Chance Encounter...?

[Jack Makenzie Greyson]

Jack woke that morning the way she always did; to avalanche licking her face. Every day the same damn time. The dog must have swallowed an alarm clock or something to have such perfect timing. Or maybe he didn't go back to sleep after Jay hit the snooze button. It didn't matter, since Jay liked the wake up call. She often stayed in bed a few extra minutes to play with her American Eskimo puppy. She'd roll over, swat her hand in Avie's general direction and fake snore; loudly. And other days, she'd sit right up, pick up Avie and cuddle him and tell him he was such a little fatty. The poor thing was going to have a complex when Jack was through with him, but with all his fluffy fur, she just couldn't hold the love back. Today, Jay rolled around, acted a fool and sighed, cuddling her pure white puppy. She had a photo shoot to scout for at Central Park, and she had to go into the studio to transfer the digital prints to the computer and print them off for Mister Anal retentive A.K.A her boss to go over and approve. Her job was never finished, but she liked it all the same. In the shower, while she was dressing, eating and just getting ready for the day, she made a mental list of the places she wanted to check out. Then rewrote the list fifteen times before finally getting it down on paper.

An hour later, mid-morning, Jack clipped Avalanche's leash to his collar, checked her bag for everything, again, and left her apartment, without another thought. If she didn't, she'd remember something she forgot, important or not, and have to turn around and grab it. Better for her to just leave and hope for the best. She had her notebook, pen, camera and dog, those were all that mattered. And she had her wallet, 'cause she needed her coffee to get anything done. Jack left the apartment building, opting to leave her Hybrid SUV in the parking lot beneath the building, and walked down to the Conservatory Gardens. She stopped to grab her usual coffee and a bottle of water for Avie, then didn't stop until she got to the park. She hit up Strawberry fields, the Boathouse area with all the beautiful fountains, a couple areas with bridges and a forest like area before finally getting to her original destination. One day she was going to ask what her boss would do without her. She did everything but take the damn pictures. And she wasn't even his only assistant! He had a studio full of them! Although, Jack got to do all the fun work, so she couldn't complain. But she really would have liked to know what her boss would do when she finally left to start up her own studio with the contacts she made. He'd be up a chocolate creek without a Popsicle stick paddle. Not many would go out at the crack of dawn in the freezing cold to scout; not even Jack if she were being honest.

With her last stop in sight, Jay smiled, relieved. She'd only had to spend two hours in the cool New York Winter air. It was surprisingly mild out, which was nice, since she didn't need to wear gloves; especially since she didn't own a pair of gloves, only mittens. But they were purple and fuzzy and cute, so she couldn't pass them up. She tossed her coffee cup in a near-by green garbage container and allowed Avalanche to lead her through the gardens, telling him to stop every few moments to take a picture of this and that and write down the information she needed in her notebook. "Only a little while longer now, Avie. Then we can go visit the Flower Garden" She said, referring to her mother's flower shop by name. She knew how much Avie loved being in the shop, with all those flowers and the employees; he had a field day running around the store. Jack managed about twelve steps before she stopped. The best thing about taking Avie for a walk in the park, if Jack said stay, he sat beside her and didn't move unless she did; usually anyway. There were a couple times when she'd say stay and he'd say no, and chase a squirrel. Sadly, this was one of those times. Jack said stay and at first, Avalanche did. But as she was taking the shots, and writing everything down, something had caught his eye and he ran to who ever, or what ever had grabbed his attention so easily. She turned in time to see her puppy racing down the path. "Avalanche!" she called to no avail. Jay slipped her camera into her bag and chased after her puppy.

_{TAG;; LEANDER HAYNES
WORDS;; 833
CLOTHES;; THIS SMEXXAH THANG!, AVALANCHE
LYRICS;; NOT AFRAID//EMINEM
NOTES;; - - -}[/SIZE]

[Leander Vincent Haynes]

Leander usually didn't get up this early. He had classes later in the day most of the time, which meant he didn't have to get up until at least quarter to ten. It was nice, and a luxury he usually appreciated by sleeping in until exactly that time or later. He, for some odd, unknown reason, decided to get up earlier today. He'd started an article last night around midnight, but had nearly zonked out before he could get a good start on the piece. That was probably why his body, or mind rather, forced his eyes open two hours before normal time. He'd given into it though, after slamming his hand against the Snooze a few times and still not finding the button. The blaring of the alarm drove him insane and chased any thoughts of sleep from his always working brain. That was a downfall on some occasions, like this morning, but a blessing on others. He could make a story, article, or poem out of nearly anything, even the most simplistic of things. That came in very handy for assignments, but it meant his mind was almost always racing with new, or nearly new, ideas. If his thoughts could've been printed, he would've already had about a hundred novels written, published, and well known. It was sad for him that no one had invented such a device yet.

Shaking the sleep from his eyes, Leander sat up in bed, stretching his arms over his bed. His parakeet, Dexter, greeted him with a happy chirp from the cage in the corner. The bird had a few wire boxes around the house, so he could always be around Leander who thought it fun to live with the funny creature. "Morning, Dex," Leander grinned, throwing the covers off himself and running a hand through his mess of hair. He made his way towards the bathroom, hopping in the shower before he forgot to for the day. He loved being clean, but, when it was this early, things occasionally slipped his mind. Plus, he had more ideas for that paper he had begun. Writing always distracted him, no matter what he was doing. He took his shower while thinking over these things and more, making a more detailed plan for his current piece as he shampooed, lathered, and rinsed. Once he finished, he got out, wrapping a towel around his waist and heading back into his bedroom to find an outfit for the day. Dexter chirped at him impatiently, reminding him that he still needed breakfast. The bird was quite demanding at times!

Leander threw on some clothes, not paying too much attention to them. He knew what went together without paying too much notice to what he chose. He went back into the bathroom, tossing his dirty towel and pajamas into the clothes basket there. He brushed his teeth and almost-dried hair, making sure to leave no trace behind himself as he finished his daily routine. Making his way back out into his room, Leander went and got Dexter out of his cage, walking with him into the living room and letting him hop onto his little stand. He went and refilled the dish with some bird seed, chuckling as his pet got to work on devouring the meal. His own stomach grumbled and he sighed, going and grabbing a granola bar out of the kitchen. His laptop was on the counter, along with his Flash Drive, and he grinned as he flipped it open. The article from last night popped onto the screen and he began writing, standing there and totally forgetting about his breakfast.

The sound of feet pounding echoing from above made him frown, yanking his muse right out from under his feet. He looked up, sighing in annoyance. Dexter squeaked at him and he went to put the bird away in the living room cage. He closed his laptop, sticking his flash drive in his pocket and grabbing his coat. "I'll be back later, Dex. Hopefully that will be done," he called to his pet, walking out the door. He locked it behind him, shrugging into his sweatshirt and waltzing out of the apartment complex.

Leander headed down towards Central Park, knowing the gardens should be quiet at this insanely early time. He hugged his laptop close to himself, making sure not to drop it as he pushed through the always-present crowds of New York. Once he finally got there, he sat down on the ground, leaning against a wall and opening his laptop in his lap. His fingers flew across the keys, completely absorbing his attention. That is, until a little white ball of fluff came bounding up to him. Leander blinked in surprise, staring down at the pup in confusion. "Well, hello there," he chuckled, smiling and scratching the puppy's ear.

