Who: Marian and Carter Flint What: Celebrating his birthday Where: Their house When: WAY BACKDATED to the 4th Rating: Eh... PG13, I guess Status: Completed via gdocs
With everything that had been going on, Marian wasn’t going to let it ruin her husband’s birthday. No way. No how.
Really, maybe she needed it more than he did, to be sure, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t thinking about solely him the entire time she set everything up. Especially after getting kidnapped and the soon to be inquiries and continued monitoring, she couldn’t imagine what he was going through right now. It killed her on the inside that besides being turned into a werewolf, he had now been kidnapped, harassed, pushed to his limits. It was quite clear this werewolf hunter person didn’t give two shits about what he had gone through, only that he saw him as a threat, but Mari thought that was absolutely ridiculous.
Carter had just been through so much… and she wanted to show him a good time. Maybe for a while they could forget about all the crap… maybe.
Marian woke in the early hours of the morning on his birthday, making sure not to disturb her sleeping husband, and got to work cooking all his favorite foods, decorating the house, setting up a gaming area, picking out his favorite movies, as well several other activities. All things that could be done in their home, or on the beach, and together. All things they both loved. Perhaps familiarity was the best thing right now. Something simple. Fun. Easy. Relaxing. She wanted today to be like they had gone back in time… they were nerdy Hogwarts students all over again, but during the good old days, not any of the bad ones. She even broke out one of her older dresses, a personal favorite. Who didn’t like green unicorns?
When she heard her husband stirring from bed, she was almost finished with a large breakfast, lunch was already cooking as well. She was unsure of dinner. Maybe they’d go to his parents, after all. Or else she did already have something in mind.
A single cupcake sat on the counter, a candle on top and she stood behind it, her chin in her hands and a smile across her face as he came into view.
“Happy birthday, love!” she said brightly.
------ Generally speaking, Carter didn’t like waking up to his wife not being there. Especially lately with everything that had been going on in his life. The moment his eyes opened, and he woke up to an empty bed, he panicked. What if someone had taken her? It was clearly a thing that people did these days, and he hadn’t even been able to protect himself, how could he protect Mari?
He’d head movement in the kitchen though, the sounds of someone cooking as a smell wafted into the room. He willed himself to relax before moving into the Kitchen in the boxers he’d gone to bed in. He smiled at his wife, leaning over the counter to press a kiss to her forehead. “Thank you very much, my love. The house looks nice.” ----
To be quite honest, it was killing Marian to know what Carter was going through. Sure, she had panicked and cried and been terrified when he was gone. She hadn’t slept the entire time he was missing, and even after. What if… what if she never saw him again? What if they kil.. No, she couldn’t even think about it. But she needed to get over her own thoughts and worries and think about what he was feeling. He was the one who experienced the trauma firsthand, and she just… she wanted to do something to make him feel better. Anything.
When she saw his face, something tugged at her heartstrings because intuition told her he was wound rather tightly. Perhaps her getting up hadn’t been the best idea, but it was too late for that now.
A small blush colored her cheeks as he kissed her forehead, and she moved around from behind the counter to stand in front of him, her arms wrapping around his waist as she smiled up at him and pressed herself to his body. He was warm and comforting, and for a moment she really didn’t want to let go. After all, she had gone several days without him and that was far too much time.
“I figured we could stay here today… just the two of us. Maybe I’m boring but I want you all to myself right now. I’m a greedy woman, you see,” she teased, standing up on her tip toes and pressing a kiss to his lips, breathing him in as she did so. “I love you so much, you know,” she murmured against his mouth with a smile.
----
“Boring is more than okay with me.” Carter said with a grin, pulling her tightly against him. He’d had a crazy few days, and he knew it wasn’t over. He knew that this was never going to be over, and he’d only wanted to be able to protect Mari from all of it. He pushed the thoughts away as his wife kissed him. “You’re my favorite woman, I don’t mind if you’re a little greedy.” He grinned at her.
“I love you too.” He said simple, a small kiss to her lips again “What did you have planned?” ----
As Carter’s arms encircled her, Marian couldn’t help but give a contented sigh. There was no place in the world she would rather be most days than in his arms. She found comfort and safety in him she couldn’t explain, even if he erroneously thought that he couldn’t provide it. All he had to do was be there, and that was enough.
