Jerry and Jensen's Apartment

[Daisy O'Connor]

Daisy had almost thought she imagined the sound of the key in the lock except that Jerry moved away from her so quickly she wasn't even sure she hadn't imagined the entire encounter. But as she lifted her hand to cover her racing heart, her lips still moist and a little tender from Jerry's, she was certain that she hadn't. She didn't dare turn to risk making eye contact with Jensen, not certain she'd be able to keep the blush - which was already burning against her cheeks - under further control and thus revealing just what Jensen may have walked in on. As it was, Jerry's brother seemed distracted and interested only in picking up in his jacket and completely unaware that his return trip had intruded on a private moment.

For a second, as Daisy's breathing began to return somewhat to normal, she wondered what might have happened had Jensen not returned.

She was distracted from this line of thought when the door clicked shut behind Jensen once again, leaving her and Jerry alone with this new found connection simmering between them. Jerry seemed uncertain for a moment and then smiled, speaking of being careful next time and a smile ghosted across Daisy's lips.

Next time.

"Yes," Daisy agreed, crossing the room to accept the book that he offered, fingers brushing against his and Daisy could remember the heat of his hand at her waist, sending a thrill through her. "Next time we'll make sure that Jensen has his coat." A smile tugged at Daisy's lips as she looked down at the book in her hand, looking barely read, nearly fresh from the press and she ran a hand over the cover with interest. "A new one! I haven't heard anything about it." She flipped through the stiff pages, catching words and phrases as she did, sensing the excitement in them and thrilled to see what story might be unfolding on the pages that slipped past her fingers. "Have you read it? I don't want to take something you were planning on reading..."

[Jerry Flynn]

"Oh, er, n-no," Jerry stammered, distracted by the way Daisy reverently ran her fingers over the book's cover and pages, skimming the words as though she could hardly wait to get home to curl up in a comfortable chair, or perhaps in her sheets just before bed, to dive into the story. He felt a tugging in his chest, a kind of happiness, he thought, that his own motions--for he made much the same gesture any time he discovered a new book for himself--weren't completely eccentric. "No, please, don't give it another thought. I have more than enough books to occupy my time before I come around to that one. I've heard wonderful things of it, though, and I'd love to hear your thoughts when you've finished. Rights for women is the central theme of the story, I'm told; I think it would add a great depth to read it with a woman's perspective in mind, you know?"

He moved to perch on the arm of the chair near the couch, unsure of what to do now. "Um, if I might ask, were you... planning on making something in particular for dinner? Or just winging it? I'm not sure how much of what we have would be useful, but of course..." He made a motion with his arm, a gesture to inquire if she'd like to move into the kitchen area and inspect the cupboard's contents.

[Daisy O'Connor]

"I would very much like to give you my thoughts," Daisy said with a smile, feeling a little fluttering in her stomach as she looked at him. To know that Jerry cared and valued her opinion on a book, to imagine the deep and thoughtful conversation they might have about what was contained on the pages of the book she was holding made her heart soar in ways she wasn't sure she could even describe. Walking over she carefully set the book on top of the others, where they still lay on the table she had set them during their impromptu kiss, the memory of it still lingering on her lips.

He indicated the cabinets in his kitchen and she smiled, tilting her head a little and already moving towards the tiny area that mirrored her own though was slightly more cluttered. "I figured I'd see what you had on hand, I think I can likely come up with something," She mused, pulling open the cabinets and finding the contents meager but by no means without possibility. After a few moments she had stacked a pile of suitable items on the counter: bacon for frying, beans, as well as some flour, a few fresh eggs and other assorted ingredients for baking. Setting a hand on top of the flour tin she smiled over at Jerry, "How about some biscuits and gravy, with vegetables on the side and at some point I can run down and get that apple pie I promised your brother we'd leave him."

It wouldn't be much, but it would certainly do and she'd made it by on far less ingredients before. Opening the flour tin, she went in search of a bowl for mixing and carefully went about measuring what she needed, tossing it into the bowl and biting her lip for a moment before looking back over at Jerry. "What do you and Jensen usually do for dinner?"