• • •

WORDS: 832!
TAG: Jay!
LOCATION:
OUTFIT: smexyness hurr!
LYRICS: You should know this!
NOTES: I'm lazy... -template reuser-

[Jack Makenzie Greyson]

She should have named the dog Houdini for all the tricks he could do; including that personal favourite of his, the marvellous disappearing act. He could vanish for hours, not even coming when she called out to him, and then show up around dinner time. Jack could take a guess where he went off to, but never had the heart to seek out his hiding spot. The poor dog was too much like his owner for its own good. Both could get completely absorbed into whatever caught their attention and not break from the trance until something outside of them shatters the connection; or they get hungry. More often than not, and Jack would openly admit if asked, their concentration broke with hunger and the smell of food. But try as she might, she couldn't disappear as well as Avalanche could. Of course, Jack was also the tiniest bit predicable when it came to where she disappeared to in her home; the studio or the couch in the living room, curled up with a book, or the TV, under a big fluffy throw with her mini electric fireplace turned on low in the corner. That made the petite brunette sound so old when she thought about those things, or said them out loud. She was barely two decades old.

Jay shook her head, writing down the usual information she liked to have on hand when she brought the pictures up on her laptop screen; location, F-stop and so on. When it came to her work, she absolutely fell under the category of perfectionist. Any other time, she was considered laid back and no where near perfect. She tossed her clothes haphazardly on her bed and the chair in the corner of her room, and tended to forget about them until she was about ready to pass out where she landed. Then she put everything away, dirty things in the laundry hamper, clean things back in drawers and on hangs in the closet. She preferred to call it ordered chaos. She knew where everything belonged, and so to an outsider it looked like a tornado had passed through and disrupted the entire area. How it looked didn't really matter to Jack, just as long as it was easy for her to grab what she needed because she knew exactly where it was. Her mother cursed walking through her door, when she visited her only daughter. But Emilie Greyson knew better than to attempt to get her daughter to change her ways when it came to her work. Chuckling to herself, Jay closed her note with her pen saving her spot, and slipped the book back into her bag. With Avie's leash in her hand she continued through the park, admiring the beauty surrounding her. She could spend the entire day in Central Park, taking pictures and people watching.

Of course, doing all that would be a bit of a problem with a little white furball running loose in the park. With her camera safely in her messenger bag, Jay raced after her little puppy, hoping she didn't slip before she reached the little bugger. She slipped on a bit of ice once, turning a corner, but managed to catch herself and continue, just catching a glimpse of the rascal's tail turn around another corner. Jack stopped long enough to lift her head to the sky and groan. This is the last trip to the park that that wee doggie will going on for a quite a while now. All the training of that animal, all gone to waste. Jay huffed through a breath, and started running after her animal once again, this time calling him names and random empty threats under her breathe. She ran around the other bend and skidded to a halt, just barely catching herself from falling on her face. "Avalanche! What were you think...ing" she said in her exotic Irish lilt, faltering when she saw that her darling little fur-ball wasn't alone. Well, it certainly wasn't a squirrel that had caught his attention. Not unless squirrel's came in man form; Gorgeous man form.

Jack could feel the blush settling on her face, and she hoped the man sitting on the ground with his hand scratching behind the ear of her way-too-friendly-for-his-own-good puppy. She brushed her hand over her hair in a nervous gesture before kneeling down beside the two charming men. “I'm sorry if Avie disturbed you. He likes to think he's Houdini sometimes.” she said, shaking her head, sadly, but there was a smirk on her face, brightening her dark eyes. She could never stay mad at her darling little man. With quick, efficient movements, Jack put the collar back around Avalanche's neck and sat back on her heels, relieved she didn't lose the little creature forever this time. Finally looking at the man in front of her, Jack extended her hand, "I'm Jack, and this little devil is Avalanche." Jay said, tilting her head slightly, watched as Avie mimicked the motion and laughed at the little nerd. Jay made the hand gesture for Avalanche to come to her, and waited as he did, before scrubbing at his sides playfully. As much trouble as he got into, she loved the little ball of fur.

_{TAG;; LEANDER <333
WORDS;; 900
CLOTHES;; THIS SMEXXAH THANG!, AVALANCHE
LYRICS;; NOT AFRAID//EMINEM
NOTES;; GASP! YOU REUSED A TEMPLATE?! EMMA?!? NEVER!!! =O ;p}[/SIZE]

[Leander Vincent Haynes]

Leander's fingers flew over the keys as easily as if he was just breathing. It'd been a skill he'd picked up thanks to his demanding baby sister. When she was in the hospital, it was easier for her to read a neat, printed type instead of her brother's sprawling print. He'd heard before that writers always had horrid handwriting, though his was decent compared to some. He hand a tendency to write half cursive, half print and that annoyed both his mother and sister. His father, however, had influenced his son's hand, so he didn't mind at all. But, not wanting to upset his sister, Leander typed his stories and poems instead of scribbling them down in a notebook. Don't get him wrong; he still did do that quite a lot. But, whatever he thought presentable enough for his sister was immediately typed and printed out. She was always looking for something new to read, and her brother didn't have the heart to refuse her anything, especially not during those troublesome times when his only contributions to her happiness were giving up half of his hard earned money to pay her bills and submitting new stories to her almost daily. Well, there was also his music, but lugging a guitar through a hospital sometimes got annoying.

He moved to click the save button on his document before he returned to scratching the little ball of fur behind the ear. Leander couldn't bare to lose all his hard work now. And, if he got talking, he knew he'd forget and his laptop would go into sleep mode, closing his documents and leaving him pulling his hair out from frustration. After he hit save, however, he just closed his laptop, keeping it in his lap as he smiled at the puppy. The sound of someone calling caught his attention though, and apparently the puppy's, as well. A bright smile found its way onto his lips as he took in the owner of the voice. A soft chuckle left his lips as he noted the color filling her face and he couldn't keep from smirking in return at her words. "No problem at all, hun. Glad you found him at least. A puppy wouldn't have been allowed at my apartment," he laughed, watching as she got the dog - Avie - back under control again.

Well, she definitely seemed nice enough. Not one of those snotty, uptight, socialites so many New York girls were these days. That alone already made Leander want to talk to her. He hated girls who slept in a new bed every night with a new guy next to them, or came home and four a.m. entirely hammered. There were people like that in his apartment building, and he was occasionally woken up by their loud banging as they attempted to find their ways back to their apartments. Once, he'd even gotten someone pounding on his door, then when he went to find out who it was, the person acused him of breaking into her apartment.

Leander laughed again as Avie rose his paw like his owner's, and he reached down to shake the little hand before looking back to the young lady kneeling before him. "I'm Leander. Pleasure to meet the both of you," he grinned warmly at her, moving his laptop a little so it wouldn't fall off of his lap. The last thing he needed right now was a busted computer. "What brings you to the park this early in the morning?" he questioned. There weren't many people here this early, besides some joggers who probably ran through here on a daily basis. Leander could never, ever picture himself becoming one of those health nuts who had to run or work out at the crack of dawn every morning. It just seemed like a waste of energy. Why blow so much time and strength before the events of the day hadn't even started yet?

