Who: Alecto & Danny When: Wednesday afternoon, after 5pm Where: Carrow Greenhouse What: Danny proposes...properly Rating: PG Status: Completed log
To say that Danny was nervous would be an understatement. He wasn't exactly sure why he felt this way -- it was just Alecto after all. She was his first girlfriend, his first lay and the only female he had become close friends with. Perhaps it was all of those reasons and more why he was unable to calm himself down as he apparated from work and straight to Ally's greenhouse. If she said no this time, he would be losing so much more than he had initially realized. And what he had realized was that he had feelings for Alecto, feelings in which he had never thought he was capable of experiencing. She had already refused his first proposal, but with all due respect to her, his proposal was not at all proper. This time he made sure to take all the necessary steps to make this more suitable. He had bought a ring that only fine money could afford, he had owled her parents to ask for their permission for him to marry their daughter then met with his own parents to inform them of his intentions. Needless to say, her parents were far more acceptable to the idea than his own.
As he stood at the door to the greenhouse, he took one last deep breath then stepped inside. He glanced around the room looking for Alecto. While his nerves seemed to be rattling him, they did not deter certain classic mannerisms. When he didn't see her, he brought his thumb and middle finger to his lips then suddenly let out high pitched whistle.
Alecto had been on edge for the past few days, so close to randomly shouting at customers. She would have too, if it wasn't for her parents, and the fact that she knew better than to damage any customer relations for the struggling greenhouse. A customer had just owled in a special order, and Alecto was in the back, searching through the many rows of plants. Suddenly, a high pitched whistle came from the front of the store, making her jump in surprise. Alecto was caught between shock and irritation. "You have got to be bloody kidding me!" she shouted as she balled up parchment with the special order and threw it to the ground. All of her bottled up anger just exploded. What kind of sonofabitch would actually whistle for service? Forget her self-control; she was going to give this person a piece of her mind, though what she really wanted to do was hex whoever it was into oblivion.
She stormed through the greenhouse and rather violently pushed open the double doors that led to the front shop area, causing them to swing back and forth behind her. "OI! What gives?" she shouted, then stopped short when she saw Danny standing there. Her jaw dropped. It was him? He was the asshole that whistled for her? Her cheeks were red from being so flustered, and her chest was heaving. "I-- you-- what? You whistled? What? Who does that? What do you want?"
It was a classic Danny move to do something like this -- walk in and whistle for someone as if he owned the place. Opposite of that, it was a classic reaction by Alecto to come storming in and yelling at whoever just summoned her in such a manner. However, his method did work; he called for her and she came to him.
He stood in the front of the store with his hands now buried deep within his pockets, his right hand now clutching the small box that housed the ring. It had been days since he last saw her, days since he last spoke with her. As she burst through the doors his eyes immediately fell upon her and despite the flustered look on her face and the anger in her voice, the mere sight of her forced a flutter of excitement to erupt from within the pit of his stomach. This seemed to happen more and more lately, this wild rush. Just knowing that he would see her thrilled him, not because he knew they would ultimately end up sharing his bed, but because he simply wanted to be with her. It took him time to understand this and since Saturday he realized that he wanted to be with her all the time.
Without missing a beat he said, "we need to talk." His tone was rather stern, his expression tight lipped and serious. "Is there someplace we could go?" He asked, clearly indicating that he wanted them to speak alone.
Alecto still stared at him, jaw set and rather aggravated with him. This was the first time she had seen him since sneaking out of his bed on Sunday morning, and just the sight of him caused her heart to pound in her chest. Then he uttered those words, 'we need to talk' and Alecto's demeanor changed abruptly. She ran a hand through her hair, a nervous gesture of course, and stammered, "Uh, sure... yes." She swallowed. "The back garden, customers aren't allowed..." She trailed off, and swiftly began leading the way, avoiding his eye. This was the talk where he told her they should stop this arrangement of theirs. Something had passed between them Saturday night, and it couldn't be ignored. Slowly over these few days, her feelings for him had become crystal clear. But it was too late. She had refused him, and even though she knew it was for his own good, she realized she had made a terrible mistake.
