Toronto, Not Brazil Nor Space, Tuesday

[whenshewasnice]

This felt surreal. After the... several months Natalie had just had, taking a day or two to actually be away from Brazil and the Hegemony and Peter was just surreal. Knowing she was going to get to actually see Jim for the first time in over three months? Yeah, weird.

Since they were not very into the idea of meeting in either Ribeirao Preto or Iowa, Natalie had picked a place almost at random from the first selection of package deals Portalocity had happened to offer her. So now she was standing in the Drake Hotel lobby in Toronto, with her bag slung over her shoulder and check-in already dealt with, just waiting for Jim to arrive.

[ooc: NFB, for the boy!]

Comments

[pursuedthestars]

"I can help you with that," Jim told her, kissing the top of her head lightly. "All I've been doing is relaxing lately. I'm an expert. Top of the class, I think."

[whenshewasnice]

"Teach me, o wise one," Natalie teased quietly. "Because I'm terrible."

[pursuedthestars]

"Well, you're doing pretty well already," Jim pointed out. "You're not trying to work, you don't have your phone or a laptop and you're laying down. That's a good start. You should just keep this up."

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie worked her hand underneath his shirt while he was talking, then splayed her fingers against his skin. Just needed to do that right now.

"I turned my phone off."

That was pretty major for her. But she'd needed to disconnect.

[pursuedthestars]

"Good girl," Jim praised, nodding. "There's nothing that pressing that needs your attention after everything you've dealt with. Anyone who needs you can wait."

[whenshewasnice]

"I just hope no one decides this is a great time to attack the compound," Natalie replied with a sigh. "I want to go back and do office work without a crisis."

[pursuedthestars]

"Stop thinking about it," Jim told her, shaking his head. "You're never going to relax if you're thinking about all the bad things that could be happening. Stop."

[whenshewasnice]

"I was just saying," she murmured against his shoulder. "Sorry. I'll try and do better."

[pursuedthestars]

"No, don't apologize," Jim told her, shaking his head. "I didn't mean to lecture you. I just want you to relax. To breathe and try not to think about work. You deserve a real vacation."

[whenshewasnice]

"I do."

Well, that was something she would not argue about. She needed a vacation. She wasn't sure she'd fully relaxed at all since before the month she'd spent as Nathan. She knew it was pretty amazing she din't have an ulcer.

She reached up and kissed his cheek.

[pursuedthestars]

"You hungry or anything?" he murmured, turning his head a little more towards her. "Do you want me to order some food or some drinks?"

[whenshewasnice]

"Order something nice." Anything. She wasn't picky. She brushed her fingertips against his skin and added, quietly, "Take care of me."

[pursuedthestars]

"Okay," Jim told her, nodding and reaching for the phone nearby. "Do you want actual food or just something to drink or something else?"

[whenshewasnice]

"I want something to drink," she said. "And snacks. Maybe candy?"

Jesus, when was the last time she'd had chocolate?

[pursuedthestars]

"You want alcohol?" Jim asked, already dialing the number while he asked. "Or something non-alcoholic?"

[whenshewasnice]

"I could go for something alcoholic," she shrugged. "I could go for anything, really."

Vacation time, see.

[pursuedthestars]

"Okay," Jim said, nodding. He turned his attention to the phone, chatting up the person on the other line before he went about ordering a few different things including some chocolate, some sandwiches, some wine and a cake.

It'd all get eaten eventually.

[whenshewasnice]

While he was ordering, Natalie did nothing.

Well, that wasn't true. She was still slowly stroking her fingers back and forth against his skin. It was a very important thing to be doing.

[pursuedthestars]

Jim didn't waste too much time on the phone before he was hanging up and smiling back over at her.

"Shouldn't take too long to get here. I'll have to get up to get it when it does," he told her. "Just to get the door, at least, and get the food."

[whenshewasnice]

"Ugggh," Natalie replied, in an exaggerated manner. It was a travesty that he'd have to get up. A travesty. Yes. She made sure to tighten her hold on him and everything. "Do you really?"

[pursuedthestars]

"I don't but someone does," Jim pointed out, snickering. "Unless you want the food to stay out there while we're in here. Then, every single person that passes by gets to enjoy the food except us."

[whenshewasnice]

"When you put it like that, it doesn't sound fun." Not when there was cake involved and everything. "I guess I can let you go for just a little while."

[pursuedthestars]

"I'll come right back," Jim promised. "And I'll have food with me that you can eat and drink. There's wine too. Not sure what kind of wine, I just asked for the best kind they had, but that's coming too."

[whenshewasnice]

"The best kind, hmm?"

She gave his cheek another kiss. And then one on the corner of his mouth. "Exciting."

[pursuedthestars]

"Apparently so," he mumbled, amused. "I'm putting my trust in their wine selection so hopefully they don't do me wrong. I'd hate to be all embarrassed when the wine gets here and it's terrible."

He wouldn't care that much, no.