[Jerry Flynn]

"Oh, my goodness...," Jerry sighed, giving a low whistle as Daisy ran down the proposed menu for dinner. "That sounds amazing! You can make that?"

Jerry stood off to the side, out of Daisy's way, and watched her work, observing how she seemed right at home in his kitchen, easily finding all the tools she needed, moving from cabinet to drawer with purpose as though she had a sixth sense telling her where each implement would be found. The phrase 'Goddess of the home and hearth' flashed unbidden through his mind, and he smiled to himself, flushing at his audacity.

"We, uh... well, I cook. Sometimes. I'm not very good, but I can make some simple things. Watery soups, mostly. Boiled vegetables. I can fry meats, but... they're usually lacking something. Flavor, I think you'd call it. Sometimes we have cold cut sandwiches. More often, we go out. Or Jensen finds someone to... uh... bring over and cook for him." He scruffed a hand through his hair, embarrassed at his brother's conduct. Jerry couldn't count how many times he'd come home to find a strange woman standing at their stove, usually outfitted in something not quite respectable.

He cleared his throat and continued. "Jensen doesn't cook much. Cold cereal is his specialty. Oh, but he can fry steaks pretty well. Our father taught him that. He won't tell me the secret, though."

[Daisy O'Connor]

Daisy pushed some of her hair over her shoulder and shot Jerry a look before smiling a little as she mixed together the dough for the biscuits. "I can do all that." There was a measure of pride to her tone, Daisy enjoying her time in a kitchen almost as much as she liked diving into a good book. She'd learned to cook and bake from her grandmother and mother, remembering getting underfoot as the two women had prepared many a meal, and working alongside them as she got older and finally taking over the role herself when her mother had become to ill to do it herself.

Finding a pot, she filled it with water, adding a bit of salt for flavor before dumping in the beans and turning to check the oven. Pulling open the door, she giggled as she found a stack of books inside, clearly the oven had found more use as storage space than for baking. Grabbing them she walked over to where Jerry was standing, leaning against the wall watching her, and handed them to him with a smile. "You might want to find somewhere else to keep these, I'd hate to ruin any good books for the sake of our dinner." She allowed her fingers to linger a bit, brushing against his before impulsively standing on tiptoe and brushing a quick kiss against his cheek, feeling her stomach flip a little.

Finding a skillet she set it on the stove, adjusting the heat for the bacon and then turned back to the dough, carefully rolling it out and using a glass - which always did in a pinch - to make circles that she placed on a sheet for baking. "I hope you don't mind my taking over the kitchen," she said, reaching up with a flour coated hand to rub at her the tip of her nose.

[Jerry Flynn]

Jerry frowned as she retrieved the books from inside the oven. He couldn't remember stowing any of his books in there (though that certainly sounded like something he would do). He glanced at the spines briefly and realized with some surprise that they were all western novels--these were Jensen's few books. Why on earth had Jensen hidden them in the oven? But the question was driven from his mind under Daisy's lingering gaze and the surprise brush of her lips against his cheek. The books were forgotten before Jerry had even dropped them on the couch.

Returning to his place near the kitchen area, Jerry resumed watching Daisy work, feeling a little out of his depth as she worked so proficiently. "No, no," he said, waving a hand as though dismissing the idea. "I don't mind it at all. That poor stove is thrilled to be heating up for capable hands. I'm surprised the thing hasn't up and quit on me, hard as I am on it."

He paused, the next words crossing his mind and hesitating on his tongue. He'd never spoken a sentence so bold in his life, never dared to say something so audacious to a girl before. But Daisy was proving to have a profound effect on him, and he murmured, very softly, "I like seeing you in my kitchen, Daisy. You look like you belong here." His cheeks flushing, he cleared his throat and levered himself off the edge of the counter. "Erm, is there something I could help you with? I'm feeling a little useless over here."

[Daisy O'Connor]

"Stoves have a tendency to be pretty resilient," Daisy said with a bit of a smile, her tone a little teasing as she looked over at him before popping the biscuits into the oven as bacon sizzled on the aforementioned stove. "My guess is, this stove has seen a great many mistakes...as well as some good meals. That's the case in most kitchens I find," Daisy continued, grabbing a fork to turn the back while keeping an eye on the beans. Her mind was moving so quickly she almost missed Jerry's statement, softly stated and barely heard over the sizzle of bacon.