When she reached the garden, she immediately sat down on a bench, still not looking at him. "So...." she started, not wanting to voice her fears. Instead she nervously kicked at a patch of dirt on the ground, waiting to hear him tell her they couldn't see each other anymore.
Danny noted the nervous gesture. It wouldn't be the first time a woman got nervous around him and although it was for an entirely different reason, the reaction was still the same. As he followed her out into the gardens, he could feel his heart begin race, his palms started to get sweaty in his pockets and his head was dizzy with the words he was about say. When they reached the gardens, he quickly glanced around making sure they were truly alone and that her family was no where near them. He did not need an audience. "This is nice," he commented, almost as if trying to avoid what he really wanted to say. After a brief moment, he turned to look at her and decided to sit down as well. He took the seat next to Alecto, but did not sit close to her. In his typical fashion, he slouched back against the bench and left his legs to rest lazily wide open with his hands still buried within his pockets.
"You and I have been friends for a long time..." he began as he stared into the ground in front of him. "We've been through a lot over the years and we've done a lot as well." He thought the talking might calm his nerves, but instead he was getting words. She needed to hear what he had say, so he kept going. "I had a lot of firsts with you, Ally. You were the first girl I ever became friends with, my first girlfriend, the first girl I fooled around with..." he trailed off, pausing for a moment as a smile spread across his features and he glanced over at Alecto for a second. "I know you already know this, but you were my first, but what I don't think you know is that you were the first girl I had ever truly liked. I mean, I thought you were pretty and although I was a young teenage boy with particular intentions, I still liked you for more than the obvious reasons." Even though his smile had faded, his tone was soft and smooth as he spoke. On the inside, he was falling apart -- his heart continued to pound against the walls of his chest and his stomach was turning uncontrollably. "No matter what happened, I always found myself going back to you. You've always had this, sort of, hold over me, Alecto..." It wasn't so much as admitting it to her as it was himself, she truly did have this control on him. "And as it's always been with you, this is another first for me." With that he took a breath to try and soothe his rapidly beating heart then got up from the bench and knelt down in front of her. He pulled his hands from his pockets and revealed the small box that he had been hiding this whole time. "I love you, Ally and I want to come back to you always. So I'll ask you again, will you marry me?" And as he asked the question, he opened the box to uncover a beautiful ring with diamonds glinting brilliantly up at her.
When Danny sat down next to her, Alecto turned on the bench to face him, gathering her legs up in the seat with her. She rested her elbow on the seatback, and propped her head up in her hand. She still didn't want to look at him, so she instead stared at down at her dirty work robes, and she nervously straightened them over her knees. A tiny smile did cross her features when he mentioned their first time, but she still couldn't look at him. He kept talking, and yet he never quite said what she feared he would say. She thought she would pass out as he kept talking, for surely her case of the shakes had returned. Everything he was saying was true, they were each others firsts in so many ways, and she found herself reflecting as he spoke. They had been messing around with each other for about ten years, getting together every few months, wanting nothing more from each other. For some reason, these past two months had changed everything, even though that night in July was the first time they'd seen each other since February. She had asked him to stay the night, and that was much nicer than she had ever expected. Then, out of nowhere, Alecto had started to become jealous if Danny spoke of another, and found herself spending more and more time in his bed, and not always for sex. Perhaps it was the escalating war that made her feelings become stronger, and she realized that he had a hold over her, just as he was saying she had over him.
Suddenly, he got up off the bench and knelt in front of her. She turned rapidly in the bench, letting her legs drop to the ground as she stopped breathing for a good minute. She was in shock. He still wanted her. Not only that, but he had uttered those three words, I love you. And he had a ring. Merlin, that ring. It was breathtaking. After what seemed like an eternity, she exhaled and words finally returned to her.
