Lorelei Wentworth 🍦 Alice Longbottom (harmonize) wrote in dunhavenic, @ 2019-05-09 20:26:00 |
|
|||
Entry tags: | !log, * jeanne, * terri, c: foster wentworth, c: lorelei wentworth |
WHO: Alice Fortescue & Frank Longbottom
WHEN: April 1974
WHERE: London, UK
SUMMARY: A few months after they almost fell apart entirely, things have gotten better for Frank and Alice. Theoretical cupcakes and confessions within.
WARNINGS: Loss of parents. Kissing.
Things had gotten better. In the time since those December days, Alice had- slowly but surely, perhaps surprisingly- gotten better. She hadn't quite realized how poor her coping methods were- and how long she'd had them- until she was offered another way. Though she was still slightly unaccustomed to letting anyone in with the ease and regularity that she did with Frank- she couldn't deny that he made, well, everything better. Frank's patience with her was seemingly infinite, though she didn't much like the idea that she was probably trying him more than he deserved or should have had to put up with. But when she did slip- which was less often now- he was always there. They spent more nights together than they did apart, though the intimacy they found in those times was more than just sexual. Alice would settle in at Frank's side, and he'd wrap his arms around her as they fell asleep, tangled up and indivisible. Somehow, he helped hold all of her broken pieces in place, and each time she woke up like that, Alice was certain there were at least a few more of those pieces that wouldn't come loose again. But tonight wasn't as easy, and though she knew why, that reason seemed trapped in her throat. She tried to follow those same patterns that she knew had worked so well in the past, but her heart was beating in double-time and she had to remind herself to take slow, easy breaths. Alice clutched herself closer to Frank, burying her face against his chest, concentrating on what she could know and observe. How his chest rose and fell in even tempo with each breath he took. The pulse and thrum of his heart under her hand. She turned away, but reached for his hand even as she lay on her back. Alice touched each of his fingers in turn, an odd counting reassurance of something so simple. Her knees raised, and she rolled over again, keeping his hand there against her hip. How he could sleep through her fussing like this was surely some magical superpower, but she was glad he had it. Finally, after a few restless minutes more, she extricated herself and sat up, sliding toward the edge of the bed. Another slow, deep breath, and then she spoke. "I need to take a walk," the warning given, she turned slightly to see if Frank actually had woken in time enough to hear her- if he hadn't, perhaps she'd leave a note. She hated to wake him, if he hadn't already, but she'd made a promise and- one way or another- she would keep it. -- Frank had learned to sleep through most of the disturbances of the early morning hours. Those small touches and jostles didn’t bother him. Even if he woke, even for just a moment, the fact that she was there lulled him back into sleep easily within only a moment or two, usually. Frank had gotten used to her being around during those late hours. On the nights when she wasn’t there at all he had more trouble sleeping. Sometimes during moments when he briefly awoke, he would pull her a little closer or tighten his hand against her hip or breathe in deeply just to fill his lungs with the scent of her shampoo. They were all little reminders of how far they had come since that tense discussion in training room seven. It was when she pulled out of his grasp, leaving him without her touch or her warmth, that Frank was actually pulled from sleep. She had been gentle as she moved away from him, but that slight tilt of the mattress where she perched at the edge, and the absence of her woke him almost instantly. It had taken a few moments for his eyes to adjust in the dark even as she announced that she needed to take a walk. He sat up slowly, reaching out to brush her hair away from her shoulder, his fingers brushing gently against her neck as he did so, “I’ll come with you.” -- She could feel the shift of the mattress behind her even before she felt Frank's touch or heard him speak, and Alice let out a slow exhale- mostly of relief. He had told her once before that she was always allowed to wake him, though there would perhaps always be a small part of her that felt bad for it, it was now mostly outweighed by the relief gained by his company. "Thank you," her voice was gentle, even as she stood from the bed. Alice pulled on a pair of trousers and picked up a light jacket- she'd only been sleeping in knickers and a t-shirt- but it was late (or early) enough and dark enough that she didn't much care what she looked like otherwise. -- He had braced himself just in case she was ready to insist that he didn’t need to join her, but it seemed that tonight she would be more willing to accept his company. If she truly wanted to be alone, Frank never begrudged that of her. It was only when she was worried about whether or not he would be getting