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Jake nodded as he gathered the items laid out before him smirking as he followed Ezekiel down one of the Library’s random hallways that always lead to lord knows where. It had taken them and Cassandra nearly four months to plan tonight out. With Ezekiel working on getting the technology set up and out of the eyes of the others, Jake planning a way to get Eve and Flynn out of the library as well for the night and Cassandra doing what Cassie did best, distracting Jenkins. Well let’s just say the trio had their work cut out for them this time.
They didn’t often tag team to treat each other but honestly Jenkins had been so good to all of them lately with saving them from a malevolent demon that was going to poison suffocate them among the most recent of things the crabby caretaker had done for them. Honestly he’d done a lot more for them each individually as opposed to all together but when the trio had gotten to talking one night it had hit them all that Jenkins never got really anything from any of them. Sure Eve and Flynn took Jenkins out drinking with them once in a blue moon, as did the trio but other than that? Nothing, not a single thing had been done to show the older man how much they actually cared for him, and his sassy ways.
So they had decided to do something about it, that something was a group movie night, just the trio and their caretaker. It wasn’t often the trio did anything separate these days so they decided together was the best course of action. Eve and Flynn had taken the hint, often referring to the trio as a unit when talking about plans anyways so it seemed natural they would take care of something of a date night on their own.
“Stone you’re lagging.” Ezekiel said from inside the room Jake had just stopped outside of.
“No I’m not Jones. You’re getting to impatient.” Jake responded as he took one last look around and went inside his arms full of snacks and drinks he’d gotten for the movie night. He looked around the room in awe. When Ezekiel had stumbled upon it and shown it to them it had looked run down, dust everywhere and uncomfortable couches are far as the eye could see. Their own private movie room, complete with creepy, dusty equipment. Now it seemed Cassandra had spent time in here too getting it ready. The couches were gone and in their place was one large oversized low couch. It honestly looked almost like a futon mattress with just some pillows stacked on one side to give it a couch look. It was covered in soft but not fluffy material and about double as many blankets as they needed, and nearly triple the pillows. The lights had all been changed too, gone where the broken disasters they’d found and inside warm soft glowing fairy lights hung around the room. One table had been set up in front of the huge sitting area for snacks and drinks while behind the sitting area was Jones, messing with his computer and projector setup that was being displayed on the huge white screen in the main part of the room.
“Not bad eh? Cassandra went a little overboard with the décor but she says it’s perfect so it’s good enough for me.” Said the Australian young man as his head popped back up to look at Jake.
“I think she did a great job Jones. This way if you get annoying I can just suffocate you with a pillow.” Jake said with a smile as he laid down the snacks on the table setting it up so it was easy for them all to grab their preferred snack and drink. He laughed when the younger man stuck his tongue out at him and went back to working on his laptop. Jake on the other hand went back out to get more snacks. It took another two hours before they were finally ready for Cassandra to bring their guest of honor to the little movie theatre. Jake nodded to Ezekiel when he was finished and watched as the younger man quickly sent Cassie a text to let her know they were ready. It wasn’t long before the duo heard the voices of the other half of their group talking down the hallway.
“Cassandra, where are you taking me? I thought you had a question on where the music section was?”
“Oh I did. And I just remember I found a room I wanted to show you! It looked older and I think maybe you’ll know what it was used for, since you know everything there is about the Library.”
“What? Hmmpf. Well I guess, I mean if the Library is done rearranging itself that is. Also have you seen Misters Stone and Jones today? I know the Colonel and Mr Carsen left to go do something but I haven’t seen either of them. No telling what that thief and cowboy have gotten into now.”
“Oh I dunno, I think they can behave if given the right motivation.” Cassandra said as she pulled Jenkins towards the opening door.
“What are you talking abou-… Jones. Stone. What in the world?”
“Surprise!” Jake beamed as he smacked the older man on the backside.
“Surprise Mate!” Jones joined in waving from his spot on the couch, controller for the laptop in hand.
“Surprise Mr. Jenkins!” Cassandra echoed the boys landing a gentle kiss on the caretaker’s cheek as she took his arm leading him in.
“I repeat what in the world is this?” Jenkins said as he stood in the doorway, smirking at the boys and his arm carefully around Cassandra as they walked towards the couch area.
“It’s our surprise for you, Mr. Jenkins! Ezekiel stumbled across the room and we thought..”