"I love you too!" she blurted out in earnest. It was the first time that those words had entered her brain, and the second they did, she knew the feeling was real and practically shouted it at him. Alecto loved him with every part of her, and that realization was wonderful. But she couldn't revel in them just yet, for the doubts appeared again. She had to voice her concern, and make him understand, even if she had no intention of repeating her mistake. "But I don't want to hold you back!" Tears threatened to fall, but she blinked them back. Before Danny had a chance to respond, she put her hand to his lips. "Shhh... wait wait." She continued slowly, deliberately. "If you truly want this, want me, regardless of the potential consequences... Me, when you can have anyone...then yes, I'll marry you," she answered, a smile finally forming on her lips. "And I will never refuse you again."
Danny longed to say the words, but it was when she echoed them back that he felt a sense of relief and a overwhelming amount of happiness. After all these years, after being with other women, after several short lived relationships, it all came back to the one person that he had started everything with. Had he known then what he figured out now, he would have done this a long time ago. Although perhaps the moment would not have been as sweet as it was right now.
As soon as she said I love you too, he immediately pulled the ring from it's box ready to put it on her finger, but suddenly looked up when she once again began to refuse his proposal. He opened his mouth in protest, unwilling to accept her arguments, but he was quickly silenced as she denied him the chance to speak and continued on. His eyes were locked on hers, watching her closely and listening intently as she spoke. When she finally said yes, it took him a moment to realize that she had accepted. He had suddenly become so worried that she would turn him away for a second time that he nearly missed the most important part of what she was saying. "Yes?" He asked rhetorically, his expression shifting to that of shock. "Yes!" He said again, this time with conviction as his handsome smile immediately spread across his features stretching from ear to ear. In that moment he almost forgot that he was still holding the ring then suddenly took her small delicate hand into his much larger and stronger one and slipped the ring onto her finger. Once it was on, he lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it softy. In that moment he wanted to show her how much he loved and appreciated her. There was nothing else left to say. He let go of her and curled one hand gently around her calf, letting his fingers trickle along the back of it teasingly as he pushed up her skirt just above her knee with his free hand. He leaned down and just barely grazed his lips along the inner side of her knee, pressing a soft kiss to the vulnerable spot then dragged his lips slowly to the top of her knee, just at the bottom of her thigh and kissed her again. "Thank you," he whispered softly against her leg.
All Alecto could do was nod when he asked for confirmation. Her hands shook badly when he placed the finger on her hand. As he kissed the top of her hand, she brushed the fingers of her right hand against his cheek. "Yes," she repeated, her smile widening. When he let go, she instinctively held our her hand in front of her to further examine her ring. It certainly was breathtaking. She had never been given anything like this before in her life. Her parents had few pieces of heirloom jewelry, but nothing of this caliber. Just the sight of it was overwhelming. But before she could think anymore of the ring and what it cost, he was caressing her leg. A groan escaped her lips as his lips trailed along her knee. "You're welcome," she whispered, as her hands tangled in his hair, teasing his curls.
Suddenly, she grabbed his face with her hands, forcing him to look directly at her. With the smile still spread across her face, she said, "First, we need to lay out a few ground rules." Her tone was still light, but her voice got a bit deeper. She was serious, but she didn't want to spoil the mood. Still, this needed to be said. Up front. "I have no intention of being a simple housewife, only providing you with heirs. I have a place in the ranks. I may not be completely respected, but I will not give it up. And I'm not leaving my parents to care for the greenhouse alone. They need me, and I can't abandon them." She slowly stroked his face, taking note of every beautiful feature. Alecto bent down, and planted a very soft kiss on his lips. "Can you agree to that, love?"