enough sleep or if she was fretting over otherwise inconveniencing him that Frank always pushed back. Standing on his own side of the bed, Frank pulled on a pair of trousers and a sweatshirt, slipping his feet into his shoes. He quietly led them out of his flat, and slipped his hand into hers when they reached the sidewalk, “Any particular direction?” -- The moments of silence like this- quiet companionship- no longer felt awkward. His presence was steadying, and Alice only hoped that she gave him back half so much as he gave her. He took her hand and they fell into step beside one another, the quiet and dark of the city streets a stark opposite from the life with which they normally teemed. "This way," Alice offered, though she'd chosen the direction more or less at random. The cool early morning air was oddly soothing, and though they were past the months when such excursions would have needed scarves and hats, she still walked close beside Frank. It was another minute before she spoke up again. "Today would have been her birthday." It was after midnight, so it was today, right? "My mom. She'd have been 45." -- He didn’t have any expectations for this walk. He figured they would more or less wander aimlessly in one direction for some time before heading back whenever she began to feel a little less restless. Frank wasn’t certain what had caused it this time, and he wasn’t going to ask. He figured that she would tell him if she wanted him to know. Then, there it was. The admission had come faster, it seemed, this time than it usually did. Sometimes she could never bring herself to say the words, but tonight they were still in the beginning of their walk when that confession was breathed into the air. He looked down at her as she spoke, though he didn’t stop walking. Forty-five was still quite young, all things told, especially for a witch. He squeezed her hand gently, “It can’t be an easy day,” he began, though it was sometimes hard to know just what to say, “Did you all have special birthday traditions?” Most people did cake, of course, and often a party along with it, but he knew some people - some families - did things a little differently. Every year on his birthday growing up, Frank’s mother had taken him out to their gardens and they had planted something new together. Even when he’d been at Hogwarts, his mother had continued to plant something new on his birthday and she would send him a sprig of the plant...a clipping. He had planted those clippings and grown second plants from them all in his dorm room, and they now thrived around his flat. -- It wasn't that she expected Frank to fix everything- but, yet, his presence there did more than Alice knew how to express. She wasn't trying to bring her mother back (or her father, either, for that matter), but the reminder of this particular day and what it had once meant still had its own sort of sting. Of course, for the last several birthdays that Alice would have had with her mother, she'd been away at Hogwarts. The memories of the years before then were hazier still, though happy nonetheless- and that was good, admittedly. Maybe it was better that there were only those vague feelings of happiness, even for something long since passed. "Cupcakes," she offered, finally. "Except she'd crush up fizzing whizzbees into the batter, so you'd float around just off your toes each time you ate one." -- Frank smiled at the thought of a small Alice laughing and floating with cupcake and icing smeared on her hands. He had never had never thought about doing that before, “Maybe we can make those sometime? That sounds pretty fun, actually. I’m sure that made them extra sweet.” He didn’t know if that would be too hard, and if it was, he would never fault her for denying the offer. If it was something that might bring her some small amount of comfort, though, he didn’t want her to think she couldn’t - or shouldn’t - enjoy them again in her mother’s memory. In an effort to offer more distraction, Frank said, “My mum always gets some new plant for us to put in the garden on my birthday. When I was at home, we’d do a big breakfast, too. Dad would sing this awful, off-key birthday song, and it always almost made my mum smile.” Suddenly, Frank wondered if they still did that on birthday mornings, even when he wasn’t there to join them. -- Though she'd never really considered making cupcakes like that again, once the offer had been given, Alice didn't hesitate. "I'd like that. I'd especially like that if they even made unnecessarily-tall Frank Longbottom float off the ground." And this time, at least, he'd be doing so because of a candy, not because of bad spell damage. Though the addition of his own family's birthday traditions was unexpected, Alice still found that she smiled as Frank spoke. "You're in luck," she offered, "because now that you've got me, I can continue that off-key birthday singing. You know, for the sake of tradition." And because she had a terrible singing voice, but that was neither here nor there. -- “Fizzing whizzbees can generally still get me a bit, so we can just experiment until we get just the right