#*chatzy

James: It had been a few weeks since James and Kelsie discovered they were expecting. In those few weeks, James had made dozens of lists, detailing how they would need to prepare for the baby, his plan for savings to save for the baby, and so forth. It also involved a visit to his mother, Dianna, telling her about his relationship with Kelsie. He left the pregnancy out, not wanting to shock his mother or implicate Kelsie's comfort, but asked for his mother's blessing in proposing to Kelsie. After all, Kelsie was pack and Dianna knew enough about the young woman in the two years she had been in the pack. Here they were now, the family moonstone ring in a small box in James' pocket, one hand on the wheel of his truck and the other resting on Kelsie's knee. Tonight was the night, and he felt jittery. Keep it calm, seem relaxed. They drove towards the woods, to the cusp of the woods where the hiking trails started. The radio played softly in the background. "It's so nice we can get a chance to get away. We won't have much of this after junior comes around, right?" he asked, making small talk. He needed to let his mind drift elsewhere for a moment, lest he give away the surprise.

Kelsie: Kelsie was still in a state of shock and wonder from discovering she was pregnant. It was so crazy to think there was a child growing inside of her. She was going to be a mom. They were going to be a family. When he spoke about the baby she smiled. "Oh right. We're gonna be so busy and overwhelmed but it's going to be good. I'm really glad that we have some time to figure out what we're doing. Especially since we have so many other things to do. I mean...we have that appointment with the realtor next week to start looking at houses." That was another thing Kelsie couldn't wrap her mind around. They were buying a house. They were making a home and family for their child. It was absolutely incredible and she felt blessed that she had James by her side through all of it.

James: James sighed, a little exaggerated but mainly as a way to exercise some of her energy. He wasn't even sure if it was anxiety, or excitement, or a hybrid of both. He had to pretend that buying a house and the appointments were the first thing on his mind, and not the family heirloom burning a hole in his pocket. "Right. We should synch google calendars or something. I don't want to miss any appointments. Because when is the one where we can hear the heartbeat? Do they let you know that in advance?" He asked, pulling into the parking area at the trail head. It was difficult to keep it cool. James only hoped that Kelsie was so wrapped up in the planning they had to do that she wouldn't notice anything awry about him. He wanted tonight to be special, enough of a surprise, and to completely fit them.

Kelsie: "Oh that's a good idea!" Kelsie replied happily. "I have an appointment right before Halloween scheduled. I think we might get to hear the heartbeat then," she told him. It was all very exciting for her. She still couldn't wrap her mind around everything that was happening, but she'd figure it out. "I think it's on the 29th? I'll double check my schedule and we can sync our calendars." She really didn't want James to miss out on anything that was going on. This was something they needed to handle together, but she knew they could make it through together.

James: "Really? Wow, that soon? Is it the first one? I want to be there for the first one, is all. If that's okay," James clarified. He wanted to be there as much as he could, be involved and make sure Kelsie didn't feel like she was doing any of this on her own. Even though James didn't know what to do with kids and even less so with babies, he knew he could be the guy to hold her hand and stare at ultrasound screens. That seemed like it would be the easiest part. "Sounds good," he said, leaning forward and giving her a kiss on the cheek before hopping out of the car and walking around to the passenger side to open the door for Kelsie. "Watch you step," he said, holding his hand out to help her out of the car. She wasn't even showing really, yet, and he was already treating her as if she were a fragile flower.

Kelsie: "Yeah, it's the first one. The doctors said they'll use that appointment to check the baby's size and make sure everything is on track," she told him. She wasn't really sure what else to expect. This was all so new to her and the appointment she made had left her with more questions that couldn't be answered until she went. Once he helped her out of the truck, she held his hand and smiled. "I've got it," she reassured him. "My center of gravity isn't completely screwed up yet. Give me a few months before then." Laughing lightly, Kelsie shook her head. She felt so lucky to be there with him. "Alright so, which trail do you want to do today?"

