Settling In
[Takes place the night of this, co-written by the muns]
"Are you sure she's not too heavy for you?" Mark asks, careful to keep his voice quiet as he juggles two bags in one hand and the key to the suite in the other. He glances again at Jake, and his daughter, head lolled on Jake's shoulder as she sleeps, a dead weight in Jake's arms.
"Not at all," Jake murmurs, smiling as he shifts Ella just a little. All she does is tighten the arm around his neck before relaxing again. He rests his cheek against her soft hair and closes his eyes for a moment. "She's fine, Mark. Honest."
Mark's smile softens as he watches the careful way Jake holds onto her, how safe and secure she looks snuggled against him. If he'd had any doubts at all about his earlier commitment to Jake, they've all been set aside. "Am I gonna get you back tonight?" he teases, holding the door open for Jake to slip past him, and locking it behind him when he steps into the living room of the suite.
"Maybe," Jake says, and pokes his tongue out at Mark. He carries Ella into Summer's old room, taking care not to jostle her. Glancing up, he smiles when Mark follows. "She's amazing."
"And you were worried she wouldn't like you," Mark chuckles, turning back the sheets on the bed so Jake can set her down. She makes an indistinct noise, then sniffles, yawning, when Mark sits next to her, propping her up as he deftly unfastens the buttons of her dress. "Her nightgown's in her bag," he tells Jake. "Would you mind?"
"Sure." Jake kneels to open the bag, carefully sorting through the small clothes until he finds the gown. He passes it to Mark, then sits back on his heels to watch. There's a smear on her cheek from dinner, but it would be a shame to wake her. So Jake silently gets to his feet and leaves the room, returning just a moment later with a warm, wet washcloth.
Mark's just pulling her gown over Ella's head and arms when Jake comes back in the room, and he smiles his thanks before taking the cloth and washing her face and hands as best he can, what with the way she's still curled against him, completely unmoving. "Must've worn her out today," he observes, cradling her as he eases her under the blankets. "There, um...there should be a toy...a rabbit...in with her things?"
Jake digs through her bag again, smiling in triumph when he emerges with the rabbit. It's seen better days, but it's clear that it's Ella's favorite toy. He passes it to Mark and kneels beside the bed. "She was an absolute angel today," he says, watching her sleep. "My parents fell in love with her, you know. They'll expect you to bring her back."
"I think we'd both like that," Mark replies, tucking the rabbit into Ella's arms, smiling when she immediately curls around the stuffed toy.
"I'd like that, too," Jake murmurs, reaching out to brush a stray curl from Ella's forehead. Then he looks up at Mark. "Thank you."
"I think that's my line," Mark smiles, and presses a light kiss to Ella's forehead before standing. "You were great with her today."
"She made it easy," Jake grins, and takes Mark hand, standing. "She'll be alright in here, right?"
"She'll be fine. She stays with her aunts and uncles a lot, so she's used to sleepovers." Mark leads Jake out into the living room, careful to leave Ella's door cracked open so she's not completely in the dark.
Another grin, and Jake has to resist the urge to hug himself. "She liked me."
"Of course she did," Mark grins, settling on the sofa and looking up at Jake. "Told you she would."
Jake just smiles and straddles Mark's thigh, arms draping over his shoulders. "So you did," he murmurs. "Guess I should start listening to you."
"I'd be much obliged," Mark chuckles, and leans in for a soft kiss. Seems like it's been forever since he's had his mouth on Jake.
When the kiss ends, Jake smiles and rests his forehead against Mark's. "That was nice," he whispers, lashes fluttering as he opens his eyes.
"Just nice?" Mark teases, toying with the buttons of Jake's shirt.
"Better than nice and you know it," Jake replies with a quick grin. He feels cool air against his skin and looks down to see Mark very slowly unbuttoning the top buttons of his shirt.
"Any objections?" Mark asks, even though he already knows the answer.
"Not at all." Jake leans back a little to give Mark better access, and bites his bottom lip when Mark finishes with the buttons and smoothes his shirt open.
"Flawless." Every inch of Jake is a new revelation, one Mark hopes surprises him for a very long time to come.
Jake huffs a soft laugh as he starts to unbutton Mark's shirt. "I could say that about you," he murmurs as the rosary tattoo starts to peek out beneath the opening edges of Mark's shirt.
"You could, but you'd be lying," Mark murmurs, and nuzzles the hollow of Jake's throat, running his hands over Jake's back.
"Nope," Jake says, tipping his chin up. His hands slide under Mark's shirt, fingers tracing firm muscle before sliding along the inked lines of Mark's tattoo.
When Mark lifts his head, it's all he can do not to tumble Jake to the sofa right then and there. The surge of lust and need slams into him, welcome and almost safe. "Bedroom?" Comfortable as he is, it wouldn't do to get too carried away out here where his little girl could wander out and see something she shouldn't.
"Good idea," Jake says, softly, and slides from Mark's lap. He pulls Mark up, presses a soft kiss to welcoming lips. Then he starts to lead Mark towards the bedroom, impatient to get his hands on more of Mark's body.
