Waiting (Jake & Veronika)

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Veronika checked her watch.

Since Adrienne was born, she'd been having a tough time regaining equilibrium in her life. Whether it was from the odd work hours, the separation anxiety from Ivan whenever he was at his play-school dates, or even just from missing her husband too desperately. Speaking of husband, she'd been desperate to catch him awake and early for the longest time. She understood his troubles, knew why the Ministry needed him so often, but she was longing for even just a seldom moment of seeing him. Now, Veronika knew that the first year of marriage was the hardest for a young couple, except she'd never been more sure of anything more than she was sure of Jake. She'd had men smile at her in the grocery store, only for her to frown as they could clearly see the baby in her arms and the spit-up trailing down her shoulder. She pulled her hair into a high-ponytail as she hummed around the apartment. A weekend was approaching, and she figured that as long as Andy was sleeping soundly in the crib and Ivan was snoring on the window seat next to her, that maybe she'd catch her husband for a bit.

She'd started drinking coffee at 10PM, and she was now just patiently waiting for her husband to come home. It was now 11:56PM, and she had no expectations about what time he was supposed to be home. She knew it was likely that he wouldn't be home till after 12:30PM, but she had no qualms against waiting that long. Her parents were to be over tomorrow morning anyway to give an extra hand, since they were off as well. Soon her papa would be retiring just to be an extra hand, and she had some things she wanted to talk to about with Jake.

And well, if they did more than talking she wouldn't be opposed.

She continued working on her laptop, a muggle invention she was grateful for, as she looked through site after site for toys and trinkets for Andy and Ivan. She opened up her photos application on her laptop and felt tears collect in her eyes as she stared at the pictures there. The folders were separated by age: from Ivan's first year to his second, to his third, from Adrienne's first month to now. Six months. Six long months, but finally, her baby started to feel accustomed to their home. Veronika hoped she'd have a daddy's girl, someone to always rely on. She was a daddy's girl, but mostly because she had nothing but dad's. She wanted to be that feminine inspiration in her daughter's life, and yet she had no clue where to begin. She stared though at the clothes she had on her wishlist to purchase for Adrienne, smiling as she thought of how cute her little angel of a girl was going to look.

After sometime she checked her watch again, it now read 12:45AM, she winced. She started to worry. She didn't know what time exactly her husband got home, but something felt weird in her gut. She didn't want to even think about what it meant that he wasn't home yet, so she put in some headphones and started to watch a sweet movie called, Marley & Me. She smiled as it started, keeping her eyes on the baby monitor balanced on the edge of the sofa as she sprawled herself out on the couch. Waiting wasn't so bad.

Not when the person she loved was the one she was waiting for.

Subject: Re: Waiting (Jake & Veronika) Mon Nov 21, 2016 5:58 am

The day had been dead end after dead end for the Auror team. None of the leads they'd found or been given had come up with anything they could use and it was frustrating. As an Auror, though, Jake could not allow frustration to cloud his mind. It was dangerous. And dangerous thoughts could mean he didn't come home.

Something he would never allow Veronika to go through.

Wiping the dirt from his face in the Auror changing facilities at the Ministry, Jake let out a small sigh. Another day, and they were no further forward in finding the children who'd been taken from the school. Clenching his fist around the wash cloth, Jake took a few moments of tension to fill his body before letting out a long slow breath. His head needed to be clear before he left.

Ministry problems would not take precedence in his family home.

Changing in to a fresh white T-shirt and jeans, Jake picked up his bag of washing and headed for the floo network. With a quick security check finished, Jake stepped in it to the fireplace at just gone 1am and stepped out in to the living room. Unlike most evenings, though, the sofa was taken up. Veronika.

A smile grew on Jake's lips at the sight of his wife being up - his stress seemingly disappearing from his shoulders as he placed his bag down and moved to the sofa. For once he was relieved she was still awake, because Merlin he missed her. Tomorrow he'd be free for the day, something he'd only found out that day. So staying up was not going to be an issue.

