Justin Grant (nurseboi) wrote in light_of_may, @ 2010-01-03 03:07:00 |
|
|||
Entry tags: | 2009-06-28 |
Who: Justin and Jim
Where: The Pond
When: Early Afternoon
It was a warm morning, and even though he'd been on his feet constantly Justin decided that he'd take his dogs to the pond near his house. It was quiet there, near the woods. Not many people came out this way, so it was a favorite haunt for him and the animals who loved to be let off their leads.
As usual Justin had brought his backpack, holding his sketchbook and journal, dog treats and water. He'd also brought a picnic blanket, which he lay out in the grass under a large tree overlooking the pond. He sat down heavily, shoulders slumped with exhaustion from working at the hospital. Still, he'd helped more people than he could remember, and he was proud of that, a smile tugging at his lips as he watched his three dogs take off to play in the water.
In all her proud glory Shima had followed them, shaking her head at the scene and the bags under Justin's eyes.
You should be resting, she chided, laying down on the blanket. Justin leaned back so that he was laying as well, head rested on her middle as he looked up at her and grinned.
"I should?" he murmured, then laughed as he got licked on the face, though the laughter died as his consciousness was swept away with the breeze. Shima's brown eyes were deep as she looked down at him, then watched the dogs carefully, a mother very much to the entire pack she'd suddenly found herself a part of. Justin was technically the Alpha, of course, but the shewolf was still the protector. As the hours crept by she remained unmoving other than to call to the other dogs once in a while or nuzzle Justin as he stirred.
It was well past noon when Jim was walking through the forest. He had decided to take the trip out here since forests had a nice calming effect on him. He had spent so many hours in the forests over the years, in all sorts of horrible weather and he still loved it. He was taking his time, stopping every so often to admire a beautiful tree or a nice view. So far it had been a beautiful afternoon and he was finally turning back to the room he had. It was time for a quick shower and them something new to see. He was so lost in his plans for what to do that he almost stepped on the sleeping group. He jumped back a few feet. "Um.. I am sorry"
Then he noticed the wolf and swallowed, looking around to check if there were anymore. He hoped not. One wasn't so bad. Right? Jim tried his best to ignore the feeling in his gut telling him to get away from the wolf, and focused on the human again. "Hey, you alright? I hope I didn't step on you" He didn't think he had, but he knew how much it hurt, so he better check. He should also make sure the guy didn't need his help or anything.
Shima shifted as the man got closer, watching him. She'd just been about to call out a warning when he stopped himself from trampling her Justin, so instead she nudged him sharply. That, combined with the man's voice, woke Justin up almost immediately. No matter how tired he was he'd always been a light sleeper. That didn't mean he was sharp once he did wake up, however. Hair messy and eyes out of focus his head snapped around, but as soon as he saw the other man he started.
Relax. He is not a threat, Shima said, not rising as she regarded the stranger critically. Justin blinked. "Uh..." he moved back all the same, till he had contact with the wolf again. Then he looked around, searching for his pets. They're asleep behind the tree, his familiar sighed, and indeed, Otto's grunty snores and random bits of dog could be seen there. Justin blinked owlishly, then looked up at the man again. "S-sorry?" he asked, stammering slightly as he gaped up at the man.
Oh, so the guy had been sleeping. Jim took a few more steps behind so that he could make sure he was at a safe distance from the wolves and then tried to explain. "I don't know if you noticed but I almost stepped on you, I was sort of in my own world. I am sorry" He smiled down at the sleeping guy and did his best not to look threatening. "I swear I didn't mean any harm" Who would when he had a wolf out here with him? Jim for sure didn't. Not that he was the kind to randomly hurt innocent people either. "You alright? Did you mean to sleep out here in the woods?" If he hadn't it was the least Jim could do to make sure he came back to the town safely. Not that he had any idea what the guy would be doing out here if not sleeping. He even had a blanket.
Justin stared, then swallowed and scrubbed his face. He must've really passed out, but at least he felt better. "Ah, n-no problem," he said, the normally smooth London accent broken by his stammer. He checked himself out, then shook his head. "Oh, yeah, I'm a-alright. J-just p-passed out for a moment I suppose." He rubbed his eyes again and then noted how wary of Shima the guy seemed. He put a hand on the back of her neck, trying to smile comfortingly. "Oh, d-don't worry about her. Sh-she's my Familiar, she w-won't hurt you," he said, then cleared his throat as he recalled his manners. "M-my name's Justin, this is Sh-Shima."
"I'm Jim" Jim smiled, trying to keep his instincts in check, he was managing so far. "I am new in town, just trying to get to know the place. This is not somewhere were I am not supposed to be, right?" He doubted anyone would stop him but it was best to be polite. "I hope I am not disturbing anything, other than your nap I mean, I know I am disturbing that one." Jim stayed at this distance from the wolf. He wasn't that afraid of only one wolf, at least that is what he told himself, but the kid seemed terrified already and seeing Jim freak out was the last thing he needed.