James: "Okay, good. I wonder which appointment will tell us the gender. We should start placing bets on boy or girl," He replied, holding her hand and letting their fingers effortlessly interlace. He chuckled. "Alright, alright, I'm sorry. You're not a dainty damsel in distress, my mistake," he said, smiling. He squeezed her hand, maybe a little too tightly. This energy he had bubbling inside of him was too much. He wanted to just pick her up and run to the falls already. However, that might ruin the surprise and would almost certainly terrify Kelsie. At the very least, confuse her. "I was thinking maybe the one where we first made us, well, us," he offered, as if he'd only put a little bit of thought into it. As if he didn't have a picnic by the falls awaiting them. "The rainy season'll be here before we know it. Why not enjoy some time by the water, you know?"

Kelsie: Kelsie pondered his comment for a moment. "I don't think we'll find out the gender until closer to Christmas? Maybe January? It's usually the middle of the pregnancy, I think. At least that's what my Google research has told me," she admitted. Kelsie had done a lot of research already in the hopes of quelling her anxiety over the whole situation. "Do you want a boy or a girl?" she asked cautiously. Kelsie knew she would love their baby no matter what, but that didn't mean they couldn't have a preference. Still, his comments made sense and she smiled. "That's really smart. And it's not too cold or anything so we should spend time by the water." She held his hand while they started walking the familiar trail to the falls, the one they followed that day they shared their first kiss.

James: "Christmas?" James asked, genuinely surprised. Maybe it was how the media portrayed pregnancies, or maybe it was just evidence of how little James paid attention to pregnancies until the woman he loved was pregnant, but he always thought things fell into place very rapidly over the course of nine months. As they walked along the path, side by side, James smiled to himself. He could see them doing this forever. Taking weekends to go on hikes together, eventually a little James or little Kelsie toddling along between them. Talking about everything from their plans for the week to the dreams they had the night before. It felt so natural, it was like walking into memories that hadn't been made yet, but knowing they would be coming soon. "I'm happy with whatever, but I have to warn you, Armstrongs only have boys," he said with a shrug, squeezing her hand. His werewolf sense told him the falls were nearer, the sounds of the rushing water coming a little closer. "What about you? What do you hope for?"

Kelsie: Kelsie nodded when he questioned her. "That'll be around the half way point, or so website I used to figure this out said. The doctor will give us a more firm due date when we see them at the end of the month. Then everything else will get scheduled." It still seemed like it wasn't real, yet it also did. It was so easy to imagine what life would be like when they had their child. James would be a fantastic dad and Kelsie hoped she would be a good mom. Still...it all felt like the world was spinning too quickly. "Oh really? So I guess we should put money on a boy then?" Kelsie teased. "I'll be happy with either so long as our baby is healthy," she admitted. "I just want our baby to love us and for everything to go smoothly. I think that's all anyone can ask for in this situation." She could hear the falls as they approached and she smiled. "Someday we'll have to bring our kid here and tell them about how we had our first date."

James: "Money on a boy. Even my half brother was a brother, it's a surefire thing. But I'm with you," he said, hurrying that last part of his sentence to show he was on Kelsie's side with the baby's wellbeing. "I'm with you in that the baby should be healthy. First and foremost. Just, the boy thing. Takes the surprise away. But who knows, maybe we could be surprised?" He said, posing it as a question. Mentally, he knew it would be a boy. "We'll have to think of names, next. Thankfully, we don't have a naming tradition on my side. I'm not fond of the name Atticus anymore," James said quietly, shuddering slightly before shaking it off. The falls were closer. By now, Dianna would be on her way away from the picnic site, her part of the setting-up finished. He smiled warmly at Kelsie, giving her hand another squeeze. "Yeah, we'll probably have a few stories to tell them."

Kelsie: Kelsie nodded. It seemed almost certain that they would be having a son. That was fine. She was happy with having a son. Maybe they could be surprised, but they'd see. Even if it didn't feel surprised they'd be happy. "We don't have a naming tradition in my family either. We can just...pick whatever feels right for our kid." She smiled at him then. "We've got time to worry about names though. There isn't a rush. We will have so many stories for our kid...it's exciting to think about. Full moons and dates and we'll probably have funny moving stories when we move. Setting things up. Cravings? There's so much..."

