KEEP ME CLOSE - jess&hope

[HOPE A. SUMMERS]

outfit
It had been two weeks since their first night in the bookstore and surprisingly enough...things hadn't slowed down. Hope didn't mind the fact Jess was willing to spend time with her because she was all for it. Never before had she actually gone out of her way to see someone during the week or invite them over for dinner on a Saturday night. Now that was something. They had gone on several "dates" but neither of them said the evil word out loud. Dates implied relationship and that definitely wasn't the situation...right? Hope was allowing herself the simple pleasure of just being with someone else and knowing that they're thinking of you when you're not with them. Labels are made for constraining emotions so why even go there?

Well Hope was a girl and was beginning to think that labels were exactly what they needed. She had no idea if Jess was seeing other people because she didn't even dare ask. Jess was the one all the girls wanted and when she had to over hear women come into her and talk about the person she was having sex with...it made her want to scream. They hadn't actually shown anyone they were in a relationship in public so no one knew not to talk about him near her in that way yet. While Hope didn't like the idea of 'claiming' someone because she had been so independent for most of her life that no man could place a share down on her life. And yet she so wanted Jess to. Part of her didn't like the idea of being together with Jess because deep inside she felt she was setting herself up to be hurt. It was the feeling every person got in the beginning of a new relationship.

But dammit if it came down to it, she wouldn't mind having her heart broken by him. As long as she got the feeling of being with him first.

Hope had read every issue of Cosmo she had in her closet collecting dust to find some help in the issues of relationships. Relationship by definition of Websters Dictionary was "an emotional or other connection between people", "a sexual involvement", and "a connection, association, or involvement." Hope had spent nearly an hour pondering the idea that she might currently be in a relationship without her even knowing it. She felt as clueless about romantic relationships as a 10 year old boy.

So when Jess came over for dinner that Saturday night she was nervous to even bring up the subject. She didn't want to chase Jess away with the idea of her calling him her boyfriend but this was the reality of the situation. Two weeks was long enough in even her book to start talking about where they were going. But she was going to lay it on easy. If he didn't want to talk about it all she had other ways of persuading him to talk. It was Saturday night after all and she didn't plan to do most of it sitting on the couch but instead taking up occupancy in her bedroom.

Hope handed Jess a beer after she took their empty plates to the kitchen. She had made her cheeseburgers with extra, extra bacon that was normally a deal breaker with men. Hope was always used to being one of the guys and that didn't change in the presence of her significant other. Hope took a gulp of her beer before placing it down on the short table next to them.

There was something about him that made her go crazy. He was handsome but never too cocky about it. He was tough but knew the sweetest things to say to her. He had a heart of gold but knew when to be honest without abandon. Spending time with him meant forgetting the world which was often what she needed. The past week had been a little hectic at the store so she only had a chance to see him for lunch quickly and then she had to run. So this was the first time all week they were actually cuddled up for longer than 5 minutes.

Hope leaned into him instinctively and nestled her head in the crook of his neck. She took his arm to wrap it around her comfortably before messaging his hand, pressing on all the pressure points she knew about. "How is everything going in your world lately? I hope you aren't stretching yourself too thin," she told him and leaned up to kiss his jaw. "Sorry this past week's been crazy and I didn't reach out as much...I really wanted to," she commented honestly. Hope never liked to hide how she felt with him because what was the point? It was going to come out eventually.

^{STARRING : HOPE & JESS
WORDS : EIGHT HUNDRED EIGHTEEN
STATUS : FINISHED
NOTES : weeee
LYRICS USED : USE SOMEBODY - KINGS OF LEON
LISTENING TO : one direction - moments
BANNER CREDIT : TANA
TAGGED : TANA}

[JESS MORETTI]

outfit
It was safe to say that the past two weeks had been the very best fourteen days of Jess Moretti's twenty years of living. ...At least, it was safe to say this late at night when his mother and sister had gone to bed and Jess, too, was on the very edges of sleep, with his mind slipping away to dreams. During his waking hours, Jess was his same old self, though perhaps he held himself a little straighter, or had something of a bounce to his step. His neighbors of Cresting Grove certainly were casting him some suspicious glances.

Well, maybe he wasn't the "same ol' Jess". His once perpetual scowl was not quite so common, and he was not quite so surly. And, curiously, there was something slightly different about his appearance. Yes, Jess had gotten himself a hair cut, and he was maintaining a bit more stubble around his chin than usual.

Jess was making a sort of effort to look older, though it seemed his wardrobe hadn't been altered. His jeans and collection of plain tee-shirts were all still stained with oil and other mechanical fluids, and his work boots were seldom replaced by any other shoe. But for the most part, it seemed Jess was slowly beginning to make a few changes. Though, if anyone noticed it, they did not mention it to him.

The deliberate things, like his hair, Jess was perfectly aware of. Hope may not have been older than him by much, she was still older and he found that he wished to make himself look a little more mature. The inexplicable smiles, and more all-around pleasantness he carried were completely unconscious, and if somehow chose to point it out he would most likely deny it.

It was not that Jess was really ashamed of his...whatever it was with Hope. Quite on the contrary. He was simply a private person who did not enjoy airing any of his laundry out for the public to see. His life was his business and nobody else's. He was not aware of what Hope said to her friends or anything. He knew they never really met in public, but Jess never questioned it simply because he was happy with that. Not to mention just hanging around Hope's place meant closer proximity to her bedroom.

Though, once or twice he did catch himself wondering if Hope avoided public outings because of his reputation.