His fingers tapped aimlessly on the top of his laptop. Leander didn't fidget a lot. Actually, he very rarely did. He didn't get nervous easily, or freak out the moment he was sharing air with a complete stranger. Something about this girl, Jay, was putting him on edge just a little. He didn't know why, and that nagged at the back of his mind. Being a reporter, he had this need to find answers to questions, no matter what those questions were. His own feelings puzzled him at the moment, and he wouldn't rest until he'd sorted everything out.

• • •

WORDS: 798!
TAG: Jay! <3 :)
LOCATION: Wonderland, Central Park
OUTFIT: smexyness hurr!
LYRICS: You should know this!
NOTES: Shh... I might make a new one XP

[Jack Makenzie Greyson]

Why couldn't she had just one peaceful walk through the park? It seemed as though the only times Jay ever visited Central Park was for work, or a little extra treat for Av. Just once, she thought, she'd like to stroll through Central Park, maybe alone, preferably with company, and not have to worry about taking pictures or her little American Eskimo performing his little disappearing act. A stroll where she could speak of aimless things, and walk in circles without knowing it. A walk where there was no job, and nothing matter but the then and there. If only, if only. A girl could dream, and sadly, as late, that was all Jack seemed to be doing; dreaming. The past couple of weeks, she'd been so swamped with the edits for the Chanel contract that she hadn't gone out with her friends dancing, or even the movies since she'd taken on the assignment. That was certainly going to have to change. Maybe she'd talk someone into having dinner with her, and maybe catching a movie, or hitting one of the dozens of clubs around NYC.

Of course, she really couldn't complain about work, it was what she wanted. All the rush and excitement of the industry made her happy. She loved what she did, and wouldn't have given it up for anything. But she really had to learn to either prioritize or compartmentalize; neither of which she was very good at. She never just had one thing on her mind, she had too many to count at any given time. Asking this young woman what was on her mind was a tricky question. Leap frog was a game her mind knew all too well, and welcomed if she were being honest. Jay really didn't know how people could have only one thing on their minds and only the one thing until it was finished. While she was doing her work, she was thinking about Av, her parents, getting something to eat, maybe going to her mother's shop to get some fresh flowers, and blah blah blah. And the people that thought she could focus that well, clearly didn't know Jay very well; stupid.

Jay smiled, “A nice gesture, but I think I would have died, if I'd really lost him,” she said honestly, then shook her head. Avalanche was a little devil but she couldn't picture her life without the fur-ball. If she didn't have him, she'd be living alone in that flat, with nothing but her work to keep her company. And how much fun was that for the Irish girl? None. “He seems to be quite taken with you,” she said after he left her side for the man's once again. She still had a good grip on his leash. There was no getting away this time. Her smile was genuine when he told her his name, and shook her head with his next comment. “I had work to do, before I have work to do. And Av needed a walk, so two birds, one stone," she said shrugging. Her work was nothing new, early mornings, late nights. There were a few times where she had pulled all-nighters and hadn't even realized it at the time. At least, not until her alarm went off in the room down the hall, signalling to her that it was already 7:30 in the morning.

Not caring about wet paws, Jack leaned forward and picked Avie up to hold him close to her. She buried her face in his fur for a moment, happy that he was safe. She always got him back from his little trips, but there were those few short moments when she thought she'd lost him forever, and her heart would race and she'd go pale and it was horrible. She sighed, letting Avalanche free from her grip. He hopped down off her legs and made his way back to Leander. Jack was impressed. He was good looking and Avie took to him quite instantly. And she was quite taken with him herself, and she wasn't entirely sure why, after all, they'd only met mere seconds ago, and yet, there was a tug. "Please, let me buy you a cup of coffee. It's the least I could do," she said, brushing her hand over her side swept bangs, yet again. A nervous gesture she didn't know she had, since she was rarely nervous.

_{TAG;; LEANDER HAYNES
WORDS;; 762
CLOTHES;; THIS SMEXXAH THANG!, AVALANCHE
LYRICS;; NOT AFRAID//EMINEM
NOTES;; - - -}[/SIZE]

[Leander Vincent Haynes]

Leander often found himself recording his day's events in a journal. He liked to, especially if there was something that was actually semi-interesting. It helped him in more ways than one. First off, it was a good way to vent and store feelings. Bottling things up was never good, especially if you were a writer. It effected the way you physically wrote, which Leander knew only too well. He'd had to force himself to write happy stories on occasion, not ones that ended with everyone dying and the hero being crushed to death by some random car or a magical beam that appeared out of no where. The dark feelings brought dark ideas with them. But, if you're mind was clear and free, you had a better chance of finding something that would not only be interesting but have a real plot and believeable characters to it. That was when Leander wrote the best; when his head was empty of everything but thoughts about the story he was currently trying to compose. He found this often happened after he'd finished his "Diary Entry" for the evening. That was when he was most at peace, and when he was about ready to settle in for the night. Putting everything out on paper or in a word document acted as a broom, and one Leander was very happy he had access to. And, on top of all this, going back and reading the daily entries sometimes proved to be quite hilarious. They also made for good writing material. Sometimes a simple thing like a recorded bit of dialogue resulted in a brainstorm for a brand new story, or even a new scene in an old one. That was a bit reason why he kept a journal, for the personal experiences. Occasionally, they turned out better than the fictional ones. Well, they were the base of the fictional ones, as well, so the more he could remember the more fresh ingredients he had to work with. And could a writer ever pass up a chance for some more of that? Leander sure couldn't. And the whole ten to fifteen minutes it took to write was worth it. Much more productive than watching an extra quarter hour of televesion or playing for awhile with Dexter.

He chuckled richly when she spoke again, giving her a huge and innocent smile. "I would've put up posters and the lot for him, don't worry. You would've eventually gotten him back," Leander said quietly, still grinning. "Besides, I doubt my little Dexter would've liked him much." That was quite true indeed. Dexter would've probably thrown a fit the moment the white furball passed over the threshold of the apartment. Then again, it might've been amusing. And something worth writing amount. Actually, that was a good idea. The dog and the bird. Like, the cat and mouse. Hm... maybe he'd work on developing that into something later. Leander shook his head in an attempt to push all the thoughts back into their respective places. He could come back to them later when he was at home, maybe writing his blog entry for the day. That would be a good time. Then he could describe the young woman before him, too, and relive this quiet moment. The puppy, though, seemed to be more interested in getting himself noticed than his charming owner. "Well, I hope I'm more interesting than the squirrels around here. Probably why he came over," he smirked slightly, running a hand over Avie's fur once more. Leander enjoyed how soft the white coat was, and took a moment to find a few adjectives to describe it. He'd remember them for later when he was writing. "Ah, I see. Are you usually here this early?" he smiled politely. He'd never seen her before around the park. But, then again, he normally wasn't here this darn early. Well, maybe his restless body wasn't a bad thing today.

