For just_muse_me - 11.2.6 Why is New Year important to you?
Co-Written with notskywalker | Happens same time as THIS
Tabitha London Browne was barefoot and standing on the tops of her boyfriend's shoes as they slow danced. Somewhere along the way, Tab had discarded her boots in favour of bare feet because as much as she loved a party and she loved a couple of extra inches of height--these boots were new and had been pinching her toes. If she was going to ring in the New Year and celebrate Aiden's thirtieth (plus Jules' birthday after the stroke of midnight), then she wanted to be comfortable. Her arms were wrapped securely around Luke's waist and she looked up at him, her gaze locked with his. Right now there was no one else in the bar, it was just them and Mazzy Star's 'Fade Into You'.
It had taken a lot for Tab to leave Princeton early with Luke to get the party ready. Truth was she didn't like not being around if Riley needed her, and even if Evie decided to need her. She'd grown a little closer to her brother's girlfriend since their time alone that first night Tara was in her coma. Then she thought about Lachlan and Tara, and RJ and how this wasn't exactly the way that they'd be wanting to spend New Year. Her mind also went to what she'd been talking to Evie about, and how much it was evident that Evie loved her brother.
And Tab felt exactly the same about Luke. She would do anything for him, give anything to make sure he never had to feel the kind of pain and hurt that Riley, and Lachlan and Tara had been through. She stretched up on tiptoes to capture his mouth in a soft kiss, and pulled back to smile at him. "You know what?"
Luke raised his eyebrows. "Hm, what's that?" he asked and shook his head. "Don't ask me to get up for Karaoke again. Christmas Karaoked me out for at least six months," he laughed.
Tab grinned and gave a shake of her head. "No Karaoke I promise. I'm a very happy girl after you singing for me, and I'll treasure it forever because I know how traumatic it must have been. I won't ask you to sing for at least seven months just to make sure. You playing your sax however might continue to be a frequent request." She laughed as she kissed him again. "I was just thinking about how nice it is to be here with you. It's more than nice, it's perfect. I'm going to be celebrating the start of 2009 with the sexiest guy ever."
Luke made a face, pretending to be put out. "And what am I supposed to do while you're getting the fun on with Mr Sexy?" he teased and spun her around with a grin. "I'll go crash Riley and Evie. I'm sure they would just love a third wheel right now," he sniggered. He had a look around, smiling. "I'm glad we came tonight. It was a good choice and maybe a nice way to kiss New York goodbye for a few months."
Tab smirked. "Maybe I should forget Mr Sexy and stay with you. I'm getting pretty good at providing comfort, you know. I could kiss it better..." She was smiling again as he spun her around. It brought the crowd around them back into focus and she nodded. "It does, doesn't it? I still can't believe I'm leaving the City behind, but at the same time... It feels right. It all feels right. I can't wait to be a bar partner with you."
"Ahh, don't speak too soon," Luke warned and smiled down at her. "It's a lot of bloody hard work, long hours. Sweaty, dusty, heavy, stressful days. But when it all comes together in the end, it's fucking brilliant. I can almost feel my fingers itching with it again. It's going to be fun."
"Hey, I can deal with sweaty, dusty, heavy, stressful days. I'm hardly a delicate flower," Tab replied as she narrowed her eyes a little. "I can do the hard work and long hours. I can do anything as long as you're there. And if I have plenty of junk food and sugar."
Luke smirked. "Sure having your doctor brother around the corner won't cramp your junk food and sugar addictions? Not to mention his nurse girlfriend and alllllllllllllll his doctor pals," he teased, tickling her around the waist.
Tab giggled and as much as she would normally have probably punched anyone else in the face she just gripped at Luke's shoulders and wriggled. "Hey, no fair! You I can't... you know I hate..." Tab couldn't talk between all the laughter. "I can take them all! You... you I'm not so sure about."
"I'll lead them all," Luke warned and caught her up in his arms, grinning down at her. "I don't want my girlfriend to hit thirty and have no teeth, even if that might have some benefits."