Her heart stopped, the look in his eyes when she glanced at him enough to send her heart soaring. Pausing her movements, she caught her lip between her teeth for just a moment, allowing the atmosphere of the moment and the deep color of Jerry's eyes wash over her before allowing a smile to tug at her lips. "I think I rather like being in your kitchen, Jerry Flynn." Taking a deep breath she looked away from him in time to rescue some of the bacon that was threatening to burn before returning her eyes to him, blush crawling across her cheeks. "I think I would like to belong here..." She said softly, her voice no more than a whisper as the implication of her words began to sink in.

Reaching for the flour to start on the gravy, Daisy battled to get her blushing under control before finding her voice again. "Perhaps you could find some plates for us to eat on? Maybe get the table ready? It shouldn't be too much longer." Daisy was aware of the weight in what they had said, the feelings that seemed to be lingering beneath the surface the more time that they spent together. And though it had been precious little be society's standards, she knew without a doubt, that Jerry made her feel special and wonderful and altogether amazing. For now, that was plenty.

[Jerry Flynn]

Feeling a certain (and slightly ridiculous, he was sure) measure of pride over their shared moment, Jerry quickly moved to do as she requested, pulling a pair of chipped dinner plates and slightly etched glasses from a cabinet and mismatched sets of silverware from a drawer. He turned to carry them to the table, but stopped short with a frown. The table was mostly hidden under more piles of things that didn't generally belong on tables--more books and papers, a pile of Jensen's clothes, several weeks-old racing forms...

Setting the dishes on the counter, Jerry began clearing the table. It was more of a task of moving piles from the table to another surface than actual cleaning. "Think I'm going to have to break down and actually clean this place sometime soon," he muttered, mostly to himself, as he carried the books to his bedroom door and pitched them onto the bed, closing the door behind himself. To Daisy, he spoke up. "We've only got the one bedroom, of course, and initially Jensen and I were going to trade off on who got the bed--I'd have it for a week, he'd have it the next, you know. But for a while, right after dinner, he'd go to the couch and lie down, and he'd fall asleep, and he'd sleep for a good few hours, and I'd have to go into the bedroom and sleep in the bed to get any sleep. Then after a while, he said he was just so used to sleeping on the couch now, he'd rather keep the sleeping arrangements as they were, with me in the bed and him on the couch."

Gathering the racing forms into a pile and tapping them into a neat stack, he set them on the coffee table. For some reason, Jensen didn't want them thrown away, and got right annoyed with Jerry if he put them in the garbage. "The problem with that is that our living room has essentially turned into Jensen's bedroom, and Jensen was never one for keeping his room straightened, as you can probably see." Depositing the pile of clothes (a quick sniff told him they were clean) on Jensen's pillow, he returned to the counter, taking up the plates and silverware again, and snatched a pair of mismatched dish towels to use as place mats. Using one to quickly swipe the crumbs and lint from the table, he laid everything out neatly and carefully.

Crossing to the ice box, Jerry peered inside. "Let's see... We have milk--" (He paused and took a moment to sniff the bottle to make sure it hadn't spoiled; fortunately, it hadn't.) "--and apple juice. Or water." Smiling just a little awkwardly, he added, "Or the whiskey I bought from you last night. Pick your poison, Miss Daisy."

[Daisy O'Connor]

"We all make do with what we have," Daisy said, with a slight shrug of her shoulders. If anything she found the inner workings of Jensen and Jerry's living arrangement endearing and slightly fascinating. To hear Jerry tell it, they were drastically different in everything from looks to personality but Daisy suspected, even after only a brief meeting, that the Flynn brothers might be more alike than they were ever aware of. "Perhaps if we make better use of the table, Jensen will find other things to do with his belongings," Daisy suggested with a smile, turning and pulling the biscuits out of the oven, the tops just beginning to turn a golden brown.

With a satisfied sigh she set them aside for the moment and turned to check on the gravy before grabbing a cloth napkin she'd found discarded in one of the bottom drawers and spread it into a bowl, carefully sliding the biscuits into it. Another smaller bowl worked a serving dish for the gravy and the beans found a home in another. Carefully Daisy carried everything over to the table and set it into place, smiling when she looked at the spread and then over at Jerry who was standing by the table, still organizing a few of Jensen's things.

