sharing on a summer night Who: Ransom and Charlotte Where: Charlotte's house When: Evening
After all the guests had gone, Ransom stuck around Charlotte's house, helping her pick up after the party. He thought it had gone well, that everyone had had a good time, but he was glad to have the quiet now that the sun had set. The water still looked good for a dip, but he didn't know if Charlotte would be up for night swimming or not. Her parents were around and he wasn't sure it was such a good idea on that account. Also, there was something he wanted to talk to her about and he wasn't sure they needed to be in the pool for a serious conversation. Hopefully it wouldn't go too badly. With the back yard looking spotless, he returned to Charlotte's side, checking to see if there was anything else he could help with. "I think we're just about done," he smiled. "Need any help?"
Charlotte smiled as she finished throwing the last of the pool toys in the pool house and turned to face him. "I think we're done." she said. She was in a good mood, happy with how the party had gone. She'd had fun, and it seemed like everyone else did, too. She was very content with the evening. She'd heard her mom and Valen get home a while back, but they were still steering clear of the back yard. Her mom was probably hoping she wouldn't find the yard to be a disaster. "Thank you for staying."
"Anytime," he smiled, strolling up to wrap his arms around her waist. Then he realized he'd barely kissed her all day and decided to change that, leaning down for a little kiss. "I think you did an exceptionally good job," he said. "Mind if I hang out a while longer, or do you need to get yourself cleaned up?" They were both still in their swim suits, but he hadn't thought to bring another change of clothes. He did have a pair of sweat pants in the truck, though. That might be better.
The not kissing all day thing had been sad, and particularly cruel considering Ransom had been half-naked and wet half of the day. That had made it difficult to stay in the hostess mindset, that was for sure. Charlotte smiled up at him as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'd like you to stay." she admitted. "We didn't get to spend a lot of time together today. Did you have fun?"
He was in complete agreement with her there; watching her run around in a swim suit only made him want to be close, and that wasn't a good idea with a crowd around. It was much too tempting to do more than hold hands. "I had fun," he smiled, pulling her body against his. "But I'm glad it's just us now. I missed touching you." It sounded dirtier out loud than in his mind, so hopefully she knew what he meant. As the hostess, she couldn't exactly spend the evening curled up with her boyfriend. "Do you wanna go inside, or stay out here?"
It didn't hit Charlotte as being something dirty, she just smiled. "I'm happy out here." she said. "If you are. It's nice and peaceful now." And peaceful was important, after a near-all-day party. The noise had been a little much for Charlotte's head. But she'd never gotten the migraine she'd worried she was on the edge of, so she was counting it as a win.
"I like the quiet," he agreed, his arms loosening as he took her hand. Grabbing his towel, he led her out onto the grass, then spread the towel out like a blanket. "It's nice being with all our friends, but I'd rather have this at the end of the day. Kind of balances things out." He couldn't have handled the party continuing on any longer, so it was a good thing that it ended when it did.
Charlotte grinned and lowered herself down to the ground, plopping down on his towel as she kept holding his hand. "It does." she agreed. "I talked to a few more people about the camping trip, your sister included. She's in, and Gabe definitely is, and he's going to ask the Corey twins."
"So we'll have you and me, plus Jessalyn and Madock, and Gabe and Claire?" Ransom asked, grinning. "Wow... that'll be interesting. Especially if Madock's the only one that doesn't know half the group's a werewofl. Is Gabe dating Claire, or are they just friends?" Every time he saw Gabe and Claire together, he thought they were dating, but in the past that wasn't the case. Ransom knew not to jump to conclusions, but lately it was getting really hard to tell.
"Madock doesn't know?" Charlotte asked, honestly surprised, though she knew immediately that she shouldn't be. It wasn't common knowledge, even after the Light of May. "Today was Gabe and Claire's 'maybe-date'." she said, holding her hands up to make quotation marks before taking Ransom's again. "He really likes her, and she doesn't want to ruin the friendship."
"Not unless Jessalyn told him today," Ransom said. "He might know about Gabe, but I can't tell." Originally, Ransom found out about Gabe because Gabe had come to Charlotte for help, and Charlotte had the good sense to connect the two of them. He'd have found out eventually, just based on his sense of smell and the fact that they both played basketball. But Madock didn't have that going for him and it really wasn't his place to share. "I think Madock will know about us prior to the camping trip, but who knows. I'll keep you posted. The camping trip will be fun either way."
