`Programmed to Receive;; Brass/Jon

[SCARLET JOOK-LIANG LANCASTER]

Scarlet was curled up on the little bed that consisted of a mattress and a bunch of blankets. She had crept into the apartment somewhere around 6AM when her father and her had finally stopped drinking, and was now laying blissfully in the smell of Jon's deodorant, or cologne or whatever he wore that made him smell so damn irresistible. She curled her fingers around the soft blanket, breathing in the scent through her nose, before exhaling slowly. The breath from her mouth made the pillow hot against her face, so eventually, she flipped the pillow and turned onto her back, smiling weakly. This was ridiculous. Her emotions were flying all over the place. It must have been close to her time of the month... Wait. Scarlet sat up and frowned. Her period was supposed to start two weeks ago.
"Ohhh... Shit." She whispered quietly, looking down at herself. "Fuuuuuck." She put her hands to her stomach, before groaning and falling backwards. This was... A major setback in her whole self-righteous feminism thing she had going. Damnit. She closed her eyes and sighed, before curling up tight in bed again, closing her eyes.

Sleep found the young woman quickly, and she had drifted off into sweet unawareness, doors and all but one window locked. She had kept the one right above her open, because it was pretty warm in the apartment, since all the heat was rising up through the floors of the other tenants living spaces. Hot and sticky, really. But the breeze from the night air being up so high was nice, so she relished in the fact that she was situated right under a perfectly positioned window that game her all the ventilation she needed to gets some rest, despite her worried mind whirling in her sleep, dreaming of millions of babies, like that one part in the Shrek movie where babies just pour into the windows. It was rather horrifyingly adorable.

[JONATHAN WARNER BRASS]

Everything had gone better than expected. So well, in fact, that it was hard to tell that Jon was even the same person. A smile kept cropping up on his face, excitement putting a spring in his step as he thought of the best way to surprise Scarlet. He had been planning the gift for a long time, but it had never been possible until now. Now he knew what he was doing.

But just because he was happy, didn't mean that the sleepless night wasn't on it's way to catching up with him. There were dark circles under his eyes, the product of missing sleep the day before, being up all night, and then attending the interview- it was all worth it though. He had the envelope clutched safely in one hand, paranoid that if he simply slipped it into his back of work clothes or his pockets he might lose it.

Too eager to get back to his apartment, he took the bus instead of running all the way downtown, and it wasn't until he was staring up at the grimy exterior of his building that it dawned on him that maybe Scarlet wouldn't be there. He had told her he would be back by noon, but she could have been out with her father, or just giving Jon some space. A scowl descended on the young man's features, his dark hair flopping down in front of his eyes as he bent to unlock the front door of the building before heading up the stairs.

Rounding the corner of the hall, he made for his door, unlocking it quietly, trying to remind himself to not be disappointed if she wasn't there- she didn't owe him that anyway. But as he opened the door a crack, he had already glimpsed her shoes, and stole in quietly, a blazing grin taking the place of disappointment. The heat in the room didn't bother him at first, not when he had just come in and was sheltering from the sun outside. Without saying a word he tried to tip-toe to where she lay curled up on the bed as quietly as possible, setting his bag down gently on the floor before sitting down on the edge of the mattress, knowing she was bound to wake up soon. He slit the envelope in his hand open, loudly tearing the top of it to get her attention- he knew she probably wouldn't want to be surprised after what had happened the last time he snuck up on her, but it was too difficult to resist.

[SCARLET JOOK-LIANG LANCASTER]

The sound of ripping paper awoke Scarlet with a start. She gasped a flailed her arms out, nearly socking Jonathan in the face. She got his shoulder though, and she watched as he toppled over with an envelope in his hands. Frowning a bit, she crawled on top of him and kissed his shoulder quietly, before working her kisses up his neck to his mouth, smiling sweetly.
"Good morning, handsome man of mine." She snuggled her face into his neck as his arms went around her, but didn't enclose her. He was still fiddling with the envelope in his hands. Laughing, she turned over quietly and slid down, so the crown of her head was situated just in the nook between his arm and chest, where she fit perfectly every time that they lay down together.

