It will never change

LOCATION | The parking lot, next to Hope's car
DATE | 17th of May 2022
TIME | Afternoon
WEATHER | Sunny
ATTIRE | Link
TOPIC FOR | @Hope


Now he had spending his first night alone without Sariel after she had taken all of her stuff and moved to Ayah's till who knew how long. It was odd. Weird even, but it was the right thing. And he could stand here without guilt just waiting for Hope to be done with day's work. Leaning a little against her car, he waved to a few of the female students that walked by and looked at them, only leaving them swooning as they headed home. Not that Jamie of course meant anything by it, but well, he liked the extra attention. "Well, don't you look lovely ," he let his lips pull up in a warm loving smile as he caught her eyes. "I was thinking perhaps you would like to join me for dinner?" Jamie then asked folding his hands in front of him, waiting for her to approach him. "I mean, its hard to resist all of this I know, but - I think you can handle it," he teased a little bit. "Sariel and I ended things - I thought you should know," he confirmed for her, waiting for her reaction.

She was done with her classes and had managed to finish up some last grading before she packed her things together and walked to her car. A good bottle of wine was waiting for her at home, next to some cold takeout she had ordered yesterday when she had come home after meeting with Jamie and had felt utterly defeated, mostly because she felt like her emotions were, even more, a mess now than they had ever been.
Walking towards the car, her high heels made a soft echo as they hit the pavement; her eyes were locked in her shoulder bag as she tried to find the keys for her car; she was sure that they were down here and even though she could use magic to just make them appear she was far too stubborn to do that.
“Oh shit”, she half-shouted as Jamie’s voice suddenly called her lovely; looking up, she blinked a little matching his smile even though there was still an ounce of surprise formed over her expression as she stood there looking at him. Dinner? Then a laugh left her as he told her that it was hard resisting him, but she might stand a chance. But before she could react to any of it, he said to her that he had ended things with Sariel. The smile was gone, and she just stood there for a moment.
Her bag fell to the ground, and she took a couple of steps toward him before her hand found the back of his head and the other his shoulder. Pulling him into a fierce kiss, that kiss she wished she could have given him the first time they had met.

It could possibly have been moved in slow motion like all these stupid movies Nigel loved and had made him watch when they were younger, and had been sneaking out to have their own little movie night. But his reflexes matched hers so well, so the second she got closer towards him, his hand found a perfect grip around her lower back, pulling her closer towards him, as their lips finally were able to meet again after so many years. All the emotions that held on to the kiss, the loss, the longing, the desire and the love between them that never really went away. So, he kissed her back without hesitation, feeling like every part of him had been waiting for this moment since he had learned she was alive. The thing he had dreamed about of her return almost every night since she had died. Hoping that he could be in luck to get her back, been so jealous when his friends and family had found their soulmates. Now he was reunited with his. Their lips unlocked from each other when needing to breath, not that removed himself long from her, more so, he rested his head against her forehead, feeling so in peace within himself like he never had before. "God I've missed you," he whispered while exhaling then letting his lips once again meet with hers.

When she had split from Ace, she had been sure it wasn’t because she wanted to be with Jamie. But because she needed to find herself, and to heal whatever damage she had done to herself after the night her children had died. Of course, it wasn’t the only traumatic event that had happened in her life, you didn’t live as long as she and not have a few brutal incidences behind you. At this point, she felt like she had been very lucky compared to her younger sister.
But standing here, feeling his lips against hers. Feel the fire lit up in her heart and slowly mend the broken pieces, breathing life into her mind and body once again.
A soft chuckle left her as he whispered how he had missed her. Her eyes still closed as their foreheads rested towards one another. “I’ve missed you too” she said softly, just before most of her words were swallowed by another kiss. Her arms found their way around his neck, and she let herself press against his body. Knowing that the car would keep Jamie balanced. For a brief second, she forgot where she was before some boys were howling at them and then laughing as they walked towards their friend's car. With a soft smile, she moved away by placing a hand against his chest. “So, dinner?” she mumbled looking into his beautiful eyes. She had really missed him.