mix,” Frank insisted with a smirk. If she wanted him to float...by Merlin, he was going to float, “Then I can be unnecessarily-tall levitating Frank Longbottom, floating extraordinaire.” “You’ve got to do it while there are candles lit inside of a stack of pancakes,” Frank informed her, bumping her a little with his hip. It was good to see her smile. He didn’t want to take away from this day’s meaning for her, but he wanted to add a little happiness to it instead of letting it be something that weighed upon her shoulders, “Maybe sometime you can do it as a duet with Dad. That would be quite the spectacle.” -- "So we're just eating raw cupcake batter and adding in more fizzing whizzbees until your toes aren't touching the ground anymore?" They could cook the batter after the fact, once they knew they had the mixture right. "Best date ever." Though she wouldn't have thought to put birthday candles into stacked pancakes, Alice wasn't about to argue with tradition. She'd met Frank's parents a few times. His mother was just as intimidating as stories had led her to believe, but his father was kind. She was bumped half a step away from him, but Alice squeezed Frank's hand and just returned to her place closer in at his side as they walked. "I'd be honored." -- “Um, I think I’m the one getting to eat the cupcake batter,” he argued with a small laugh and a hint of amusement in his eyes, “But I guess I could share. Then we can make actual cupcakes because we’ll have all that frosting and it would be a shame not to use it.” It had been important to him that she meet his parents once they’d actually begun dating, though he hadn’t pushed for that until after his failed proposal to her. She hadn’t been ready yet, and maybe he’d been rushing things. He’d settled for slowing it down a little and focusing on other things like introducing her to his family. Though she hadn’t said the words so explicitly to either of them, Frank could tell that his mother liked Alice. She liked that she was strong and independent...that she was as talented as Frank was and could match him; challenge him. She had confronted him just a week or so prior when she’d deduced that Alice was spending a lot of time - at all hours - at his flat. He’d assured her that he planned to marry Alice eventually, but his mother seemed to think that she was ready now. Frank...still wasn’t quite so sure. Two months ago, she hadn’t been. Frank let go of her hand if only so that he could slip his arm around her shoulders and tuck her close to his side as they walked. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to the top of her head, momentarily lost in his own thoughts, “They like you, you know. Both of them. Mum is a tough one to crack, but if she didn’t like you, she’d be very vocal about that.” -- "No frosting left behind. Even if we have to scrape the bowl clean ourselves… That's a sacrifice I'm willing for us to make." Though she knew the incident, Alice would have protested somewhat about that February day being a failed proposal. He'd given her a ring to wear during a training exercise, and when she'd tried to give it back after the fact, he'd said she should keep it. That it was meant for her, that he wanted her to have it. He'd explained what it meant, and though Alice had wavered, she hadn't said no. Just… not yet. And a lot had happened in the two months since then. She exhaled, taking a deep breath in. "I'm glad they do," Alice admitted. "I won't say she doesn't intimidate me more than the entire DMLE training staff combined, but… I'm glad. I want them to like me." -- “A worthy sacrifice, to be certain. The cavities will be worth it,” Frank hoped that they didn’t actually end up with such dental emergencies, but there was always that chance. Frank couldn’t help but chuckle when she admitted to being intimidated by his mother, though he gave her a small squeeze, “She intimidates everyone. Mostly intentionally. There was nothing I feared more as a child than her disappointment, and even now it’s hard for me to bear if she gives me that look. But she’s not all rough edges. She does have a softer side, I promise.” He hoped that with time, his mother might actually show Alice some of that side of herself rather than trying to be austere and protective. She wanted what was best for him, and he knew that, but he was also certain that Alice was right. There was no one else in the world that could match him as she did, “Feeling any better?” -- "I can only imagine." Though it was a bit difficult to picture Frank as a child- mostly because she couldn't quite imagine him any shorter or less-bearded than he was now. Maybe she'd ask Augusta for pictures, sometime. "But you made it through, so I'm sure I will, too." She was still tucked in closer to him as they walked, and though it hadn't been very long since they'd left his flat, Alice was feeling better than she had been. "Talking helped, this time," she offered. "And planning cupcakes, too. I know it's… silly to get upset over a birthday," even if it was one the honoree wouldn't be here to celebrate, "but… thank you for coming with me, Frank." It hadn't felt silly, when