WHO: Jake and Kyrie WHEN: July 23rd WHERE: Clean up site then the lighthouse WHAT: Something special WARNINGS: Low, Manipulation STATUS: Complete
______________
He wanted to check on Kyrie right after the hurricane, keep up the cover. But he was put to work. So, a few days later he finally had a chance to find her and check in. Jakob approached the raven haired beauty as she helped with the clean up and came up behind her. It seemed like she was taking a break for a moment, a bottle of water in her hands. “Hey there.” He said, coming up behind her slowly- ready for an unexpected super strength reaction. Jake slipped his hands around her waist and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek.
—
She was startled!
It took everything in her not to just drive an elbow into a diaphragm with all of her might - her guard stalker had been laying things on thick lately and he’d gotten brave - but the voice in her ear was soothing.
Making herself relax, palms found the fronts of his and Kyrie leaned backward against Jake. “Hi.” Her cheeks reddened. She bit at her lip.
—
“Thank you for not kneeing me in the groin.” He chuckled softly as his head lowered slightly, holding her a bit closer as she leaned against him. “Sorry I’ve been MIA since the hurricane. Lots of stuff has needed to be cleaned.” And his cover was a janitor after all. “So, I’ve been doing my part.” Jakob slowly moved around her, letting his hands slide over her back and abdomen to remain on her waist as he came to face her. “I heard you’ve been doing a lot to help out. That’s really cool.” He grinned, it showed how he was impressed by her. How he thought it was a good thing she was doing.
Jakob was sure that the residents would help, or would have to deal with the damage remaining for a time. It wouldn’t be easy to get a full construction crew to the island, and it would be a risk and a cost to the safety of the guards and workers. So, people help, things remain destroyed, or they’re ordered to help. He was sure the higher ups were allowing the residents to volunteer to think it was there idea when it would have happened regardless.
“How much longer do you have today?” He asked, chewing the corner of his lip slightly to show a bit of nerves. As if he had something in mind that would make even the charming smooth talker he was nervous- as if she made him nervous. In a good way.
--
Cheeks would redden with a blush but her look would turn a touch playful, “I wouldn’t do that,” she assured him, though you never could be sure who was coming up behind you. Maybe she needed to get him a bell so it would be obvious when he was approaching. The idea nearly made her smile, but she fought it back.
At the apology Kyrie’s eyebrows lifted. She shook her head, eyes following his orbit as he moved around to stand before her. Her palms touched the inked skin of his arms, fingers curled gently around the muscles, before her hands snaked easily up and clasped around his neck. “You don’t have to be sorry for helping others.”
If only he knew what she’d braved.
Kyrie has rescued Finn from the docks when he’d collapsed, carried him through the mud and the storm to shelter and medical attention. She wouldn’t tell Jake simply because she didn’t want recognition. Finn was the hero in that tale.
Peering around Jake, Kyrie spied a bit of a collapsed building. Her eyes would wander back up to his. “That pile there is the last that needs to move, and then I suppose I could call it a day.” She knew that look, it was dangerous, but she was interested to know what he had in mind.
—
“Responsible.” He said, squinting his eyes at her with a smile. “I can respect wanting to finish the job. I have to- do something…” Jake chuckled. “I’ll go make sure it’s ready and then I’ll be back here to pick you up. What… twenty, thirty minutes?” He asked with an arched brow.
—
Her eyebrows arched but she couldn’t help the small smile. “Do something?” She inquired, curious. Never one to pry Kyrie nodded all the same.
Assessing the work ahead, glancing over her shoulder, she turned back to Jake. “Twenty.” It would probably take less than that but she wouldn’t rush him.
—
Jake places his finger over his lips in an ‘our secret’ move before he took a step back and with a wink, vanished.
——————————————-
About twenty minutes later, Jake returned and smiled at Kyrie, holding a hand out for her. “Hello beautiful, finished being a helpful hero for the day?” He asked. “Ready to be treated to something special?”
—
As he vanished, she couldn't help her smile. Biting at her lips she went off to help. Lifting pieces of rubble far too heavy for anyone else to manage without heavy machinery she finished her task ahead.
Twenty minutes had gone by without her realizing it and by the time Jake returned Kyrie was repinning her hair which had fallen during her time assisting.
She smiled and nodded at him, “Finished.” The confirmation came amidst a wave of curiosity. “Sure.”
—
Jakob smiled and took her hand, pulling her close. “Shall we go to our spot?” Holding her close they blinked away and reappeared at the top of the lighthouse. He smiled, making sure to hold her steady as she got her footing.
