Jerry and Jensen's Apartment

[Administrator]

This is where Jerry and Jensen live in Brooklyn learning the value of hard work... sort of.

[Daisy O'Connor]

[New Day]

"I leave the singing to Shannon and Bridgette," Daisy remarked with a bit of a blush, suddenly very aware and pleased by the feeling of her hand still tucked in his. "But I do well enough, I suppose, it's nice to get a chance to sing some of the songs that I remember my mother singing in the kitchen when I was young." She flashed him a little smile then, stepping closer to him to avoid an uneven place in the walk.

"Not the last time you were there," Daisy pointed out when Jerry mentioned his unfortunate luck at getting caught up in some of McGinty's more colorful moments. "The last time you were there...you met me," She said softly, remembering almost every detail of the night before with a kind of crystal clarity that almost startled her. She remembered the shy way Jerry had asked for the bottle of whiskey and the uncertain way he'd eyed Scar and his hesitant willingness with which he accepted her offer of stew. She remembered the color of his eyes the first time she looked into them and the way his face lit that first time he'd smiled and how her heart had skipped a beat the first time they'd touched. "And I'd like to believe I'm at least a little bit better than a bloody lip and bruised cheek," She finished, sending him an amused little smile as they reached the door to their apartment building.

His hand settled on the small of her back again as they walked inside and Daisy relished the feel of it there, pleased when it lingered as he guided her towards the stairs and she regretted the loss of it as she climbed the stairs in front of him, the stairwell to narrow to accommodate them both side by side. Reaching the landing of the third floor, Daisy stepped aside and allowed him to take the lead once again towards his apartment, naturally falling into step beside him and after a moment's consideration, boldly slipping her arm through his.

[Jerry Flynn]

"Hm, well, I don't know," Jerry said, surprising himself by managing a small smirk. "Let's see how this date ends first, huh? I might get that bloodied lip yet." As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he could hear Jensen laughing in his head--the full, barking laugh he had when he was genuinely amused. But you should've said 'bruised lips,' his voice admonished. Damn. Right.

He climbed the stairs in silence, too busy praying fervently that Jensen hadn't left out anything incriminating or embarrassing. Daisy had said she was used to dealing with messes--but if Jensen had left his French postcards scattered across the coffee table... Some of those models didn't have any clothes on at all! Oh, god, not the postcards...

Daisy hooked her arm into his after they reached the third floor and he took the lead, and Jerry found he rather liked the feel of their arms linked together. It was comforting. Safe, even. And no sooner had the thought occurred to him than he colored to high heaven--had he really just thought that a girl taking his arm made him feel safe?! Christ, no wonder he got beaten up...

"This one," Jerry said, a little awkwardly as he cleared his throat, and nudged Daisy toward one of the apartment doors along the dingy hallway. He fumbled in his pocket for a moment before producing the key and unlocking the door.

He was suddenly acutely aware of just how slovenly he and his brother lived. The first thing you saw walking into the room was the couch, where Jensen slept every night, veiled in rumpled sheets and blankets. Beside the couch was an end table, currently piled with the dirty dishes Jensen had left after dinner last night. The armchair was littered with clothes--again, Jensen's--in various states of wearable and filthy. The coffee table was hidden beneath a sheaf of Jerry's notes and drafts, haphazardly stacked and layered (but of course he knew exactly where each page was, and could tell at a glance if Jensen had moved anything). Along one wall was the desk, where the desktop was occupied with Jerry's typewriter and yet more papers, pens, inkwells, pen nibs and, randomly, a ship in a bottle. Above the desk were shelves, crammed high with books and novels and manuscripts. A bookshelf stood along the other wall, in similar condition, and a third against the wall leading into the bedroom where Jerry slept. The bedroom door was open, and things in there were similarly disastrous, though at least Jerry had had the wherewithal to make his bed that morning.

But of all that greeted them as they came through the front door, the worst was seated on the living room couch, reading a newspaper opened to the racing pages.

"Shit."

[Jensen Flynn]

Jensen had been studying the morning's papers, still congratulating himself on a job well done with rigging yesterday's race, when he heard the front door unlocking. "Hm, Jerry's back early," he mused to himself. Shaking out his paper noisily, he turned the page as the door opened.

He'd was just about to ask if Jerry'd remembered to pick up more soap while he was out when he caught a strange scent--floral, and decidedly feminine. Honeysuckle, maybe? Jensen lifted his gaze to the door, and raised an eyebrow. In the doorway was the hulking form of his skulking brother, perpetually too tall and too awkward for any room, and wearing his usual expression of lapine fright and general broodiness. Normal enough--but in front of him, he was ushering a small, delicate-looking girl with innocent eyes and an open face.