Such thoughts never lasted long, particularly when Hope was handing him a plate weighed down by a huge bacon cheese burger. Boy did this woman know how to feed him. Most of Jess' meals consisted of microwavable things, or food from local restaurants. While he had basically been in charge of the family for most of his life, Jess had never really gotten the hang of cooking. His little sister, Faith, though, seemed to have inherited their mother's knack with the kitchen. That was the only reason he had few qualms about abandoning them tonight in favor of dinner with Hope.

As Hope handed him a beer and curled up into his side, Jess smiled softly, allowing her to take his arm with no resistance. He was quite content like this and quietly sipped his beer as Hope massaged his other hand idly. Her breath tickled his ear as she spoke, and Jess glanced down to look at her. "Work?" He shrugged one shoulder carelessly. "It's the same, I guess...I keep busy usually, but it's never more than I can handle."

Her lips against his jaw drew his own up into a slight smile. Before Hope was able to pull away he tipped his head down to capture her lips in a proper, if brief, kiss. As Jess straightened up he gave her an amused cock of his brow and lifted his beer for a drink. He shook his head as she continued. "Don't worry 'bout it. Though you do seem to get swamped easily..." He paused with a thoughtful sip of his drink. "Ever considered hiring some extra help around the store?"

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_{Word Count 693
Inspiration the newsss
Tags HOPE!
Status Complete!
Template By Arro @ Caution 2.0}
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[HOPE A. SUMMERS]

Hope nodded her head as he said things were going well. Generally with Jess things were on the right track because he always had things under control. She respected any person who could manage their life so well but found it particularly sexy in Jess. He was mature for his age and while the age difference didn't matter to her Jess made it virtually disappear. But lately she had been noticing the stubble that tickled her chin when they kissed. Appearance wise he did look a little older lately than two weeks ago. She had decided into week one that she wasn't going to question it because it did fit him well. Well...anything fit him well. He was just that hot.


Hope found Jess' lips pressed against hers for a brief moments before pulling away. She smiled at him as he looked at her with that charming look of his. Her head rested against his shoulder once more as he assured that her being consumed by work was alright. His suggestion had crossed her mind but who in this town was good enough to work in her grandfathers store? She would ask Jess to drop his job and join her but that was unrealistic.

He actually appreciated the books that lived on her shelves compared to the kids who were forced by their parents to buy books there. Or the old people who couldn't actually work there. There must be two or three teenagers in town she could coax into working for her but it was too much effort on her part to go to the school and ask around. Plus, it was creepy if she did.
Not to mention the fact that she was tying to expand her reach of how many books she sold so she had just started a new agreement with the high school that all novels would be sold through her store. It was a big deal that normally wouldn't happen in big cities but thankfully she had the reliability of the very small, Cresting Grove. ”I should but I'm too stubborn. I think once I get all these stupid papers signed that I need signed, it will all slow down,” she told him. He already knew of her plans after he was one of the first people she called when it actually got accepted. It was nice to have someone to share successes with and felt good to know someone was proud of you. Not that fake 'you did a good job' proud but a genuine 'I can't wait to hug you' proud.

Hope lifted her hand to his chest and ran her fingers against his collarbone absentmindedly. They sat in silence as Hope listened to his breathing for a few moments. His smell, the protectiveness of his arm, and his warmth in that moment made her want to ask him to move in. He had that effect on her every time she was around him. She wanted to move ten times faster than she ever had before. Hope, again, wondered if he felt the same way. There was no way in hell she was going to use those words but she had been thinking about something else. ”I'm just curious...” she stared and continued to pass her fingers gently over the t-shirt he was wearing. ”Have you been hanging with other people over the last two weeks? You know...since we started spending more time together,” she clarified and hoped her question came across as confident as it sounded in her head. She could only imagine it came out with a nervous edge to it because deep down she was nervous he was going to admit he was exploring his options with the other females in town.

Hope suddenly felt like she was being too much of a stereotypical women. She never wanted to be the innocent half of the relationship that couldn't address the problems she was dealing with. She didn't want to chase Jess away but by this point he knew she was a take charge type of a women. Hell, it was one of the things that she thought made her sexy. She was going to let him answer her question before she started to really take charge of the conversation she had been meaning to have with him. Hope was definitely not going to let him distract her from what she needed to say either. Lately she had noticed that he was the perfect distraction from anything with the whole crooked smile, soft yet passionate kisses, and the way his hands moved across her body. Even now thinking about it made her want to skip the talking and take him to the bedroom. Not right now, Hope. Control, she told herself sternly.

^{STARRING : HOPE & JESS
WORDS : SEVEN HUNDRED NINETY-TWO
STATUS : FINISHED
NOTES : yaaay
LYRICS USED : USE SOMEBODY - KINGS OF LEON
LISTENING TO : one direction - moments
BANNER CREDIT : TANA
TAGGED : TANA}

[JESS MORETTI]

outfit
Callused and slightly oil stained fingers found a wave of Hope's hair and toyed absently with the strand. In all the time he had known this bookstore owner, Jess had never really taken the time to notice just how busy and hectic life was for her. He could relate on one front, knowing how hard it was to balance work and caring for one's family--by now he had learned just how much of Hope's time was spent looking after her grandmother. Though in other arena's, Jess was pretty clueless as to what things commonly took up Hope's time and worries.

