn’t give one a lot of process time,” Derry offered.
But he figured a subject change would be good too. “So what are you going to do now? Going back to the job regular duties for now or anything big planned in the future?” he asked and Derry kept JJ’s hand in his as they walked to the lake.
There was always that chance that, no matter how much you liked someone, a physical spark wouldn't be there. It was a subconscious fear, an unconscious tension that JJ felt whenever she found herself in that situation, optimistic expectation warring with certain dread. But Derry took that moment out of the equation when he eased his hand into hers. Giddiness fluttered in her stomach, and it felt like electricity had taken up residence in her fingers. She took in a short breath and offered him a sweet smile from the side, and gave his hand a gentle squeeze.
"I suppose it's back to real life, but I have to admit, I meant what I said the other day. I do love it. I guess I kinda miss it too. All the rush and go-go-go. It's hard to say which I like more, honestly. The quiet is nice, the easy pace of this place. I wish there was a way to do both. Maybe get my music back out there again, do a couple of shows here and there. Sometimes I even forget why I left it in the first place." She shrugged, and bumped her shoulder into his. "But this is great, too. Just out, enjoyin' nature with someone I-I like."
Derry smiled back and from JJ’s smile he took that to mean he’d done the right thing, and of course, JJ didn’t let go of his hand after that either. He didn’t know anything about JJ’s life, but if it had been busy before, perhaps she’d come to the reserve for a break. “Your music?” he asked and it was Derry’s turn to seem sheepish as he had no idea that JJ had been a professional pop star before all this.
He’d felt JJ close as their shoulders bumped together. Derry smiled at JJ beside him. “Usually I’m just by myself, so… it is better to have someone else to enjoy it with. Or it’s just better to have company anyway.”
"I feel kinda bad that we've never run into each other before—well, no more than seein' you in the cafeteria or around sometimes. Trainin' almost never gets me into the greenhouses, and I'm not an intern so it's not like I do rotations like they do. Sometimes I go to Felix's office for lunch—he's the best, ain't he?—but even that ain't near as frequently as I'd like." She smiled at the cold ground. They were nearing the lake and it was getting colder. The warming charm was having a hard time keeping up.
With her free hand, she retrieved her phone, remembering his question about her music. "It's probably, I dunno, well, I dunno what it says about me that I have this favorited, but it makes this more convenient." She started it playing and show it to him. It was one of her videos; her voice came from the speaker, and after a moment JJ started singing along. She may have looked really different as Jaybird, but her voice was unmistakable. "I didn't dream you up / I don't have that kind of power / But every time I'm not near you / Feels like a wasted hour."
“That’s probably more my fault than yours,” Derry assured JJ when she said mentioned nothing running into each other before now. “I generally keep to myself and I’m not in the greenhouses that often either. And well… it takes me a long time to be comfortable around other people or a new place,” he explained. Sometimes it was easier to keep people at a distance.
It was colder at the lake, but Derry didn’ reach for his wand to renew their warming charms yet. He was distracted by JJ pulling out her phone and showing him one of her music videos. He immediately remembered her singing in the woods last week. While Derry didn’t follow any musician in particular, he did recognize that this was a pop song he’d heard before.
“That’s beautiful. You’re really talented. I’m sorry I hadn’t realized that you were a professional,” he said and again it was his turn to look embarrassed.
"Nah, I get that—both things, really. It's like… I know I'm friendly, but lettin' people in, really lettin' 'em in, that's another matter entirely. And my music ain't somethin' I normally lead with either. It can sometimes raise questions I can't say I'm very keen on answering under most circumstances. It's kinda nice not being known around here." JJ settled her arm against his, and smiled over at him with pink cheeks. "It's also nice gettin' to know you. Where're you from, anyway? And how long have you been at the reserve?"
Derry was picking up the hint that JJ didn’t want people asking her why she wasn’t still pursuing her musical career still. He could certainly respect her privacy. “Still, I’ll have to educate myself and listen to more of your music. Though, I think I like listening to you sing in person more,” he said smiling at her, and noticed her pink cheeks.
It was only fair to tell JJ more about himself as she had done. “I’m from Nevada, though I was actually born in Greece,” Derry explained. It had been a bit of a problem for his Dad to travel back to the US with him. “I’ve been at the reserve for almost two years now. I was looking for a new job and there had been an opening in herbology, so I took the opportunity.”