You're quite nervous, mooseman. There is no hunter nearby, Shima observed, tilting her head. Justin got up, then waved a hand at her. "Go take the dogs home," he said. He winced at the look she shot him, but stood his ground. She was freaking out the guy. "G-go on. I'll come in a bit," he said. The wolf stood, then growled lowly in agitation before turning and rallying the dogs, herding the chocolate lab, corgi, and beagle away expertly. As the excited yips died down Justin stood, stretching and running a hand through his hair. "Uh, no, this is a public pond. I live just down the street, so," he trailed off and half grinned sheepishly, hoping that with his Familiar out of sight (he knew better than to think she wouldn't return quickly) Jim would relax.
Jim jumped a little when the wolf spoke to him, that was a first. He had never had a familiar talk to him before. Then when she left and took the dogs with her, Jim visibly relaxed. He smiled at Justin, thankful that the guy had noticed and actually sent the dogs home. "Thank you. I... She smells like a predator and certain instincts are hard to fight." Like the instinct to run or fight when in danger. By the familiar's choice of words, Justin had probably already guessed what he was. "This is a beautiful area. I like how quiet it is, I can understand why it is nice for taking a nap." He smiled and took a few steps closer, not close enough to be threatening but rather just close enough to be friendly. " I was just taking a walk and admiring the forest. I've always liked forests" A little bit strange maybe, when his job was to cut them down, but that was the way it was.
Justin nodded and looked around. "Very beautiful. I h-hadn't planned on sleeping, but I guess, with Shima around it's k-kinda safe," he hesitated and glanced up at Jim again, then away. He felt awkward, and wished that Shima had stayed. But then he wouldn't have wanted to make Jim feel unsafe. He glanced around the woods, then rubbed the back of his neck. "Quite. W-water's nice too, for swimming," he said weakly. He wasn't good at talking to strangers, especially not cute ones when he'd been walked up to while napping. "Y-you're a were then?" his voice was a little high pitched.
"Yeah, I am. I'm a moose." Justin was the first who weren't Jim's brother or friend that he had told. It still felt odd and he felt like he had to prove that he wasn't dangerous "Don't worry, I've have it under control." For the most part. The only thing he still wasn't completely cool with were dogs and wolves it seemed, and he was sure that was just because there had been more than one. "I've been one for over a decade." Jim looked the guy over, he most certainly wasn't bad looking. "How about you? Not a were, I mean, but from the fact that you have a familiar..." Jim really didn't know that much about what else there was and how it really worked.
Justin nodded. A moose were... well, they could be any animal. But he had to wonder how big the population was. At the question he put a hand on his stomach, struggling slightly to overcome the knot of nerves that came whenever he was caught. "Wh-white w-w-witch," he said, stammer becoming much more severe as he tried to choke it out. "You kn-know. H-h-healer, n-nothing else." It was hard to admit to being something that normally had a bad connotation, that you were raised to expect be green skinned and with a multitude of warts and spiky, oily hair.
"Oh... That is good. How does that work now? Are you employed by a hospital or a doctor or something?" Jim knew that if he had been a doctor or someone important he would have tried to hire as many of these guys as possible. Somehow it fit the cute guy well, Jim wasn't surprised. It wasn't what he had expected at all, but then again he hadn't been sure what he had expected. "I wish I could do something like that, use this to help others." Jim glanced around, looking down at the nice little pond, before he glanced back at Justin. He could tell that Justin was nervous, and it wasn't very hard to figure out why. "I am sorry I disturbed your nap. See you later?"
"R-registered nurse and v-veterinarian, actually. B-but I w-work as a nurse, and l-learnt to be a p-proper one, y-you know. Traditional. B-but a c-couple w-weeks ago I was cleared to... y-you know. Offer my other skills at h-hospital," Justin explained, then blinked as Jim began to excuse himself. His shoulders sagged, and even though he tried not to show disappointment it was still clear on his face. He looked at his shoes as he struggled to find a reason to keep Jim around, he hadn't been able to talk to anybody outside the hospital since Kirst and Tayne had disappeared. But really, what could he do? He'd only met Tayne because he'd been hurt, and therefore Justin had something to offer him. The Englishman had nothing at all to offer this were. "Oh. Ok-kay," he said softly. "I d-didn't mean to r-run you off or anything... i-if you'd l-like to stay...."