she'd been lying awake with her heart racing, but now it all seemed a bit overplayed and dramatic. Honestly, the things she put him through… "We can go home now." -- Frank hoped that she would stick around...that the plans that he hoped to make for their future wouldn’t all be one-sided. He had been quiet about those hopes over the last few months, not wanting them to feel too oppressive. “It’s not silly,” Frank countered with a small shake of his head, “It’s an important day for you, and it should be remembered, Alice. In whatever way feels right and genuine to you, getting to remember in your own way is important.” He shrugged a little, though didn’t let go of her, “I’ll always go with you if you want me to.” Frank tried very hard to be considerate of what she really needed, and that sometimes his ideas about that might not match up with hers. Usually, they seemed to be on the same page, though. The one thing that he refused was to let her push him too far away without good reason for it, just for the sake of hiding. Home. Frank smiled a little, happy to hear her call his flat home, even if technically she still had her own place and they split time between. They took a turn down the street and started heading back, retracing their previous path, “I can make you some tea when we get back if you want. We’ve got some of that chamomile that you like.” -- He'd said as much- or nearly so- many times before, but the words were just as impactful now as they had been, then. Frank was someone she could rely on, even when her mind tried to tell her that she had to do it all on her own, that her troubles weren't great enough to share with anyone else. The walls that he'd broken down weren't being rebuilt anymore. She didn't want to hide from him. "I know you will, and I… like that about you." A faint smile, even as she glanced at her feet while they walked. "I like a lot of things about you." Though sweet, perhaps, the sentiment wasn't nearly enough. "You probably didn't even keep chamomile around before me," she offered, shaking her head. "But… yes, please. Will you stay up and have a cup with me?" -- He smiled when she assured him that she liked a lot of things about him, not just that he would keep her company on late night strolls. Despite the fact that he’d offered her something more serious than mere dating before now, there were certain words that she’d never said to him. Frank loved her, and he’d told her so some time ago now, but it wasn’t a sentiment that he repeated often out of a desire to not make her feel as though she needed to say it back just yet. They cared for one another and that much was obvious. It was enough, “I’m very likable. It’s one of my better qualities.” Frank shrugged half a shoulder and admitted, “I’m more of an English Breakfast guy, but chamomile is good on occasion. So is peppermint.” He didn’t hesitate to accept her offer, though, “I’ll stay with you. Whenever you’re ready, we can try to settle back in.” Thankfully, neither of them had to be into work the next day. They’d pulled a few rather long shifts already this week. Maybe they would sleep in a little in the morning. He wouldn’t mind that. “Maybe we can make cupcakes later, whenever we drag ourselves out of bed.” -- "I'll list them out for you, sometime," Alice offered, though even she wasn't entirely certain if it was a joke or not. Chamomile was the tea for late nights (or early mornings) and trying to calm minds and racing hearts. That Frank kept it for her was no small thing, even if he would have downplayed it otherwise. "I'll make you English Breakfast tea in the morning. Before cupcakes," she clarified. "Tea can be in bed, cupcakes… probably shouldn't be." -- Frank smirked a little at the idea of her listing his better qualities, "Careful there, Fortescue. My ego might swell to the size of London." He hummed happily at the idea of tea in bed, though he didn't expect or anticipate her to wait on him, "I won't say no to morning tea. Especially not in bed. That's the best place for it." After a moment, he agreed, "We definitely shouldn't be trying to mix cupcake batter in bed. Besides, we're supposed to be seeing if it will make me float. The kitchen is good for that. It's got a decently high ceiling." Not, of course, that Frank expected that to really matter. He would be floating a few inches, not a few feet...ideally, anyway. -- "That's a risk I'm willing to take." After all, weren't aurors supposed to be a bit self-centered and ego-focused? That had been in their lessons somewhere, Alice was certain. The whole scenario would have almost been ridiculous if it had been anyone else, but with Frank it was… romantic, somehow. That he'd go along with things like this, just to see her day get a little better, to help her heart heal a little more… "Don't worry, I haven't forgotten. We'll get you airborne one way or another." Once they reached his flat again, Alice hung back while Frank checked on his protective wards. With everything deemed safe, she followed him back inside. "I'll get the kettle on." -- "If the cupcake doesn't do the trick, we've got some other options," Frank