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It's a very different Jack who answers his door today, when Lux knocks. His hair's washed and still wet, falling in soft waves around his face, and his sweatpants don't look like he's been lounging around in them all day. He's also smiling, and reaches out to put an arm around Lux's waist to pull them into the apartment.
Lux is also smiling--well, grinning, and eagerly leans into him as they're drawn in. They steal his lips for a kiss, shrugging their backpack off their shoulder--which has various items clattering inside it. "Hey you. I like the freshly showered look." Their eyes are glinting with mischief, arms wrapping around him.
"Figured it's a little better than my 'depressed chic' from yesterday, yeah? You have a successful...acquisition adventure?" He shuts the door behind them as he speaks
"Yep! Fully prepared for a sexy night of painting." They move over to his kitchen table, unzipping the bag to dump out many little containers full of paint, along with brushes and sponges--though most of those look used already.
"I got thai food," Jack gestures to the bag on the half wall between his kitchen and the living room, "if you wanna do that first...?" His attention is on the paints, though, and he stands the bottles up, admiring the colors.
Lux looks at the food. Then at the paints. Back and forth another time before they huff. "Might as well eat before we get too distracted," they decide with some reluctance, but move over to poke at the food curiously to see what's there.
There's a variety of containers, soup and a curry and noodles. "I got a little of everything, I...kinda realized I don't know if you've got any favorite foods." Jack sounds a little embarassed by that.
Lux shrugs. "Usually I just survive on fast food and candy, just cause it's quick and cheap... I'm not real picky, otherwise."
"Do you have any favorites?"
"I love a good chicken curry. And anything with coconut. And...mmm I'm a fucking wimp when it comes to spicy shit. So none of that's got any in it." He sidles up behind Lux to put his arms around them. "You wanna eat on plates like real adults or just out of the containers?"
Lux was... already opening a container to start digging into. Guess it's a no adulting sort of night. "Coconut is good. I like sweet things. Don't mind spice, myself." They lean back into him, passing back the container of chicken curry to him. "How are you feeling, after all the rough talks? Still okay? Or do you want tonight to be a no serious talks night?"
"I'm doing a great job of pretending I'm fine." He kisses Lux's cheek with a grin. "But uh...okay. Better - didn't really realize how much talking to Mearcstapa would make me feel...more comfortable with everything. He seems like he's got his shit together."
"Hmm... In some ways. In some ways not." They grab up a container of noodles to try. "I think he just handles things in a more... rational way. He likes picking things apart and... examining all the layers. Which is really nice, sometimes, because that is definitely not the way I think, so he offers some nice perspectives. He's... orderly, and I'm chaos."
"'N I'm just a fucking mess." He chuckles. "You were right that you balance each other out. I'll keep that in mind though, I...I don't love being picked apart. In general." Jack loosens his grip around Lux's waist to start eating the curry.
"I don't either," Lux admits, lips pursing. "But. I dunno. I guess I'm just more comfortable with him about it than most. At least sometimes." They pause, then glance over quickly. "Er, not that... I'm not comfortable with you. I mean. I want to be."
"I want you to be comfortable with me, too." Jack's voice is quiet. "More than just...physically, I mean we're pretty comfortable there. Or - were?" He leaves it at that, and grabs a beer from the fridge before sitting down on the couch to eat properly.
Lux gives the beer a disapproving frown. "How many have you had today...?"
"'S just beer, babe. 'N I'm having it with food anyway. And I had work today so it's not like I was day drinking or any of that."
"That... doesn't really answer the question, Jack..." They follow him over to the couch, sitting down to eat beside him.
"...One after I got home from the Hollow, and one right before I took a shower." He shakes his head a little. His water bottle from last night's still by the couch too, and he actually does take drinks of that between the curry and the beer. He's not drinking like the world is ending, today, just enjoying a beer with dinner.
Lux considers that for a moment, chewing at their lower lip. They sigh, then lean over to kiss his cheek. "Okay. But that's the last one before we paint, okay?" They lean sideways against him while they continue to eat.