The moment the mechanics would hire him, Jess had taken up the job. The only class in high school he had excelled in--though he could have done well in all of his classes--was shop. He knew twice as much as the chumps in his class, and was well equipped to become a mechanic and start working at the earliest convenience. It paid a whole lot more than delivering papers and doing yard work for people around town. But Hope owned her own business--or rather, her grandfather's business. Jess spent his hours on his back or bent over the hood of a truck, while Hope's were spent mostly on this ridiculous paper work in addition to tending to her customers. And with no one to help, or to take her shift if she was feeling ill...or just wanted to take a "personal day".

"Well," Jess began slowly and as casually as possible as he brought his beer bottle to his lips, "If you need a hand around the store...You can always ask me." While he appreciated his position at the garage, and did his job well, Jess imagined he would enjoy working in a bookstore. He could read during his down time without getting a stern glare, and be constantly surrounded by the smell of paper, ink and binding. Not to mention if he helped around at Hope's he would see her more...but that was just an afterthought to the other factors...really.

He shifted on the couch and leaned back most comfortably against the cushions, with Hope nestled into his side. Her fingers along his collarbone tickled slightly and brought a small smile to his lips. As did every small touch and gesture. It was such a simple, and yet complex, feeling he had around this woman. At the base, she made him feel good. Better than ever, really. But there was so much more than that present, so many more feelings that Jess hadn't the time to address when he was filing taxes, paying bills, and constructing next week's grocery list.

When he was with Hope, though, these near overwhelming thoughts and concerns were easily brushed from his shoulders. For a while, Jess felt lighter, and he was able to just breathe and enjoy himself. And so everything else that stacked up onto of the simple good feeling Hope gave him, went unaddressed. Why mess with a good thing? Jess liked how he felt with Hope, so why should he question it or dig any deeper than that?

Hope's question coaxed a curious dark brow up, and Jess tilted his head down to look at her for a moment. Hanging with people? Like he did with her? Or just in general? He was quiet for but a beat longer before shrugging the shoulder she did not lean against. "Not really. I don't exactly...hang out with people usually." Jess paused and glanced down at the bottle in his hand. He leaned over to set it on the table by the couch, then settled back down. "You're kind of a special case." He added then, his tone perfectly nonchalant.

His now free hand found a home on Hope's knee as he shifted slightly in his seat so to be able to look at her better. It did not automatically cross his mind to ask her the same question in turn. But eventually the thought did drift its way to the front of his head. If she specifically meant "hanging out" to be like what he had been doing with her for the past couple of weeks...He pushed that back. Hope hardly had the time to see him lately, let alone to see another guy. He gave his head an almost imperceptible shake.

Jess did not much like the idea of Hope with some other guy. But he was fairly sure she hadn't been able to. Did she want to, though? Jess twisted his lips and glanced briefly off to the side, thinking. "...What about you?"
___________________________________________________________________________

_{Word Count ahhhh i dont know.
Inspiration photography class?
Tags HOPE!
Status Complete!
Template By Arro @ Caution 2.0}
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[HOPE A. SUMMERS]

Hope looked up at him for a moment as he offered up his help. She liked the idea of being able to spend time with him in the store. It would remind her of the many times she shared fleeting glances with him as he handeled the books so carefully. By this point she had already memorized the way he used his fingers to delicately touch the older books and flip through some of the pages to get a sense of the story. The way his eyes would change with different types of stories and even the way he looked at her when she asked him if he needed help. Now his careful touches were placed on her body and she liked it better that way. "If you have time I would love the help. I don't think there's anyone better qualified in town," she told him honestly and pressed her lips against his neck gently.

The liberty to touch and kiss him wherever she wanted was something Hope planned to take full advantage of while they were together in the same room. Never before had she felt so needy to touch someone than with Jess. It wasn't that she called him every hour or even left work in the middle of the day to see him. But when they were in the same room Hope had to hold his hand or bring his body close to hers. The way he looked at her sometimes made her feel like he felt the same way. But there was no guessing what was going on that head of his.

Hope nodded her head as he simply said he didn't hang out with peoplple often. Much like herself she didn't really spend time with many people unless there was a big event going on, like a birthday or a gradutation. Sure she had friends but she had other things to worry about. As of lately, Jess was someone she had to see or else she felt like the day hadn't been completed. Hope adjusted herself as he leaned forward to put his beer on the table.

His next words made her smile without even thinking. So she was a special case. Normally she would have left it at that but this wasn't what she necessarily wanted to hear. She wanted to hear him say that she was his girlfriend or at least get on the path to saying it. They were both in the same boat with not being completely comfortable with the labels but she wanted to hear the words come from his mouth so badly.

She placed her hand over Jess' at it lay on her knee. Her body was no longer flush against him because she wanted to actually see his face during this conversation. She watched him as he contemplated whatever he was thinking about but she didn't mind the brief silence. Part of her felt like he was thinking that she was already asked enough questions and he was over their entire thing. But she knew he wouldn't lie to her...that wasn't him. When he flipped the question back to her Hope laughed at the absurtidy of it. Not because she didn't have time in her scheduele to see someone else but because the thought never crossed her mind.

"I might have two other guys that I'm seeing right now," she told him completely serious, trying to make him feel even the teeniest amount of jealously. She was sure it would look damn hot on him. Hope grinned for a moment before shaking her head. "I'm not interested in ayone else," she told him, her eyes held connection with him before liftin ghis hand up to kiss it gently before placing it back down on her knee

"Would it bother you if I did?," she asked him and let out a deep breathe. It would bother her to no end if she heard he was seeing other people over the last few weeks. It would probably make her go crazy. But the last thing she wanted was to overthink what was going on between them. Then again, they were both old enough to discuss this.

