[FIN] quiet before the storm (america & jeremiah)

[azuredreams]

She had been gone but it was not as if he had not kept some measure of contact. Whether it was following each other on instagram or the occasional text, Jeremiah had made a point of keeping up with America. Especially when she had been gone for a longer length of time.

He had to make sure she knew that the magic would fade with an extended trip away.

Now that she was back it was time to catch up. There was a lot that had happened in her absence, some things that had shifted and changed (which did include the additional rings he now wore). Jeremiah had texted her to meet at Rider-Waite State Park. It was good time of year to go out there and, given the number of trails, there were several that would provide them privacy to talk about more than just what had happened in their lives but also things of an other nature without worry that someone might overhear.

Jeremiah leaned against his car, waiting for America to pull in with her familiar and well-loved truck. He had a satchel on today (there were goodies tucked away within it) and was, surprisingly enough, not dressed in as many layers as he normally would be. In fact he had the sleeves rolled up on his button-up shirt and a couple buttons undone towards his neckline. He was dressed more for a trek in the woods than going into the office, especially given that for a change he was not wearing oxfords.

1izbot

 

[lizbot]

The truck pulled up in all its ancient glory, and America hopped out, flinging herself at Jer for a big dramatic hug. Of course she couldn't resist commenting, "Well damn, honey, you look ready for one of those romance covers. Just need to talk all Scottish and you're ready to be some sorta Highland Hubby."

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

Jeremiah laughed as she spoke, an arm going around her and catching her mid fling. She was spun around once, then twice, with his arm firmly and securely around her before she was set to the ground and released.

"I might get disowned if I used a Scot accent," he replied, "and you're a sight for sore eyes yourself." Then he winked, honest to goodness winked.

"Though I am officially a hubby now." The wedding ring on his finger was thumbed idly while the signet ring he had worn was on the opposite ring finger now. "I'm glad to see you back, America. Still looking for a place? I can certainly point you to the direction of someone that would help you find one."

lizbot

LOL also courtesy of a meta roll from the event, Jeremiah smells AMAZING. like insert america's fave guy smell here or the like.

 

[lizbot]

In celebration she treated him to a brief little Single Ladies Shuffle before waving a hand in front of her face. "Dang, the least you could do is smell like plain a** soap and not gently laundered lumberjack. You're taunting the world for their loss, Jeremiah, and taking Professor Mixlin with you," Waving turned into a laughing fist shake.

Hooking her arm through his, the girl answered, growing more serious, "Yeah. It's gotta be right, though. And kinda cheap too, if I ever wanna go to school or anything, but right is what's most important." The idea of home had a very special place in America's heart, one that meant a certain striving toward perfection.

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

That small smile got a little bigger, Jeremiah laughing more. "I can't help you there. It isn't as if I put on cologne or anything." No, this was just natural Jeremiah minus the part where it was entirely unnatural courtesy of an otherbeing that one could not see the end of.

"It's Professor Mercer now actually." Blue-green eyes were brighter than usual and he looked happy to say that. "... and I'll give you the business card of a realtor I know. He should be able to find you what you're looking for if you give him your price range."

With linked arms, he gave her arm a pat. "You ready to head out? I've got a lunch packed for us to have."

lizbot

 

[lizbot]

"Oh man, Uncle Malby will be thrilled, those Red Herring copies are gonna go up extra in value with a name change. He's gonna brag so much to his nerd buddies."

Perking up even further at the thought of lunch, she gave him a starryeyed look of appreciation that far outmatched the ones he got for romance novel looks and nice smells. "I've missed you so much. Practically ate my phone looking at your posts while I was gone."

There was a flash of blue feathers overhead, Mr. Bitterberry making his entrance. At his call, she translated to Jeremiah, "He says you look shiny."

Azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"Don't expect them to go up too much aside from normal collector value ..." Another soft chuckle. "Alg is still going to write under Algernon Mixlin as his pen name. He talked it over with his publisher while we were in England and decided that was for the best."

Not that he truly cared because it was more than enough that Algie legally changed his name to Mercer for the rest of the world. There was no sheepish scratch of the back of his head or any kind of fluster that her comment might had caused.

"I noticed," because his phone would ping with the favorites and America's hearts were always noticed (and her comments responded to), "but hopefully you can not worry about eating your phone up anymore with you back."