James: "That's nice. We'll have to look into those baby name books when the time comes," he replied. He chuckled, the falls coming right into view as they rounded a bend of trees. The sun was lower in the sky, but not quite ready to begin setting. The trees glowed orange, the warm light reflecting off the ripples in the water. Beside the falls, on the bank, a picnic basket with candles around it was set up. Hence, Dianna's involvement. James wasn't about to burn down the forest. He smiled at Kelsie as she talked about the stories they would tell their child, and led her to his set-up. "There is so much. Two years of memories, and more to come, right?" He said, gaging her reaction to his set-up. He led her to the blanket and let her sit down, and sat beside her. "Alright, how did I do so far? Still the world's best boyfriend?"

Kelsie: Once they rounded the bend and Kelsie saw the picnic setup, she beamed at him. It was a surprise that caught her off guard in all the best ways. She smiled, looking from the picnic to her boyfriend, unsure how he had managed to pull this off. "There is so much left to come," she agreed before sitting down. He sat close to her and Kelsie took his hand. "You're the world's best boyfriend by far," she agreed. She was happy, surprised by the picnic. They were going to have a perfect night and watch the sunset. She couldn't have asked for anything better. "You are amazing," she murmured. "I've never had someone do something like this for me before."

James: James couldn't resist it. The whole day, he had been suppressing his energy, his giddiness, his nerves. But now the moment was here. She was here. She was enraptured by the atmosphere, she was glowing in the low light of the autumn sun, the light from the candles creating reflected sparkles in her eyes. Or maybe that was just how James saw her. Their first kiss, everything had a surreal and magical blue hue from the light in the cave behind the falls. Now, it was as if they had come full circle in the best way. From the beginnings, when things were new and full of discovery, to now, when the love was truly strong and the warmth was there. The familiarity. The chance of a new beginning for the both of them, for them together. James smiled at her and pulled the small wooden box out of his pocket. "Kelsie Isabelle Woods, the past four months have been unexpected. I think for both of us. But in the best way. I've spent my whole life calculating, trying to plan, trying to keep people at arm's length to protect them but also protect myself," he explained, certainly reciting as best as he could the speech he had been carefully crafting for the past two weeks. "But you surprised me. You showed me that sometimes, the best things in life aren't the things you plan. Or the things you expect. They are the things and people that you let in, the people who see you for who you are and love you in spite of what others may judge you for." He felt like his speech was starting to ramble. He wasn't the best at expressing his emotions, which explained the weeks of speech writing to prepare for this moment. "What I'm trying to say is, Kelsie, I love you. I want to be by your side forever. I want our child to have two parents that they know are soulmates. I want to be the father of your child and the man you wake up next to every morning. What I'm trying to say is, Kelsie, will you marry me?"

Kelsie: When she was a child Kelsie had wondered what it would be like when someone asked her to marry her, but Aiden took that away. She found herself praying he would never ask. At first she didn't think much of what James was saying but then she saw the ring box. It was wooden and not quite what you would expect as a ring box, but in that moment of clarity Kelsie knew exactly what was happening. Her heart was racing as she looked James in the eyes. Every word he spoke rang true to what was happening between them. The best things were spontaneous. Nothing worked out according to plan, but that was okay. Everything about this was incredible. She felt tears beginning to gather in her eyes and it took a moment for Kelsie to remember how to breathe. While when she pictured her future life, it always included James, she never anticipated this would happen. Not now, but it was happening. She swallowed hard, pushing down the emotion she felt. "I want that," she agreed. "I want out baby to know it was something made of love. I want to wake up with you every morning. I want that simple life with the one person I can't live without," she told him as the first tear dripped from her eyes. "Yes," she breathed out. "Yes! I want to marry you." She was laughing lightly in complete disbelief that this was happening. It should have been too soon, but Kelsie didn't care. She loved James. They were having a baby. This was right.