"Um...Oh... It was more if you wanted to go back to your nap I meant." So Justin wanted him here? That was a pleasant surprise, and horrible as it sounded the disappointment as somewhat pleasing, it meant that Justin didn't want Jim to leave. Jim smiled, it as a broad and proper smile. "Mind if I sit?" He didn't really wait for the answer, instead just sat down on the grass. He pulled out a few straws and began to braid them, it kept his hands busy which was nice. "So how are people reacting to the offer of healing? Good? Bad?" Jim was honestly curious, he know that much about the inner workings of hospital or what people preferred or such. Also, Justin's accent was cute and if he could get him talking he might relax more.
"M-mostly. Usually w-we try to find out about the p-patient's beliefs. Y-you know. U-usually supernaturals are m-more open minded, b-but also people f-facing early death, d-disfigurement... stuff modern sc-science can't fix. They're willing to try more even if they d-don't know what it is, exactly. B-but n-now that the d-demons are about I'm asked to do a lot m-more. Y-you know, to help preserve the s-supplies. P-patients usually have to s-sign a lot of paperwork, though, since overall it's a g-gray area legally," he shrugged and did indeed start to relax. He was always a touch better when he was talking about his work, finding facts much easier to recite than opinions or emotions. He sat on the blanket and then frowned slightly, wanting to offer Jim a seat on the blanket as well, but wondering if that was too forward. He busied himself with his backpack, opening it and digging for a moment before pulling out a bag. "T-trail m-mix?" he almost whispered, holding out the bag of home-mixed snack. "It's g-got p-peanuts and b-berries."
Jim actually moved over to the blanket, since it was offered. "Oh, trail mix sounds good." Jim leaned over and took a small handful and ate a couple of the berries. "Does it really help preserve the supplies? What about the things you do? Do they need anything? Or can you keep doing it forever?" How nice and useful it would be if it didn't need it. "So with the paper work it is more like some sort of experimental treatment? How well does it work?" Jim found it really interesting to hear all this. And he could tell that Justin was enjoying this topic, so he was trying his best to keep it going even if he didn't hear much about it.
Justin smiled shyly and subconsciously recoiled into himself, but quickly perked up and opened up again, both cognitively and in his body language. "S-some draws on energy from the environment. S-some needs potions or salves. M-most of it's easy to m-make, though, or just needs the magic. I can channel it as l-long as I'm conscious, b-but some spells can be draining." He rubbed the back of his neck and ate a little trail mix himself, thinking for a moment. "It's... y-yeah. Kinda. The patient has it made cl-clear that it's..." he paused and struggled to remember the term he was supposed to use. "H-holistic. N-not approved by the FDA, n-not by any means endorsed by the doctors. I'm n-not allowed to act as a regular n-nurse while I'm there. If anything g-goes wrong I'm solely responsible." He didn't mind, though, he was confident in his abilities and was sure that he would never hurt anybody in any way he couldn't fix. He paused, suddenly realizing how much he had spoken and blushed bright red. He couldn't remember the last time, if ever, that he'd spoken so much or so easily about himself. He glanced up, then towards the pond, still unable to truly meet others' gazes directly. "B-but... ah.... what about y-you?"
"I'm a lumberjack." Jim smiled but decided not to wait for the jokes. "But it has nothing to do with me being a were. My dad owns the company and both me and my brother work there as well as my cousin and my best friend. It's sort of what I have always wanted to do. Being out in the forest and doing some heavy work. I am not the sort of guy who can just sit behind a desk, it is not for me. I need to be out there and breathe the fresh air every day." Jim smiled a little, a hint of red in his cheek. He too had a tendency to get worked up about things. "Most of the heavy work is done by machines these days, but they still need people there. It is a dangerous jobs, you tend to get hurt often so being a were have really been a benefit there." He smiled properly now, glancing at Justin. "You probably think I am crazy, going on like this. There are just a lot of questions I have had to answer often." Pretty much every time Jim mentioned he was a lumber jack, as well as that annoying song.
Being unfamiliar with any song or joke (except perhaps regarding that American fellow with the blue ox) Justin simply listened politely, eyes getting a little wide. "That s-sounds fantastic," he said, and meant it. He was the exact opposite of what was needed in a lumberjack, he supposed, but then he could discern a few positive traits that most likely came from such work. "You m-must be really strong," he said, eyes big in wonder. He shook his head quickly at the idea that Jim would be 'going on' about anything. "Sounds b-brilliant, though. Working out of doors. Um.... quite... m-manly?" But that sounded so stupid to say. He blushed again and looked at his hands, feeling like an idiot. He did love the way Jim was laying, however, and could see the muscle and form of his body quite clearly. He was itching to get the drawing pad out and start sketching him, but that seemed a bit... wrong? Or just embarrassing. Besides, he didn't like people to know that he drew, they often wanted to see (or pretended to want to see) and then he had to put up with compliments and remarks that he almost never agreed with, being far harder on himself than anybody else ever seemed to be willing to be to his face. He could only imagine what they really thought, though.