^{STARRING : HOPE & JESS
WORDS : SEVEN HUNDRED SIX
STATUS : FINISHED
NOTES : okay im not digging this post. but it'll do!
LYRICS USED : USE SOMEBODY - KINGS OF LEON
LISTENING TO : one direction - moments
BANNER CREDIT : TANA
TAGGED : TANA}

[JESS MORETTI]

outfit

"For you, I think I could find the time." Said Jess, his tone still easily casual. While many of
the things he said to Hope could be considered sweet and affectionate, the sugariness of his words were often overshadowed by the bland, nonchalant tone he used. Though he was sure Hope knew he meant what he said.

Her lips brushing along his neck drew a soft, contented sigh from his lips and a light shiver up his spine. It would be disconcerting that she could elicit such reactions from him so easily if Jess actually minded. However, he was far too distracted by how damn good it felt for her to touch him like that.

At her laughter, Jess felt a sense of relief...which was quickly stamped out by her dead serious remark. It took him a few beats to figure out she was just trying to get a rise out of him. And much to his chagrin, it had worked. The idea of Hope having other guys on that couch in her office, or in her bed in this apartment, had Jess seeing red.

What a strange feeling, however fleeting it was. Jealousy was not Jess' thing. He had a girl he did this and that with, and once he was bored of her he cast her aside. And usually the types of girls Jess chose didn't really care if he did that. Because they had several other guys occupying their attention if Jess wasn't.

But Hope, as he had told her, was a special case.

As the questioned him yet again, Jess sighed. He was oddly reluctant to answer with an affirmative, though he knew it was true that he would most definitely be irked and upset if Hope was seeing other guys besides him. "Yeah, yeah I guess I wouldn't be too happy about it." He answered finally, with hesitant eyes darting to the floor and then back to the girl at his side. Where was she going with all this anyways?

___________________________________________________________________________

_{Word Count ahhhh i dont know.
Notes aaahhhhhh I am SO SORRY this took so long. hopefully i won't suck as much now at posting!
Tags HOPE!
Status Complete!
Template By Arro @ Caution 2.0}
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[HOPE A. SUMMERS]

Hope was used to his dulcet tone as he responded to her, the entire conversation seemed to be make him bored soley based on his tone but she knew better. It had only been a few weeks that they were goether but she had tried to remember the way he spoke long ago. She remembered the way he described one of his favorite books to her that he read recently when asked about it. He was passionate but never made it obvious to those who didn't know him. It was something she was fascinated by because the way he spoke made her want to watch him for hours. Now she had the chance to actually have full conversations with him. But she also had the chance to shut him up with her own lips.

Jess' body tensed next to her as she attempted a terrible joke and actually looked angry...or jealous for a moment before regaining his usual composure. Hope bit her bottom lip and watched her siginificant other as he seemed to take it all in. She knew by now he was wondering where she was going with all of this and she didn't mind telling him. Jess was hard to convince of something so she understood it may be a struggle to tell him that her feelings were correct this time.

The man next to her was not someone she planned to let get away simply on the technicality of their realtionship. She didn't want what was going on between them to be boxed and shelved in what everyone else around them wanted. Hope wanted him to say to her that she his girl and that he had no problem telling the rest of the world that. That's what she felt like being in a relationship was supposed to be. Forget being called boyfriend and girlfriend (even if it would be hilarious to hear him say it)...she just wanted to know that he was hers and she was his.

Hope listened to his half-ass response to her question. The nerdy reader in her wanted him to jump up and recite Shakespeare for her but that wasn't going to happen. She let out a deep sigh and leaned forward to take a sip of her beer. Time to take action, she told herself, trying to hype herself up to be candid with it. "Jess..." she started and ran a hand through her hair, looking at him. "Don't you think it's time we discuss..." she continued with another sigh of frustration. "What do you call me when you talk to your friends? If haven't spoken about us...if someone came up to you and asked. What would you classify me as? And be completely honest...I won't be angry with whatever you say," she asked him quickly as she wanted him to respond the first answer that came to his mind.

^{STARRING : HOPE & JESS
WORDS : IDK!
STATUS : FINISHED
NOTES : I DARE YOU TO HAVE JESS BE LIKE, 'UHHHH IDK. WHY DOES IT MATTER' LOL HOPE WOULD FLIP
LYRICS USED : USE SOMEBODY - KINGS OF LEON
LISTENING TO : one direction - moments
BANNER CREDIT : TANA
TAGGED : TANA}

[JESS MORETTI]

outfit

Long, long ago Jess may have witnessed a model of a functional family. Perhaps the memory was locked away in the recesses of his mind, forever gathering dust. Even if his mother and biological father had been in a perfectly functional relationship when he was very young, Jess could not remember. What he could recall was his mother’s reaction to his father’s departure, even long after the dead beat musician had left them struggling to survive in Manhattan in a miniscule apartment. He recalled her heart break and her inability to function very well.

Jess also vividly remembered the boyfriends Catherine had throughout his life. He could still envision her beaming brightly as she spritzed perfume on her neck and wrists and did her hair. Every now and then, Jess would be introduced to these men as Catherine brought them home. They were usually the same types of guys with ‘cool’ clothes and a smooth smile. He imagined his father was very similar. These men all also managed to be similar to his father in that they never stuck around for long, and they would leave Jess’ mother crumpled on the bed or couch, broken.

This pattern repeated over and over again until eventually, Catherine gave up dating all together. After repeated affairs and nasty break ups, and simply just being treated horrendously, she had given up on true happiness. Though some days, when in her right mind, Catherine would take a moment to remind Jess and Faith that she could not regret some of those relationships, for without those she would not have her children (i.e. she would not have caretakers, Jess would think cynically to himself).