Quietly, she reached steady hands up to the envelope and helped him pry the paper open, smiling a bit at the grin on his face.
"Why are you such a grinning man today?" She forgot about the envelope for a second and turned towards him, kissing his cheek softly.
"Have I told you lately that I love you? Because I do. And I went to a key shop earlier and got a deadbolt made for your door, so it's safer." She pointed to a bag on the floor. "My dad said he'd come over an install it for you." She smiled brightly and kissed him over and over. "He's impressed. He likes you a lot. So don't wander off and leave me again, or he might have to kick your ass this time." She laughed and sat up, straddling his hips.
"So, what's in the envelope?"

[JONATHAN WARNER BRASS]

He was expecting some sort of violent reaction, but wasn't quick enough to dodge out of the way of her flailing arms. Flopping onto the bed, he was pleasantly surprised to find her in a forgiving mood for waking her, kissing her way up to snuggled against his neck. He had to remind himself for a second that though the present was definitely a good place to be, he had a reason to distract her from it.

Scarlet lay down beside him, reaching up to help him rip the envelope open. He pulled it quickly away, not wanting her to spoil it by having the tickets rain down on them, but at least now it was open.

"Why are you such a grinning man today?"

She was kissing his cheek, asking him question after question.
"I know, I-" Something about her father and the deadbolt she had just bought. She was smiling in a way he hadn't seen in a long time- like she was truly happy. He tried to return her attention to the envelope, but she continued to kiss him all over, telling him just how much her dad liked him. "That's great, but if he likes me he won't have a reason to beat me up or-" Her laugh interrupted him, and she sat up to straddle his hips, finally asking about the damn envelope.

With something that sounded like a groan of frustration, he dropped the envelope on the bed, pushing himself up before placing his hands on either side of her face and planting a kiss right on her mouth, letting go with a warning glare to lie back down again.
"If you'd give me a minute, I'd love to share." With all delicacy that the situation demanded, he pulled out four pieces of thick rectangular paper, glancing at the glossy side that held writing. He split them into two, purposefully drawing out the whole act. He pretended to debate over which to show her first, but when he came to a decision, he regarded her with mock seriousness.
"Now, we'll count this toward a missed six month anniversary gift, seeing as I botched the whole thing up by deserting you." It was easier to joke about it when he knew that he was in her good books at the moment. "But, as part of your gift, you also can't ask where they came from." He was suddenly stern, still withholding the tickets. Then with a return to a grin, he held out the first pair of tickets. They weren't special as far as flights went- no first class of a top airline, but he had done his best under the circumstances. It was more the location that mattered over anything else. The first set...he held them out, looking a little more somber. They were listed for a flight to Chicago, which he quickly pointed out, suddenly very worried that she wouldn't like it, just as he had been about the keys.
"Sorry, they were the only affordable ones I could get. But it's Chicago, then a short flight on a little plane to a city outside La Porte." He tried to find his smile again, but it just looked a little pained. "Surprise, I'm taking you home with me." It was the best way he could think of to show her that he wanted her to be a part of his life. But even Jon didn't want to dwell on musings of what that trip was going to be like. "It gets better though- here." He handed her the second set, marked for Vancouver, listed to depart three days after they landed in La Porte. "I figured three days would be alright, just...you know, if things don't go so well." He tried a nervous chuckle, dark eyes lifting to her face, searching for some sign that he had done the right thing.

[SCARLET JOOK-LIANG LANCASTER]

Scarlet stared blankly at the tickets in her hands before looking at him. Then back to the tickets. Then back to him. She didn't know what to say. She felt like crying, and laughing, and screaming, all in the same go. He was taking her to see his family. That was... A step in the right direction, for sure. And the tickets to Vancouver... She bit her lip and looked up at him, eyes bright.
"How did you... I don't... I mean..." She couldn't even form a sentence. This, on top of the fact that she was over-tired, just made the situation all the more emotional. She smiled and pulled away from him, leaning against the wall so she was still facing him, but she was holding the tickets in front of her face, staring at them excitedly. She thought about his family, and how they would react when they met her. She was nervous, above-all. And, for the time being, she had forgotten about the little problem brewing in her stomach.

