Aleida Erikson ⚙ Aloy of the Nora (mechanical) wrote in dunhavenic, @ 2018-02-24 15:07:00 |
|
|||
Entry tags: | !log, * terri, c: aleida erikson, r * jaclyn, r: lennox archer |
WHO: Aleida Grant and Lennox Archer
WHEN: WEDNESDAY; Feb 14, 2018 (BACKDATED)
WHERE: His ~Cabin in the Woods~
SUMMARY: Valentines stuff
WARNINGS: None
STATUS: Complete
PROMPTS: First, Valentine
Valentine’s Day had never been special for Lennox. When he was growing up, far too many were spent pining after Nina, even when he wouldn’t admit that was what he was doing, and then as he got older he usually made it a point to deliberately be single on the holiday. Until Alee, he’d never had a serious relationship and he didn’t want to deal with the frills and fuss surrounding the holiday. This year was quite different. He found himself actually looking forward to what he’d always written off as a shallow commercial event. He’d realized his feelings for Alee already, but he had yet to voice them, despite whispering the three words to her belly countless times now. It had never seen write and she was special, so she deserved something special. Yet they were both simple at heart, though he had to be reminded sometimes that his definition of simple didn’t always match that of others. He didn’t know what to do to make the confession special. The only thing he knew was that it was far too cliche to even consider saying it today. Despite his plans, most of Valentine's went along as a normal day. Alee got up before him and prepared breakfast, which was special but not the very first time she’d done that. It had been all his favorite things, though, and she was developing quite a proficiency in the kitchen. They’d decided to hold off with gifts until they were both home that evening, Lennox off to lead hiking tours and Alee off to work. The owner of the garage had resolved to keep Alee on in any capacity that he could throughout her pregnancy, as long as she felt safe and comfortable. He was fond of her and recognized her incomparable skill with machines, though Lennox wondered if even a sliver of it was out of the need to make sure she could stay on her feet if he abandoned her. Most of the town had found more exciting things to gossip about, especially since he was clearly not planning to go anywhere, but a few residents, especially the older ones, still seemed to look at them a certain way that he didn’t enjoy. If Alee noticed, she didn’t act like it and he wouldn’t bring it up, but he didn’t love the implication that he was some predator taking advantage of a clueless girl just because of their age difference. None of that was allowed in his mind today, though. While he led a group of spoiled, bored thirteen-year-olds from a school in Fairfax on a nature hike, her own task of reordering some supplies for the shop was interrupted by the delivery of an enormous bouquet of white, pink, and red roses. People could read into their relationship whatever they wanted to. What he felt for her was real. He made sure his last tour was early enough that he beat her home. He got dinner started, the first steps slow, and took a quick shower so that he was clean, hair still damp, in a pair of jeans and a loose t-shirt he might normally ride in, frying some of her favorite vegetables when she got home. He was sent to retrieve the ridiculous bouquet, giving her a playful smirk as she expressed her exasperation, but it was clear that she was touched by the gesture, too. The flowers took up most of the middle of the living room table, but they were a beautiful touch in the huge open space. She was also touched by dinner, though he was usually the one to cook in the evenings since he loved it. Everything was tailored to her favorites, though. She’d embraced his vegetarian lifestyle, largely since she’d never eaten a lot of meat anyway and now the hormones made most of it seem absolutely repulsive to her. So his stir-fry was one of her new favorite dishes, as was the fruit dessert he’d made, though rather than one of his usual bowls, he’d gone a little further and made a true homemade sorbet with her favorite flavors. It was when they were finishing that that Lennox suggested he retrieve his gift to her and was surprised to learn that she had gotten him one as well, so they both went to get them from their hiding places. Alee beat him back and was seated on the couch waiting when he came back downstairs. The last time that Alee had a Valentine, she had been in high school, and it hadn’t been a lasting romance. She had been given exactly one heart shaped box of chocolates and a small stuffed animal that she hadn’t really liked. All in all, she’d never had many expectations for Valentine’s Day, but this year had been different. She actually had someone that she cared deeply about, and they were co-existing in the same house. They shared a bank account, and she was carrying their children. It was a stark difference from the year before when she had spent Valentine’s Day skiing in Colorado, with plans to leave town that night and go on her next big adventure. She had planned for this day in that she had purchased a card and a small gift for Lennox. She had limited herself, feeling that it somehow cheapened the gesture if she bought him a gift using her access to his wealth. Instead, she had gone with something small that she could afford through her own means. She hadn’t been entirely surprised when he had flowers delivered to the garage for her, though she had been shocked at the sheer number of them. She had adjusted - somewhat - to the grand gestures that required money, and they didn’t bother her like they had before...at least not when she knew to