Hanging Around [Open]

[Jasper Devine]

Jasper nodded his head slowly, looking up at her for a moment. “That’s why I was kind of upset, b-but I couldn’t say it in front of Emma.” Again, he looked at the ground, ruffling the back of his hair nervously, “The last thing I want to do is make her feel bad.” Though it came out in a mumble, his voice was awfully sincere. Honestly, Jasper was a little afraid to make her cry. Any ill-will in their relationship now had the potential to intensify as the years went on, and Emma grew older, which might push her away forever. She was all he had, and there was nothing that he was more afraid of than losing her. And, since it took him over four years to pick up the pieces from Juliet’s departure, Jasper wasn’t sure if he’d ever recover if Emma were to leave, as well.

A small smile crossed his face as she hugged him, closing his eyes for a few seconds. It was comforting, to stand so close to her, as if there might actually be some hope that their relationship would work out. However, unfortunately, it didn’t last very long, for the second Emma was mentioned, he began to worry again. “She’s fine, she’s inside.” Jasper paused, the concern in her voice instigating panic in his heart and mind. “… w-why?” He took a step back toward the café, his eyes going wide and his jaw dropping. Oh God. Maybe it was a bad idea to just leave her there, but he had assumed they’d be going back in after a few minutes. Then again, though, anything could happen in a few minutes. What if someone came up and tempted her with candy, or a puppy or something? No – Emma was more intelligent than that. She knew better.

Still, Jasper couldn’t reassure himself that everything would be alright, and he became more and more fearful for his daughter’s welfare with every passing second. “Maybe I should…” He paused, deciding to reword his statement, “W-Wait… I’m going to go get her.” Jasper took a few more steps back before finally turning around, facing the café. However, again, he stopped, turning to look at Serenity once again, “I-I mean, unless you want to stay, since we didn’t even get a chance to get anything to eat.” He shrugged his shoulders, leaving the decision entirely up to her.

[Serenity Lane]

Serenity smiled at him weakly, and nodded. "I...understand." she said, "But surely she'd understand...eventually." she said, leaning in, kissing him lightly. She kept her arms around him, not wanting to let go.

Feeling his breath against her neck, her visions vanished as he spoke. "I... was just wondering." she said. She felt his body heat leave her, as he took steps back. She nodded lightly, following after and taking his hand. "That.. sounds good." she said, pecking his lips. "Maybe... she wont care... about us.... well she would, but maybe not in a bad way?" she asked hopingly.

[Jasper Devine]

“Eventually,” Jasper mumbled before returning her kiss. Hopefully, Emma would come to love Serenity just as much as he did, but it was uncertain just how fast that would happen. His daughter was known to be quite fickle sometimes, and Jasper was well aware that this situation would be no exception. There wasn’t really much he could do about it at this point, though. It wasn’t like he could make Emma love Serenity; there really was no making that girl do anything. So, he just had to keep his fingers crossed that their little lunch date would end well, and that sooner or later, Emma would warm up to his new love interest.

Jasper nodded, though he was still silently freaking out over whether or not Emma was alright by herself. He managed a smile, holding onto her hand tightly as they proceeded to walk back inside together. “Maybe, but…” A sigh rolled off his lips as he shrugged his shoulders and looked away, “I don’t know. I just feel like… this might be kind of sudden for her, and I don’t want to freak her out or anything.” Things were pretty fast-paced between him and Serenity, considering it was only a few days into their relationship and they already had no qualms making out with one another in public. And for a six-year-old girl who wasn’t used to sharing her father with someone else, it might be a bit of a strange sight. Again, Jasper shrugged his shoulders, his gaze falling back to Serenity, “Juliet is taking her to her dance class tonight, though. And to the mall, apparently.” His face brightened a little, “We could spend some time alone together then, i-if you wanted.”

[Serenity Lane]

Although things didn't go perfectly, she liked it. Feeling his warm hand against hers, she couldn't stop smiling. She looked to him, nodding slightly. "That's... understandable." she said, frowning slightly, not sure what he meant. But he brought up the fact that Emma would be with her mom for a while. Smiling more, she nodded lightly. "I'd... love to have alone time with you." she teased, seeing the girl still sitting at their table. She lead her father over.