Danny continued to press soft warm kisses around and above her knee as he slowly slid his hand up her thigh, tracing the tips of her fingers along the back of it. He let out a soft groan against her skin when he felt her fingers tangle within his strands of hair, he always liked it when she did that. The touches were subtle, the kisses barely there, but it was all so intimate and close. All of the sudden Ally lifted his head to force him to look up at her. "Go on..." he quipped as he arched a brow and grinned slightly. As she spoke, he simply nodded repeatedly, looking like a boy who was being scolded. The only difference, he was actually listening this time. He let her speak and when she was finished he reached up with both hands to take a hold of each of hers. He returned the kiss though it was short lived and smiled when he heard her call him love.
"Alecto, if I wanted to marry some high maintenance high society prude who feels that her only purpose in life is to stay at home and get knocked up every nine months, I would have let my parents choose my wife. That or marry Evangeline," he teased, winking at her playfully. "Listen, I don't mind that you're within the ranks, respected or not or that you refuse to stop working for your parents. I wouldn't have it any other way," he said as he thumbed the backs of her hands slowly now. "However," he began and though his tone was light, his expression made it quite clear of the seriousness in his next set of words. "You and I both know how you can let your words get the best of you. All that I ask is that you remember that you will be taking my name, so please be careful about what you say and to who. If not for my name then for your own well being, Ally..." He trailed off, his tone sounding almost desperate as he laid out his one and only demand.
Alecto was glad that he agreed to her terms, even if she did let out a sharp hiss at the mention of Evangeline's name. But she pushed that aside, and gave Danny a nod as she squeezed his hands. "Thank you," she said. She was about to say more when Danny continued, making a similar request of her. She dropped her gaze down to her hands. He was right, of course. She could not keep up her reckless behavior, especially not anymore. Alecto had not thought of that before, she would be taking his name, and therefore her actions could implicate him. Not to mention the simple fact that she might not survive another 'lesson' from Bellatrix or any of the other Inner Circle members. His tone suggested that he was thinking the same thing regarding her own well being.
"You're right," she said, with a bit of a shrug. "I know I have a temper, and I'm trying to stop letting it get the better of me. And I know my actions have gotten me into trouble, but I would hate it if I got you in trouble as well." She bit her lower lip, and then quickly shook her head. All those fears that dominated her brain on Saturday were threatening to return. Marrying her had consequences for Danny, so Alecto knew she had to grow up. Curbing her temper would be hard, but Danny was worth it. He wanted her anyway, in spite of everything. So she would grant him this one request. "I will be better, for you," she said with all seriousness.
Danny appreciated the simple act of Alecto at least trying to quell her temper at certain times. That was all he could ask of her. He could see the seriousness in her eyes and also hear it in her voice, but he did not want this happy moment of their engagement get ruined by talks of things that currently did not need mentioning until later. Never one to be serious for very long, he took advantage of her leaning in so close. A wicked smile slowly stretched across his face and before Ally had any time to react, he quickly slung an arm around her waist and tugged her towards him. He fell back onto the ground pulling his fiance with him, forcing her to land on top of him. His frame was much larger hers and could therefore handle her falling on top of him, though he let out a small grunt when they hit the dirt together. As he lay there underneath her, he looked up into her face, his eyes darting all around as he admired her delicate features and the natural beauty that she possessed. He reached up and gently brushed the backs of his fingers against her cheek then tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "I think you should stay with me tonight," he said softly as he gave her a warm smile. He slowly leaned up towards her, tilting his head to the side slightly and gently eased his lips onto hers. The kiss was soft and sweet at first but he gradually deepened it, kissing her hard and slow with a loving passion.
When Alecto finished speaking, they locked eyes for a moment, and she knew that he understood, though he said nothing. After all these years, she was able to read him rather well. Before she knew it though, she was pulled down off the bench and fell onto of him. An audible gasp escaped her lips, followed by a laugh. "Yes, I will stay with you tonight," she answered, as she gazed in his eyes. She kissed him back, starting softly, and then deepening the kiss as he did, relishing in this perfect moment. After a couple minutes ticked by, she managed to tear herself away from his lips, and as she did, she propped herself up on her hands at either side of his head. "But first, I'd like to tell my parents. And go home to tell Amycus. I want my family to know tonight." She kissed him on his lightly on his forehead before continuing. "After that, I will be at your flat, as soon as bloody possible."