offered, though those options generally weren't edible. He had confidence in their baking ability, but it never hurt to have a back up plan. In fact, his training rather demanded it. Frank was cautious, but he was glad that she didn't even bat an eye at him double checking the wards just to ensure that nothing was amiss. As she got the kettle going for the tea, Frank got down two cups. One of them, he had noticed, was the one she always seemed to choose for herself. He turned on the radio just to have some background noise, and the tune it played was a lulled ballad. With the cups awaiting on the counter, there was little else for him to do. As he watched her, his heart tugged in his chest. To his credit, he waited until she had prepared the kettle before he reached for her waist, a crooked grin on his lips, "Do you dance?" -- He knew which mug she liked. It wasn't even her mug, of course- it was his, like everything else here- but it was the one he'd chosen for her the first time he'd made her tea, and she'd chosen it for herself each time since then. Alice liked it because the handle was big enough to fit her fingers through, and then she could wrap both hands around the mug itself as her tea cooled to a drinkable temperature. She was a bit surprised when Frank reached for her waist, but Alice didn't pull away from him. Though she might have been expecting a kiss, the grin that tugged at his lips was almost as good. "Certainly not," Alice replied, laughing a bit even as she reached a hand up to rest at Frank's shoulder and held the other one out for him to take. -- She said that she didn't, but she reached her hands to the appropriate places anyway. He moved one of his hands from her waist to clasp her hand in his, and he began a slow sway there to the gentle tempo of that ballad that was faintly playing. "Would you look at that? Now you do." He smiled and squeezed her hand gently, content to ignore the rest of their surroundings in favor of just watching her. There had been a point where he didn't think they'd ever do anything like this. Anything past snogging - anything involving emotions - had seemed impossible until it wasn't. And then, yes, it had been difficult at first. They'd both made concessions…they had both put in the effort that it took to get them here, slow dancing in his kitchen at two o'clock in the morning. He leaned in as they made a small turn and pressed a kiss to her lips, lingering there for a long moment, "You're definitely getting the hang of it. You haven't stepped on my toes even once." -- He had a point, of course, but Alice didn't feel the need to admit aloud that Frank was right. She was still there, after all, dancing with him- he knew he was right, and she knew she was right where she was supposed to be. Even if it was two o'clock in the morning. The kiss almost seemed to take her by surprise, but even the faint stumble in her step was quickly recovered from as she leaned up toward him. "Of course I haven't," the words were almost proud- even defiant- but there was still a smile on her lips as she met his gaze. "I love you, Frank." The words tumbled past her lips as if she'd said them a dozen times before- and maybe she had, even if this was the first time she'd done so aloud. Though Alice could feel her heartbeat quickening with the sudden confession, she determinedly kept to the rhythm of the song and the way Frank was leading their dance. -- In all the months that they had been something to each other, she had never said those words. They took him a little by surprise, though he tried not to show it too much. They sounded so natural on her lips, as though she'd said them almost out of habit rather than broaching that moment for the first time. He could have fought to keep his composure, but he didn't. Frank couldn't even really think enough to say anything in that moment either. Instead, he pulled her closer, stopping their swaying as he kissed her soundly. His hand pressed to the small of her back, his fingers clutching a little in her shirt. It was a long few moments before he pulled back just enough to speak, and when he did so, he kept his forehead pressed there against hers, "I love you, too. I mean…I know you know that. I've said it before, but…not enough. Not nearly enough." -- This kiss didn't surprise her, but Alice was grateful for it all the same- because it meant that, at least for that moment, she could give herself over to those familiar motions and sensations rather than letting her mind whirl its way into unintended and unfortunate conclusions. When Frank pulled back, she brought a hand up to his cheek, her touch light and fond. "I should have told you months ago, and every day since then, Frank. And I'm sorry I didn't." Another kiss, though a shorter one. "I knew it then, even if I was afraid of what it meant." She had walked through those fears with him over and over, and though pieces of them still existed, they were no longer the crippling things they had once been. "You've told me- shown me- in so many other ways, though, Frank. I've never doubted you." -- He shook his head softly at her apology, but accepted her kiss