James: James wasn't a crier. He wasn't. Even now, he wasn't crying, but he had to admit, his eyes did feel a little wet when he saw Kelsie's expression turn. James hadn't thought about marriage much. He always knew he'd be married and have kids someday, but it all felt like ghostly silhouettes acting out his future when he tried to envision it. But now, his future was here: she had a name, she had a face. His future, his love, his life, was Kelsie. He laughed breathlessly with her, taking out the ring and holding it to her hand for her ring finger to slip through. "This ring has been in my family for generations. The moonstone is really important to us, so I'm sorry it's not a traditional ring," he explained hurriedly. Fuck, he had forgotten that part of the speech. But as they fell into the moment, the speech didn't matter. Once the ring was on her, his arms were around her small frame as he pulled her in for a kiss. And another. And another. "I love you so much, Kelsie," he said, grinning and running his hands up her arms to her hair and then her face. He looked into her light eyes, memorizing every blend from blue to almost green, traced the freckles on her face with his gaze. This was the face of the woman who had given him everything, and the face of the woman he would give everything to.

Zach: The night began to become that of a fuzzy dream towards the midnight hour. Soon his signature smirk was replaced with a much more relaxed and goofy look. It wasn't until Corey suggested he'd walk home instead of downing another few shots. And before Zach could unleash a few excuses and slurred words, he was was already fumbling with the keys to their shared vacation home. He scratched his head in confusion when the door wouldn't open. It took him a few tries before he realized that the key was upside down. However, the trail towards the living room was a hassle in itself. He managed to knock down some pretty expensive looking things; whispering towards the broken items as if they had ears. And before he could get any further, he ended up getting stuck between the coat rack and the wall. Luckily a familiar face has appeared. "I'm stuck." He hushed, 'sh-ing' Ridley.

Ridley: As soon as he opened his mouth, the brunette realized he was completely drunk. It was obvious by his slurred speech and his being stuck between the wall and the coat rack. Watching him struggle to untangle himself was, possibly, the most hilarious thing Ridley had ever seen. She crossed her arms and looked at him for a bit, not wanting to help him just yet. “Someone had a little too much fun. You know I'm never letting you forget about this, right?” She couldn't help but chuckle when he shushed her. “Calm down, I'm the only one here. My parents won't get to see you in all your drunken splendor.” Deciding he'd suffered long enough, she stepped closer to him and move to coat rack out of the way. “Come on, drunkie, let's get you to your bedroom.” Without waiting for an answer, she took ahold of his arm and dragged him along to the guest room he was staying in. Once they reached destination, Ridley helped him to his bed and looked at him, an amused smile creeping on her face. “Can I leave you alone or are you going to drown in your own vomit?”

Zach: could smell the alcoholic toxins on his breath, choosing to ignore it and fight off the demon rack that seemed so keen on trapping him for the entire household to see. Although, Ridley's little tid-bit about being the only one home seemed to ease his worries --- from a single 8 to a 6. "Are you just going to stand there -- " His words slurring as his mind jumbled for something witty to say. "...Please just h-help." His tone softening just as his legs were; bless the counter beside him for holding his weight. Zach simply nodded in his thanks; welcoming the feeling of her hands on his body. And soon enough, and without warning, his body was being maneuvered and forced onto his bed; never enjoying the soft fabric as much as he did in this very moment. But the moment was sort lived when he managed to pull himself up into a sitting position, his shoes no longer useful to him; as well as the rest of his clothing articles. And just like clock-work, Zach was stripping down to just his boxers --- a sense of deja vu kicking into the system. "Stay." He pleaded, his tone both needy with a hint of something else.

Ridley: “You know, I like this Zach. You can't outsass me, it's relaxing.” Ridley smiled, satisfied with their current situation. For once she had the upper hand and she had to take advantage of it. Subtly, she took her cellphone out of her shorts pocket and snapped a quick picture of him. It would probably come in handy later. “I hope your night of fun was worth all the shit you're going to get from me when you wake up tomorrow,” she chuckled, putting her phone back in her pocket. “And I'll be the one waking you up, by the way. Very loudly.” The brunette had looked away only for a second, time to put her phone back where it was, and by the time she looked back up to him he was undressing. “Woah, give a girl a warning.” Ridley didn't look away, though, enjoying every second of it. This was pretty much a repeat of the night she got wasted, except the other way around. Just as she was about to say goodnight and go back to her room, Zach asked her to stay and she stopped in her tracks. Sighing deeply, she stared at him for a second and, against her better judgment, walked to his bed and sat down next to him. “Do you need me to sing you to sleep or something, Zachary?”