"Some would say it is manly yeah. I don't know, there is a lot of heavy lifting and such involved. Not as much as they tell me it used to be, but you know mostly lifting the equipment, chains and such." Jim glanced away when he saw Justin studying him. He wasn't embarrassed, ok maybe a little, but he wanted to let Justin look. He was rather amused and more than a little pleased. "I'm on the fell crew currently, it means I am one of the guys actually cutting down the trees. That involves a fair bit of climbing about and carrying too." Jim smiled and glanced over at Justin and then went back to looking at the lake. The guy really was cute, especially now that he seemed more relaxed. "The working outside part is great when it is like this. When it is cold and wet and just nasty and you've been on the job for months then all you really want to do is stay in bed or get a tub and soak in it. "
Justin went red faced again as the natural image of Jim in a tub appeared in his head. He tried his best not to think about that, though, and left the sketchbook buried in the bag. He chewed on some of the trail mix thoughtfully, trying to imagine what it would be like to work out there like that. He'd seen Ax Men on the Discovery Channel and that job looked very fast paced and worrisome. "I hope yo stay c-careful," he said, then leaned back. "Where do you w-work?" He didn't think he'd seen any logging going on nearby.
"Around, we travel quite a bit. Not anywhere close to here. I like to travel when we're having breaks, try to see as much as I can and meet new people you know. Especially needed it this time. Just told my brother and my friend about me being a were. They didn't exactly like the fact that I had kept it a secret for this long." Jim couldn't blame them, he wouldn't have liked it if it had been reversed. He was pretty sure he would have felt betrayed. That was another reason he was here, far away from them. This way he didn't have to think about that too much. He laid back, staring up at the sky. "Oh I really see why you like it here." Even on a full night's sleep, Jim felt like he could easily take a nap here.
"Sounds g-great," Justin said earnestly, glancing over at him laying down and feeling a deep and echoing pang of want. He missed his girlfriend terribly, or more truthfully, missed being close to somebody else. The warmth of another body, the sound of another heartbeat. He'd never known how lonely he felt till he'd spent a few nights holding her, and Jim stretched out was incredibly tempting. Still, he didn't know if Jim was inclined to hold anybody, let alone a man, let alone a stranger. So Justin turned away slightly, taking a deep breath. It was wrong to want somebody you just met, he was sure of that. He focused instead on what the man was talking about. "M-my whole f-family uses wh-white magic," he barely managed to get out, the ache in his chest making it hard to speak. "I n-never had t-to c-come out. Ab-bout that." That wasn't to say his grandfather would ever (hopefully) find out that Justin thought of men as he did women.
"Oh that must be nice. Though I honestly can't see my family as the type. They are far too close minded I think. But I might be wrong" Jim glanced over at Justin, so he never had to come out about that huh? Jim wondered what else he might have to come out about. He decided to share a bit more and see what he might get back. "I wouldn't hope too much. The time I brought a guy home it kind of exploded. It only calmed because I told them I might still bring women. Now however I am forbidden from bringing guys." And he hadn't in years. Then again he hadn't really been dating anyone seriously, or at least been serious enough for the meeting of the parents, for quite a while now. He glanced over at Justin, both to judge the reaction and to see if he had shared too much. Justin was after all a stranger and here Jim was telling him a lot.
justin's eyes got a bit wide as Jim kept going. His cheeks darkened and he ducked his head, but didn't pull away or cringe. Just wondered what had given him way... well, probably because he'd been stupid enough to gape at the man who had lay down beside him. "W-w-wouldn't..." he stopped and took a deep breath, trying not to panic. "M-m-my g-grandfather..." he closed his eyes. "He'd d-disown me." It was incredibly hard for him to admit such a thing, but as Shima told him constantly, you had to be open with people to make lasting relationships. "N-not that h-h-he'd ever... I... I n-never... you know. Dated."
Jim looked away, it was easy to see that Justin was not very comfortable right now. "I am sorry. You don't have to worry, my lips are sealed." He smiled weakly, trying his best to think of another topic to discuss. This was obviously not one that Justin wanted to talk about. He wondered if Justin was gay or bi, not that it mattered and Jim might even if they stayed in touch. He really hoped they would. Justin was cute and looked like he could do with learning to relax a little. But Jim wasn't sure he was the guy to teach that, after all he had no idea how long he would be in town. "So white magic is only healing? Is there other things you can do?"
"D-doesn't matter. He n-n-never contacts me," Justin shrugged. The good thing about having family who was ultimately disinterested with you was that as long as you kept your head down and activities discreet they'd never be the wiser about the things you didn't want them to know. At the question he nodded. "W-well... healing. P-protecting. G-general care and assistance. N-nothing flashy or d-dangerous, th-though with all the d-demon attacks I've l-looked up the f-family exorcism method." Still, he hadn't tried that yet. he imagined it would be quite dangerous and didn't want to rush into anything unprepared. Not again, anyway.