gratefully, “You don’t need to apologize, Alice. I knew, too. You didn’t have to say it for me to understand.” Frank didn’t want her to feel guilty for holding onto those words when she wasn’t ready to share that vulnerability. She had been right there all along, and as long as she had kept coming back to him, he’d known that something deeper was forming between them. “I do like hearing it, though,” he admitted, reaching up to tuck a strand of hair back behind her ear. He didn’t even need for her to say those words every single day, so long as they still continued to show one another their devotion - their passion. There was nothing that Frank would not do for her. -- "But I want to say it, Frank," Alice insisted. "You deserve to know it in every way that I can show and tell you how." She leaned her head slightly toward his touch, but then arched up onto her toes again to kiss him once more, slow and easy. "You've loved me even when I was broken and didn't want to be fixed. Or maybe didn't think that I deserved to be. You've shown me so much goodness and patience and hope and- and, Godric but you're sexy, too. And I love you for all of that and so, so much more." -- He gladly accepted that kiss, though he was tempted to interrupt when she said that she’d been broken. Frank had never thought of her that way. She seemed to need to get these words off her chest, though, so he let her speak, a small smile pulling to his lips, “I’m glad that you see all of those things in me. Especially the sexy bit. That’s important.” He was mostly kidding, though he just shook his head softly and brushed his fingers gently against her jaw. “For the record, though...I’ve never thought of you as broken or in need of fixing. You were hurt, yeah? Hurt and heart-sore and protective of yourself for good reason, but not broken, Alice. Through all of that, you’ve still proven yourself to be the strongest, most resilient, and most stubborn person I’ve ever met, and I love you all the more for it. You were always deserving of being loved and cared for. Never doubt that.” He met her gaze seriously, hoping that she would take those words to heart. Her mother’s unfortunate illness and her father’s subsequent selfish choice had wrecked havoc on her life, but she didn’t have to rebuild alone. Not if she didn’t want to. -- "The sexy bit is very important," Alice insisted, firmly, even if he'd been joking. His words wrapped around her heart, but it wasn't a constricting feeling. They warmed and soothed, reassuring the last of her uneven pieces. "I don't doubt it. Not anymore." She kissed him firmly, briefly. "Do you-" Whatever she was going to say, though, her words were cut off by the sharp whistle of the kettle, and Alice offered a smile instead. "Tea time." -- He was relieved to hear her confirm that she did believe him, if only because he would have felt that he’d done a rather lousy job at making her feel unconditionally loved otherwise. That kiss, like all the others, was absolutely welcomed, and he was attentive to the beginning of her question, but it got cut off by the kettle. He raised a brow, though he let it go for the moment. She had prepared the tea, but Frank went to remove it from the heat, pouring steaming water into the mugs he’d set out for them not that long ago. When he had finished pouring and set the kettle aside, knowing that the tea would be too hot to drink for at least the next few minutes, he curiously asked, “What were you going to say before? Do I...what?” -- Alice watched Frank move, confident and assured in his actions, even if they were simple things like finishing the preparation of tea. She had been drawn to him for so long, and though she'd tried to deny it, the feelings were irrefutable now. And if he hadn't called her out on the almost-question, Alice might not have been as immediately forthcoming with it. The thought had flitted through her mind in that emotional moment, but… "I was just wondering if you still had that ring- the one from February? It- it's okay if you don't." -- He was glad that he had already put aside the kettle because he might have dropped it if he’d still been holding it when she inquired about the ring that he’d tried to give her two months ago. It had fit, and he’d been relieved. He hadn’t been able to get the image of her wearing it out of his head since. “I still have it,” he assured her without missing a beat. He was reminded once more of that conversation that he’d had with his mother so recently, but he didn’t immediately run to get the ring either, from it’s safe storage place in his room. “It’s yours, Alice. I’m just keeping it safe for you until you’re ready to have it,” Frank’s voice was quiet and steady, but he gave her a gentle smile, “I’m quite determined to marry you someday, if you’ll have me.” -- She wasn't sure if he'd have returned that ring or given it away or maybe even destroyed it in a fit of pique after the… less than desirable outcome two months ago. But with Frank's gentle reassurance, Alice found herself smiling- even blushing. "I'm… quite determined to be your wife, Frank, since it seems that I am… utterly incapable