Tab stuck her tongue at him before she licked the side of his face. "That's because you're even more devious and evil than I am. I've corrupted you! I eat the vegetables when you cook them, and when we get take-out. I just don't eat them alllllllllll the time."
Luke snorted and pinched her arse. "I just let you think you've corrupted me. I was born an evil genius, baby! I'm just letting you come along for the ride," he joked with a cheeky grin.
"Oh, that's how it is, huh?" Tab asked as her grin matched his. Around them the countdown had started and Tab slid her hand between their bodies for a quick grope as she winked. "Does this mean we're getting a lair instead of an apartment? And here I was thinking I'd caught one of the good guys. Oh well, just as well I've always had a thing for bad boys with Australian accents and killer sax skills."
"Now you're just teasing. I am the only Aussie bad boy with killer sex skills... I mean sax skills. We're going to rule the world!" he cried, throwing his hand up with the other on his hip in a mock Superman pose. "Jeezus, not even midnight and I think I've already had too much to drink. See? You're making me a lightweight like your brother." He caught her lips in a hot kiss, holding her close to him.
Tab knotted her fingers in his dark locks, and moaned against his mouth. She wasn't adverse to kissing before midnight. In fact she was pretty sure she could just keep on kissing him up until midnight and even past it. He was just so tasty, and sexy, and he felt good, and he fitted against her so well... even with the height difference they were a perfect fit and all Tab could think about was how lucky she was to have him. And how much she just didn't want to let him go. Tab pulled out of the kiss with a nip to his bottom lip, her mouth still close to his as she looked up at him. "Marry me."
The crowd exploded around them in cheers as New York hit midnight and Luke pulled back with his eyes wide. "What?" he gasped, though she probably couldn't hear him. He blinked and waited for her to get him in a head-lock and tell him she was joking... or something, but she didn't. "You what?" he said again in shock.
Tab held his gaze, even through the yelling and cheering. She waited until it quietened out a bit, but even as they all started to sing 'Auld Lang Syne', Tab still had to raise her voice. "Marry me, Lucas Alexander Jackson. Be my husband."
Something in Luke's brain did twig that he was supposed to be the one doing this, but his rational brain cell kicked in to tell him that he wouldn't have. Not right now. He hadn't wanted to push her or make her feel like he was forcing her into something she wasn't ready for. With the preceeding months being swallowed by her break up thing with the ex and Riley's illness and them both generally trying to find that even keel in their relationship, he would never have pushed and even if he had times he felt so strongly for her that he could never imagine her not being in his life like she was now, he wouldn't have proposed. He knew she had to to give the green light, and here it was. There were streamers falling down around them and party horns going off all over the bar to mix with the singing and he stared at her, still shocked and trying to process what she had just said. What she had just asked. He blinked again and then wet his lips as he took her hands. "A-Are you... are you sure?" he asked and then shouted a little louder. "Really sure?"
Tab nodded, her brown eyes wide. She'd even managed to surprise herself with the question, but she wasn't about to take it back. In fact she knew that as she looked at Luke it was the right thing. It fit. "As sure as I am that Lucky Charms shit all over Count Chocula. So what do you say? Make me your Mrs Evil Genius?"
Luke threw a small glance across the crowd, spotting Riley and Evie in an embrace. Shouldn't he ask Riley's permission or something? He had never been in a place like this with any girl in his whole life. He wasn't exactly sure of the rulebook on it all. A voice that sounded suspiciously like his older sister, Kara, yelled at him in his mind to get his finger out and give her an answer and he was sure that was a mental slap in the back of the head he just got. Married. It was huge. Did he want to get married? Did he want to marry Tab? Was it time to take the next step? He bit down on his lip and then broke into a grin. "You got yourself a deal, Miss Browne," he said and threw his arms around her.
Tab had been watching him so closely, her heart in her throat, that she almost missed the fact that what he'd said had been a 'yes'. He'd said yes! She hugged him tightly and let out a rush of air. "Oh, thank fuck! It doesn't have to be now! It can be later, I just... I want to marry you, Luke. I know you're it for me. I don't want anyone else. Ever."