Her arms around his neck, the warmth from her body as it pressed against his - the sound of their hearts beating as one. Took him right back, right back to where he would even marry her again on the spot. Then the boys howling at them broke their lips apart, making Jamie wave at them following by lifting his middle finger towards them for a short second, just a short second. Then he turned his eyes back to Hope's, "dinner indeed," he replied back with a softer smile. "You are driving," well Jasmine had requested to eat at Katelyn's tonight either way, they had some school project to look at or where they at least could help each other. He pretended like he would bite her nose, leaving him with laughing a bit, the many times he had done that in the past, just because he could and clearly found himself more funny than he actually was. "Jasmine is at Katelyn's, so - its just you me, and the dogs," not that he didn't want Jasmine and Hope to talk further, and Jasmine would possibly get home later anyways so, depending on how long Hope wanted to stay. Jamie waited for Hope to unlock her car before getting in on the passenger seat, so they could get going.

Her nose scrunched together as he ‘tried’ to bite it, a burst of joyful laughter left her, and she found it rather amazing how quickly they could fall back into that role they had when being married. A smile formed when he explained that it would just be him and her and the dogs because Jasmine would stay at Katelyn’s house. Not that she would have said no if Jasmine had been there, but if Sariel and Jamie had decided to leave each other yesterday, it might be a little too much that the next day she would come and eat dinner and be the new woman in his life even if she wasn’t new.
With a small movement with her fingers, she caught the bag that flew back up and, not wasting more time trying to find the keys; she just made them appear in her hands and unlocked her small ford puma. Last time Ayah had been the one driving, but she still knew the way, so she didn’t ask for the address. “So”, she breathed as she turned the car on, put it in gear and drove out of the parking lot. “Are you ready to learn who Hope is? She is a little different than McKenna,” she said with a hint of her smile over her lips because even though McKenna had still been here, it was another woman from who Hope was.

Jamie turned his head over towards Hope as she spoke to him putting the car into gear and headed down the road, "oh I'm ready, but only if you are ready to learn Jamie who isn't afraid of owning all parts of him, including the one with teeth and claws," he replied back. Because none of them were the same as they once had been. He no longer suppressed his true nature, there was nothing holding him back in being hundred percent who he was. In that way he was also a different version of himself, no longer in need to go out and hunt to make sure he didn't get his father's rage or disappointment, he no longer cared what his father thought of him. "But I'm looking forward to get to know you, Hope," he pointed out putting slight pressure on saying her name, but he was excited to see where this would take them. His hand reached out placing a soft hand on her knee, giving it a small short squeeze like he had done in the past whenever they had been out driving, also realizing perhaps he was overstepping - so gently took his hand back, moving his eyes to the window. "Did you have a good day?" He wondered turning his head back towards her, because he was curious about how her day at work had been after all.

She looked shortly at him, giving him a bright smile as she could feel how happiness was spreading in her chest; it was such a relief finally feeling it like this again. Which was also why she knew it had been the right call with Ace to end it. Because with Ace, she would always fear, always wonder when would be the next day.
“I look forward to getting to know you to Jamie, teeth, claws, and you know, annoying fur. You probably just going to blame the dogs”, she laughed, not minding his hand on her leg. Still, as he pulled it away, she knew it had been because of an insecurity forming, so instead, she grabbed his hand and pulled it back towards her lab while she drove. She nodded when he asked if she had a good day “yeah, it’s still weird having a nine to five job; when I was with you, I just used my hacking ability to help with moving the supernatural, and other than that, I was, you know a stay at home mom” she could feel a short pang of sadness form in her chest. Still, it was only a temporary life because she didn’t want to stay in that emotion forever; she needed to move past it to get a life again. “But my mother seems really happy about the fact that I’m working there and she can see me when she has the time, and you know the kids are wonderful – how about you, how was your day?” she asked, looking shortly at him, realising just how much she had spoken without asking him the same question.

"Oh I'm hundred percent going to blame the dogs, make no mistake, they also manage to steal all my food - or perhaps that is my teenage daughter getting down for midnight snacks - who knows," he said yet everyone knew him to be the biggest snacker of them all. He could even blame Archie for stealing his snacks if it came down to that. Jamie let his thumb run over the skin of her thigh as she placed his hand back on her lab. Jamie could imagine it was hard with work hours like that, it didn't give much spare time, but his own job was much the same. Other than the days he had off every once in a while, which was something he had made in his deal with Kenna when she had given him the job. "Hey, no one is ever just a stay home mom, that is hard," he pointed out remembering just how hard it was, and yet he hadn't been at home all  the time. It did remind him of the fact that Olivia and Lewis never would come back, they would remain dead, but perhaps in some way they would be happy to know that their parents had found their way back to each other again. So, Jamie's mindset had changed, despite it hurt he found honor in being with his children's mother again, despite the loss. "It seems like you quite like it, I'm glad to hear it," he replied back with a bigger and warmer smile. "I took the day off, gave Jasmine a day home - so we just sat in the couch binge watching one of these show things she is into lately, and so it was pretty good," he replied back with a chuckle. Now, Jamie would perhaps not understand today's teenagers and their tv shows, but he did find a guilty pleasure in some of these weird ass reality shows, just because some people were plain stupid.