Then, a waitress made herself present, to take their order. "What would you three like to drink, and are you ready to order?" she asked sweetly, pen in hand, ready to write.

"I'd... like a water. Nothing to eat." she smiled, looking over to Jasper, and Emma. She never really ate infront of new people. It made her feel sick to her stomach.

[Jasper Devine]

Jasper couldn’t help but let out a nervous laugh as she repeated his words. Why’d she have to make it sound so… childish? In fact, her response almost sounded sarcastic, as if she was just joking and he really had no chance of ever spending any kind of ‘alone time’ with her. His heart sank as he hung his head, suddenly beginning to feel a little awkward in her presence. However, despite feeling slightly uncomfortable, he kept close to her, trailing at her heels like some sort of lovesick puppy. His head rose as he slid into the booth beside Serenity, looking up just in time to see that his daughter had moved on to another drawing (and had stolen his paper placemat to do so), and that the waitress had finally arrived.

Unfortunately, though, he had been so preoccupied with everything else that Jasper barely had a chance to look over the menu at all. So, Jasper quickly made an attempt to skim through it for something he’d like. Though before he had a chance to settle on anything, he heard Serenity say she wasn’t going to eat. He glanced up at her, confused and honestly, a little upset. Why didn’t she want to get anything? Or, better yet, why would she suggest going to a café if she wasn’t planning on eating something? It was a little irritating, because now he was beginning to feel funny about ordering. If she wasn’t going to eat, it would be rude not to do the same… at least, that’s how Jasper saw things.

However, apparently, Emma didn’t know, or just didn’t care about this rule, for before he could even say anything, she spoke up, declaring her order in a bold, firm voice, “I would like some milk and chicken fingers, please.” Jasper couldn’t help but smile as he watched his daughter out of the corner of his eye. But, once the little girl went back to her coloring, his eyes settled back on Serenity, his eyes clouded with misunderstanding, “Get something,” It came out as more of an offended plea than a command, for after all, Jasper wasn’t planning on forcing her to do anything. But, it would make him feel twenty-times better if she at least ordered something, or even simply shared a salad or some other small appetizer with him.

[Serenity Lane]

Serenity tried ignoring him as his head hung. She didn't mean to upset him, she really did want to spend time with him. She sighed lightly, feeling he was somewhat disappointed, or irritated with her.

"Okay.. I'll take a salad. No dressing." she told the waitress, glancing back to Jasper, giving him an 'are you happy now?' look. Smiling some, she kissed him lightly. "I don't know if I'll finish it. I'm really not hungry." she whined softly. She smiled at Emma, she always loved chicken fingers when she was younger.

[Jasper Devine]

A broad smile crossed his face as she agreed to order, feeling pleasantly surprised and relieved that she decided to humor him and do what he asked. “Thank you,” Jasper said, kissing her cheek gratefully as he wrapped his arm over her shoulders, holding her close to him. His gaze then turned to the waitress, still grinning from ear to ear as he spoke again, “I’ll have the same, with Italian dressing, please.” After handing the woman his menu, Jasper turned back to Serenity, kissing her a few times on the neck, as she had done for him a few minutes prior. “I don’t mind.” He responded with a shrug of his shoulders, “Just eat what you can.”

Emma looked up just in time to see her father’s lips against Serenity’s neck, pursing her lips a little. Honestly, the little girl couldn’t help but feel a little bit jealous. She was used to getting all of Jasper’s attention, but now it appeared that this new woman was trying to steal the spotlight from her. At the same time, though, Serenity did seem to make her father happy, which was something she hadn’t seen in a while. So, Emelia was beginning to feel a little torn. She didn’t want to ruin her dad’s good time, but she missed being the center of attention, the ‘apple of his eye’, as it were. “Can I get desert, too, daddy?” She asked quickly, immediately causing Jasper’s head to turn and look at her. He shrugged, “Sure, if you eat enough of your lunch.” It wasn’t really much, but at least it was something to show that her father hadn’t completely forgotten she was there.

[Serenity Lane]

Serenity looked up at him, smiling lightly, feeling his lips against her cheek, then moved closer as his arm went around her. "I really am not hungry, plus, I don't wanna gain weight... because im just so damn fat." she joked, feeling his lips against her neck.