“Since you’ve been saving our lives so much that we’d treat you to a nice relaxing evening in.”
“Yeah, mate, it’s the least we can do. Even with all those gross concoctions.”
Jenkins smirked at the trio, his trio, as they lead him to the middle of the couch and all got settled. Jake on the other side of Cassie who was snuggled into Jenkin’s right side under some blankets and Ezekiel on the other side mirroring Cassie. All four quickly grabbed a plate of their favored snacks and a drink for each of them before finally settling in.
“Well then my Librarians, what are we watching tonight?” Jenkins asked, chuckling when he saw the reactions that got from the trio. Jake rolled his eyes and looked away hiding what the older man knew was probably an excited grin. Ezekiel for once looked exactly on the same page as Cassandra as both perked up excitedly and turned to face him with the answer quickly coming from them both.
“Star Trek!” “Star Trek.”
“Which one?”
“Well I suggested the original but both the boys voted it down because they weren’t sure you’d like that one, despite me telling them you probably have seen them all anyways and besides it’s a classic like you; so I made a valiant argument for it but they both outnumbered me.” Cassandra responded as her face turned to a slight pout. Jake and Ezekiel both had the good mind enough to not tease her, as much, as usual.
“You did but we agreed Voyager was underrated and that Jenkins might enjoy it more because of the symbolism in it Cassie.” Jake said looking back over to the group now while Ezekiel was working on pulling up the show on the groups Netflix account.
“Actually I just agreed it was the best because the characters are awesome.” Ezekiel retorted as he pulled up the show and pushed play putting his controller to the side of him as he leaned back on the caretaker slightly giving weird looks to both the other librarians when they raised their brows at him.
“Very well, no arguing. Time to enjoy this. Jake I said hush do not start, drink your beer. Ezekiel no phone. Discussion is allowed if we pause it.” Jenkins said as the trio nodded and settled in for a movie night.
The quad smiled and laughed for hours over the antics of the crew of a tv show they all enjoyed, stopping multiple times for Jenkins and Cassandra to have intense science talks, a few arguments between all three boys over actions of certain characters and to obviously get refills on food and drinks. After about ten hours or so though of binge-watching the room had darkened considerably and Jenkins looked around at the scene he was part of.
To his left was the library’s own thief, his thief. Leaning ever so slightly against his arm that was stretched out behind the young man. His eyes were fighting sleep after being up for nearly sixteen hours and Jenkins could tell before the end credits played the boy would be out like a light. He was glad during the last time they moved he had pulled one of the blankets over Ezekiel to which the younger man had just stuck his tongue out at him but didn’t put up any argument against it.
To Jenkins’ right, curled up tightly and leaning on his chest was a very much rapt Cassandra, her eyes glued to the screen as she watched the characters she obviously loved living out her childhood dream of space travel. Jenkins could just imagine a young Cassandra emulating the tiny but fierce Captain Janeway from the show and smiled. He leaned down to place a gentle kiss to the young woman’s head, causing her to snuggle back against him a touch more. She caused him a number of headaches but she did mean well, and he adored that about her.
And just past Cassandra with his hand on the other man’s shoulder sat Jake, leaning against his hand as if it was the one thing keeping him from completely passing out. Jake’s arms were crossed against his chest, pillows on one side and a blanket half thrown against his waist. Jenkins watched as his head kept bobbing up and down. He reached his arm a little more to ruffle the man’s hair, getting his attention. He made a motion for the young man to lean into him like the others, to which he sleepily complied leaning slightly into Cassandra and slightly into Jenkins’ outstretched arm before almost instantly falling asleep. Jenkins smiled when Cassandra leaned over to pull the blanket properly around the historian as she went back to cuddle more into Jenkins’ lap almost as the screen moved to yet another episode of the show.
The group stayed that way till nearly one am when Jenkins felt himself start to nod off and he turned down the volume himself looking around to see all the librarians had fallen asleep on him, each curling on or around him in their own way and he just smiled brightly. It had been a long time since he’d had so many people he cared about do something like this for him, and for these three he knew it meant a great deal. The knight carefully moved the pillows around behind him so they could all just lay down and grabbing a few more blankets in case any of them got cold he moved to lay down, one arm protectively going over both the boys at his sides and one more kiss to the top of the crazy red hair that lay curled on his chest. For once in a long time, the knight felt finally at peace, at least for tonight.