somewhat expect them. It turned out that having a small Valentine’s at home was far better than getting all dressed up to go out for dinner. The vegetable stir-fry and sorbet that Lennox made for them was the perfect meal, and she assumed they would probably exchange any remaining gifts and settle in with a movie or something simple for the remainder of the evening. She thought she detected some surprise in his features when she announced that she had gotten him a gift as well, but she had just grinned as she went to retrieve her gift and accompanying card. She settled herself back onto the couch with a black velvet box - much like a jewelry box - that was wrapped in white and red ribbon, though it didn’t contain anything wearable. She grinned at him, patting the cushion beside her to encourage him to join her, “Who wants to go first?” Lennox sat beside her with an bemused expression, folding his leg and resting his ankle over his thigh, getting comfortable. Oren settled on Alee's feet, the dog having left her side less and less as her pregnancy progressed, even trying to follow her into town a few times. In his hands, Lennox held a small box similar to hers, but his was a true square where hers was slightly rectangular. He'd forgotten to get a proper card and inwardly cursed himself, but at least the flowers had included a small one. “Mmm… You,” he decided, sounding somewhat uncertain even as he held out the box to her. When Lennox sat, Alee shifted just a little, pulling one of her feet out from underneath Oren as she pulled her leg up as she turned inward. Tucking her free foot beneath her extended leg, she ignored how Oren huffed at her and settled more fully on her other foot as though he might pin her to the ground that way. He was her constant companion as long as she wasn’t at work, especially when Lennox was not around. It wasn’t really that he had become her dog...just her protector, watching out for her when Lennox couldn’t and sometimes when he could, like now. She grinned, not at all flustered about the fact that he didn’t have a full-sized card with his own gift. Some people were card givers and some weren’t. Her family decidedly was and had been for as long as she could remember, but she wasn’t upset by the fact that he hadn’t included one. She placed her own gift for him to the side for the moment as he held the box out to her. She took it gingerly, and because he didn’t seem confident in his decision, she shifted just enough to press a kiss against his cheek before she looked to the box and back up at him as though questioning if she could go ahead and open it. As soon as she was sure, she pulled the ribbons. Inside, there was a silver bracelet with a couple of beads and a dainty horse charm. There was obviously room to add more beads later, but that was the point wasn’t it? These bracelets were meant to tell an expanding story. She felt tears pricking at her eyes as she picked it up from the padding in the box, but tried to control that hormonally driven urge to get emotional, “Oh, Lennox. I love it. It’s perfect.” She leaned in so that she could kiss him - properly this time - and snagged no less than three kisses before she was willing to sit back, “Thank you. Help me put it on?” The clasp may have been relatively simple, but bracelets could be a little trickier than necklaces to do on your own, especially the first time. He chuckled, happily receiving her kisses as relief filled him. “You’re welcome. Of course.” He’d been so worried she wouldn’t like it. She was feminine in all her own ways, but jewelry wasn’t much of one. However, his crystal bead bracelets at Christmas -- stones chosen to protect her and the babies during pregnancy, and it had meant a lot to him that she’d taken his beliefs seriously -- went over well and were worn often, so it didn’t seem like an insane plan. It fit her wrist well and he leaned in to take his own kiss once it was secured. “I’m so glad you like it.” He took the box she’d brought out and carefully untied the ribbon before opening it. Inside was an interesting keychain shaped to resemble a compass. Around it was a flat ring with coordinates stamped into it. He recognized their approximate location from hours of poring over maps of the area and peered at her with pleasant surprise. “This is inside the camp. Is it… the trail?” She nodded. “For if you ever feel turned around and need to find your way back home.” The significance of the gift wasn’t lost on him. She was a wanderer, but beyond that she was a runner. She nearly had that day she had overheard him talking about Nina to Lyllianna. That felt like ages ago, but their instincts were the same and hard to put aside. She knew that about him as much as he knew it about her. Genuinely touched, he leaned in and kissed her temple, then her cheek, then her lips. “It’s perfect, pretty girl.” Alee had put a lot of thought into what exactly to get him. Once she had the idea about the coordinates of the trail where they met, she hadn’t been able to shake the idea. She could have had a pinpoint on a map framed or taken the coordinates and made a big canvas wall-hanging out of it, but she liked the idea of the keychain more. That way, he could carry it around with him. She was still a little nervous as he opened it, even as he correctly guessed the significance of those digits and she gave her short piece about why she’d chosen it. There were some parts of them that could not be more different. She was loud and boisterous and risk-taking was in her blood. He was refined and measured and didn’t like making a scene. They were both stubborn and pushy and prone to running from difficult situations...especially