Priest-De Ulloa Residence, London, 12/14

[bitten_notshy]

Enough word had handwavily filtered back from Fandom that Jack was dimly aware everything had worked out once again. He still wanted the whole story, but for the moment he'd settle for knowing everything was all right.

Besides, he'd been a tiny bit distracted with matters on the homefront. He hadn't been around long enough to do any organizing, but it was always a good time to watch, listen, and figure out who people were and what they wanted.

He hadn't precisely forgotten that today was his nineteenth birthday. But he'd never made much of a fuss over them, save the one in Fandom that marked his passage into adulthood. When the man you lived with was in his second millenium, the details of anything in the human lifespan seemed a bit silly.

He made himself some tea and a sandwich and settled in to work on a final paper.

[OOC: Open for calls, texts, surprise guests, etc.]

Comments

[icecoldfrost]

"Nothing that won't heal," she promised. "And you can stop fishing, Mr. Priest. I won't tell you a single thing more until after your finals. Consider it a bribe to do your best."

Emma didn't want him fussing when they both had work to do.

[bitten_notshy]

"And that was me trying not to pry," Jack said, resigned. "All right, all right. I'm done."

He tugged on that lock of hair again and, remembering his conversation with Rose over homecoming -- and she'd been right, it was foolish of Jack to have an opinion about Emma's dates if he wasn't offering an alternative -- asked, "To talk of something pleasanter, if the school has a New Year's event again, may I be your escort? Or shall I settle for a dance?"

[icecoldfrost]

"I haven't made plans, yet, to even know if I'll be on the island. But at the very least, I'll save you a dance," Emma promised, "and I'll let you know once I know where I'll be."

[bitten_notshy]

"I haven't plans either, beyond seeing what the school is doing and staying here if there's nothing," Jack said, glad she couldn't read his mind through the phone line. He didn't like the neediness creeping into his thoughts -- as if he thought he'd lose her if they spent the New Year apart. As if she'd ever really been his, or the reverse.

Jack hated emotions.

"But if I see you, I'll be delighted to dance and keep your champagne full."

[icecoldfrost]

"You don't need to wait for the New Year if you want a dance, Jack," Emma decided. "Rather than put your birthday present in the mail, I can stop by for a day to deliver it after finals, if you don't mind it being a tiny bit late."

There. Then she would tell him about her last week, and let him fuss for a day or two before she headed back. Emma was hardly going to lie to her best friend, but she just wasn't able to deal with talking about - that - yet.

[bitten_notshy]

"I'm not chained here, either," Jack said, wishing he didn't sound relieved. "I assumed you'd want to be with other people who actually celebrate Christmas next week, and your break isn't as long as mine. That's why I suggested the New Year. But I'm not going to turn down your company, whenever or wherever it comes."

"Besides," he added with a bit of a laugh, "I don't want to think about how much you'd have to pay for rush delivery in London this late at night. My present would never be on time."