done_in_3 | The Vow au bc I love this plot twist and Aqua/Jim are adorable

"Yes, stop faking it. And-- you know what maybe I would have." he could play this game. He looked over at her eagerly "That guy had no style though, it was just sad to see. Here's how you do it... Oh hey I was just noticing... I have those EXACT shoes!" he smiled charmingly, knowing she had on a woman-only pair.

"Maybe? So I'm maybe the type of girl you'd flirt with?" She began to pout then, trying to guilt him into giving her another compliment. When he began to flirt with her, she grinned.

"Really? That's the best you got?" she looked down at her shoes and shrugged. They ere basic ballet flats.

"I thought Captain Kirk had better pick up lines than that."

"Maybe, maybe not." he wasn't going to put out with the compliments. She had to earn those.

"Oh ouch, you're a tough one to crack. Hmmm... alright. This one made me laugh, I heard it back at the academy. Hey. I just wanted to let you know that they might ask you to leave soon.....you're making the other women here look bad." it was horrible but in a funny way. The kid he saw use it was being totally serious with it which made it that much better to watch.

She had to earn compliments from her husband? Oh, the game was on.

"I'm not that hard to crack, you know." And the pick up line he used didn't go over too well. Aqua just stared at him, tilting her head to the side.

"Try again. Something original this time. Or is that too hard for you to accomplish, Captain?"

"Hmmm I normally just make things up in-context." he looked her over. "Hey is this the meeting for the book club? I always wanted to talk about Pruse." he shrugged.

"Pass or fail?"

Aqua gave it some thought then shook her head. Sorry Jim, that was a fail.

"Fail. I never thought I'd be here to witness your lack of charm." The smile on her face was meant to show she was teasing. If that didn't get the message across then a light poke to his chest should.

"Come on, Kirk. If you like I'll even stand in the aisle and look around. Bring your A game."

He knew it failed. Bombed, sank to the bottom, dead.

"I'm just pretending to be bad, you're so intimidating." he chuckled. He pretended the poke hurt him. "Oh oh that's tender. Why are you being mean, I was in a car crash!"

"Oh sure, we can pretend we just met and run off together. Wait is that how we ended up together? That sounds fun. We should do that actually. You go get another guy to hit on you and just... let him keep going and think he's getting somewhere, let me swoop in and sweep you off your feet. It'll be funny."

"You'd actually want me to lead someone on and give them false hope?" Aqua tilted her head then, trying to figure out just how playful Jim was being...or if he was really set on doing that. She could go along for a joke, but that was taking it too far.

"Come on, I thought you could charm anyone. Why is it hard to charm me?" It was a little...disappointing to have him off his A-game. Was it her? Or was it the circumstances they were in? They weren't on his ship, where he was in control and they were slowly learning about each other.

He paused, looking a bit hurt, honestly his ego wasn't the thing that suffered. His concentration and morale took hits too. Why was it so hard to work on her? This was supposed to be easy, why was she not falling for his charms? Normally women didn't.... oh... oh he got it.

"I'm not being natural. I'm trying to find what you want to hear." he was more self aware than people thought, he knew himself rather well even if he didn't advertize it.

"I thought I was being natural but you're right, I'm straining to say what I think I am supposed to say..."

The hurt look on Jim's face made Aqua's teasing mood disappear. She never wanted to make him feel small, uncomfortable or horrible. Maybe she was trying too hard. Maybe she was still putting pressure on the two of them to bring his memories back.

"What I want to hear? Jim..." she reached out and placed her hand on top of his, giving it a light squeeze.

"You're not supposed to say anything. Or say what I want to hear. I was trying to do something we used to do all the time; bantering. We did that all the time, not holding back following it up with quips. I thought..you'd like to do again."

He didn't think they'd gotten off track, it all seemed like it was going fine until Aqua wanted HIM. The old him. She wouldn't be satisfied with anything less, he could understand that... but she was trying to coax him back as if she expected results in 48 hours. What if he never remembered her? He might not.

"I was. But you realize you just contradicted yourself." he can't be free from obligation to behave like his old self and still partake in bantering with her the same way they always used to. He'd end up right here, not saying the right things to her and her making that clear, as nice as she can. Trying to encourage memories that might not be coming.

What Aqua was trying to do, what she wanted and everything else weren't lining up to Jim's best interests. She was treated him the same way she used to, but got the feeling he was being..maybe guarded with her. Their expectations of one another weren't lining up. Or because they had expectations of each other that was setting them up for failure.

"I guess...I am.." she let out a soft sigh, more disappointed in herself than anyone else.

"I'm sorry. I know it's me. I'm ...not sure what I'm doing. I'm trying too hard and I'm so sorry, Jim."

He shook his head, instantly sympathizing with her. This wasn't her fault but she was paying for it. He wasn't himself, she did lose her husband perhaps forever. It might never be the way it was, he might never get into that groove she was so desperately trying to get him back to. He didn't want to disappoint her but at the same time this all felt unnatural... but she wasn't a bad person, she just wanted normal for herself.

"No... this hurt you too. I'm not the man you know, I'm a stranger. We'll be alright, we'll get better at it." he smiled softly at her, feeling like they grew closer for having this confession.

"Hey I think there's a pond behind this place. You want to go look at the ducks?"

The smile and Jim's words gave Aqua some confidence, but didn't add much to her hope. They were both strangers to one another at this point. It was scary to think her husband could never come back. As positive and hopeful as she was being, it was getting harder with each day. But, she couldn't break down now. Not when there were still so many 'what-ifs' out there.

