@clubsmarties

@clubsmarties

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@4fter-hours Scarlet posting nerd squad + adan

The suggestion that it might have been because of her that her godson might be into baseball had her narrowing her eyes at him. She couldn't recall if she ever talking about it around Wally, but she must have. She hated how much attention he put to everything, she had to be careful to not be too careless around him. "Maybe," she said with a smirk. "What can I say? The kid has a wicked arm, if he likes the sport good, he could make friends and have a great time. If he doesn't," she shrugged. "Then we'll find him some other club or hobby. I just want him to make friends honestly. I think the quicker he makes friends, the better acclimated he'll get with everything." Sighing, she sat back into her seat. "Not like I would know, I just think it would help, but its up to his parents."

Ours. There was a nagging feeling in her, telling her that she needed to tell him that she wasn't here for long. That this was just another stop on her never-ending journey, for what, she didn't know anymore. But there was another part of her that wanted to pretend, slip into old habits and be someone that did stay. Someone that could just enjoy a night out with Wally. “You really wouldn’t mind if I took her with me from time to time?” The thought of having Dolly around for walks and just company sounded nice but there had to be a catch.

"See, penguins are just the better, cuter animal. They also do that belly slide thing on the ice into the water. Adorable all around." Waving his concern away, she had accepted "Maybe it was just the company I was with, never thought about going back. Maybe one day. There's still a lot of other places to see first before going back to others." Which was true, there were still plenty of places she wanted to see.

Hearing his adventures of being the third wheel to his siblings made her think about the times she would be with Anna and Charlie. They didn't do it on purpose, so in love. She was so happy for them but it made her feel on the outside of something she didn't understand. A thing she saw as unnecessary to surviving. Simply nodding in commiseration at a shared experience.

She had indeed never been to a luau before and it made her smile as he said that it was nothing like that. Unsure why he would have even picked that in the first place. But the more she listened, the more her smile grew, hazel eyes not looking away from the man in front of her. A part of her wishing that she wasn't her. That she was someone else, someone that could consider this a date, someone that he could consider to date. But he deserved better, just listening to him proved that. He had a family, he deserved someone who understood that. Cared for others the way they all cared for each other. The way they were making sure their kids had more than they did growing up, emotionally. All she had ever done was look out for herself. It was all she knew how to do and would continue to do. So for now she would settle on these moments until he finally bored of her and moved on, or until she finally settled the office and left. Whichever came first.

"The point of laser tag isn't to win," she said with half a shrug. "It's to just run around having fun in a room full of colorful lights and lasers. But yes, I do let him win more times than I do. Have you never done it before? How about paint balling?"

When he usually paid attention to her the way he did now, she hated it, but they were talking about lighthouses and that was something she would love to talk about with anyone about for hours on end. "They are. I've already been to Maine, thus my conclusion is that they are the prettiest." Being vague about it, she just simply said. "I spent about a year on a boat and just," shrugged. "Fell in love with them. I know my dad said we had pirate ancestry once and that's why he named me Elizabeth, after one. That the ocean was something that would be something we always loved because of it. Something about salt water in our veins," she rolled her eyes. "Wouldn't put much faith into that, he liked to make up stories so sometimes not even I know what was real or not. "

Taking her phone out, food forgotten, she opened up a list of the lighthouses in the world. "Here," she got up and moved to sit next to him so that they could read it at the same time. Setting her phone between them, she brought up a list and a map. "These," she showed the x's on the coast of Washington, Oregon, California, Mexico and a couple in Brazil. "Are the ones that I've seen but I know it's not even half." Then she moved it over to the East Coast. A couple of marks on the coast of New York, one on the coast of Connecticut, a couple of the coast of Maine, and more out on the edges of Nova Scotia. "And then there's," she zoomed out and moved to the other side of the world. Many more x's on Iceland (the most x's), Ireland, and a handful on the coast of India. "When I said I loved lighthouses, I mean it." Scrolling back to where they were, she showed the one x she had where they were. "I've seen Aloha Tower, but then work got in the way and I totally forgot to look up which other ones are here. We can add an x to this today so thanks." Smiling at him, she grabbed her drink and took another sip. "I want to say that they all are on my bucket list, but realistically, I just want to see as many as I can."

