Three Days Later: Christmas Eve
Rupert opened his door to a smiling Jenny. "I'm back and bearing gifts." She held up a bag. "Just call me Santa Claus."
"Welcome home Jenny." He stepped aside to let her enter and closed the door behind her. He took the bag from her hands and placed it on a nearby chair, before embracing her with a warm hug.
"Mmmm. This is nice." She gave him an affectionate squeeze, and then pulled his head down to hers for a long tender kiss. "But that's even better."
Rupert was too dazed to speak and just stood there, gazing at her, with a funny grin on his face. Jenny grinned back and briefly embraced him again before taking his hand, picking up the bag and dragging him to the sofa. Sitting down, she teased, "Did you miss me?"
He still had hold of her hand. "Oh yes."
She laughed. "I'd never have guessed."
Rupert blushed and then seemed to regain some composure. "Where are my manners, would you like a drink?"
"Hmm, got any egg-nog?"
He smiled and nodded. "So, did you have a nice time?" he asked as he busied himself getting their drinks.
"Yeah, it was great fun. Woulda been better if you'd have been there but, yeah, I had a good time. We checked out the casinos, and I even won some bucks. But then I lost it."
He brought their drinks back and sat down beside her. "I hope you didn't lose too much."
She gave him a contemptuous look. "Do I look stupid! Sarah and I made a pact beforehand that we wouldn't go above a certain limit."
"Very wise."
"You know, it was kind of liberating though, there's a certain rush." She took a sip of her drink. "Hmm, this is good. You make good egg-nog."
"Thank you. I'm glad you approve." His hand wandered to the bag on the sofa between them.
"Hey!" Jenny quickly snatched it away from him. "No peeking. It's not Christmas day yet."
Rupert looked sheepishly at her. "Sorry."
"So, how were things here? Avert an apocalypse?"
"No," he responded dryly. "All was quiet on the home-front."
"Too bad." At his look she added, "I mean, you could have come after-all!"
The clock on the mantelpiece began to strike midnight. "Happy Christmas!" Jenny raised her glass to his and they clinked.
"Happy Christmas." They moved towards each other, pushing the bag out of the way, and sealed the toast with a sweet kiss.
Jenny was the first to pull back. She smiled at him. "Now you can open your prezzies." She picked the bag up and pulled out a present. "Here."
Rupert slowly took it from her and carefully unwrapped the Father Christmas wrapping paper. In his hands he held a yellow coffee mug with the bold black words "Kiss the Librarian" on it. Jenny started to laugh. "Very funny!" He tried to give her an unimpressed look, but his face broke into an amused smile.
"I couldn't resist it." She leaned forward and kissed him. "So, do you like it?"
"Well, I think it will become even more appealing if you take heed of the words again!" And placing her lips against his, she did. He sighed and quickly put the mug on the table, enabling him to run his fingers through her dark hair as he returned the kiss with vigour.
When the kiss ended, they looked long at each other, goofily smiling. "I'll get you your present now." Rupert started to rise.
"Wait. You've got one more, first. That one was just a gag-present. This is your real present." She handed him a larger gift wrapped once again in Father Christmas wrapping paper. As with before, he took his time carefully undoing it.
He looked down at the rare book, and cradling in with one hand, cautiously looked through some pages. It was the 16th Century book of which he'd started to mention to her that he was interested in aquiring. Rupert looked up from the book and stared at her with astonishment. "H-how? I didn't tell you the title."
She shrugged. "I asked Willow to get it out of you. I wanted it to be a surprise."
"It's. . .this is. . .thank you."
"You're welcome."
"I er, thought you weren't going to get me a book!" He smiled at her.
"Yeah, well, you like books so. . .and it's your gift right? It should be something you really want, and I knew you really wanted this."
They shared a moment. "How er, how on earth did you find a copy?"
"Well, Mr. Technophobe, that's where the wonderful world of the internet comes in handy."
"You found it on the er, internet?"
"Yup."
"Remind me never to call that er thing again!"
"Oh, I will. I will."
Placing the book carefully on the table, he stood and retrieved her present. Sitting back down next to her, he handed her a small navy box with a red ribbon tied around it. Jenny took it and pulled the ribbon undone. Lifting the lid of the box, her gaze fell on a delicate silver ring. "It's a er, friendship ring. I noticed you like to wear quite a few rings and well, I saw this and thought you er, might like it!"
"Rupert, it's beautiful. Thank you." She slid the ring on a free finger and then moving to him, she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. "I love it." She pulled back and held her hand up with the ring on it. "And see, it fits! How did you know my ring size?"
"Yes, well, I er, I've memorised the shape and er, size of you."
"Even my fingers?" Jenny asked amazed.
"Yes."
With a look of pure love in her eyes, that was mirrored back at her, Jenny tenderly took hold of Rupert's face and pressed her lips against his. His own hands came up to support the back of her head. As her tongue gently seeked entry into his mouth, his tongue followed suite and glided into hers. They both sighed in their joint contentment.