"Mm, sure. The ducks would be nice.." a change of scenery would do them both good, get them into a different mind set.

Too bad they didn't bring a loaf of bread to feed the ducks.

He headed outside with her [after buying the books of course] and watched the bond birds shuffle around. Some were tucked away under bushes in their nests, tiny babies squirmed out from under their mother and waddled around her curiously. Jim smiled at the sight, amused by them.

"Look there, look at that little guy... cute huh?"

It was cute to see all the birds paired off, mother and father ducks tending to their young. Seeing one of the babies come around them made her squeeze Jim's hand a little tighter. Her stomach began to do loops and flutter, causing some discomfort but she put it out of her mind.

"Very cute. Though, I think I've seen cuter. Your baby pictures for one."

He was watching peacefully, even holding her hand when he dropped that particular bomb on him.

"Woah, my BABY pictures? Oh geez... who gave you those?" Please don't say his mother. His mother... "My mom... you've met her right?" don't say Aqua hated her. He knows his mother is emotionally distant almost to the point of abuse and she never got over his dad dying and she married an abusive jackass but that's still his sardonic and bitter mother.... who would totally throw his embarrassing baby pictures at his fiancee."

"I've met her...once or twice." She knew she had to be delicate when it came to his mother. Aqua couldn't bring herself to hate the woman when she barely knew her. Her hand came up to gingerly rub his arm.

"But it was you. You gave me a picture or two. I was trying to create a journal of the two of us, showing where we came from. I'm still working on it, actually..." she paused, letting the information sink in.

"I didn't mean to make you upset."

"Wait, I did that? No way... I trusted you with that dirt? When we get home I need to see this album, I want to see yours." her as a baby, he wondered what her family was like...

"You're fine, no worries." he watched the ducks again, keeping an eye on the little one now quacking for attention and wandering the grounds. Mother and father kept watchful eyes.

"What are your parents like? I assume we met at least once." they had to be at the wedding if nothing else.

Edited 2014-05-14 05:43 (UTC)

Aqua chuckled at him, giving him a soft smile and another squeeze of his hand.

"Yes, you trust me enough to let me keep two pictures." Her eyes wandered back to the ducks, wondering if she could try and scoop him back up and take him to his parents. Poor thing wanted attention. But, mother and father duck were watching carefully, no need to intervene.

"My parents? I..." How could she explain without including magic into the mix?

"I don't remember my parents, but I was raised by a man I considered to be my father. Eraqus. You've met him and my brothers. Everyone got along, surprisingly."

"Oh yeah? I'm sorry... I lost my dad before... as I was born. So I can relate." he'd never really shared that particular detail with her, that his father died while his mother was in labor and all that. He hadn't concealed it from her in their marriage, he just never got around to telling the entire story from his perspective... mostly because it hurt to talk about and she knew enough. And he figured he'd get around to it someday. Maybe.

"But what's Eraqus like? What are the boys like? They're not your real brothers, didn't you say earlier? You all got taken in by the same guy. He must be something special."

There was some shock and surprise on Aqua's face hearing that extra tidbit from him. He never got around to telling her the whole story and she respected his wishes for that. She didn't want to press the issue and thought in time he'd tell her everything when he was ready. She never wanted to push him. Funny that now, she had been doing just that.

"No, they're my best friends, but we all grew up together. There's Terra, very serious and keeps to himself. He and I...were the eldest and there was some competition between us, but we looked out for each other. Then there's Ven, who is the youngest, full of energy and happy. He's a ball of sunshine, literally..." her heart sank a little explaining who each person was to her. Not out of sadness, but feeling a bit homesick. That only made her stomach hurt all the more, but she was too stubborn to say anything.

"Eraqus was our father. He was patient with each of us and loved us in his own way. He...isn't with us anymore, unfortunately."

He watched her face change and wondered if he said too much. Well he knew he had, he just wondered now how much he'd have to say to make it alright again.

"I'm sorry to hear that. He sounds really great. You said the boys are far away right? We can go see them, that might make you feel better." he smiled, hopeful. "That'd be an adventure for me too, why not? I can... tell you the rest about my father if you want too. Guess I never got around to telling you the whole thing. It's not my favorite story."

Aqua shook her head at him, trying to give him a comforting smile that didn't make it to her lips.

"They're not anywhere near here and I don't want to trouble them." No doubt Ven and Terra would want to take over and try to help out only to make an even bigger mess of things.

"I wouldn't mind hearing about your father but..." she placed a hand to her stomach, feeling ready to rid herself of everything that was in there.

"I think it's best if we head home. I'm not feeling well right now."

He watched as she lurched, wondering if she was about to get sick. "Home. Right right..." he was about to dumbly ask if she felt okay but thought better of it and whisked her out of the shop and back to the car. He hopped in the driver's seat this time and led them home without issue. See? He could learn new places fine, he wasn't totally helpless.

"Okay, do you want me to get you something? Ginger ale? Meds?"

omg this is so cute

Indeed. :D

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Crap I got distracted reading thelastpsychologist

its okay

psychiatrist. I meant the last psychiatrist. Guh

/patpatpat its ok

No..... no it's never ok..... nothing can ever be ok AGAIN

lolol

/hands you a Lancaster caramel. I just discovered these

/takes and enjoys <3 <3 thank you~

/omnomnomnom

/noms with

/gets it stuck in teeth.