"Sure, yeah. This one'll last me a while, probably, anyway." Jack counterbalances against them a little so he doesn't flop over. "You do anything exciting today? Another mural or...?"
"Nah. Haven't painted anything since the fashion show. You never said anything about that, by the way--did you see it? It was all over the news." They grin broadly, clearly proud of themself. "I should've tagged it..."
"Yeah, it was fucking impressive. Shit's just been crazy, I forgot to compliment you on it." He kisses Lux's cheek. "But it's gorgeous. Probably good that you didn't tag it, one less way for people to trace it back to you, right?"
"It's so hard to balance my constant need for attention with stupid things like safety," Lux whines. "But thank you. I was really proud of how it turned out, even though I had to rush job it."
"You're gonna have to settle for attention from people who aren't gonna fuck with your safety. Like me'n Mearcstapa. And the rest of the Freehold." Jack grins and gives them another kiss.
"Hrmf. Well. I guess that's good enough." Lux smirks, returning the kiss before slurping down more noodles. They set aside the container then--snagging his beer to take a sip from. "You told your sibling we're officially a thing, yet?"
"I did, they were all smug about it. Which I deserved, I've kinda been an idiot about it all." He scarfs down a few more bites of curry, and steals the beer back for a sip, before sighing contentedly.
Lux smirks. "Were they all like, 'ha, I told you so'?"
"I mean, they asked me if they were allowed to be smug, first. And told me it was cool that I'm dating someone cool." He elbows them gently.
"They have good sense, then." Lux grins, resting their head against his shoulder. "You're... really lucky."
"What, 'cause I'm dating you?" Jack grins, teasing.
"Well, duh, that too. But I meant to still have... family."
"...Yeah. 'S bittersweet, you know? Besides all this..." he gestures to his flickering mien, "all our past shit's put a hell of a wedge between us. 'S never gonna be the same. But...it's a hell of a lot better'n nothing."
"A lot better than nothing. At least you have the chance to work on it." Lux passes the remaining beer back to him, then sits up. They start laying out the containers of paint in rows, shaking them to mix then opening them.
"Mmm." Jack nods in agreement and finishes the beer. "Alright, how naked d'you want me?" He flashes a grin at them.
"Very naked," Lux replies with a smirk.
Jack laughs. "I know in general, for this specifically?" He takes his t-shirt off as he's speaking.
Lux pokes out their tongue in thought. "I suppose that depends on what you're comfortable taking pictures in?"
"Depends on who we're sending the pictures to. And...fuck, I didn't consider where we're gonna do this. To not get paint all over the couch and shit...I think I've got a dropcloth somewhere...?" He leans over to give Lux a kiss on the lips, lingering for half a second before standing with a groan and starting to walk towards his bedroom, where the only closet in the apartment is. He takes the beer with him.
"Unless you have a better idea?" he calls, his voice a little muffed from behind the walls.
"I... guess we could go to my place," Lux says after a moment of quiet. "It already has paint everywhere." They consider. "But a drop cloth would work, yeah. We can do it on the floor or something so we don't get paint on your couch and bed. And--I hadn't planned on sending them to anyone...? I mean... if there's someone you want to send them to, that's fine--but I figured they'd just be for us?"
"Nah that was mostly a joke, I don't have anyone to send 'em to. Hah - found it. We don't have to go to your place."
It's a few seconds before Jack appears in the doorway again - and he's wearing the dropcloth (it's just a paint-stained old sheet) wrapped around his waist. And presumably nothing else, except a wide grin.
Thankfully the few seconds is long enough for the relieved look to have faded. They look up and grin, brows raising. "Loving the new look. Totally Vogue," they say dryly, then stand to walk over and pull him in for a firm but brief kiss. "You're not ticklish, are you?"
Jack returns the kiss with force, wrapping an arm around Lux's waist. "Not super ticklish. I don't think. Only one way to find out, right?"
"Definitely going to find out." Lux grins and pulls the drop cloth off to lay down over the floor, then pulls Jack down on top of it, grabbing up paint brushes...
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