"Hello beautiful." Jake greeted his wife, moving across to the sofa and leaning down to press a kiss to her lips. His hands moved to her cheeks cupping them slightly before taking the earphones off. "You didn't have to wait for me. But, I am so relieved that you picked tonight." Jake explained, stealing another kiss before setting himself down on the sofa beside Veronika.

"Are you okay?" Jake asked softly as he put his arm around his wife. "Children went to bed okay for you?"

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~ In a Relationship ~ 36 ~ Father ~ 6' ~ American Accent ~

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Veronika had finally hit the part in Marley and Me when they had their son, and she smiled fitfully at the scene. The movie always made her happy, if not a little sad near the end. Sadly, she related too much to the scene after the woman miscarried. She felt slightly better knowing that she’d never lost any of her children, because she wasn’t sure she could take the heartbreak. When it came to Ivan though, remembering the trauma of his birth, and the idea that she’d lost him, had scared her just as much as the idea of never meeting him.

She missed Jake. She had a running list of ideas in her head for dates, but she didn’t know when she’d be able to implement them. Some of her favorites were with him, whether it was curling up on him with Ivan between them as they watched a kid-friendly movie for him or sprawling out on opposite sides of the couch with their feet lightly hitting each other as Ivan played with his toys on the ground. There were little things like when Jake remembered the nursing blanket when she forgot it and they ate dinner in public. Letting her use his cashmere sweaters after Adrienne would spit up on her and she’d forget an extra shirt for herself. The small things always totaled up.

These days, she hardly thought of life before Jake. It pained her in some ways to remember Ivan Sorokin, because some days, unless she opened up the folders on her laptop, she couldn’t even remember his face. She’d talked about this with Teresena, and she’d assuaged the guilt with a gentle touch to the shoulder. She’d told her the past was behind her, and that although her ex was a big part of that past, it wasn’t what was important. Her family was what was important. And these days, she missed her husband the most in her family.

“Jake!” She exclaimed, grinning at the soft kiss pressed to her lips, she lifted herself up on her elbows as her cupped her cheeks, closing her eyes and taking him in. Her heart soared in glee as she felt fulfilled once again by her husband’s presence. She lifted her arms around his neck, and pressed another kiss to his lips before he sat down next to her. She pouted at the distance between them when he sat down next to her and instead chose to crawl into his lap, loop her arms around his torso, and press her nose into his collarbone, effectively tucking herself into him. “I missed you, so of course I waited for you. I wanted to,” she murmured, feeling her heart relieved that he was safe.

“The children are angels, and Adrienne almost knew that her mommy needed to see her daddy, so she made little to no fuss,” she beamed proudly, “and how is Adrienne’s daddy tonight?” She lifted her hand softly to press her palm against his cheek, her fingers gently tracing his jawline. Her voice turned soft as she said, “I know you’re working hard, just know that I’m right here. I’m home baby, waiting for you, the babies and I, and we miss you.” She lifted her lips for another kiss.

Subject: Re: Waiting (Jake & Veronika) Mon Nov 21, 2016 7:13 pm

Jake's smile only grew as Veronika told him she'd wanted to stay up for him. It didn't matter how many times Veronika would say such things, the soft I love yous, the I missed yous, the want to do things together, Jake would always feel the swell of his love for Veronika in his chest. "Thank you." Jake whispered against her lips. She likely wouldn't ever know how much these small gestures meant to him after a long day, but he could attempt to make her see his gratitude.

As Veronika made herself comfortable in his lap, Jake wrapped his arms around his wife's small frame, holding her close to him and allowing another wave of relief to wash over him.

The information on the children made Jake smile with pride. Their children were perfect, in every single way. "I'm glad they went down okay. I'm sorry I wasn't here to help you again." Jake whispered in to his wife's hair in that moment. It hurt, not being able to cherish the moments of Adrienne's baby months like he had as much with Ivan, but, Jake knew that he was keeping her from harm in his absence from their home. So, he tried very hard not to feel guilty about it. Even if it didn't always work. "We'll have to hope she doesn't wake then, hmm?" Jake added with a soft laugh.