“I better be your favorite woman,” she teasingly growled at him, nipping at his chin. And though she really didn’t want to let go, she did so slowly and gave him a shrug, motioning to the oven. “Well, there’s a breakfast casserole in the oven, which I need to get out. And then let’s see… we have a video game competition, which I am going to beat the pants off of you at, birthday or not . And then your favorite movies are on standby, and snacks, and a board game, and last but not least, I wrote you a song and I want you to listen to it.”
Giving him a dazzling smile, she grabbed her wand and flicked it at the oven, opening it up and taking out the food to cool before holding up his cupcake and lit the candle. “But first, you have to make a wish,” she said cutely, tilting her head and waiting for him to blow it out.
---- Carter liked the warmness of his wife against his body, it reminded him that things were going to be okay. And it might have sounded silly, but having her in his arms grounded him completely. And he wasn’t even sure when he’d gotten so lucky. Here he was with a beautiful woman, a woman who clearly spent the morning doing things to make his day better while he slept. He pressed another, heated kiss to her lips and smiled at her as she went over her list of things.
“Breakfast smells good,” Carter told her gently, “And, I mean, we have such a busy day, I don’t know when we’ll ever have time to get properly dressed.” He teased her slightly, “And maybe I’ll challenge you to strip Mario Kart, we all know how you are when it comes to the Mario Kart.” He teased.
He stepped back to look at his adorable wife, and the cupcake she’d made for him. “Darling, my wish already came true, I have the most perfect, loving woman in the universe, and she’s holding a chocolate cupcake. How could I want more than that?” He said softly before blowing out the flame.
Playfully, he stuck his finger in the frosting, smearing it across her mouth, before leaning in to kiss her again. “Thank you so much, beautiful.”
----
At his teasing about clothing, she couldn’t help but chuckle. Without really thinking about it, she pulled him to her by the waistband of his boxers, nipping gently at his lower lip before smiling up at him innocently, as though she was doing nothing at all. “You make it sound like I’m not okay with you walking around in your underwear all day.” She winked at him before pressing yet another kiss to his lips before nodding her head at his suggestion. Maybe it was supposed to be a joke, but hell, it sounded like fun to her. “Hey now!” she said, feigning indignation, releasing him to put her hand on her hips to complete the act. “I’m just competitive… you can’t blame me. And I swear to Merlin you have to cheat or something,” she joked. “But I’m determined to beat the pants off of you this time around. That was meant figuratively, but I’m not going to complain if it happens literally as well,” she practically purred at him.
When he stepped away from her, she couldn’t help the slight blush that crept into her neck and cheeks at his complimentary words. Her husband, always the flatterer. He really had a way with making her swoon, that was for damn sure. Though he did catch her off guard with the frosting, and she playfully shrieked at him, “Carter!” before he shut her up with a kiss. When he pulled away, she licked the rest of the chocolate off her face and leaned forward, playfully licking at his face as well.
“You’re welcome, of course,” she said simply enough. “It’s really the absolute least I can do for such a perfect husband, you know. I just want you to have the best day ever. I think you deserve it, more than anyone I know,” she assured him, nuzzling her face into his bare chest, breathing him in for a moment.
“So… what do you want to do first?” she asked him brightly. “Food? Games? Sand angels on the beach? Whatever. You name it, we’ll do it.” The world was his oyster today, and she would make sure of that.
-------
“Well, I mean, it would be more fun if you were also just walking around in your undies.” He teased her with a smirk, “I mean, lets face it, one of us has the better body, and a significantly less gross werewolf scarring.” It had been months, but Carter would never get used to looking in the mirror and seeing the pink, never healing teeth marks on his shoulder. They were neat and deliberate, which made it worse, he wasn’t bitten by a wolf out of control, no, he was bitten with the pure intent of cause another werewolf.
“Oh, I’m sure one day you’ll win. I’m sure you’d beat my siblings, if that helps?” He teased her lightly, winking before he dabbed just another bit of frosting on her neck, and kissed it off. “I say, we have a bit of breakfast, and then go to the beach.” Carter grinned.
