ruthieharris - Tumblr blog

[ruthieharris]

brownjacob​:

Oh well that was a look Jacob liked directed at him. Not that he hadn’t had plenty of teasing with Ruthie, it just felt different when it was her teasing about confessing her feelings again. “I do like being extra certain,” Jacob told her with his own hint of teasing.

As fun as teasing was when it felt an awful lot like flirting there were things to talk about. Jacob couldn’t just go out to dinner whenever the mood struck. Not even to take the amazing woman that was Ruthie Harris out. He was a little worried that reality might be a little more than Ruthie was wanting to deal with. Jacob was relieved to find the worry without merit. He smiled when she said she just wanted to spend time with him, a feeling he shared. His smile growing as she answered him further. “I like this too,” he replied about the pair of them alone together. “I want to spend time with you too.” Jacob nearly added how good for Kit it would be to have Ruthie in her life but that was way too much. He hadn’t even talked to Kit to find out how she liked Ruthie. Though he was certain that would be a positive answer. Unlike the other women he’d dated, few and far between, since getting custody of Kit he actually liked the idea of the three of them spending time together. Maybe it was too fast, he’d hate it if Kit got attached. But… And then Ruthie was inviting him and Kit over to her sister’s. Letting the kids play together and possibly having dinner with both Ruthie and her sister. Jacob smiled over at her again. “I’d like that a lot. I think Kit will too.  Having dinner together here and your sister’s,  and you coming over for tea after Kit’s tucked in would mean we’d definitely get to spend more time together than just going out. Though I promise I’m not trying to get out of taking you on actual dates,” he added suddenly worried she would think he wasn’t romantic or something. Jacob wasn’t sure if he was romantic but he knew he wouldn’t mind putting in whatever effort to be a good— well maybe it was too soon to say boyfriend.

Ruthie’s smile widened at Jacob’s teasing. This was nice. Very nice. “Well I’ll have to find a way to make you extra certain that I very much like you,” she answered. 

Ruthie was a little bit relieved that Jacob was sitting across the table from her or she might have been tempted to kiss him, and that didn’t feel like taking things slow. Not to mention she’d only kissed one other bloke who wasn’t Rufus and that had been when she was fourteen. What if Jacob didn’t like how she kissed? Definitely better to keep a bit of space for now. Especially since dating a bloke who had a daughter was going to require a bit more planning than dating a bloke who was single. Ruthie didn’t mind that; she smiled when Jacob said he wanted to spend time with her, too. That was what mattered. And already Jacob was making a lot more effort to do just that than Rufus had in ages. It was an effort Ruthie wanted to help with, and she was glad when he didn’t seem to think inviting him to her sister’s was too much. Ruthie wouldn’t normally have been bringing a bloke by to meet her sister and her niece and nephew so soon, but given that she was living with Emma and it seemed like a nice way to give her and Jacob some time to talk while Kit could also have fun with a couple other kids, it felt like a good option. And Ruthie’s sister wouldn’t do anything to embarrass her. If anything, her sister would probably usher Ruthie and Jacob out to the patio to give them some alone time after dinner while she watched the kids. She’d probably offer to skip out on dinner too, but Ruthie was not going to let her sister do that unless she opted to leave for a social outing of her own. She chuckled at Jacob’s addition about actually taking her out as well. “Since when are dinner and tea not actual dates?” She asked with a teasing smile, then she reached across the table to take Jacob’s hand. Her heart skipped a beat as she clasped her hand in his. “I like that you want to find ways to spend time with me even if you can’t find a babysitter. And whenever you do have the time to go out, that’ll be nice too.”

[ruthieharris]

brownjacob​:

Jacob had felt like maybe his confession was too much. He didn’t want Ruthie thinking he was pining away for her while she was engaged to another bloke. He didn’t think he had been. He just thought she was great and wouldn’t have minded finding someone that great for himself. But that had probably had been too much of a dream, Jacob was pretty certain there wasn’t anyone as great as Ruthie. And now he didn’t feel like a creep for admitting it. Not when she was looking at him with such a wide smile. “Yeah. You’re just so amazing. I thought if I could find someone even just half as amazing it’d be great. Never dreamed…” Jacob trailed off still smiling at her. He never dreamed he’d have a chance at Ruthie. He smiled even wider when she said again how she liked him. That flustered chuckle was very cute. “I don’t mind hearing it again, you know to make sure I’m not misreading anything,” he added with a soft chuckle. Jacob was surprised once again when Ruthie was asking him out. He was smiling so much right now he was sure his cheeks were gonna hurt later. But he just couldn’t stop himself. Didn’t want to either. “Yeah, I’d really like that. I’m glad we’re on the same page too,”  he added. But a moment later he thought of something that they maybe weren’t on the same page about. “I absolutely want to go out to dinner with you. But…well I don’t know how often you wanna see one another, and maybe this  is jumping the broom a little but well it’s just how do you feel about staying in? Not that we’d always have to. I’d just be able to see you more staying in than going out. Especially cause right now Connor’s got something going on. I’d think it was a dating thing except he’s sort of got a crush on someone so I dunno what it is. It’s just he’s busy a lot and he’s the easiest to get to babysit.” Jacob didn’t add that he’d also be the least likely to want to know every detail about her to judge if she was wife/mother worthy and thereby worthy of dating. Not that he thought anyone would’t like Ruthie. It was just way too early for that kind of scrutiny. He hadn’t even gotten Kit’s opinion of her, but he was sure that’d be a good one. He couldn’t imagine Kit not liking her.   What he wasn’t sure about was if talking about Ruthie having dinner with him and Kit, or even just coming over and spending time here while Kit was also here, even if she was sleeping, was going to fast. It felt like maybe it wasn’t given what they’d already talked about what they were wanting. But being a single dad and dating was a constant juggling act and frankly Jacob was shit at juggling.

Ruthie felt a fluttering sensation in her chest she hadn’t felt in ages, and it was hard to tell if it was from the way Jacob was smiling at her or the sweet words he was saying. It was both, probably. Her cheeks warmed in a very pleasant way and her smile widened at Jacob’s response to her saying she liked him. “Maybe I’ll have to tell you again, then, just so you can be extra certain,” she answered with a teasing glint in her eyes. Or she could just ask him out, surely he wouldn’t misread that. Her own smile widened, at least until Jacob said that ‘but.’ Oh. That didn’t sound good, nor did the hesitation in his voice. But Ruthie smiled softly as she realized the direction he was going. Of course it was going to be trickier than normal dating a bloke with a kid; it was something Ruthie was seeing her sister deal with first-hand, though mostly Emma was still using it as an excuse not to date more often than not--which Ruthie certainly wasn’t trying to push her into. But the few times Emma had considered a date, Ruthie had seen the difficulties. It wasn't’ just about finding a babysitter, but about taking time away from the kids. Though Ruthie’s smile faltered just a touch when Jacob mentioned the difficulties with Connor babysitting; she felt a pang of guilt over the fact that she knew exactly what was keeping Connor so busy; that it had kept Jacob busy once too; that Jacob almost definitely would not have wanted Connor to be doing what he was doing, even if he still remembered any of it. But it was a dilemma Ruthie felt helpless to fix; Connor’s secret was his own to keep, and regardless of how she felt about the fact Jacob’s memory had been erased, that was over and done and telling him about it didn’t seem like something that would help him, just something that would be about assuaging her own guilt. So she pushed it aside for now and smiled again. “Of course I don’t mind staying in. I just want to spend time with you,” she said, a little nervous even though surely that wasn’t too much when he was already asking about her staying in so they could see each other more often. “You know I like kids, and Kit especially now that I’ve met her. And I know you can’t just decide to go to dinner without planning for it and being away from her. I’m happy to have dinner with the two of your, or -- this is nice too,” she added, speaking more broadly of their tea and spending time together after Kit was tucked into bed. Ruthie wasn’t sure yet how much time Jacob would want her spending with Kit while they were just starting to date, in case things didn’t go well--though Ruthie was very much hoping things would go well. “Maybe you could come over to my sister’s,” she added. “I could cook and Kit could play with Elliot and Sarah. I think they’d get along well, Sarah’s just a year older than Kit.” Of course that would mean spending time with Ruthie’s sister too, which Ruthie didn’t mind but she hoped that didn’t feel too serious. Given the circumstances she hoped it wasn’t; this felt like the sort of situation where they would just have to be flexible and figure out what they were both comfortable with.