She ducked her head a little and gave his fingers another squeeze. "Shouldn't tell me that, hon. If you're not careful, I'll turn your life into a musical—complete with giant and improbable dance numbers." Her hips gave a little shimmy, and she laughed before looking at him, delighted. "Greece? I loved it there. Did a gig near Athens. This whole European thing. Spent most of the trip living out of suitcases, though. Never really got to soak up the local color. But I keep makin' this about me. Sorry. Have you always been into plants, or was that just an occupational hazard?"
Derry did laugh at that tease. “Though I did say I just wanted to hear you sing,” he added to her tease but he didn’t want to take away from her laughter. “It’s alright. You probably remember more than I do. I was a baby when my father brought me back to the US,” he explained. While he thought about the next question, Derry did take the opportunity to put warming charms on them again. “It’s really trees that I have a … connection to, for lack of a better word,” Derry offered for that question. “But, my Dad was a herbologist too, so I was interested in what he did. And when I was old enough, I went to Sedona and went through their herbology program.”
"The family business! That's great. I think I stole all the artistic ability in my family, so it's great that you have somethin' you can share with your daddy." They were at the lake now. It reflected the grey of the sky, and the wind whipped it into little foaming caps. There was rime on the small rounded rocks on the shore, and the frigid water lapped at them. Her face fell a little. "I think I should've paid more attention to the weather forecast. This isn't really what I was picturin' at all when I suggested a do-over."
A small pout pulled at her mouth, and she patted her pocket. "I had it in my head that I'd surprise you with a picnic out here, but I'm sure any amount of warming spells isn’t gonna make this day remotely tolerable. Would you mind if we went inside again?"
“Yeah, he’s pretty proud,” Derry agreed about sharing something with his dad. They were at the lake, and his hand was still in JJ’s as they reflected if this was the best location today. He was disappointed that she was disappointed. “The weather is fickle like that and always changing,” he said.
“If you want to go back inside, I don’t mind,” Derry said and he was surprised that JJ had brought a picnic. “This just means we’ll have to try a third time with good weather and no trips to the healer,” he explained. This stopped him short a bit because that meant he was already suggesting a third time out together… and really a second date.
He did have an idea though to hopefully make a good compromise. “Do you want to try the greenhouse? It’ll be warmer in there, and there is at least some reminder of still being outside.”
"Why, Mr. Ackerly, I do declare that you have the very best ideas." She deliberately thickened up her accent and released his hand to take his arm. "Shall we retire to the greenhouse, and you can tell me more about this third get-together we might attempt?"
Derry laughed as JJ took his arm instead but was pleased at the mood change. He was pleased that she liked the idea. “I guess it is my turn to pick the next scenic location,” he laughed when she mentioned the third attempt.
Conveniently, Derry had keys to the Greenhouse, and it was closer to where they were than going back to the bunkhouse. He’d opened the door and held it for JJ to go in first. It was warmer inside, as the warming spells and the natural greenhouse effect was at play. Derry lead JJ to his section where he had Wiggentrees waiting to be planted. “Here should be fine.”
Pretty much immediately, the temperature change had her sloughing off her coat and storing her hat in one of her pockets. From the other she brought out shrunk-down tote that she enlarged with a whispered spell. She felt herself blushing as she looked around, taking in all the greenery. It was so lush and vibrant, completely at odds with the exterior they'd just left. She set both tote bag and coat down and wandered around the little space they were in, reaching for but not quite touching the leafy ends and fronds of the various plants. Coming to the Wiggentrees, she crouched down and ran her fingers just a little above the irregular lines of one, like she was tracing its aura, a delighted smile coming to her face. "They look kinda like bonsai trees! Where are they gonna go?"
Derry took off his coat and gloves because it was warm enough for him to at least settle for just the long sleeve shirt he had underneath. He didn’t know if there were any interns or other employees working today, but since they were going to be by his plants, he figured it didn’t matter.
He’d lost track of where JJ had gone, and noticed her crouching near one of the wiggentrees. “Careful,” he said hurrying over to her, and taking her hand but didn’t pull it from where she was not-quite touching. “There are bowtruckles. They protect the trees,” he said, while he laughed a bit at that. “They’re used for healing but they will get planted around the reserve. If you touch the trunk of a wiggentree is protects you from being attacked by dark creatures.”
Again, that little thrill went straight through her, but intensified as his gloveless fingers slid against hers. She felt a little breathless, but pushed the feeling down while she nodded at him. "Somethin' tells me it's not that simple." A wry smile tugged at her lips for a second, but she replaced it with something more open as she turned her face to look at him. Ignoring was the name of the game as she realized just how close he was to her now. "We studied bowtruckles a little for the two seconds I was in herbology at HAHA. They're literal stick people!"