Charlotte nodded. "I'm still going to ask more people tomorrow. But I think it will definitely be a success. Everyone seemed pretty excited. And I know I am." For more reasons than she could count. Alone time with Ransom was definitely topping the list, but she truly did love camping. Best of both worlds.
"Me too," he smiled, his hand squeezing hers. The idea of being out in the wild with her, having her to himself, was something to look forward to, no matter how many other people decided to join them. She'd be with him at night, in his arms, and he'd get to wake up with her there as well. Ransom was quiet for a moment, then licked his lips. "You know those awkward topics we don't like to talk about?" he asked, eyes raising to hers with an embarrassed little smile. "We kinda need to talk about one."
...Oh, heck. Yes, they probably did, and why did that seem so intimidating? They could do stuff with no difficulty, why couldn't they talk about it? Charlotte felt her cheeks flush and nodded slightly. "Okay." she agreed. They were making plans to sleep together - actually sleep, mind you! It seemed naturally that the awkward topics would come up.
Ransom fidgeted, then laughed a little nervously. Part of him thought they didn't need to have this conversation because they weren't planning to do anything more than sleep, but the other part of him knew how stupid he would feel if he was wrong and hadn't said something ahead of time. This really couldn't be avoided if he were to use common sense. "So, you know how there are wolf traits that apply to me, that are just so ingrained I can't avoid them. Like having a pack. I will, no matter what." She knew this. They'd already discussed this. But it seemed like a good place to start. "Well, there are other things... most importantly that wolves mate for life." As he said it, his eyes rose to hers, watching carefully.
This was not actually what Charlotte was expecting, though she wasn't sure if it was better or worse than what she was expecting. Considering, well, she already knew. But he didn't know that. As he'd been speaking she'd been trying not to get nervous or let her heart pound, but it wasn't actually something she had any control over. And when he actually said it, she actually relaxed a bit. She bit her bottom lip in a moment of hesitation as she looked up at him, shyly. "I know." she said. "I've always known. I just didn't have the guts to say anything about it."
It was virtually impossible to focus on her own reactions when his were so strong. He'd been worried about this for days now, so to hear that she already knew threw him for a complete loop. "You know?" he said, eyes widening a bit. Did that change things? Ransom couldn't decide. "So--so, I felt like you should know, just in case, cause-- cause I don't want you to do something that-- not that we should, though I'd like... would you ever consider it? with me?" He could feel his face turning a deep red in the process, prepared for the earlier topic, but not for this one.
This was the talk Charlotte had expected to come on, and the mate for life bit had somehow broken the ice. For her, anyway. Obviously not for him. Oops. She blushed and took both of his hands, squeezing them. "Isn't it going to be a much bigger decision for you than it is for me?" she asked, looking up at him again. She knew she wasn't answering the question, and she felt bad, but she didn't want this all on her.
He supposed that was true, though he had trouble doubting his feelings when it came to Charlotte. Being with her seemed so right that he knew, if he let himself, she would be the one. Once that decision was made, it was permanent, and he was fine with that, except... it wasn't so final on her end and that scared him. "It could be," he admitted. "I guess there's the possibility that you end up with a stalker ex-boyfriend, but... I was really hoping that you..." Ransom paused and licked his lips. He was having trouble finding the words to say what was so simple in his mind. "I love you," he whispered. "I know what my decision would be."
Hearing that made Charlotte a truly ridiculous level of happy. She kind of wanted to scream and jump on him and hug him, all of which she knew would be extremely inappropriate considering the moment. She was beaming at him though, and there was no help for that. "I love you too, Ransom." she murmured. And she couldn't help but be touched that he was so willing to take a chance on her. She couldn't see her feelings for him ever changing, but she knew one of Gabe's biggest fears was that he'd end up mated to someone who changed their mind. "I don't want you ending up any kind of ex-boyfriend."
