Ineffable Serendipity [JT]

Guest

Nodding at her explanation, he offered her a smile. It made sense, somehow, that Tess didn't eat the very creatures she adored. He didn't have the same problem -- he may have it in his blood to protect the ocean, but eating fish was just a part of life. Still, it suited Tess that she would cut out seafood from her diet, and his smile was gentle and friendly, almost endearing as he mulled over the menu, trying to figure out what would be the nicest dish.

"It is," he said, in response to her comment. "All their pasta dishes are nice; it depends whether you like cream sauce, tomato, or a pesto." Pausing, he reached over to turn the menu open before her, stopping at a page and pointing to one of the dishes. "They do a fantastic baked lemon chicken, too, he explained, forgetting for a moment that his training suggested he point out the salads; Tess wasn't a typical Pureblood lady in the best possible way.

"The lemon," he went on, leaning back in his seat and frowning for a split second as he tried to recall the exact information, "on Capri is different, somehow. Someone once tried to explain the science to me but-" He chuckled, shaking his head, "-I couldn't comprehend it. Something to do with acidity and soil and weather... In any case, the lemons here have a sweet aftertaste to it, beneath all the sour. That's why our limoncellos are among the best -- it's natural sweetness versus sugar for taste."

As he finished, it dawned on him he'd been ranting for the last minute about lemons, and rubbed at the back of his neck. He seemed to be doing that quite a lot, with Tess -- both being awkward and ranting -- and he didn't quite know why. "That is to say, the lemon baked chicken is good," he reiterated, trying to salvage whatever bits of proper conversation he had left. "But so is the pasta."

Guest

He was definitely a regular at this restaurant. She could tell by the mere fact that he was very interested in giving her different options of food. But she didn't want to seem to be a glutton by admitting that she just wanted pasta and cheese. She loved cheese and that was genuinely something she could never get bored over.

"I think the Ravioli capresi is fine" she said smiling softly a bit amused at his detailed explanation.

Her humor grew only more as she realized that he was genuine about his love of lemons. She covered her mouth for a second, the mirth was clear in his mind. The moment he paused, she found herself laughing softly at the awkwardness of it all.

"Lemons...didn't know they were so special" she said seriously before laughing.

As their food came and they found themselves properly taking in their dinner, she found that their conversation flowed naturally. She found herself enjoying her meal, feeling comfortably and making a memorable friend. Throughout the day she found herself to be relaxing and being more like herself.

Guest

Nodding at her choice, he called over a waiter, adding his own order to it. Originally, he wanted to go for the seafood platter, but with Tess not liking it, he wasn't sure if he wanted to. Of course, he knew that just because someone didn't like something didn't mean he couldn't have it, but he wasn't sure if she'd appreciate it, and so, instead, he settled for the baked lemon chicken; it had always been one of his favourites.

Her joke finally brought a proper light blush to his cheeks, making them glow a light pink, although it could've been mistaken for the rays of sunset reflecting off their surroundings. "They are here on Capri," he said, seriously, nodding once as if to affirm this. Then, he broke into a grin. "My apologies; I don't know what came over me. I got... distracted in thought. You did say you wanted to hear me talk more, did you not?" he added, teasing her, in turn. "And now you know far more about the Capri lemons than you ever expected. You're welcome, by the way. Please rate my random facts service a ten out of ten, and recommend me to your friends."

The food came not too long later, and as Jesse ate, conversation moved on. It was natural, almost, and he no longer cared about how he looked. Truth be told, it was probably the nicest evening he had in a while, with a good friend, good food, and good views. Long after their plates were cleared, they sat, sipping their drinks -- what round was that? -- and chatting about nothing and everything.

It was a while later that Jesse looked around and noted that the other tables were cleared and people were all leaving. Glancing at the clock on the wall, he was startled to notice that it was nine; had they really spent so many hours there? Motioning to Tess, he stood, placing a gentle hand on her back as he lead her out; it came naturally, and he hadn't realised he was doing it until they were halfway out. The bill was already taken care of; Jesse had a tab there that he paid monthly. Such was the benefits of being a regular.

At they stood on the almost empty streets, Jesse turned to her, smiling. "Thank you for the pleasure of your company," he said. He was just about to ask if he could walk her home -- and where her home was -- when from seemingly out of nowhere the other witch appeared, and grabbed onto Tess' arm.

"Bitch, there you are. I missed you. We have that thing on, did you forget?" she said, turning to smile at Jesse. "Hope you two had fun and stayed safe," she added. "I'll take her off your hands now."

Guest

If she was anyone else, she would have considered this a date, But she wasn't, she was Tess who was incredibly naive towards the opposite sex. But she found herself to be enthralled by his stories even if they were a bit silly if not dorky. She was even leaning forward when she too found it to be nightfall. She hadn't even noticed when the sun had set much to her surprise.

