2020-01-23 - The L Word

Portland had been fun, and the few extra nights Esme'd stayed with Yule had been equally enjoyable. Work had picked up a little bit, along with the cases she was still trying to get to the bottom of so she'd been busy but was trying to be good about not just walling herself off from everyone and everything. Which is why Yule is now getting a series of knocks on the door of his cabin! Because Esme comes bearing gifts- aka dinner - aka food from Fried Fish.

She also, has a 9 x 12 manila folder tucked under her arm. Her attire is simple, as it usually is, a pair of jeans, boots and a sweater all under her woolen trench coat. Her hair is pinned up in a bun. She had sent him a text that she was dropping by but also didn't necessarily wait to see if it was okay or not do so.

The cabins out in the woods create a serene atmosphere, still cozy, but with more space. Space that at the moment? Is completely unoccupied. Yule owns so little furniture it makes the whole thing seem more like a log cave at the moment, with boxes neatly organized off in the corners. There is, at least, a nice counter in the kitchen that has found a couple of stools its way. When the door swings open, there is Yule in a pair of khaki slacks and a button down white dress shirt, though no shoes. In the background? The fireplace goes to help keep the place nice and warm.

His mouth quirks once the detective is spied with both food and manila folder, his chin lifting up with a touch of curiosity. But first things first, she? Has left herself completely helpless, with her hands full of stuff. In he steps, one hand wrapping about her cheek to tip her head up, the other threading into strands of her hair, and a slow, heated kiss is claimed from that lush mouth, savored for several long moments before it is broken with a drag of teeth against the lower lip. "See you brought me something interesting," He murmurs with a touch of mischief, and only then does he step out of the way to allow her in.

Since this is her first time at the cabin, Esme is of course curious so while Yule gets a grin as the door opens her gaze is darting past him to spy an initials glance of the interior. This combination of full hands and diverted attention leads to a startled squeak escaping Esme as she's pulled into that smoldering kiss.

It turns into a pleased noise as the kiss is returned enthusiastically. "Oh I promise it isn't nearly as interesting as you think it is." She chuckled softly, stepping in when he let her. "Oh you have so much space now. How ever are you going to fill it?" Teasing the medical examiner as she crossetothe counter to set everything down. "I really like it though. How are you settling in?"

"I was meaning what's under the trenchcoat, Esme," Comes Yule's quip back, and the look she gets is far more than just a 'little interesting'. Down those eyes rake alon her form for a few long moments, but then onwards they go, heading directly towards the counter in the far end. "I'm not," Comes his conclusion about the space, one shoulder lifting up in a hapless shrug, "A conclusion I came to with someone else. Keep it open... well, not /all/ of it, buy what I need to be functional, but don't fill the rest of it just to fill it."

His hands reach out to help unpack the food, even as a ghost of a smile curls to the corners of his mouth, "It's... a big change. Feels a touch more permanent, yeah? Just like we'd discussed. It's good, though. How about yourself? New year bringing new interests?"

Esme can feel a bit of heat rise to her cheeks and it isn't just from the fire going. "You're nothing but trouble Duchannes." She chuckled, letting him unpack the food while she shrugged off her coat and neatly laid it over a stool. "That's understandable." Esme agreed when he explained about not filling the home. An arm looped around him as the detective cozied up, taking a moment to breath in his scent even if it was a bit marred by the smell of the food from Fried Fish, delicious as it was. "You're still probably going to get a proper housewarming gift. Once I find something that calls me me." Esme grinned.

"It does feel more permanent. It's...a good thing." She looked towards the manila envelope. "I talked to mom about moving in to one of those apartments that opened up? She of course said to do it...I got an application and rental agreement and all." Esme looked back up to him. "But...I don't know. I'm still feeling iffy on it. As for other new interests - I ran into Winter the other day and he said he'd take me on an expedition to where bats hibernate for the winter." She laughed.

"And yet, you keep showing back up every time you say that, Wilkinsen," Yule counters, an easy smile curling to the corners of his mouth. Out his hand comes to loop along her back as she cozies in, dragging the detective in closer still towards him for that shared moment, encouraging her head to find the nook of his snoulder and neck to nuzzle against in that quest for his scent. "Got a few suggestions if he needs them," He teases gently, a playful wink cast her way before his eyes lower to look at the food.

"Thanks, by the way. Not that I cook much anyway, but still haven't gone grocery shopping, even." It's a testament to his own time sucked up by work, but then she offers her own bit of news, and one dark brow arches upwards, "Which parts make you fee iffy?" But then she mentions his brother, and this? This gets a rather intrigued look from the man, his head tipping to the side as he considers, "Yeah? He loves his bats. You tell him about us? I havne't seen him for a while, myself. I'll have to hunt him down now that I know he's resurfaced."