"I'm... tired." Jake admitted softly, pressing a kiss on the top of Veronika's head. "But, I'm happy to have this moment with you, so sleep can wait." He assured, moments before Veronika's reassuring words met his ears. The guilt he felt for not being home touched his features for a moment, before he leant down to press a kiss to Veronika's lips, savouring the moment.

"I know you're here. And, I'm very grateful that you're so patient with me. I can't even begin to think this is easy for you. But... I'm doing the right thing. Protecting our little family. Aren't I?" The question slipped past Jake's lips before he could stop himself. It was his overly tired mind questioning whether he should be home more often. Jake knew there was no other way. But... in that moment, he needed his wife's assurances.

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~ In a Relationship ~ 36 ~ Father ~ 6' ~ American Accent ~

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Veronika couldn’t really picture how married life was going to be, besides the fact that it was supposed to be rough. Her fathers never made it look nor sound easy. The one thing she knew was constant, that would never change is that they did indeed love each other. Of course over the years, temptation and time would wear her parents down. It would best her father, Max, and almost tear them apart.

Still, her dad, Tristian, was resilient.

He and Max would go to counseling, leave on couples cruises, and do everything in his power to keep them together. Veronika knew that her dad would say it was because he wanted to keep a good front for their colleagues, but she knew the truth. Veronika knew that her father, as a Capricorn, was a stubborn but loving man. He didn’t have it in him to not work past the bad. And her father, Maxwell, as a Pisces, was also one to work past the bad. Sometimes, it still effected them. At her wedding, her little sister did everything she could to avoid talking to Max and he paid her the same respect. But Tristian, he went out of his way to talk to Gabriella, to make her feel comfortable and safe. Her father once said that marriage was sometimes about the waiting, waiting for her dad to be ready to forgive him, waiting to be ready to move on.

Waiting for the world to be safe again.

“You don’t really need to be around to help,” she mumbled, her face flushing as she avoided looking back up at him, just enjoying the beat of his heart, “I know it’s hard on you, too. I’m sorry we couldn’t all stay up to see you. Ivan misses you too, and I know you get your moments with Adrienne, but she’d love you just as much if not more so in the daylight.”

“But,” she lifted her face from under his head, “we understand. We all do.” She smiled. “I know you’d stay up with me, thank you for indulging me just a little bit,” she teased. As he admitted he was tired, she let out a soft worried sigh. She ran her fingers through his hair, down his scalp, and gently massaged his scalp. She shifted herself so that she was straddling her husband, and her other hand joined in massaging out his neck and shoulders.

“Of course you’re doing the right thing,” she whispered, her eyes full of tender admiration for her husband, “there aren’t even a handful of men who could do what you do, and knowing that all you do is to keep our family safe, gives me strength. Knowing that you’re out there, fighting the good fight, no matter how worried I am, I know that at the end of the day, it’s all worth it. It always has been.” She kissed him again, softer, tender, once more. “And I’ll always wait for you, Jake, because you’ve proven to be more than worth it.” She whispered against his lips again, smiling.

“Be happy, darling, because you’re here with me right now. You’re home.” She murmured, she pulled away a bit to lean her forehead against his, “isn’t that enough? Does our family make it all worth it for you?”

Subject: Re: Waiting (Jake & Veronika) Mon Nov 21, 2016 9:22 pm

As Veronika worked magic with her words, reassuring him that their children knew and understood why he wasn't there as much as he had been. That she understood that he couldn't be around as much as she liked him to be. That he was doing the right thing not only as an Auror, but as a father too, Jake settled. There was no pretending things were perfect, because they weren't even close to it as of late, but they were the best they could be.

As Veronika moved to straddle him, Jake gave her a small smile that showed his appreciation for her words. He didn't like being weak, but, with Veronika, he could have a moment to let his emotions come out. To ask for help. And not need to be strong.

The massage only proved how tense he'd become as Veronika's fingers started to softly work the knots from his shoulders and neck. He really did need to learn to take more time out. More time to look after himself and Veronika. But, that would be for another man, not Jake.