***
"Are you sure she's not too heavy for you?" Mark asks, careful to keep his voice quiet as he juggles two bags in one hand and the key to the suite in the other. He glances again at Jake, and his daughter, head lolled on Jake's shoulder as she sleeps, a dead weight in Jake's arms.
"Not at all," Jake murmurs, smiling as he shifts Ella just a little. All she does is tighten the arm around his neck before relaxing again. He rests his cheek against her soft hair and closes his eyes for a moment. "She's fine, Mark. Honest."
Mark's smile softens as he watches the careful way Jake holds onto her, how safe and secure she looks snuggled against him. If he'd had any doubts at all about his earlier commitment to Jake, they've all been set aside. "Am I gonna get you back tonight?" he teases, holding the door open for Jake to slip past him, and locking it behind him when he steps into the living room of the suite.
"Maybe," Jake says, and pokes his tongue out at Mark. He carries Ella into Summer's old room, taking care not to jostle her. Glancing up, he smiles when Mark follows. "She's amazing."
"And you were worried she wouldn't like you," Mark chuckles, turning back the sheets on the bed so Jake can set her down. She makes an indistinct noise, then sniffles, yawning, when Mark sits next to her, propping her up as he deftly unfastens the buttons of her dress. "Her nightgown's in her bag," he tells Jake. "Would you mind?"
"Sure." Jake kneels to open the bag, carefully sorting through the small clothes until he finds the gown. He passes it to Mark, then sits back on his heels to watch. There's a smear on her cheek from dinner, but it would be a shame to wake her. So Jake silently gets to his feet and leaves the room, returning just a moment later with a warm, wet washcloth.
Mark's just pulling her gown over Ella's head and arms when Jake comes back in the room, and he smiles his thanks before taking the cloth and washing her face and hands as best he can, what with the way she's still curled against him, completely unmoving. "Must've worn her out today," he observes, cradling her as he eases her under the blankets. "There, um...there should be a toy...a rabbit...in with her things?"
Jake digs through her bag again, smiling in triumph when he emerges with the rabbit. It's seen better days, but it's clear that it's Ella's favorite toy. He passes it to Mark and kneels beside the bed. "She was an absolute angel today," he says, watching her sleep. "My parents fell in love with her, you know. They'll expect you to bring her back."
"I think we'd both like that," Mark replies, tucking the rabbit into Ella's arms, smiling when she immediately curls around the stuffed toy.
"I'd like that, too," Jake murmurs, reaching out to brush a stray curl from Ella's forehead. Then he looks up at Mark. "Thank you."
"I think that's my line," Mark smiles, and presses a light kiss to Ella's forehead before standing. "You were great with her today."
"She made it easy," Jake grins, and takes Mark hand, standing. "She'll be alright in here, right?"
"She'll be fine. She stays with her aunts and uncles a lot, so she's used to sleepovers." Mark leads Jake out into the living room, careful to leave Ella's door cracked open so she's not completely in the dark.
Another grin, and Jake has to resist the urge to hug himself. "She liked me."
"Of course she did," Mark grins, settling on the sofa and looking up at Jake. "Told you she would."
Jake just smiles and straddles Mark's thigh, arms draping over his shoulders. "So you did," he murmurs. "Guess I should start listening to you."
"I'd be much obliged," Mark chuckles, and leans in for a soft kiss. Seems like it's been forever since he's had his mouth on Jake.
When the kiss ends, Jake smiles and rests his forehead against Mark's. "That was nice," he whispers, lashes fluttering as he opens his eyes.
"Just nice?" Mark teases, toying with the buttons of Jake's shirt.
"Better than nice and you know it," Jake replies with a quick grin. He feels cool air against his skin and looks down to see Mark very slowly unbuttoning the top buttons of his shirt.
"Any objections?" Mark asks, even though he already knows the answer.
"Not at all." Jake leans back a little to give Mark better access, and bites his bottom lip when Mark finishes with the buttons and smoothes his shirt open.
"Flawless." Every inch of Jake is a new revelation, one Mark hopes surprises him for a very long time to come.
Jake huffs a soft laugh as he starts to unbutton Mark's shirt. "I could say that about you," he murmurs as the rosary tattoo starts to peek out beneath the opening edges of Mark's shirt.
"You could, but you'd be lying," Mark murmurs, and nuzzles the hollow of Jake's throat, running his hands over Jake's back.
"Nope," Jake says, tipping his chin up. His hands slide under Mark's shirt, fingers tracing firm muscle before sliding along the inked lines of Mark's tattoo.
When Mark lifts his head, it's all he can do not to tumble Jake to the sofa right then and there. The surge of lust and need slams into him, welcome and almost safe. "Bedroom?" Comfortable as he is, it wouldn't do to get too carried away out here where his little girl could wander out and see something she shouldn't.
"Good idea," Jake says, softly, and slides from Mark's lap. He pulls Mark up, presses a soft kiss to welcoming lips. Then he starts to lead Mark towards the bedroom, impatient to get his hands on more of Mark's body.
***