Smiling, she set the tickets beside the bed and crawled over to him, standing on her knees, so she was just above him.
"You..." She took his face in her hands and smiled seductively. "Are doing a very, very good job at keeping me happy." She pulled his face up and kissed him passionately, grinning a bit against his lips as they fell back into the blankets, nearly rolling off the mattress.
"I love you, Jonathan Warner Brass." She wrapped her legs around his and kissed him again. "You're so amazing. I'm so happy you came back..." She snuggled her face into his neck, leaving a little kiss on his collarbone, before sliding down so her head was on his chest, listening to his heart, beating loudly behind his rib cage. She smiled and placed her hand on the other side of his chest, closing her eyes contently as she listened to the makeshift drumbeat before looking up at him.
"You should sleep, now." She nodded and brushed his hair back, smiling weakly. "You don't get much, and you'll need it soon enough."

[JONATHAN WARNER BRASS]

He watched her process the whole thing, and begin to stutter, his grin only growing more pronounced while she sat against the wall, soaking it in.

As she crawled back toward him, he just lay there, certain that he had earned her approval this time. He liked the way she said you, as she pulled him up from the bed, before they fell back together. Her touch left a trail of fire against his chest, for one weird moment taking the time to point out to himself that it was funny how happy they were, just like a regular couple, without the influence of powers.

"You're giving me too much credit," He told her with a smile. "I'm pretty sure I'm the lucky one in this deal, since I got you." He caught her hand while she brushed his hair out his face. He'd probably need a haircut before their trip- he was starting to look pretty grim with the dark strands falling into his tired, circled eyes.

"You should sleep, now."

Well, there was an easy fix. He smirked, nodding his head as if considering it.
"Well, yeah, I could. But where's the fun in that?" Just because his first day back with Scarlet had carried on to be much more than he thought it would, that didn't mean that every day after that was just bliss. He hadn't had much of an opportunity to spend time with her since then, and the weeks had dragged by while he worked, and she kept up with her summer running regimen. He slept most of the time during the day, so they rarely had much time to spend with one another.

Letting go of her hand, he pulled her close enough until he could circle his arms around her waist, pressing his mouth to her's.
"I have the night off," He pointed out in a mutter. He continued to kiss her, softly at fist, becoming more insistent before he paused again. "Sleep can wait a little longer, if that wasn't already obvious." He told her dryly.

[SCARLET JOOK-LIANG LANCASTER]

Scarlet grinned when he pulled her close, laughing when he started to kiss her over and over. He was so cute. It was true; they hadn't really done anything remotely intimate since his first night back. Sure, there was a few quick spurs of random intimacy when he wasn't asleep, and she wasn't at track, but they hadn't actually laid down and had the connection that they usually did. Although nothing could really top the first night back. That was just pure, raw emotion. It was probably the best she'd ever have, unless they fought sometime in the future, which was entirely possible with them. Not the near future, since Jonathan was doing such a wonderful job keeping her happy, but further down the line, maybe in a couple of years... Intense makeup sex would be a definite plus. And the fight before would be so worth it.

Laughing a bit at her thoughts, thinking herself a horrible person for actually planning to fight with her boyfriend, she kissed him hard and slid her fingers up his shirt, tugging it up slightly as she kissed him again.
"We're wearing too much clothing." She whispered quietly, kissing down his cheek to his neck, and chest, pulling his shirt off easily and making her way back up.
"Are you sure you don't want to sleep?" She grinned, grazing her teeth along his ear. "It's not like I'm going anywhere... Not without you, at least..." She kissed his jaw and looked at him, a content look crossing her face. He looked so tired. She brushed his hair out of his face and kissed his nose, smiling weakly. It's not like she could flat-out tell him no. Besides, her hormones were spiking drastically by the second. She needed this just as much as he did, despite being as tired as she was. They could sleep after.

After her mental dialogue, she blinked slightly as she found her clothing in a pile on the floor. Jonathan worked fast when he wanted to.
"Eager." She kissed him softly and pulled his belt out of the loops, smiling. "I love you." She pressed her lips to the bottom of his chin and let his pants join the pile of clothing on the floor.

~*~WHOOEOOERIOFTRRWEO~*~

Scarlet awoke hours later, curled up in Jonathan's arms, with her arms looped up under his own, gripping his shoulders. One of her legs was slung over his, and her other was wrapped up between them. It was an awkwardly comfortable position. Grinning, she tilted her head up and kissed his lips, before closing her eyes, still smiling.
"Good afternoon." She mumbled quietly, in case he was still in the mood to sleep.