She only removed her hand when she needed both hands on the wheel, and then her hand was back on his letting her fingers almost mindlessly glide over his skin. A soft chuckle left her as he explained how he had been sitting on the couch with Jasmine seeing television shows. “I’m not even sure that my tv is plugged in”, she laughed, shaking her head; she really wasn’t living. She only had her work and training, and then she did some more job before going to bed, and then she started the day all over. Even at the weekends, when she didn’t work, she was working. Hopefully, things would begin to change when she and Jamie would need to find time for each other as well. The only question being, how fast did they want to start? Because some part of her liked to take it slow, while another was about to drive them to the nearest place where someone could remarry them. But that might be taking things a little too fast after all.
“But that sounds like a really nice day, and given that they will all soon go on holiday, it seems like a good time to take the occasional day off” she licked her lips “are you working as a civil engineer again?” she asked softly and looked towards him. She could have sworn she fell in love once again.

It was a nice day. Especially after the whole dinner last night which had ended with watching Ayah picking up Sariel so they could drive off, it had been weird. But it was for the best, otherwise he would have been more on edge with the fact that his now ex-girlfriend was friends with Hope's sister. But the way him and Sariel had ended things, he was fine with it. "I am - I met up with Kenna Lux again, and she got me settled with a good offer," he replied. Well, Jamie had been working for Kenna before back when him and Hope had been married. All the fancy formal parties the demi-goddess had invited him and Hope to because of it, well it was good for business. "No more hunting, just - being me, which is nice - so I guess it only took me a handful of years too long to listen to your suggestion," he chuckled a little bit. Knowing it had been what had brought them to meet at first, but well. Now, he was sure that Mariella one or the other way had told about what Theo had done, perhaps in a much lighter way than how things had been because well, Nigel hadn't let her enter the building when he had seen what had happened. "There we are," he chuckled a little seeing the house not far away.

Kenna Lux, the demi-goddess. She remembered her rather well; one didn’t forget when they had been in the presence of someone that had an aura of something that could only be described as godlike, which was weird because she was pretty sure that there weren’t really gods in that sense that many people thought them to be, only supernatural beings with powers that could go further than most people could imagine.
“Well, I’ve started to realise you always needed to figure things out yourself even though people had the answers” she chuckled and lifted her hand to poke him in his cheek. Then she nodded when she saw the house and parked on the road. She breathed out for a moment, looking, then she got out, knowing it was a big step, looking over at the house where she knew Nigel and Irina lived with Katelyn and their son. She almost sputtered when she saw Irina and Nigel sitting by the window, just far enough so they could see over the edge. “Don’t look, but I think your brother and his girlfriend are watching”, she chuckled, keeping her eyes away from the window so they could live with the pretence that they were unseen.

"I told you not to poke my cheek, you never know if I bite," he teased a little bit shaking his head as they parked the car. Jamie got out and took a deeper breath in of the evening air, looking towards the house, when Hope then mentioned him not to look by that Nigel and Irina was watching them. Jamie stopped for a second and chuckled a little, "of course they are - now watch how quickly they will walk from the window by me simply looking towards them," Jamie clicked his tongue a little and looked towards the window, where he could see them quickly move to the side as if they hadn't been noticed at all or even standing there. "Curious bastards," he laughed a little bit shaking his head then walking towards his front door and unlocked the door, already hearing the dogs come running towards the door as he opened it. The dogs still confused that Sariel didn't come home to them, or understood completely that she had left. It helped that Jamie was a shapeshifter, making him able to understand them a bit more.

Her eyes followed Jamie’s, and she saw just how fast they moved away from the window; she couldn’t help but laugh and shake her head; it was true, they were indeed curious. But who wouldn’t be with everything going on, and then there was the fact that she was Mariella’s birth sister, which could eventually make things a little awkward with the introductions, even if Jamie and her didn’t share even a tiny drop of shared DNA.
Once again, she was introduced to the dogs; letting her hands down allowed them to sniff her scent and then squatted down to greet them probably. “You got them from the pound?” she asked as she let her fingers glide over the soft fur; they were absolutely lovely.
“So”, she got up and looked towards him, feeling how the tension formed between them again as the door was closed behind them and they were completely alone. This time there was nothing keeping them from each other, which only made her heart beat a little faster as her eyes locked with his. “What’s for dinner?” she decided to ask, feeling how her breath wanted to come out a little shaky.

