Milli-Verse: Vacation Part 2

[sbpd_papabear]

Waking up wrapped in Karen's arms is perhaps the best thing Henry could possibly imagine - nuzzling into her sleep-matted hair and inhaling the sweet scent of day-old shampoo and her right there against him. For a long moment, he's afraid to move - afraid to break the moment and move on to a new one. It should scare him that he's so comfortable already, that he's throwing around words like 'love' so haphazardly... but that's what he's become with her. He doesn't just want her, he flat out needs her in his life now - and if that's not love, damn it... nothing is. Soon, though, it will be over - they'll have to go home and Lord knows if he'll ever get to be this close again.

Gently, he presses a kiss against the back of her neck and another to her bare shoulder, squeezing tight around her waist.

And then he feels her shift back against him and murmur something that may be his name and reflexively whispers; "Good morning, beautiful."

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[chief_mom]

He couldn't have chosen a more beautiful spot, secluded yet not, just enough to provide them with another chance to just enjoy one another without concern.

She slips down onto the blanket, curling her legs around to the side, trying to look ladylike, despite the urge to pull her skirt up and sit cross-legged and start rummaging in the basket. She can do social graces, even if she knows that Henry isn't one for stuffy conventionality, not really.

"Come join me in our world," she beckons. "Our little patch of warm splendor in the grass."

[sbpd_papabear]

Social graces be damned, a beautiful woman on a picnic blanket ready to tear into some cold cuts all for him is the only thing he cares to deal with. At that moment, he knows he'd be happy if stayed their world.

"Yes ma'm," he grins wide, settling down close behind her and letting her relax back against him as he wraps a bracing arm around her waist. "I'd love to."

[chief_mom]

She has to crane back to steal a little kiss before digging into the food. The way he holds onto her just demands it.

"How is it that your arm around me makes me feel safer than guns on my hip and ankle and a whole squad of backup?"

[sbpd_papabear]

Henry murmurs into the kiss, letting his touch linger on her as she opens up the cooler to find a few large sandwiches and fruit salad and cold chicken... the sort of thing he'd have packed himself, really.

"Mmm, must be something crazy.." he laughs under his breath, pressing a kiss to her cheek as he leans forward enough to grab a sandwich and unwrap half the plastic; "My guess is you've got that love bug that's going around."

[chief_mom]

The idea of love as some sort of a virus, floating around, infecting people makes her laugh.

"So long as I'm never cured, I'll take that." She passes him some of the chicken, and pops the top off of a beer, taking a sip that couldn't quite be described as dainty.

"A permanent affliction of affection."

[sbpd_papabear]

"If noted musical MD Robert Palmer is to be believed, there is no known cure." He chuckles even louder, shaking his head as he leans back on the blanket with his chicken in hand - staring up at the gentle light coming through the draped foliage.

"I'm pretty sure it's contagious, we between just keep it to ourselves."

[chief_mom]

"I can do that," she promises, offering the beer his way.

"So, um, there's something that's been on my mind." She picks at fruit salad, nibbling on a cube of melon as she puts her thoughts in order. "I'm not sure what you'll think about this."

She stops, and turns around. She wants to be looking at him for this one.

"I'd like it, I think it's a good idea, uh, if you want to, if you think you could, um, spend some time with Iris. The three of us, I mean."

[sbpd_papabear]

Managing up onto his side to accept the cold beer, he manages a long drink before she turns back to catch him in the middle of a large bite. At least chewing and swallowing without choking on the difficult question gives him enough time to consider the offer.

"That'd be great;" he replies honestly, licking a stray smear of mustard off his lip. "Sure, I haven't spent time with her in ages... that'd be fun."

Of course, they both know the lingering question in that and he almost doesn't bring it up - wouldn't bring it up if he wasn't sure that she would. "She's, uh... pretty smart, I'm guessing." He sets down the sandwich and pushes up on his arm; "You think we should tell her?"

She'd probably take it better than Shawn will.

[chief_mom]

"She's smart, and she's intuitive. She knows things aren't right at home, and I think she's actually seen the woman her father's brought into my house when I've been working."

She has to pause to frown at that. Maybe she's not any better now, having a clandestine affair, and thinking of making Iris aware of Henry in an intentional way. Somehow it seems different, though she may be deluding herself.

"She's seen that I've been sad. I'd like her to see me happy. And she likes you. She calls you Mr. Henny. I can't bring myself to correct her."

[sbpd_papabear]

Admittedly, it's sad that she's had to go through this at all - but it's good that she's too young to hold a grudge. Even Henry knows that a big part of the rift between he and Shawn, the thing that they've spent six years slowly repairing, is because of the divorce. Kid never got it through his head that it was Madeline's choice to leave - not that he hadn't done his fair share to make it the better option, he had - but that Henry never wanted anyone to get hurt even if things sometimes don't work out they way you hoped they would.