Leander grinned and laughed softly when the puppy came back over to him after being scooped up by Jack. He lightly ran his hand up and down the puppy's back, smiling more and quickly producing more words to describe the feeling. Bad writer's habit, but one that could be useful. "Nah, that wouldn't be fair. Why should I be rewarded for you dog's choosing me as a play toy?" He grinned brighter, shaking his head gently. "How 'bout I buy us some coffee? I don't think they'll let you inside, anyways, while you've got him," he said smoothly, nodding at the ball of fur.

• • •

WORDS: 818!
TAG: Jay! <3 :)
LOCATION: Wonderland, Central Park
OUTFIT: smexyness hurr!
LYRICS: You should know this!
NOTES: Finally! Sorry that took so long! <33

[Jack Makenzie Greyson]

Jay like any other girl, or person for that matter, who had aspirations of becoming something bigger than they were, kept a journal or diary. Although, Jack's little journal, wasn't all written word like most people. She was good at what she did, and she had always thought since she could form her own opinions that pictures told the story better than a thousand words ever could. She'd started that when she was ten. She was sitting at her desk in her room, trying to put her feelings into words. She hadn't been able to do that, but she also had her portfolio opened. Those pictures spoke to her, and she knew right then that that was the perfect way, for her, to show how she felt; even if she was only showing her journal. Her mother brought her out the next day and bought one of those darling photo albums where you could put a small bit of writing pertaining to each picture, like the date. Which was exactly what she did. At the time she'd thought the camera her parents had bought for her was special, so she called it her special camera whenever she spoke about it. And every night, she would take that special camera, hook it up to the family computer and print a copy of the picture closest to how she was feeling that she'd taken that day. Since she took a dozen or more pictures each day, she had so many to choose from.

Some used words to describe how they felt that day, and others, like Jay, used pictures. Each were creative in their own ways. Maybe Jack could snap a shot of the two men together, Leander and Avalanche. Just the sight of them together warmed the heartstrings in Jack. And she absently wondered how that was possible when they'd only just met. But of course, the park, even in the dead of winter, was a magically beautiful place, where anything could happen. Maybe it was just Jack's romantic side coming out, but that was what she felt. She knew that later that night when she opened the newest edition to her photo album collection, she would look through it and smile at all the pictures. Jack smiled, with a brow raised, “Dexter?” she asked, knowing she was being nosey. It was a bad habit of hers, one of many, only this one she knew about. She assumed it was a pet, but didn't voice that. She wait until she was proven right or wrong and work from there. She wanted to know more about this mysterious man. She didn't know nearly enough, in her opinion. And probably wouldn't settle for anything less than everything. For someone so unafraid to speak her mind, or wear outrageous things, Jack was more than happy to stay in the background of the scene. She was a contradiction, she loved being noticed, but hated being the center of attention. But she never lingered on it long, there was too much life happening around her to think about the inconsequential.

Jack nodded in agreement. He certainly was much more interesting that the squirrels, at least, Jack thought so with a smirk. He would certainly make for a great subject in some of her art; her personal collection. But she wouldn't bring that up right away. She barely knew the man! She couldn't just ask him to play model for her. Although she would ask to take his picture, sitting with Avie. She never took anyone's picture without their consent first. A ton of legal issued tended to get in the way if you didn't; especially in her line of work. She wasn't some P.I after all. “Av loves making new friends,” she said, smiling at Leander. Jack shook her head, pushing her hair out of her face, “Uhh, no,” she said with a laugh. “I'm usually in front of a computer, or in a dark room by now,” she said honestly, thinking she had the former to do when she got to the studio. Thankfully, she could really do her work anywhere, as long as she had a laptop and an internet connection. At least, this mornings work could be done. The other stuff, not so much, but her deadline wasn't for a couple weeks, so she had time to sit in the park with an attractive man and get to know him.

Jack watched her baby play with Leander, and her smile showed her love for the fur ball. Her eyes lifted from the animal to the man when he spoke. She hadn't realized she was staring at the duo, planning several different angles she could capture that image forever from. A brush crept up on her, and she silently wished it would go away. She smiled, nodding her head. Her dark eyes bright. “Alright, I'd like that,” she said. She felt like the moment called for whispering, but she didn't know why; not entirely. “And you're probably right about that,” she said before patting her leg to call Av over to her side. She'd noticed the laptop before, closed in his lap, but she'd set it aside in her mind, concern for her baby overriding her observation skills. She tilted her head to the side, “So, stop me if I'm being nosey, but what brings you to Central Park this morning? You're not dressed for jogging, and you have your computer.” Concern found its way into her chocolate brown eyes. “Are you sure Av didn't interrupt anything important? I'd hate for you to lose your work because he's being too friendly.” she knew how she felt when she had him in her arms while she was working and his paw hit a random button on the keyboard, effectively closing her work out. She still hadn't learned that lesson since she still kept him in her arms while she was doing work. Besides, she knew he just wanted to help her with her work, and she couldn't punish him for being so cute and adorable.

_{TAG;; LEANDER <3 <3 <3
WORDS;; 1 042
CLOTHES;; THIS SMEXXAH THANG!, AVALANCHE
LYRICS;; NOT AFRAID//EMINEM
NOTES;; DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT HUN! IT'S ALL GOOD! LOL WE ALL KNOW HOW LONG IT TAKES ME! XD}[/SIZE]

[Leander Vincent Haynes]

When it had come time for Leander to start planning out his future, he'd never hesitated in choosing journalism. Sure, creative writing held it's charm. It had been nearly irrsistable to Leander, who loved to dive into a world created solely by one person: himself. That had been the aspect that pulled him in in the first place. The idea of creating worlds for a living and being paid to live in them for a period of time seemed like the perfect life to him. It was what he tried to do for his sister, and for himself. He created perfect lives for occasionally cliched characters, ones that both he and his sibling would've loved to lead. Slipping into another pair of shoes presented such a thrill to the trouble teen back then, that Leander could only see himself writing novels for a living. He could clearly see himself ten years from now, curled up in a cozy pent house with his bird and a cup of hot cocoa, pounding away at the worn keys of his laptop as he struggled to get ideas down onto paper as quickly as they entered his always changing mind.

Journalism, though. That was what he'd chosen. The dirtier, most difficult and competitive type of writing. Compared to his stories, it was like night and day. He knew that, and that was why he'd picked it. Being a reporter involved action. Talking to people, interviews, getting involved in real world issues and stating your ideas for everyone else on the planet to view. Story writing, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. You were the creater, the controller, and all the characters rolled up into one mind. With reporting, you only held the key to one head, and it was your own. You had to go out and find your information; you couldn't just make it up and change it whenever you pleased. Solutions didn't appear from sword fights, and damsels weren't magically rescued with a little hard effort and some courage. You were in the actual world, dealing with fights, wars, polution, and who knows what else. That over rode the sweet, candy-like charm of story writing. Leander wanted to be a living, breathing part of the real world, not some name on a book that was less famous than the heros or heroines between the two covers.