Mister Bitterberry was given a cursory look, a hand lifted in greeting. "Shiny, hm? That's a new one ..." He glanced back down at her. "You know we should take a picture right now." Shameless selfie? Absolutely.

lizbot

 

[lizbot]

"Now all I gotta do is worry about getting too fat to fit in my trailer. Better find a place with a big doorway." She grinned, pleased with the prospect of all the delicious food in her future. "Friend of mine's living with these college girls, they've started bee-keeping of all things, but I've put stake in that honey, let me tell you."

The mention of selfies had her reflexively looking back. Before leaving home, her main concern with selfies was that her tits looked their utmost, but America had since learned the value of lovely and interesting backdrops. Give folks an extra bit of loveliness (besides her own of course).

"Yeah, looks like a good place to commemorate our special reunion and the day you bragged about how I'll never get to marry Professor Mercer." A playful bump of the hip followed.

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

Jeremiah laughed, though laughter around America was not that out of place. She always made him smile in some small way and brought out laughter. "My dear," he said playfully, "I am sure that your figure is safe. There's only one person I try to make sure maintains a certain weight."

What? He liked Algie's paunch.

His phone was slipped out after he raked a hand through his hair (because that was his own habit when it came to selfies; of which the number had increased). "I would never do such a thing," the perfect picture of innocence that was ruined by the glint in his bright blue-green eyes, "but I absolutely would commemorate the day my lovely friend returned to town to stay." Then he winked at her and, once she was ready, tilted his head towards her for what was absolutely the most perfect selfie of them both.

lizbot

 

[lizbot]

"Uh huh, just you wait. New time there's some big magic thing, y'all are gonna have to just roll me at the bad guys, like you're in Indiana Jones n's**t."

A few moments later and she was gazing at the selfie with a look of surprise and pleasure. "Did you take a class or something? Your selfie game has gotten strong as ********, I'm gonna have to put this one on my wall."

She spent the rest of the walk grilling him on technique and mysterious secret classes or if it's a magic thing, gosh! But by the time they're at a nice, secluded little picnic area, it's her stomach doing the talking and mouth doing the lowkey drooling.

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

Jeremiah just smiled, bright blue-green eyes glinting as if it was some secret or a kind of magic he learned. Then he really was just telling her he had to deal with some of Alg's publishers and gotten a few tips on instagram and photos and the best approaches.

Not all of that was lies.

"Are you going to make it until I get this all laid out?" he teased, nudging her with his shoulder before he was stepping away and opening up the satchel. There was a picnic blanket, of course, and that was laid out on the ground and then he was holding a hand out to help her sit.

The perfect gentleman.

lizbot

 

[lizbot]

It was, of course, pretty as a picture. Her mouth popping open a laughing little o at the gesture, America took his hand and sat at her most lady-like. Aunt Prudie woulda been proud as anything to see her niece acting all proper with a gentleman (except for the hot old gay part, god rest her).

"I might live, maybe. But let's not tempt fate. What if a bear comes up and steals our pic-a-nic basket?"

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

Jeremiah would have totally played it up with Aunt Prudie and then proceeded to kiss his husband quite thoroughly in front of her because <******** those kind of sensibilities.

He held up a finger once she was seated, to make sure her attention was on him, and then disappeared in a brief glimmer. A moment later he was on the other side of the picturesque clearing, a bit of cold fire sparking around him briefly.

"I think," he said in a conversational tone, "we'll be alright." Then he was reappearing right back next to the blanket and crouching down to open up the satchel.

lizbot

 

[lizbot]

"OH MY GOD!!" America was clapping. "That was so cool! What the sweet heck have you been up to?!"

The girl was ready to ask more questions but cut off abruptly as he opened the satchel. Apparently food took priority over magic.

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"Quite a lot," he replied with a chuckle. "Just learned a few new tricks that have been very helpful." Except that obviously food was the most important thing here. Jeremiah was pulling out a couple plates, bottles of water, and then-

Then there were the sandwiches. Which smelled heavenly and were cold cuts of roast beef with fresh vegetables. There was also some kind of light sauce on them that he more than likely made himself.

"... and," he said as he offered her a plate once it was ready, "there's some cheesecake if you want a slice. I brought one just for you."

lizbot