It was nice out, still a little chilly, but everything had dried out and he made sure the lighthouse was clear of debris. He walked around the ring, holding her hand as he lead her toward the beach side. On the ground a blanket was laid with a bottle of sparkling cider, some chocolate covered cookies and some strawberries with a small tub of cream. He’d pulled in some favors to get the spread for her. He was stepping it up a notch, if this didn’t sweep her off her feet, he’d misread everything. Jakob hopes this would be what was needed to fully open her up and be the asset he hoped she’d be.
“Surprise.” He said with a flourish, charming yet seeking approval.
—
She moved in time, stepping close and wrapping her arms around Jakob. Eyes closed and before she could say anything they were at the top of the lighthouse. She could smell the water, feel the breeze.
When her eyes opened she found herself getting closer to Jake. Then she stepped back, hand in his as she moved along with him.
And then upon seeing the scene laid out she paused, hands flying up to her mouth as she gasped. It was so beautiful! “Jakob,” she breathed, wide eyed and endeared.
—
He waved a hand in dismissal. “I just thought after all your hard work you could do with a treat.” And the sun would be setting soon which would make for a nice romantic mood. Jake held her hand and led her over, helping her down before taking a seat next to her.
He went to work opening the cider and poured them each a glass. “Bit of bubbly?” He asked, laughing lightly. “It’s just cider, don’t worry. I’m not looking to get you drunk or anything.” He handed her one of the glasses and raised his own. “To the most beautiful girl I know.”
—
It was probably the nicest, most beautiful thing anyone had ever done for her. She felt at a loss for words, taking in the moment and the scene laid out before her. Kyrie couldn’t wait to tell Ben and Fitz all about it when she saw them again. And she couldn’t help the adoration in her eyes for Jakob.
A hand would fall into his. She moved to the blanket and sat, folding her legs underneath herself.
The glass was taken and she smiled, biting back a laugh. A nod would come instead. “Thank you.” And then she was blushing. Turning away, Kyrie was smiling like a fool. “You probably know more beautiful girls,” she breathed, looking back at him. He didn’t know anything about her.
—
“Not who are beautiful inside and out.” He said, reaching up to brush some hair from her face, letting his finger linger on her neck.
—
Her heart fluttered. She wasn’t sure what this feeling was welling up inside of her but she felt breathless because of it. Leaning into his touch Kyrie melted into those fingers, that palm. He was strong, good.
“Thank you.”
—
Jake didn’t ask this time, he just followed the cues. She was already falling into his touch so he just leaned in and met her in the middle. Lips collided with a gentle caress. Nothing too lingering, or too passionate. He didn’t want to scare her off. He wanted to make her believe she was the one in charge and dictating what happened between them.
Slowly he pulled back, and settled into his seat, if she wanted more, she’d have to come to him. Jake lifted the glass to his lips and took a sip.
—
The kiss was welcomed and a bit of a surprise by her, not that it was the first time they’d done that. Her eyes had closed and she savored the touch of his lips upon hers. A breath escaped as it ended, lashes fluttered as her eyes opened.
Shyly, her own glass would be drawn forward and sipper from and assessed the situation. She wanted to keep going but she wasn’t sure what to do, where to go from there. Silently Kyrie wished Fitz was there to advise her.
—
He set aside his glass. “I got some cookies and strawberries. I hope you’re a fan of them. I realized I wasn’t sure what your favorite treats were. I’m glad I was right in picking the cider.” Jake smiled softly as he pulled the two containers out. “And I found some fresh whipped cream too.” He opened one of the containers filled with the white sweet topping. Playfully he swiped up a bit on the end of his finger and put it in his mouth, humming at how nice it tasted.
He didn’t have a lot of sweets growing up he didn’t life himself, definitely not anything like non-spray can whipped cream. For a moment he closed his eyes, not expecting the sweet condiment to be so good. He had to be careful and keep himself composed, couldn’t lose it so close to the finish.
—
Her own glass was set aside in favor of what Jake had prompted: her attention went to the containers of things with interest.
Assisting Jake, Kyrie opened the strawberries and the cookies. She plucked a ripe, moist berry from the container and swiped it across the whipped cream. The aroma of the cream was tempting.
Watching him savor the treat, Kyrie smiled a bit, before she began to consume her own treat. A soft noise of delight and approval escaped.
—
“I’m glad you approve.” He said with amusement at the noise she made. Jake reached out and gently wiped a tiny bit of cream from the corner of her mouth. “You-” He smiled warmly at her. “There we go. God you’re beautiful.” He breathed, sounding like it was a thought he spoke out loud unintentionally. He even looked away a little after, though it was all intentional. Jake raised his eyes to the horizon which was starting to turn a series of reds and oranges as the sun got closer to setting. “Looks like the light show is starting.”
