Priest-De Ulloa Household, Notting Hill, London. Late Tuesday Night/Early Weds Morning.

[icecoldfrost]

It was another dream that had startled Emma awake with a jerk, her iron control the only thing that kept her from screaming as she did so. It took a moment to regain her bearings, and then she slipped out of bed, quietly making her way to the kitchen for a glass of water to take back upstairs with her.

She was as quiet as possible as she put the drink on the nightstand and climbed back into bed, one of her trashy mystery novels in-hand. Emma didn't want to wake Jack, but it was unlikely she was going to be falling back asleep anytime soon.

[OOC: For that one, please!]

Comments

[icecoldfrost]

"I may have, once or twice," she replied, giving him a little smile. "I'm a depository of secrets, darling. I don't go around tattling about people's dreams, especially if I don't know who they belong to."

[bitten_notshy]

"How many of those secrets are your own?" Jack asked, returning that smile a bit feebly. "Darling, if there's anything I can do for you -- let me know."

[icecoldfrost]

"Me? I'm an open book," Emma fibbed. "I couldn't begin to think of secrets of my own."

"This...helps," she continued quietly. "Just talking about it, and not having someone act like I'm going to break just because I got a little bruised."

[bitten_notshy]

Jack smirked a bit. "An open book written in Sanskrit, that's you," he said. "And of course you won't break. Your parents didn't, the streets didn't, Fandom hasn't -- how would some blighter with corsets manage it?"

[icecoldfrost]

"They were very nice corsets," Emma pointed out. "I might have stayed just for the wardrobe."

No, she wouldn't have, but she shared the mental image with Jack of her in her white corset and leather pants. "I'm rather surprised how comfortable it was, but then I ask myself if he was making me think I was comfortable, or if it was me. And then I just give myself a headache."

[bitten_notshy]

"I always heard a well-made one is perfectly comfortable once it's on," shared the Victorian. "Never got the chance to try it myself..."

[icecoldfrost]

"I would hope not," she teased. "You lack the curves for one, Jack."

[bitten_notshy]

Jack laughed. "I'm not playing dress-up for you," he said. "Even if you beg and flatter me like that."

He wasn't sure if it was really the time to be this frivolous, but in the moment it felt right.

[icecoldfrost]

Emma just stuck out her tongue at him. "I wouldn't even dream of it," she retorted, finding comfort in the familiar banter. "Besides, a Frost never begs."

"And it would take a great deal of flattery to get me to dress up for you!"

[bitten_notshy]

"But I like what you're wearing now," Jack answered, hand toying with a convenient hem. "It's soft. Flattery into a corset can wait."

He thought he could do it.

[icecoldfrost]

"You like what I'm wearing right now because it's soft, and I'm wearing it in your bed," Emma replied with good humor, letting herself relax a little bit more. Talking had helped, surprisingly, and Emma was feeling safe enough to enjoy being awake with him now, curled together like this.

[bitten_notshy]

Jack tried to look innocent -- which wasn't hard, pleased as he was to feel the tension leaving her. "Isn't that how everyone picks his favorite styles?"

[icecoldfrost]

"I wouldn't know about everyone, unless I go peeking," she retorted, nudging his leg with her foot. "I just know you."

[bitten_notshy]

"I can't even argue with you about that anymore," Jack said as he nudged her back, but he sounded happy about it. "And yet you haven't run off yet."

[icecoldfrost]

"And you haven't run screaming from the fact I know you," she teased, nudging back again playfully. Well, there had been that one time with her first kiss, but Jack was forgiven for that. Mostly. "You've gotten so accustomed to psychics that you didn't even make a face when I knocked both ways."

[bitten_notshy]

"If I made a face, you'd think I didn't want to see you," Jack said logically. "Which I very much did. The way you knock is just ... you."

[icecoldfrost]

"Just me," she agreed. "Did you really want to see us that badly? All your friends can't have left for the holiday."

[bitten_notshy]

Jack sighed. "I have acquaintances here. Classmates. They like me well enough, but it's not the same as what I found in Fandom after all we all went through together. It's not even on the same planet as seeing you, no."

[icecoldfrost]

"Well, not everyone can be me," Emma replied smugly. "Can you imagine a world full of no one but me? You'd tear your hair out."

[bitten_notshy]

"Lock myself in a cellar," Jack confirmed. "Possibly start wearing tin foil hats. But I like having the one of you."