LOG: Making A House A Home

[the_informant]

Who: Florida (Native), Texas (Native)
What: Finally redecorating
Where: Florida's Safehouse Alpha
When: Tuesday Evening, 10/20
Warnings:

It takes weeks to get her to listen enough to help him pick out things, even if it is half-hearted browsing through magazines. It takes almost as long to get her to agree to think of a color scheme for the bedroom they've already set bunkbeds and a bed up in for the visits they earn from the twins and Theta. And the battle to find the right plates for the kitchen is ongoing, mostly because Florida has found that she doesn't want to invest any time at all in that level of home-making. But today, Florida smiles, today is something different.

"Rex please, can't you just listen for a minute and go into the crate?" Florida begs their pup. He doesn't know how, but somehow the earlier streak the sweet creature had shown for his authority seems to have evaporated over time. Sure, he can reprimand Rex when he's truly misbehaving, he can get the dog off of furniture he's not allowed on, and he's just about managed to get Rex to not mope in the guest bedroom when the twins and Theta leave, but that's about it. His authority seems to have disappeared, instead invested with infinitely more loyalty and obedience in his wonderful girlfriend.

The dog, as much as he offers it love and affection and spoils it, is her retainer.

Maybe, he muses to himself, it has to do with how quick he is to roll over on discipline to give the pup treats or belly rubs or play with it out in the smallish outside dome he had made to make the pup more comfortable. Actually, it's almost definitely that seeing as Tex indulges the pet but still keeps an authoritative hand. But maybe it's also that he's home more with Rex. Came with the territory of her needing to be responsible for her family, physically training more, and spending more time out on jobs. Florida's slow scaling back from red-jobs hasn't put him off of his game, of course, but it does mean he's home here, or at base, or at the other house whenever they have the dog there enough to change out equipment and costumes to get information more often. Which leads to pampering.

Damn him, he is getting soft in his age. And right now he desperately needs the dog to listen so that he won't be underfoot when the truck delivering the new furniture, chief of which was the new convertible couch, arrives. That's the only way he's going to get Rex to go out to the dome and stay there for the length of time needed for even Adaptive's speedy movers to get the items into the house with minimal interior contamination. And even then they've got to keep the beastie out there for a few hours after the stuff is inside to make sure the internal filters, which work so much slower than airlocks, to be certain the house was safe enough for extended organic exposure.

Granted it's a perfectly clear day outside so he isn't too worried, but still, better safe than sorry.

"Teeeeex!" Florida calls for her, wondering where in the house she's gotten to. "Get this pup of yours into his crate, he won't listen to me!"

The dog is ALWAYS hers when it's not behaving.

Comments

[soldierinblack]

"I was comfortable before or I wouldn't have brought all of my things here." Besides a few things she left back on base, everything was here. "To me, home is more about who's in it than the what."

That said, she moves towards him and reaches for his hand. "Thanks. For doing this."

[the_informant]

"That doesn't mean it's not important to have an environment you can lay claim to," Florida insists, taking her hand. "I never... had the people before this. Home was always a place. A thing. Not a who..."

[soldierinblack]

"Sounds like you've have several 'homes,'" she mutters. By the sounds of it, he owns quite a few properties. "I'm getting used to this whole nesting thing. You're all lucky I haven't started wandering to follow different jobs."

[the_informant]

"I've learned that I have several places where I can stay," Florida corrects. "I told you, home was a place. Now it's a person and a place and a feeling. And it's made more secure, from my experience, in the sharing. In the end, this house, right here, this is my home, because it's yours as well."

[soldierinblack]

"I know it's one I plan on coming back to." One of two, since while she hates the place they call home, the people in it make it worth while. "C'mon, we've got a lot more decorating to do before dinner."

[the_informant]

Florida reaches out to grab her arm. Grab it and pull her into his arms and just hold her. "You have no clue how good it makes me feel to know I can give you a place to come back to if you ever need to go."

Which matters to him. Giving her something, maybe even a reason, to come back to Gulch.

"So, no doilies on the coffee table?"

[soldierinblack]

She raises a brow when he grabs her and pulls her arm away. Something about that kind of movement doesn't sit well with her with her training. But once he has his arms around her, she relaxes.