Luke smiled down at her and tilted his head. "That's a big call, Lucky Charm. Last chance. Are you sure? You really want this?" He smirked and pushed his hair back. "Your big brother isn't going to beat me up, is he?" he laughed.
Tab nodded before she rose up to kiss him. "I'm sure, smexy. If you're not, then just say no. I'll still be your girlfriend. But I want this. I want you. I want it all!" Tab gave a small shake of her head. "He won't beat you up, I promise. I'll give him the biggest wedgie of his life if he touches a hair on your pretty head. Guess I should get you a ring, huh? Well, another one."
Luke shook his head. "No, I need to get you one," he insisted. "And we'll pick one together, wherever you want to go to get it," he promised.
"Mars!" Tab yelled out as she jumped up to wrap her legs around Luke. "Thank you so much, Luke. Thank you for saying yes!"
"You can go there yourself. Those space toilets are disturbing," Luke teased and then kissed her again. "We're getting married. This is it. It's really happening. And you beat Riley," he added, laughing.
Tab rest her forehead against Luke's, and held his face between her hands. She trusted him to keep a hold of her. "Fine, we'll go hit up a guy with a trenchcoat in some dark alley. And yes, yes we are." Tab laughed. "I'll be sure to rub it in when I see him later."
"If he doesn't bail on us again to drag Evie into the back room again," Luke pointed and then stretched his hand up with a small cheer. "New Year and getting married! This is officially the best day of my life!"
Tab twisted, her arm going around Luke's neck to keep her balanced as she looked over at her brother and his girlfriend. Tab snickered and turned back to Luke so she could throw her hands in the air and let out a whoop of joy. "2009, here we come!" She dropped her hands back down to his face and kissed him deeply. "And maybe we should be the ones to disappear into the back room? Then we really can come in the New Year."
"Cheesy," Luke laughed. "But I like your style, Miss Browne. But first? Champagne!" he said with a grin and pulled her into a kiss.
Tabitha London Browne & Luke Jackson
Original Character
Words: 2190
All muses referenced with permission
Tabitha London Browne was barefoot and standing on the tops of her boyfriend's shoes as they slow danced. Somewhere along the way, Tab had discarded her boots in favour of bare feet because as much as she loved a party and she loved a couple of extra inches of height--these boots were new and had been pinching her toes. If she was going to ring in the New Year and celebrate Aiden's thirtieth (plus Jules' birthday after the stroke of midnight), then she wanted to be comfortable. Her arms were wrapped securely around Luke's waist and she looked up at him, her gaze locked with his. Right now there was no one else in the bar, it was just them and Mazzy Star's 'Fade Into You'.
It had taken a lot for Tab to leave Princeton early with Luke to get the party ready. Truth was she didn't like not being around if Riley needed her, and even if Evie decided to need her. She'd grown a little closer to her brother's girlfriend since their time alone that first night Tara was in her coma. Then she thought about Lachlan and Tara, and RJ and how this wasn't exactly the way that they'd be wanting to spend New Year. Her mind also went to what she'd been talking to Evie about, and how much it was evident that Evie loved her brother.
And Tab felt exactly the same about Luke. She would do anything for him, give anything to make sure he never had to feel the kind of pain and hurt that Riley, and Lachlan and Tara had been through. She stretched up on tiptoes to capture his mouth in a soft kiss, and pulled back to smile at him. "You know what?"
Luke raised his eyebrows. "Hm, what's that?" he asked and shook his head. "Don't ask me to get up for Karaoke again. Christmas Karaoked me out for at least six months," he laughed.
Tab grinned and gave a shake of her head. "No Karaoke I promise. I'm a very happy girl after you singing for me, and I'll treasure it forever because I know how traumatic it must have been. I won't ask you to sing for at least seven months just to make sure. You playing your sax however might continue to be a frequent request." She laughed as she kissed him again. "I was just thinking about how nice it is to be here with you. It's more than nice, it's perfect. I'm going to be celebrating the start of 2009 with the sexiest guy ever."