Zach: wanted to chuck that stupid excuse of a cellular device at her egotistical head. But refrained from moving due to the onslaught of pain that will, without a doubt, penetrate his skull if even took so much as a giant step towards the phone -- and the picture. He'd have to remember to pay her back for such an attitude. But right now, all he could focus on was his dire need to have her close -- preferably not clothed. The thought itself caused him to smile like an idiot as she stopped and sighed. "I have a better idea," the wicked smirk grew, imitating that of the Cheshire Cat. "Why don't you kiss me to sleep." His eyelids hovered seductively as he inched closer to her.

Ridley: Staring at his goofy smile, Ridley tried to figure out what he was up to. As soon as his smile shifted into a smirk, she understood what he had in mind. Sure enough, she was right. “Zachary...” She looked down at his lips, debating what to do next. She could kiss him. She sure /wanted/ to. She'd been wanting to kiss him for a long time and she made that pretty obvious on past encounters. The thing was, he made it clear many times that he wasn't into it. Because of her age, because of the situation... It was just trouble waiting to happen. Kissing him would be fun for a couple hours, but then he'd wake up and things would probably take a turn for the worse. “I know I'm irresistible, but you should probably get some sleep.”

Zach: "Ridley.." His tone mimicking her own, eyes shifting from her own hypnotizing ones to his own profile in the mirror opposite the bed. He looked like a down-right mess. Nor did his tussled hair and intoxicated demeanor help in the slightest. He managed to avoid her eye-contact until the most opportune time, scared of what he might find if he glances back over. But how was that fair to her? The angel on his left was telling him of the only possible outcomes; all ending in tragedy like some poetic Shakespeare play. But on the other side resided the devil within, whispering into his ear how he'd desperately wanted to see what it was like to lean forward and capture her lips with his own, to finally see what her lips tasted of. Peppermint, perhaps? Cinnamon? His bet was on cinnamon. It would match her spunky persona he had come to...enjoy. His thoughts were muddled at her last words. His brows furrowed in confusion and possibly hurt. But were soon last upon his actions as he leaned forward anyway, capturing her lips with his own. And it turned out, they did taste of cinnamon.

Ridley: couldn't help but roll her eyes when he imitated her. “What are you? Five?” She wondered if that's what she acted like when she was drunk and/or high. If so, she would have to remember to apologize to him once he was sober. She sighed when he looked away, staring at the back of his head. He looked like a wreck, but he kinda pulled it off. The messy hair look was just working for him. Although she was convinced he could pull off any look. Snapping out of her thought, she shook her head and cursed herself for thinking of him like that. He was her sober companion, her parents hired him to look after her and there was no possible way this was going to end well. Her gaze moved to Zach's reflection in the mirror, the look on his face forcing her to look away. She stared at her thighs for a couple seconds, knowing if she looked at him a second longer she would probably give in. “I should probably... go,” she nodded and looked back up, to find that he wasn't looking away anymore. She stared directly into his intensely blue eyes and glanced down at his lips as he leaned closer to her, not finding the strength (or want) to stop him. She let out a breath she didn't even know she was holding and tilted her head slightly, their lips finally meeting. She could taste the alcohol on his lips, not that she cared or even noticed. Her eyes closed, responding to the kiss with a little more force. Her hand moved up his chest, pushing him away a few inches and reluctantly breaking the kiss. “We shouldn't be doing this,” she whispered, her lips still tingling. “You're wasted and you're going to regret this when you sober up.”

