Tuesday - September 17th, 2019
Who: Hope and Wes When: Night Where: Hope's Apartment What: Dinner Rating: TBD
Hope hadn't been nervous the last time that she and Wesley had gotten together, but she was nervous this time. Of course this time was different than the last. They had talked about things, heavy things, serious things, about their relationship, about the futurre, and tonight was meant to be the start of that, to cement what was to come between them. So yes, she was a bit terrified, but she was doing her best to hide it, to push the worries and doubts to the back of her mind, and put herself into a mindset to simply enjoy tonight and whatever happened to come of it.
The most stressful part, however, was figuring out what to wear. She tore through her closet like a mad woman trying to find just the right thing, something that looked good but didn't look like she was trying too hard. Something that could either look date like or just casual since she had no idea where the night was going to take them. She even tried jeans at one point, but decided that just wasn't right. Running out of time, she went with the old faithful black dress. But to spice it up, she wore some red shoes which made the outfit look both sexy and adorable all rolled into one. She was pleased with it, once she'd finally settled, and a glance at the clock told her it was nearly time for him to arrive. She threw her discarded clothes into the closet and closed the door so he wouldn't know that she had tried on nearly everything inside if and when he came into her bedroom. And then she headed into the kitchen to check on dinner, leaning against the counter as she waited for him to arrive.
~~~
Wesley wasn't sure whether it was good that they'd talked, or whether it was the beginning of the end. They had cleared the air, they both knew where they stood, but at the same time it was nervewracking. They'd not... done anything in ten years maybe they liked different things now? Maybe they'd talk and they'd find they'd changed too much to get on. He doubted it because he knew she'd not really altered her way of speaking, the confusing little wench.
Wearing something smart but casual and sexy (easily removed) Wesley found himself outside her door, wine and flowers in hand, merely standing. It was odd. He took a few minutes to try and get his head together before he knocked twice on the door. The beginning of something big. That's what this felt like to him.
~~~
The knock on the door nearly made Hope jump out of her skin. She laughed at herself and then pushed off the counter, heading to answer the door. A smile formed upon her lips almost instantly when she saw him. He looked good. And he'd brought flowers too. "For me?" She asked, a brow quirking slightly. "Thank you." She leaned in to give him a brief kiss upon the cheek, feeling a soft flutter in the pit of her stomach as she pulled away. "Come on in," she stepped aside so that he could enter. "You look good," Hope remarked, and she meant it. He was just as handsome now as he had been ten years ago. Actually, he may have looked even better now, more together, more healthy.
~~~
Hope always looked beautiful, so when she greeted him at the door he couldn't say much at first. Handing her the flowers with a skill that resembled a five year old giving a teacher a present, Wesley awkwardly returned the kiss, blushing a little. "Yeah I - they're blue. I thought you might like them cause I.... and I brought some wine. I don't know if you can really aste it too much? But... I mean you look amazing... always look amazing." Smelling the food cooking the healer sighed, the prospect of food soothing his nerves slightly. If all else failed he could eat himself to death. "Look.... I don't know why I feel like I'm some dumb teenager again, but I apologise in advance if I ramble. It's sort of a habit which I'm sure you realised when we last dated and stuff, so you're probably used to it, but I kinda just keep talking to fill any weird voids that might be between us so I don't notice them or you don't notice them and stop talking Wesley."
~~~
Hope had to work to keep herself from laughing at Wesley as he began to ramble on and on. He was positively adorable. Then again, he always had been. His awkwardness was a part of his charm and one of the things that had attracted to her in the very beginning of their relationship. She was glad to see that that hadn't changed. While smooth could be attractive, and she did like that type now and then, the type of men she really fell for hard always seemed to be the awkward type. Like Wesley. "I agree," Hope remarked. "Stop talking, Wesley." With a smirk, she added, "I can think of much better things you could be doing with your mouth." A brow quirked slightly, suggestively, and then she turned, heading to the kitchen to put the flowers in some water, the table already set for dinner which was warming. Hope had cheated and ordered in but she doubted he would mind much.
~~~
Wesley? Mind that a woman had ordered take out? It was still what he mostly lived off of but he still liked to try his hand in the kitchen now and again. Raising his eyebrows at her he shot her a very sultry gaze and a cheeky smile before she could disappear to the kitchen, finishing it with a chuckle. Oh Hope. Such a tease. Placing the wine on the table he uncorked it, then poured it for them both. He had no idea what they were having but red went with anything right? After a moment he paused then went to the kitchen door, leaning on the frame almost like a seductress. "Well... hello, mon cher," he purred, giving his best "come to me" eyes. "Whatever you're cooking smells divine. And the dinner."