She looked at Emma, smiling some. She didn't know how the girl felt, and she didn't want to steal Jasper from her. But sharing wouldn't be too hard, would it? Either way, she was inlove with Jasper. She would never intentionally ruin Emma's relationship with him. She laid her head on Jasper's shoulder, watching her softly.

[Jasper Devine]

The grin over his face immediately vanished as he listened to her speak, his jaw dropping in disbelief. She couldn’t possibly be serious, could she? Serenity was tall and slender, the two things that every girl strived to be. Anyone who thought she was fat had to be either insane or jealous – maybe even both, considering how strange women could get about that kind of stuff. “Shit, Serenity, don’t even joke about something like that.” He said, almost looking a little offended as his gaze dropped away from her for a moment, “You’re not fat… at all.”

If anyone needed to start watching their figure at their table, it was Jasper himself – at least, in his own opinion. He didn’t necessarily think of himself to be fat, though. On the contrary, he needed to start building some sort of muscle. Rather than being strong and physically fit, like most men of his age, Jasper was awfully frail and scrawny, which weren’t exactly all that attractive to a girl. Plus, on top of that, he was short for being twenty-two years old, which only made things worse. Unfortunately, that grown spurt that was supposed to hit in his adolescence never happened, leaving him the same puny, weak kid he was before puberty hit him.

[Serenity Lane]

Serenity looked at him, frowning some. "I was just joking..." she muttered, looking away. She knew she wasn't fat. She wasn't as skinny was she wished she could be, but she knew she wasn't fat.

She sighed slightly, thinking to herself. Why would he care if she felt fat or not? Wasn't his body to worry about, really. She looked back to Emma, watching her for a moment, a smile coming to her face lightly. She looked back to Jasper, then laid her head on his shoulder again. "Don't get mad at me over a joke.." she sighed lightly, closing her eyes for a moment.

[Jasper Devine]

“I know,” Jasper muttered quietly, “It just sounded so… negative.” Not that Mr. ‘The Glass is Half Empty’ really had much room to talk when it came to negativity. But, still, that kind of stuff could lead to self-esteem issues and… stuff, couldn’t it? The last thing he wanted was for Serenity to think less of herself and end up with some sort of crazy eating disorder. It was highly unlikely, but still something that crossed Jasper’s mind and instantly caused him to worry. He cared about her an awful lot, probably more so than she should; honestly, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to bare it if something like that were to happen to her.

His head turned to look at her as she spoke again, smiling faintly, “I’m not mad at you,” Jasper responded, rubbing her arm gently for reassurance, “I could never be mad at you.” He, too, gave a small sigh as he let his eyes wander around the room, only to fall on Emma as she continued to scribble over the white paper. That was another reason Serenity probably shouldn’t be making jokes about being fat: Emma was there. What if she overheard and started getting… ideas? She was only six years old; she didn’t need to hear about being fat, or skinny. Weight shouldn’t really be an issue for a kindergartener… right? He shook his head and crossed his right leg over his left in a feminine manner, his thigh lightly brushing against Serenity’s in the process. Maybe Jasper just spent too much time thinking, because at this point he was beginning to draw irrational conclusions that would only end up stressing everyone out.

[Serenity Lane]

Serenity looked over his face, then into his eyes lightly as he spoke. She nodded slightly, "I didn't mean to." she said, looking back down. Listening to him talk, now realizing he wasn't mad.

She leaned in, pecking his lips once. She felt his hand rub her arm, and his thigh touch hers lightly. She smiled some, staying close as she watched the girl draw.

The waitress wandered over with their food, and drinks. "Here you guys are. I'll be back soon, if you need anything." she said, then left.

[Jasper Devine]

Jasper returned her small kiss and closed his eyes. He was planning to continue, only to find that Serenity had moved away, and that the waitress had brought their meals. Well... so much for that. Honestly, he was getting a little bored just sitting around at some diner. He couldn't hold a conversation together to save his life, and for once, Emma, who normally couldn't shut her mouth, was no help. His mind began to wander as he looked up at the clock, anxious for the afternoon to roll around, when Emma would be with her mother and Jasper would have Serenity all to himself. But, until then, he was going to have to make the best of their little brunch. Sure, things were getting kind of dull, but they could most definitely be worse, especially if he had let Serenity walk out.

