Who: Ty and Lizzie What: on a vacation Where: Amsterdam When: June 23rd (first day) Warnings: should be low Status: closed/g-doc
Ty couldn’t get over how beautiful their hotel was. Good thing he worked a lot and had saved quite a lot of money. So he could afford a room here for him and Lizzie. And the bed seemed huge to Ty. Not that Lizzie would sleep too far from him, but still.
After they checked in and unpacked, Ty looked at Lizzie. “What should we do first?” Truthfully he felt a bit overwhelmed by all of the options this city had to offer. He’d never imagined a trip to this city, at least not back home. Tandy and Ty would always be too busy trying to help save the world, and romance didn’t exactly factor into their friendship.
Lizzie was excited. This was the first time since she’s been in Madison Valley that she went willingly through a portal. She hadn’t been on a vacation in so long! Bonus, she was here with Ty. He had a very bouncy, very perky girlfriend on his hands.
When she saw the bed in their hotel room she immediately squealed then bounced on it before she spread out. “Oh my god this is heaven!” And yes she hogged the bed. And the blankets. But Lizzie swore it was just so she could snuggle against Ty.
She sat up in the bed, her eyes all lit up with excitement. “Let’s do the Museum District first. I want to see real Van Goghs. Oh! Rembrandt! We could rent some bikes.”
She might not sleep at all, and need to be reminded to eat.
“Okay, why don’t we start with coffee first? We can ask the concierge desk for coffee and brunch recommendations? I need caffeine if we’re going to do all of this on our first day. But, I agree about the Museum District first.” Ty loved Lizzie. So so much. But he knew he’d need a vacation from this vacation. At least he had a week back at home before summer classes started.
“Food, museum and are we renting the bikes to get around the city?” Honestly, that sounded less energy sucking than Ty teleporting the two of them everywhere. Which told Ty all he needed to know about his energy level for this trip.
He held out a hand to help Lizzie sit up and added, “Plus they can help us make some reservations.” Ty wanted to take Lizzie out on a fancy meal a couple times, if for no other reason then he knew she’d eat.
Lizzie giggled for his need for coffee. “Do you really want to see me on caffeine?” She took his help to sit up but bounced off the bed so she could wrap her arms around him. “Amsterdam has like a billion coffee shops, you know. There’s probably one nearby. We could sit outside, absorb the ambiance while we consume java.”
As if to emphasize that she doesn’t need coffee she gave his face rapid fire kisses.
“Okay, I need coffee.” She probably didn’t need caffeine. Or sugar. “I like the idea of taking in the ambiance for a bit and then we can hit up the museums.”
He returned the kisses, arms going around her waist. “Okay, let’s head out.” Ty grabbed his phone, a water bottle, and a guidebook he picked up in the gift shop upon their arrival.
His arm laced through Lizzie’s.
As soon as they stepped outside Lizzie paused, closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. “Oh my god smell that,” she said then grinned. “It’s not Madison Valley air!” Maybe somebody hadn’t gotten away often enough.
“We need to do this more often!” They had lives, of course, and responsibilities but it was fun to dream.
He laughed and wrapped an arm around Lizzie’s waist. “It’s so weird to breathe air not in Madison Valley. I kind of like it.” Ty spotted a cafe across the street from their hotel. After making sure they were safe to cross, the two made it across and into the cafe.
“Maybe we should try and do it once a year.” Ty could afford a trip once a year with the type of lifestyle Lizzie preferred. He wanted her to have everything she desired.
“Oh. My. God. I don’t know how to order a cappuccino …or pastries. Or even what their preferred coffee is.” Suddenly Ty sounded oddly panicky.
“Twice,” Lizzie insisted. “Or four times. One for each season. We could go skiing in Switzerland.” Because that was to die for!
She reached for Ty’s hand as she giggled. “I got this. I know what you like.” Once upon a time, she would have ordered something for him to try. Lizzie was a bit less controlling these days thanks to the work she’s done with Dr. Linda.
Most everyone here seemed to speak English so Lizzie didn’t have to try to order in French, Latin, German or another of the many languages she knew. She ordered Ty an Amsterdam version of an Americana and an apple turnover. For herself, she ordered a Mocha and a scone. “Mom used to travel a lot before she came to Madison. She gave me pointers while I spent time with her one summer.”
Why Ty momentarily panicked, he couldn’t be sure. Usually he became the voice of reason for the important people in his life, namely Lizzie and Tandy. “I’ve never skied before.” It wasn’t an activity his parents cared about and truthfully neither did Ty. Some of the rich kids at his school went on ski trips.
“If you want to go on a ski trip we could over Christmas break.” Ty thought that might be fun. And relaxed when she ordered something he’d like and in English. “I think it’s great your mom got to travel a lot.” His parents became too concerned with work and making sure their surviving son didn’t end up like his older brother.
A couple moments later they were handed their pastries and drinks. Ty took a sip of his drink, and poured a scant amount of milk into his to cut the acidity a bit. “Okay. This is delicious. Do you want to sit and enjoy these and then head to the museum district?”