"Might need a couple." Esme giggled, nipping at his neck gently and then straightened just a little to focus on the food too. "Of course, any time. We gotta eat right? And I was starving anyway so I figured if you weren't hungry I'd eat it at some point." She laughed. "You can have the honor of digging in first." She says even as she snags a french fry.

"Just leaving mom and dad. I mean I know mom is more than capable...and it isn't even that far away from Oak. I just worry is all" Esme shrugged as she leaned her hip against the counter. "In his words...it's so he can call himself batman." She smirked. "Pretty interesting line of study. I didn't. I mean, I said you'd told me he was in the bat game but nothing else came up that made it feel necessary to bring up. I'm sure he'd love to catch up with you too. Just as fun as I rememeber him being in high school."

That nip earns her a playful smack on the backside, and he too starts with the fries, pulling one out to savor and enjoy as he listens to her. Once he swallows, it's towards the refrigerator he goes, popoping it open, "Water? Uhh," Yeah. Not a whole lot in there, save, "Beer? Scotch?" Those are her options it seems, unless she has something else kept stowed away in that trench coat she has taken off.

When she says she didn't mention anything that a brow quirks upwards, but no other thoughts come from the man as he snags another one. "So whats in the folder, then? I also have something for you. Another interesting cold case to add to your file of things to make your mind find joy." That little dangling line is tossed out, even as he finds some of the fried fish to pull free, unteinsils found and split between the pair of them.

"Let's go with a beer. Beer and fish sound like a good combo." Esme isn't one to really volunteer her personal life - even if she is talking to her...boyfriend? significant other? Some other term of endearment's brother. "Should I have?" It's a genuine question, curious. Especially when they (she) haven't really defined what they were doing. It, to Esme, had moved on from just enjoying each other's company and that was something else she hoped to talk about with him tonight.

"It's the rental stuff. I figured it would be easier to move forward with filling it out if I did it with someone else around." Him, specifically. Since she easily could have done it with her mom sitting nearby. Esme ate another fry once the food was split - letting him decide where they would eat. Counter or couch. She looks thoroughly interested when he mentions a cold case. "Well you know I can't deny wanting to learn more about that."

"Well," Comes Yule's reasoning, and that calm demeanor stays on, "You met one of my brothers, that you knew in high school, expressed interest in his work, agreed to go on lovely, winter wonderland sojourn to a cozy, darkly lit," He doesn't add in the 'bat and guano' filled part, "cave, all without mentioning to him you are seeing me." It's two corona's that he pulls out of the fridge, the tops pried off and slid over to her, and for a very long while those brown eyes just hold hers steady.

And then, the facade breaks, a teasing smile curling to the corners of his mouth as he murmurs, "Nah. You didn't need to mention it. But you also shouldn't feel like you have to hide it if you don't want to... even when talking to one of my siblings." When she talks about whats in the folder, his eyes glance back down, a faint smile touching his features, one of appreciation as he murmurs, "All right. I'll give you a hand in moral support. And as far as the cold case? Jill Baxter. Disappeared from the Carousel the day Elvis died. Nothing ever found out about what happened to her. No clue what is in the records," But of course, that's where the detective would come in, if interested.

Esme's brows rose about a mile high as Yule started in and was very much about to start in herself on how that is not at all how things went down when he broke down in smiled. "It is definitely nothing akin to a date." Esme assured anyway with a soft exhale and a wry smile. "I don't know. I don't intentionally hide it or anything. If it comes up naturally then it comes up. If not...well, it's only a tiny bit their business anywho." She nods when he says he'll give her some moral support and intrigued about this Jill Baxter. "Interesting...definitely going to have to look into that one and let you know what I find." Grinning a bit.

Esme took a long pull of the corona to steal a few moments of thinking. Setting the bottle down as she swallowed, "Back to 'us'. That's something I wanted to talk to you about." She finally adds in. "I know that we said we were just enjoying each other's company...well...I said. Because that's what I was comfortable with. But," Esme turns to focus on him a bit better. "...I like you. A lot. And I know it's open and all but as it stands now there's really no one else I have eyes on. So...I just wanted to clarify...solidify. I want to be with you. I want us to be a thing and, along with that. Maybe it's time I finally meet your other woman." Sounding confident though she did look ever so slightly vulnerable.

"If you want to bring the file over for some late night reading," Yule promises with a faint smile, "Then you should arrive in the early afternoon, to give us enough time." For what, he doesn't expand on, letting the whole thought of what she does or doesn't want to share be left well enough alone, no real complaint at all with how she handled matters. It's only when the conversation is steered back towards 'us', and that first beginning of 'we need to talk' that has him taking a long swig of his own beer, no doubt anticipating the worst. Which isn't at all where she directions the conversation towards.