[ruthieharris]

brownjacob​:

Even with all his questioning of what was happening, was Ruthie interested in him?, he didn’t expect her just to come right out and say it. Jacob looked over at her when she said just that. Very plainly, no confusion here. The fact that she looked a little nervous saying it was cute and he smiled over at her. Except she was still talking and now he was confused again. Did that mean she didn’t want to date? Maybe she did… This was getting kind of confusing again. But that statement about dating someone she thought she could have a future with sounded very clear. As did the fact that she thought him talking about Kit made him more attractive. More. Whoah. Jacob was smiling like an idiot, he was sure, by the time she finished talking. “No, actually. I think you didn’t say more than what was necessary. I’ve been told I can be pretty thick when it comes to signals,” he admitted once again. “But dating someone I think I could have a future with, is exactly what I meant when I said I wasn’t interested in casual dating. And going slow is good. I wouldn’t want to rush into anything.” Despite having the kid and the house already he didn’t feel anywhere near ready to be married. He just knew that was what he was looking to find, not wanting to just hook up or date a bunch of random birds just because. The fact that Ruthie felt the same, and was interested in him was amazing. “I think it’d be real nice to get to know you better. I really enjoy your company already. Spending more time together would be really great,” he told her with a smile. It was hard to imagine that Kit wouldn’t be gushing about how fun Ruthie had been. If he’d have had any doubts he wouldn’t be confessing all this to Ruthie. “How much you care about your sister and her kids, I like that. I like you. Truthfully there’s been more than a few times I’ve thought it’d be pretty great to find someone like you. I never thought, well, that you’d be interested in me.” Or available but he had the good sense not to bring up her ex right now thankfully.

Ruthie’s heart felt like it was going to beat out of her chest, she was so nervous that she’d said way too much and picked up on cues incorrectly and made Jacob horribly uncomfortable. But he answered her so quickly that her eyes flickered back up to his, and she was surprised to see the wide smile he was giving her. Oh. Suddenly Ruthie’s heart went from beating way too fast to forgetting to beat for a second. She was glad to hear she’d been right in thinking that he hadn’t meant he wanted a relationship that would move too quickly when he said he didn’t want casual.  As hopeful as Ruthie felt, she didn’t want to make a mistake here by moving too quickly right after she was single. But spending more time with Jacob, with the clear intention of getting to know him better, both of them looking toward a possible future together didn’t feel like a mistake at all. A smile pulled at Ruthie’s lips as Jacob said all that, and it widened when he said he liked how she cared about her sister and her kids; how he liked her. A flush creeped over her cheeks at his addition that he’d actually thought he wanted to find someone like her. “Really?” She couldn’t help asking with a wide smile. Wow. That was -- wow. Though she couldn’t blame him for thinking she wouldn’t be interested, at least not while she’d been dating Rufus. Truthfully she’d maybe been more interested than she should have been while dating Rufus, not that she’d done anything over the line. At least she didn’t think the times she’d gotten hot chocolate with Jacob crossed a line. And she certainly wasn’t with Rufus now. “I like you too,” she said, and then let out a flustered chuckle. “I guess I already covered that.” It was just that the last time she’d told someone she fancied them had been at Hogwarts, so she wasn’t entirely sure what to do now. “I um...I’m glad we’re on the same page. Does that mean you would maybe want to go out for dinner sometime?” She asked, feeling surprisingly bashful despite the fact he’d just said he liked her. She’d never asked anyone out before.  

[ruthieharris]

brownjacob​:

One thing Jacob always had trouble with was knowing if someone was hitting on him or just being nice. Ruthie was awfully nice. Probably one of, if not the, nicest women he knew. But Helga’s pots it really sounded like she might be… Surely not. All he knew for certain that it was a good thing he’d finished that bite of cookie or he’d have choked on it. Jacob tried to tell himself she was just being nice. Really nice. Right? He was confused. All he could manage was  a bashful, “thanks.” Jacob was about to take a drink of his tea, thinking maybe he might find answers in the cup, as if he’d ever done well in divination. Instead Ruthie was talking again and well it really did sound like maybe… “Yeah, it’s difficult. I always feel guilty for not being home if I’m off. Or for asking someone to watch her for anything that’s not work.” But it was more than that and Jacob found himself still talking. “I’ve never been great at telling if someone’s interest or just being nice. And then there’s the asking out. The small talk once you do manage to get on a date. You can’t really ask someone how they like kids right away. Or how they feel about other’s kids. Most women aren’t looking to become someone’s mum right off the bat. Not that I’m just looking to find Kit a mum. But we are a package deal. They’ve gotta like Kit and Kit’s gotta like them.” Jacob couldn’t help but wonder what Kit’s assessment of Ruthie would be. Way too soon to think about that. He wasn’t even sure she was interested. But it did seem… “Not that I’m bringing people by to meet Kit,” he added quickly not wanting Ruthie to think he was just out there bringing birds home. “I try to be mindful about who is in her life. Who she meets.” He really wanted to know what Kit thought. “Anyway um casual dating isn’t really for me. Like I said, Kit and I are a package deal.” Surely even if Ruthie was interested she wasn’t interested in a bloke looking for a relationship. Except it was hard to picture Ruthie just dating around either. “I feel like I’m just rambling nervously around you, I’m sorry,” he blurted out, like the loser he was. “You’re just really easy to talk to.” He looked down at the table after saying that because he still felt like there was no way he was reading this right.

Had Ruthie said too much? Been too forward? It was hard to tell. At first it sounded a lot like Jacob was taking the out she’d offered by telling her how he felt guilty leaving Kit to date, or asking someone to watch Kit so he could go on a date. Of course, that was also a very valid reason dating would be difficult to him -- so was it an explanation or a way of letting her down easy? Or maybe it was both; maybe Ruthie had been right in picking up that Jacob might be interested in her, but he really was not interested in dating. Which was quite disappointing, really. It was a surprise to hear him say more. It was cute that he found it hard to tell who was interested and seemed nervous at the thought of asking someone out or making small talk. Ruthie couldn’t help thinking those things didn’t need to be a problem for them. The kid thing was trickier; it was a problem her sister dealt with as she started to consider the possibility of dating again, and it was easy to see how it made dating more difficult. Though it was another thing she couldn’t help thinking didn’t need to be a problem with her. At least the liking kids part, though Ruthie had enjoyed looking after Kit so she was hopeful Kit liked her as well. It wasn’t a surprise when Jacob said he was careful about who he introduced to Kit. Fancying aside, it  meant a lot that Jacob had trusted her to look after Kit tonight, even if it had been as a last resort. But the last thing Jacob said was most surprising. Was he trying to let her down easy, or...it sort of sounded like he was asking her a question. Or maybe Ruthie was being presumptuous because Jacob was so nice she couldn’t take the hint. Only then he was saying he was nervous and she was easy to talk to and a smile pulled at her lips again. “Don’t be sorry. I think you’re really easy to talk to,” she said shyly.  He was usually easy to talk to when she wasn’t feeling so nervous. 