While Jess may not pinpoint this lack of a model relationship in his life as the reason for his aversion to relationships himself, it had a lot to do with it. And as Hope began talking once more, her words punctuated by heaving sighs and swigs of beer, internal sirens started blaring. It was not exactly a call for Jess to make a run for it while he could, but it certainly was a warning signal for him to tread carefully.

As Hope’s words sped up near the end of her weirdly long question, Jess was rather baffled. Silence settled in the room as he pondered this situation she had given him. After several thoughtful sips of beer, Jess lifted his shoulders in a shrug. “I don’t really have friends…or anyone that would ask me about you. But…I don’t know. What’s it matter anyways. That’s our business, not anyone else’s.”

He paused to finish off his beer and set the bottle aside. With a sigh, Jess twisted on the couch and rested his arm over the back of it. “Why don’t you stop beating around the bush or whatever and just say what’s bugging you, Hope? That’d make this a lot easier on the both of us I think.”


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_{Word Count ahhhh i dont know.
Notes wooo! Haha this will be interesting
Music "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" - the Temptations
Tags HOPE!
Status Complete!
Template By Arro @ Caution 2.0}
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[HOPE A. SUMMERS]

Hope watched Jess and was almost frustrated he wasn't as invested in this conversation as she was. How could she expect him to be? It was her crazy thoughts that were bothering him and obviously it wasn't concerning him in the least. His choice of words made it all obvious that he didn't want to be talking about this. But if he knew Hope even in the least he knew she was going to keep on this until she got what she wanted to hear. Or at least had him address it at all. She felt like watching her parents relationship fall to shit so many years ago made her want to make sure she put all her effort into the guys that were worth her time. She never wanted to have regret when it came to being with someone. It would be a complete waste of her love and attention.

Hope looked away from him to the floor as he reached to drink the rest of his beer. She tucked a piece of her hair, feeling the weight of the couch shift as Jess leaned back into his spot. ”I'm not very good with this type of thing,” she admitted to him and stood up, feeling flustered. ”I don't know what to call you when my grandmother asks if I'm in a relationship or...well I don't really anyone to ask me about it either but I feel like I don't even know what to say,” she told him, her eyes looking for any type of reaction so she knew this was either going terribly wrong or she was alright. ”Sorry if I'm being too girly because trust me I hate this type of stuff too” she shook her head and looked away from him.

Crossing her arms against her chest she looked at the ceiling for a few seconds before looking at him again.”I just want to be able to call you my boyfriend,” she walked towards him but decided to not sit down. Knowing Jess he might blow this entire conversation off again but for her this meant a lot. ”Are we there yet or is this the farthest thing from your mind?” she asked him, searching his eyes for an answer. Hope so badly wanted to forget about this and kiss him as they made their way to her room. But she had already gotten herself in too deep.

^{STARRING : HOPE & JESS
WORDS : IDK!
STATUS : FINISHED
NOTES : EEK SORRY ITS SHORT
LYRICS USED : USE SOMEBODY - KINGS OF LEON
LISTENING TO : one direction - moments
BANNER CREDIT : TANA
TAGGED : TANA}

[JESS MORETTI]

outfit

Jess sat in silence as Hope rose to her feet, flustered words tumbling from her mouth. It was about time she got to the point of all this. As he watched the young woman ramble on, Jess could hardly manage to fight the smile pulling at his lips. Hope could talk alright, and Jess had no problem listening to her, even as she ranted. Though, despite his amusement, Jess truly was listening to her. While such things, like telling his family whether or not he was in a relationship, meant very little to him it was obviously something that was quite important to Hope.

As the speech came to a close, Jess remained quiet. Boyfriend. He allowed the term to bounce around in his head for a while as he considered all that Hope had said. The connotations of that word weren’t exactly great in Jess’ book. But again he had to take into account that it was something Hope wanted. And if it would make her happier, and feel better (not to mention get her to stop acting so weird) then Jess hadn’t an issue with taking on the role of Boyfriend.

With a sigh, Jess rose to his feet before Hope. He peered curiously down at her for a few more beats, still considering all that had been said since they sat down for beers. He imagined that the silence, as it stretched on, was driving Hope crazier and crazier. A chortled escaped him at the thought, and he entertained the idea of making her suffer more just for pure amusement. But that would be cruel, and the poor girl seemed upset. Before he finally responded, Jess leaned down to press a gentle kiss to her lips.

“Boyfriend, huh?” Jess smirked and curled his arm around Hope’s waist. Really, how could he deny a girl dressed like that what she wants? He leaned down once more and his lips grazed hers as he feigned thinking some more. “How about…I will be whatever you want me to be. Quite happily.” One finger idly traced a circle along the small of Hope’s back and he pulled her closer. “Sound good?”



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_{Word Count ahhhh i dont know.
Notes ^_^
Music "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" - the Temptations
Tags HOPE!
Status Complete!
Template By Arro @ Caution 2.0}
[/size][/blockquote][/i][/sub]

[HOPE A. SUMMERS]

Hope knew how odd and probably psychotic Jess thought she was but it was alright. He wasn't going to break up with her or freak out because that wasn't the type of person he was. By this point of the conversation Hope realized he would have had no problem getting up before Hope started to rant about her silly issue. She watched as a smile crept up on the lips she had kissed so many times. So he found this amusing? A mixture of anger and embarrassment flushed over her but she soon got over it. This was Jess she was talking to. One of the people in own who knew more about her than some who she went to high school with her simply because he listened. He watched her and listened now that they were together. This situation was no different.