~~~
Hope had just enough time to get the flowers sorted and to check that the food wasn't burning up or anything before Wesley appeared in the doorway. She quirked a brow at him and then laughed at his attempt at being seductive. She wiped the laugh off of her face and instead replaced it with a bit of a seductive gaze of her own. "Hungry, Wesley?" She asked, her voice taking on a nice, sultry note. "I hope so. Because if you think dinner looks good, wait until you see dessert." She smirked and then she giggled, a slight flush in her cheeks as she glanced back at the stove. "It's all ready whenever you're ready to eat. I... kind of ordered in because I didn't really have time to cook but... It's from Toucan so you know it's good."
~~~
In a very grand gesture Wesley pushed himself back on the frame, giving an "OH! Temptress!" and a very dramatic hiss with his eyes fluttering closed as if in ecstacy. That was of course before she mentioned the real food he was going to be eating and he was immediate interested. "Oh Lloyd's place? I tell you, if he would have me I'd just like.. live in his kitchen," Wesley admitted, coming further into the kitchen to help her. "Come on let me help plate. I don't like you doing heavy lifting when I'm gonna wear you out later. I mean... you know what I mean.." The expression he wore was an 'oops slip of the tongue!' but Hope would undoubtedly know he was faking it.
~~~
Clearly Wesley had not changed in the slightest. He was still just as silly and corny as he had always been. Of course when he started to gush about Lloyd, Hope pouted a little. "I look better in heels than he does," she contested, and then laughed. "Oh, who am I kidding, his legs are a world longer than mine are." She smirked and then quirked a brow slightly as he spoke. "Oh yeah? Wear me out, huh? Someone's feeling confident." She giggled and then paused, thinking. "Let's eat in the living room. We can have a picnic in the floor or something. I don't feel like sitting at the table." They could be closer the other way and it just seemed like a good idea.
~~~
Wesley had changed in some ways. Never changed his cheek though. "Lloyd has good legs but you have a beautiful set of pins my darling," and with that he pressed a soft kiss to her cheek. Once the dinner was plated he agreed to her picnic on the floor, carrying in the wine so that they would be able to have a stiff drink too. He waited until Hope was seated first before settling next to her, giving her a smile. "This is nice. I feel like we should be in a forest but maybe it's best that we're not outside dressed like this." After taking a first bite of the dinner he groaned, then cleared his throat. He was reminded that Hope didn't actually make this. "Uhm... wow this is not like yours, this is terrible..."
~~~
The kiss made her smile soften, a little less cheek and a little more sincerity. "Thank you," Hope replied softly. The picnic was a good idea. Hope grabbed a few pillows to toss in the floor before she settled onto the nice, plush carpet and waited for Wesley to take a seat beside her. She watched as he took the first bite and then laughed when he spoke. "You're a terrible liar." She took a bite herself, and it tasted... well, she didn't really taste much. But the texture was nice at least. She took a glass of wine and focused mostly on the drink. She wasn't much for eating real food these days. That was mostly for his benefit.
~~~
"I'm not this is..." Wesley took another bite then growled, low in the throat. "Ok it's amazing. I can't even... you should work on something that allows vampires their sense of taste, cause I know you got your noses and smell but fuck Hope, this is amazing." He was having such a great time eating that he realised he was in danger of not carrying on a conversation, so he coughed slightly, and attempted to speak. "hurdsndf... sorry," he said, coughing again. "How have you been, lately? I mean since our... chat."
~~~
Hope was envious of his ability to taste. She wished that her taste buds could pick up on the more subtle notes of flavor instead of requiring so much spice just to taste anything at all. But she was glad that he was enjoying it. She laughed a little and then smiled. "We just spoke yesterday. I've been... I dunno, the same since then?" She suggested with a bit of a laugh. "Been thinking about you though. About.. us." The last word was said a bit softer than the others, a certain shyness forming upon her features.
~~~
Wesley smiled at her, glad that she'd been thinking about them. He had too. So when she mentioned it he grinned, scooting closer. "Aaaand what have you been thinking?" Yes he was digging and not in a subtle way. "How we used to... or how you used to...." He gave her a slight nudge. "OR how I.... mmmmrowr."
~~~
Subtle was not in Wesley's vocabulary. It never had been and it would appear that it never would be. Of course she didn't mind. She had a smile upon her lips as he spoke, and then she giggled as he gave her a nudge. "All of it," Hope answered honestly. "I've missed.. being with you. I mean I've.. been with other people since we... broke up but.." She smiled as she added, "They weren't you."
