Pansy Wisteria Parkinson (pugmylife) wrote in madisonvalley, @ 2017-03-10 18:44:00 |
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Entry tags: | !closed, !completed gdoc, ~2017 march, ~25 points, ~~pansy parkinson (pugmylife), ~~~neal caffrey (caffreynated) |
WHO: Neal Caffrey and Pansy Parkinson
WHERE: Pansy’s flat
WHEN: After relationship confusion, before kidplot
WHAT: Awkwardness after the engagement
RATING: PG
STATUS: log; completed
Pansy rolled the ring Neal had given her when they’d been in the grips of the dome’s latest shenanigans around her fingers. There was a soothing familiarity to the motion, of feeling the ridges and textures of the gems against her skin. The ring wasn’t an exact replica of the her mother's’, which she’d played with and coveted as a child, but it was close enough to bring her back to the less complicated, happier days of her youth. He was probably going to ask for it back. She didn’t blame him, really. Such a ring must’ve cost him a pretty penny to purchase, and unlike her, he wouldn’t be able to just summon or transfigure money to pay for it. He might have found some other ways to pay for it, but it would’ve taken him time and effort one way or another. Besides, it wasn’t as if she had a use for it, other than sentimentality. She could hardly hold him to a promise he’d made to her when they’d both thought they were further along in their relationship than they were, and at this point she was certainly not ready to make that commitment to him. But then she remembered how happy she’d been for that week, and she thought of how right the ring had felt on her finger, and she wasn’t so sure she’d be able to give it back to him. She’d cross that bridge when it came to it. They hadn’t talked since coming to their senses, and he might not get around to asking for the ring tonight. She’d find out when he arrived. She’d cooked tonight, and although she wasn’t the masterful chef that he was, she wasn’t a bad hand at it once she actually applied herself. Tonight was a simple casserole with orange and almond salad, with ice cream for dessert - and wine pairings for the courses, of course. He ought to appreciate the effort she put into the meal, even if it didn’t meet the standards he’d set. *** What exactly was Neal supposed to do in this situation? Some magic mumbo jumbo happened in the town and just like that he thought he was three-years into his relationship with Pansy. And apparently this magic came with its very own memories of the time in between that hadn’t even happened. He couldn’t argue that they weren’t at least happy ones - how could they be anything else if Neal had proposed to her? And propose he did, in elaborate Neal Caffrey fashion. It was a giant cluster fuck in the end because now they were left with the remnants of that week, and had to deal with the clean-up. He felt a headache coming on because this was never in the books when he thought of complicated. Complicated was a job that went bad, when he had to improvise on the sly to get away. Complicated never dealt with real magic or the inevitable pain that came from it. He had to talk it over with Pansy - surely she would understand - and take back the ring he had given her. There was no easy to do that especially since he still remembered all of the “feelings” he had for her when he asked for her hand. Neal sighed, but composed himself easily when he knocked on her door. “Hey,” he said with a grin when she opened it, and leaned in to give her a kiss. *** Kissing him was as lovely as usual, but there was something extra there now a depth of emotion Pansy hadn't felt before. Remnants of their memories from a past that hadn't happened yet? Whatever the case, Pansy was smiling when they broke apart, her nerves much more settled. “Hello, you,” she replied, and stepped back to let him in. “I cooked. Please judge me by my ambition, not my results.” *** “It smells delicious,” he told her when he entered her place. “This is a momentous occasion, though,” he said as he shrugged his jacket from his shoulders. “I think this is the first time you’ve cooked for me.” Neal was smiling broadly, and definitely a lot more eager to taste her cooking. Even if it was bad (which its smell did not indicate) he would love it because of the effort she had put into it. “So what’s on the menu then?” Neal settled into one of the chairs, and smelled the air. “Casserole of some kind… chicken?” *** “I've cooked for you,” Pansy protested, although she admittedly couldn't remember when she'd done so. Then again, it had taken her this long to get adjusted to Muggle technology, so he probably had a point there. “It's chicken casserole with stuffing,” she confirmed. “And a salad.” She took his jacket and levitated it to the coat rack before magically opening the utensil drawer and flicking out the necessary utensils to set the table. She put a bit too much force into the forks, though, and one of them clattered onto his plate while the other embedded itself into the table. She winced. “I keep forgetting how light these things are. I've always worked with silver.” *** “Oh Miss Fancy, only working with real silver,” he teased as he pulled the embedded fork out of the wood. Neal set it down at her setting and walked over to her side. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder to pull her close. “You know I never get tired of seeing your magic.” And with that he kissed the side of her head, and then moved to grab the salad out of the fridge. “So…” There was a slightly awkward silence that followed as he placed the bowl on the table. He had noticed that Pansy wasn’t wearing the ring which was a good sign. It meant talking about the state of things after the confusion set upon them was going to be easy. No hurt feelings, at least Neal hoped that would be the case. “I heard that we weren’t the only couple that faced some confusion during that week.” *** Pansy had wondered when it would come up. She would've brought it up herself if he hadn't, but it had been nice just to enjoy his company without the awkwardness. “Oh, it was madness,” Pansy agreed. She turned within the circle of his arm to face him. “I imagine people are still picking up the pieces. But I don't imagine they should be held to anything they did when they were under the influence of the dome, do you?” It would be ridiculous to expect to get married now, obviously, when their relationship was still so new. It was just that ring… *** Her response was exactly what Neal needed to hear. The anxiety he was feeling over this exact conversation was dissipating, and he let out a barely audible sigh. “Madness is one way of putting it,” he said with a chuckle. “You think we’d be used to it by now, but it doesn’t get easier. Not really.” Feelings were always hard to get over especially when some of the remnants of that week lingered. Neal looked over at Pansy. “So you’d be okay then if