He knew just how she felt upon hearing her response, but squeezed her hands and smiled, rather than attempting to ravish her. It really wasn't the time, but he was glowing anyways. It was impossible to hold that happiness back. "Me neither," he smiled. "I just know that... once you're my mate, you'll always be my mate. And while nothing would make me happier, it's a big decision that... I don't know if you've thought about." He had, definitely. He couldn't believe it, but he had.
"I have." Charlotte admitted, with a soft, barely-there chuckle. God, had she ever. "A lot." A lot, a lot. She winced lightly and gave him a sheepish look. "Possibly more than is healthy." she gave. "I want..." Far too many things to list, perhaps. "I want us to last, forever. I can't imagine life without you. And I want to... be with you." She wondered if somewhere upstate her old Sunday School teacher just woke up screaming. Any minute now she expected to hear her mother start screaming in the house, but it didn't happen. Good start.
Ransom leaned in to kiss her because, after hearing that, he could no longer restrain himself. He wondered if she knew that he felt like the happiest man alive, if she could hear his heart beating through his chest. "I love you," he murmured against her lips, this time with more confidence than before. "I want to be with you, always. I want you to be my mate." Whenever they were ready, which probably wouldn't be while sitting out on her parent's lawn, though if they both wanted it, then he doubted it would be that far off.
Charlotte smiled brightly, and put her hand at the back of his head to kiss him again. This felt oddly formal and official, but she found she was okay with this. Though she couldn't help but be annoyed with herself, because her head was already spinning on the logical stuff she really didn't want to be thinking about right now. I pretty much just agreed to have sex. I need to get on birth control. I am not going to be a statistic. She begged her brain to shut up and just let her enjoy this. "I love you." she murmured, liking the way it felt to say it.
He smiled, arms wrapping around her as he brushed his nose against hers. "I didn't mean to get into this today, but now I'm glad I did," he admitted, smiling against her lips. He'd been more concerned with them having to have this conversation at a much more awkward time, and he'd been worried at how she would take the news. A huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders that he hadn't even realized was there, and now he felt light as a feather. Ransom truly thought he might be glowing, if werewolves were to glow.
Charlotte giggled and ran her fingers through his hair. "I should have told you I knew." she said, shaking her head. "I very nearly did, when I had to explain how it worked to Gabe - which was terrifying, by the way. But I chickened out every time I came close. I knew it would trigger talking about... um... the actual mating. And I didn't want to rush that."
Ransom raised a brow as she mentioned having to explain it to Gabe. Now there was something that needed to be done, and he was glad Charlotte had realized it. He'd have felt bad for the guy if he ended up bound to someone over a one night stand. "That was your good deed for the year," he told her with a grin. "And I understand. I don't want to rush anything either. I just didn't want to have the conversation at a more awkward time."
Charlotte bit her bottom lip through a laugh. "Or at a time where we're not likely to take a minute to think." she provided, blushing faintly, but smirking too. "I'm glad you brought it up. And I don't want to rush, either. I just want to be prepared and on the same page and... and able to say I love you whenever I want, because that part's really great." she added, grinning stupidly.
"That too," Ransom said, smirking with her. Now, when they were ready to make the decision, at least they both knew what they were getting into. "And I like being able to say I love you. I wasn't sure if it was too soon, or if you felt the same way, so it's... it makes me so happy to hear you say it." He smiled, then laughed a little. "I didn't realize I could be so mushy and romantic."
"I did." Charlotte said, still grinning like an idiot. "But it's okay. I like it." she said, kissing him again. "And I know what you mean." All his concerns echoed her own. "I've almost said it a couple of times. Usually when it would have been cheap and inappropriate."
"If you mean it, it's never cheap," Ransom said, his thumbs brushing gently over the back of her hands. "But I know that some times aren't as good for the first time, cause you want the other person to know you mean it, not just... just saying it." That was a large reason as to why he'd held back before. Saying it for the first time while making out just didn't seem right. "Now you can tell me whenever you want," he grinned.
Charlotte nodded, glad he knew what she meant. "I mean it." she confirmed. "But you're definitely right. And that was when I was tempted the most." She grinned and squeezed his hand. "Whenever I want, huh? Like all the time?" God, we're cheesy. But happily so.
"All the time," he grinned, unable to think of any time that he wouldn't be happy to hear it. "Even in the middle of the night, or first thing in the morning. And you know what'll be the best?" he asked, planting a little kiss on her lips. "When we're camping, and you can tell me in person, any time of day."