~~~
There was a surge of pride and tenderness that filled Wesley's chest and he sighed. "Well... you know who I've been with," he chuckled a little bashfully, hastily drinking some wine to steel his nerves. "And a few others. None have been the same as you. For one, I've not like... been in love with them... and eighty percent were male. Not that you really wanna know that I'm sure, but - I've kinda been wandering around waiting."
~~~
"I know one of them." Garret, whom she was guilty of being with as well. Of course that didn't mean that it meant, well, anything substantial. That was just... how they interacted, though she supposed that would have to change if she and Wesley were to really try and work things out again. "Waiting for what?" She asked, though she wasn't sure that she should ask that. Hope knew what she wanted to hear, as selfish as it was. She wanted to hear that he had been waiting for her, though why would he? She'd never given him any reason to believe that she would be coming back, other than her refusal to sell the place.
~~~
Hope really didn't need to ask that question because really she should know. She did know. But perhaps asking was just her way of clarifying it. So, putting down his meal and his glass, the healer paid full attention tot he woman at his side. "I was waiting to either be told you were coming back, or that the place was changing hands. So I was waiting to see if I should stay, or whether I should go. Cause it isn't the same without you around here. You like.... level me, Hope. When I went through the - episode - on the bridge, I wondered how my family would think of me, that I could leave them like that. Then I thought about you, and how bad it would have been for you to return and hear... about that. So."
~~~
Hope shifted when he did, turning to give him her full attention, her plate essentially forgotten on the nearby coffee table. "I could never get rid of this place. It's.. home," Hope remarked with a soft laugh. "And I would have been devastated, Wesley. You should know that. I didn't leave because I didn't love you, I left because... I did." And that may not have made much sense, but it had made perfect sense to her at the time.
~~~
It didn't make much sense to Wesley. He supposed he understood on some level that it must have been hard for her to be with him at the time. They were both getting over relationships and emotional messes. IT was probably best for the both of them. "I'm glad I didn't do it. Because I got to see everyone I love grow around me, and experience new things, make a difference. And I got to see you again. And you're really a sight for sore eyes, Hope."
~~~
When Wesley has asked for that weekend, she had tried to be okay with it. But it had hurt. And she had a hard time getting over that which was a good part of the reason why she chose to go away. It hadn't been her intention to stay gone for quite so long but... that was the way that it had worked out in the end. "I'm glad you didn't either." she said softly. "Life is.. fleeting for most of us and it's best to just.. take advantage of the time you have while you have it." She smiled. "So are you, Wes..." She reached a hand over to take hold of his own, giving it a soft squeeze. "So what do we do now? I mean... Do you... have ideas? Plans? I don't... I mean what... What are we doing?" She asked, a soft laugh parting her lips.
~~~
"We date." It was that simple. After talking it over with Garret he knew that was all they could do. "Things were hell for leather last time and we never got to appreciate each other. I'm still worried that I'll... go to old ways. Or the ways I still have. I've been with men for a long, long time but my being with you means that I'm hoping for a future with you, and just you. I want to date you, and get to know you, and fall in love with you again. I want to experience everything we couldn't last time. But that doesn't mean I'm not still a selfish ass who will beat up anyone who flirts with you... ok glare at them intenseley cause let's face it even with my martial arts thing I'm still a weed.... I just want - you."
~~~
The answer made Hope frown, shifting so that she could reach for her glass of wine which she raised to her lips, taking a sip as she allowed him to get out what he wanted to say. "I.. I meant what I said before when I said that I didn't come back here to... just jump right into things with you again. I came back here because... this is home and..." How did she say this without sounding like she was, well, either crazy or just jumping the gun completely. "Because I want to have a baby. I'm.. ready to move into that part of my life now."
~~~
Wesley smiled at her, taking her hand and squeezing it. "You have all the time in the world to have a baby, Hope, and I know you're there. I can see it." She looked great, committed, he could tell her mind was in a better place and emotionally she looked wonderful. "But you need to decide whether you want to raise that baby with me, and we are not ready. You can't just jump into this and expect to come out the other end swimming fine... or some less lame analogy. I think you and I could really make something work, but we need to work in the first place to get it.... dating seems... sensible to me. For us and for any future babies."
