Who: Andrew McPhail & Sophie Roper Where: Andrew's house in London When: Wednesday evening What: Cuddling, talking, who knows? Rating: TBD Status: Partly logged, in progress
Five days. It had been five days since she'd been to her flat. Five days since she'd last grabbed some clothes and toiletries and packed them in a bag before coming back to Andrew's. His house was becoming her favorite place in the world for no other reason that he was in it. When they left work (usually together) they either went home and made a quick bite or they went out and grabbed something. But each night ended the same. Sophie curled up on the sofa, tucked against Andrew, both of them quiet and comfortable together.
It felt so easy, being a couple. Sophie didn't second guess his looks any longer. She didn't need to wonder if he noticed her staring. Now when he noticed she could just smile at him before going back to work. She didn't have to hide her excitement at seeing him walk into her office. The only difficult part of being with Andrew was keeping her hands to herself every day.
That evening Sophie had tossed together a quick pot of spaghetti served with some bread from the bakery down the street. It was been easy and simple. It was the sort of dinner two people who no longer needed to impress each other would share. After cleaning up, Sophie had ducked into Andrew's room to change out of her dress and into a pair of sleep pants and one of Andrew's old t-shirts.
Settling down on the sofa in her usual spot, Sophie tucked closer to him and closed her eyes. "We should take a day trip this weekend," she commented. "Maybe go to Ireland on Sunday to the cliffs? We can head up there after we get up and make a whole day of it."
There was nothing in the world like waking up next to the woman he loved, Andrew had decided. Except perhaps falling asleep next to her. Watching her as she got ready for work in the mornings. Having the privilege of zipping her into those ridiculously tight dresses she wore. He realized there was very little about Sophie that didn't amaze him in some way. Granted, he'd never dated very much, even in school. When he had, it never lasted. This? This he wanted to last, and so he was attentive and accommodating, and if he were honest, selfish. He'd asked Sophie to say so many times. Had given in so quickly when she asked for space to keep some of her things at his home. There was nothing he wouldn't do for her. Nothing he wouldn't give her. Besotted, Mara had said. It was the truth. Andrew knew it as he smiled at her over their dinner. He loved the way she made herself at home in his space, like she belonged there.
Curled onto the couch with Sophie, Andrew didn't bother to turn up the lights. Dusk had begun to settle outside, leaving the room shadowed and quiet. He wrapped both arms around her and nuzzled his face into her hair briefly. Winding down with her scent surrounding him and her warmth against him was the best way to spend an evening after a busy day at work. Down time in the League offices was a rarity, even in the off season. He was simply grateful she'd stayed. Andrew had no idea what he'd have done if she hadn't been there to assist with his transition to League Head. He'd thought he was ready; he'd thought wrong. Nevertheless, they were weeks in now and aside from the ineptitude of pitch staff that once, things were going (dare he say it) smoothly.
Life was good. Better than he could ever remember it being, except in the early days of his Quidditch career. If he let himself, Andrew knew he would become paranoid over losing it all. His luck never held for very long.
"Hmm," he murmured. "That sounds like a great idea. I've not been, but I hear it's breathtaking."
It was all too easy to close her eyes and let Andrew's arms lull her into a perfect state of relaxation. She was helpless against his embrace and the calm and happiness it brought her. Sophie didn't mind, of course. Being with Andrew was better than she could've imagined. She loved how the smell of his cologne lingered on his clothes till the end of the day. She loved the smell of him fresh from the shower. She especially loved how he smelled when they curled up in bed, that earthy, musky smell that was so very masculine and strong. Sophie had never truly been with a man before, not for more than a few dates. She'd never been able to experience this level of intimacy.
Planning day trips and having dinner together and spending all their time with each other made things seem so real and serious. They hadn't dated, not really. They'd been friends, though their friendship was always filled with unexpressed emotion and desire. Now that they had crossed the line, they were together and the quickness of it both terrified and excited Sophie. She could see spending Christmas with him, ringing in the New Year with him. She could see summer holidays and family dinners, and if she allowed herself enough, Sophie could see little ones and wrinkles and decades spent just like this.
And it was thrilling, to know it was all possible. And, yet, she didn't want to rush into any of it. Having her things at his place was more about practicality than anything, she told herself. What they had now, the ease and sweetness of new love, she wanted to hold onto that as long as possible.
"I was thinking," she said after a long moment. "Maybe you'd like to come meet my parents soon? I-- I've never brought anyone home before and I think the only other wizard they've met is Alec."
The question, when it came, was shocking in that it didn't frighten Andrew at all. In fact, it made a sort of sense considering the way their relationship had gone. There was no in between of awkward dates or wondering whether she would owl him back or worrying that he was doing enough to impress her. They'd gone from being blind about the way they each felt about the other to being madly in love and practically living in each other's pockets. He might've been nervous about embarrassing himself in front of Sophie's muggle parents, but he'd spent enough time around muggles to know that they were nothing to fear. Or at least no more so than the witches and wizards surrounding him every day of his life. They were all human beings. The only thing that made him nervous was wondering whether they'd think him good enough for their daughter. Andrew had no plans to return the favor unless Sophie pressed. She'd met his sister; Mara was the only one who really mattered anymore.
Andrew blinked slowly, gone a bit drowsy in the comfortable, safe warmth. "Of course I'll meet your family. I'm happy to make reservations someplace, if you like. Or if you want to invite them here...is there anything in particular that they enjoy? Food? Wine?"
Relaxed or not, the gears were already turning. He'd have the house cleaned top to bottom if Sophie wanted to bring her parents there. The yard needed work - they could eat on the patio and enjoy the late summer evening. What sort of people were her parents? Did they like sport at all? He needed to brush up on his muggle current events. They couldn't be so bad - they'd produced Sophie, after all. He wanted them to be happy with the man their daughter had chosen.