It would be easy to tell herself Jacob was just letting her down easy. But Ruthie was generally pretty good at reading people -- and it didn’t feel like that was what was happening. And she’d spent so long with Rufus not saying what she felt; maybe if she’d done so earlier, things would have worked out. It was that thought that helped Ruthie gather her courage. “I um...I don’t want to be presumptuous but given what you’ve just said about not always knowing if people are interested in you I suppose I should just be straightforward here and um -- well, I am interested, Jacob,” she confessed with a small, nervous smile. “Which isn’t to say that I -- I don’t want to rush into anything new,” she added quickly. “Not that I’m assuming you would want to do anything in the first place, um,” oh dear, this was getting off track. Ruthie let out a flustered laugh and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. “What I mean to say is that…well I’m very interested in getting to know you better. Spending more time with you. And um, I don’t think taking things slow is the same thing as casual dating. At least not to me. I’m not really the casual dating kind of girl.” Granted she’d never really tried it since she’d only been with one bloke since sixth year, but a casual fling was not something that interested her. “I want to date someone I think I could have a future with.” Was that too much? It felt like too much. Ruthie was not trying to say she wanted to get married to Jacob and be Kit’s mum, not in the slightest--but after everything he said about not wanting something casual and him and Kit being a package deal, it felt right to let Jacob know those were things she could see as possibilities, if he even wanted to date her, if things went well. “And you having a daughter doesn’t scare me,” she added softly, since she’d already said too much to walk back. All she could do now was be honest with him and trust he would be kind even if he didn’t feel the same, embarrassed as she would be.  “I like kids. Actually, seeing you talk about Kit just makes you more attractive,” she added, her cheeks flushing a touch at the admission. “And Kit’s wonderful,” she added quickly. “And um...well I think I’ll just stop talking now, I’ve probably said a lot more than necessary,” she let out a flustered chuckle, her eyes flickering back down to her tea as she very much hoped she hadn’t been way off base in thinking maybe everything she’d said was anything Jacob had wanted to hear.

[ruthieharris]

brownjacob​:

Thankfully Jacob managed to not interrupt her to insist she really was someone special. And not just because what she ended up saying was really interesting. Mostly because he didn’t want to sound like a creep. But what she was saying about her and Rufus was interesting. For all the wrong reasons. But still interesting. Sad though. He couldn’t imagine drifting apart from someone like Ruthie. Jacob gave her a soft smile. “It doesn’t sound awful. I’m glad you’re hopeful. It’d be an awful tragedy if you weren’t. I know letting go of what you thought you wanted is hard.” He knew that. Except it wasn’t the same thing so he spoke up again quickly. “Not that a job is anything like a person. Probably harder when it’s a person you thought you’d spend your life with. But you deserve someone who wants the same things as you. That’s the whole point of being in a relationship, isn’t it? Building a life with someone.” That’s what Jacob wanted anyway. He’d never been good at the causal part of dating. Or any part. But the casualness of it was difficult. He didn’t want to make small talk. Not even before he had Kit to consider. Now he really didn’t want to spend several nights out away from Kit only to find out that the person he’d been spending time with wasn’t the one he should be. It wasn’t just his time anymore, it was Kit’s and whoever he got to babysit her. A lot of people’s times wasted for nothing. “I’m not sure I’m cut out for dating, really. Even before the whole single dad thing I wasn’t that great at it.”  Maybe he shouldn’t be telling that to a woman who definitely deserved to find someone who would treat her as special as she clearly was. “I don’t think you’ll have much of a problem once you’re ready. I know I wasn’t the only one who thought Rufus was a real lucky bloke.” Jacob had his tea cup half way to his mouth before he realized what he’d just said and how it probably sounded. Clearly sounded because he’d definitely hadn’t been subtle. Fuck. “Not that— I mean— I just think you’re a really great person,” he stammered out as he sat his tea cup back down. That was no better. In a desperate attempt to stop himself from sounding any worse he took a bite out of his cookie. With a mouthful of cookie he couldn’t continue to sound like some creepy bloke just waiting for Ruthie to dump Rufus and make his move. As if Jacob even had moves. Clearly he did not.

Ruthie’s smile softened and she nodded when Jacob said he understood what it was like to let go of something you wanted for yourself; of course he did. He’d let go of so much more than his dream of being an auror -- his youth, his freedom, any notions of how he thought his life would look had been replaced with being a single parent. A role he fit into remarkably well, but there had been a loss all the same. In a lot of ways it seemed like a greater loss than Ruthie’s, but of course Jacob was too humble to think of it like that. She gave him another soft smile and nodded her agreement when he spoke about the reason for having a relationship. Building a life with someone. “That’s what I’ve always thought,” she said quietly. That was what she’d thought she was doing with Rufus. And maybe they had been, for a time, but then the lives they wanted changed in ways that were no longer compatible. It was sad, but Ruthie felt like she’d been mourning that loss even while they were still dating. Now they’d finally broken up, she had a new chance at building the life she wanted. A thought that was overwhelming sometimes, and quite scary -- but it also felt exciting, at least it did right now with Jacob smiling at her. Which -- that was really not what she needed to be thinking. Especially because Jacob clearly was not interested in dating, or that was just a kind way of saying he wasn’t interested in dating her. Because Ruthie found it hard to believe he was not cut out for it. Only his addition after saying he wasn’t cut out for dating didn’t really sound like something he would say if he wasn’t interested in her. Or in her in particular. He’d just said he wasn’t interested in dating. Only Ruthie couldn’t help the flush across her cheeks or the smile that pulled at her lips when he said he thought Rufus was lucky and then clearly tried to walk the words back. Merlin, he was cute. And he thought she was a really great person. Her smile widened. Ruthie could feel her heartbeat picking up in a way it hadn’t done with Rufus for ages. Had he said he wasn’t interested in dating or just that he was bad at it? Even if he did think she was a great person that didn’t mean he wanted to date her, or anybody. It also didn’t mean he wanted to date her fresh out of a breakup. Or that she should be dating anyone fresh out of a breakup. “I think you’re a really great person,” she said softly, not quite sure where she was going. “And...if you decide you are cut out for dating, I’m quite certain I won’t be the only one to think the woman you go out with is awfully lucky.” 

She bit her lip and looked down at her teacup with flushed cheeks. She hadn’t really said anything Jacob didn’t already say about her, but this felt more deliberate. “But um -- of course I understand how hard it must be to date as a single parent,” she added quickly in case that had been too much, too forward, too pushy. A nervous smile played at her lips as she took a sip of her tea. 

[ruthieharris]

brownjacob​:

Jacob was too busy being embarrassed about mentioning how he was a lonely loser who was single for clear reasons to attribute her slight flush to his awkward hand squeezing. Maybe she was embarrassed for him. But it seemed more likely that it was just the warmth of the tea and nothing more. He nodded in agreement about being the only one awake, though he’d always been the only one awake. Her addition had him surprised. He knew from experience that training took a lot of time. Aurors also put in long hours. Especially now he was certain. But hearing Ruthie talk it sounded like more than just long hours. Or maybe he was just imagining things. “I’m glad you feel less alone,” he told her softly with a small smile. “Were things with Rufus rocky for that long? Sorry, that’s none of my business, I shouldn’t have asked that.” What an idiot he was. “It’s just a surprise because I thought he was a smart bloke and you’re such a special person. You deserve to be happy. And someone who’ll appreciate you. Not that you have to worry about that right now. I’m sure you probably want time to yourself. Figure things out. Dating’s pretty scary. I just meant you’re an amazing woman. Rufus is probably kicking himself.” Jacob sure was, mentally at least, after that. That was such a disaster he thought it might be better sticking his lips together so he couldn’t talk any longer because clearly he shouldn’t be. He’d gone from nosey to creepy. It was a surprise that Ruthie wasn’t slapping him. Or at the very least getting up and leaving after all of that. Except maybe not because she was such a kind person. Too nice to just get up and leave even when it was clearly warranted.