of anything other than loving you with all my heart." Not that this was a problem- at least, not so far as Alice was concerned. -- He hadn’t expected her matching confession. It made his heart race just a little in his chest, though he didn’t know if now was just the right time to ask or not. She had said not yet before. She hadn’t exactly said “now” this time, but the implication seemed to be there. He flicked his wand in the direction of his room and wordlessly summoned the ring, box and all. In just a few moments, it was there in his hands. Maybe she would prefer a different day...a day that hadn’t once belonged to her mother. Or maybe this memory would sweeten this day on the calendar for her in all the years to come. He opened the box, the ring glittering from within, just as beautiful as the last time he’d looked at it a week ago now, “If...you don’t want me to ask you now, I don’t have to.” -- Her eyes were drawn to the ring as soon as the box opened. She'd seen it before, of course, but then she hadn't quite known that it was meant to be hers. That Frank had intended it for her. Now there was no doubt. Or… almost none, perhaps, with Frank's newly voiced hesitation. "If you… don't want to ask me again, you don't have to," she hedged, carefully. "I mean, you already did once. I can just… amend my previous answer." -- Merlin, they were hopeless. Though, with her willingness to answer at all this time, Frank felt that he already knew what needed to be done. He hadn’t really asked her properly last time. He’d more...told her what it was supposed to mean, if she had wanted it to. She hadn’t, at the time. Not then. Not yet. He plucked the ring from its home in the box and held it between his fingers. He slowly lowered to one knee there in the middle of his kitchen, offering that ring up to her, “You deserve to be properly asked, Alice. I love you. Merlin, I think I’ve loved you from the moment you kissed me in that training exercise almost a year and a half ago now. I want to spend every day of this crazy life with you by my side. Will you marry me, Alice Fortescue?” -- Even if she'd mostly expected him to ask her again, Alice hadn't thought he'd get down on one knee to do it. Her eyes widened, and it was only her desperate need to give him the answer he deserved that kept her from (playfully) scolding him or tugging him back to his feet. "Of course I will, Frank. Yes," in case he needed that word, specifically. "Yes." And once more, more emphatically, for good measure. She extended her left hand to him, then added, "Ring and then stand up and kiss me, fiance." -- With her answer given, a broad, semi-crooked smile had fit itself upon his lips. Three answers, all in agreement with one another, and he laughed as she insisted that he stand and kiss her promptly, “So demanding.” Carefully, he slipped the ring onto her finger, and then did as she asked. He stood in one fluid motion, and pulled her close by the waist, one hand slipping into her hair as he kissed her soundly. He never could have predicted that when they got out of the bed for that walk an hour or so prior, they would have arrived here before they returned to bed again. The surprise of that turn of events didn’t make this any less spectacular, though. -- Was she demanding? Perhaps. Alice didn't really have a chance to refute the statement, since Frank did just what she'd asked him to do and she was pulled into a desperate, needful kiss. Her hands grasped at his shoulders and her body arched against him, bringing herself into contact with him in as many ways as she could. She hadn't set out for this, when she'd woken up restless, of course. But confessing the love that she'd once been so afraid of, and promising herself to every day at this man's side… Not even cupcakes could have made this a better day, a happier celebration, or a more fitting honor to the family Alice had once had. -- He didn’t mind giving into her demands. Especially not ones that included kissing her...his fiancee. His mother would be pleased that he followed through with his promise to marry Alice, and that she’d been right in predicting that Alice might be ready to accept now where she hadn’t been two months ago. It had really just been a few weeks, but so much had changed in that time. Even as their lips parted, he remained close, soaking up this moment and the sight of her. Their lives would always be exciting...and a little dangerous. There were only so many promises that they could make to one another and know that they could keep, but they would always fight to come home to each other. He knew that. Smiling gently, he nodded towards the counter, “Our tea is going to get cold.” -- Her breath was a little shallow, her heartbeat quickened, as Frank eased back from the kiss. Alice didn't look away from him, even when he mentioned the tea that they'd been waiting on. Really, she should take out the tea bags so it didn't over-steep and just settle back in at the table there with her mug and... "Let it," she declared, firmly, before kissing Frank once more and then stepping back- a hand reaching for his to lead him toward their bedroom. |