That didn't mean he would stop fictional writing, though. He loved it almost as much as journalism, and his sister loved the works that resulted of his creativity. His little bird Dexter was often a distraction from his writing, however. Leander loved the bird to death, but he could be so annoying and demanding on occasion. "He's a parakeet,"" he chuckled softly. "A little ball of feathers who oftens thinks he owns me instead of the other way around," he grinned over at her easily. "I'm sure this one does. Dex, on the other hand. He gets jealous pretty quick," he laughed as he scratched Avie behind the ears again. If his little bird saw him playing around with another creature, there was sure to be a screeching fit that was nearly earsplitting. Leander had experience plenty of those when he forgot to feed or let Dexter out of his cage to roam the apartment as he pleased.

"Ah, but the fresh air's so much nicer than being cooped up in an oily room," he commented quietly, keeping the soft smile on his face. It didn't seem to want to go away for some odd reason. This girl was making him smile like he hadn't for awhile. And she was just sitting there, her perfect little smile, bright eyes, and adorable blush inches away from him. Plus, he'd scored the honor of buying her coffee. He was having a pretty good day already.

When she asked why he was there, he simply shrugged. "I'm a writer, doll. Nothing too out of the ordinary for me to be carrying around a laptop," he smiled again. "Figured I'd get out of the apartment for awhile and work on a piece. But, spending a bit of time with you and the fluff ball sounds like a much better idea," he added charmingly, getting up and tucking his laptop under one arm. He offered her a hand to pull her up, his face lighting up with excitement. This seemed like the perfect chance to make a new friend, one that could actually talk back to him instead of just bark.

• • •

WORDS: 800!
TAG: Jay! <3 :)
LOCATION: Wonderland, Central Park
OUTFIT: smexyness hurr!
LYRICS: You should know this!
NOTES: Short and icky... wonderful. <3

[Jack Makenzie Greyson]

Jack had known since she was six that she wanted to take pictures for a living. Everyone thought she was crazy, knowing what she wanted at such a young age, and doing everything she could to get there. There were people who thought she'd flake by the time she was sixteen and choose something else, something safe; those were the people who didn't know Jack, nor did they really believe in the petite Irish girl. And then there were others who had bets on when she would make it big and have her name in small print on the magazines. Those who said she'd be close to sixteen had one that bet. And that made her laugh because there were only a handful of people who thought she'd get there so soon, and they were her family. Of course, her family had always known how determined and stubborn she was. They knew she'd make it so soon on sheer will alone. It also helped that her father had managed to get her an interview with her now boss. She'd always known and that was just as impressive as her portfolio. The young girl rarely changed her mind when she got something stuck in it. It would take quite a bit of convincing for her to change her mind on anything.

At first, Jay wanted to get into whatever Photography she could. But then as she went to more classes and read up on each individual type, and tried all of them at least once, she realized that there was really only one route she could take. Nature pictures weren't her thing. The next Ansel Adams she was not. She also did not want to get into Photojournalism. She could appreciate the work and the emotions, but she knew she would never be able to convey the same feelings as those few professionals did. Jack knew she could never go to those war ridden countries and cities and snap pictures of the aftermath, while keeping her emotion and mental distance. When she was involved in a project, she was fully involved. Being in some remote country, where bombs were going off every so often, was not appealing in the least. Yes, she could appreciate how scared those people were, but she could never do it herself. Which was saying something since she was an adventurous sort of person. But then, she thought it was more the emotional and mental aspect of that kind of job. She could do it, but afterwards she would never be that bubbly, happy-go-lucky Irish girl again. Jack just wouldn't be Jack, and you can't take away the images that you saw, in the flesh so to speak.

To forget the memories and thoughts, Jay ran her hand over her hair again. Good timing too as some stray pieces were falling into her eyes. At the mention of Dexter being an exotic bird, Jay laughed softly. She understood what he meant. Sometimes she wondered who was really the master and the pet between her and Av. She let him get away with way too much for his own good. He was already a very spoiled animal. He got to spend all day in a flower shop with tons of people around him while she was at school or when she actually had to go into the studio and couldn't take him with her; as much as she would have wanted that. Her boss didn't usually mind when she took Avie along with her but, she did because there was just way too much around the studio for him to get into. She didn't want him accidentally ingesting some of the stop bath or any of the other chemicals for the darkroom. "I wonder about that with me and Av sometimes. He can't talk, but he sure does have me and my parents wrapped around his little furry paw." Not to mention all of her mother's employes at the flower shop and her father's at his Architecture firm.

Jack liked seeing Leander play around with her ball of fur of a pet. And it made her smile thinking about what his little Dexter would do if he happened to see this moment. Would he fake a rather convincing death scene? Or would he just screech until his owner stopped and showed him a little attention. She wasn't entirely sure what was keeping the smile on her face; if it was the man sitting in front of her, or the thought of the tiny bird screeching like crazy because he didn't get his way. Jack had an inkling that it was the man before her that was keeping her sweet smile glued to her face. He was only sitting there, scratching her puppy behind the ears, not something that should make a grown woman blush and smile flirtatiously, and yet here she was, crouched down inches away from him, with a flirty little smile on her face. And she got to spend more time with him thanks to the coffee. It was really sweet of him to offer. There weren't many other men out there in the world quite like this one, and Jack honestly wanted to get to know this man better; much better.

Jay nodded understanding all too well the need to get out of your apartment for work every once in a while. Sadly, hers wasn't a job where she could stay cooped up with; as much as she really wanted to some days. She knew what it was like, carrying around the equipment of her trade. But the weight of her camera in her messenger bag was welcomed. Jay's smile was shy but sweet and the blush she had darkened the slightest bit. There weren't too many people out there that could make the young Irish woman blush.”That sounds lovely,” she said flustered. She didn't know what else to say. She was completely off her game this morning. Jack looked away, down the path a moment, trying to catch her thoughts. When she looked back again, he was standing offering her his hand. Her smile brightened instantly as she accepted his help up. Once on her feet, she took a moment with her other hand to brush herself off, holding the leash tight. “Such a gentleman,” she said softly, her hand still in his.

_{TAG;; LEANDER HAYNES
WORDS;; 1084
CLOTHES;; THIS SMEXXAH THANG!, AVALANCHE
LYRICS;; NOT AFRAID//EMINEM
NOTES;; - - -}[/SIZE]

[Leander Vincent Haynes]

Leander didn't think too much about it when it came to him "acting like a gentleman". He'd been raised to open doors for ladies, or help them into their seats when they were on dates. Well, that, and he'd also spoiled his little sister rotten. She'd been the princess in his life for many years, and he therefore did anything and everything he could for that particular female. He guessed it kind of just... carried over into his adulthood and dating life. Not that any of the young ladies he met seemed to mind one bit. Actually, they seemed to rather like it. He'd grown a bit used to being called polite or old-fashioned, especially if it was his sister speaking. She often tried to "modernize" him by showing him those stupid reality TV dramas she's still so fond of. Endless hours of watching jerky guys break up with beautiful girls over, and over, and over again. It didn't come naturally to Leander, though. He just couldn't be rude, not even if he had reason to. Every difficult situation was turned into a memory for writing, one he knew he'd use eventually. And, trust him, he used his memories for anything and everything. All new experiences were perfect writing muse, and he often loved to venture out on adventures to make sure he had an endless flow of ideas.