--
She did approve. There were many things about Jakob that Kyrie approved of, his choice of picnic foods included. Cheeks would flush at the compliment and she offered a little smile. “Thanks.”
Fingers would wipe free of berry and cream on a napkin and then her gaze turned to meet the painted sky. The colors were lovely as they streaked across the clouds.
Kyrie shifted closer to Jake, setting her head upon his shoulder as she watched the sun go down.
—
He pushed back the items to give her room, sliding a hand around her waist Jake held her close. They sat in quiet as the sun set, casting quite the romantic setting as the oranges and reds were joined by the blues and purples of the evening. The silence was quite nice as he let her feel comfortable with him. As the sun finally set and the stars came out they were left in the dark, only the light of the stars and the moon and the bit that shown from the down behind them lit their evening.
“Kyrie…” He said softly, looking down to her nestled against him. “I really like you.” Jakob’s voice carried a vulnerable tone to it, like he was admitting a bit secret aloud. He even made his voice crack slightly.
--
A breath would be exhaled in serenity as the sun finally dipped beneath the horizon and the stars appeared. Watching something like this with someone she liked being around made the experience all the better.
When Jake said her name she turned to look up at him, shifting only slightly and enough to be comfortable without getting too far away. His words had her cheeks reddening though it was hard to see with the darkness.
“I like you too.”
—
He leaned slightly as if to kiss her, a smile resting softly on his lips. That’s what he was waiting to hear. For the briefest of moments he felt a tinge of guilt. Playing with her emotions and feelings. But it was part of his job, make friends, make connections the best way possible. Gain intel about what was happening on the island that the guards couldn’t. They were at war with an unknown enemy, someone fighting the government who was only seeking to try to protect both mutants and humans. The feelings of one young woman in the long run was acceptable collateral damage. Besides, if he did his job well, she’d be saved from the disappointment for a long while.
A hand raised and brushed through her hair as he gazed upon her with a look that seemed to long to be closer to her.
--
She wasn’t exactly sure what she was feeling - the mixture of emotions could be dangerous if abused and yet she was none the wiser. How should she interpret the way he made her feel? She felt the twisting in her stomach, the knotted hardness where there usually was nothing.
As his fingers brushed through her hair Kyrie leaned into that soft grazing, nearly desperate for the touch. A palm would lift, settle upon his shoulder and unable to help herself she leaned forward and connected their mouths again.
—
Perfect. Jakob returned the kiss, pulling her a little closer allowing for a comfortable angle. His eyes closed, he went slow, a hand in her hair, the other at her waist. She initiated, but he’d guide her as his lips parted and pressure was applied to hers as he deepened the kiss. His hand moved down from her hair to caress the soft skin of her neck. A soft hum escaped him when he eventually pulled back slowly.
Jake looked upon her, his hands not moving as he tilted his head ever so slightly. “It’s okay?” He asked, playing the gentleman checking to make sure things were moving at her speed.
--
Her eyes had fallen closed during the moment somewhere - she couldn’t have said for sure when that had happened - and she lost herself in the gesture. Kyrie had never kissed anyone before and since she had started with Jake she had grown more confident with it.
She continued to lean into his touch. Her fingers curled into Jake’s shirt, gentle tugs would come to the fabric.
Her eyes fluttered open and looked up at him, nodding. A smile blossomed on her face. “Yes.”
—
He smiled and went in for another kiss, letting her pull him closer with the tugs on his shirt. Slowly he leaned back, not breaking their connection as he guided her down with him, allowing her to hold the more dominant position and giving her the illusion of control as his hand slid to her hips. Jake carefully deepened the kiss as his fingers twined in her hair.
Once he was on his back he parted their lips and he looked up at her, allowing her to feel in charge. “You eyes are so beautiful. It feels like you can really see me.” Cliched, but from what he’d learned about her she was quite naive about such things and it had been working so far.
--
Breathlessly she moved where he lead; Kyrie was helpless to stop herself from being guided. She trusted Jake more than probably anyone, and he knew so little about her.
Her mouth moved against his and as he leaned backward Kyrie shifted forward, gently settling over Jakob.
At his words she blushed and looked down at him, “Thank you. That’s so sweet.”
—
He ran a hand over her arm. “Here.” He leaned past her, over her- for a moment his body pressed against her as his arm reached behind the bag that held the picnic supplies. Rolling back, Jake unfolded a blanket and rested it over her shoulders. “I don’t want you to get cold.” His hand lingered on her shoulder.