"Thank you, darling." Jake replied to all of the kind words Veronika had given him, wrapping his arms around her and drawing her closer to him. "For being so understanding. You're right, of course. I do it all for our family. To keep all of us safe. For the children's futures." Jake assured her before he earned a kiss. Savouring the moment with his eyes closed, Jake nodded at her question. "Everything that makes our family safe and happy is worth it, I could never argue against that." He whispered, knowing in that moment that he wasn't in the wrong. "And... I love you, Veronika. I haven't told you that in way too long." Jake added, his voice a little thicker than he'd meant it to be in that moment, but sincere.

Clearing his throat very softly to push away the emotions he'd allowed to vent to Veronika, Jake leant back in to the sofa, his hands moving around to rest on Veronika's thighs instead of around her back. "So, what have you been doing today? Ivan went to preschool - playschool, whatever you Brits call it? What did he do? And, how's Adrienne's tummy time coming along? Please tell me I haven't missed any big developments?" Jake asked, the excitement of his children's progress, and Veronika's day evident. He just wanted to hear everything they'd done, truthfully.

"Was there anything you wanted to talk about, seeing as you stayed up for me?" Jake added, making sure that he covered everything.

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Veronika loved these moments with Jake.

These days she craved them. She was relieved that he adjusted so well to fatherhood. She knew how trying it could be, or at least had read about how difficult it could be to go from being your partner’s number one priority. She knew from the moment Jake met Ivan that her son was equally as important as she was to her husband. And now with Adrienne, she could swear she’d never see another man more in love with a baby. In her heart of heats, she knew that she could have never had this life with Ivan Sorokin.

It felt like when they were together they were just fighting for the next day, fighting for the next moment, even before he got sick. It didn’t feel like there was a forever in store for them, though the fantasy of eternity with him was palpable for her. She’d been through so much tragedy in her life. She knew a broken heart when she saw one, saw it in her dad’s face when Gabriella was born, felt it in the quiet dining room whenever they ate together and especially whenever she asked about why she didn’t get to see Gabriella as often as before she went to Hogwarts. But broken hearts could be healed.

Every day that she walked the halls of her home, every kiss she pressed to Ivan’s head before his preschool, every time Adrienne let out a burp or giggle of some sort, there was a warmth that filled her inexplicably. She loved her life. Seeing her children grow and become cuter and cuter every day, she felt love grow in her heart. It seemed that every day that they grew, she fell more and more in love with them. Every day she fell more and more in love with the husband who brought them into this world with her, she pressed another kiss to his forehead as she finished off his massage. She knew how achy the body could be after a hard day’s work, and despite the prime condition Jake was in, one could never be too sure in relaxing stressed muscles.

“You’re succeeding, you know,” she murmured in between kisses, “we’re all safe, all happy, all growing, and all thanks to you.” She gave him a bright smile, and tucked her body back into his again. When he murmured he loved her, she smiled once more. She didn’t need to be told that she was loved, she knew it. She could see it in his eyes, feel it in the silence of the night. She lifted her eyes to his.

“I love you too, Jake. I’m not the kind of person that needs to be reminded that they’re loved. I feel it, all around me, all the time: I see it in the face of our children, in the home we’ve made, in the life you’ve given me.” She kissed him again, relishing the slow movements of their lips so tender and so full of adoration.

“Playschool is right,” she said, smiling, she didn’t want to move, but she wished she could’ve so that she could show him the pictures she took on her phone of their son during the day, “he’s quite the leader you know. The other kids just seem to flock to him, mostly because of his height but also because of his smarts, I’ll bet. Every day the teachers tell me he should be in preschool already, that his vocabulary’s too evolved, and his reading and writing capabilities are much more developed than the other’s kids.” She was a proud mama, especially of her son who three years ago was such a small, helpless baby. Now he stood taller than the rest of the kids, had the personality of quite the gentle boy.

“Adrienne’s been able to hold it up for longer and longer every day, yesterday she managed to hold her neck for two minutes and today for almost three.” She grinned proudly thinking of her small baby lying fitfully on her tummy, using her small chubby arms to hold her up. “Nothing big quite yet, but the doctors want us to practice holding her upright so that we keep the blood rushing to her legs. They estimate that she might be an early cruiser, saying that we should give it two more months before she starts locomotion.” She paused, biting her lip.