"Yeah?" Comes his question as to the very last of her words, "First? That can be arranged. Second? You'll need to tell me more by what, 'us being a thing' means to you. How does it change what we have now? And third," Not a punch pulled. She started it, after all, and he? Offers up his own thought without a bit of hesitation, "Te amo." Which she'd surely knows, with her own spanish skills, is 'I love you'. "I think that covers my points. So. Her. Do you want to know about her going into it? I know she wants to meet you."

A smirk twitched her lips at his suggestion of a late night file reading. "I'll think on it." Is teased lightly. Depending on what she finds, she will definitely most likely bring it over. But then they're on to serious conversation and she watches him carefully throughout. Another breath let out that she didn't realize she was holding and that faint tinge of pink on her first.

"First - Lovely. I don't want to know a thing except her name. I want to be wholly surprised. Second - maybe it doesn't change a thing except, at least for me, reaffirming that I'm not going anywhere." She moved a bit closer to him. "And thirdly," Since she'd echoed him thus far, "I love you too." Pressing her lips to his.

Her own points are listened to, a touch of humor rising to his eyes, and then his answer comes to her first point, "Sparrow Philomena Jones is her name." And that's all she'll get out of him about her, though there is a twitch of his mouth, as if further description should be added on, but none is fourth coming. Especially not when she gets to that third point, and his arms are wrapping about her waist to pull her up to tiptoes, making that kiss all the easier to be delivered upon him. And only when it is broken with a succulent little sound, does his final response come, "Good."

Those brown eyes flicker over towards that folder, considering it for a long moment, before he murmurs, "There is a third option you could consider." It is carefully weighed out, contemplated by the man, before he murmurs, "Which would be to get a key to my place. And we'd arrange for you to stay here two nights out of the week. Yeah, our schedules may not always line up, and you might be sleeping alone here one night here or there, but," It's a change, and would let her both have space away from parents and still be there with them, too, though she'd give up her own completely her spot. "If not? That's all right. I'll understand," Comes the low tease from the man, "If you don't want to have to try and explain that arrangement to your mom."

With a name like Sparrow, Esme is already mildly interested and curious about this woman. That's a good thing. Curious, not worried or anxious, just curious. For not. Check back in when it gets closer to meeting time and we'll see if it's changed any. Her arms lace around his neck as she holds him in the kiss for a tantalizing moment. And then they're separating and a pleased sigh escapes her, a smile on her lips. She studied Yule was that same curiosity was he seemed to be considering something of his own. Her head canted to the side and then she gave her own look at the folder. Then back to him. "That is...a very kind option for you to offer Yule." Smiling up at him. "Let me think about it? Because it is awfully tempting but so is the idea of having my own space again. And," Her voice lowers a notch as if letting him in on a secret. "You may just end up having a filled house if you let me." She laughed softly along with it. Teasing, mostly.

But she could already see it now. Knitting materials. Cold case files. Little decorations here and there. And the temptation to stay longer than just two nights. Baby steps. It was definitely something to consider. "The fourth option though, I suppose." After stealing one more kiss from him and then snagging a fry off her plate. "Would be getting my own place still and we both get keys. But that does somewhat defeat the purpose of the original offer." Esme mused, relaxing into him for a moment.

"Sparrow is, actually, her middle name, but it is the one she goes by." Everything else? Well, she wants to find out for herself, an so Yule guides her gently around until her backside is pressed to that counter. One arm reaches back and... fingers snag a fry, lifting it up and over her shoulder to put into his mouth. "Do you want to meet her on her own, or do you want to meet her with me? Either way," It's a beat of a pause, letting those options be thought about, given his presence might make certain things easier and gossip about him far more weird. "I think a tarot reading would be a great way to be introduced."

"It's still an option, the fourth, if it is what feels right. And even if you want your own place, and not set nights," Not an ounce of expectation from the man, comfortable with letting her pick the pace she wishes to see this unfold at, "You are still getting a key. You are going to have to be able to come over during emergencies to help take care of the dog I'm going to get." It's half teasing, half serious, a little consideration rumbilng around in his brain. "And trust me, I'd make sure you don't fill up everything. You would suddenly find things tidy and stored away when you least expect it."

"It's a pretty name. Philomena is too. Have you told her anything about me?" Esme asked. Always good to be prepared right? "She does tarot readings? That sounds like quite a bit of fun." Esme, of course, didn't really believe in such things...even though that faith was consistently being tested. She hadn't even told Yule about her weird experience with a dream involving Thewlis and a couple others that she had only ever met once or never met at all. But...it had only been a dream. Of that, Esme was certain. So it hadn't been worth mentioning in her eyes. "I think a first meeting with you around makes the most sense. After all, all I know right now is that we have you in common right? I'm sure we can plan our own girl-only adventures afterwards." Trying to stay optimistic that they would get along fine and things would go well.