Jacob’s question took Ruthie slightly by surprise,but she didn’t have time to wonder if she’d said too much before he was walking back the question and confirming that she clearly had said too much. Only she was not at all expecting where Jacob went after saying he was surprised. In fact, Ruthie was half-convinced she hadn’t heard him right seeing as he’d just called her special. Only he wasn’t just stopping at that, following it up with too many more nice things for her to think it was an accident. She could feel her cheeks warming up as a small smile pulled at her lips. At least until he reminded her that she should be taking time to herself. Right. She should take time to herself instead of finding someone who appreciated her….the way it sort of sounded like maybe Jacob did. Only that was stupid. Though it felt a little less stupid when he added that dating was scary and then that he thought she was amazing. “Oh, um, I’m not sure about that, but it’s sweet of you to say,” Ruthie said, her cheeks flushed a light pink. “Rufus and I, um...we drifted apart a while ago, I think,” she explained, though she wasn’t quite sure why. No, that wasn’t true. She knew exactly why she wanted Jacob to know where things stood with her and Rufus; it was just really not a good reason to be telling him. But she’d already started. “It’s just, after the accident, I was spending so much time with my sister and her kids, and Rufus had just become an auror and...at some point our priorities changed, I suppose. We weren’t on the same page anymore, we didn’t want the same things. Once I realized how far apart we’d drifted I tried to fix it but….” She gave a small, sad shrug and fiddled with the spoon in her teacup. Some things couldn’t be fixed, at least not without an effort from both parties. “If I’m being honest, it was a bit of a relief to finally admit it was over,” she confessed with a look back up at Jacob. “That must sound awful, but...I actually feel quite hopeful.” She smiled at Jacob; she certainly felt hopeful sitting here with him. “But you’re not wrong, dating does sound quite scary,” she added with a flustered chuckle. She’d said too much, and that did not feel like the thing to end on. 

[ruthieharris]

brownjacob​:

Two things were very clear, he liked Ruthie approving of the house and her hand on his arm a little too much. Once again he was reminding himself that Ruthie had nothing but friendship feelings towards him and he needed to not be a creep. He didn’t know what was wrong with him. Sure Ruthie was an amazing woman but she’d just had a very long term relationship end. It was downright terrible of him to have any thoughts that weren’t friendship ones towards her. Hard to remind himself of that when she was smiling at him. “I can promise you won’t be disappointed,” he told her as if they were talking about his bakery and not the one his little brother was planning. But Jacob knew Connor would do a great job at his bakery. It was an easy promise to keep. He nodded as Ruthie talked about her sister. “That’s good, I’m sure your help has been a big part of there being more good days.” Jacob didn’t know Ruthie’s sister but he was glad to hear that she was doing well. He couldn’t imagine how hard it must be for her. But it was easy to believe that Ruthie’s presence was helping. She was just such a lovely woman. Who had just broken up with the man she’d thought she’d spend her life with, upending her entire life including living situation in the process. Jacob was an arse for forgetting that. And an arse for what he did next. But his hand seemed to move on it’s own accord till it was resting on one of hers. “It sounds like it’s a good situation for both of you,” he told her softly.  He gave her hand what was probably an awkward squeeze before moving it back to his tea mug where it belonged. What an arse. “You were together for a while, I’m sure it’ll take some used to being on your own. I think it’s natural. Not that I have a lot of experience. Obviously I’ve never been engaged. Though it does get a bit lonely around here after Kit goes to bed.  I’m sure it’s good for both of you,” he said repeating himself. But honestly it seemed to be the only way to get himself to stop talking. Bloody hell. Jacob was just glad he hadn’t said something completely terrible like how she could easily find someone when she was ready. True but not the thing to say. Of course telling her what a lonely loser he was wasn’t exactly the thing to say ether. There was no guessing why he was still single.

As usual, Jacob was being remarkably sweet and understanding despite the fact Ruthie had just gone and brought up her breakup and told him she was living with her big sister and basically admitted to being afraid to live on her own. Which was probably why she always tended to say more than she should with him. For as stupid as she felt, that feeling was entirely based on her own insecurities. Jacob never made her feel stupid. Quite the opposite, especially now when he was reaching out and giving her hand a squeeze. Oh. Ruthie felt warm all over, her heart doing a small fluttery motion that was over too quickly when he pulled his hand away. She quickly looked down at  her teacup to try to hide the flush creeping over her cheeks. What would he think of her blushing just from him touching her hand when she’d just reminded him she was freshly broken up with Rufus? And he’d surely just touched her hand because he felt sorry for her, never mind how genuine and sweet he always was. He could be sweet and genuine and still feel sorry for her. Even if that was the case, Ruthie couldn’t bring herself to feel too badly about it when Jacob was being so understand, even opening up a little bit himself. She looked back up at him with a soft smile. “My sister always said it’s hardest after the kids go to bed. Something about being the only one awake...or in my case I was just the only one at home,” she said without quite meaning to. It was too easy to tell everything to Jacob, even the things she shouldn’t. “It’s strange...it feels like I’ve been on my own for a lot longer than just a couple weeks,” she admitted. Things with Rufus had been over for a long time before she’d been ready to admit it. “I actually feel less alone now than I have in a long time,” she added softly, with a small smile. It wasn’t just living with her sister and her kids, but the freedom from trying to fit someone into her life who didn’t want to be there anymore. It freed up time to spend with the people who did want her in their lives. Her sister and her kids, her friends...Jacob. Only that was not something she needed to be thinking about right now, because he definitely didn’t want her that way. 

[ruthieharris]

brownjacob​:

He chuckled along with Ruthie. One thing he was certain of was that Kit considered this her home. Jacob’s smile widened a touch hearing that the house seemed to earn Ruthie’s seal of approval. She might just be being nice but he still appreciated it. “Thanks, I’m glad it meets your approval.” Which he realized after saying was a weird thing to say. What did it matter if Ruthie liked the house or not. Of course Jacob wouldn’t mind having her over again. As friends! She was just an easy person to talk to, he enjoyed her company. Nothing wrong with that. Even if he did wish he didn’t open up so much to her. Probably sounded like a loser. He felt it sometimes. Like right now when he felt extra warm with her hand on his shoulder. “Thanks, I really appreciate that,” he told her with a sincere smile. Ruthie was…. just a friend. Something he really needed to stop having to remind himself of. At least tea was a nice distraction. Except not because sitting down at the table with her to have tea and biscuits was very nice too. He smiled at her comments about Connor’s treats. He was proud of his little brother for finding something to be passionate about and working at it despite their parents disappointment he wasn’t sticking with his original plan. “He’s hoping to open his own bakery at some point, I think it’ll be a grand success.” Jacob couldn’t say the same for himself. His parents had told him plenty of times he needed to find a new calling of his own but that felt more like pressure to find a better job. Jacob just wasn’t sure what. He’d pretty much come to terms with giving up being an auror. Kit’s wellbeing was worth it and made it easier to give that up. But being a security guard for the Ministry was not very fulfilling. He’d thought being a bodyguard might be better but instead it was just babysitting over privileged adults who didn’t seem to be all that adult to him. With the war it was even harder to find a job, or feel like he was doing much good.  Except when he was with Kit, he at least felt happy and settled with his choices and felt like he was doing something good when he was with her. Jacob didn’t spill about his own job woes. Instead he poured them each some tea and fixed his cup. “How’s your sister doing,” he asked. Focusing on others was a lot easier and he knew Ruthie’s sister had gone through a lot. Her and her kids. He felt for the family.

