The Big Surprise [for Jas]

[vicioussweetie]

As soon as Ali could get away from the festivities in Boston, she Pinpointed to her home in Betäuben. She double-checked everything in the room, laying and lighting a fire, taking the paper from the windows and the sign from the door, then called Jas. She didn't linger on the phone long, simply saying "Come home if you want your presents, love,"

Comments

[goodform]

*Had he been on the other side of the world (he is, in fact, merely in his Nexus room, doing some last-minute present things of his own) the phone call would have brought him back home with almost unseemly haste. As it is, he arrives with alacrity, and Ali will know when he's arrived - as the house front door is slammed shut with a foot as he stalks through and up the stairs.

Some men might have hesitated at the slightly open door: not this one. He stalks straight in, flinging the door wide -

- and stops, arrested in mid-stride by the sight of the harpsichord. His eyes widen, slightly, eyebrows hiking in surprise as he turns, taking in the room as a whole. The room is the gift, and what a gift! It has everything that he could have wanted in it, all of fine, nay luxurious quality - and, of course, a triumphant-looking Ali sat in it, watching him*

You...

*He seems lost for words for a moment, running his hand over the harpsichord, and his voice is edged with wonder, a very rare thing for him*

...my dear Ali, you have outdone

[vicioussweetie]

Triumphant, yes, and why not? She watches the expressions playing across his face with pleasure, neither moving nor speaking for fear of rushing him and missing something.

"Thank you. It's the least you deserve, my love."

[goodform]

*He strides about, investigating what lies behind the screen with a somewhat triumphant "hah!" of his own when he discovers the music stands. He sweeps his fingers over the mahogany of the table: somewhat ironically given his injury, Hook is very tactile in his appreciation of things and likes to touch surfaces, fabrics, assess their quality*

It is... *he turns a genuine smile on her, a smile that not only shows his teeth but reaches the usually cold colour of his eyes*

...wonderful. Thankyou.

[vicioussweetie]

"You're welcome." She rises then, and crosses the room to wrap her arms around him. "You're very very welcome."

After a pause, she adds, "Is this an okay reason to not entirely keep my promise?"

[goodform]

*He rests his own arms on her back as she hugs him, and is momentarily distracted by the glory of the mantel he can see over her shoulder, so it takes a moment for her question to filter through*

...hmmm? Promise?

[vicioussweetie]

"To not decorate without you." She nuzzles his shoulder, and is totally not trying to sneakily feel about his pockets for her present. Would she do that?

[goodform]

You are more than forgiven.

*She'll be disappointed if she's looking for presents concealed on his person. They're too big to fit into his pockets, and are in fact in a bag which he left at the foot of the stairs on his way in*

Now I am more certain than ever that any gift I give you cannot possibly compare.

[vicioussweetie]

Phooey. I mean. Good thing she wasn't look then, isn't it?

"You love me. There is no better gift than that." She steals a kiss, smiling up at him. "Please believe that."

[goodform]

*A very good thing. One would hate for her to be disappointed!*

You, I think I will always believe...

*And from possibly the multiverse's most paranoid man, this is quite an admission. He looks down at her, raising an eyebrow*

Then I suppose I will not have to walk all the way back downstairs to fetch such paltry physical gifts as I have brought with me, hmm?

[vicioussweetie]

"Have to? No. You never have to give me anything." Of course, it still might be a good idea just in case. But later, she doesn't seem to want to let go of him just yet.

[goodform]

*His hand comes up to cradle the back of her head*

What you need and what you should by all rights have, my Ali, can be two very different things.

[vicioussweetie]

She smiles, and looks up at him curiously. "Oh? Then what should I, by all rights, have?"

[goodform]

What you desire. Always. Would that I could give it to you. *He gives her a sidelong look* But I suppose for now you will have to settle for whatever lies within the brown bag at the foot of the stairs.

[vicioussweetie]

That sounds an awful lot like giving up.

But it's supposed to be a happy day, so she swallows the lump forming in her throat and nods. "I'm sure I can do that."

[goodform]

*It may perhaps be for the best that this time Hook doesn't seem to notice her reaction or at least does not recognise it for what it is - likely there would have had to have been a fairly serious conversation that instant had he done so, and that's not what anyone needs on a busy, happy day like today. He nods in return*

How very generous of you.

*his hand strokes once at her hair before he steps away and goes to retrieve said bag. It doesn't take long: and it's a fairly sizeable brown leather bag, stretched tight over what seems to be a pair of rectangular shapes of differing sizes*

[vicioussweetie]

Ali's sitting again when he returns, not quite turned away from the door but certainly not facing it. She doesn't stir at all until he's nearly beside her, looking at the bag with only mild interest. Well, it'd be unfair to expect pretty packages with bows from him, all things considered. Next year, though, he's getting introduced to the package-wrappers at the mall.

"For me?"