Joan of Arc (closed)

[gearhead73]

"Yeah, to be perfectly honest, this is the first time that I have parked in here in a few weeks. Most of the time I just dash in the front door or end up sleeping..." he stopped speaking and his smile faded a bit as he thought about how the rest of that statement would sound.

Deciding to move on, he located the house key on his ring and slid it into the lock. He did a quick memory check trying to remember if all of the dishes were done, but figured that his housekeeper had taken care of everything already. Trevor had always been really happy with the work she had done. She always kept the place ready to entertain even though it had been years since anyone had actually been there.

"C'mon in." he said, standing aside as the door swung open.

 

[heartofcourage]

Joan stepped into the house as Grimes swung the door open. It was big, a little too big for a man who lived by himself. She supposed that if a person made enough money to support it, this was the kind of house that they should get. She would never have this kind of money in a million years, especially if she let her college dream die. Maybe that was for the best too. A person like her probably would never hold down a good job, even if she tried to convince herself otherwise.

"It's nice." Joan said as she stepped a little further inside the living room. "A lot nicer than where I live."

That was the honest truth. She had help finding that apartment and she had shared it with her boyfriend for a while, even though he kept his own place on the other side of the city. It was hers. That's really all that mattered. A space where she could be herself and not have the worry that someone was going to put her back in hospital.

 

[gearhead73]

"I've had it for years." he said as he closed the door behind them.

The door from the garage entered into the kitchen. Early on after he had bought the home, Grimes had considered remodeling the space. The cabinets were dated and the Formica countertop was showing its age as well. He had even went as far as getting a couple of estimates, but soon he was so busy that he never gave it another thought. The weeks turned into months and so on and soon he could barely remember what the kitchen looked like.

"Can I take your coat and get you a drink? I have.....water probably."

Grimes could feel his face turning a bit red from embarrassment. He had never entertained so there was nothing there in the for of snacks or refreshments.

 

[heartofcourage]

Joan turned and looked at Grimes as he offered to take her coat, playing host as best as he could. She gave him a slight smile and nodded, taking of her coat and offering it to him.

"Water is my favorite." She murmured as the voices in her head chuckled, Mary laughing the hardest. "You know, you don't have to be embarrassed. You saw my place. It certainly isn't the Ritz. This place blows it out of the water."

She pulled off her gloves and hat, tucking them inside of her satchel as she continued to look around. Some things were dated, obviously left for another time or more money. Some things were new, done as soon as the house was purchased.

"It's nice, Grimes. I mean that." Joan insisted, looking towards him with a wider smile on her face.

 

[gearhead73]

Grimes smiled a thank you before turning to hang her coat on the back of one of the kitchen chairs.

"Let's see what we got here." he said to himself as well as her.

As he reached the door of the refrigerator he realized that it would be as much of a surprise to him as is will be to her what was in there. For all he knew he would need a hazmat team from the CDC to clean out the mess that could await him. To be honest, he wasn't even sure that the refrigerator even worked.

Thankfully though, as the door swung open, he was bathed in a warm yellow light as well as cool fresh air from inside. There was what looked like a case of bottled water stacked neatly on the shelf as well as a half gallon of both orange juice and milk. He could only guess that his cleaning lady had been keeping things there just in case Grimes decided to start using his house. He grabbed a bottle of water and closed the door, turning toward Joan.

"I'm glad you like it. Honestly I'd love to give you the grand tour, if for no other reason than to get reacquainted with the place myself." he said with a smile as he handed her the bottle.

"Of course, I think you'll see that it's obvious that the place could use a feminine touch." he said with a note of embarrassment in his voice as he looked around.

"Then again," he said stepping closer to Joan "I guess so could the homeowner."

 

[heartofcourage]

Joan watched Grimes as he nervously moved around his kitchen, unsure and uncertain as to what he would find. She had no room to discuss his short comings. It simply made her happy that there was a person out there who didn't treat her like she were a freak of nature. He treated her like a human, albeit a very damaged human which she was.

"Thank you." She said softly as he handed her a water bottle and announced that he would take her in a tour through the house to reacquaint himself. "Only if you like. I'm happy enough here in the kitchen with a view of the living room. The rest of the house is your domain. I won't intrude."

 

[gearhead73]

"You wouldn't be intruding." Trevor remarked. "I invited you here. I want you to feel welcome and comfortable, or as comfortable as you can anyway."

Grimes reached for her hand and grasped it softly. He had decided that no matter how much he urged her to take a leap of faith and trust him, he was going to have to take the initiative and pull her along with him. He didn't mind that really, if he took a few minutes to think about it. It was natural of him to assert some measure of control, even with his superiors, in all aspects of his career. So it would only make sense that he might have to do the same in his personal life; especially with someone as seemingly fragile as Joan.

"C'mon, it will be an adventure for us both." he said with a small smile.

 

[heartofcourage]

An adventure for the both of them? Joan glanced at him as he took her hand, the grin on his lips almost boyish. Grimes had a way about him that almost made her forget that he was older than her. He acted so much younger, like he were her age. She couldn't help but return his smile, chuckling to herself as she squeezed his hand with her fingers.

"Lead the way." Joan commented, motioning for him to continue on with the tour of his house. "You know more about this place than I do."

 

[gearhead73]

"By only a fraction I am afraid." Grimes said laughingly as he playfully stroked the back of her hand with his thumb.

It had been so long since he had shared a touch that held any kind of real intimacy that the feeling of her hand in his was both foreign and yet still so familiar. They had shared more tenderness in the last hours than he had experienced in the last decade, and with each touch and kiss it was if he were finding his way home after a long lonely journey. He had no idea why or how he and Joan had found each other, but with every passing second, especially after inviting her into his home, he couldn't imagine what it may feel like to be away from her or have her not be a significant part of his life.

He knew how silly that seemed and quietly admonished himself for it. They had just met, yet he was having all of these juvenile feelings for her. It wasn't that they weren't real, but it was just so soon to be having them.

Still, with every step down the hallway, he had to fight the urge to stop, press himself and her to the wall and once again lose himself in a scorching kiss like the ones they had already shared.

"Here is the guest room...I think." he said sheepishly as he turned on the light in the first room they came to.

 

[heartofcourage]

"You think?" Joan asked with a chuckle as she glanced into the room and saw that it was very sparse.

A bed, a nightstand, a lamp, and that was it. Grimes hadn't been kidding when he talked about the fact that he was never at home. It was almost as if no one had ever stepped foot in the room, which was crazy to think. He had to have cared once upon a time or else he wouldn't be living in a family home. He would be living in a studio apartment with the bare minimum.

"A few pictures. Maybe a throw pillow. You're well on your way." Joan said, trying her hardest to lighten the mood of the situation. "Trust me, Grimes. I won't judge. Absolutely not."

She glanced up at him, her clear blue eyes showing understanding instead of judgement. She was incredibly curious about him and that surprised her as well. She was normally apathetic about relationships, including the one that she had with Michael. She was like a thirsty plant that needed constant attention to survive, but when she was with Grimes, she didn't feel so needy.

"If you don't have a Christmas tree in your front room, I'm going to be sad. I love Christmas." Joan commented as he pulled her towards the next stop.