Zach: A burning sensation numbed his lips, whether that be his conscious telling him to cut the act before he lost both a job and research project, or the alcohol finally taking its course. If the latter, he just prayed the hangover could spare him a couple moments. He cursed the feeling back and, instead, slid his hand up towards the smooth skin that donned her neck, pulling her closer into the kiss; mind no longer over body, but perhaps reversed. His eyes closed throughout the heated moment, lips only pressing into her own, afraid to collide further into the deep end. However, his eyes hovered open once he no longer felt a body against his, lips far more red than usual. He licked his lips, nearly tripping over his own two feet when he dared slip closer. "....Get me a bucket." His proof of intoxication was about to become evident if he wasn't handed one in a moment; the mood instantly lost.

Ridley: Seeing the look on his face shift to... disgust, Ridley backed away quickly. Well, he sure knew how to kill the mood. “Oh, /God/, keep it in. I'll be right back,” she said as she ran out of his room to the kitchen where she grabbed the first pot she could find. It's not like anyone actually used them anyways. Running back to the guest bedroom, she shoved the pot at him and put a hand over her own mouth. “Don't get any on the bed, those sheets are cotton.” She joined him back on the bed, keeping a safe distance between the two. This was certainly a first. No boy had ever thrown up after kissing her.

Zach: wanted to apologize, to reach out to her for comfort --- any sort of skin contact, really, but his stomach had a different agenda; involving the alcohol and expensive sushi he consumed hours prior. So instead, he flipped back so he could lean against the headboard, hand covering his mouth. What an excellent example to set, he scolded to himself, trying his best not to retch all over her, as she put it, cotton sheets. Once the cold surface of a pot was within his grasp, he let it rip. It was a good five minutes until he could pull away for a breath of fresh air only to lean back into the liquid bowl for another round. Twenty minutes pasted before he could final set the disgusting shit away, eyes hovering.

Ridley: looked away as he spilled his guts into the pot, nose wrinkled in disgust. She'd done her fair share of throwing up in her life, it took a little more to chase her away. After approximatively ten minute, she glanced over and saw him hunched over the pot. Despite her better judgment, and the vomit, she scooted closer to him and brushed his hair back soothingly. He'd been there for her many times in the past, she felt it was only normal for her to do the same. When he was finally done, the brunette got up and picked up the pot, setting it down in his private bathroom. She wasn't about to clean it, but she didn't want him to see it and start hurling again. Walking to the faucet, she poured him a glass of water before walking back to him. “Drink this,” she said, handing him the glass.

Zach: was getting lost within his own consciousness. The mixture between hard liquor, vomited remains, and the sweet tang of cinnamon, were left on his already potent taste-buds; doing little to calm the storm raging within his stomach. He looked around for something to focus on, anything, finally settling between the remote to his left and the vixen approaching him to his right. Nose immediately scrunching up in digest at the vile smell of whatever sat in the fog-like glass that she offered him. His initial thought was to toss the drink from his view and continue into his slumber, trying to forget the headache, the taste left on his tongue, and the kiss. But the look he'd receive for burdening her room even further, persuaded his growing hungover intelligence to accept. He downed the drink with a pained expression, wiping off the remains with his bare forearm. "...Thanks." /Hiccup/

Ridley: nodded, taking the empty glass out of his hand and putting it down on the bedside table. “That's fine.” Slowly, she helped him on his side and pulled the sheets over him. “Hm, stay on your side. In case you need to throw up again.” She crossed her arms over her chest, staring at him. She usually didn't feel uncomfortable around him, but this was just awkward. And a little disappointing. She'd been joking about kissing him for a long time, but she hadn't realized how much she actually wanted it until it was happening. Too bad he probably wouldn't even remember even seeing her tonight. “I'll be in the living room, so... if you need anything just yell or something.”

Zach: followed her lead like the vulnerable puppy he was turning out to be this horribly, embarrassing night. "Aye-aye." His attempt to salute Ridley turned out, more or less, like a failed attempt at a wave. So instead, he settled on a soft smile and nod, not particularly keen on earning himself another headache. It was moments before he heard her leave that he called out her name. Braving the bug, Zach turned off his side and looked over at her with exhaustion evident in his hues. "I'm sorry." And thus he entered the world of no hangovers, no idiot research assignments --- and no more inappropriate feelings for a certain brunette vixen.