xp_logs | Moira and Nathan, Monday late afternoon

Nathan goes seeking Moira in the pool. They continue to prove they can't keep their hands off each other, and take the quick way back up to their rooms. Once there, a mutually beneficial bet is made. (Fluff.)

Around the same time that his office hours wrapped up, Nathan became aware that Moira, shock of shocks, had actually left her lab. Happy thoughts were trickling down the link, and Nathan listened for long enough to establish the fact that she was in the pool - and quite enjoying herself - before he went to get changed and join her.

With Manuel's test results almost complete, Moira had decided to drag herself outside for a bit. The pool water was helping cool her down immensly as she floated on her back, using one of the floating devices as a make-shift pillow. The smell of sun screen mingled with the pool water but she knew she'd have to put more on soon before she burned. When the link buzzed slightly, she cracked open an eye and smiled as Nathan neared the side of the pool. "'Bout time ye got 'ere," she commented.

Nathan stopped to gape at her. "You're wearing the swimsuit," he said dreamily. "Oh my. And me without an appropriate Shakespearean beauty-related quote."

She failed to remind him that, actually, it was her only bathing suit. "Figured if'n ye werenae pulled out o' th' 'ouse in a few minutes, I'd send an image o' me wearin' this down th' link," Moira said, grinning as she relaxed in the water.

Nathan set his towel aside and slipped into the water, submerging himself briefly before surfacing again and swimming over. "Wouldn't beat the real thing," he said, and she giggled as she righted herself in the water, letting the floatation device go and wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Nay, but it would 'ave made ye come out faster," Moira pointed out, snuggling close as they bobbed in the water. "Been ta 'ectic last few days."

"Tell me about it. Between Bella and Dom and the usual chaos..." He reached out with his mind for a moment, just long enough to establish that there was no one in the immediate vicinity, and then gave in to impulse and kissed her. If someone was watching from a window, so be it.

Not pulling away until her brain kindly reminded her that, yes, it did need oxygen, Moira sighed happily. "At least 'tis been good chaos," she muttered, nuzzling into his neck. "But, still, ta much bloody noise goin' on."

"I will convince Bella at some point to stop waking us up with opera," Nathan promised, letting his hand drift down the line of her back. "She just needs to settle in."

"Glad yer 'appy tha' she's 'ere, love, but I think *I'm* goin' ta take some time gettin' used ta 'er. All me other pets dinnae talk back." The muscles in her back started to unclench as she felt his hand gently massage the knots out.

"You'll make friends," Nathan reassured. "She's about your age, you know? And you both like me. How could you not get along... eventually?" He grinned, leaning back a little as she threatened to splash him.

"She is cute," she admitted, floating back a little. "Bloody noisy, though. She always like tha'?"

"She may be showing off just a little," Nathan said, ducking under the water again. "New people to impress and all," he said when he surfaced.

"Like a kid," Moira pointed out, shaking her head as she treaded water. "Wha' a mout' on 'er as well..."

"Too much time spent around people like me," Nathan said cheerfully. "But you've got to admit, the chicken-dance is adorable."

"Maybe jus' a wee bit," came the slightly grudging reply. She still hadn't forgiven Bella for the "harlot" comment.

Nathan swam back to her, sliding an arm around her waist from behind and grinning. "She'll learn," he murmured in her ear. "Shut her out of the bedroom on a regular basis and it'll dawn on her who the alpha female is pretty quickly."

Leaning back against him, Moira smiled up at him. "Thank tha' would work?" she asked, cheering up a bit. "Good at lockin' people out o' places."

"It'll work," Nathan said wickedly, letting his hands roam downwards a little, safely under the water. "Moira, dear?"

A strangled gasp was his answer as she clung to his arm. Blinking, she managed to get her voice back. "...Nathan?"

"That swimsuit," he murmured in her ear again, an evil smile playing on his lips, "should be registered as a deadly weapon. It really should."

Goosebumps appeared as he tickled her ear. "An' yer jus' bloody evil," Moira responded, eyes fluttering a little.

"Imagine someone up there watching from one of the windows," Nathan suggested, just to see what kind of reaction he'd get.

She blinked, surprised at the question. "Bloody embarrassin'," Moira muttered, though a little more flushed than she had been before the question.

Nathan grinned. "Sorry," he said with a noble attempt at sounding sincere. "It's the swimsuit. Does very odd things to my sense of the appropriate..."

"Yer say nay sorry," she laughed, turning around in his arms and looping her arms around his neck. A slight tug brought him down to kissing level. #Dinnae say it was a *bad* thin'#, Moira sent, teasing.

It was a good thing he had his telekinesis to keep them steady in the water, because proper treading technique was about the last thing on his mind at the moment. The sudden, reckless blaze coming from Moira's end of the link was a delight, and Nathan kissed her back with great enthusiasm.

"Kissin' good, drownin' bad," she reminded him when they came back up for air.

"The third floor is so far away," he muttered a bit petulantly, floating them over to the side of the pool. "Any ideas?"

"Ye could always float us up t' th' window," Moira teased, nuzzling his neck with a grin.

"If you... don't do that while we're up the air," Nathan said with an unsteady little laugh. "Would hate to drop us on the roof."

She blinked up at him and smiled sweetly. "I'll be good."

Nathan scooped her up in his arms. "All right then," he said determinedly, and Moira giggled, clinging to him as he floated them up into the air. If anyone was watching from the windows, they would probably wonder what the hell was going on, Nathan reflected in amusement. They drifted over the roof and down the other side of the house, right to their bedroom window, and Nathan opened it telekinetically.

"We ought to be quiet," he murmured in Moira's ear as he lowered them to the carpet. They were both dripping wet, still, but he didn't particularly care. "Don't want to wake up the feathered menace."

"We can always shut th' bedroom door," she responded just as quietly, not really wanting to move away from him to accomplish that task.

Nathan nudged it very gently shut with his mind, and heard nothing from the room beyond. "Still," he whispered, carrying Moira over to the bed. "Very sharp hearing."

"Quiet it 'tis then." Reaching up, she kissed him as he put her back down, pulling away slightly to start to take off the sopping wet bathing suit.

"I bet you can't," Nathan said, his voice low and wicked as they both got rid of the inconvenient bathing suits. "Shall we make a bet?"

Moira grinned, slightly wickedly, at him. "A bet it 'tis then...wha's yer wager?" she asked, snuggling up to him as she shivered from the A/C.

"Hmm.... whoever makes enough noise to wake up Bella first has to plan an evening out for us. Away from the kids," he murmured feelingly, grinning. "That way, we both win, however it turns out."

Her only answer was a grin and then she reached up and pulled his head down for a deep kiss. She felt him nudge them forward and found herself on the bed with Nathan holding his weight up on one elbow above her. "Deal."

"Think we might try this in the pool sometime?" Nathan suggested mischievously, leaning in to trail kisses along her jawline and then downwards. #Wee hours of the morning, just you and me, when everyone else is safely asleep...#

She shivered and leaned her neck back as he nuzzeled at her collarbone. #Sounds like a date,# Moira sent back, flushing at the thought. There was something about Nathan that just begged for her to let go. As he nipped at her shoulders, she trailed her nails along his neck and then down to his sides.

#I'm such a bad influence on you...#