Call him conceited, but Leander thought himself to be a little different than the typical guys in New York. He didn't get hammered every other weekend, and he most certainly didn't have a new girl coming back to his apartment each Friday night. His swearing was limited to only when he was either extremely upset, or when he was caught off guard by some thing or another. And, he didn't push women aside every time he walked down a hall. Really, it was quite the opposite. He'd stop and asisst them if needed, carry their books or pick up a pencil they'd dropped. He'd pay for their lunch with his meager amount of spending cash if they'd forgotten their own money. In a way, he was rather too helpful for his own good. But, it was classic Leander. He was a gentleman, had been raised by one, and hoped to raise his own at some point in life. That was hopefully awhile off yet, though. A baby? Now? Even he wouldn't be able to handle that without going nearly insane. He wasn't done being a child himself yet; how the heck could he raise one, especially if the mom decided to ditch? It'd be hell. For the kid, Leander, and Dexter. And possibly Leander's sister, who would probably be begging him to babysit instead of him begging her.

"I think it's the same with all pets. They're just so darn adorable, you can't help falling in love," he chuckled richly, giving Jack another grin. Leander liked seeing her smile, and he'd heard somewhere that smiles were just like yawning. Once one person did it, everyone would be. Not that he was a "go with the flow" kind of guy. But, hey. There were exceptions even he could admit to.

Leander ran his fingers through Avie's soft fur, enjoying the warm tickle and the way the puppy kept trying to lick his hand. Maybe he'd get a dog when he was out of the apartment and living in some house in the countryside after he published his award-winning book series that was yet to be written. Not a big dog... a small one. Like Avie, yes. Shaking himself out of the short resevoir, Leander smiled again at Jack as she seemed to get more flustered by his simple speech. He really did want to hang out with her for awhile. She'd be the perfect heroine in a story; maybe the only one he couldn't solely control himself, and the one that was the most important. He was getting ahead of himself, however. So, instead of day dreaming, Leander focused on keeping Jack's small hand in his larger one. He gave her fingers a gentle squeeze, pulling her along down the sidewalk and back towards the bustle that surrounded the quiet park."What were you working on this morning, hun, that you were out so early?" he asked curiously, smiling down at her and hoping she wouldn't mind his slight nosiness.

• • •

WORDS: 770!
TAG: Jay! <3 :)
LOCATION: Wonderland, Central Park
OUTFIT: smexyness hurr!
LYRICS: You should know this!
NOTES: ZOMG. I actually posted. Aren't you proud?! O: <3

[Jack Makenzie Greyson]

Unlike others her age, Jack couldn't boast watching countless hours of reality television; in fact, she couldn't really boast watching a whole lot of TV at all. She had her favourite movies and shows she watched almost religiously but Jay mostly stuck to books; and her collection was extensive. But those were the extent of her television veiwing, unless she was having a girls' night in with Coop but those didn't happen very often; although Coop was the closest thing to a sister Jay really had. They were partners in crime after all. But Jack's parents had told her how scared they'd been in those first five years of her life, so she knew where they were coming from, not having another child; not adopting another child since they couldn't have children of their own. But Jack's parents had raised a good daughter, they'd taken the time to get to know her and they all put effort into the familial relationship. They were probably even closer than most families because of it. Jack wished she would have had a little brother or sister, but she was happy with her life. If she'd had a sibling, she probably wouldn't have ever been able to do all the things she's done in her life so far. If she'd had a sibling, she didn't honestly know if she would be right where she was right at this moment.

With an attractive man halfway across the world from where she was born and raised- for the most part. The ghost of a smile was on her face at that thought. Fate had a funny way of bringing everything together, didn't it? Jack nodded, agreeing completely. She hadn't even had Avie in her arms and she knew he was the puppy for her. It was love at first sight. she thought it would be the same with a child; her child. She wouldn't be like that woman who cared more about her drugs and alcohol than she did the baby girl she gave birth to. Jack sighed, that woman was nothing more than a carrier. She carried the baby her parents were meant to have for them. And then gave them their dream come true; their own child. Jack didn't know that woman at all, since she overdosed shortly after giving Jack up. These people were her parents, these people who raised her, and taught her right from wrong, who kicked around a soccerball, and watched the game- whichever that may be- on TV, and believed in her with everything they had. Jack thought she would be like them when she had a child of her own. She would love them, believe in them and take care of them like her parents took care of her. But at nineteen, children were low on her list at the moment. After. After she started out in the industry on her own, after she found that perfect man for her, after they were settled and ready. Then. Then would be the perfect time to have a baby.

Jack liked how Avie took to Leander so quickly. He didn't do that very often, so that right there showed Jack that this man, sitting alone in the park writing away was a good man. She hadn't needed the gentlemanly gestures or the sweet smile to tell her, although they didn't go unnoticed either. she liked the feel of her hand in his. It was such a contrast. Her hand so small with it's slim, kind of girly fingers, and his much larger, smooth, certainly stronger; a writer's hand. Oddly, or not so much considering, Jack wanted to take a picture of that; just their hands. The contrast, the winter light playing shadows over their intertwined fingers. His nails clean, hers a wicked shade of green. She smiled as his fingers squeezed her lightly; almost as if a casual, I'm here. She kept pace with him, even though there was quite a bit of difference between the two. She wrapped Avie's leash around her other hand another time, just in case he tried to get away again. "Ah, yes. One of the many perks listed in my job description. Or so I'm told anyway," she said, turning her head up to look into his face. "I was scouting locations for an upcoming photo shoot. An assistants work is apparently never done," she said on a sigh. She couldn't really complain, after all, her now boss had taken her under his wing and taught her everything she couldn't learn in school when she was just sixteen years old. The only reason she was still in University was because she felt as though she needed to be a properly certified Photographer before her career could really begin. She knew the degree or certificate didn't really mean a damn thing, but it made her feel better in any case..

_{TAG;; LEANDER <333
WORDS;; 815
CLOTHES;; THIS SMEXXAH THANG!, AVALANCHE
LYRICS;; NOT AFRAID//EMINEM
NOTES;; I TOTALLY WANTED TO ADD SOMETHING BUT I FORGOT IT AS SOON AS I STARTED TYPING >_<}[/SIZE]

[Leander Vincent Haynes]

Leander smiled comfortably as he walked along with Jay, his large fingers intertwining easily with her soft ones. It felt nice, simple almost, like there wasn't a need for more. He liked it. There was no awkwardness, not even any ill vibes from her that he could detect. In fact, there were sparks tickling his palm and they made Leander shiver on the inside. He'd never felt things like that before. And now, a girl whose name he barely knew was giving him those stupid, silly feelings that only existed in novels. Or so he believed.

He blinked himself back to reality before day-dreams overtook his mind. He couldn't let himself slip up in front of Jack; who knows what would come tumbling out of his mouth! A soft chuckle passed his lips as she turned to look up at him, and he kept the always charming smile on his handsome lips. "Well, look at it this way. One day, you'll be the one with dozens of people lining up at the door to be your assistant, and then you can send them out this early in the morning to run errands for you," he grinned jokingly down at her, giving her hand a light and gentle squeeze. Leander wanted to be that someday. The boss who got to tell everyone else what to do, and he got to sit back with his computer and write his time away. It'd be living the dream. Money enough to buy Chloe her own private beach, to make some special girl of his dreams happy, and to comfortably raise a family. That was Leander's ultimate fairy-tale dream.