Luke made a face, pretending to be put out. "And what am I supposed to do while you're getting the fun on with Mr Sexy?" he teased and spun her around with a grin. "I'll go crash Riley and Evie. I'm sure they would just love a third wheel right now," he sniggered. He had a look around, smiling. "I'm glad we came tonight. It was a good choice and maybe a nice way to kiss New York goodbye for a few months."
Tab smirked. "Maybe I should forget Mr Sexy and stay with you. I'm getting pretty good at providing comfort, you know. I could kiss it better..." She was smiling again as he spun her around. It brought the crowd around them back into focus and she nodded. "It does, doesn't it? I still can't believe I'm leaving the City behind, but at the same time... It feels right. It all feels right. I can't wait to be a bar partner with you."
"Ahh, don't speak too soon," Luke warned and smiled down at her. "It's a lot of bloody hard work, long hours. Sweaty, dusty, heavy, stressful days. But when it all comes together in the end, it's fucking brilliant. I can almost feel my fingers itching with it again. It's going to be fun."
"Hey, I can deal with sweaty, dusty, heavy, stressful days. I'm hardly a delicate flower," Tab replied as she narrowed her eyes a little. "I can do the hard work and long hours. I can do anything as long as you're there. And if I have plenty of junk food and sugar."
Luke smirked. "Sure having your doctor brother around the corner won't cramp your junk food and sugar addictions? Not to mention his nurse girlfriend and alllllllllllllll his doctor pals," he teased, tickling her around the waist.
Tab giggled and as much as she would normally have probably punched anyone else in the face she just gripped at Luke's shoulders and wriggled. "Hey, no fair! You I can't... you know I hate..." Tab couldn't talk between all the laughter. "I can take them all! You... you I'm not so sure about."
"I'll lead them all," Luke warned and caught her up in his arms, grinning down at her. "I don't want my girlfriend to hit thirty and have no teeth, even if that might have some benefits."
Tab stuck her tongue at him before she licked the side of his face. "That's because you're even more devious and evil than I am. I've corrupted you! I eat the vegetables when you cook them, and when we get take-out. I just don't eat them alllllllllll the time."
Luke snorted and pinched her arse. "I just let you think you've corrupted me. I was born an evil genius, baby! I'm just letting you come along for the ride," he joked with a cheeky grin.
"Oh, that's how it is, huh?" Tab asked as her grin matched his. Around them the countdown had started and Tab slid her hand between their bodies for a quick grope as she winked. "Does this mean we're getting a lair instead of an apartment? And here I was thinking I'd caught one of the good guys. Oh well, just as well I've always had a thing for bad boys with Australian accents and killer sax skills."
"Now you're just teasing. I am the only Aussie bad boy with killer sex skills... I mean sax skills. We're going to rule the world!" he cried, throwing his hand up with the other on his hip in a mock Superman pose. "Jeezus, not even midnight and I think I've already had too much to drink. See? You're making me a lightweight like your brother." He caught her lips in a hot kiss, holding her close to him.
Tab knotted her fingers in his dark locks, and moaned against his mouth. She wasn't adverse to kissing before midnight. In fact she was pretty sure she could just keep on kissing him up until midnight and even past it. He was just so tasty, and sexy, and he felt good, and he fitted against her so well... even with the height difference they were a perfect fit and all Tab could think about was how lucky she was to have him. And how much she just didn't want to let him go. Tab pulled out of the kiss with a nip to his bottom lip, her mouth still close to his as she looked up at him. "Marry me."
The crowd exploded around them in cheers as New York hit midnight and Luke pulled back with his eyes wide. "What?" he gasped, though she probably couldn't hear him. He blinked and waited for her to get him in a head-lock and tell him she was joking... or something, but she didn't. "You what?" he said again in shock.
Tab held his gaze, even through the yelling and cheering. She waited until it quietened out a bit, but even as they all started to sing 'Auld Lang Syne', Tab still had to raise her voice. "Marry me, Lucas Alexander Jackson. Be my husband."