“Of course it does,” Ruthie answered Jacob with a chuckle, as if his house would not have met her approval, but she also reminded herself that Jacob did not care about her approval specifically and that was just a turn of phrase or something. And she really needed to get her head on straight and not touch him, especially when he answered her with a disarmingly charming smile. The tea and biscuits were at least a nice distraction to keep her hands busy lest she decide to touch him again. What was he going to think of her being all touchy right after breaking things off with Rufus? Definitely better to focus on the biscuits. And on how sweet it was to hear how proud Jacob seemed to be of his brother. Ruthie smiled. “I’ll be a customer,” she said, adding a bit of cream and a dash of sugar to her tea. Connor was as sweet as his brother; she just wished she could tell Jacob that she knew that. Her smile softened when he asked about her sister, but she also felt a surge of warmth at him asking. Ruthie’s sister had always been important to her, but ever since the attack that took her husband, and Jacob’s friends, looking after her sister and her kids had become a larger part of Ruthie’s life -- and she liked it. She also liked that Jacob seemed to understand that about her far more than Rufus ever did. “She’s doing alright. There are good days and bad days. But it’s been more good days lately,” she added with a small smile. The loss would never really go away for her sister’s small family, but life went on. Something she knew Jacob understood. “I’ve actually been staying with her, since, um…” Ruthie trailed off and stirred her tea. The thought of staying at her and Rufus’s old flat on her own just felt too odd. It wasn’t until she’d been faced with the prospect of it that she’d realized she’d never actually lived alone before, even if there were times with Rufus when it had felt like she did. “But it’s been nice,” she added quickly. “Emma still doesn’t like asking for help, but I know she appreciates it. And I’m not too keen on being on my own,” she admitted before she could stop herself, eyes glancing down to her tea after she said it. Jacob was just too easy to talk to; he always had been. 

[ruthieharris]

brownjacob​:

His smile widened hearing that Kit had given Ruthie a tour, though in the back of his mind he worried about if he’d forgotten to clean something, did have a stray pile of laundry somewhere, or anything that might make him look less than organized. There was definitely plenty of spots that probably gave away how difficult it was to keep up a house, take care of a child, and work two jobs even with the help Jacob got. He just hoped Ruthie hadn’t seen any of them. “Did she? Guess that’s a good sign she likes the house,” he said instead of giving away his worry. Didn’t stop him from talking too much, more of a temporary delay it seemed. But Ruthie was of course nothing but kind about it. He gave a little shrug of his left shoulder. “Truthfully, sometimes. They’ve all got strong opinions on how things should be done. They don’t shy away from telling me those opinions either. Not that I’m not grateful for their help,” he added quickly. “It’s just sometimes a little pressure.” Especially the pressure to find Kit a mom. But Jacob felt weird mentioning that one to Ruthie. “They meant well though.” Sometimes Jacob just had to remind himself of that one. “Thanks,” he smiled at her words. “It’s home.” Didn’t feel finished yet but he was always working on some project for the house in his free time. Maybe eventually he’d decide it was done. The kettle chased away the stray thought that he could see Ruthie in a house like this. Not his of course because they were just friends. Friends having tea. Jacob was thankful for the distraction of making the tea and bringing everything over to the table. “There we go, a nice pot of Earl Grey and some great biscuits. I dunno if they’re just not sweet enough or if it was the hazelnuts she didn’t like but I think they’re excellent tea biscuits. Connor’s definitely found his calling,” he told Ruthie with a smile as he took a seat.

“I don’t think you have to worry about that,” Ruthie answered Jacob with a soft chuckle. Kit was clearly happy here. “And I don’t see what’s not to like about the house,” she added, lest he was still worried about that. It looked lived-in, in the same way her sister’s place did. Tidied up enough to show Jacob cared about keeping the place up, but with evidence that a child lived here. Truthfully, Ruthie hoped she had her own house liked this one day, messes and all. Of course, the joy children brought also came with a lot of stress that Ruthie only ever saw second-hand, though she always did her best to help out. She couldn’t imagine the extra pressure of three sets of grandparents questioning if you were the right person for their granddaughter. She couldn’t blame Jacob for worrying about that, though she felt bad that he did. As if being a single dad working two jobs wasn’t difficult enough. “That does sound like a lot of pressure.” She gave him a small smile, and this time she couldn’t resist the urge to reach out and give his shoulder a gentle squeeze. “But I think the most important thing is how much you care, and you’ve knocked that out of the park,” she said with a smile that widened when he said the house felt like home. But -- right, tea. She was here for tea, the kettle reminded her. Ruthie quickly dropped her hand and busied herself with the biscuits and taking a seat.  Talking about Connor’s biscuits certainly felt like a safer topic of conversation in terms of Ruthie not being stupid and touching Jacob again. “I can’t wait to try them, I--” Ruthie just managed to stop herself from saying she didn’t think she’d ever had anything of Connor’s she didn’t like. But of course there was no reason for her to have sampled many of Connor’s treats. “I loved the cinnamon rolls,” she said instead, helping herself to a biscuit rather than linger on that. “Oh wow,” she said after she took a bite and swallowed it. “That’s delicious, he really has found his calling.” 

[ruthieharris]

brownjacob​:

Jacob smiled when Ruthie decided on the Earl Grey instead, couldn’t blame her. While the kettle warmed up on the stove he got out cups and saucers, they at least had no chips in them even if they didn’t match, cups or saucers. It dawned on him how few guests he had over for tea as he went about cobbling together some sort of tea set, a tea cup with the handle broken off for a sugar bowl, his tea pot with the obvious mended lid, one of the tea spoons had somehow gotten slightly bent, and his creamer had a large pink stain on it from when Kit had tried pouring her tea herself and ended up pouring it everywhere but her cup. It was a sad excuse for a tea set all on a tray he thought might have been Connor’s actually. He was distracted from worry that somehow his tea set reflected poorly on him by her comment about the house. Jacob smiled at her. “Thanks! It’s probably a bit too big for just the two of us but, well I’m sure Kit showed you tonight, the back garden was just to nice to turn down.”

Which unfortunately meant a higher mortgage than he should have taken on but it was worth it to have some place for Kit like he and Connor had growing up. Not to mention it left room for the family of two to grow, which was something Jacob wanted. And not just because Kit really deserved a mother. “Tell you the truth, I can’t even remember how I managed to find it,” he told her with a sheepish smile. “Everything was so hectic around then. I was trying so hard to do it all myself. I dunno, it just sort of felt like I had to prove to three sets of parents that I was the right person for Kit. Finding the right house felt really important.” Jacob wasn’t sure why he told Ruthie all that when all he had to do was tell her thanks and mention the garden if he wanted to. The kettle let out a muted whistle right after Ruthie’s offer to help. Jacob pulled it off the stove as he answered her, “You can grab the cookies and put them on the table if you’d like.” He motioned to where they were sitting. At least those would be great in presentation and taste.

Ruthie watched with a small smile as Jacob assembled a collection of mismatched tea things. Part of her felt like she ought to tell him he didn’t need to go to the trouble, but she found it rather endearing. It was somehow much nicer than the pristine tea set Rufus’s mother had gifted them when they moved into their flat together. It fit nicely in the cozy home Jacob had created for himself and Kit. “I don’t blame you,” she said with a smile when Jacob said the garden was too nice to turn down. “It’s a great garden, and Kit couldn’t wait to give me the grand tour,” she added, remembering how worried Jacob had been about finding a place that would be good for Kit, even if he didn’t remember sharing that with her. It was a surprise, though, when he started sharing it again. Ruthie’s smile softened when he said he couldn’t remember how he found it. It was her fault he couldn’t remember. Well, not exactly her fault. She hadn’t been the one to erase his memories, just the one to clean up afterwards and leave Jacob thinking things were fuzzy because they’d been hectic. Close enough to the truth for him not to notice the holes in his memory. She just nodded her understanding as he spoke, surprised he was sharing more with her and feeling a pang of guilt because he didn’t even remember all of the hard choices he’d had to make to take care of Kit. But he’d made them, because that was who Jacob was. “I hope you don’t still feel that way,” she said softly. From her perspective Jacob seemed like just the right person for Kit; she hoped he didn’t still feel like he was trying to prove himself to three sets of grandparents. “I think you definitely found the right house,” she added, tempted to reach out and touch him somehow; a hand on his arm, a gentle squeeze of his hand, but the sound of the kettle distracted her before she could act on the impulse. Which was a good thing. “Great,” she said, turning to get the cookies and bringing them to the table before she wanted to do something else that was stupid. 