Jim smiled and studied Justin for a moment. He was just the kind of person Jim had always imagined as the helping kind, working as a doctor or nurse. Jim was pleased to find that he wasn't far off. "Is there anything I can do to help?" Jim honestly thought he'd be much more useful helping Justin with an exorcism than he would being part of a fighting group. And if it came to it, he could fight so if Justin would need protection "I do really want to help and you do look like you've been run a bit rugged" Unless walking dead was Justin's usual look he could do with some rest. Once again Jim wondered if he should offer to leave so Justin could go back to his nap.
Justin smiled weakly and then shrugged a shoulder. "M-maybe? I d-don't know. I've never d-done an exorcism before, so it p-probably wouldn't work, anyway." The hospital was chalk full of people who could benefit from the spells Justin already knew and performed regularly. He was anxious about trying to do something else. He leaned back and then moved till he could lean against the tree, smiling slightly. "I guess s-so. But... it's worth it. H-helping everybody, I mean. Wish I could do m-more."
Jim smiled, he liked the willingness to help. "Well, just remember to take care of yourself... If you get sick or exhausted you won't be helping anyone." Jim considered for a moment, was it worth it? He couldn't see anything bad with it and maybe it was what Justin wanted. At worst he would get a no, but Jim hoped it wouldn't cost him this beginning friendship. "Maybe I can help out there. How about dinner one night? Or maybe a movie if you want?" He hoped Justin would say yes. He really did.
Justin blinked, then looked at him, clearly stunned. That was exactly the sort of thing that was asked when one person wanted to ask another on... well... a date. Was that really what Jim was requesting? Justin bit his lip, eyes wide, then turned and looked away. "Like..." the words failed him and he rubbed his eyes. "M-me and you? Oh... ok." He thought for a moment and then glanced back at Jim. That was an awkward acceptance. "Sounds n-nice," he said, striving to sound more eager about it.
"Great, you know the town better than me so you should pick the place" Jim smiled and moved a little closer to Justin "Hey, if you want to go just as friends, we can do that.." Justin didn't seem completely comfortable with the idea. For a moment Jim couldn't help but wonder just how little Justin had dated before. "As for what night, is tonight or tomorrow better for you?" It depended on when Justin had to work and how tired he would be. Jim was a free bird for the next few weeks and any night was good for him.
"No!" Justin surprised himself by quickly railing against the suggestion of going as just friends. His ears darkened, but he smiled weakly and looked away. "I m-mean... uh.... y-you know." He wanted closeness, in all honestly, as fast as possible. And friends didn't cuddle or get close, he'd learned that lesson the hard way. He bit his lip and looked up at the sky, then laughed weakly and nodded. "M-maybe the steak house? They're quite g-good, but, oh, unless y-you're vegetarian." Lots of herbivore weres preferred to eat vegetarian, especially those who were members of species that were eaten as meat themselves. "Um. Maybe... maybe s-sushi?"
"I am not vegetarian, I just don't really like to eat too much meat. So sushi sounds good, I haven't had a lot of it, but the little I've head I like." Jim grinned, he was quite happy that it was more than friendship Justin was after. Even if it was just a few dates it would be fun and they seemed to get along. "Where and when should we meet? Actually... You want my number? Just in case..." Jim reached for his phone, but he kept glancing back at Justin. The younger man was handsome enough that you didn't really want to take your eyes off him. But Jim guessed it would make him uncomfortable if Jim stared.
Justin nodded quickly and scrambled slightly for his phone, which was little more than a basic prepaid phone. He'd never worked out how to use it, so he also pulled out his small address book and a pen. Opening it he paused, realizing that he didn't know Jim's last name. How did one ask for a last name? "I'm, um, Justing G-Grant, by the way. Like a fund, but n-not." Justin paused, then recoiled into himself. He wasn't a comedian, why the heck was he trying to make a joke? A stupid joke, too.
Jim chuckled a little, not the best joke he had heard, but he liked that Justin was trying. "Bishop... Jim Bishop. I don't really have a joke about it I am afraid." Jim smiled. He was happy Justin had been the one to ask and that he seemed so eager about this. Jim didn't really like feeling like he was the one doing all the pushing, but when people helped him along like Justin was doing right now, it was all fun. There was more they didn't know, but once the names and the numbers where out of the way they could get there.