Then the silence came. Hope placed her hands on her hips as he watched her a moment obviously thinking over everything she had said. Hope had no idea if being a boyfriend was something Jess wanted to be in the next few years. He seemed to be a free spirit in that sense. Nothing was holding him down that way. Or at least nothing more than this family, job, and responsibility to take care of himself. No one else was going to do everything he was and she admired that. So was he thinking in this head that being someone's boyfriend was yet another task on the long list of things he had to do?

Hope remained still as Jess stood up, a sigh escaping his mouth. His body stood close to hers as he looked down at her, his eyes searching her face. The silence, normally bearable, was everything but. Shit, he's going to breakup with me, she thought to herself as he continued to stand comfortably in silence. Hope was about to say something before his lips found her own. It was a brief, sweet kiss that was cut short by his arm snaking around her waist. Nonetheless she felt something stir up inside her at the feel of his lips on her own and the warmth of his hand on her skin.

Her breathes were short as his lopsided smirk gave her chills. He had this control over her like a marionette doll that she had no intention to deny. When he would even look at her a certain way she felt like the sexiest women in the world. His lips teasingly grazed her own as he took a beat to think. When he began to speak Hope let out a deep breathe of air, her words a little muffled by the heat of his body close to hers. His finger created circles on her back as he pulled her to him, his voice in her ear. ”Mhmm,” was the only thing she could let out.

Hope still wasn't completely done and while she appreciated being completely flustered by Jess she had to give a little to make him agree to one more thing. Hope pressed her lips to his neck and kissed his skin softly. Her mouth made its way across his jaw like a feather before reaching his lips and kissing him again. Her hands held onto his torso as she pressed her lips to his.

Leaning back gently Hope looked him in the eyes, ”You know what this means right?” she asked him, keeping it rhetorical as she teased his mouth with her hers. ”Being anyone's boyfriend can be tough...but I'm not just anyone,” she told him. ”You get me all to yourself. Whenever you want me,” she whispered into his ear, her lips soon finding his neck again. ”That's why you're going to meet my grandmother and we can actually spend time together in public. I'd like to make all the other girls jealous,” she told him, her tone not changing at all. Jess could make her agree to anything at a drop of a hat but she wondered if she could do the same to him. She felt like messing with him so she continued, bringing her hand up his shirt, her nails moving over his back. ”Maybe recite some Shakespeare or sing a Justin Bieber song for me?” she finished. She attempted to keep her composure but ending up letting out a laugh, her forehead leaning into his chest.

^{STARRING : HOPE & JESS
WORDS : IDK!
STATUS : FINISHED
NOTES : BLEGH. WOULD IT TOTALLY KILL THE MOOD IF SHE SAID SHE WANTED TO MEET HIS SISTER? LOL
LYRICS USED : USE SOMEBODY - KINGS OF LEON
LISTENING TO : one direction - moments
BANNER CREDIT : TANA
TAGGED : TANA}

[JESS MORETTI]

outfit

Well then, it was settled. Jess would be Hope’s boyfriend. The title sounded horrendously juvenile and like it belonged on the Disney Channel and in his little sister’s notebooks with all those hearts and smiley faces. Boyfriend. He daren’t even say the word, lest it leave a nasty taste in his mouth, and he didn’t have any beer left to wash it out. Perhaps this boyfriend thing would remain unspoken. They could be in an exclusive, adult relationship just fine without her having to use that word when he was introduced to someone she knew. Oh God he was going to have to hang out with her friends wasn’t he.

This was something Jess would have to get used to, apparently. For years, since his first kiss in middle school, he had not been a commitment kind of guy. And not by a purposeful choice either. It was just how it ended up, and often had to do with the girls he got mixed up with. Jess had never found his limbs tangled up with that of a nice girl looking for someone to split a milkshake with after the sock hop. He was far more prone to girls that wanted to share a cigarette after fooling around in the back seat of her car.

“I know you’re not just anyone,” He murmured in reply, mostly only focused on her lips teasing his. Now that the matter of their status was dealt with, he was hoping to move on to the best perks of being a “boyfriend”. And the way Hope’s lips were skimming along the curve of his neck, Jess was fairly positive that was exactly what he was going to enjoy for the rest of the night. This expectation, coupled with the very slick transition of the topic, had Jess just nodding before he even realized what Hope had said.

He blinked suddenly and pulled back somewhat as Hope’s words slowly clicked together in his head. “Wait,” Jess took hold of her hands before they decided to continue their exploration and distract him further. “I could have misheard, as I was a bit distracted...but did you just say you want me to meet your grandmother?” He did not even need her to respond. Jess knew that was what she had said, quickly covered up by ramblings of making girls jealous and Justin Bieber songs.

Firmly, Jess’ hands rested at Hope’s hips as he looked down at her. “We aren’t in some Nicholas Sparks novel.” He stated first. His hands raised to his hair, pushing the thick locks back. Meet her grandmother. How had he not anticipated such a requirement? He tried to remember the last time he had interacted with a parent or parental sort of figure. Never that he could remember, if it involved a girl he was…With. The last mom Jess had met was that of one of Faith’s friends, and he was particular sure that clean, manicured soccer mom was not a fan of Faith’s oil stained smoking older brother.