Had she not been so excited to talk about lighthouses, she would've seen the careless mistake that she had made. Her landmarks, her history, her travel patterns all laid out there for someone to know. But she could care less at this moment. "I just traveled a lot growing up and can't stop now. How about you? Have a list of places or a bucket list? Not lighthouse-wise, I know people don't like lighthouses the way I do. But like, is there something you like, besides flamingos, that you would travel to see? Sites of interest? Dream destinations?"

"Good. I need a moment to rest after being on all night with everyone at the gala." Wally made a slight face as he knew how new schools could go. "He's in for a new adventure. I hope he finds a happy little note in his new school. Little league? That sounds fun and like something that could potentially help acclimate him to his new surroundings. Was little league your idea?' There was a slight smirk at the question. He'd once heard her talk about baseball but it had been so brief he didn't think she'd think he'd remember.

"Ours." He repeated. "Why do you sound surprised? This is a you and I endeavor. Well, she can love both of us at the same time. You can't deny that you are special to her." Dolly made it clear she liked Liz whenever she'd come over and spent the night. That pup had a lot of love to give. "Next time ask her if she wants to come with you on a new adventure. Maybe better for her when I have to travel for work."

"Penguins take the cutest cake. I'll give you that. I can't believe that they have one of the sweetest mating rituals. If I could be any animal I'd be a penguin. For multiple reasons." He watched her and felt his eyebrows knit together. "That's okay. Maybe it was for the best. You can make a better nee memory next time. But if not at the place then maybe someplace else."

He nodded his head and sighed. "It was nice but still sometimes it was a bit lonely. I was my sister's third wheel when they met their future husband's and wife. We're close and in a way I'm lucky that my brother in law's were cool with me but still somedays it was a little weird to be surrounded by couples when you were just the odd man out." Wally had never shared this part of his reasons why he left to do his own things when the couples were out for an adventure. "It worked out too because then I got to explore." Her thanks made him nod in response.

"I don't know if words do it justice. I guess it's kind of weird to assume you'd ever been to a luau? It's nothing like that," he laughed, nervous all of a sudden. "They have projections on the tallest buildings. Each year it changes but the lights are colorful. The archway you walk through moves a little bit. So you get to see the lights reflected as you walk by."

Wally couldn't help but smile as he, too would call his family predictable. But it was only because they never really had a real family holiday growing up so doing it for the kids was like they were healing some part of their childhood that had been broken. The laugh still making it clear he didn't take offense at all. "I'm with you there but no, it's more like my sisters and I didn't celebrate the holiday as kids. You'd think, why? Weren't we rich? We'd have everything. Thing was that my mom was in Louisiana. My aunt didn't celebrate any holiday. So for us growing up December was just another month. Just birthdays for half of us then normal. We'd go out to the lake to see fireworks. My aunt worked four jobs to keep herself and us afloat. Her husband, my uncle cut her off when they divorced. We still missed our mother. Wanted her to come. In our innocence we wished for Santa to bring her to us every year. Took nearly a decade and some change for Santa to bring us all together again. When my aunt couldn't take us to the lake because she was waitressing here," he pointed to the establishment they were in. "She'd take care of us and we'd see the Christmas lights from the balcony." He laughed as Liz hit it right on the nail. "We do dinner. Usually at Andy and Di's. We all help out to make sure we all get fed. We actually took on my brother in law's tradition of staying up until midnight on Christmas Eve so the kids can open their gifts and then go to bed. Then in the morning they wake up to see what Santa brought them. Every year is rotates who gets the Santa gifts. Adults get something from the guy too. Watching the kids be so happy and filled with so much joy, that is what makes the holiday worth it. What we couldn't have as kids, the second generation have."

Wally shrugged his shoulders not really knowing if they were the same. "I suppose so, never been to either. Just heard of them actually. Laser tag any fun? Do you win or do you let Orion win?" The idea of a dark room could be fun but it also made him uneasy. Dark rooms usually weren't the most safe. Things could get out of hand quickly. "This is another reason why you and I go. Lighthouses are more interesting." He smiled given the topic at hand and how it seemed like it had her excited. At least if he nerded out she wouldn't completely think he was weird.