Justin smiled weakly and flipped over to the B section. It, like every other section, was void of entries, but he did like that he was getting to put somebody in. Especially somebody who was handsome and nice, like Jim. He put the book on his knee and concentrated hard on the writing of Jim's name, even after all these years his grandfather's strict discipline regarding the quality of one's cursive was vivid in his memory. Finished with the neat and quite legible name he listened for Jim's number, writing it as well and then searching for his own number. With his stammer he'd become accustomed to simply offering up things like numbers or addresses, as it took him a lot longer to get them out and often he was misheard and recorded wrongly.
"That is a smart idea." Even Jim had been misheard more than once and it had lead to frustrations all around. He copied the number onto his phone and then grinned up at Justin. "Sorry if this is too forward, but you are cute when you smile." Jim felt like cursing, that had come out the wrong way. "Even more cute, I mean" and now he sounded like he was stupid. When did this happen? He had no idea why, but he really didn't want Justin to have the wrong ideas about him, and Jim wasn't even sure what they were.
He received, at first, a doe-eyed look of surprise and wonder, but then Justin's cheeks lit up and he shied away. Nevertheless he was grinning again, and he even managed a tiny laugh before he cleared his throat. "I... I m-mean, you...." he stumbled around for a moment, not even sure what he was trying to say. Finally he simply exhaled and went for the normal answer. "Th-thank you. Um, y-y-you t-too." He cringed and reached towards his bag. There was a bottle of calming herb mixture there, but his fingers faltered. That really wasn't the sort of thing he should be taking in front of a man who didn't know what it was. It just looked wrong. He blinked rapidly, then turned back, unable to get his gaze lifted up past Jim's chin. Still, it was a nice chin. "M-maybe tonight?" He was forbidden from entering the hospital for another 24 hours unless all hell broke loose, the Dean of Medicine had been quite upset to find out he'd been almost two days on his feet with no real rest.
Jim smiled at the compliment and Justin's reaction to being called cute. Judging from it, calling him things like handsome or sexy would probably have interesting effects. But he wasn't going to test that now, doing it now would probably just cause Justin to freak and that was not at all what Jim wanted. Maybe make him a bit flustered and adorable like he was now, but not freak him out. "Tonight sounds lovely, what kind of place is this? Shirt and tie or a more of a relaxed place?" Then he spotted the bottle. What was that? He wanted to ask, but it would be rude. "You want some time alone?"
Justin blinked. "I think it's r-relaxed," he said. It had seemed that way when he'd gone in. That made him wonder, though, if Jim had expected him to pick a more posh location for a first date. Still, Justin really didn't know ritzy restaurants in the town, he'd never had a reason to go to one, nor been inclined to go someplace special just to eat alone. Jim's question made him a little nervous, and he wondered if he'd done something to indicate he wanted to be left alone. "Um, no? B-but don't let me k-keep you, if... if y-you need to b-be anywhere," he said nervously.
"I don't have to be anywhere.." Jim decided to ignore the bottle, maybe it was just painkillers or something. "Relaxed is good. I think I might have a tie with me, but I wouldn't bet on it." Ties wasn't really Jim's thing, it was one more thing to color coordinate. Last time he had come home with shirts and ties, his mother had taken one look in the bag, sighed and gone to return it all. She had come back with a bag of shirts and a couple of ties that she claimed all worked together. It really had looked like the same bag to Jim, but he knew he had problems with colors. "I actually prefer relaxed, but feeling under or over dressed is never nice."
Justin nodded and then tugged subconsciously on his shirt. For once it didn't have a graphic on it, but only because it was one of the shirts he had to wear under his scrubs at work. He mentally searched his closet for something decent to wear and realized it was a good thing they weren't going to a really upscale place. "W-well, if it is nice, we c-can go under-dressed tog-gether?" He offered, then scooted down and lay on his back, not sure he wanted to be the one who was noticeable and upright anymore. Besides, when the sunlight covered his whole body it was comforting and relaxing, and a small smile stayed on his face as it had when he'd drifted to sleep.
Jim watched him lay there, smiling to himself as well. This was a pretty good place, it was warm in the sun and the grass was soft. Would it be wrong to reach out and touch Justin, he really hoped not. He figured he might test it. He reached out just letting his arm rest on Justin's. If Justin seemed uncomfortable with it, he'd pull back, but nothing risked nothing gained. He let the thumb trace little circles on Justin's arm, but let the rest of the hand stay still. He did move a little closer so he didn't have to stretch to reach Justin. "You look like you could do with a bit of rest. If you want to nap, I can stay here..." Damn, he hoped that didn't sound too stalkerish.
Justin took a deep breath in when Jim touched him, his heart pounding in his chest. But he didn't pull back, mostly because it felt too nice. He turned his head, eyes opening and fluttering as he focused them again, catching Jim's gaze and getting stuck on it for a moment. He slowly smiled. "That w-would be r-rude though," he said softly. "W-we just met and... y-you know. It's not... proper?" Was that the code he was breaking? Or was it something else, like a dating guide? He didn't know.
