Jack was careful to kick the sand from his boots at the front door, and to place them neatly in the closet just inside. There was an oil lamp near to hand, somewhere--he'd always left it on the table.
The usual meowing of Hector was nowhere to be heard.
"....Right; also, I just lied. I do want you here." Another long cold winter alone? Jack wanted none of that. But leaving the shore would mean leaving things unattended and he wasn't about to take his eyes off the Joanna Joyce for the season.
"I'll be here," she promised before gratefully eating some peanut butter -- all by itself, right off the spoon. After her earlier protests, he tried to ignore the fact that it was quite a lot like a childhood habit.
"I'll get really good winter boots and I'll be here. And I got this matching scarf and glove set during the Secret Santa last year. That'll help." Making plans for the future was a simpler thing to do than smoothing out the turbulent now.
What he didn't tell her was that he had brought this box home under the accidental impression that it, too, was cat food. Jack presented her with the prize.
It was, though. Such an upgrade. Jack's couch was both comfortable and, by now, well-loved. Funny, that. She could remember forever getting on Angel's case back at forty-seven, before she moved in with Kirk, about him sleeping on one of the house's two couches. The vampire had occupied a room but he'd never really occupied it. It had bothered her. The first day she had truly struck up an in-depth conversation with Doctor McCoy had been the day the doctor had witnessed Buffy hauling that couch outside out of sheer spite.
And now she found herself happily sleeping on a couch, despite having a room in the house that she never quite occupied.
A lion for Buffy, a monkey for himself. A zebra for Buffy, a bear for himself. Two things that might have been tigers for Buffy, and an elephant for himself.
"You can have your room if you like. Though I've got to make a bed for you."
There was still so much furniture to be added to the still nearly-bare house. Did it feel like home, yet? Jack wasn't sure he could answer that question, as his true home was on board the Black Pearl. He was experimenting with that idea: trial-and-error. Still, it was the closest thing to home that he had here. It was growing on him, oddly. And he had her here, and he was looking after her, and it was finally going well.
Buffy dunked the lion head-first into the peanut butter and then she held the jar out for Jack. Inviting him to do the same.
"Maybe. Maybe that'd be nice." She wasn't certain that she ought to have anything so nice as the couch or Jack's company. Not with that horror still turning around in her mind. Angel's 'offer'.
Jack was careful to kick the sand from his boots at the front door, and to place them neatly in the closet just inside. There was an oil lamp near to hand, somewhere--he'd always left it on the table.
The usual meowing of Hector was nowhere to be heard.
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"New winter boots, then." Like assembling a list.
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She stabbed the peanut butter with the spoon, digging in.
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"I'll get really good winter boots and I'll be here. And I got this matching scarf and glove set during the Secret Santa last year. That'll help." Making plans for the future was a simpler thing to do than smoothing out the turbulent now.
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Jack left her to root through another cupboard.
"I've......ah HA!" And there in his hands was a large unopened box of Animal Crackers, a look of victory upon his face.
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"Edible spoons."
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What he didn't tell her was that he had brought this box home under the accidental impression that it, too, was cat food. Jack presented her with the prize.
"Annie? Will you stay?"
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She licked the spoon bare before setting aside.
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It was, though. Such an upgrade. Jack's couch was both comfortable and, by now, well-loved. Funny, that. She could remember forever getting on Angel's case back at forty-seven, before she moved in with Kirk, about him sleeping on one of the house's two couches. The vampire had occupied a room but he'd never really occupied it. It had bothered her. The first day she had truly struck up an in-depth conversation with Doctor McCoy had been the day the doctor had witnessed Buffy hauling that couch outside out of sheer spite.
And now she found herself happily sleeping on a couch, despite having a room in the house that she never quite occupied.
"Here. Gimme a lion."
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"You can have your room if you like. Though I've got to make a bed for you."
There was still so much furniture to be added to the still nearly-bare house. Did it feel like home, yet? Jack wasn't sure he could answer that question, as his true home was on board the Black Pearl. He was experimenting with that idea: trial-and-error. Still, it was the closest thing to home that he had here. It was growing on him, oddly. And he had her here, and he was looking after her, and it was finally going well.
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"Maybe. Maybe that'd be nice." She wasn't certain that she ought to have anything so nice as the couch or Jack's company. Not with that horror still turning around in her mind. Angel's 'offer'.
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"Just a maybe?" He sounded disappointed.
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She lifted her eyes to his face. "That's double-dipping."
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