Carter really enjoyed the beach (and it wasn’t for the fact that his wife looked stunning in a bikini), when he was sad, it had always seemed to help him. Especially now, being on the sandy shore, basking in the sunlight made him feel the least like a werewolf, and he’d appreciated that more than anything. “I mean, assuming we can get through breakfast without completely ravishing each other.”
---
Marian couldn't help the slight frown that creased her features at the mention of his scars, and while she obviously appreciated the compliment he had given her, she couldn't help but lean forward, softly kissing along the bite on his shoulder. Though the mark was... different, it was part of her husband now, and Mari loved every bit of him, no matter what. She looked up at him, smiling shyly before pulling away. "You'll always be perfect to me, Carter. Always," she said in almost a whisper, her blue eyes shining up at him and her voice heavy with sincerity.
Marian broke into an almost musical giggle then, shaking her head at his words. Now that felt like a bit of a burn, in her opinion. "Oh you're gonna get it now, Carter Flint," she warned, but her words melted away from her lips into a quiet sigh as he kissed her neck. His lip felt a little too good, and she was really trying to keep herself from jumping his bones. But as usual, he was testing her resolve. What a tease.
"Beach and breakfast sound good," she agreed with a nod, but she had to bite her lower lip and cross her arms in front of her when he said that last bit. "Uh huh, yep," she squeaked out, running a hand through her pink - blonde hair and darting her eyes away from his bare chest. "I can do that."
------
It was almost instinct for Carter to flinch away when someone came near his scars, it wasn’t that he thought Mari was going to hurt him in anyway, or that the flesh was still sore, it just made him uncomfortable. He knew better than to argue with his wife, however, and just held her close. He was lucky to have a woman who wasn’t afraid or ashamed of his scars, he knew that a lesser woman might have left him after the attack, and he’d given Mari more than enough chances, but she’d refused every time. “I’m glad we’re both perfect then.” He teased.
He simply laughed when she vaguely threatened him about the game, “I’m shaking you know.” He said before sticking out his tongue playfully. He pressed another quick kiss to her forehead before moving passed her, carefully putting the cupcake on the counter. Moving towards the oven, he gathered two plates and doled out portions of the breakfast onto them. Placing them on the table, he moved back for the cupcake, splitting it in two and putting half on each plate.
“Care to join me, hot stuff.” Carter winked.
---
"You had doubts that we weren't perfect? For shame, Carter," she said with a playful eye roll to match his own teasing tone. She waited patiently as he served them each their breakfast, and as he split the cupcake in half, Marian grabbed the both of them silverware. Once they were both served, Mari eyed her cupcake warily, quickly reaching out her arm and plucking it up, taking a bite. "It's a special day. I can have dessert before breakfast, right?" She said more to herself, but gave him a playful smile as well. "I'd highly advise it, in this instance," she said in a matter of fact tone, nodding her head and finishing the rest of the chocolate treat, licking her fingers afterwards.
"Do you want any coffee?" She asked then, realizing she had forgotten it for herself once she got so caught up in cooking and moved over to the pot, starting them a pot even if he didn't want some. Moving back over to the counter she dug back into her breakfast, casting her husband playful smirks and smiles in between bites.
"So... should we just sunbathe today at the beach, or will you build a sand palace with me too?" She questioned, giving him a bright grin. ---- “I’ll have you know, that I have never once doubted you, and your ability to be absolutely awesome.” He grinned at her. He sat down across from his wife, running his foot up and down her leg playfully as he began to eat, “I suppose I’ll let you eat your dessert first, since you’ve been such a sweetheart all morning.” He winked with a laugh, as she got up to put on the coffee.
“Thank you, lovely.” He grinned at her. “Who am I to say no to a sand palace? I mean, we’ll have to build a moat and a drawbridge and that is a lot of work to make you do on your own.” He said playfully.
---
“I’m most pleased to know you have the utmost faith in me,” she said with a waggle of her eyebrow, biting down on her lower lip as she felt her husband’s foot on her leg. As much as she was trying to ignore it and focus on her breakfast, she couldn’t help the goosebumps that broke out along her arms at the subtle contact. Instead, she gave him a pointed stare, shaking her head in amusement at him. He was playing dirty. Oh so dirty. At least in her opinion.
