(no subject)

[nina-drake.insanejournal.com]

Characters: Nimue and Ascpleius
Date/Time: (backdated) Sept 4-5
Location: Around Seattle at first then Nimue's
Rating: Let's start with R
Warnings: Cuteness and sexual content
Summary: It's somebody's birthday!



It was Asclepius' birthday. It wasn't his weekend to have his daughters, and Nimue had plans. Plans within plans, if you want to be cliche about it. But just in case something had changed and he did in fact have his daughters her plans included a bit of work on his part. If he was too occupied he would be able to refuse, but if not...

The plot began with an email to him that went as so:

Go here and talk to Lydia.




[*lyrics: Happy Birthday - Marilyn Monroe]

Comments

[ieter-amumon.insanejournal.com]

It was his 34th birthday. The girls weren't with him this weekend, so they would do the joint birthday for him and Haley both next weekend. Asclepius wasn't surprised to get the birthday email from Nimue, but the contents were a bit puzzling. Still, he had nothing else planned for the day.

Hopping in his car, he headed to the location she had named and walked in, admittedly feeling a little at a loss.

"Excuse me," he said to the nearest staff member, "I'm looking for someone named Lydia...?"

[nina-drake.insanejournal.com]

The young woman turned with a polite smile. A pentacle hanging at the level of her collarbone became immediately apparently as that polite smile changed to a bright smile. "Oh! You have to be the doctor." Something about that made her giggle a little as she beckoned him to follow her with her fingers. "I'm Lydia and we have been expecting you."

She walked to the counter with the register and a jar of church keys, crouching down behind it. "We have everything ready." When she stood she held a basket wrapped in transparent seran wrap of a dark red color. It contained two bottles of wine, one Pinot Noir and one Reisling, along with some blocks of cheese. "This is for you. Further instructions are in the envelope."

Said envelope was tied to the basket with a ribbon. Inside was a photo with a note:

Go to the customer service desk here.



"Happy Birthday!" Lydia offered in a pleasant if chipper voice.

[ieter-amumon.insanejournal.com]

"Oh, thank you," he said, a bit bemused by the basket, but he was nonetheless gracious. "And that is a lovely necklace, by the way."

Looking inside the envelope didn't help his confusion, but he went to the location specified, and, leaving the wine-and-cheese basket in his car, walked up to the customer service desk.

[nina-drake.insanejournal.com]

Pike Place Market is a bustling place of high activity, but if you are looking for it, you could find it here.

At the customer service desk was a rustic looking man who seemed to have stepped right off of a crab boat. He nodded to Asclepius as he walked up to the counter. "Doc. Gotcher stuff all set."

He turned to a desk behind him and came back with another gift basket from the Perennial Tearoom (http://perennialtearoom.com/index.aspx) containing a box of loose Golden Lily Oolong tea, a box of loose English Breakfast tea with a smiley face drawn on it and a couple of owl mugs. (http://perennialtearoom.com/images/products/display/BrownOwlMug.JPG) In his other hand he had a box of chocolate cheesecake truffles (http://www.theconfectional.com/cheesecake_truffles/) from The Confectional. Another note was attached to the basket of teas.

"Happy Birthday, doc." The man smiled and a Thor's Hammer could be seen on a leather thong around his throat.

The note had another photo and another note:

Now find this, darling.

[ieter-amumon.insanejournal.com]

"Thank you."

He was practically juggling packages as he looked at the last note. He checked the time--the store would be closed by now, so he assumed Nimue would be home.

Loading everything up, he headed over to her place and rang the bell.

[nina-drake.insanejournal.com]

When she opened the door it was with a clever smirk on her face and the smell of smoked salmon wafting out from behind her.

"Oh good. You ran the errands."

[ieter-amumon.insanejournal.com]

"Is that what you call it these days?" he teased. "I didn't know I'd be delivering my own presents."

Asclepius grinned.
"It's good to see you, Nina."

[nina-drake.insanejournal.com]

The kiss lifted her smile and she glanced over her shoulder at him. "As per your request I have avoided scrying or trying to master the use of fire."

She lifted up to snitch a kiss then wriggled free to tend to the vegetables.

[ieter-amumon.insanejournal.com]

"And that's certainly a relief to me. I'd hate for things to turn worse than when I had to break in to rescue you," he said.

[nina-drake.insanejournal.com]

"I maintain that it hadn't been my fault and if I had had more information it wouldn't have happened." She got a wry smirk on her face as she flapped her hand at him. "Go. Sit. I'll bring everything."

[ieter-amumon.insanejournal.com]

"And I can't help but worry when the woman I care about is putting herself in danger," he countered, but he went to go and take a seat at her table.

[nina-drake.insanejournal.com]

Her smirk became fond as she served up the asparagus then brought the plates into her small dining room. It might have been bigger except that she had it filled with plants, flowers and herbs. What decorations she had were all Autumn colors with strings of lights woven cleverly around in soft yellows and oranges. They complimented the candles she had lit on the small, two seating table as well.

"You are very sweet." She smiled at him as she brought in the plates, kissing his head as she placed his before him. There was a hint of the suggestion that she would only be so accomodating to caution for only so long.

[ieter-amumon.insanejournal.com]

"I try," he quipped before taking a bite. "Mmm. You have been practicing. This is exquisite," he said.

[nina-drake.insanejournal.com]

"And that," she smiled up at him with a warmth in her eyes as she tapped his lips with a fingertip, "answers your question."

[ieter-amumon.insanejournal.com]

He gave her a roguish grin.
"And, yet, you seem to want me to do things to you that are decidedly ungentlemanly," he teased.

[nina-drake.insanejournal.com]

She returned his grin with one of her own and gave a small writhe against him for good measure.

"Absolutely!"

[ieter-amumon.insanejournal.com]

"Well, can't argue with that, can I?" he said, chuckling. "Come on, then."

He scooped Nimue up in his arms as if she were one of his daughters and carried her into the bedroom.

[nina-drake.insanejournal.com]

She let out with a small sound of surprise when he lifted her off her feet then laughed as she put her arms around his shoulders.

"See now I could get very used to this." She chuckled then stole a kiss from him.

[ieter-amumon.insanejournal.com]

"And which part are you referring to?" he asked after the kiss, gently setting her down on the bed.

[nina-drake.insanejournal.com]

She had awakened before he had by design, and she might be guilty of casting a little spell of sleep on Asclepius to keep his asleep for a little while longer. She would never admit to it unless asked, however.

Regardless, the smell of breakfast complete with coffee and tea preceded her into the bedroom. When he opened his eyes she was wearing his shirt and carrying a lap tray.

"Good morning."

[ieter-amumon.insanejournal.com]

"More birthday surprises?" he asked, smiling at her a little blearily as he sat up.

[nina-drake.insanejournal.com]

She chuckled and sat on the edge of the bed beside him, waiting until he sat up comfortably to place the tray.

"Birthdays are for spoiling people."

[ieter-amumon.insanejournal.com]

"If so, I'm dying to know what you do for holidays," he teased.

"But this looks lovely. Thank you, Nina."

[nina-drake.insanejournal.com]

She chuckled as she settled the tray then moved to the other side of him so she could lean against him.

"Yule is my favorite holiday. I admit going overboard."

[ieter-amumon.insanejournal.com]

"Really? Not Samhain?" he asked, starting in on his breakfast.