A smile played on his lips as he and Jay neared a small Expresso cart. These things were everywhere in New York, probably because of all the "dying" college kids who needed the coffee to revive themselves. Leander had done it plenty of times. Though, he would admit it wasn't a pleasant experience. "What're ya getting, hun?" he beamed at her, eyes flickering back to the cart. The pasteries in the glass display case looked pretty damn delicious to Leander's growling stomach, and the smell was clouding his mind. How was he this hungry already? Shaking his head slightly, he said, "How 'bout we share one of those huge muffins? My stomach's practically growling over here. Writing takes a lot out of ya." Well, it was true. Writing was a very strenuous activity, even if only your fingers were physically working. Your mind was racing, your fingers were typing double-time to try and capture all the thoughts that were swirling around, and you were so engulfed in a story, that sometimes you felt every blow your protagonist did. And, with some of Leander's more intense stories, he was practically exphausted by the time he finally gave his cramping fingers and panting mind a break.

Leander shifted his laptop in his arm, realizing for once how heavy it was. He'd have to start carrying a back-pack with him. Shoving the thoughts away, he played with Jay's fingers lightly, eyes looking over the small menu of drink choices. He wondered what she'd get. The cheapest thing, so he wouldn't be paying too much? Or, maybe she was one of those girls that consistently chose the most expensive thing because he was paying. But, no. She didn't seem like the gold-digging sort. And, besides, not like he had much worth digging for.

• • •

WORDS: 611!
TAG: Jay! <3 :)
LOCATION: Wonderland, Central Park
OUTFIT: smexyness hurr!
LYRICS: You should know this!
NOTES: Eh... I dun like it. But I posted!

[Jack Makenzie Greyson]

It was surprisingly easy to be around this man, who happened to be the next thing to a stranger. She knew next to nothing about him and yet she was more relaxed around him than she'd been in a really long time. More surprising still, was the fact that this man also seemed to be relaxed and enjoying her company. It was too easy to fall into this simple gesture but that didn't stop Jay from feeling like it was perfect. It wasn't awkward as some first meetings were and it made Jay feel all warm; something that had never happened to the petite photographer before. It was certainly something but she liked it. She had to take a deep breathe and bit her lip, or fear her big mouth saying something she didn't mean to say. The stars above were the only ones that knew what would slip from those glossed lips.

She shrugged with an easy laugh. "True enough. That should only take me another million years to accomplish," she shook her head at her own bad joke and watched Av walk ahead of the duo with his tail wagging like crazy and his nose up in the air.Sneaky little bugger, she thought. She closed her eyes a moment and took a deep breathe before opening them again. "I don't know if I'd make them do half of the things my boss has me doing. I like too many different aspects of the job to have someone else do part of it for me." She knew that when she really got out there in the industry and was no longer under his wing, that she'd have to hire someone. There was no way she'd be able to keep a grounded perspective without someone around to help out with the little things. But it was a dream, one she was well on her way to achieving. She wanted to make her parents proud of her, and show them that uprooting their family was the best thing in the long run. They had already known that, but Jay wanted to give them more. She wanted to buy them that house in the Irish Countryside to live in or Vacation in, it didn't matter. She also wanted to a place in Ireland. She wanted to travel the world, she wanted to have a family and raise her children as well as her parents raised her. Not many her age could boast knowing what they wanted in life, and there was Jack with everything figured out and plans to get there... for the most part at least.

At the small espresso cart, Jay looked over the menu. She'd already had her shot of caffeine with the triple espresso Caramel Machiatto. And that was enough for the petite brunette; as it was, she'd probably be wired for sound for the next few hours. She wouldn't need another coffee now unless she decided that she wanted to stay up and work through half the night; then she'd make herself a coffee with the machine her parents bought her when she moved into her apartment. She referred to the stainless steel machine as a high maintenance statue since she barely used it. But the great thing about those little coffee carts in Jay's eyes at the moment, was the fact that they had other things besides coffee! A stupid thing to be thinking about right at that moment, but it was what popped into her mind. Jack shook her head at Leander's question. She was down to two options. Funny how she always managed to do that, and then just picked one at random.

Jack smiled, "Alright. Writing isn't the only thing that takes a lot out of you. Chasing after rambunctious little furballs does too!" she said with a chuckle as she turned her attention back to the little menu board. Then her mind went blank there for a second or two. She wasn't used to holding anyone's hand and having them play with her fingers. It was oddly comfortable and for once she didn't mind holding someones hand. It was almost as if she hadn't even realized their hands were still intertwined; it made her smile and her already rosey cheeks brighter. "I think I'm going to have a green tea," she said turning away from the menu to look up into those stunning blue-green pools with that bright smile permanently glued to her lips. She nudged him lighty, flirty, "And what about you?" she asked, being nosey again.

Leander's adjustment of his laptop didn't go unnoticed and Jay knew how heavy those things were, normally having to cart one around herself. she was probably as used to it as he was, but she kept hers in her bag. She hadn't brought her computer with her that day, since she was going to the studio and she had one there that she could use. "Give me that, will you?" she said, pointing to his laptop with the leash-circled hand. "I've got a bottomless pit at my side that could carry that for you," she said, referring to her messenger bag. She kept everything in there and was seriously afraid when it came time to switch it out because she wanted to use a different bag. "Beisdes, you've helped me out so much today and it's not even noon. And you're going to hurt your wrist."

_{TAG;; LEANDER <333
WORDS;; 905
CLOTHES;; THIS SMEXXAH THANG!, AVALANCHE
LYRICS;; NOT AFRAID//EMINEM
NOTES;; <3}[/SIZE]

[Leander Vincent Haynes]

Part of Leander began to wonder, was this what Romeo was feeling when he first saw Juliet? Sure, Leander wasn't currently gawking at Jack and comparing her to heaven knows what in a tongue as unfamiliar as Greek, but he did have those nervous butterflies that he'd presently only read about in books or seen in movies. But, he had to remember that this was no play on a brilliantly lit stage. This was real life, where fairy tales and love at first sight didn't exist. Or, at least, people kept saying that they weren't supposed to. Leander was starting to think they were wrong, and fast. If it didn't exist, why was he practically tripping over himself in front of Jay? Why was his heart fluttering so much? Why were there sparks flickering throughout his body from their innocent hand holding? There was only one answer: love at first was real. And Leander no long had to envision it only in his mind.

"A million years? Nah, you've gotta be better than that, hun. I'm sure it won't be long. Lady Luck has to be kind to such a fair young lady," he smiled charmingly down at her, his lips quirking into a bit of a cocky smile. Leander could use his words well, though he didn't write poetry for a living. The thoughts about old-timey plays were getting to his head, however. That was why he had complimented her so elegantly. Right? Or was she just driving his romance loving heart into overdrive, and therefore bringing out a side of "flirting" that Leander had never known he had? Well, not that he flirted. Frankly, he thought he sucked at that. But, she hadn't seem to run away from him yt, so maybe he wasn't half bad afterall. Or, maybe, she was being extremely polite. Yeah, it was probably that. "Ah, that's being selfish. Let them have their turn at coffee runs and paperwork, too," he teased, chuckling softly as he looked down at her again. It seemed like he couldn't keep his eyes off her. She was so beautiful, and it kept making him want to look again, memorize every line and curve of her gorgeous face. How could one, only one, young lady be that goddamn beautiful?