For a moment, Daisy felt a flash of comfort and warmth so overwhelming she thought she might fall over from the weight of it. There was something so familiar about this moment, something so attainable and real. Daisy was struck by just how much she wanted to remember this moment, and recreate it as often as possible...sitting down across from Jerry Flynn for dinner with the evening stretching out before them and countless ways to spend it.

"Well then...I suppose we should eat."

[Jerry Flynn]

At Daisy's call to the table, Jerry turned and was somewhat taken aback at what he saw. Though the table was scrubbed and the varnish on the legs cracked and peeling, and their dinnerware was mismatched and chipped and a little tarnished, their dinner looked quite substantial and delicious. Homey, he thought, was the word. A simple meal pulled together with the meager ingredients available, but Jerry was willing to bet his share of the family farm that it would be the best meal eaten in this kitchen in the five years the Flynn boys had lived here.

Coming up alongside the table, Jerry's cotillion lessons reared up again and he pulled out a chair. "Miss Daisy," he said with a smile, gesturing for her to sit. As she took her seat, Jerry was overtaken by impulse and leaned forward. Hooking a finger under her chin (and certain he could feel his cotillion teacher spinning in her hallowed grave), he tilted Daisy's head back and pressed a brief, slightly awkward kiss on her lips. After a moment he broke their connection, drawing back only slightly. "I... uh..." His stammerings puffed lightly against their mouths as his cheeks flamed. "Sorry... but, um, th-thank you. For making dinner."

Ruffling his hair awkwardly, Jerry quickly straightened and moved to the next side of the table and taking a seat. "This smells delicious, Daisy," he said softly, passing her a small smile. "You can work miracles in a barren cupboard, I think."

[Daisy O'Connor]

Daisy took her seat, feeling something like a grand lady with the way he'd pulled out her chair, but barely had a moment to process the thought when his strong hand closed around her chin and tilted her head slightly. Just before his lips brushed against hers, Daisy realized what was happening and her eyes drifted shut, taking in everything about the moment that she could. The feel of his fingers, warm and steady on her chin, the softness of his lips as they pressed against her own and the soft puff of his breath as he pulled away. Lifting a hand, Daisy pressed her fingers against his and smiled up at him, blue eyes searching brown. "It was my pleasure, Jerry."

She watched him as he walked over to take a seat, the table spread out between them and Daisy was certain there was a very warmth and light that radiated from the table as she gazed over at him. "Your cupboard wasn't bare, I just had to find the right way to mix everything together." The blush that touched her cheeks was slight, Daisy did have a certain pride in her cooking ability, the kitchen being one of her favorite places and learning at the side of her mother and grandmother had given her a quiet confidence. Though it pleased her most of all to know that Jerry was impressed, the little flutter in her stomach at his smile and words enough to have her darting out her tongue in hopes of catching a trace of him still lingering on her lips.

"Perhaps you shouldn't declare miracles until you try some," Daisy said with a slight giggle as she reached for the biscuits and passed them over to Jerry. "Who knows? This might have all been an incredible act."

[Jerry Flynn]

"Oh, I doubt that very much!" Jerry declared, but took a couple of the biscuits Daisy held out to him. Using the side of his fork to split his biscuits, he reverently ladled gravy over the pieces before passing the bowl to Daisy. Quickly taking up his fork, he speared a bit of the mixture and sampled it. A happy little groan escaped his throat as he chewed and swallowed, and he shook his head emphatically. "No. No, definitely not an act. I declare you a miracle worker for certain."

He added a small mound of beans to his plate as well as they shuffled the serving dishes around between them and took a sip of his milk before tucking into the meal. "Gosh, Daisy," he murmured between mouthfuls, "I can hardly believe this came out of my kitchen. How on earth you accomplished such a meal with virtually nothing, I'll always be in wonder."