But her thoughts shifted easily enough when he agreed to building a sand palace, chuckling and nodding her head excitedly, her smiling shining over at him. She may have been an adult, but who said she had to be a mature grown up? There was a difference, darn it.
“And I’ll need your sharp eyes and steady hand. You know how clumsy I can be. What if I crush a tower, or ruin the courtyard? It will be an utter tragedy, I say. What will the poor sand people think about their supreme overlords if I can’t even construct a palace without utter mayhem and destruction?” she said in a whimsical and playful manner, before getting up and pouring them both a cup of coffee as it finished brewing, setting Carter’s down next to him. Mari then leaned down, placing a kiss on his neck before moving away and taking her seat once again.
“But I suppose this all depends on one specific thing. Can Marian make it through breakfast and changing into swimwear without jumping her husband’s bones? Hmm…” she said thoughtfully, tapping her chin and giving him a cheeky smile. “I guess only time will tell. After all, I can be very spontaneous if I feel the need.”
----- “Course I do.” Carter said with a genuine grin. Carter might always doubt himself, he might always have issues with belonging and finding his place amongst his well known family and famous in-laws, but Marian was never something that Carter had ever doubted. She was his world, the one thing that made him feel normal or human or safe.
“Ah yes, we are strict but benevolent rulers.” Carter said, deepening his voice in a way that he hoped sounded more kingly and regal. “There will be no accidental deaths within the safe walls of our kingdom.” He winked at his wife. “And to keep rebellion at bay we will share with them our wine and bread.”
He raised his eyebrows out his wife, “Well, I mean, the peasants can wait if you wanted to do some bone jumping.” ---
She smiled brightly, cheeks tinged with pink in her excitement at her husband playing along. It was one of the many reasons she loved him, his ability to still have fun with her. To let loose and remember that life wasn’t always so serious. She knew when he was at work and in public, he conducted himself a certain way. She respected that, she loved that. But there was nothing quite like being alone with Carter, because there was a different side of him that she was blessed enough to see. And she couldn’t be happier that he chose her to share it with. Steepling her fingers together then and putting them under her chin, she gave him a very queenly look, in her opinion before nodding at his decree for the land.
“But not too much wine, you see. We don’t want our people to fall prey to hedonism and overindulgence. That is left for the rulers, don’t you think? It’s perfectly respectable for the King and Queen to be lushes, while all our subjects carry out the real work, correct?” She giggled at that, running a hand through her hair and finishing off her plate, knowing full well that was exactly not how it should work, but not finding it into herself to care.
Giving him a mischievous smile at his words, Marian stood up, slowly walking around to where her husband sat, tracing her finger gently across the table until she was standing in front of him. Straddling his lap then, she put her arms around his shoulders, looking him in the eyes and biting her lower lip for a moment before leaning in and gently placing a few kisses along the curve of his neck, where skin met shoulder.
“Well you know, His Majesty Carter, it is your birthday. So I’d have to say that the option of bone jumping is in your hands, and your hands alone. I’m at your mercy, my liege. Do what you will with me, for you have all the power,” she finished, playing the part of dutiful Queen perfectly, but being unable to help the teasing quality her voice took on as well.
-----
“Ah, yes, but wine keeps them happy and dumb, and they don’t question why we have so much more than they do when they do all the work.” Carter said with a bit of a wink when she moved to clear her plate.
He couldn’t help the smirk that fell over his face when she slowly made her way over to him, his hands immediately falling to her hips as she straddled his lap. He pressed a heated kiss to her lips, as he pulled her as close to him as he could manage in their dining room chair.
“I think my first decree should be that you, my queen, are wearing far too much clothing.” ----
“A valid point, my dear King. And that is why we are in power, and they are just simple peasant folk, yes?”
Marian couldn’t then help the giggle that escaped past her lips, or the gentle groan as his hands found her hips and lips pressed against hers. Her skin flushed at the sudden heat between them, and her arms twined around his neck to hold herself close.
“Well then, Your Majesty, it looks like you should escort me up to the bedchamber and take off whatever strikes your fancy,” she chided, biting at his neck. And with an excited squeal from her, they were off to enjoy Carter’s birthday in whatever way he saw fitting.