Danny let out something that sounded much like a hmph when Ally pulled away from him. The kiss was rather nice and he wouldn't have minded if that's all they did for a few more extra minutes. He dropped his head back down onto the ground and simply smiled up at her and absentmindedly began to trace the tips of his fingers up and down along her forearm. "Right," he said looking as though his head were suddenly in another place. In fact it was. The kiss in which they just shared seemed to have set something off. This hadn't happened to him in quite some time. All he could think about was Ally completely naked in his bed and imagined all the things that he would do to her just to hear her scream his name. He forced himself to focus, but it proved to be rather difficult at the moment. He swallowed hard and laughed softly to himself. "Sorry, love... Yeah, I should go with you to tell your parents," he said as he ran his fingers through his own hair trying to squelch the dirty thoughts in his head. He knew it would proper for him to be there with Alecto when she told them the news they had been waiting to hear since Monday. Monday. "Your parents knew I was going to ask you," he informed her, suddenly remembering that small bit. "I thought I should ask your dad first, y'know? So I came by Monday night after you had already left and spoke to your parents about it," he added sounding rather nonchalant about the idea. It was nothing to him, just proper manners which he should have practiced the first time. What he did not want to tell her was the meeting he had with his parents on Tuesday evening.
Alecto was still looking down at him, but now her head was cocked to one side. "You... went to my parents? Danny..." He had really done everything by the book this time. Her heart almost burst with affection for him in that moment. She sat up, straddling his as she pushed her hair out of her face. "Alright, yeah. Let's go tell my parents," she said with a laugh. "I think they're in the storeroom, checking our seed back stock. They wouldn't have heard you whistle." She winked at him, and gave him a playful slap on his chest. "Oh and speaking of, never whistle at me again, yeah?" She was only half-kidding.
She rose to her feet rather quickly, knowing that if she took her time, she would never get up. It took a large amount of self control to get up off of Danny in that moment. She would have much rather stayed there, snogging him in the garden. But her parents were probably wondering where she got off too, and besides, they deserved to know. Especially if they'd been expecting it. She held out her hand to him, to help him up. "Come on then..."
Regardless of a woman's level of status, Danny believed that all women deserved to experience such chivalry from a man. Granted he did not feel this way when he was a much younger man, always with a new woman, using her for one thing only. Now that he developed such strong feelings for one woman in particular, he wanted to give her everything and treat her well. And despite his playful and carefree nature, he was brought up in a respectable pure blood home that taught him propriety. When he truly wanted to, he could be the upstanding and proper young man that he was taught.
He was comfortable on the ground with Ally sitting above him, her hands on his chest, his hands under her skirt resting on her thighs. "I should have gone to your parents the first time," he said rather ruefully. However, it wasn't an issue any more and he did not bother to dwell on it for very long. "You like it when I whistle for you," he shot back playfully as that handsome smile of his stretched from ear to ear. When she rose to her feet, his hands fell from her legs and dropped down onto his stomach. "But let's go tell your parents then..." he trailed off and propped himself up onto his elbows when he suddenly noticed that Ally had offered her hand to him. He glanced up at her and arched a brow. "Cute," he said as he pushed himself up onto his feet and easily surpassed Ally in height. "If I took your hand, you would have ended up on top of me again," he assured her, grinning wickedly. "And that is to be saved for later," he added as he took both of her hands into each of his and placed them behind her back as his arms wound around her. He tugged her body towards his then craned his neck down and kissed her deeply. He smiled against her lips as he broke the kiss and said, "while you tell Amycus, I'll head back to my flat..." Actually, he had every intention to make a quick stop at his parents estate to tell them the news they would be dreading to hear. He would tell them himself, he did not want this evening to be ruined for Alecto.
"After you," he said as he nodded his head towards the greenhouse.
{OOC Note: This entire conversation has been overhead by Alice Longbottom.}