Rupert opened his door to a smiling Jenny. "I'm back and bearing gifts." She held up a bag. "Just call me Santa Claus."
"Welcome home Jenny." He stepped aside to let her enter and closed the door behind her. He took the bag from her hands and placed it on a nearby chair, before embracing her with a warm hug.
"Mmmm. This is nice." She gave him an affectionate squeeze, and then pulled his head down to hers for a long tender kiss. "But that's even better."
Rupert was too dazed to speak and just stood there, gazing at her, with a funny grin on his face. Jenny grinned back and briefly embraced him again before taking his hand, picking up the bag and dragging him to the sofa. Sitting down, she teased, "Did you miss me?"
He still had hold of her hand. "Oh yes."
She laughed. "I'd never have guessed."
Rupert blushed and then seemed to regain some composure. "Where are my manners, would you like a drink?"
"Hmm, got any egg-nog?"
He smiled and nodded. "So, did you have a nice time?" he asked as he busied himself getting their drinks.
"Yeah, it was great fun. Woulda been better if you'd have been there but, yeah, I had a good time. We checked out the casinos, and I even won some bucks. But then I lost it."
He brought their drinks back and sat down beside her. "I hope you didn't lose too much."
She gave him a contemptuous look. "Do I look stupid! Sarah and I made a pact beforehand that we wouldn't go above a certain limit."
"Very wise."
"You know, it was kind of liberating though, there's a certain rush." She took a sip of her drink. "Hmm, this is good. You make good egg-nog."
"Thank you. I'm glad you approve." His hand wandered to the bag on the sofa between them.
"Hey!" Jenny quickly snatched it away from him. "No peeking. It's not Christmas day yet."
Rupert looked sheepishly at her. "Sorry."
"So, how were things here? Avert an apocalypse?"
"No," he responded dryly. "All was quiet on the home-front."
"Too bad." At his look she added, "I mean, you could have come after-all!"
The clock on the mantelpiece began to strike midnight. "Happy Christmas!" Jenny raised her glass to his and they clinked.
"Happy Christmas." They moved towards each other, pushing the bag out of the way, and sealed the toast with a sweet kiss.
Jenny was the first to pull back. She smiled at him. "Now you can open your prezzies." She picked the bag up and pulled out a present. "Here."
Rupert slowly took it from her and carefully unwrapped the Father Christmas wrapping paper. In his hands he held a yellow coffee mug with the bold black words "Kiss the Librarian" on it. Jenny started to laugh. "Very funny!" He tried to give her an unimpressed look, but his face broke into an amused smile.
"I couldn't resist it." She leaned forward and kissed him. "So, do you like it?"
"Well, I think it will become even more appealing if you take heed of the words again!" And placing her lips against his, she did. He sighed and quickly put the mug on the table, enabling him to run his fingers through her dark hair as he returned the kiss with vigour.
When the kiss ended, they looked long at each other, goofily smiling. "I'll get you your present now." Rupert started to rise.
"Wait. You've got one more, first. That one was just a gag-present. This is your real present." She handed him a larger gift wrapped once again in Father Christmas wrapping paper. As with before, he took his time carefully undoing it.
He looked down at the rare book, and cradling in with one hand, cautiously looked through some pages. It was the 16th Century book of which he'd started to mention to her that he was interested in aquiring. Rupert looked up from the book and stared at her with astonishment. "H-how? I didn't tell you the title."
She shrugged. "I asked Willow to get it out of you. I wanted it to be a surprise."
"It's. . .this is. . .thank you."
"You're welcome."
"I er, thought you weren't going to get me a book!" He smiled at her.
"Yeah, well, you like books so. . .and it's your gift right? It should be something you really want, and I knew you really wanted this."
They shared a moment. "How er, how on earth did you find a copy?"
"Well, Mr. Technophobe, that's where the wonderful world of the internet comes in handy."
"You found it on the er, internet?"
"Yup."
"Remind me never to call that er thing again!"
"Oh, I will. I will."
Placing the book carefully on the table, he stood and retrieved her present. Sitting back down next to her, he handed her a small navy box with a red ribbon tied around it. Jenny took it and pulled the ribbon undone. Lifting the lid of the box, her gaze fell on a delicate silver ring. "It's a er, friendship ring. I noticed you like to wear quite a few rings and well, I saw this and thought you er, might like it!"
"Rupert, it's beautiful. Thank you." She slid the ring on a free finger and then moving to him, she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. "I love it." She pulled back and held her hand up with the ring on it. "And see, it fits! How did you know my ring size?"
"Yes, well, I er, I've memorised the shape and er, size of you."
"Even my fingers?" Jenny asked amazed.
"Yes."
With a look of pure love in her eyes, that was mirrored back at her, Jenny tenderly took hold of Rupert's face and pressed her lips against his. His own hands came up to support the back of her head. As her tongue gently seeked entry into his mouth, his tongue followed suite and glided into hers. They both sighed in their joint contentment.