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Wow. Her first Thanksgiving...that she could remember, anyways. She couldn't remember the first twenty but...well. It was what it was. Knot was pretty elated to be invited to Jules' for the holiday. She didn't have any other invitations, and quite honestly, it was nice to feel wanted, especially in light of...things.

The woman hopped up the steps of Jules' house, dressed as nice as she thought appropriate but also comfy, because the point of today was to stuff themselves silly. She was also carrying a dish, still warm, from the fact she had teleported into the neighborhood with it moments prior as Still. Captain Harmotome, Hel, had done her a solid and made a dish for her to bring to Jules' since she didn't cook. She was rather impressed that the little spitfire could cook so well. She had sampled some of the stuff Hel was prepping and it was delish.

It just made her that much more excited for a meal at Jules'.

Balancing the dish in one arm, Knot reached out to knock on the door with the other.

Cooking for others brought joy to Julianne Payne, in more ways than she could probably count or say. While she typically spent the holidays at work, this year she'd been given off Thanksgiving weekend as some of the younger, newer hires had snatched up the opportunity for holiday pay. She hardly had anyone to shop for around this time of year - who was she to deny them, if they wanted to give her a weekend off?

So instead of contributing to a potluck or work dinner, she'd decided to host a dinner at her own home. She had a feeling that sweet Aurora would be spending it with her father (and perhaps the beau she seemed so fond of), which left her with only two other close "connections", as it were.

Namely, one scoundrel of a man and one sweetheart of a young woman who was under the worst of influences, as far as bosses went.

That same scoundrel, as a matter of fact, was currently making her life difficult as she tried to maneuver her way around the kitchen to continue on with her creations. He'd continuously tried sticking his fingers in all sorts of places they shouldn't be, earning him smacks of both hands and wooden spoons and a half-hearted chiding.

Somehow, hours later, she'd managed to whip it all up together with only a few minor interruptions (and one or two hickies, to boot). The sweet potato casserole was cooling off, the green bean casserole was already out on the table, the rolls were still heating up in the oven and the various other dishes remained scattered around the island and countertops --- most of which lacked obvious indentions where a certain cowboy's finger had taste tested from.

As the sound of knocking on the front door echoed through the dining room, his comment went somewhat ignored as Jules straightened out her simple dress and shot him a playful warning look.

"You start without us, Jimmy Wayne, and there'll be no dessert for you."

With that, she made her way to the front of the house and quickly opened the door, welcoming in Knot with a hug and a cheerful smile, mindful not to tip over the dish she had cradled in her hand.

"Knot! I'm so glad you could come --- I'm sorry for such late notice or else I would have asked if there was anything in particular that you'd have liked for me to make."

Her hand ushered the younger woman in, closing the door after her as she guided them both back towards the dining room, cleared off and nicely dressed up for the holiday occasion. Jules didn't have anyone to decorate for anymore so when she got the opportunity to go all out, she went all out.

"I hope you brought your appetite with you. I mean, if not, I'm sure Dallas can eat enough for all three of us."

It did something fierce to the body when Jules smacked his hand away from the food. To be honest, it was hot, so every time she did it, he'd scoop her up and feast on her instead and then smirk when she was all hot and bothered and trying to be the boss of the kitchen.

Unlike the halloween fiasco, Dallas made sure to taste EVERYTHING after that night. He didn't tell Jules but even alcohol had gone down like sugary sweet disgusting candy shots. Almost made a man sober.

As Knot entered the fray, calling on his sweats, the cowboy swaggered out into the dining room and pulled at the hem. "These bad boys, my naive little child, are for the reckoning our stomachs about to be takin'" He huffed, "You ever try to eat a thanksgiving meal with jeans on, cause I haven't, and I ain't about to break tradition." He waited.

"Besides, We getting naked later to burn off the calories so no harm, no foul." He winked at Jules, giving the woman MORE then a couple of look overs. "She hopes you brought your appetite because the damn woman has made a feast for kings. But I'm up for a challenge." Besides the man was a lumbering 6'8 of southern swag and charm. He had, ALMOST, a bottomless pit inside his body to fill. Whether it was with booze, smokes, sex or food. Something would fill it.

"Now. Who's your favorite team?" A small portable TV was produce, Dallas stretching the antenna to show a couple of football games. "Personally, I am a Eagles fan, but we got a couple of choices." Football and giant dinner.

Literally Heaven.