It was a nice evening and she was a bit sad that it was over. Though, as she felt his hand on her back she found herself blushing at his forwardness. Still, she knew he did not do it with malice or expectations so she allowed him, pretending she didn't notice it. Still, the waiter that was closing up sent a wink their way, making her turn pinker if possible.

Their walk towards the small streets was a nice one. Their conversation had died down, but it was a comfortable one. Their pace was slow; it was clear neither one wanted the night to end. But as the chill began to hit the island and he began to talk she found herself really looking at him. His eyes were bright and his smile was charming. She found herself wondering why she never noticed it before. Perhaps it was the night sky helping him seem more....seem different. She couldn't place it.

"It was definitely a memorable day" she murmured softly.

They were close to one another, his hand still resting comfortably on her back and she had found herself leaning closer to the cold. She was in the midst of asking him something when an all too familiar voice interrupted them.

"Bitch, there you are. I missed you. We have that thing on, did you forget?" She had no clue what the girl was talking about but she found herself snapping out of whatever bubble they were in to stare at Cordelia who looked much too pleased. Blushing she found herself stepping away from Jesse with a bit of an apologetic look. "Hope you two had fun and stayed safe," she added. "I'll take her off your hands now."

"Give me a second Cor" she murmured.

Moving away from the girl she took Jesse's hand softly and looked up at him. "Jesse, I've never had such a magical experience before.. The corals.. the..sights...I..."leaning up she found herself kissing his cheek before whispering "Thank you for everything Jesse"

Stepping back she shyly waved at him before apparating with her friend. It was when they reached the villa that she found herself shocked at her fowardness. But then again what did it matter? She wouldn't see him again and it was a nice warm feeling in her chest. That very night she dreamt of those mermaids and the smile on the boy's face.

Guest

For many seconds after she kissed him, Jesse dare not -- could not -- speak. By the time he gained control over his tongue enough to whisper, "You're welcome, Tess," she had gone, leaving him alone on the street. Raising a hand, he gently touched his cheek where her lips had been, breath catching as he relived it mentally. Normally, he would've been irritated at the audacity of someone to do it; this wasn't normal. Instead, all it did was make his insides burn with an emotion he couldn't identify.

Eventually, he pulled himself together long enough to move.

He didn't go home. Not yet. Instead, he walked down the empty streets, hands in his pocket and a thoughtful expression on his face. Once he was in a private street and knew it was safe, he apparated to a private section of beach his family owned. For nearly an hour he walked up and down the sand, just at the edge, allowing occasional waves to lap gently at his feet. Every so often he stopped to turn and stare out at the open ocean, two moons -- one above and one below -- staring back at him, endless stars twinkling and winking from millions of years away.

He'd always seen the unknown as too much of a risk. Sure, he enjoyed things that brought the thrill and rush that certain things brought, but those were always calculated risks, things that he could control if need be. The ocean was unpredictable and wild and new, and represented everything Jesse hated. And yet... Tess had been just that -- fresh and new and nothing he had ever expected. And, if he were being honest, he hadn't minded it. More than that, he had enjoyed it, enjoyed the evening and the conversation.

Thinking back on his day -- something he'd always done to figure out what worked, what hadn't, and how he could do better the next time -- Jesse frowned. There were so many things he'd done that he didn't understand, so many emotions he couldn't place. It was like joy, but there was also a hint of apprehension. There was a rush, but at the same time things had slowed down; time had held no meaning.

There was a warmth inside him as he thought of Tess, but also a chill, a tingling that made its way up his spine and disappeared somewhere around his chest. He wanted to laugh, not because anything was funny, but because he was just so... so happy, but at the same time there was a sobriety lurking at the edges of it all, whispering things he didn't understand. What was happening to him? All he knew was that he wanted to spend ... not just another hour or day, or even week. No, he wanted that feeling to last forever -- and if Tess brought that, then forever with her it was.

What did that mean? Jesse didn't know. But as the tides began their changes and the moon slowly inched across the water, the answer came: Matteo. His best friend would be back... tomorrow? Today? Jesse didn't know the time. The twenty-third, in any case. If anybody could help Jesse figure out what in the name of Merlin's beard was going on, it was Matt.

Finally, Jesse returned home, taking a quick shower and changing before climbing into bed. For a long time, though, Jesse didn't sleep, instead staring at the ceiling of his room and thinking about Tess -- her laugh, her expression when she'd seen the corals and the mermaids, her ... everything. Soon, he would get his answer; soon, he would figure out what it all meant. But for now, he was satisfied with the image of Tess filling his mind and the smile it brought to his face.