"Hello?" Jensen said, his voice rising in an accent of questioning. Jerry was bringing a girl home? What was this about? Above the girl's head, Jerry's wide eyes were glued to Jensen's, and he was jerking his head spastically. Trying to signal Jensen to leave, Jensen determined, in the most indelicate manner possible. Jensen chose to ignore it--what was he going to do, leap out the window?

"Didn't think you'd be back so soon," he said offhandedly, looking to his paper again. "Didja get the soap?" His eyes flickered up again, quickly taking in the girl's presence before dropping to the racing results. "And who's the girl?"

[Daisy O'Connor]

Daisy looked around the tiny apartment, noting the cluttered surfaces and overflowing desk and felt a ghost of a smile tugging at her lips. The place looked...well it looked rather lived in, in perhaps only the way that two young men could make it look and there was a certain charm to it as her blue eyes took in every detail, including the handsome man sitting on the couch. She knew even before he spoke that it must be Jensen, ruggedly handsome, he had strong features and the sort of eyes that Daisy figured could dance with laughter and flash with danger in the span of a few moments.

He regarded her with a sort of casual indifference, though the question in his initial greeting led her to believe that he was perhaps more curious than he was letting on. When Jerry didn't respond right away, Daisy glanced over her shoulder at him, smiling a little when she saw color in his cheeks and the telltale look in his eyes that Daisy was beginning to learn indicated that he was nervous.

"The girl," She began, stepping forward a little and smiling warmly at Jensen. "...is Daisy O'Connor. And you must be Jensen, it's a pleasure to finally meet you, Jerry's mentioned you before." Threading her fingers together she looked at him, feeling the soft flutter of nerves in her stomach, oh she did want Jerry's brother to like her, even if it was just a little bit. "I do hope that we aren't infringing on your plans for the afternoon, Jerry and I went for a walk in the park and then he kindly offered to share some of his book collection with me..." She cast her eyes back over in Jerry's direction then, catching his gaze and smiling, feeling a warmth flooding her when he returned it with a smile of his own.

"Oh I do wish I had known you were going to be here! I have an apple pie cooling in the apartment and I was planning to bring it down when I cooked dinner - which you're welcome to stay if you'd like - and I was going to leave the pie because Jerry mentioned how much you like it and..." She trailed off, feeling a bit breathless when she realized that she was again babbling and felt a blush heating her cheeks.

[Jerry Flynn]

Jerry was struggling with thinking of a way to introduce Jensen to Daisy while making it clear that he had not brought her here with the intent of offering her up for Jensen's use, when Daisy stepped forward and took care of the matter herself. Seeing that she wasn't intimidated by his brother, Jerry relaxed, just a touch. Jensen's gruff intensity could often inspire the sort of respect borne of fear in people.

Catching Jensen's eye again as Daisy invited him to stay while she cooked dinner, Jerry firmly shook his head from side to side. 'Don't even think about it,' he mouthed.

Daisy's stream of words dropped off quickly as Jerry stepped up beside her. Glancing to her, he saw that she was flushed and a little short of breath as she averted her eyes from Jensen, and he felt a sharp twinge in his chest. No, no, no, he chanted in his mind. Please don't fall for Jensen! Halfheartedly reaching for Daisy's entwined fingers, Jerry's shoulders sagged.

"I forgot the soap," he mumbled. "Sorry, I was... distracted." Looking up, he met Jensen's gaze, hoping his brother could read his urgent desperation. He inclined his head toward the door once more, silently pleading for him to leave.

[Jensen Flynn]

Jensen smirked as Daisy introduced herself. Something about this girl just made him smile. Those sparkling eyes that seemed both innocent and worldly at the same time, that indulgent, genuine smile... something! He thought perhaps he might wind up liking this girl in spite of himself--though he could barely focus on what she was saying for the desperate looks Jerry was passing him over her head.

She grabbed his attantion when she mentioned Jerry wanting to share his book collection, though, and he chuckled. "Yeah, well, god knows he's got enough of 'em." He gestured around the small apartment, indicating the massive stacks of books piled precariously over every flat surface. "Boy reads like nothin' you've ever seen before. He doesn't make it as a writer, he can always be a literary critic."

He arched a brow as Daisy's ramble turned to food--dinner and apple pie! That was definitely something he could be interested in--but Jerry caught his eye again, giving him a pleading look, and Jensen gave in.