Jim nodded, Justin was right, they had just met. He thought about pulling his hand back, but that didn't seem like it was doing any harm. "I am not really that good with what is proper and not" His last relationship had been a one night stand that had just sort of continued. Jim had the feeling that wasn't proper either. But it would be stupid to mention that now. "I really wouldn't mind and I won't tell anyone. But it is up to you." Jim smiled softly, trying to make sure Justin knew he could do what he wanted here. Maybe it was time to change topic again? "So... What do you do in your time off?"
Justin was stunned when Jim stopped, and he found his hand going up and catching Jim's. "N-no, I j-j-just m-meant... m-making you b-babysit somebody when th-they're sleeping," he stammered, then looked down at the hand in his and slowly let go, though his fingers trailed over Jim's as he withdrew. "I'm n-not... I m-mean... I d-don't have anybody t-to come o-out to, so I d-don't mind... not hiding." He rolled over on his side and rested his head on his arm, fighting the urge to go into the fetal position. "I v-volunteer at the animal shelter, and..." he blushed deeply, but he had to admit his friends so far had liked the hobby. "C-c-comic books."
Jim caught Justin's hand again and held it. He didn't want to let go just yet, he liked the soft, sun-warmed skin under his touch. "That is great, what sort of animals do you mostly work with? Cats and dogs I guess?" Those were the most common pets weren't they, so it made sense. Justin seemed like a real little sweet heart, the kind shows were made about on television. He made sure the grip on Justin's hand was not too tight. He wanted to hold and comfort, Justin sure looked like he needed it, but Justin also looked like he might bolt if he felt trapped. Maybe not literally, but more like he'd shut Jim out.
Justin didn't pull away, though, if anything he leaned in towards their hands, blushing again but still smiling as he ran his thumb over Jim's knuckles. "Y-yeah. Lots of cats and d-dogs. That's how I e-ended up with mine," he said. "B-but sometimes, something c-cool. Like a sn-snake, or a m-monkey. You know, j-just once in a while." Guys liked snakes and monkeys, didn't they? Certainly better than the rabbit Justin cooed over for several weeks, or the boxes of mice that were regularly brought in by exasperated parents.
Pleased that Justin seemed to have calmed down a little bit, Jim relaxed back on the grass. "Oh. That sounds interesting. I kinda wish I could have a cat... Or maybe something else small. But pets doesn't really work when you don't live anywhere permanently." There was the problem of Jim not staying in town for too long. Ah well, they would deal with that later. "My mom have a few cats. They keep her company when we're away for a long time" Jim smiled down at Justin, laying here on the grass, chatting and getting to know someone was really nice. The hand in Jim's also really helped. "Do you find homes for most of them?"
"Usually," Justin nodded. "S-Samwise, he's the c-corgi, is getting on in his y-years, so I took him in. D-Donald the beagle, too. Otis is j-just really h-hyper, b-being a pup still, so I m-mostly just have him to t-train him a bit. There's a cat at h-home, but he's a bit... f-feral," he chuckled. "L-lovely chap, 'course, but yeah. N-not a normal house cat." He chuckled lowly, then looked at him. "Wh...what about you? D-do your have hobbies?"
Jim tried not to wince at idea of a pack of dogs, normal people liked dogs, or at the very least could stand being in the same house. This might turn into a problem, provided he was invited home to Justin's place. "I read a lot. Pretty much anything I can get my hands on. It is fairly easy to bring anywhere so... I draw a little, not as much as I used to, but I am not any good. I tend to stick to just quick sketches. Apart from that, traveling, meeting new people... That sort of thing"
"You d-draw?" Justin's whole face lit up, and it was obvious that despite Jim's insistence that he wasn't much of an artist, that's what really caught his attention. He loved drawing and writing, after all, why shouldn't he latch onto something they semi-had in common? "W-well... m-maybe you can show me sometime." Which was a bit hypocritical, as getting Justin to show anything of his own make was like pulling teeth. He moved a little closer subconsciously, excited by the mutual hobby.
"It isn't much, mostly just abstract stuff, you know weird landscapes and such. I am not good enough to do people or animals. I don't really have that much with me, but I can show you what I have here." Jim smiled, enjoy that he had found a topic that Justin seemed to like so much. "You draw too?" That would be nice if he did, meant they had something in common besides liking to lay on the grass in the sun. Glancing down at Justin he had to bite back the urge to stroke his hair or face. Too much touching hadn't gone that well last time so going slow was probably the key now.