He’d realized a bit too late that JJ hadn’t actually been touching the tree but… well Bowtruckles were known to attack people before in large numbers. So better safe. And Derry looked sheepish as he was still holding her hand but didn’t really want to let go. “Well… it’s more of a temporary protection. You can’t live your life holding onto a wiggentree. So yeah, not that simple,” he explained about it being a barrier of protection.
Derry smiled as JJ seemed to switch up her mood again. “Yeah, so they can blend into the tree. I don’t claim to be an expert on creatures, but it’s bowtruckles I know something about.”
There really wasn't much that was simple about dealing with dark anything, she didn't think. But the topic had moved on and was a far too heavy one for their present conversation. Reluctantly, she moved away from the wiggentrees and found a clear spot among the fostered foliage that was large enough for them to be able to sit. From the tote, she pulled out a flannel blanket and various containers of food. She kept her gaze on the ground as she unfolded the blanket and set it down. "This is so silly. I don't even know what you like to eat. I just kinda raided the kitchens and threw things together. For all I know, you might be vegan or have some kinda food allergy."
Derry helped JJ with spreading out the blanket and took a seat next to her. He was fine avoiding conversations about dark creatures and the like… especially after he’d already been worried about JJ when she’d succumbed to the effects of the plants last week.
“I have no allergies… but I am a vegetarian,” he admitted with a sheepish grin, as if he had just given reason to all of JJ’s worries. “But as long as it’s not meat, I promise I’ll eat whatever you brought.”
She brightened again and proudly opened a container of hummus and vegetables. "Then I might have been prescient! Maybe hanging out with the psychic critters all the time is rubbin' off on me." JJ knocked her shoulder into his with a laugh and then pulled out some sandwich ingredients—cheese and turkey and whole wheat bread, that sort of thing. "What's the day to day life of a herbologist look like in a place like this anyway?"
Derry was relieved and he smiled to see JJ brighten up again. “Maybe. You could also be very good at planning picnics,” he complimented her and started to help himself with JJ opened up the containers of food. “Well, you’ve seen a bit of my life already. I walk around in the woods,” he explained since it was just the easiest way to explain it. “I guess we do the same things the keepers and wranglers do with creatures, except we take care of plants. Sometimes those plants even bite back too.”
Her hand went to her shoulder in an unconscious gesture. "Don't I know it. Did Felix ever tell you about the first time I met him? He was looking for these icicle plant things, right? But he got lost along the way and found me instead, so I took him in the general direction. And what do I get for my trouble? Well, his friendship for one, which was great, but also the darned thing decided I looked like lunch and bit me!" JJ laughed. "I need to stop makin' these first meetings so memorable. Might make people start havin' expectations."
“No he didn’t,” Derry said and let JJ tell her story. He knew that Felix was friends with JJ and he’d been worried about her after she’d fainted in the woods. Perhaps Derry needed to talk to Felix… about JJ to see if there was anything he needed to know.
He did laugh when she mentioned that she had gotten bit by a plant before. “You definitely need to be more careful I think,” Derry offered but it wasn’t a criticism. “You’re memorable enough on your own though.”
Her head ducked as another blush lit up her cheeks. "You're sweet," she observed. "But I'm pretty sure that the flora of this place is out to get me in a way that the fauna is not." JJ picked up a bunch of grapes and offered him one. "I don't ask for things to happen to me, I just think I might be a magnet for it, unfortunately." She peered over at him. "You sure you still wanna chance bein' around me?"
Derry took the offered grape and frowned. It did seem like JJ was a little accident prone. However, Derry was more interested in staying close to her then to run away. “I’m sure. And Maybe if you need help and protection from the flora, just let me know,” he offered.
A faint smirk settled on her lips. "Are you part of the plant mafia? How much is this protection gonna cost me?"
Derry laughed and shook his head. “Didn’t you call me a hero before?” he asked and blushed because he didn’t really see himself that way. “It won’t cost you anything unless you think spending more time with me is a cost.”
"No! Not at all. This is great. Spending time with you has been great. You're great. I really need to stop saying 'great'. That would be great. Sorry." JJ popped a couple of grapes in her mouth and became very interested in a nearby leafy fronded plant just to her side.
“I agree,” Derry said smiling but tried not to laugh. “It is great,” he said. He did let JJ have her moment to look away though but he still reached for her hand beside him.