--
Curious, she watched what he was doing, what he was after, finding the idea of a blanket so thoughtful. It tended to get a bit chilly once the evening had set in and the breeze from the water met her skin. But Jake was warm, the blanket only served to compliment that. He was muscular, but not too much where it was uncomfortable.
Her stomach twisted in knots as her anxiety began to peak. Biting at her lip, Kyrie curled her arms around him and stretched out to lay down, burrowing into the nest of warmth.
Eyes closed, breathing began to even out.
—
His arms slipped around her, allowing her to use him as a pillow. He was used to hard beds at Rikken, so the floor wasn’t too uncomfortable for him. The night drifted on a bit, his fingers brushed through her hair. “I have to admit something.” Jake said, breaking the silence. “I’ve never really dated anyone before. I mean I’ve hung out with friends, had a drink with a cute girl. But never dated.” It wasn’t really true. Sure, he hadn’t dated since being taken from his foster home- but when he was in school (or when he was ditching school) he had been with a few girls. “You’re the first girl I’ve ever… been comfortable with.” Granted he couldn’t remember any other girls he felt comfortable with- he was still playing a role. So, in that moment he allowed himself to feel comfortable.
Jake looked down at her. “I’ve never…” He feigned hesitancy. “You know…” From what he could remember of his life before Rikken, that was a lie.
--
The echoed sounds of the atmosphere, the sky, the world around them all seemed to play in harmony. Kyrie basked in it. Very rarely did she leave her apartment unless she was working, but now that she was out she was discovering so many reasons to get up in the morning to face the day rather than hiding behind closed doors and shuttered windows.
Those strong fingers in her hair nearly lulled her to sleep, soothing and relaxing, but his words shattered the peaceful feeling and her eyes open. Chin would tilt so that she could look at him while he spoke.
While the statement was hard for her to believe she wanted to trust him. “Really? Why?” Maybe that was too much of a question. Kyrie shook her head, placing her palm upon his chest, “Sorry. You don’t have to answer that. I just…. you’re so….” her hand lifted to express in gesture with her words, “...perfect.” Any girl would be lucky to catch his attention, she felt lucky.
And then it hit her. Were they dating? Was this how it worked? Was he supposed to ask? Was she? Her mind was abuzz with so many questions. But she found herself endeared. Fingers would creep to his jaw, she traced the sharp line and smiled at him, “Never, what?”
—
“I grew up… in foster care. It wasn’t the most stable of places to be. My foster parents were really strict and I got made fun a lot of in school.” Jake said, sprinkling a bit of truth into his story. “After school-” Now came his cover story. “I traveled a lot. I took pictures… learned I could teleport and realized I could make money off of rare shots and other things. I’d see something happening on the news or on twitter and I could get there while it happened and get shots- then sell them. So I wasn’t really in one place long enough to actually see anyone.” While none of it really happened, it was something that he’d sort of wanted to do. That made the story easier to share. Also, being stuck on the island, residents couldn’t really research his background if he shared it.
“I’ve never… done it.” Lie. “I mean, I know it’s way too early to even go there. But I… want to be honest with you. I don’t want to keep things from you.” All lies. Jakob smiled softly at her, his thumb running softly over her lips. “I want to do this right.” If he hadn’t been reprogrammed well by the RIkken scientists, he might feel guilty about being able to lie so easily. But they’d done a good job and in the moment Jakob made himself believe everything he said so she’d believe it. It was his job.
--
As he began to divulge his backstory her eyes widened, and then her brow furrowed with sadness. What a hard life to have to live through. She felt deeply for him though she could never know what he had truly experienced. “Foster care sounds hard, but I’m glad that you got to travel, at least.” She’d travelled a bit, too.
And the confession now was easier to understand. He was talking about it - sex. She hadn’t done it either, or really anything. “I haven’t either…” she confessed, biting at her lip. Her eyes fell a bit, lingering on his shirt rather than his face. “I haven’t ever dated, either. I wasn’t allowed.” The confession was said in the breath of a sparrow. What would he say if he knew?
She was glad he was thoughtful enough to want to do right by her. “I want to do it right, too.” Gaze lifted. She looked at him and felt a bit more confident.
—
“So, we go slow.” He offered, though what pace they went really didn’t care so long as she stayed wound around him. Jake pulled her up to kiss her again. “How about we stay a bit longer and watch the stars before I take you home?”
--
Her smile for him was radiant. A nod would come. “I think that’s a good idea.” Kyrie wished Ezra was there - so badly did she want advice from her brother. But Fitz was good at telling her what she should do, too. She wished they could meet each other. “That sounds wonderful.”
Moving to settle down against him, Kyrie nestled in the crook of his arm with her head on his shoulder and her eyes turned up to look at the graveyard above.