"That sounds great, doll, but, uh, I got plans. Meeting some of the boys I work with here in a little while." He folded his paper again and dropped it to the floor, kicking it under the coffee table. "Guess while I'm out I'll pick up that soap, huh?" Turning his most charming smile on Daisy, Jensen rose and took her hand, kissing the back of her knuckles lightly. "A pleasure, Miss Daisy. Maybe I'll see you around some time. Save me a piece of that pie, huh?" He gave her a wink, clapped Jerry on the shoulder, and made his exit, leaving the two of them alone.

No one could tell him he was a bad brother.

[Daisy O'Connor]

Daisy couldn't help but smile back at Jensen as he took her hand and kissed it lightly, with all the charm of a fine gentleman and there was no doubt that Jerry's words about his brother held some truths. "Perhaps another time then," Daisy said politely, though she was internally grateful for hours of promised solitude with Jerry and an opportunity to get to know him better. "And I promise that we will leave you at least one piece of pie." With Daisy's usual optimistic spirit, she found that she rather liked Jerry's brother with his rakish smile and the silent way he acknowledged that they might want some time alone together. Whatever Jerry's misgivings about Jensen might be, the connection between the brothers was evident even in those few, simple moments.

She watched him go, the door clicking shut behind him and leaving her utterly alone with Jerry and she turned to look at him. His cheeks were slightly flushed and he seemed to watching her with something akin to hope in the depths of his brown eyes that caused her heart to skip a beat. "Charming..." She mused, nodding her head in the direction of the door, indicating Jensen. Tilting her head, she stepped closer to Jerry and set her hand on his arm, feeling the strength beneath his clothing and the tension that bubbled just beneath the surface. "...but I like your smile better."

It was the simple truth, Jensen was handsome to be sure with a smile that was just as charming and convincing as Jerry had promised. But Daisy found she much preferred the honest, almost shy and endearing smile that often tugged at Jerry's lips when they were together. The way it lit his eyes and warmed them, the slight lines that formed around his eyes when he smiled without realizing it and the sincerity in his expression when that smile was turned on her. Jerry's smile made Daisy's heart flutter in the most delciously wonderful way and she hoped that he never stopped smiling at her, if only so she could have that warm feeling washing over her, always.

"Um..." She cleared her throat, realizing that she was more or less standing in the middle of Jerry's apartment and staring at him, her hand still resting on his forearm and she felt suddenly a little embarassed. "I...uh...I would love to see some of your book collection..." She offered up softly, feeling a heat in her cheeks but coached herself to keep her gaze on his, liking being able to see the emotions flickering in his eyes.

[Jerry Flynn]

Jerry watched Jensen leave, and had never been so grateful to his brother--until he realized Daisy was watching him go as well. His heart feeling heavy, he studied her carefully, wondering if (and dreading that) she was sorry to see him leave.

Suddenly Jerry realized she was looking back at him, that he'd been caught staring, and he flushed. He wanted to turn away, but she spoke then, and to his utter dismay, declared his brother to be charming. Heart sinking pitifully, he lowered his eyes, ready to give up another of his crushes to his brother, when Daisy stepped closer to him and confided that she still considered him to be the one she was desiring. Jerry blushed and bit his lip, trying to bite back the very thing that seemed to appeal to her.

"Th-thank... um, thank you, Miss Daisy," he murmured shyly, and laid his hand over hers. Tentatively, he lifted his gaze from their hands and found she was still looking back at him, eyes so deep and so blue, expression so innocent and kindly... "I, erm..."

He felt a need to say more, but what, he wasn't sure. Biting his lip again, he was thankful when Daisy suddenly seemed to display as many nerves as he was trying to ignore. As she asked to see his book collection, he came back to himself. Books. Familiar territory. He was safe there.

"Oh, right," he said easily, taking the smallest step back and looking around the apartment. "Uh, where to start... Jensen likes to say I have a collection that rivals the New York Public Library. I doubt he's ever actually been in the library, though..." Scanning the room, he recalled she'd told him that she enjoyed Austen and the Bronte sisters. Moving to the nearest bookshelf, he lifted a hand and began skimming along the spines of his books, fingers grazing the well-worn covers as he considered each title, making little noises of dismissal as he decided they weren't right.

"Aha," he said at last, and slipped a book from the herd. "Here's one you might enjoy. It's about a well-to-do woman who has a liaison with an aristocrat and leaves her husband, but her lover leaves her in turn, and she returns to her ex-husband in disguise, masquerading as his and his new wife's housekeeper. A little unbelievable, but a good read." He passed along the copy of East Lynne and returned to skimming the shelves, losing himself among the titles.