"Daddy!" Emma suddenly shouted, snapping Jasper immediately out of his thoughts. She had a horrified look over her face, as if she had just watched someone get shot. Her father scrambled to figure out what was wrong, his eyes flickering from her to the food, jaw dropping with worry, "What? What's the matter?" She pointed down at the plate, an offended look over her face. "That lady put my food down on top of my pictures!" She whined loudly. Oh. Well, thank God that was all it was, considering what a big deal she made out of it. "Pull them out, then, jeeze." Jasper mumbled as he pulled his arm away from Serenity and picked up his daughter's plate, allowing her to take her drawings and put them aside. "Better?" He asked with a smile as he set her meal back down. The little girl nodded, a broad grin crossing her face as she happily stuffed a few french fries in her mouth.

Jasper laughed softly, glancing at Serenity before allowing his gaze to fall at the salad in front of him. It was then that he realized how hungry he was, and how this had a very little chance of actually filling him up. Maybe if he would've gotten the chance to actually look over the menu he wouldn't have this problem, but there was no use worrying about that now. Maybe he could just talk Serenity into splitting a desert with him or something. Or he could always take whatever food Emma didn't eat, because there was no way she was going to finish all of it. With a quiet sigh Jasper picked up his fork and stabbed it somewhat violently into the sea of lettuce, pursing his lips before he stuffed it into his mouth. As he proceeded to chew, the silence that had settled in those few moments began to make him feel a little comfortable. Should he try to say something? Strike up a conversation? But what if Serenity didn't want to talk? What if she liked to eat in silence?

He shifted a little in his seat as he swallowed his food, becoming increasingly more nervous as questions continued to fill his head. "So..." Jasper finally said, praying that it would relax his mind. He took a deep breath and looked up at Serenity, hoping he'd be able to come up with some sort of clever conversation piece. Unfortunately, though, it didn't seem that God was smiling down on him that day, for his hopes were crushed when he continued to draw a blank. Instead of talking, he found himself staring at her and immediately looked down, only to sheepishly gaze back at her again. "Um... You look really nice today, by the way." Jasper complimented softly, managing a small smile before his gaze fell once again.

[Serenity Lane]

Serenity giggled lightly as Emma complained. She thought it was cute, and the waitress should of at least let her move the drawings before setting the food down. She watched the girl eat her food, smiling lightly, looking back to Jasper after he moved the plate for his daughter. The two were so cute, and she wasn't sure if the two could survive without each other.

She looked at her food, then looked back to Jasper, watching him eat. She was hungry, she was just never comfortable with eating infront of others. She picked her fork up, but heard him speak. Blushing some, she sat it back down and glanced up to him lightly. "You look really nice too." she said, leaning in, kissing his cheek. She somewhat relaxed and leaned against him lightly, taking a small bite of her green salad.

[Jasper Devine]

Jasper's eyes closed for a second as she kissed him, smiling faintly at her gesture. Of course, he was always happy to receive a kiss from her, but at the same time, he was a little disappointed that his compliment hadn't sparked any kind of conversation between the two of them. His heart sunk a little as he continued to eat, feeling a little awkward beneath the silence. Jesus, was it that hard to pick a topic and discuss it? Of course, the two obvious choices came to mind -- religion and politics -- but they had the potential to start a conflict, and that was the last thing he wanted. For all he knew, she could be some crazy, die-hard Catholic or something, and then things would really get awkward.

"So..." Jasper began with a small sigh, looking up from Emma to Serenity. Well... now what? Biting down gently on his lip, he decided to go with something simple, "Uhm... how are things?" Jasper shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, "How've you been?" The situation at Emma's elementary school came to mind as he spoke, concern for her washing over him. He couldn't help but wonder if things had settled down between Serenity and her parents. It wasn't really his place to bring it up, though; plus, he didn't want to pry or anything. After all, she seemed pretty upset about it the night it happened, and the last thing Jasper wanted to do was bring back those feelings.

So, he decided to leave his question at that, looking at Serenity with wide, curious eyes as he chewed on a mixture of green lettuce leaves, tomatoes, and croutons.