[ruthieharris]

brownjacob​:

She was staying. Jacob was stunned. Only of course she was, a cup  of tea with a friend was completely harmless. He just needed to remember that that’s what they were, friends. Ruthie was a great friend, he was lucky to  have her friendship. Even if he felt like an arse for having  to remind himself of it. He chuckled softly at her joke. “Oh no, really, it’s nice to have the company,” Jacob was quick to wave away her worries of imposing. He’d come to terms with his life seeming pathetic in the eyes of former classmates. It was easy to remember that while he wasn’t thrilled with some aspects of it, he did have  a good life. Just not so easy to remember that around Ruthie when he wondered if she thought he was some pathetic loser now. Maybe this was a pity cup of tea. Hard to believe that when she was being so lovely. Just Ruthie being a great friend. Right. Time to get on that cup of tea. “It’ll also be great to have someone help me with the biscuits. Turns out Kit doesn’t like hazelnuts.” Surprising considering how Connor seemed able to turn anything into a great dessert. “I’m afraid all I’ve got in the way of tea is either Earl Grey or some peppermint something Kit picked out, mostly I suspect because it has some pink bits in it. Berries of some kind, I imagine, but I can’t work out if they’re raspberries or strawberries.” Jacob didn’t do much entertaining. Usually it was just his brother popping in, though that was becoming rarer. At least he knew where the kettle and tea cups were. He put a the kettle on and wished he had nicer cups. Silly he knew but he’d like Ruthie to keep what seemed to be a favorable opinion of him.

Ruthie’s smile widened at Jacob’s reassurance that she would not be imposing by staying for a cup of tea. This was not just Jacob being nice; he’d had plenty of opportunities to send her on her way in a perfectly pleasant manner if he’d wanted to. No -- Jacob actually wanted her company, and the thought made Ruthie happy in a way that felt a little dangerous. Only nothing about Jacob felt dangerous; he was far too sweet. Ruthie just needed to remind herself she was just out of a relationship and Jacob had a kid. Right. She chuckled at his comment about Kit not liking hazelnuts, a bit surprising since Connor had made the biscuits but perhaps hazelnut was a bit too adult for a young kid to prefer. “Earl grey sounds great,” she said with a smile. As cute as Kit’s peppermint-berry something sounded, Ruthie wasn’t sold on it as something she wanted to drink. “Your house is lovely,” she added, leaning back against the counter as Jacob put the kettle on. She remembered Jacob worrying over finding a house after Kit’s parents had died, though she’d been so preoccupied with the loss of her brother in law in the same accident that she hadn’t had a chance to follow up with him about it before he’d left the Order and she’d been made to replace the memories of it and their friendship that Moody and Dumbledore had taken away. Not something she wanted to think about right now; at least Jacob was doing better than Dawn, save for the fact that he didn’t know his little brother had been sucked into the same mess. Ruthie had often wondered since Connor showed up whether she ought to tell Jacob, but it felt like it was Connor’s secret to tell. Also not something she wanted to think about right now. “Can I help with anything?” She asked instead. 

[ruthieharris]

brownjacob​:

Jacob chuckled. “Yeah, I guess you did, didn’t you?” This was new. Usually it was Jacob telling Ruthie things about Kit and now Ruthie actually knew things for herself. Despite feeling bad about the circumstances he couldn’t help but be happy they met. And that Ruthie seemed to like Kit. Because Kit could use all the positive female role models, nothing else. “Yeah, she really is,” he agreed with pride. At first it had felt weird, sometimes even made him feel guilty, to be proud of Kit. It felt like he hadn’t had anything to do with how great of a kid she was. Sometimes he still felt a little guilty, only now it was because he was helping her continue being the great kid she always was instead of the man who should be. A weird sort of survivors guilt. That he’d almost rather be thinking about instead of mistakingly thinking that Ruthie had called him attractive in any sort of specific way.  Going from that to talking about the loser he worked for was actually oddly a relief. He smiled at her words, the smile faltering a touch at her addition of letting him get to it. Now was the time he should show her out, thank her again and then say good bye. But it was so rare he got actual adult conversation with someone he,  or Kit, weren’t related to that he didn’t want to do that. “You’re welcome to join me.” The invitation tumbling out practically on it’s own before he had a chance to think better of it. “Connor sent over some great hazelnut biscuits that are perfect for tea. You probably want to get home. I know this was not how you planned your evening to go. But there’s plenty if you wanted to stay.” What was he doing? Inviting a friend to stay for tea was okay, wasn’t it? He really shouldn’t have added the bit about there being plenty. Wasn’t sure why he had. He hoped this didn’t make things weird.

Ruthie grinned. It had been nice meeting Kit, having some extra context now for all the lovely things she’d heard about the girl from Jacob. Hopefully Kit had enjoyed meeting Ruthie and Jacob wouldn’t regret leaving her in Ruthie’s care after they spoke tomorrow. It was disconcerting to care so much about the opinion of a little kid who was not her niece or nephew. But Jacob had been so frazzled trying to find someone to look after Kit at the last minute, Ruthie didn’t want him to have any regrets about trusting Ruthie with the job. And -- okay, maybe she cared for another reason, but it was a reason she really needed to not be thinking about right now lest she say more stupid things about Jacob being attractive. It was past time to excuse herself. Or maybe not. Jacob’s offer took her by surprise, and for a moment she wondered if he was really just that nice that he didn’t want her to know how glad he was she was finally leaving. Only he was adding on all that stuff about Connor’s biscuits and a smile tugged at her lips. He wanted her to stay. Her heart did a weird fluttery thing that she should have taken as a signal to get out fast. But how could she turn down such a sweet offer? And what harm was there, really, in a cup of tea between friends? Ruthie just needed to be more careful of what she said. “I’d like that,” she said. “As a matter of fact, the fake tea actually put me in the mood for the real thing,” she added, wanting to kick herself right after because that was such a stupid joke. “If you’re sure I’m not imposing,” she tacked on quickly. “I don’t want to keep you up too late on the one night you might actually get some sleep.” 

[ruthieharris]

brownjacob​:

“In my defense she’s very persuasive,” he told Ruthie. Jacob smiled when Ruthie said she didn’t think it was possible to do too much reading. “I have a feeling Kit shares that thought.” It was hard to tell if Kit liked the books or just getting to stay up but she did enjoy her bedtime story and he hoped it benefited her regardless of which it was she liked. Though the tea parties and the crown wearing was all because Kit liked it and Jacob enjoyed playing with her and making her laugh. Which he excepted Ruthie to laugh as well once he got the crown on. Only instead had she just called him attractive? She’d said it but clearly hadn’t meant it the way Jacob had been in danger of taking it. “That’s good, since I don’t own any pink,” he replied feeling embarrassed. It was dumb to think she’d meant he was attractive. Especially when he was wearing a kid’s princess crown. So not attractive. Which was fine because Ruthie was still getting over Rufus and Jacob had no intention of flirting with her. Especially when she knew what loser jobs he held. “The head of the label is a real piece of work. I’ve never met anyone so self absorbed,” he confessed to Ruthie, certain she wouldn’t gossip. “Maybe a little bit of both. Certainly less having to actually guard but the people at these parties tend to be way more obnoxious than rock stars.” Given how obnoxious Stubby, his bandmates, and some of the other singers he’d filled in with were that was saying a lot. It was at least safer but he felt bad saying stuff like that. Jacob only thought about things like that now because he didn’t want Kit to have to lose someone else. But he didn’t want to sound like some kind of loser, coward to Ruthie. “The hours are better, believe it or not. Not used to coming home early enough to have a cup of tea, usually I only have a few hours to get some sleep in.” It was nice not to be completely exhausted when he got home too. Not to mention nice not having spent his work hours trying to block the many potions and drug dealers who surrounded Stubby or keep Stubby from disappearing down some dark alley to over indulge.

