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?"