While inhaling another couple mouthfuls, Jerry could feel himself relaxing, falling into the natural rhythm he and Daisy seemed to create between themselves. Forcing the tension he felt from his nervousness of embarrassing himself to leave his body, he settled into his chair, unwinding long legs to stretch them out under the table. In their nearness, his leg brushed against hers, his calf resting against her shin. The accidental contact made him hesitate, but he didn't pull away, instead waiting to see if she drew her leg back first.

"So, um, tell me, Daisy," he started, stumbling over conversation just a tad. "What do you do when you're not working the bar or eking out amazing meals from virtually nothing? Do you have much free time?"

[Daisy O'Connor]

Daisy couldn't help the smile that spread across her face at Jerry's reaction to his first bite, nor the soft flutter in her stomach when the thought crossed her mind that she'd rather like to be preparing dinner for him - from cupboards bare or not - every night. "You are too kind," She deflected, dropping her eyes a little as she reached for a biscuit of her own and filling her own plate now that she was certain Jerry was pleased.

His leg stretched out and brushed against hers, the intimate contact nearly causing Daisy to jump in surprise but she stayed her actions and instead reveled in the warmth of his leg pressed against her own. She liked his solid strength, so close and tangible and real and when he didn't pull away she sucked in an exhilarating breath, hoping that meant that he felt it too. Shifting slightly, she pressed her leg into his for just a moment, a slight pressure to acknowledge the action before allowing their positions to remain as they were a heated warmth coursing through her.

"I...uh..." Daisy cleared her throat, forcing herself to focus on his question and cleared her throat before taking a bite of her food and chewing thoughtfully. "Some days I have more free time than others," Daisy replied, lifting a hand and pushing a few strands of hair out of her eyes and tucking them behind her ear. "There is always something that needs to be done, lately I've been helping out at the infirmary for the newsies, some of my friends were involved in that terrible fight."

She didn't know how much Jerry knew about what had happened at the warehouse, but it was the talk of the streets lately and the truth was, spending her time there and patching up what she could had helped to ease her worry for her friends. But that was all hardly proper discussion for dinner, particularly not on a date and she blushed a little before returning her eyes to her food. "With it getting colder I like to try and cook extra some days and see if I can't talk a few people into taking a little charity. I know it's not easy on some, but I have a warm bed and a roof over my head and two capable hands with which to cook a meal. The least I can do is share a little of it."

[Jerry Flynn]

A smile formed on Jerry's lips as she spoke of her inclinations to acts of charity, and he pushed the beans from one side of his plate to the other absently before taking another bite.

"You remind me very much of my mother, I think." He chuckled softly to show that comparison was a compliment in his eyes. "My mother is... such a generous woman. She was always bringing people--whole families, sometimes--home to share our dinner. If she wasn't bringing people to dinner, she was bringing dinner to people. Always on the go to bring something to someone. Once I outgrew my brother and was no longer able to take his hand-me-downs, she was forever taking parcels of clothing to the children's shelter or to other families with sons who needed clothes. Sometimes it felt as though she wasn't just our mother, but that we shared her with dozens of other children."

He took another bite of his food and chased it with a swig of milk before looking back to his plate with a faint blush. "I think... I think my mother would like you," he said after a moment, hoping his statement wouldn't be seen as being too forward. "I think you would get on quite well."

[Daisy O'Connor]

"I would..." Daisy began and then took a bite of food and swallowed, knowing the words that were on the tip of her tongue could cross a line that she wasn't sure that they were ready too. "I think that I would like to meet your mother someday...she sounds like a lovely woman." Daisy lifted a hand and ran a few fingers through her hair, catching an errant strands and sliding it between her fingers as she looked away from Jerry and down at her plate.

"And I would very much like to meet the woman who did such a fine job raising you," Daisy said, looking up at Jerry from underneath her lashes, taking the somewhat hidden moment to study his handsome face. She knew it was somewhat silly and there were those that would tell her she was giving into schoolgirl romantic fantasies, she had only known him nearly a day now, but Daisy was certain that Jerry was the man for her. That there was no one else that might make her heart skip a beat the way it did just now when his eyes caught hers and they exchanged a smile.

"And what of you, Jerry Flynn?" Daisy asked softly, relaxing back into her chair and setting her fork down as she studied him a little more openly this time. "What more is there to know about the handsome man who walked into my life last night?"