“Oh she is, I saw that for myself,” Ruthie agreed with a laugh. It was easy to see how Kit would be even more persuasive with Jacob, especially since he didn’t have to worry about making a bad impression on anyone by reading too many bedtime stories. Thankfully Jacob didn’t seem to mind. “She seems like a smart kid,” Ruthie said with a grin. It seemed possible Kit maybe just liked staying up later, but either way the positive association with books as a kid seemed like a great foundation if you asked Ruthie. It was sweet to see how well Jacob had taken to parenting, despite how unexpected the situation had been for him. But Ruthie really needed to stop thinking about that, because it was making her go and say things she shouldn’t. At least Jacob didn’t seem to weirded out by the fact she’d just called him attractive. Or he was being nice and really wondering what was wrong with her, saying something like that so soon after her breakup. She let out a nervous chuckle and resisted the urge to say something else she would regret, opting instead to change the subject to how his night was when really she should have been leaving him to enjoy the rest of his evening. But it was interesting to hear about what he did. Maybe it shouldn’t have been surprising to hear the head of some record label was self-absorbed and kind of a jerk, judging from the way Jacob was talking about him, but Ruthie knew so little about any of that. It was definitely a surprise to hear people at those sorts of parties were worse than obnoxious rock stars, especially because she was pretty sure Jacob had mentioned often feeling like he was babysitting an adult. She just nodded as she listened; it wasn’t a surprise to hear tonight was an early night for him, but it sounded awfully hard to be out so late only to get up and go to the Ministry for work, all while caring for a young kid. It was admirable. And probably still better than how Jacob used to spend his nights with the Order, though of course he didn’t remember any of that. Ruthie gave him a soft smile. “I’m glad the hours are better, at least. Sounds like you definitely deserve a nice relaxing cup of tea after dealing with all that. Which, um, I suppose I should let you get to,” she added with a slightly flustered chuckle. Obviously Jacob wanted to enjoy what was left of his evening instead of pretending not to notice her accidentally flirting with him. Right.

[ruthieharris]

brownjacob​:

Jacob chuckled again. “Yeah, you’ve gotta be really firm about that or she’ll get you. A couple of nights ago she managed to weasel five out of me,”  he confessed to Ruthie. Bedtime was important, he knew that, all the parenting books he’d been gifted said so. But it was hard to resist, especially when he missed more bedtimes than he got to be around for. Hopefully she wouldn’t take back those good dad comments.  He supposed it didn’t really matter if Ruthie thought he was or not. But it also did sort of matter to him. Probably another thing he shouldn’t think about Ruthie. Hard to remember that when he was too busy thinking other things he shouldn’t about Ruthie. Like how nice she smelled when he leaned down for the crown. Clearly he was thinking way too many of those things he shouldn’t since he went and called her pretty. Which wouldn’t have been a bad thing except she stepped back and Jacob worried she thought he was hitting on her. But wasn’t sure how to tell her he wasn’t without making things weirder. A moment later and it was hard to remember that things were weird. He smiled at her words. “I’ll have to remember that pink and fake gemstones are my color.” That was a dumb thing to say and he really needed to stop saying dumb things. Which was why he needed to put the teacups away so he could focus on that. Definitely not focusing on her fingertips brushing against his. Jacob was surprised, and admittedly pleased, when she wasn’t bolting for the door as he went and put the teacups with the rest of her tea party things. “I can’t really complain, I’ve certainly had worst,” he told her. “I wasn’t needed, I was just for show.” Jacob wasn’t sure why he was getting into the details when he should be letting Ruthie leave but here he was. “I’m supposed to be guarding talent but tonight the bloke that pays me wanted me to guard him. It was clearly an ego thing. Maybe because his wife had bodyguards,  I’m not sure. I just know me being there was more vanity than anything.” He shrugged his shoulders. “Guess I shouldn’t complain, I got paid all the same,” he felt bad for seeming like he was complaining about what was really an easy night. Easy if you didn’t know Bishop that was. Jacob was also embarrassed because standing around at some rich guy’s party was so lame nothing important like what Ruthie did. 

“Five?” Ruthie asked with a surprised laugh, feeling much less worried that Jacob would be upset with her about the one extra story now. “You may be more of a softie than I am,” she teased. “Of course, I’ve always thought it’s impossible to do too much reading, so I don’t blame you.” Jacob really was sweet. As was Kit, which also spoke to what a good job Jacob had done stepping up to a job he surely hadn’t expected would fall to him the way it did. He was a great bloke. And cute, even in a princess crown, though Ruthie really should not be thinking that. She laughed at his comment about his color, glad for a distraction from those thoughts. “Oh, absolutely. Though I think it’s less the pink and the fake gems and more the confidence it takes to wear that in the first place which makes it so attractive,” she said with a grin. It was only a second later that she realized what she said. Shoot! “I mean, um, so you shouldn’t feel limited to pink,” she tacked on quickly, her cheeks flushing. What an idiot! It was way too soon for her to be flirting. Especially with a bloke who knew it was too soon for her to be flirting. It was a bit of a relief when he moved away to put away the teacups, though of course Ruthie wasn’t using her head enough to make a getaway before she said anything else that was stupid. At least talking about his work seemed safe enough. And Ruthie really was interested. Her surprise was clear on her face when he explained how his night had gone. “I’ve never heard of someone having a bodyguard just for show. Is that better or worse than when you’re looking after talent?” It sounded odd, certainly, and perhaps a bit boring depending on where Jacob had been pretending to guard the person. But for someone who’d quit auror training and the Order (though he didn’t remember it) so he could be present for his goddaughter, boring was probably a good thing. That didn’t make boring ideal, though. Ruthie just hoped his normal nights were something closer to a happy medium.

[ruthieharris]

brownjacob​:

Jacob wasn’t sure he’d ever smiled this much after leaving his second job, certainly not when he had to deal with Bishop. But here he was smiling again. “Can’t argue with that logic,” he replied. In the light he couldn’t tell if she was blushing or not but it was easy to tell she was embarrassed and he felt bad again. Only he’d have felt worse if he’d have let her leave it on the rest of their conversation. Not that it looked bad on her, he’d meant it when he said she made it work. It didn’t look out of place or ridiculous on her. Instead it gave her a very domestic sort of look that Jacob didn’t need to think about. The most he let himself think was once again how when she had her own family what a great mum she would be. But then he’d known that just hearing her talk about her sister’s children. He smiled wider hearing that Kit hadn’t been any trouble. It was’t a surprise, she really was a great kid. But he was happy all the same. It was his turn to flush lightly when she called him a wonderful dad. Jacob wasn’t so sure about that but he was trying his best. Thankfully she wasn’t done talking and Jacob chuckled at the crown comments. “I’m glad she wasn’t any trouble,” he said instead of saying anything about her dad comments. Because he wasn’t sure what to say to them. Ruthie was surprising him again when she teased him about the crown. He chuckled but leaned down a little so she could reach. Once she got it on him he straightened back up. “As you can see I’m not quite pretty princess material. You’er much better suited to it.” Which was a round about way of calling her pretty. Hopefully round about enough to she would’t think he was hitting on her. He certainly wasn’t trying. Just the opposite. She’d just gotten out of a relationship, he would never try and take advantage of someone like that. Especially not someone as special as Ruthie was. “Here, I’ll put those away for you,” he motioned for the tea cups, happy to have something to distract him from thoughts he shouldn’t be having about Ruthie.