She fully intended on taking him up on that, too. She smiled and snuggled up to him, wrapping an arm around his neck. "I can show you, too." she whispered, nuzzling his neck. Which sounded a lot dirtier than she meant it, so apparently it was the night for that. "Can't wait."
"I'd like that," he whispered, finding it very hard to keep himself calm at the prospect of having sex eventually. Not that they'd discussed when, but now his mind was free to make up possibilities! Ransom thought that he should be freaking out about the permanence of the situation, but he wasn't. He was just confident that he'd found the girl that was perfect for him. "I started writing this morning," he said, smiling as he held her close. "A little draft about being a werewolf."
Charlotte's face lit up as she looked up at him. "Really? That's so exciting!" she said, kissing his cheek. "Have you told anyone else about it?" She'd wondered if he was going to tell his family or anyone else, since he'd said he wanted them to be anonymous.
If it wasn't for Charlotte, he might not have taken the idea seriously, but with her support, he wanted to see something come of it. "It's just a start, but once it's finished and polished, you can read over it," he smiled. "I haven't told anyone yet. I figure I'll tell Jessalyn and see what she thinks. I don't want to tell the kids cause they won't know how to keep a secret." Published, though, he didn't want his name on it. It was safer for his family that way, and it allowed them to remain private if they so wished.
It was hard to imagine Jessalyn having anything but a positive opinion, but then again, Charlotte didn't think she'd ever seen Jessalyn be negative about anything. "Can't wait." she said, still smiling proudly at him. She couldn't help it.
That smile really just made him want to try harder, as he felt like he'd really done something worth while. Though she'd never said anything negative about it, Ransom doubted his job as a mechanic would earn the same response. This was something special. "If the paper likes it, maybe I can write for them occasionally. Something to add to my income. I'm hoping to maybe move out this year, as soon as I have the cash."
"Really?" Charlotte asked, a little surprised. His family seemed so close, it was hard to imagine. Though natural. "Tired of sharing a room with your little brother?" she asked, smiling faintly. It would be convenient if he had his own place, but she was trying not to think about it that way.
"Maybe," he smiled. "It'd be awesome if I could build on our property or something. I don't like the idea of moving far away, but sharing a bedroom is starting to get to me," he laughed a little. His family was his natural pack, but he also wanted his own space, the ability to do what he wanted without stepping on his siblings.
"It'd be great if you could stay on the pack lands." Charlotte agreed. It was hard to imagine Ransom living more than a few minutes away from his family. "It's something to look into. Are you going to look into getting a room-mate?"
"It'd be hard not to live on pack lands," Ransom said. "Sometimes I just wanna run, and I don't think wolves running around the suburbs is ever going to be okay." He had visited Charlotte in wolf form on one occasion, but that had been a rarity. It just made things difficult, especially since he didn't have clothes when he shifted back. He had to carry them with him, if he was going to shift away from home. "A roommate would be nice. I'll have to see what happens. It'd be nice if I could find another wolf, or at least another were."
"The pack lands are the prettiest part of Scarlet Oak, anyway. Even if you weren't a wolf, I can't imagine anyone wanting to leave them." Charlotte admitted. Charlotte lived in what was considered the elite part of town, but she'd trade it in a heartbeat.
"Just another reason you should spend time over at my place," Ransom smiled. He loved the idea of having her around and hoped that wherever he lived she felt comfortable. Right now, all the werewolves in his house were a little overwhelming, even for him. "You wanna stay out here for a while? Or go clean up?" he asked, as he realized how dark it was getting. He didn't mind hanging out, but he wanted to ask first.
"There are already a lot of reasons." Charlotte pointed out, grinning. She thought about going inside, but was loathe to do so. "I should probably warn you, I live outside in the summer." she answered, giggling. "I've fallen asleep in the yard before. Usually someone has to drag me inside when it's time."
"We can stay then," Ransom said. He could see fine at night anyways. "Maybe lay back and watch the stars come out. I've never had someone to enjoy this with like you." His family was different and always would be. Just because he'd shared experiences with them didn't make them comparable to those he shared with Charlotte.