She brushes her lips against his cheek, hands sliding down to slip into the back pockets of his pants. "We'll look at the rental papers later tonight and I'll decide then which way I want to lean." Esme conceded, brow quirking. "You're getting a dog? What kind?" Esme was alright with animals, simply having opted not to have any of her own since she was usually so caught up in work. There's a laugh as he counters her claim of filling with tidying. "Fair enough. It will likely be put to the test either way. So we'll see."

"She knows I'm seeing a ravishing detective who has a love of cold case files," Comes Yule's offering as to what he's told her, a touch of a smile flickering to life when she asks that question. "Yeah, she does. It's... rather fascinating. I'll make sure she is still interested, but I'm sure she is, and she'll love even more doing a tarot reading for you." That has him quite certain, a tug of a smile pulled up, letting her lips find that beard all the easier as he pushes in against her.

"I might campaign for a shorter rental agreement than a longer one," Comes Yule's tease, a glimmer of amusement coming from him before she turns the question towards canine animal companions. "I might be. I'm considering it. I'd thought about an Portuguese Water Spaniel, but I think I'd lean towarsd the Barbet. A little less energetic, for those days I can't guaratee being around to keep it company. And they even have a dog park here." Not a thing set in stone, and down his head dips to give a light kiss against her neck. "Let's eat first."

"You just let me know if and when and I'll make sure I'm free." Esme gave his rear a squeeze and chuckled as she slipped her hands out of his pockets. "Oh really? Dangerous territory there Duchannes." Teasing back as she shifted ever so slightly. "I don't even know what a Barbet is. You'll have to show me a picture." Her head tilted a bit so he had easier access to her neck. "Yes. Food. Important." Esme agreed. Before she decided to forget the food and convince him to show her the bedroom. She carefully untangled herself from him and picked up her plate. "Counter or couch?" She asked as far as where they would be eating. "And if it comes to it, I will help if the dog if needed. If that needed saying." Esme laughed, flashing him a bright smile. "I don't think I've ever owned a pet honestly. Not even as a kid. Did you have any childhood pets?"

"We still talking about the food?" Comes his question when she asks where he wants to eat, and those brown eyes drop to a half lidded state to offer a teasing glance her way before he finally releases her. His own plate is plucked up, and given that, well, there doesn't even appear to be a couch? Counter it is. "Here, I guess. Or," It's a shift, and his head bobs, motioning her towards the fireplace where the top of a coffee table lays on the floor, and pillows are assorted around it, usable enough for impromtu seating. "Never had any. Trailer park living really didn't make for good pet keeping company, unless you count a pet goldfish." Yule clearly doesn't, not really in the same branch of ownership when it gets down to it. "As for pictures," Yes. Once his plate is put down, his hand fishes into his pocket, his phone pulled up, and after a couple of clicks? There is a web page, one Yule must have saved as a favorite. "Here. Look at this."

https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/barbet/

Esme waggled her brows at his teasing and then grinned again. "Coffee table." She decides, leading him over towards where the pillows are laid about and claims one. "Makes sense." About trailer park living not being a great place for pet keeping. "Mom and dad had pretty busy jobs so I guess it never really came up." That she could recall at least. She takes a bite of her fish before peeking over at the screen when it was ready. Swallowing, "Awww! It's so cute!" She maybe fangirled just a tiny bit. "It looks like a super soft and chill teddy bear." She chuckled, looking back up at him. "Definitely has my vote. Looks like a good snuggle buddy too."

"They are supposed to be quite sociable. And trainable," Which seems to be high on the list of requirements for Mr. everything=has-its-place Yule. He takes a few long seconds to cut up fish and dig in, the rumble from his stomach serving as a reminder he too hadn't ate. "Maybe I'll take you with to look at them, if I go to see," He murmurs, a mental note filed away to check for when dog shows might be in Seattle. "So. Debriefing soon, yeah? I think I've told you all I know. Not to divert on work too much," He murmurs, giving her a pointed but playful look, "Just in case I get a call between now and then."

"That could be fun. After all, we need to make sure it can be around me too if I'm going to be spending more time here." Esme mused. "Just keep me in the loop, I'm sure I can get away for a couple hours or so." She too dug in to her food. Finally. Even though it had cooled a little it was still good. Especially when you hadn't eaten since early this morning. She rolls through her mental file and nodded, giving him a playful little nudge in return to his look. "Yeah it's soon. I think I've told you everything too. It feels like..it's all just on the edges...just out of reach. The answers we're looking for." She sighed. "Hopefully with all our info pooled together something will come to light. Maybe de la Vega has learned something new even." She speculated. "Is this place one bedroom or two?" Taking another brief look around.