matters of the heart. She reveled in those kisses, her heart fluttering happily in her chest as he lavished that attention on her and finally kissed her lips, “It seemed more fitting than putting it on something to hang here in the house. That still might become a possibility for the future, but...it’s our spot. In that place, at that moment, our lives changed, even though we didn’t know it yet.” It was only a few short months ago, though it had felt much longer and the evidence of how much had changed was right there with her rounded stomach, “Don’t forget the card, too! It’s silly, but we usually do cards with my family and I thought this one was appropriate.” It had been blank on the inside, and she had written just a few sentences of sappy words, expressing how happy she was that she had met him and how much she appreciated having him in her life, especially now. For a moment, he thought about apologizing for not also having one, but it seemed silly. He knew she didn’t care, but he would remember. Always cards. He’d given her one at Christmas, but that was Christmas. But now he knew. He slipped his finger under the flap of the envelope, pushing upward along the fold and tearing it open it a neat line. When he pulled it out, though, his fingers stumbled and he dropped it on the floor. Before Oren could decide to help retrieve it right out the dog door, he grabbed it, the card having fallen open. He read the note first, smiling fondly at her and kissing her forehead as his only response, before he shut it and finally read the front. Turns out I like you a lot more than I originally planned. He read the words twice, then a deep roll of laughter escaped him, his eyes crinkling at the corners and Oren looking up, tail thumping on the floor. Lennox put a hand over his stomach as he laughed, shaking his head at the utter ridiculousness of the sentiment, as well as its startling accuracy, especially compared to the sentiment of the words inside. “I love you, too, pretty girl,” he finally responded through his amusement, the laughter fading into a smile. Then he froze. He’d said it. “Shit. I didn’t want to say that today…” In all of the words that she had expressed in the card, Alee had been very careful not to use the word love. It wasn’t that she didn’t feel the emotion. She had for quite some time. She hadn’t even wanted to hold out so that he would be the first to express such a sentiment. It was more that they were both flighty creatures, and she was moderately afraid to say them if he hadn’t gotten to that point. She didn’t want to scare him with the depth of her affection. There it was, though. An ‘I love you’ directly from Lennox’s lips. He cursed - which wasn’t something he did often - and proceeded to say that he hadn’t wanted to say it - confess it? - today, but that did nothing to prevent tears from welling in her eyes. The one thing that she truly disliked about this pregnancy was that she couldn’t seem to regulate her emotions, no matter how hard she tried. It didn’t matter if she was too happy or too sad...tears would inevitably follow. Crying was not exactly the most attractive thing in the world, especially after having just been told that you were loved. “You can say it today,” she assured him, even though tears had actually started down her cheeks, “Or tomorrow or any day. Today is meant for I love you’s. I swear these aren’t sad tears.” Her lip trembled, and she tried to wipe some of the tears off of her cheeks, but that just seemed to make them worse. “But it’s so cliche…” he insisted, but he’d unfrozen, grinning sheepishly as he reached up to wipe at her cheeks. It seemed like the day it was expected. Love confessed, rings exchanged, gifts given. To do it today seemed like it would cheapen it, so he’d decided to wait. But now it was out there and… it didn’t feel cheap or small or forced or any of that. Giving in, he chuckled, kissing her damp cheek before pressing his forehead to hers and murmuring, “I do love you, Aleida.” “Cliche isn’t always bad,” she insisted through a sniffle, with the attempt of a soggy laugh. She wished she could just turn off the tears, but it didn’t work that way. Her cheeks were damp, her heart was racing, and she could distinctly feel two very excited babies rolling around in response to Alee’s emotional spike. She swallowed thickly pressing her lips together when he leaned his forehead to hers and promised that he did love her. She was not going to have a full out emotional meltdown from experiencing joy. Making herself take a few deep breaths, she leaned into him and confessed, “I love you, too, Lennox.” Her words were clear, despite the tightness in her throat, but it was the first time she had really said it in all of this and she meant it. He laughed again, his tone teasing but soft as he observed, “Pretty girl, you’re leaking again.” He wiped further at her cheeks with a grin to illustrate the joke, before tilting her head up and pressing a deep kiss to her lips, pulling her a little closer to him on the couch while remaining mindful of the belly. She didn’t apologize for crying, especially as he wasn’t actually bothered by it. Even if he had been, it wasn’t worth apologizing over. Her emotions weren’t something that she was able to truly control at the moment, and she wasn’t going to - even jokingly - pretend that she was sorry for it. He pulled her in for a kiss and she melted easily into it, leaning into him a little more. Her hand found his chest, palm resting over his heart as she enjoyed the taste of his lips. That helped to steady her, really, and the tears stopped even if she still felt high energy, “Best Valentine’s Day.” |