~~~
"But I don't.. I don't know that I want to wait, Wesley. That's my point." Hope could see his too. They weren't ready. As a couple, they were nowhere near ready. But the question was, should that be her priority, to work through things with him, to settle down, and then think about having children, or should she just go ahead and do it on her own? "And you saying that you're worried that you might.. continue in your old ways makes me... afraid." She exhaled a sigh. "I don't want to go through trying to work things out with you again only to have things fail again and have to take even longer to get back to a point where I feel like I can... like I can move forward."
~~~
Wesley looked at the floor, a little upset but not wanting to show it too much. This was Hope's decision, but he wanted to be a part of it. "I only told you that because it's what I feel and what I'm thinking," he said softly. "I would do anything for you, Hope. I want to be honest, right from the start. I'm not going to deny that I like men, you know I do, but it's not something that I'm going to focus on. I'm choosing to be with you. I'm choosing to try, for you, just like I tried for Roger. And for the most part I didn't cheat on him unless you count sleeping with another personality in his body.... anyway that's not..." He rubbed at his head then, sighing. This was difficult. "I'm not ready for a marriage or a baby with you. I'm sure you're not with me. Ten years apart isn't sensible to come back and do that. But I want time with you, to get to know you, before you choose to expand your family. Because once you do, that's a lifetime commitment. I'd like to know how we work together, have some time alone together if this is what you want, before you... take your family to the next stage."
~~~
"But how do I know that it's going to work?" Hope asked, though she already knew the answer to that question. Nothing was certain when it came to things of this nature. She sighed and closed her eyes for a moment, shaking her head. "This is why I prefer science over... anything else. There's always a goal and you have... variables but there are certainties, things that you know are never going to change." Laughing softly she added, "It's so much easier than.. all of this." She downed the rest of her glass of wine and then set the empty glass on the table, shifting so as to look at him. "You say that you want to try, Wesley, but... Are you certain? Are you.. 100%, in this completely? Because if you aren't. if there's any sort of.. doubt in there, anything or anyone else that's in your head nagging at you to any degree whatsoever, then I need to know. I deserve to know."
~~~
Wesley turned to sit infront of her, looking deep into her eyes with his own smiling, taking her hands in his. He knew her fears, he had them too. But it didn't mean he wasn't going to face them. "I meant what I said before," he said, echoing her previous statement. "I feel.... great with you. I want the house, the family, the marriage, the future. No relationship is perfect. I understand that. Been there enough times. I am 100% in this completely. I will 100% be honest with you. I may watch man porn but you can watch with me and we can get freaky. You can give me some serious pegging and be my man.... actually that sounds really hot...." He paused, going off in his own fantasy.
~~~
Hope inhaled a breath as he took her hands, unneeded but a habit that was difficult to break, and good thing since she had to pretend to be human during the years that she had been away. She smiled as he began to speak, though his tangent at the end made her laugh and she gave his hand a bit of a tug as she scolded him, "Mind out of the gutter, Mcintyre." She smiled, and then she shifted to lean forward and rest her head upon his chest, slipping her arms around his waist.
~~~
Her tug on his hands finally pulled him out of the images in his head. Probably the best. He'd just got to the point where she'd made him suck on her fake cock. "Oh it's in the sewer, baby, whenever I'm around you," he purred, but it was cut off by her resting her head against his chest. He held her close, wrapping his arms around her waist. "So... we're dating?" he asked her quietly. "This is date number one or number two? Cause I wanna know if I'm allowed to kiss you."
~~~
When Wesley wrapped his arms around her, Hope sank even closer into him, practically in his lap at this point, enjoying the feel of his familiar, strong arms wrapped around her. The question made her smile, though the last part made her laugh and she tilted her chin up and grinned at him. "Is that all you wanna do is kiss me?" A brow quirked slightly, almost challenging him.
~~~
Wesley smiled down at her, his brow raising at her in a suggestive manner. "Well... seeing as you're down there..." No, he couldn't be so crude! He laughed and squeezed her, bending to place a kiss on her head. "I wanna do more than kiss you. I want to undress you, and kiss you all over, and worship your body, and make up for the last ten years...."
~~~
Hope gasped. "Wesley!" She gave him a playful shove and then pouted. Of course the more he spoke, the less she was able to hold on to that pout which formed into a smile instead. "That's better." She remarked, and then shifted a bit so she would be easier for him to kiss. " But I think we should just start out with the kissing and see where things go from there."
~~~
Like they didn't know where things would go from there. Wesley wouldn't pressure or push her to do anything with him but at the same time he really wanted to pleasure her so much... smiling, he leant forwards towards her, brushing her hair with his fingers. "I think kissing would be good," he agreed, then closed the distance between them to press his lips against hers, soft and sweet, and just a little bit passionate.