But, in the long run, it's turned out for the better.

He smiles again, hesitant but true enough; "We'll talk to her, maybe we could go out on the boat for a day - see how things work out?"

[chief_mom]

It's going to be a little bit complicated, to say the least. Left or leaving, cheating or not, no marriage ends as cleanly as Karen would like to hope hers will. There will be tears, and she's bracing for that.

But knows that she's not alone, which is her touchstone for when times get rough. And that's what she's banking on to give her the strength and clarity to make it okay for Iris. And if Henry's on board with easing Iris into the idea of his being around, well she knows that's nothing short of a gift.

And more reason to know she's fallen in love with the right man.

"The boat sounds perfect. She loves the water. Thank you." She turns and offers a grape to his lips. "You're pretty excellent, you know that?"

[sbpd_papabear]

A smile warms on his face and he takes he easy bite, stopping to kiss her fingertips. "Ah, I'm adequate," he laughs and then leans closer to nudge against her.

"I just hope she likes me, I wasn't exactly... what Shawn wanted in a father." It's a tough subject, to say the least, and as much as he'd never believe it if Henry told him as much; Henry's well aware of the fact that Shawn thinks he was a bad father.

"What sort of things does she like? I can get the boat ready after I finish up at the station... I'll probably be down at the dock shortly after dawn anyway so you two can just meet me there when you're up and ready."

[chief_mom]

"Mmm, she likes celery and cucumbers and Muppets, reading and singing," she laughs. "Anything shiny, sparkly or with flowers, and pudding cups." It's so hard to describe her child in simple phrases, but those things come right to the fore.

"She likes you, you told her some story at the Christmas party at the station, she kept retelling it for days afterward."

"Your relationship with Shawn has always been complicated. But he knows that you love him, and you're proud of what he's accomplished. And he loves you."

[sbpd_papabear]

He could make some of that happen... maybe. At least he'd try, because he really wants Iris to like him. It'll make things a good deal easier between he and Karen if it goes that far... when it goes that far.

He chuckles under his breath, trying not to think about Shawn if he can help it. Not now.

"Yeah, well... I want everything to be perfect." He lets himself be distracted with his sandwich, taking a big bite and swallowing it with a sip of beer before he asks; "She got a fishing pole and life vest? I've got a spare adult set, but I got rid of Shawn's old vest a decade ago."

[chief_mom]

"Life vest yes, fishing pole no. But that's simple to remedy," she swipes the beer, stealing a little kiss before stealing a sip and handing it back.

"Perfect is a pipe dream with a six year old. Things happen, which I bet you remember. It'll be fine, Henry. No worrying, please."

There's enough to worry about. This part should actually be pretty easy. Iris isn't hard to please. "I love that you want perfection, though. I love you."

[sbpd_papabear]

Henry's smile warms and he pushes up fully to lean against her, pressing a kiss against her shoulder. "I love you too."

Still, his mind wanders and he can't help but think about it... not worry, just strongly consider things. "This is good, right? I mean that we're talking about this stuff."

He doesn't want to rush her into anything, but at the same time he's not holding back on anything... not this time.

[chief_mom]

She can't stop herself from wrapping her arms around him, nuzzling gently against his neck. "It's so good. Planning, and wanting things to grow and become more than just..."

She sighs, but only because she's getting ahead of herself.

"We're good together, especially in these private moments. But it's a long road ahead, and there are sure to be some bumps. But we can talk about things, and that's pretty damned fabulous. I hope we never stop talking about things."

Talking, for her, means that he cares enough to bother. That's huge.

[sbpd_papabear]

He wouldn't dream of caring any less.

Lifting his chin, he shifts against her again and finds her lips with his, letting himself taste the sweet fruit off her tongue before breaking away.

"Promise I won't if you don't," his voice takes on a soft, almost playful note - but he means it all the same. "I need you to tell me what I miss."

Because for all his keen senses and memory, he knows he can be damn blind when it comes to what someone else is thinking... what they need, and when he's hurting them.

[chief_mom]

"I can do that." It's an easy promise to make because she doesn't foresee there being too much. He's trying too hard to be careful. Maybe just because things are new, but she doesn't think so, she thinks it's from prior experience.

"So long as you tell me if I'm too much."

That's her greatest fear, leaning on him too much. Taking advantage of his generosity and kindness, and especially his strength. Getting lost in the fact that for the first time in far too long, someone wants to be there with her.

"We can do this." If she keeps saying it, they can both start believing it. Hopefully.

[sbpd_papabear]

Relationships are fragile things, and he'll be damned if he lets this one break because he's blind to certain things.

"Never too much," he sets down his food and wraps his arms back around her, squeezing tight. "We will do this, Karen... we are doing this."

[chief_mom]

"We are," and that brings back her smile, and her appetite. She finds a sandwich for herself, and settles against him. "It's really pretty awesome."