“…What’s this about meeting your grandmother?” Oh he could just see the old woman now, staring at him, face contorted with blatant disapproval. Then what? If she did not approve of him, would that mean Hope would be done? Surely not...right? Hope was a big girl now, after all. Her grandmother’s opinion of her boyfriend surely would not decide anything about their relationship. Jess sighed. He was already disliking this boyfriend thing and he had not even been her boyfriend for five minutes.
___________________________________________________________________________

_{Word Count ahhhh i dont know.
Notes Oh Jess...
Tags HOPE!
Status Complete!
Template By Arro @ Caution 2.0}
[/size][/blockquote][/i][/sub]

[HOPE A. SUMMERS]

Hope thought she was home free until he realized that she actually wanted him to meet her grandmother. Her grandmother was her only family and she wanted Jess to meet her before things got worse with her health. She wanted her grandmother to see that Hope was happy with someone and not moping around her bookstore like before. Jess didn't realize that her grandmother was the most non-judgmental person and that Jess was probably one of the better choices of a significant other than Hope had made before. Hope definitely didn't have the best track record for guys she started to see. How was she going to say all of this now that he was probably angry at her for trying to make him blindly agree. He took a hold of her hands and she let out a sigh, snatching her hands from his just as quickly as he stopped them. She didn't even care to respond to him as he asked her the question like it was the end of the world.

The brunette let him place his hands on her hips as he stated the obvious. ”Oh please, Jess, give me some credit. Do you think that's what I want?” she laughed and watched him rake his fingers through his hair. She didn't understand why he was so against the idea of meeting her grandmother or for that matter being her boyfriend. Maybe saying the word boyfriend wasn't the best idea. ”I don't mind the idea of not calling you my boyfriend. I'm okay with that,” she told him, her voice unwavering even if she felt like she was lying. ”I'm sorry if that made you feel uncomfortable...” she paused after she realized her voice had cracked a bit. A dead give away. Hope stopped and looked away from him, trying to shield the hurt that may be showing in her eyes.

Hope had seen so many relationships fall apart around her except of her grandparents. They were her everything especially when they took her in and gave her the love and support she needed. Her mother and father abounded her for their own selfish desires and Hope hated them for it. The hate that was inside the thin build that was Hope Summers was immense.

Now she felt herself looking at every possible relationship with a guy with cynical eyes because she didn't want to get trapped again. She didn't want to feel the pain of having someone else move on just because they wanted to. That's why being with someone else for longer than a month was always tough. This was the point when she had no idea what to do. She had hookup buddies for longer but had never been with someone to the caliber she was with Jess. She was in it for as long as he wanted her but that kind of mentality wasn't healthy for her. By this point of her life she kind of wanted to look into the future.

It seemed stupid even to her to be a little pissed off about all of this but it was making her angry. She was trying to get on the same understanding as him of how unnecessary it was to call someone their boyfriend. But at the same time wasn't that what every girl wanted at one point in a relationship? Part of her felt like crying but that wasn't what Hope did in these types of situations. So she swallowed the discomfort and looked back at him. ”Meeting my grandmother is pretty damn important to me. Maybe not next week or even next month but eventually I would like you to. You're the first guy that I've ever even thought of introducing to them...her,” her tone exasperated.

She realized she might be making Jess feel bad or maybe he just completely didn't give a shit what she was saying and still didn't want to meet anyone related to her. If that was the case...Hope didn't know what to do or say. So she decided to pull the honesty card, something she didn't like to do often. Or at least didn't like to make it too mushy. Hope let out a deep breathe and continued, ”I want her to meet the person that's made me actually happy for the first time in a long time...Why are you so against that? What are you so concerned about?,” she asked him and ran a hand through her hair, a habit she did when she was nervous. Hope didn't know how easily it took Jess to end it with someone. She wondered if he felt things were getting too serious too fast but for the last few weeks he seemed to have no protest at all. It was like what was going on between them is exactly what Jess had been yearning. So why the stop light now?

^{STARRING : HOPE & JESS
WORDS : IDK!
STATUS : FINISHED
NOTES : BLEGH. WOULD IT TOTALLY KILL THE MOOD IF SHE SAID SHE WANTED TO MEET HIS SISTER? LOL
LYRICS USED : USE SOMEBODY - KINGS OF LEON
LISTENING TO : one direction - moments
BANNER CREDIT : TANA
TAGGED : TANA}

[JESS MORETTI]

outfit

Fantastic. She was mad. Just fucking fantastic. Jess barely tried to conceal his scowl. Were they seriously going to argue about his aversion to being called her boyfriend, as well as meeting her grandmother? He wasn't saying no to either of those things, so Jess was having a hard time figuring out why Hope was getting so damn pissed off.

As Hope ranted, frustrated and upset with him, dragging her fingers through her hair and sighing, Jess just stood. They were no longer touching, so his hands found the depths of his jean pockets, where they would be kept from nervous fidgeting. Perhaps, he pondered silently, he should have been more careful with his responses. But Hope couldn't really blame him. She invites him over, softens him up with delicious bacon cheese burgers and beer, and then suddenly goes off on the whole "Where is our relationship going" deal.

He had been prepared for a casual night of dinner, some T.V. maybe, and really great sex. In between they would joke and laugh and talks about books and stupid things in town and simply just have fun together. Jess could be serious--Faith often informed him that he was too serious--but with Hope that wasn't quite what he wanted to be. Being with her allowed Jess to loosen up and smile and enjoy himself. Now Hope had gone all serious on him, and it was taking Jess a bit to shift gears.