"Jobs take me all over and I've had a reason to come back for a while," she murmurs and nudges his shoulder. "Depends on the doillies."

[the_informant]

"Work is a good way to see the world," Florida smiles. "I personally love traveling for certain kinds of work. I would encourage it in you as well," he smiles, kissing her neck before pulling away.

"Oh, the most fancy, frivolous, lace delicate doilies ever."

[soldierinblack]

"Trust me, I have. You think I've done all my jobs on Adaptive?" Not even close, but something always brought her back to this craphole of a planet.

There's a sigh at the mental image of those horrid things adorning any table of hers and she shakes her head. "I'll rip them off the tables. Find something better."

[the_informant]

Well, he can't do flowers because she disapproves. "I will resist the urge to decorate the house in such a manner."

He smiles as he moves to the new couch. "We should have this at about the same place as the old, yes?"

[soldierinblack]

"We can find decorations that we both like." There has to be some centerpiece or table cloth or whatever they can both agree on. She follows him over to the new couch and runs a hand along the back of it to get a better feel for the material.


"There was nothing wrong with the old spot. It'll fit right in."

[the_informant]

"Well, to start with, I hope we can keep up some of the stuff the twins make," Florida notes. "Those paper flowers they made for you at school are just darling, and I think they would love the gesture."

Speaking of gestures, he's mimicking hers, running his hand over the wonderful material she's chosen. "God this feels so good. I have a feeling that if you ever exile me to the couch for misconduct, I won't be as miserable as I could be."

[soldierinblack]

"We can find places for their crafts, there's a whole house to put them in." Maybe she could make a few paper flowers with the twins to finish a centerpiece.

"Guess I'll have to send you to the floor instead then. Can't have you enjoying a night out of bed that much."

[the_informant]

Of course that comment promptly has another playful pout on his face, even as he moves to get a better grip on the couch. "But Reina, if I sleep on the floor then Rex will get confused. The floor is Rex's bed."

[soldierinblack]

"Oh don't worry, he can have your spot once you're out here," she teases and moves to grab the other end of the couch. "He's good at cuddling."

[the_informant]

"That is terrible," Florida protests. "Imagine all the dog hair on the bed. I cannot abide by that, Tex."

Except he lives with dog hair everywhere else. Sweeps frequently. He'd survive. But the idea is an amusing one. "That dog doesn't deserve a more comfortable bed than I get. I'm a poor old man with weary bones."

[soldierinblack]

She sighs and shakes her head. "Oh come on, it wouldn't kill you to let him sleep in the bed with us once in a while. I'll even wash the damn sheets after if the dog hair bothers you that much."

[the_informant]

"If you want him to, then I won't protest," Florida promises. "But he better not take my side of the bed."

Hell, if they let Rex stay on the bed when they're together, then he can cuddle someone when she isn't around.

[soldierinblack]

"Even if you're off on a job?" she asks. "I was thinking he could leave a nice pile of fur, right on your pillow."

Couch in place, she flops down on it. Best to test the thing out now that it's in their house.

[the_informant]

"Wow, so cruel," he laughs yet again as he goes to get one of the end tables to put next to the couch. Once he has it in place he has to frown. He's going to want a lamp there. Hadn't thought of that before.

"But yes, he can sleep on the bed when I'm gone, even taking up the whole side."

[soldierinblack]

"Good. I won't have to hide all the fur anymore," she teases and swings her feet onto the couch cushions. They haven't done too much in the way of rearranging, but it's a day off. She can take a minute to relax.

[the_informant]

"Traitor," he grins. "I knew you were hiding something, you beautiful woman, you."

He tsks a few times as he goes about placing the other end table. Not like their final resting points won't be abundantly obvious.

[soldierinblack]

She hums lightly as she watches him for a moment then moves to stand.

"When am I not?" she asks, honestly. She's well aware she's not the most upfront with her feelings. Things have been changing, but slowly. "Rex keeps me company when you're gone."

[the_informant]

"The secrets are alluring."

Of course he's always liked knowing things he shouldn't, and learning things he couldn't. But he likes to think that even if he knew her secrets, he would love her still.

[soldierinblack]

"Glad to hear I haven't chased you off with my mysteries," she teases and bumps him lightly with her hip. "What else do we need to do to get this place in order?"