“There are a ton of other things to do than ski at those resorts,” Lizzie said. Her smile suggested that she’d had a wonderful time before. “Skating. Horseback riding. Cross country skiing if you don’t want to do downhill. Just sitting in the lodge and looking at how pretty it is outside.” She really wanted to show it all to Ty now.
“Mom traveled a lot to find new students for school,” Lizzie said. Her tone was a bit more sober. “A lot of witches, vampires and werewolves are in hiding. The school offers them a safe place to live and learn what they can do. Mom goes looking for them.” Not so much now, obviously.
Lizzie relaxed in her chair with a satisfied smile on her face. “Let’s just sit here, absorb our surroundings for a little then go get cultured.”
“Well, then, I’ll save up and that will be my Christmas present to you, babe. Assuming that’s an option with transportation services.” Ty didn’t remember it on the list, but maybe they could find somewhere else on the list that would fill some of those boxes.
He took a bite of his turnover. “Okay, this is perfect.” He listened to what Lizzie had to say. “I think it sucks that people have to hide in your world.” Of course, Ty realized he and Tandy kept their identities pretty underwraps, including in Madison Valley. “I really like your mom. She’s so nice.”
Lizzie shrugged a shoulder as she nibbled at her scone. “We can put in a request. They told me that when I huffed about Bucharest not being on the list.” She leaned across the table to give him a kiss. “You going with me is gift enough.” She didn’t want him spending all of his money on something like that.
“Right?” She chuckled. “It’s like you can taste that the butter is better here or something.” Whatever it was, it was awesome.
“There are hunters who would happily take some of us off the living list. Other people who would want to corrupt us. Things like that.” Lizzie smiled. “Mom’s the best. Did you know she’s dating that guy with the white hair that works at the stables?”
“We can put in a request.” Ty pretty much still worked full time, even while attending college. He knew, deep down, he’d always worry if he wasn’t perfect enough he’d end up like Billy. Even with his best friend and girlfriend, Ty still felt concern, like the worries of his mother would always stay in the back of his head.
“Well, regardless we’ll have fun.” He leaned over and kissed his girlfriend’s cheek. Tyrone laughed. “Probably because we’re no longer in Madison Valley everything tastes better. I bet we’d think the same thing at a Starbucks here.”
“I hate that for you. You know that right?” At the mention of her mom dating someone new, Ty shook his head. “No, I didn’t know. As long as she’s happy.” After Stan went home, Ty really wanted Caroline to be happy again.
Lizzie knew how much Ty worried. Not that he mentioned it very often, but she knew him well enough by now that she could pick up on the subtle clues that said he was lost in memories. She let him deal with it more often than not, but there were times when she pressed him to talk to her. Get it out.
“I was a little surprised she started dating again so soon, but I guess she’s not the kind to wallow.” Lizzie smirked. “Then I got a look at this Geralt. Explains SO much.”
Ty appreciated that his girlfriend gave him space sometimes and forced him to talk at other times. Anyway, he shook his head to clear it.
“Wait, the guy who looks like he stepped off the cover of a romance novel? If you mean him, I understand it too.” Ty’s sexuality mostly veered towards female, but it didn’t mean he was blind.
Lizzie burst out laughing. “Oh my god I am going to have to tell Mom that one!” She laughed even harder as an idea came to her, but she had to get her amusement under control before she could share. That took a few moments. “I am so going to suggest a theme photo shoot for them then bribe the photographer to pose them like cheesy romance book covers.”
The images that came to mind kept her giggling for a while.
Ty ended up laughing along with Lizzie, kind of surprised she didn’t think of it before he mentioned the romance cover novel.
“You should.” At her suggestion, Ty laughed again, and had to set down his turnover. “Oh my God. Please.” To Ty it seemed like a harmless prank.
“I hope your mom finds it as funny as us.”
“I’m not worried about Mom,” Lizzie said through her diminishing giggles. “I don’t know if he can take a joke. But Mom can handle the situation because I am so doing this.”
As her amusement lowered, she leaned over to give her partner in crime a kiss. “I love to hear you laugh. I don’t think I’ve ever heard you laugh like that.” He’d displayed amusement, but not as full out as that. This trip was apparently good for both of them.
Ty didn’t laugh a lot. Oh he’d chuckle and smile, but in his life? He carried most of the weight of the world on his shoulders. But it felt good. And like something he should do more often.
“If he can’t take a joke, he should not be dating your mom,” he responded once his laughter subsided.
“I’m sorry. I sometimes forget here I can be…less worried.” Like maybe he wouldn’t be shot simply for being Black like his brother. He returned the kiss, hand gently tangling in her hair for a moment.
Lizzie didn’t pull away far after the kiss. Instead, she brushed her nose against Ty’s as she smiled. This felt so right being here with him. She felt so happy. Relaxed.
A sudden flash of light drew her attention away from her hot boyfriend, and a young woman with a polaroid camera stood there with a developing photo in her hand. “So cute. Five American dollars! Something to show for trip. Yes?” Her English was obviously stilted, but the point was made.
Lizzie fished out a ten from her purse then held out it to the woman. “No change.” The woman’s face lit up like Christmas as she handed the photo over, then Lizzie smiled to Ty. “To remember trip.”
Ty looked at the photo and then at his girlfriend. “Thank you.” The picture would need to be framed.