"I suppose we should be grateful he put any pants on at all." Knot said to Jules with mock seriousness, taking the woman up on her offer as she pulled out a chair. The white haired woman sat down, and smiled up at the other. "Thank you! I know the answer is probably no, but if you did need any help, please let me know. Don't worry, I'll keep him entertained." Seated, Knot then proceed to procure three cups that were on the table for herself. She poured some chocolate milk into one, orange juice into another, and then finally some coffee. Jules was an amazing host. She felt like she was at a luxury buffet resort with all the options.

Knot focused on the man who was setting up the TV, and quirked a brow. "Are you sure you'll be burning calories later when you'll be having a big ol' case of turkey d**k? Think you'll have to take a nap, and then have dessert." She took a sip of the chocolate milk she poured for herself.

"Also, I'm not picking a team because football is stupid. It's just a bunch of overpaid frat college boys gone 'pro' who get paid ridiculous sums of money to parade around a manicured field." She paused for a moment. "The only good thing about them is those toned asses in those tight pants, and even then, eh."

Thanking Knot for her offer, Jules politely declined the assistance as it took three trips back and forth from the kitchen to the table with various potholders and dishes to complete the ensemble. Fresh smells of warm food filled the air, the blonde woman's stomach growling with anticipation, despite her nibbles and taste tests throughout the day.

As the basket of rolls were retrieved, the final piece to the dinner table puzzle, she heard the low voice boom across the house as the cowboy made an excessively dramatic cry over something Knot must have said in his direction.

"For the love of god, Jimmy Wayne, did your mother ever teach you to use your indoor voice at the dinner table?"

Bread deposited on the table, she took her place and scooted her chair in.

The glass of wine sitting at her table setting was picked up, the dark liquid quickly swallowed in a practiced gulp before the bottle was retrieved and a second glass was poured. The bottle was returned, positioned slightly closer to her dinner plate as she shook her head in Dallas's direction.

She had a feeling that the bottle would be dry before the meal was halfway through.

"If anything, it would be a good thing for her to take after me and not some incorrigible ruffian like you, sir."

He narrowed his eyes at Knot. "You know Russians causing the wars all over, don't you?" His American pride came out immediately and he snorted. "Okay baby girl, but you know I'm always here if you down for some good honest to god american bred machine."

And that was that.

"I don't have a indoor voice." But his mama did teach him manners, so he sent Jules a wink and a wide smile, "Sorry for yelling. Knot gave me a start and now I don't know if she deserves dinner anymore."

He almost would've been shocked but he knew how Jules felt about him. She pretended he was the worst sort of man in the world, but he was exactly what she sought out in her romance novels and at the end of the night, in her bed. He had Miss Payne down to a T, and yet she still surprised him on occasion.

He wondered if thanksgiving meant they were the dating kind now?

"She'd be looking for a cookie cutter house with her little Russian lover, if that the case there babe." He shovelled food on his plate, "There ain't been a dinner on thanksgiving that we don't say grace." After food was piled on, he reached out his hands and took Jules and Knots. "Seeing as this here is miss Paynes house, if she got some words to say." He winked at Knot and then looked at his lover.

"Whenever you ready Jules."

"Fake news, Dallas, fake news."

Knot couldn't help but look like a mix of called out and amused when Dallas piped up about finding a cookie cutter house. "He's big, not little, thank you." The woman raised a brow as her hand was grabbed, but she looked towards Jules for the final say. Knot smiled as the woman gave a rather general thanks, and she nodded her head in approval.

"Grace!" Knot said after, lightly grinning at Dallas from across the table to 'fulfill his requirements' and then let go of hands to start getting some food for herself as well. It was a good spoonful of everything for the young woman, where this would be the first Thanksgiving she could remember, and she wanted to try all of this delicious food.

Once her plate was loaded down, Knot wasted no time in starting to eat.

"Oh." It was so hard to not talk with her mouthful, but she was a lady and she managed to swallow what she had first before looking at Jules. "This is divine. Thank you so much." She ate some more, and really all she wanted to do at this point was shovel it in.

"What kind of pies are there for after?"

Watching Dallas consume the food on the table like a human vacuum was both incredible and horrifying at the same time. She exchanged amused glances with Knot between her own (much smaller) bites. Knife and fork clinked against the good dishes as she took her time savoring the food, thankful that she actually had a reason this year to pull out the good china and silver.

As the two began to banter back and forth about yet another debate, Jules simply smiled quietly to herself as she took a moment to enjoy the scene around her. It was drastically different than how she'd spent last Thanksgiving, holed up in various hospital rooms cleaning up blood and nursing diabetics in fluid overload.

It finally felt like she owned a home instead of just a house and Julianne Payne was very, very glad for it.