For a moment he wished they were back in the bookstore two weeks ago, wrapped around one another on that couch, giggling and smiling. Jess was free of any inhibitions or responsibilities in those hours. Now it seemed as if Hope was just giving him new things to think about.

"I can tell it's pretty damn important to you." He nearly snapped, but quickly checked himself and his tone. Hope was upset enough without him adding fuel to the fire. Jess sighed quietly and shifted a bit closer to Hope, nearly closing what little distance remained between them. "And I never said I didn't want to meet her. You just caught me off guard, y'little sneak." His lips quirked up into his lopsided smile as one hand dared to find her hip, a finger curling around one of the belt loops in her shorts. "I'll meet her next week or next month or whenever. Just give me enough notice so that I don't get oil stains on her floor."

Jess' free hand lifted to cup her cheek, his rough and callused fingers pressed as gently as could be against her soft cheek. His other hand gave a light pull at the belt loop he had taken a hold of, encouraging Hope to close that last millimeter that separated them. "You make me happy too," he murmured, silently willing them to just go back to their normal routine. Jess dipped his head, his lips teasing hers as he spoke. "You make me laugh, and comfortable, and you do this kinda sexy thing with your lip when you want to touch me, but you're trying not to be too forward..." He smirked and leaned down, lips pressed to the spot just beneath her ear.

"If you're happy, I'm happy." He whispered and brushed a stray lock of her hair away. "So I will gladly do what I can to make you happy. Happy?" Jess rested his forehead against Hope's, this thumb idly stroking her cheek as he peered at her thoughtfully. Hopefully that speech of his would be enough for her, for now. And perhaps it would help him avoid any more of those questions she had been pressing.
___________________________________________________________________________

_{Word Count ahhhh i dont know.
Notes Mmmhmmm
Tags HOPE!
Status Complete!
Template By Arro @ Caution 2.0}
[/size][/blockquote][/i][/sub]

[HOPE A. SUMMERS]

Hope was prepared to raise her voice as he practically snapped at her. She had gotten into various arguments with her mother when she was younger and had learned all the tools needed to win a fight. When it came to arguing with her grandparents she always lost. They were always just so calm and relaxed that Hope always wore herself out before the end of it. Or there were those moments when either of them actually got mad at her which was one of the scariest things in the world. Hope had only ever seen her grandfather yell twice. Once was Hope when she got home drunk and late on the Fourth of July. Hope sobered up in a record time of 2 minutes after her grandfather yelled at her. The second time was his car died and they had to go to the shop. It was terrifying to see someone outside of their family get beaten down verbally by an older man. Hope appreciated that her grandfather taught her the skills of making her voice heard.

Ready to get back into it with Jess he let out a sigh and stepped closer to her. Hope was about to take a step back to create distance between them until he spoke, his face now closer to her own. And then he smiled. Shit. She found herself not breathing as he remained close to her. Hope didn't move a muscle in hopes that he would get the idea she was still frustrated with him. Not only had he given her a hard time about the whole 'wanting to know what to call their relationship' but then he had nearly flipped out about meeting her grandmother. She would understand if she had said that she wanted him to meet her dad or her brother, if she had one. That would mean he would have had to go through the awkward 'don't hurt my daughter or i'll kill you' talk which was not something Hope was asking Jess to go through. His hand touching her cheek bought her away from the angry still festering inside of her.

She felt her short being pulled gently away from her and her body responded on it's own, stepping closer to him. Hope willed herself to not lean her head instinctively towards Jess' as he lowered his own closer to her. She listened to his every word, knowing the inflections in his voice by now from just listening. So she made him laugh...okay, that's great. And comfortable, oh how sweet. As he got to that sexy thing she did Hope knew exactly what he was talking about. She licked her lips as she felt the room get hot but couldn't move her feet from the position she was standing in. She had never found her biting of the lip then slight pursing to be sexy but obviously to him, it was. Hope let out a soft sigh to cover up the potential moan that might escape her mouth as his lips found her weak spot.


He was speaking again, his voice loud enough only for her to hear. His words were special that way as he tucked a lock of her hair away from her face. His thumb against her cheek made her zone out for a moment and her finger found its way to his belt buckle, and then his waist. Their foreheads pressed against each other and everything seemed...alright. Like she had forgotten what they were talking about in the first place. Hope leaned up and kissed his lips gently, not a sound being made between them. It was like a truck that hit her when she realized what he was trying to do to her. Hope continued to kiss him, her mouth now making its way across his jaw line to his neck. She came up for air next to his year as she held on to his waist. ”I know what you're trying to do and it's not going to work,” she whispered into his year and leaned back to look at him. ”You think you're so clever,” she said with a grin, it was hard not to after his heartfelt speech. ”I'm beginning to question if you meant any of that,” she said but didn't create any distance between them.

”You might have to prove to me how much you actually care about me,” she told him, her face completely serious. ”How about this...every time that you give me a valid reason why you're so into me I'll take off one piece of clothing. You'll only need two before we get to the good stuff. But I get to decide if it's not actually that great and you have to take something off,” she told him, now with a smirk spreading across her lips. Now she felt like they were getting back to the them of 20 minutes ago. Hope kissed him briefly before taking a seat on the couch, leaving him to do what she asked. She figured by now he would have wanted to avoid arguing and play a little game with her. Hell, they had all night.

^{STARRING : HOPE & JESS
WORDS : IDK!
STATUS : FINISHED
NOTES : YAAAY FUN
LYRICS USED : USE SOMEBODY - KINGS OF LEON
LISTENING TO : one direction - moments
BANNER CREDIT : TANA
TAGGED : TANA}