“No trouble at all, really,” Ruthie reassured him. “Just very persuasive when requesting an extra bedtime story. Though I’ve been told I’m a softie, especially when it comes to reading,” she admitted with a sheepish smile, realizing all at once she was probably sounding like a horrible babysitter between the snacks and now letting Kit stay up for one extra bedtime story. Jacob would probably never want her help again. Which maybe was a good thing, since Ruthie was not thinking clearly right now, which was extra silly given just how recently she was single. Still, she grinned when Jacob actually leaned down so she could reach the top of his head, though she really hadn’t thought that through because she was not at all ready for how close he was to her when she popped it on his head. Oh. Ruthie felt a thrill of the kind she hadn’t felt in a long time, one that had long left her relationship with Rufus. And seeing Jacob in the crown as he straightened up was not helping, instead making her think more about how sweet he clearly was with Kit. Rufus wouldn’t have been caught dead in something like that. And — did Jacob just call her pretty? No, of course not. Ruthie let out a nervous chuckle and took a small step back, suddenly aware she was probably standing too close. “I don’t know, I think it works for you.” Why did she say that? Thankfully Jacob was asking about the teacups before she could say anything else that was stupid. “Oh, um — thanks.” She turned to grab the teacups and passed them to Jacob, ignoring the way her skin tingled where her fingertips brushed Jacob’s. “How was your night?” She asked instead of lingering on that. Ruthie needed to get it together. Or leave, probably, now that Jacob was home. Only she’d just asked a question, so she couldn’t just leave now.

[ruthieharris]

brownjacob​:

Jacob felt bad for startling her but he’d have felt worse waking Kit. Her smile was impossible not to return no matter how tired he might have been. But then Ruthie’s smile was always like that. The kind that lit up a room. Jacob couldn’t quite believe that he hadn’t kept her from anything. If he wasn’t it had to be because Ruthie wasn’t ready to put herself out there again or ready to have fun with mates. Who wouldn’t want Ruthie’s company? He chuckled softly at her words. “You and Connor have the same strategy it seems. He gives her baked goods in order to be her favorite uncle, while being her only one.” It was a strategy Kit liked for certain. “I’m sure she was very happy to have a secret after dinner tea party. But just so you know she’s terrible at keeping secrets and will likely tell me all about it by the time breakfast is over.” He was curious to see what she was going to have to say about Ruthie. “I’m sure she was happy to have someone who actually makes the princess crown look good. Not sure it suits me, judging from how much she cackles when she puts it on me for our princess tea parties,” he added with a nod to the crown on her head. “Thanks again for watching her, I hope she wasn’t too much trouble.” Jacob really appreciated Ruthie for giving up her night on such short notice, it had been very kind of her.

Ruthie chuckled at Jacob’s comparison to Connor. “Well it’s no fun to be the favorite just because you’re the only one, is it?” She asked with a teasing grin, glad Jacob wasn’t upset that she’d given Kit after-dinner snacks. It seemed harmless enough for a kid every once in a while, but she’d have felt quite bad if that was something Jacob didn’t want for Kit. She laughed softly at his addition that Kit would certainly spill the beans if Ruthie hadn’t; fortunately she knew better than to expect a kid to keep a secret. Though the thought of Kit talking to Jacob about her was an odd one. They’d had fun, at least Ruthie thought so, so hopefully she would have good things to say about their evening together. That was forgotten when Jacob reminded her of the princess crown on her head. Oh, bugger! Ruthie could feel her cheeks flushing and hoped Jacob wouldn’t notice in the dim light. Only it was hard to feel too silly about that when Jacob was saying it looked good on her. A silly thing to feel all warm over, and yet here Ruthie was. And thinking about Jacob wearing the crown himself did not help. It wasn’t so much the actual thought of him in a princess crown as the reminder of just how good of a dad he was to Kit. That was undeniably hot. Not something she should be thinking about right now. Instead she chuckled at what he said about Kit cackling at him. “She was no trouble at all. We had a great time, she really is lovely, and lots of fun,” Ruthie said with a genuine smile. “Not that I’m surprised, you always make her sound delightful. And she’s clearly got a wonderful dad looking after her,” she added. That had been clear even before Ruthie met Kit, but now she was even more certain of it. “It’s not every dad who willingly wears a princess crown, after all,” she added quickly, not wanting to let that linger too long because it felt a little too personal and she needed to be less silly about Jacob. “I’ll bet it looks even better on you,” she said, setting down the teacup she’d just finished drying and carefully taking the crown off, lest she forget about it again and accidentally leave with it on. “Let’s see, shall we?” She added with a teasing grin, moving closer to him and then reaching up to try to put it on his head, though the motion was light enough he could stop her if he so chose. 

[ruthieharris]

brownjacob​:

Normally Jacob had a lot of support, for which he was grateful. Occasionally though things just all fell apart. Like today. Now that Stubby was in rehab, about time in Jacob’s opinion, he was stuck without a steady client. Mr Bishop had him bouncing around different jobs and he hated it. Stubby was a pain in the neck brat that needed to grow up but Standford Bishop was a full on arsehole who didn’t seem to understand, more like didn’t care, that Jacob had another job and a child. If Stubby didn’t need a bodyguard soon Jacob was gonna have to find a new job. Something that felt impossible in the current climate but necessary all the same. The only good thing about these new assignments was that they seldom lasted as late as babysitting Stubby had. Hard to feel grateful for that when he’d had far too many hours of standing around just so Mr Bishop could look important enough to need bodyguards at the party he and his wife had attended.

It wasn’t until he quietly let himself into his house that he remembered that Ruthie was the one looking after Kit. His heart did a little flip and he felt ridiculously warm seeing Ruthie standing there at the sink. All the stress forgotten as he smiled at the crown on top of her head. She was gonna be a great mum some day. Hopefully the next bloke would realize how lucky they were, Jacob still didn’t see how Rufus had lost sight of that. “I can finish those up for you,” Jacob told her softly, hoping not to startle her. “Sorry I’m so late.”

Ruthie jumped slightly at the sound of a quiet voice, only the fact that the voice was familiar keeping her from panicking beyond just the slight startle. “Oh!” She managed to keep her voice quiet, and the sheepish laugh she let out as she looked up from the dishes to see Jacob. Her heart did a small flip at the sight of him, which she quickly chided herself for. She was here to help out a friend in need, nothing more. Right. “No, um, nothing to be sorry for,” she said with a small smile and a shake of her head. “You’re not keeping me from anything.” Wow, way to sound like a loser. Not that it really mattered if Jacob thought she was a loser, Ruthie reminded herself. Only she cared very much if Jacob thought she was a loser. “Anyways, um, I’ve just gone one more teacup left to wash,” she added rather than let that admission linger. “I was hoping you wouldn’t be back until after I’d hidden all the evidence of our after-dinner snack time,” she explained with a smile that said she was not at all upset he’d caught her; she’d been planning to tell him what she and Kit got up to anyways. “I hope you don’t mind. But you see, extra fruit snacks are how I’ve solidified my position as favorite aunt with my sister’s kids. That and being their only aunt,” she added with a smile as she finished washing the last small teacup she and Kit had used.