“I wanted to see you, silly,” she playfully touched the tip of her index finger to his nose smiling still, “but also… we went to an animal shelter today, Ivan, Adrienne, and I, down in London, and you’ll never guess what Adrienne seemed to love with all her might.” She bit her lip, wanting her husband to play along in her little game.

Subject: Re: Waiting (Jake & Veronika) Tue Nov 22, 2016 9:18 pm

As Veronika settled back down in his arms, Jake smiled to himself. He didn't need perfection, really, perfection was overrated, this... this was so much more real than anything else. "I know you know, but there is no harm in telling you that I love you." Jake murmured in protest, but Veronika was right, it was in everything else that they did that mattered. Not the words that anyone could say. But, Jake meant the words, as much as the actions.

But their tender kiss just proved that a softly spoken I love you could never convey the full extent of either of their feelings. A single kiss explained it in much, much more depth than any words ever would.

As Veronika began to explain how Ivan was getting on at school, Jake gently moved them both so that he could lie out on the sofa with Veronika led on top of him. It was much more comfortable, truthfully, and he could prop his head on a pillow or two, just so that he could listen to his wife talk happily about their children. The pride was so evident in Veronika's voice, Jake's lips couldn't help but pull up in a smile. He was proud too, but also warmed by the happiness in Veronika's voice. Melodic, almost.

"We'll make a Quidditch captain of him yet, then." Jake mused as Veronika explained that Ivan was a leader. "Or, perhaps Head Boy?" Jake added, both titles he'd claimed whilst at school himself. He didn't hold any expectations of Ivan, though, he would be proud of Ivan even if he barely scraped passes at school. Though, of course, Jake would do everything in his power to make sure that didn't happen, as would Veronika, he was sure. But, Veronika's next comments made Jake quite sure Ivan wasn't going to have a problem with school. "He'll be reading me a bed time story soon, then." Jake said with a soft laugh, his hand moving to Veronika's hair absentmindedly, running his fingers through the soft mass as gently as possible.

Adrienne's developments made Jake nod. "We'll see how she does tomorrow, then." Jake responded, showing he did want to help out with all of this. "I have a free day tomorrow to help you with everything." He added, forgetting he hadn't said sooner. "Going for three and a half minutes tomorrow, to beat your time." Jake teased lightly. It wasn't a competition, of course, but Jake liked to keep the whole parenting thing as fun as possible. For him, it made it easier when you just wanted to curl up and sleep. Or when the frustration hit because you were still trying to get your head around a baby not already being able to do things you took for granted.

But, with Adrienne, Jake was much better at the whole thing.

Or, he hoped he was, anyway.

"Holding her up and helping her walk... or, just... standing up?" Jake asked, trying to think back to what they had done with Ivan and blanking slightly in that moment. Probably because he was tired, that was what Jake was going with.

As Veronika poked his nose, Jake let out a chuckle. It was such an innocent gesture, so cute, he couldn't help but crave these small moment of joy. Leaning up, Jake pressed another kiss to Veronika's lips. "Cheeky." He admonished playfully, before resting his head back in the pillow and over thinking the question with a look of (mock) deep thinking.

"An elephant, perhaps? No, not even our house is big enough for one of those..." Jake played along with the question, pausing to think once more. "Oh, of course, a penguin, for the pool?" Jake asked, pausing for an answer that was obviously a no. "Better not have been a cat - you know I'm not fond of cats!" Jake added, playfully trying to look stern before giving it one last thought.

"It wasn't a chihuahua, was it?" Jake asked, looking very worried in a playful manner. "Because I told you there is no way I'm having a tutu'd dog in our house!" Jake finished, ending up with a soft laugh shaking his body for a few moments. Tucking Veronika's hair up behind her ear, Jake shook his head. "What did Adrienne fall in love with today?" Jake asked, having the general idea it would be a canine, but uncertain of what kind he was about to be told about.

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“Well thank you for that,” Veronika murmured, her face slightly flushed with pleasure. “You’re my eternity,” she whispered, “and I couldn’t ask for anyone better to spend it with.” She kissed him again, just relishing that he was there and she could do it whenever she wanted.

