Chapter Fifty Two
It's been a long time since I came around
Been a long time but I'm back in town
And this time I'm not leavin' without you
Lady Gaga – You and I
The apartment was much larger and vacuous than John could have imagined. He had grown used to living in small accommodation. He had been a single man for a long time before Cass and all he had needed was a place to lay his head. Things were different now, he was different and living alone had become a constant reminder of his own disruptive past. He had had every intention of talking to Elizabeth about moving in with Cass when bigger quarters became available but the Commander of Atlantis had taken the decision out of his hands and instead blessed them with this place.
It was astounding how it made him feel sitting in the centre of their apartment surrounded by flat pack boxes of what would soon be their furniture. Cass had already set out making their place into a friendly inviting home for the two of them. The walls had been painted a warm cream colour which made the place seem tasteful and light. The skirting boards were that slightly darker version of the shade giving the open planned living space a much airier edge.
John had never considered what it would be like to start from scratch, everywhere he had previously lived had already been furnished. Here, the two of them were creating their own place and John found he liked that more than he had ever considered. Home was where the heart was and the two of them were constructing their very own nest. It had never been so important to him before now and he understood it to be part of his natural instincts coming into play, he had found his mate and it was time for him to settle down and help build their territory.
The Man in him was pacified by this and settled into the role of creator with his wife as he wrestled the cardboard away from the sturdy wood that had been provided for their bed. The animistic side of him was sated by last nights love making yet he could sense it wanted more.
Make it permanent, it growled in his ear. Make it so they know she's yours.
John brushed off the urge as his thoughts lingered to the ring nestled at the bottom of the bag he had brought along with him. He had told Cass it contained tools he had borrowed from Zelinka and Rodney but that wasn't true he had been planning an afternoon ride in the Jumper to the beach on the mainland. That had all gone out of the window as his wife took him by the hand and led him to their new quarters.
There was so much to do before the two of them could settle down and move in, the first being to build the bed. John was glad they had beaming technology otherwise there would have been hell trying to get that large, chocolate brown corner couch through the door. John had to admit his wife was exceptional when it came to choosing their furniture, he was surprised at the immense details she considered whilst building their home in her head. Her choices were neutral, there was nothing too feminine or extreme, it was like she constructing blank canvass for the two of them to paint with the personalities of their personal items. Cass seemed to have thought of everything from bed linens to curtains and towels. She had even included a bookshelf for the comics he had mentioned he was bringing over.
John wondered how much this had all cost, their quality of living was far from modest but it wasn't over indulgent neither. When he had tried to talk money she had brushed him off with a shrug simply stating that she was investing in their future and he thought maybe it was time to admit that while he was away that he had done the same.
Yet as soon as John had opened his mouth Cass had already been forcing a screwdriver into his hand and gesturing towards the pieces of bed that she insisted he needed to fix up quickly in order for them to christen. After hearing her describe the various ways in which they could go about consummating their new situation, his mind had switched to other things. It was clear Cass was thrilled about the apartment, they had both lived with other people before but this was different, this was theirs and there would be no memories here but their own. She was chattering excitedly as she described where she thought things should go and listening avidly when he voiced his opinion. He had never seen her throw herself into something so willingly and he adored seeing her smile light up the room as she explained certain aspects of her ideas with her hands. She was so animated and it made him grin when she took his hand and guided him into their bathroom to show him the bath. It was clear she was in love with this place as much as he was.
John had already decided that they would organise joint bank accounts when they eventually made it back to Earth, he had a lot of money saved up over the years from various ventures and he thought she should at least benefit from that and it would give him a piece of mind to know that she was taken care of if anything ever did happen. He didn't have a will and he vaguely wondered now if it would be responsible to have one. Yet when they eventually tied the knot legally everything he owned would go to Cass anyway. The only problem was John wasn't sure how long that would take especially since it didn't look like the two of them would be getting leave any time soon with the staff change over and orientation.
"Bed post connected to the side post, side post connected to the slat posts. Slat posts connected back to the side posts." Cass singsonged as she read the instructions out loud on her lap.
They had been working on the bed over the past twenty minutes and for some reason he couldn't explain John was finding this domestic habit surprisingly fun. He found himself cheerful and happy as he worked alongside his wife in order to provide them with somewhere to sleep. It was the male dominant of him that enjoyed this, creating a home for them was an impulse every single fibre of his being agreed with.
"That's the bone song isn't it? The one you learn as a kid about the skeleton?" John asked her as he stood before the frame of the bed surveying it before he selected another solid piece of wood.
"It's the bed song now." Cass informed him before she resumed singing. "Side post connected to the head board."
"Hand cuffs connected to the head board, Cassie connected to the handcuffs." John sang back humouredly.
"You just had to turn it dirty didn't you?" Cass teased, arching her eyebrows.
"I can't help it if you fill my mind with such naughty ideas." John told her as he dropped down beside his wife and nudged her with his shoulder.
"I have something for you." he murmured, reaching into his bag and withdrawing something wrapped in a plastic Borders carrier bag. "Well some things.