"Yeah, I couldn't really imagine not having a house without some noise in, and these two makes plenty of mess to keep you on your toes," he chuckled a little bit. No he was actually very good at training them, and so there was really no problems with it. Jamie just didn't like the silence of living in a bigger house and it being completely silent, which was also a reason why he was happy Sariel had said yes to move in back then, because last time he had lived in a house like this, it had been with Hope and their kids - and he had gotten so used to the sound of the kids running around on their tiny feet. Making him afraid to see ghosts if he didn't have the dogs to at least make up for the sound his heart had wanted to hear.

He closed the door and exhaled a little bit, feeling how everything suddenly became more serious, not in a bad day, far from a bad way. His eyes remained on hers, as he took a sharper breath in. "I was just thinking a classic steakhouse steak with some baked potatoes - few veggies, and I do have a few good beers or a wine in my fridge," he replied and gave her a warm smile. "And then I have some sundae ice creams, Archie made for me that are just chilling in the freezer waiting for me to taste test - because who are we kidding, I am the best test subject when it comes to dessert," he laughed a little at himself, even though it was true.

Her smile grew as he explained what he had been thinking for dinner and even had an idea for a dessert. “Sounds like heaven”, she said, letting her tongue glide over her lips, knowing that she needed to move so he, or they, could actually start making food for them to eat. But she wasn’t sure if she was ready to move just yet, which was why she ended up taking a step toward him. When he had told her that he had missed her, and she had told him the same, it didn’t measure the feeling going through her mind.
“Okay”, she whispered, almost as if she was telling herself that it was okay, which she might be doing. “Food needs to wait for a little”, she said in the same low tone as her arms folded around his neck and pulled him into a heated kiss. She had missed him so much, far more than she could even begin to describe. Once again, she was overwhelmed by the fact that she had been so convinced that she wouldn’t just go back to Jamie if the chance occurred; what a fool she had been.

It was almost unlike them to be this careful around each other, trading the waters to make sure not to overstep - knowing himself, Jamie wouldn't be able to keep up the act for long. A low chuckle left him once she said that the food would have to wait, and she then folded her arms around his neck, placing her lips so longingly against his. Once again, Jamie's arms folded around her, pulled her closer towards him as he returned the kiss with the same desire, the same passion. It had been foolish of him to ever believe that he could truly move on, but he had always known he would come back to her if he had ever been given the chance. The two of them together, back here in this house, it was right. It just felt like all the puzzle pieces got put right back together in their rightful places. Of course he wasn't a fortuneteller or anything like that, but this felt like  the right path.

She completely disappeared in the moment they were sharing together. All her thoughts, all the negative stream of consciousness that roamed in her mind all the time. They were finally quiet. She pulled him closer, her hand finding its way into his hair. It was like coming home in a way. Almost as if he was able to heal all of the wounds that had been caused over the last couple of years, just like had he been able to fill the hole in her heart when she hadn’t been able to find her family. She had let him in and created one with him. This time, it could be different, mostly because she saw her mother, father, and sisters. He didn’t have to live in hiding anymore, and the people that mattered to him were able to be a part of it with him.
Yes, all of these thoughts started swirling around. Most of all, she was just happy, filled with love and hope that things would turn out better this time. It had to turn out better.

How was it even possible? Jamie had thought he never would get to fully activate his heart again. He had thought he had, but coming to realize by how she moved her hands through his hair, how she pulled him closer. It unlocked the rest of his heart. Jamie kissed her back so passionately he was almost afraid if he stopped she'd be gone again, but the fear was soon overthrown by the joy and love he felt knowing this time it would be. Even for the first time he thought of seeking the peak of his abilities, by using his healing to stop aging - they could be forever without her fearing he would get grey and die. It was something he had never been willing to do before. But things changed rapidly around here, and if there was one person he would spent the rest of eternity with it would be Hope. His lips unlocked from hers in need of air, so he rested his forehead against hers, "god I've missed you," he could say those words over and over for the rest of his life, and right now it was nothing but true. "I love you so much," he whispered with his lips so close towards hers he could almost feel the trace of them while their beaths mixed.