A moment later he straightened again, with another book in his hand. "You may have read this one. It got a lot of publicity when it was first published in the 60's, as some of the scenes are a bit scandalous. The title character is bored with her life and lives far beyond her means and participates in adulterous affairs to escape the perceived banality. Straightforward, the story is a simple read, but there're so many layers to it... Flaubert was a horrible man, but his work is nothing short of brilliant. He's really a wordsmith in the truest sense of the word." Now he passed a copy of Madame Bovary to Daisy for her inspection.

"This one... er, it's a popular collection among younger people," he said a moment later, a hint of embarrassment in his voice. "It was one of my favorites when I was younger, and still is today. It's a collection of short stories, most of which take place in the jungles of India. Lots of talking animals, heavy on the morals and life lessons." A battered, well-worn copy of The Jungle Book found its way to Daisy's hand. "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi is my favorite story."

[Daisy O'Connor]

Daisy followed him around the tiny apartment, listening as he described East Lynne before setting it into her hands and it sounded like something that she would thoroughly enjoy. It was quickly followed by Madame Bovary, a novel she had heard about but never had occasion to read and now due to Jerry's generosity she would have the chance. But it was the copy of The Jungle Book that captured her attention the most, the cover worn around the edges, her fingers sliding along the spine which looked well loved and appreciated, almost as if it would fall apart if she wasn't too careful. It was obviously a treasured piece of his collection and that he'd thought to share it with her touched her more than she could ever say.

"I've never heard of this," She said softly, running her hand over the soft material of the cover and smiling up at Jerry as her fingers found a worn edge and traced it with reverence. "But it sounds lovely, and you obviously have enjoyed it very much over the years. I'm sure I will find great pleasure in reading it as well."

She looked around across the stacks of books that were scattered throughout the apartment, the few in her hands and back over at Jerry as a smile tugged at her lips once again. "I do believe that I could spend hours amongst your collection trying to decide what to read next," Daisy lifted a hand and ran her finger across a few books before letting it fall and settle once more on his arm, deciding she rather liked it when they were touching, even in the smallest of ways. "It's probably for the best that I have you as a guide, I'd have hardly knew where to begin."

She allowed her hand to linger where it was on his arm, finding boldness from some unknown source as she took the tiniest of steps forward to get closer. The books he had handed her were wrapped in her other arm but she barely noticed their weight as she gazed up into his eyes. Daisy didn't know what whisper of fate it might have been that brought Jerry into McGinty's the other night, be it the simple request of his brother or something far more divine, she only knew that she was grateful because the way her heart skipped at being close to him was like a revelation. She could only hope he felt the same.

[Jerry Flynn]

"I think most people get a little disoriented when faced with my books," Jerry said with the smallest of smiles. "I'm just glad I've found someone who can appreciate a good story."

Feeling bashful again as Daisy moved closer, Jerry averted his eyes, glancing to the rows and rows of titles spanning his bookshelves, as though contemplating whether any of them could pique Daisy's interest. She was standing close enough that Jerry could feel the warmth radiating from her body, could catch her deliciously sweet scent... He could feel an invisible force around him, infiltrating his brain and tugging him in Daisy's direction, urging him to lean forward. To his surprised confusion, Jerry felt himself obeying without a second thought.

He raised one hand to trace the edge of Daisy's face, brushing strands of her long honey-colored hair away from her forehead, sliding his fingertips along her cheek and around the curve of her jaw. His fingers curled gently under her chin, and he found himself tipping her head back, dropping his own to inch closer to her.

Heart pounding in his chest, breath barely coming in short, staccato huffs, he stopped with the barest of space between them. "M-miss Daisy," he stammered breathlessly, "may I... may I kiss you, Daisy?"

[Daisy O'Connor]

Daisy felt a soft sigh escape past her lips as he reached up a hand to push a few strands of hair out of her face, wanted to flutter her eyes shut when his fingertips played across her cheek. Instead she kept looking into his eyes, searching his face and seeing some of the same excitement and nerves that she was certain were tripping into her own. His large hand curled around her chin and she caught her breath, uncertain if she'd be able to stand being so close to him, would he always take her breath away?

Taking another step forward, Daisy tilted her head willingly and blinding set the books she had been holding down on a table beside them that she wasn't even sure she had known was there. Lifting her hands she settled them on Jerry's arms, fingers idly playing with the material of his shirt as her lids lowered slightly, heart pounding in anticipation. "I very much wish that you would..." She said softly, resisting the urge to close the distant herself, rather enjoying the feel of him hovering so close, the spicy masculine scent of him practically surrounding her.