"Oh I didn't expect..." Cass began, shaking her head.
John silenced her with a chaste kiss. His lips brushed over hers softly as his thumb traced the apple of her cheek with a gentleness he reserved only for her.
"I know you didn't." he whispered against her pert pink mouth as he slid the gift onto her lap. "But I wanted to."
Cass's hand slid inside the bag as she withdrew the book from it's packaging. Her face lit up as she tilted her head up towards him with a grin.
It was a copy of George Orwell's 1984, she had told him she'd never been able to get her copy back after she'd moved from her old house. He had wanted her to have something personal while her stuff was still in storage, anything to make Atlantis feel like home.
"Now you have something of your own to put on our bookshelf." John said quietly as she flicked through the pages revelling in that new book scent.
Cass loved that smell, it was the best part about entering a book store. She enjoyed running her fingertip over the spines as she struggled to select a title. She always read the first page of a book and if it didn't grab her then she would replace it back upon a shelf until she found a book that did.
"Thank you." she said softly, hugging the book to her chest.
It meant a lot to Cass that she had received this gift, John could see it in her stunning sapphire eyes as her fingertips chased over the cover. He was an attentive listener, constantly storing and filing things away in his head to use for later.
"Actually I have something else to give you." John told her, reaching into the bag and withdrawing the small velvet ring box.
Cass was speechless as he opened the box to show her the glistening platinum circlet between the plush cushions. There were three glittering diamonds winking up at her as he removed the ring from it's confines with skilled fingers.
"Sheppard's Belt." she found herself saying quietly as John took her dainty hand in his larger one.
"When we get back to Earth." he told her as he slid the ring up and along her slender finger. "I want us to make this official."
Cass was beaming as she stared down at the dazzling ring upon her marriage finger, she hadn't expected this. Their wedding ceremony had been simple and it had strengthened their bond, but this ring completed it. Her heart was overwhelmed by the sheer bliss that that descended upon her soul. She was whole finally for the very first time.
"I would like that." Cass murmured, her thumb tracing over his empty ring finger. "It's the perfect fit."
"Now everyone will know your mine." John told her fiercely.
"What about you?" Cass questioned, feeling her own possessiveness raise up inside her as her hands smoothed up and down his firm chest. "What if I want everybody to know who you belong to?"
John removed his dogtags before taking her hand and tipping the chain upside down so that his own matching symbol tumbled into her palm.
"I wanted you to put it on, it seems right somehow." John admitted as he held out his own steady hand.
Cass raised her eyes to meet John's hazel gaze as she took the ring between her delicate fingers. He wanted this as much as she did, he wanted to belong to her, to be owned as her husband and lover. They had strove for so long to find the missing pieces of themselves and now they were here in the exact place they were meant to be binding themselves to one another for eternity.
Cass pushed the ring gently onto his marriage finger, their connection was singing in the tiny space that separated them. She had never felt so elated before, the joy was popping inside of her like tiny explosions as John captured her hand in his.
"Let's forget about the bed for now." he said, his lips already smothering hers with the most amorous of kisses before the two of them baptised their new home.
Hey guys, welcome to the first day of my free weekend! I have spent the day catching up on the chores I have been too tired to do during the week and have thankfully been graced with free time. Hope your all enjoying your Saturday!
Lady: Lmao! It was wasn't it? I had this idea that John would let his more primal side take over when it came to claiming his mate. He wants to remind her she's his and this his way of showing her whose boss in a way. I love the man he's so very alpha male! Thankies for the review.
BRN: We should have pom poms out and be doing our jumps and dances (I can not do gymnastics to save my life.) Jesus we're only in year two, I am up to ch79ish at the mo and I'm coming to the end of yr 2 but your right that's almost another fifty chaps to a year lol I love the fact these two put you in such a great mood, I am grinning like an idiot here. I feel like we should be highfiving for the achievement. Without you guys this story wouldn't be as fun or as great as it is so you deserve a pat on the back too! Thankies for such an inspiring review!
Shippo: lol I wish I had got them into a sparring competition. Could you imagine the the bitch fight that would go on there? Lots of smacks and hair pulling. I kinda wanna play that out now! Lol Thanks for the review.
Lan: lol John and Cass just decided they missed each other too much an went for it because they're dirty like that. It really makes me happy to know that your enjoying these chapters. (I am grinning like a clown.) Thanks for such a wonderful review.
Forahr: It's nice to hear from you and I have to wholeheartedly thank you for taking the time to review. I wanted to show that this relationship goes beyond spending time together and has a real connection between the two of them. Maybe they're feelings will change down the line to procreating, they have 3 or 4 more years to play out and a lot of things can happen in that time. In regards to the story, I can't stop writing it at the moment. When I am on the way to work I'm writing it on my blackberry and emailing it to myself so I can pick it up at home. During my breaks I am doing something similar. This story has caught me hook, line and sinker in the same way it has all of you! Thankies for such a fantastic review.