If there was one thing about Jake working late that disappointed Veronika, it was having to go to bed without him. She genuinely missed the warmth of his body under hers, the locking of their fingers, the slow breathes, and when they’d first started out, staring into his eyes and feeling their heartbeats match up. She loved the way the low light from outside made his eyes three different colors. From the icy to the navy shades, she felt she couldn’t paint his eyes any better than they looked. It felt like every moment they shared together before bed was magical.

Except, when he wasn’t around, Veronika had to content herself with listening to a heartbeat audio on her phone that went on for thirty-minutes with her head buried in his pillow. Sometimes when the pangs of lonely got too strong, she’d slip one of his shirts over the pillow and just breathe him in. She didn’t have to tell him that she did this, she knew because in the morning, he probably saw her curled up in an imitation of him. Nothing compared to the real thing. Sometimes she wondered if the overflowing feelings of love she felt would ever just disappear or dissipate, and then she prayed to Whatever or Whoever was listening that it wouldn’t.

“You know we have the best son don’t you? I have total faith that he could be both,” she grinned lifting her chin up before pausing and looking him sternly in the eyes, “but we’ll make sure he doesn’t do anything too risky right? Flying can be so dangerous,” she stopped again for a moment, her eyes bright. “Oh! I forgot to tell you, well, no I didn’t forget because I’m bringing it up now, but everyday I feel like Ivan’s magical core is getting stronger and stronger. It’s just the air around him, y’know? I can feel it just crackling as he runs about the backyard. Isn’t that exciting?” She was almost bouncing, so ecstatic that her son was most likely a wizard.

“By the way, my dads are coming over tomorrow morning for a bit to watch the kids while we get some shut-eye, that’s alright, right?” She was sure she’d brought it up with him beforehand, but she never knew what he may or may not remember. She laughed lightly at his comment about Ivan reading to Jake, except she had no doubt that someday her son would be doing just that. He was a proud boy already, and he loved showing off. Not that Veronika minded, she knew he’d grow up humble because she couldn’t imagine her son being stuck up in anyway.

“You’re off tomorrow?” She asked, sitting up, her hands balancing on his chest as she grinned down at him, “Jake!” She almost shouted before shushing herself as she realized she might wake up her babies. “That’s great! Let’s go visit a zoo or one of the Reserves, what about Diagon Alley? That icky sickness that was going around is gone by now right? We can have a family day out,” this time she was bouncing, up and down on her thighs as the possibilities roved over her brain. She was going to match her babies that was for damn sure. She just pictured putting Adrienne in a plaid skirt and Ivan with plaid shorts, and she’d probably match with a plaid diaper bag. She wondered if she could get Jake to wear a plaid shirt would objections.

“Indeed,” she smiled against his lips and his light admonishment. She watched his face with a mild sort of fascination as she bit down her giggles and tried to look stern. “Oh stop it you,” she rolled her eyes, but enjoyed the fun air their conversation had taken on.

“No, nothing too extravagant. ‘Cept I’m positive if Ivan asked, we’d make room for a giraffe or two.” She stuck her tongue out at him. At his question she smiled softly, this time in memory of the moment. “Well, I took them to the shelter just to pick up some gifts for one of those weird families that needs an excuse to have parties, y’know those people who just want everyone to see just how well they’re doing? I’m taking the kids to one of those next Friday, did I mention they’re having a birthday party for their cat? Dogs I can understand, but cats?” She rolled her eyes, continuing on, "and I thought while we’re here may as look at the pups, and there. There in the corner, Adrienne just makes this noise, she’s getting better at that day by day, and she just starts moving in my arms, so I move towards the corner of the kettles where this puppy is. He’s the last of his litter, and absolutely huge. Ever seen a Tibetan mastiff? That’s what it is, and he’s only a month old. But Adrienne kept reaching for him, making these little noises, and I told her, whether she could understand me or not, that we needed to talk to her daddy first, and here we are. So, what do you say? Can we go back tomorrow for the little pup?” She let out a breath she’d been holding, nervous about broaching this subject with him.