Something in Luke's brain did twig that he was supposed to be the one doing this, but his rational brain cell kicked in to tell him that he wouldn't have. Not right now. He hadn't wanted to push her or make her feel like he was forcing her into something she wasn't ready for. With the preceeding months being swallowed by her break up thing with the ex and Riley's illness and them both generally trying to find that even keel in their relationship, he would never have pushed and even if he had times he felt so strongly for her that he could never imagine her not being in his life like she was now, he wouldn't have proposed. He knew she had to to give the green light, and here it was. There were streamers falling down around them and party horns going off all over the bar to mix with the singing and he stared at her, still shocked and trying to process what she had just said. What she had just asked. He blinked again and then wet his lips as he took her hands. "A-Are you... are you sure?" he asked and then shouted a little louder. "Really sure?"
Tab nodded, her brown eyes wide. She'd even managed to surprise herself with the question, but she wasn't about to take it back. In fact she knew that as she looked at Luke it was the right thing. It fit. "As sure as I am that Lucky Charms shit all over Count Chocula. So what do you say? Make me your Mrs Evil Genius?"
Luke threw a small glance across the crowd, spotting Riley and Evie in an embrace. Shouldn't he ask Riley's permission or something? He had never been in a place like this with any girl in his whole life. He wasn't exactly sure of the rulebook on it all. A voice that sounded suspiciously like his older sister, Kara, yelled at him in his mind to get his finger out and give her an answer and he was sure that was a mental slap in the back of the head he just got. Married. It was huge. Did he want to get married? Did he want to marry Tab? Was it time to take the next step? He bit down on his lip and then broke into a grin. "You got yourself a deal, Miss Browne," he said and threw his arms around her.
Tab had been watching him so closely, her heart in her throat, that she almost missed the fact that what he'd said had been a 'yes'. He'd said yes! She hugged him tightly and let out a rush of air. "Oh, thank fuck! It doesn't have to be now! It can be later, I just... I want to marry you, Luke. I know you're it for me. I don't want anyone else. Ever."
Luke smiled down at her and tilted his head. "That's a big call, Lucky Charm. Last chance. Are you sure? You really want this?" He smirked and pushed his hair back. "Your big brother isn't going to beat me up, is he?" he laughed.
Tab nodded before she rose up to kiss him. "I'm sure, smexy. If you're not, then just say no. I'll still be your girlfriend. But I want this. I want you. I want it all!" Tab gave a small shake of her head. "He won't beat you up, I promise. I'll give him the biggest wedgie of his life if he touches a hair on your pretty head. Guess I should get you a ring, huh? Well, another one."
Luke shook his head. "No, I need to get you one," he insisted. "And we'll pick one together, wherever you want to go to get it," he promised.
"Mars!" Tab yelled out as she jumped up to wrap her legs around Luke. "Thank you so much, Luke. Thank you for saying yes!"
"You can go there yourself. Those space toilets are disturbing," Luke teased and then kissed her again. "We're getting married. This is it. It's really happening. And you beat Riley," he added, laughing.
Tab rest her forehead against Luke's, and held his face between her hands. She trusted him to keep a hold of her. "Fine, we'll go hit up a guy with a trenchcoat in some dark alley. And yes, yes we are." Tab laughed. "I'll be sure to rub it in when I see him later."
"If he doesn't bail on us again to drag Evie into the back room again," Luke pointed and then stretched his hand up with a small cheer. "New Year and getting married! This is officially the best day of my life!"
Tab twisted, her arm going around Luke's neck to keep her balanced as she looked over at her brother and his girlfriend. Tab snickered and turned back to Luke so she could throw her hands in the air and let out a whoop of joy. "2009, here we come!" She dropped her hands back down to his face and kissed him deeply. "And maybe we should be the ones to disappear into the back room? Then we really can come in the New Year."
"Cheesy," Luke laughed. "But I like your style, Miss Browne. But first? Champagne!" he said with a grin and pulled her into a kiss.
Tabitha London Browne & Luke Jackson
Original Character
Words: 2190
All muses referenced with permission