[JONATHAN WARNER BRASS]

Was there anything really better to wake up to than this? Jon blinked, slowly opening his eyes to the late afternoon light at the soft brush of Scarlet's lips and her soft mumble. He lay still at first, then all at once yawned, dragging his arms away from where they were wrapped around her warm body to stretch behind his head.
"Hey." He murmured, returning one arm to drape over her waist again, reaching out with the other to turn the alarm clock on the floor toward him. 5:06 PM. Not bad. He was still kinda tired, but it was manageable.

For awhile he just let his eyes close again, drifting for a bit until he was firmly brought back to the world of the waking. He tilted his head, glancing over at her with raised brows.
"I guess I forgot to ask, but did you have anything planned today? Or did you just let your dad loose on the city?" It was probably bad boyfriend etiquette to bring up her dad at a time like this, butt naked in bed, but even worse when he considered that he didn't much care if he had ruined her plans- it was worth it, he thought with a lazy grin. Besides, a moment like this was rare these days, compared to how it had been when they first started dating. There were a lot of drunken nights, and even more that he had spent sneaking into her dorm room. So the apartment thing was something to celebrate.

He made no move to let her go, instead closing his eyes again, but still very much awake.

[SCARLET JOOK-LIANG LANCASTER]

Laughing quietly, Scarlet kept her forehead against his chest, closing her eyes as well, she was drifting in and out of sleep, but she had to return to her dorm soon to grab some more clothes, unless Jonathan would offer to go get them for her. She laughed at the idea and pressed a kiss to the thin layer of muscle that covered his pectoral muscle.
"Mmm. Not until later. I'm spending the night at his hotel with him. We're going to a conference or something for his work..." She mumbled, opening her eyes slowly.
"I do have to go to my dorm room to shower and stuff, though. Unless you want to go get me some clothes." She grinned and looked up at him, laughing a bit. "Just kidding. I'll go get them... Eventually. I'll look so classy leaving in the same clothes I wore last night coming up here." She burst out laughing and rolled away, rubbing her stomach happily, playing a little drumbeat on it.

"Do you have any bacon? I could really go for some bacon right about now..." She mumbled, running her fingers through her hair, before pulling his arm around her stomach. She wondered how long it'd take before her tummy would start to protrude. She'd have to tell him at some point... But for now, she had to check it out to make sure there was even a baby brewin'. She'd buy some home pregnancy tests and take them in her dorm room, away from the prying eyes of her boyfriend. She didn't want to worry him just yet.
"Do you like babies?" She blinked, looking over at him. "I mean like, in general. I saw this really adorable baby in the park a few days ago. Cutest little blonde ringlets. So pretty." She laughed and shrugged a bit. "You don't have to answer that..."

[JONATHAN WARNER BRASS]

Hmm. It wasn't as bad as he feared, but it was a little annoying to find that his schedule wasn't working just right. He would have liked to spend his night off with her too, but it wasn't fair, seeing as her father took priority in terms of not seeing her as often. Things would be different down the road though. He was struck by the sudden urge to tell her, but he was saving that news for later. It was a big deal, the circumstances that had allowed him to afford the flights, but it would remain a secret for now.

He was going to point out that he had never met his neighbors in the building, so they could go fuck themselves if they didn't like the whole 'walk of shame' thing, despite it not being a one night stand, but she was asking about bacon. Slowly sitting up and drawing his arm away from her, ruffling his hair with one hand, he got his boxers back on and wandered over to the small dining area. His fridge was hardly impressive, and he knew even before looking in it that there was no bacon. There wasn't much of anything breakfast related to even make up for it (though it was technically dinner time), so he straightened with a sigh as he shut the little door.
"No luck with the bacon, but we can walk down to one of the stores on the way to the school and pick something up. I kinda want a burger." He shot her a grin, heading back toward the bed. "I'll walk with you, if you want." Jon wasn't really following her train of thought as he picked up her clothes and held them out, flopping onto the foot end of the mattress, face down.

"Babies?" His voice was muffled, and he turned his face into the open air, squinting at her. Using her bra as a sling to shoot it at her, he shrugged as best he could while lying on his stomach. "I don't know, it's not like I've spent much time with them. I wasn't the sort kid people asked to babysit for them while they were out back home." He was clearly not reading into this as he should have been. "Why?" He laughed, unable to fathom why she was suddenly bringing this up. He had never pictured Scarlet as being particularly girly, obsessed with kittens and pink fluffy things and...babies. Where this was coming from was just as much a mystery as what it meant.