He laughed softly at her chasing puppies. Leander had noticed that she'd been running awful quickly over to him when Avie had first found him. Not that he really cared, however. He had been much more caught up in her that what she was actually doing at the first moment he saw her. "I'll bet. That's why I have a bird. The little scamp can't get too far before I catch him," he smirked while she continued to look over the menu. Leander still couldn't hold back the curiousity as to what she'd get. In his eyes, it was kind of a test. If she ordered the most expensive, most complex drink on the planet, she might turn out to be one of those rich girls who thought themselves the Queen of all Bitchiness. If she ordered something simple, maybe cheap or average priced, she was more grounded and down to earth. More his kind of girl.

Leander grinned at her answer, nodding thoughtfully. Well, she passed his test. Things were looker even more rose tinted and brighter. "A hot chocolate with extra whipped cream on top," he smirked, biting the inside of his lip and bumping her shoulder back playfully in return. Truthfully, Leander didn't mind that she was "nosey". He was training to become a professional at it, so he'd long ago grown used to people asking him questions. And it wasn't like he had anything to hide. Not even his sister cared too much when she found out he'd spilled their past to one of his closer friends. Leander had nothing to be ashamed of, and he'd learned long ago that keeping secrets only led to bigger, and more deadly, lies.

"You sure?" he asked, gently raising an eyebrow at her. Leander didn't want to dump it on her if she couldn't carry it herself, though the bag would definitely make it easier. But, then he had an excuse to carry her tea and their muffin. Almost reluctantly, he handed over his laptop, his baby, and pulled out his wallet with his now freed hand. "I haven't done anything but be polite. And, I carry it around so much, my arm's gotten more than used to it," he shrugged with a smile still on his lips. His fingers slipped free of hers for a short second while he ordered their things and pulled the cash out of his wallet, gradding his change and tucking everything away once more. He got their things, giving the guy a smile before turning back to Jay and turning his warm grin on her. "Where're we sitting, hun?"

[/b][/blockquote][/blockquote]

• • •

WORDS: 833!
TAG: Jay! <3 :)
LOCATION: Wonderland, Central Park
OUTFIT: smexyness hurr!
LYRICS: You should know this!
NOTES: High five for decent reply! xD

[/justify][/size]

[Jack Makenzie Greyson]

Jack's stomach jumped with the nervous excitement of butterflies. It was stunning almost, and completely unrealistic. After all, everyone said that love at first sight wasn't supposed to exist. That fairytales were just stories to put little kids to bed with happy thoughts. She knew otherwise. Of course, she was a hopeless romantic, and she was also cheering on the underdog in any situation. She never thought it would happen to her in a million years, because it just never happened to you. It always happened to a friend of a friend and so on, but never to you. But, even if these sparks and the butterflies meant something different, she'd still say that true love, fairytales, all of it, it all existed and was just waiting on the perfect two people to meet. She felt the sparks from their intertwined hands, and felt a thrill of excitement course through her veins. If this turned out not to be the stuff of fairytales, she'd still hold the feeling close. Because it was as close as she'd ever gotten to it; and it was marvellous. She felt like she was in one of those stories she read. Her hands hands were just a little bit shakey, her heart was racing so fast if it were a car, it would've been pulled over already. She was giddy, and blushing and although she usually had a smile on her face, this one was brighter. She had to be careful with her thoughts, or soon enough she'd turn into a walking cliche. Although, she didn't think she'd mind that, if dreams became reality.

Jack smiled. She enjoyed the gentlemanly flirtations. The slightly older English mixed with the new. She didn't hear that enough and she liked it. "Well, I don't want to toot my own horn as you Yanks say, but I'm fairly decent," she said shrugging it off. She'd been praised time and again on her work but she didn't see a big deal in it. It was her passion and getting praised for something she loved to do and would have done either way, seemed unnecessary. She said the proper thank yous when she needed to, but other than that, brushed it off. It had ever only mattered what her parents and then her boss thought. She wanted to make her parents proud and her boss was her boss. He was the one paying her to take pictures and edit them. If he didn't like them, she was out of a job! Of course, she did have enough money saved up that if she did get fired, and decided that she didn't want to work for someone else anymore, she could. But Jack didn't think she had quite enough contacts yet. In a couple more years, then she'd be ready to take on the world! Or, at least the industry. Jay laughed, looking up at the man towering over her, though that wasn't hard to do. "Yeah, maybe. They can be the ones up at the crack of dawn to make sure the paperwork is filed for the magazines by nine am. But I'll keep being up and at the park for the sunrise to myself. It's quiet and the view of the city is incredible," she said on a whisper of a sigh. She'd only had to be up and out that early a handful of times, but she loved it.

Jack laughed, agreeing. "I bet it's still a pain to do though," she said, laughing. When she'd been younger, her parents had every intention of getting Jack a little budgie or something. Then they went to the Pet store and they'd seen the cutest little puppy. Forget about Jack falling head over heels for the little yorkie, her mother did and managed to talk her father into getting him instead. Sadly, they'd had to put Boston down a few short years after making the move to New York. But for her eighteenth birthday, she'd gotten Avalanche and couldn't have been happier. Happy with her plan of drink action, Jay waited to hear what Leander would order for himself. Would it be regular coffee? Or some outrageously complicated specialty coffee like hers that morning. Admittedly, she did need the caffiene to get through since she was up earlier than she'd planned. But with it now in her system, she didn't need any more. It made her smile and let out a small laugh. And she was worried that her drink of choice would have him saying something. "Interesting choice," she said thoughfully. The young photographer wouldn't have pegged the man for hot chocolate. Probably the writer aspect, had her stereotyping. And she certainly wasn't one to stereotype... Miss Irish. Her blood was as green as the isle.

At his uncertainty, jack just nodded her head, unzipped the big pocket and held her free hand out after she unraveled the leash and shoved her hand through the loop at the end. "Absolutely," she said, moving her fingers in a 'hand it over' gesture. She smiled at him, shaking her head. "It was still more than a lot of people would do," she said as she carefully slipped his prized possession into the back of her bag, against her leg. At the question, Jack looked around for a bench or something and spotted one just a handful of steps away. "There's a bench right there," she said raising her hand towards the free seat with a flirty smile. As she started over, she adjusted Av's leash so there'd be plenty if he didn't want to sit, or lay down and she didn't have to worry about spilling caulding hot tea over herself. At the bench, she curled herself up into a ball, with just her toes off the edge of the bench and her knees up against her chest. It was a plus to being so small, she could curl herself up anywhere and be comfortable.

_{TAG;; LEANDER <333
WORDS;; 993
CLOTHES;; THIS SMEXXAH THANG!, AVALANCHE
LYRICS;; NOT AFRAID//EMINEM
NOTES;; <3}[/SIZE]