The idea of her parents coming to Andrew's house didn't sit well with Sophie and she couldn't quite understand why. She and her parents weren't close and they never truly understood her life in the magical world. Inviting them into a magical home made Sophie feel defensive, as though she'd have to prove Andrew's worth to them, prove that he wasn't different or weird. "No, I don't want them here. This is our-- your space. And the first people we have over for dinner as a couple really shouldn't be my parents. Let's go out, somewhere they'd feel more comfortable."
Her parents hadn't met many wizards, even with their own daughter being a witch. She'd brought Alec home before, but they'd never seemed too interested in meeting anyone else. "And we wouldn't have to see them again until the obligatory Christmas dinner." Sophie simply assumed that she and Andrew would be together come Christmas. There was nothing to indicate that wouldn't hold true. And even though Sophie was relaxed and less anxious around Andrew these days, she couldn't always stop herself from falling back on old habits and letting her mouth run away from her.
"I doubt they'd want to visit much outside of holidays. Maybe when we have kids they'll change, but I doubt it. They don't seem like the happy grandparents sort. More like the send a card for the birthday and maybe a jumper at Christmas sort."
Andrew was glad to realize he wasn't so far gone into his head; he didn't miss when Sophie called his home 'ours'. In fact, he couldn't stop a pleased smile from drawing the corners of his mouth up. At least she couldn't see. His main concern, aside from keeping Sophie happy, was being too invested too quickly. It hadn't seemed to be a problem so far, but Andrew didn't have a ton of experience to draw confidence from. But then she went on with 'when we have kids', and his worries were washed away. A little thrill of warmth trickled through him and his heart did something like skip a beat. Clearly the idea of a future didn't bother Sophie. He had to work to get his emotion back under control. Finally he nodded so that Sophie could feel it. "All right. I'll look around London and see what's appropriate. Is there anything I should avoid?"
He was excited, in spite of the fact that Sophie's parents sounded a bit like his own. Only, his father would likely want to be involved in any children's lives, though Andrew had no intention of letting him be. His mother would try it as well. In the end, Mara would be a fantastic aunt, and that was where it would end. His parents hadn't been loving or attentive in any way to their own children; they didn't have any business doing the same all over again.
Pressing a kiss to Sophie's head, Andrew grinned even wider and couldn't resist any longer. "Christmas, hmm?"
"Linen tablecloths. Mum gets all worried when she goes anywhere with them. Like if she spills a drop of food they'll toss her out or something. Best to find someplace cheap and simple so they don't feel inadequate." Plus cheap places tended to serve food fast which meant they wouldn't have to be there too long at all. Sophie would rather spend her time back on this sofa, wrapped up in the arms of the man she loved. The quicker they could get through dinner, the quicker she could be where she belonged.
Her eyes closed and Sophie let herself relax back against Andrew. In an hour or so she'd tug him towards bed and curl up next to him for eight blissful hours of sleep in his arms. Everything was better now, even the most mundane tasks. She couldn't imagine living alone again, not after getting to experience the beautiful routine of daily life with him.
But her eyes shot open at his question and Sophie realized what she had actually said. Oh hell. Hell. One of these days she was going to learn how to pay attention to what she was saying and avoid jumping headfirst into a giant mess of her own making. "Oh, well," she stammered and felt her cheeks go pink as a flower. "I mean, it wasn't.. I didn't mean that we had to have... my mind got away from me and I.. oh hell it's harder to run away from you when I live here and SHIT, no I don't live here, but I mean.. dammit."
Well, there went that thought. Andrew had been contemplating just how nice a place to look for in his search for an appropriate place to take Sophie's parents. The change in direction was a physical thing - his muscles tensed and relaxed in the space of a breath. Their parents sounded alike in many ways, and Sophie even more like him. She clearly didn't want to spend tons of time with them, and whether that was for his benefit or hers, he would oblige. So, something more than a pub, but less than a Michelin Star. He could do that. Possibly after he consulted a friend of his that had previously worked in Muggle Affairs. Whatever happened, he would try his best to make it a decent evening.
In the meantime...
One of the things Andrew found most endearing about Sophie, and the thing he knew frustrated her to no end, was her tendency to say exactly what was on her mind. It was that fact that had left him wondering, at the gala, whether the things she was saying had any amount of truth to them. If he'd only listened then, they could've saved themselves weeks of heartache and weirdness.
"Sophie," he murmured, laughter undercutting his voice. "Stop. It's all right. You practically do live here, and I'm...that's fine with me. I like it. It's amazing, coming home to this house and not having to be alone." It was more than amazing, and had he felt more on solid footing, might have pressed on and talked about their future. Together. That was what he wanted. He knew it more surely than he'd known much in his life. Andrew shifted until he could tilt Sophie's face up and pressed a kiss to her lips.
Andrew's voice had the astonishingly ability to quell Sophie's nerves. A simple word form him and all her panic and babbling died on her lips. He was the only person who'd ever been able to calm her once he mouth ran away with her and she loved him for it. But more than anything, she loved that he didn't run away form her when she made a fool of herself. He was a special man and she honestly didn't know what she'd done in this world to deserve him.
"I love being here," she told him as their kiss ended. "Not that I don't like my flat, but this feels like home. Being with you feels like home. You're home to me." There had only ever been one person in Sophie's life that made her feel so at peace and safe and that was Alec. But Alec had always been missing something. Sophie knew now the something missing was the love only two people could share. A love that warmed her soul and brought a smile to her lips whenever she looked at Andrew. He was, for her, the other half of her heart.
"I don't really want to go back to my flat," she admitted to him. "It feels like a big closet where I keep all my things."