In a show of interest he stopped eating and pulled his eyes into attentive mode. Watching her with a smile as she reciprocated a lighthouse fact. This intrigued him and liked that she felt comfortable to do the same to him. He liked that she was comfortable talking to him and not letting the conversation die out. "Actually no I didn't. We should go to Maine." He'd take some time off work and thought why not go seek adventure with her. "I promise I will keep my random facts under ten if we go together. How'd you get into lighthouses?" Anything she'd share with him he'd eat up. He wanted to know her in a way she had never been known before. "Is it being the prettiest a scientific fact or your opinion?" He asked just wanting to know why if it was her personal opinion, was it the prettiest. What made it so for her. "How many are on your bucket list?" As he asked he took out his phone and opened up his notes. He wanted to see how many they could cross off the list just by being on this side of the world.

On the side there were about five wait staff that looked over at Wally's table and murmurs could be heard over his date. The whispers kept coming as they saw how invested Wally was and it seemed like to them that his companion also shared an interest. It was all in the body language they said.

@clubsmarties

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Maybe she did need to let Mai find someone to take over bounties for a while. She didn't know if perhaps she was just feeling under the weather or if she just had a lot going on in her mind but this was just another reason for her to listen to Mai. It was something she'd talk to Mai about later, but for now she'd continue to replay the situation in her mind, she had checked that side of the house, hadn't she? If she didn't, why didn't she? It wasn't like her to make a mistake like that.

"Yeah, I know." She said sighing into the kiss, thinking about the first time he had called her princess. "I kinda like it, though." A small smile came to her lips. "You say it like you don't like it when I wear it or the sundresses. Should I redo my closet? You know jeans and t shirts are more comfortable, I probably should."

She hated when he was right, she was being a bit hypocritical but he had taken closer calls. What was the worst she got? This head scratch? A scar here and there? He had actually been close from being gone from her life, from everyone's. There was an argument in there about this, but she didn't want to get into it. Not now. Not here. "Okay, okay," she conceded softly. "You're right, as usual."

There was something about how he would always be there, had always been there, that made her heart flutter. Being important to someone in this way, that feeling began to sneak in again, saying that she didn't deserve it. She needed to get out of the hospital and back home. There would never be a time where that pet name didn't work its charm, worm its way into her heart, and bring her back to this. To them.

Wrapping her arms around his neck, playfully she added. "Wouldn't that go against your Hippocratic oath or something, nurse? What would people say if they found out you were snuggling patients?" Placing another kiss on one of his dimpled cheeks, a nurse came in to discharge her with instructions to make sure that she came back if her head began to ache, change in vision or just anything usual happened. After agreeing and signing all the things needed, she left them and let them know they could leave when they were ready.

Turning to Wally, Elizabeth smiled. "Okay, nurse. Looks like I can go home now, see. All good."

It was easily something he could now do in his sleep. Read her like a book. Each expression, each little sound and sigh. All clocked it in without really looking at her. He knew that this was going to be playing around in her head and how she could have been ahead of every scenario. His eyebrows creased just wondering what did happen for her to have missed that one tiny detail. Though that was a question for later.

It never ceased to amaze him how soft her skin was and how she welcomed it. He couldn't get enough of her which by now she had a pretty good idea about. Wally chuckled and poked her pout before bringing her face up to his to give her a kiss. "I don't play fair, princess." A callback to his once upon a time nickname for her. "Though let's not forget how you get me back when you so casually wear yellow and red." They both had their things they'd do to each other and he wouldn't have it any other way. "That is kind of impossible. If you think about it, you still don't stop worrying about me when I take the trips for work so how's this any different? "A question he was genuinely curious to ask. "I'll always worry over you even though I know and have seen you can take care of yourself. I believe that is what love is. Hey," he played with her chin and made her look at him. "Remember what I said when we were friends and you called me? I'll always come. Now, even more. No matter what, I'll always come when you call or it's you." Hands waved off having a lot on his plate. "You're important and I'm here."

Almost instantly he brought her close and placed his hands on the small of her back pushing her into him. He smiled and rubbed his nose against hers and smirk quickly formed. "Habibi, I mean whatever you want. If we're gonna be snuggling then I'll need you to eat first though can't have you zoinking out on me."

SHAMIER ANDERSON GIF PACK

In the source link below, you will find 240 gifs in 245x150 of SHAMIER ANDERSON (1991) in Love Jacked (2018). He is of Afro-Jamaican descent, so please cast accordingly. All gifs were made from scratch by me and are for roleplay purposes only. Please consider giving this a reblog if using or if you found this to be useful. Do not repost or claim as your own. If you have any questions, feel free to ask!