She couldn’t hold back a soft giggle, feeling rather foolish for suddenly becoming so giddy. Could you blame her? The man she had loved so fiercely that she had decided to get children with, to marry—even if there was the looming threat of his family over their heads. There had been so many reasons why she shouldn’t have been with him, but for every reason, she had found one to why she should stay. The only reason she had decided to fake her death and to move away and make him believe that she had joined their kids in heaven—sorely came down to the fact that she had been selfish and was so scared of how their relationship would have unfolded had she stayed.
“I missed you too,” she whispered between their lips, feeling how the breaths mixed; “I love you too—so much” she let her forehead find his, and with a soft sigh, she stood there for a moment before finally breaking away—“So, dinner?” she said with a softer smile that turned into a slight smirk.

He chuckled a little bit as their foreheads met, right dinner, he knew they should make dinner, but he also couldn't really just get himself to let go of her - not yet at least, and he pulled her just an inch closer towards him. Even if she was breaking away from him a little bit, Jamie just let a little unamused sigh then exhaling and let her go, "fine - dinner first," he mused a little before taking a step back letting his hands grace past her as he then turned to wash his hands before getting the things he needed for the cooking. "But don't get any funky ideas," he teased picking up a woodened spoon and pointed it towards her - not that he needed to use the tool for the dish it was just what was in hand.

She lifted her hands and almost pouted when he told her that she shouldn’t get any funny idea. “I would never”, she teased, then she turned and walked toward the doors that were looking into the garden; it looked rather like a project that had been started and never finished. “So, the garden, have any plans for that or is it just yet another one of those “oh darling, I have this brilliant idea”, and then two weeks in, you are suddenly swamped at work, and I’m the one finishing your project?” she teased before she realised that she was talking just like they had used to when they had been married. For a moment, she just stood there, feeling rather overwhelmed with the feelings going through her.
But she didn’t say anything to it. Instead, she let out a small sigh. “I’ve missed this,” she whispered, her fingers grabbing the chain around her neck, where her wedding ring was still in. Something she had never been able to part with after she had made herself disappear.

Jamie couldn't hide the fact that he couldn't contain his smile, make it leave even if he wanted to. Then turning his head towards her when she mentioned the garden - "as a matter of fact," he pointed a little still with the woodened spoon in his hand, it was so easy, they just fit like a glove together. It was almost like no time had parted them, even if in reality they both knew the tale was different. "I have plenty of good ideas, I just need your brilliant mind to make them happen sometimes," he waved the spoon in a more circle like movement pointing towards her, then putting the spoon down. Jamie did pay notice to how she grabbed the chain around her neck, not able to see the pendant for the necklace, hidden just behind the fabric of her shirt. "Is it now you tell me you are wearing some old pendant with a hidden picture of an old flame -- wait don't tell me its a picture of me?" He teased a little bit looking at her still, narrowing his eyes just a little bit, making sure she was alright. "I've missed this too," he nodded to confirm he felt the same. Jamie really had missed this, feeling this calm and at peace. Home.

“I didn’t say you didn’t have good ideas” she chuckled and then laughed when he said that he had needed her to make them happen. She hadn’t even noticed how she was fiddling around with the necklace until he asked what it was. She stopped, turned, and looked toward him. “Not a picture, but—“ she walked closer and as she came into the kitchen where he was using more time moving around with the wooden spoon in his hand than actually cooking.
Now she could just have hidden away, but if he was going to be cooky about it, she wanted to see his reaction when he saw that she was still carrying the symbol for the promise they had shared back in the day. A promise she hadn’t kept. But still carried close to her heart.
She took off the necklace and placed it in his hand after she had softly taken his wrist so he couldn’t move away. “You can give me that back when you want to make that promise anew”, she said before letting go of him; instead, she lifted her gaze from his hand to his eyes.

Jamie placed what he had in his hands down on the counter as she took her necklace off, holding his hand out to the movement of him giving it to him. His brows pressed together in a slight frown on first not understanding why she would put it in his hand, then looking down at it in his palm. He took a longer and sharper breath in, folding his lips together. He listened to her words still with his eyes locked on the ring in his hand, then chuckling a little bit taking her hand with his free one. Then placing it in her hand and closed the hand giving it a small squeeze and closed the space between them a bit further with a single step. "Hands down I would marry again in a heart beat, take your hand, go to the car and ride off to find someone who can officiate us, because you are my entire world," his eyes remained looking into hers. He meant every single word he spoke, and exhaled slowly out, clearing his throat a little. "I will always be on your side."