we…” what was the best word to use here? “Postponed the engagement? I mean you know I care about you, Pansy.” He lifted a hand to cup her cheek. “I just think that it’s too soon for that. I’m not trying to hurt you. I want us to stay together. You know that, right?” *** Pansy’s eyes widened in sudden shock. “Neal...I wasn't talking about us. Obviously our feelings are more real and long-lasting than whatever the dome could throw at us. If you care about me, if you really care about me, why should we postpone anything?” *** “Ha ha, Pansy,” Neal said as he looked down at her. “You’re joking, right?” He leaned back to get a better look at her face. “You’re completely pulling my leg right now, aren’t you?” Neal was studying her features waiting for some indication that she was teasing him because it was something that she’d do. Completely. *** Pansy held her expression a moment longer, then released it in a small huff of a laugh. “I was hoping to get you back for the boil.” She nudged him lightly, then looped her arms around his neck, growing serious again. “Yes, of course it's too soon. I want us to actually experience everything that led us to that proposal, not jump right ahead to it.” *** He smiled at her, and kissed her forehead. Internally he was breathing a sigh of relief because he wasn’t sure if he could do a wedding let alone marriage right now. He was only working at an art store, teaching art and occasionally selling pieces to those that were interested. Neal definitely wasn’t making the sort of money that could sustain a family, and that ring he bought Pansy? Well it nearly cleaned out what he had managed to save. He had made a deal with the jewelry store to pay off the rest in monthly installments. Hopefully the owner was understanding of his predicament. “Oh don’t worry, there’s plenty of time for you to get me back for the boil,” he said with a grin. He’d bring up the ring later. After dinner. That seemed like the best time, he thought. *** But Pansy had other plans. Since they were on the topic of the engagement, and a ring was a part of any engagement, it was as good a time as any to bring it up. “I suppose you'll be wanting the ring back,” she said. She strove for casual, but her disappointment seeped in anyway. It really did mean a lot to her beyond an engagement ring, but it wasn't exactly fair of her to keep it when they weren't engaged. *** He heard the disappointment in her voice, and it pained Neal. Of course he wanted the ring back. What good did it do if she kept it? Would it be a reminder of something that neither of them was exactly sure of? Or would it hold them to a promise that maybe they couldn’t keep down the line. He needed to take it back to spare them any pain down the road. Neal sighed a bit, and nodded. “It’s the right thing to do,” he said finally. “I’m sorry. I know you love it.” *** “Yes, well.” What else was there to say? It was true; she loved it, she didn't want to give it back, but there was no reason to keep it other than nostalgia for a lost childhood. She pulled away so she could go fetch it from the bedroom, then laid it on his palm. “I hope you know you've set up a very high standard for yourself when it comes to proposals,” she told him. “And if we get there again, I'm going to expect something just as grand. And if we don't…” She looked up at him, dark eyes fierce. “Promise me you won't give this ring to someone else. Give her another ring, but not this one.” *** He closed his hand around the ring, and sighed. “I don’t know how I’m going to live up to what I did,” he said. “I mean I can’t do it again because it won’t be a surprise then.” He felt the weight of the ring, physically and emotionally, and then slipped it into his pocket. “Just out of curiosity though... if we were to get there again, would you want this same ring? Or would it mean less because of this whole confusion?” Truth was Neal liked the ring as well. It suited Pansy, and he wanted to maybe work out paying it off instead of returning it altogether. But, of course, that meant knowing for certain that they were in it for the long haul and he had no idea what their future held. “I don’t think this ring was meant for anyone but you, Pansy.” *** “I plan to get married with it,” Pansy told him. “So you'd best remember where you got it.” She lifted herself on her toes and kissed him, long and sweet. Pansy usually didn't spend much time on sweet. She usually went straight for the passion and clothes-ripping. Now, however, she felt a sense of bittersweet regret. Giving the ring back was the right thing to do, but she missed it all the same. *** And there it was, a twinge of jealousy at the thought of Pansy marrying anyone else. His brow furrowed, but only in that moment before Pansy kissed him. As much as Neal enjoyed the passion that she could show, it was moments like these that he cherished all the more. Sweet and endearing, the kind that would live on in their memories when their time together grew into years. Neal pulled back, and looked down at her. He wanted to say more. He wanted to assure her that they’d end up back at that place, but really he couldn’t. It wasn’t right to promise something when he had no idea of the future. As much as things remained steady in Madison Valley, there was always a chance for change, there was always the chance that one of them would get sent back to their universe. The thought was agonizing, and he pushed it from his mind. “Are you ready to eat,” he asked. “Because the smell of the food is delicious.” *** “I only hope tastes as good as it smells,” Pansy said as she pulled away to move the dishes to the table. She couldn't help but give him one more kiss, though. It was strange, but this talk, and the breakup of their future-fueled engagement, actually made her feel like they'd taken a step closer together, and a step further down the road that had led to his proposal in the park. She had no thoughts about marrying anyone else, as long as they were both here. And for the first time in a long time, she was feeling optimistic for the future. *** Wasn’t it funny how things worked out the way they did? Never in his life would Neal have imagined that breaking off an engagement could leave two people feeling closer together, but it had. Thankfully he had a level-headed girl to navigate these waters with, and to go through the trials and tribulations that Madison Valley had in store of them. Neal accepted her kiss, and chuckled. “I’m sure it does, dear,” he said. A completely domestic response, but it fit perfectly with the current atmosphere. Optimism was something that didn’t come naturally to Neal. He was a constant planner, and if he was optimistic about anything it was because he had planned it that way. But this was different, and like Pansy he thought their time together was headed in the right direction, and not because he had planned it. But because he felt it. |