"I... um, yes," Justin's eyes went back to the drafting book in his bag, but he made no initial move to get it. He shrugged helplessly. "My stuff's just rubbish, r-really, all comic g-graphics and stuff." He relinquished after a moment and pried the book out of his bag, though he made no move to open it right away. Despite the number of years he'd spent honing his skill and the compliments from the few people who'd ever seen it, he still had a hard time believing that it was any good, which was a major reason he'd never let anybody read the extensive series of comics that he'd been writing since he was a boy.
"Comics aren't rubbish" Jim waited for Justin to open the book, making no move for it himself. Instead he shifted a little, rolling over on his side, facing Justin. When Justin reached for the book, Jim couldn't help himself, he just reached up and stroked a hand trough Justin's hair before he quickly moved that hand back to where they had been holding hands. He really hoped he wasn't over the line here. Instead of meeting Justin's eyes he looked at the book, and then at the grass and the pond. "...I mean, I like comics, I wouldn't say I know any well enough for it to be hobby, but I read some..."
Justin looked up in surprise, but then grinned shyly and looked back at his book. It was hard to do, but he slowly put it down. Most of the drawings in there were black and white inked concepts of characters for his comics. The concepts were highly detailed and painstakingly worked, and did usually look a lot better than the simpler designs that made it into the books. His old friends were in there; the tigerman based off of Tayne, the Angel based off Alex, and several others, all carried hints of what actually happened to him but then twisted it to a more idealic and fanciful story. for instance, his own character was quite strong, dashing, and confident. "I g-guess... I'll show you m-mine if you show m-me yours?" he asked.
"Sure thing, though it is back in my room." Damn that had sounded like a bad pick up line. "I had just intended to go for a walk today, so I didn't bring it. I can bring it tonight if you like" Hopefully that had cleared up the bad pick up line. So stroking his hair had just made Justin grin. That wasn't a bad thing. Jim lifted his hand up and let it rest on Justin's side while he reached for Justin's book. "You mind if I take a look, or would you like me to wait?" He looked at Justin, admiring the face and the shy grin. He hoped he could get this reaction more. It suited Justin.
"Um, yes, b-b-but..." Justin let the book go. "S'just c-concepts. So n-nonsensical, and n-n-not g-good." He had a terrible need to justify his work before the other had even opened the cover. But then he hugged himself and then moved a bit closer. "I'm n-not going t-to w-watch you look, though," he laughed nervously and hid his face with his free hand.
The moving closer was rewarded with Jim's hand sliding down Justin's place, holding him. Not pinning , just holding him close. With the other hand he flipped through the book. Not really commenting on the individual images, but rather just looking at them quietly. This was turning out to be a great day, holding Justin like this really did feel good. Several minutes later, after he had looked through it all he closed the book and looked down at Justin. "I like it, I really like your style and I kind of like the concept style drawing."
Justin had been studying Jim's face as he looked, and getting progressively more stressed out. But he didn't want to pull away, and instead hid his face against Jim's shoulder. When Jim finished he let a shaky breath out and looked up, biting his lip. "It's m-mostly just th-thoughts and s-scribbles," he said softly, though he wasn't as panicked as he might have been. Mainly because Jim smelled really, really nice.
Jim stroked Justin's back, trying to calm him down a little. "If that is so, then I like the way you think" Jim couldn't look away from Justin's lip, he was far too adorable for his own good. Jim wanted to kiss him, but that would defiantly be much too forward. Justin smelled nice himself. Instead he settled for just stroking Justin's back, it was pretty damned nice just that. "I'll bring mine tonight." He felt like he owed it now. And he didn't mind sharing. He wasn't any good, but who cared?
Justin let out a sigh of contentment as he was stroked, his hand slowly coming to rest on Jim's middle. He wasn't quite sure how they'd gotten to this point, but also he didn't really care. It was wonderful to be so close to another person again, especially a big, strong person. "I l-l-look forward t-to it," he responded, fighting his eyelids as they drooped. The sun, Jim's scent, and the hand stroking his back were taking their toll, though he tried his best to stay awake.
Jim rested his head on his arm. He wasn't exactly sleepy, but nice and relaxed and not it the mood to move. He let his hand drift up to play in Justin's hair. Petting and stroking it. Justin looked ready to fall asleep any moment and if Jim could help him rest he would. "Shh, rest" Jim's voice was barely more than a whisper. He just laid there, watching Justin and the surroundings. He'd stay while Justin rested, he had nowhere he needed to be so why not. The younger man seemed to like the company, if the way he was snuggled up against Jim was anything to go by.
Normally Justin would have never settle in so quickly, especially with a stranger, but two days on his feet had him completely wiped. And the ache that had prompted him to ask this man to stick around was greatly eased by the comfort. "I guess... just a second," he murmured, and then his eyelids fell like heavy curtains and he was out like a light, relaxing against the other body with his arm around Jim's waist. When he woke up the small consolations would be that he neither snored nor drooled on the man who'd wandered upon him and stayed.