She looked from their hands to his face, searching it, though for what she wasn't entirely sure. "It's not just that. That you're my hero, or that you saved me, I mean. Felix did that too, and I'm not—" An inward debate made her pause, but she forged ahead. "I feel like I should tell you that we've kissed, me and Felix. But he's my friend, that's all. I like him, I adore him, but I don't like-like him. We've never— I've never…"
It was a contrast that Derry wasn’t always so aware of. People usually did talk more than him, but JJ did seem to have this continuing need to keep talking. Not that he minded, except when he thought she was getting more anxious. She seemed to share more things at that point than Derry really expected. It didn’t bother him that JJ had kissed Felix. He also understood that wasn’t the point of mentioning it either.
With his other hand moving to JJ’s cheek, he leaned in to kiss her lips softly. Derry was not usually impulsive, and this might not even be the right thing to do, but he knew that he wanted to. “This is a date,” he said pulling back after he’d cut her off. “A first date. And if there are more to come… I would be happy about that,” Derry said and gave her hand a squeeze.
If she had any notion that her rambling nonsense would result in this soft kiss, then maybe someone could have accused her of orchestrating the whole thing. But that had definitely not been her design when she'd started talking just then, or at any point that day. In the grand scheme of things, there were a lot worse ways to be hushed up. Her eyes had fallen closed at that first brush of lips against hers, and she felt like she was just sort hanging between moments. Her face felt hot when he pulled back again, and it took a second or two for his words to even register anything close to meaning in her head as she opened her eyes to look at him again. Rather stupidly, she said the first thing that popped into her head. "Hashtag-Same."
Derry knew that JJ had let slip a lot more than just kissing, but that wasn’t important now. He smiled at JJ’s response. He didn’t think her response was stupid at all. “Good,” Derry said simply to agreement. This time he looked down to where their hands were threaded together. “And I guess I should say… I don’t date that often. I mean, I have dated other people here in Snowcap since I’ve moved here, but I just mean… I don’t really go into this kind of thing lightly.”
She nodded slowly, still a little dazed, but smiled. "I never came here with romance in mind. Far from it. It was a complication on the road, a trap I kept fallin' into. I'd fall too fast, too hard. Forget all the things I'd learned from the last time. It wasn't all bad, though, but when it was, it made me wonder if it was all worth it." JJ rolled his eyes and made a dismissive gesture. "Listen to me, all of twenty-one and tryin' to sound like I've got the world all figured out. Maybe you should shut me up again. I wouldn't be sad if you did."
Derry nodded and understood. He understood partially… having his own breakups and rejections for who he was. Keeping that in mind, he would have to tell JJ the truth. Right now only Felix and Njall knew the truth about him in Brightstar, and that had only come out in the last week.
“I think when you look for it, you don’t find it. It’s something that is complicated and when it finds you, you have to work to keep it,” he said about his own experience, though it wasn’t that vast either. He smiled though when JJ commented to lighten the mood again which was probably for the best for this first date, second outing. “I guess I should take that as permission then,” Derry smiled, and leaned in to kiss JJ again.
Now that she was expecting it, she smiled against his lips and turned so that she could wrap her arms around his neck, practically on her knees next to him. They spent long moments like that, although at some point not even the blanket was enough protection from the hard floor beneath it, and her legs began to protest. There was something blissfully unhurried about it and gentle. She felt passion, yes, but it wasn't an unchecked blaze. It wasn't a dizzying spiral of bad decisions. It was warm and sure, and she just wanted to linger there, with her hands tracing delicate patterns against his neck and upper back.
His arm wrapped around JJ’s waist when she kissed him back. This hadn’t exactly how he thought the afternoon would go, but he wasn’t complaining. Surprises could still be good things. When JJ showed signs of her legs protesting, Derry helped guide them both down to lay on the blanket instead. It was just a blissful moment, and Derry didn’t think about where JJ’s hands were tracing along his back.
After an unknowable amount of time that was all soft movements of lips against one another and touches that were breathtakingly delicate, JJ pulled back just enough to recapture some air. She gave a smiling laugh as she freed a hand from his back to reach for and touch the side of his face, tracing the line of his cheek and jaw. "Wow."
Derry smiled at JJ as they broke their kiss. He brushed a hand over her cheek and up to her hair, feeling those curls under his fingers. Derry’s other hand still rested at her waist tracing patterns there over her lower back. “Hash-tag same,” he said grinning, thinking that was the best response to JJ then.
She collapsed into giggles, and then leaned up to kiss him again while still laughing. As far as the Unexpected was concerned, this was far, far, far from the worst thing that could happen. JJ had no idea why God was blessing her like this, but she wasn't about to complain. Not in the slightest.