Subject: Re: Waiting (Jake & Veronika) Sat Nov 26, 2016 4:24 pm

Being Veronika's eternity was a thought he could never be without. His lips curled up in a warm smile in the moment before her lips came back to his, showing his appreciation for her words. Veronika definitely knew how to make him happy, that much he could never, ever, deny.

"We do have the best son." Jake agreed with a smile. Ivan was perfect, really, and he was a ray of sunshine after everything they had to go through after the complications of his birth. Something neither one of them could have foreseen. "He's going to have the best tutor there is to help him with his flying, you know?" Jake reminded Veronika with a smile that showed he didn't really think of himself as the best in the world. Jake's Quidditch days were somewhat behind him now, but he still loved the tricks he'd performed when he'd been on the pitch. "I promise to make sure that if he's going to do any skills that we have all the safety stuff to make sure he doesn't hurt himself, though. So that you're mind can be at rest." Jake added, making sure Veronika wasn't too worried about something that wouldn't happen for a number of years yet.

At the idea of Ivan's magical core starting to make itself known, Jake's features changed to that of surprise, eyebrows raising slightly at his wife. "Really? That's great news! Is that early?" He asked, because he had not done nearly enough reading on the subject at hand to know. "That's such good news, though! We'll have to make sure we encourage him in the right manner, so that he doesn't get scared of his own magic, of course. But, I know you're going to be great at encouraging, you always have been." Jake replied, smiling warmly at Veronika in that moment. She was the best mom Jake could have asked for for his kids, he had absolutely no doubt about that.

"Of course that's okay." Jake said to the question of her dads coming over. "It means we get a little more time in bed." He added with a wink. Though, Jake would not dream of doing anything whilst Veronika's parents were here, flirting with his wife wasn't exactly something he could help.

Veronika, however, was much too taken with the idea of his day off, and commenced on an onslaught of questions of where they could go as she bounced on his lap. Jake couldn't help the small groan that left his lips in that moment, his hands moving up to Veronka's to pull her back down on top of him. "If you want me to answer your questions, you're going to have to lie still, or you'll distract me." Jake murmured - it was a half joke, really. He wasn't so easy that a small amount of bouncing would raise his libido, but he was also a young man, with needs of the sexual variety. Tired, or not. "We can go wherever the kids and you would like to go the most. The sickness isn't in this country anymore, no, they've isolated back at the source in Africa." Jake added, once more helping to keep his wife from fretting unnecessarily. "Or, we can have a family day at home, and make cakes, do lots of painting, build forts. I don't mind, we'll ask Ivan what he would like to do in the morning."

The story, though, that came with the dog Adrienne had decided on lit up Jake's features. He could picture it quite clearly as Veronika described the moment. Almost as if he had not missed the moment at all. He could see Adrienne reaching out for the dog - though Jake had to pause to work out the dog. As Veronika finished her explanation, Jake's first question came. "Aren't they the huge fluffy dogs..? I mean, I would love a big dog... but I was thinking more of a Labrador... I don't know much about the temperament of a Mastiff..." Jake paused, knowing that Veronika's excitement and Adrienne's happiness were on the line here...

"We can get the puppy," Jake replied, though his face remained serious for a moment. "However, I think it best that we check how they are as pets, first. Make sure that they're not thought to be bad pets. Then, we will ask about the background of the puppy's parents. Just to check. Because I would never forgive myself if it hurt our babies. But, yes, we can have a puppy." Jake finalised with a smile. He might be being overcautious, but he knew that Veronika would agree to that much.

"So long as it doesn't count as baby number three..." Jake added, his tone serious enough for Veronika to know it wasn't a joke, but soft enough to show that it was something open for discussion.

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~ Auror ~ Profile ~ DADA Professor ~
~ In a Relationship ~ 36 ~ Father ~ 6' ~ American Accent ~

» What We Are (Jake & Veronika)
» Where the Heart Is (Jake & Veronika)
» The Very Big Question (Veronika & Jake)
» First Dance (Jake & Veronika)
» Domesticity (Jake, Veronika + Ivan)