Daisy felt safe and warm and the soft flutter of excitement that she'd only felt a few times before and never quite this intensely. She wanted Jerry to kiss her more than she wanted anything in the world at that very moment and as her eyes drifted shut she felt herself drifting forward and up onto her toes to get closer.

[Jerry Flynn]

Jerry could scarcely believe what was happening. Daisy had come over to borrow a book or two, and suddenly she and Jerry were mere inches from each other, her making his head swim under this strange new sensation, him feeling a foreign longing to place his hand intimately on her hip, on the small of her back, to stroke through her hair.

Was it always like this, he wondered? Jerry had never kissed a girl before, always much too painfully shy to get this close to them. He'd seen his brother kissing girls, though--Jensen had been kissing girls for almost two decades, starting when he was ten years old--and had a fairly good idea of the mechanics of the act. Allowing himself the small indulgence of curving his hand around Daisy's waist, he licked his lips quickly and, after a moment of embarrassing fumbling in figuring out which way to tilt his head, carefully pressed his lips to hers.

Her lips were so soft and warm, and Jerry was immediately aware that he'd been biting his lower lip far too much lately, certain his dry, rough lips were an unpleasant sensation for her. He wanted to draw back, to give her an out if she found (as she surely would) his kissing ability to be less than par, but found he was enjoying the experience far too much.

His hand slowly migrated from Daisy's waist to her cheek, gently cupping her face in his hands as their kiss deepened, seemingly of its own accord.

[Daisy O'Connor]

His lips were a little chapped, a pleasant contrast against her own as his hand settled at her waist and Daisy had to stop from sighing into the kiss. She loved the feeling of his tall frame so close to hers, the way his large hands cupped her face and drew her closer enticing her deeper into a kiss that she was already hoping and wishing would never end. She slid her hands up his arms and over broad shoulders, whose muscles she swore she could feel rippling underneath of her fingers. Settling them at the base of his neck she used the leverage to pull herself up and closer, effectively drawing her as tightly against his body as she dared, and gave into the enticing desire to thread her fingers through his dark hair.

The kiss was everything and nothing like she imagined it. Shy and tender at first, it was growing slowly more intense with each moment, Daisy not certain which of them was responsible but not really caring. His hands on her face felt strong and sure, the hard line of his body against hers exciting and yet somehow comforting. With a striking certainty, Daisy knew that she never wanted this kiss to end, that she could possibly spend forever kissing Jerry Flynn and have a life fulfilled.

Feeling a bit bold, she darted her tongue out and traced it across the line of his lips, unsure if it was asking to much, if she had crossed a line that was better left alone this early in their relationship. Relationship. Is that what this was? This heart pounding, stomach flipping, altogether wonderful and sometimes frightening feeling that rose up whenever she was near him? Whatever it was Daisy didn't want it to go away, she wanted to cling to it much like she was clinging to Jerry now, arms wrapped around his neck and her body nestled against his.

[Jerry Flynn]

((I'm chanting to myself, "This board has a rating, this board has a rating, this board has a rating..." XD These two just get so carried away with one another!))

Jerry started at the feel of Daisy's tongue. He'd heard of this, of course--he'd read Madame Bovary too, after all--but was unsure what to do.

Fortunately he was saved the trouble of having to make decisions on the fly by the sound of a key in the door behind them. Snapping away from Daisy, Jerry quickly turned to the shelf again, pretending to be looking through his books, as Jensen bulled through the door again.

"Sorry," he muttered gruffly, crossing the room quickly and taking his leather coat off the back of a chair, oblivious to what he almost walked in on. "Forgot my coat, looks like rain."

"Er, want the umbrella?" Jerry asked, not daring to look at Jensen, certain his nervous behavior would give him away.

Jensen paused in the middle of straightening the heavy leather over his shoulders. "...We have an umbrella?"

"It's keeping the window shut."

Glancing to the small window beside the couch, Jensen noticed (for what he felt was the first time) an umbrella propped in the frame, the ferrule wedged between the upper and lower frames to keep the window from being opened from the outside. "Oh. Uh, no thanks. Think I'm good." Flipping his collar up to shield his neck from the wind, he turned and headed for the door again. "Sorry, go back to your bookworming. Don't forget to save me some pie."

Jerry waited until the door was closed and the lock turned again, then let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. Unable to restrain a chuckle, he looked to Daisy. "That was close," he said with a smile. "We'll have to be more careful next time."

Realizing too late what he'd said--next time--Jerry flushed and turned back to the shelf, quickly extracting another book and thrusting it at Daisy. The Awakening, the spine read, by Kate Chopin.

"Here, one more. I, uh... I think you'll like this one. It was only just published."



((Read this to see just what book Jerry has handed to Daisy.))