Who: Anna and D’Art When: After the crime wave and D’Art and Athos’ engagement Where: Cafe What: Talking about the engagement/wedding Rating/Warnings: Low/None Status: Complete
D’Artagnan knew he wanted to be with Athos, but the network announcement had caused him a little apprehension. On top of that there seemed to be so many plans being made already, he was squirming at the idea of having so much on his plate. He could barely decide what his next meal was going to be and suddenly there were plans for parties and weddings and it was a bit overwhelming. Getting away for a coffee was a fantastic plan. Signing off the internet was even better now.
He’d texted Anna to meet at a nearby shop and waited at a table away from the center of things. The brunette nursed his sugar coma that could barely be qualified as coffee while he looked out the window at the city and waited for his friend to join him.
It was absolutely perfect timing for Anna. Her last class of the day had been canceled, and she was looking for something to do before work. She didn’t like being on her own because of all the crazy crime stuff, so D’Art’s invitation was a relief.
She headed straight to the cafe and waved at him through the window, then hurried inside, grinning, to give him a hug.
Anna’s wave caught his attention from the random strangers in his view and he looked over toward the door when she came in. He was glad to see she was okay with his own eyes. He’d been worried when she posted, and felt a little guilty. He knew she had that Hans guy now, but he still felt like maybe he was entirely too wrapped up with Musketeer stuff lately.
He stood and returned that hug. “Glad you could make it. And are in one piece.” He admitted as he looked her over to make sure she was telling the truth. She seemed to be, by some miracle she was healed of broken limbs. He really didn’t care how as long as she was okay. “Whatever you want is on me. Well, Athos.” He grinned as he held up a gift card and handed it off to him, it’d been from Christmas-but he hadn’t gotten out much then. The hand he held up with the gift card also happened to have a ring on it now. It was a black ring with a few silver details highlighting a small Fleur de Lis in the center of it with two simple diamonds on either side.
Anna was thrilled for the hug. It’d been a while since she’d seen D’Artagnan, and that was far too long. Of course, he was busy with his own stuff, and she was, too. Midterms took up so much of her time, studying and working and spending time with Hans… she’d been neglectful. But she was making up for it now.
“Definitely one piece. Thank goodness. I gotta tell ya, that broken nose and black eyes combo?” She motioned toward her face with a circular gesture, using one finger. “Yuck. Aww, thanks!” She added. “I want one of those huge, bucket-sized frappuccino things with coffee, chocolate and whipped cream! You’ll have to thank Athos for m--WAIT A MINUTE.” She reached forward and took hold of his hand. “LOOK AT THIS BLING!”
They’d both been a little wrapped up in their own stuff. He didn’t lay any blame with Anna for being busy, they both had been. He was going to try to fix that now though. The new Musketeer dreams weren’t as hard hitting as the others. He was able to focus a little better these days.
“How did you heal from that so quickly?” He couldn’t help but consider it, someone must have done it but he didn’t know any healers. His attention was quickly grabbed when she spotted the ring, and he actually blushed some. “He didn’t skimp.” He grinned sheepishly and basked in the gawking. The ring was perfect, he was glad he wasn’t the only one to think so. It was simple but elegant, and not overly feminine.
“It’s a long story.” Anna couldn’t talk about it. Like, literally. Caroline had compelled her so she wasn’t able to talk about Caroline being a vampire. And it was Caroline’s vampire blood that had healed her--slipped into Anna’s coffee. Secretly. Anna was pretty furious when she put two and two together and figured it out--but she let anger go quickly these days.
“No, he didn’t!” Anna said, beaming brightly, and held D’Art’s hand so she could get a good look at the ring. “Oh my God, it’s so beautiful!” Anna didn’t have any meaningful jewelry. There were a few of her mother’s things in a safety deposit box, but she didn’t wear anything day-to-day. Now she was a little jealous of D’Art’s bling!
A long story with no further emphasis? Okayyyy. D’Artagnan raised an eyebrow at her as he tried to wait for a response. It didn’t seem like he was going to get any, for the time being he was considering letting it go. Maybe she didn’t remember or something, he’d been through that. As frustrating as it was for others, it’d been more frustrating that he kept coming up dry for answers.
When she presented the subject change he accepted it. There even seemed to be details highlighted in white gold. “I felt a little bad I didn’t have one for him, but I really had no idea he was even going to do it. We’re going to get him one soon though. I think I found one he might like.” He let her oogle the ring for a minute more before pressing the gift card into her hand. “Go get your sugar cup.” He couldn’t rightly call her concoction a coffee.
Anna beamed. She couldn’t actually call it coffee, either. It was more like a milkshake. A sugary, caffeinated, chocolatey milkshake. She accepted the gift card and bounced up to the register, humming something under her breath. There wasn’t a wait, so she ordered, gave her name, paid, and headed back to D’Art’s table to sit back down again.
“Have you guys discussed any wedding details yet?” She asked, holding the card back out to him. “Thanks for the drink, by the way. I mean, Thanks again to Athos.” She grinned playfully.
D'Artagnan relaxed as he waited for her, but then she was back as fast as lightning. When she brought up wedding details, the color drained from his face. "Nope." He stared down tensely at his cup. "I looked at the internet though. Big mistake. Terrible mistake. Don't ever look to the internet for them."
Anna frowned when he blanched. “What? Why? What’s wrong?” She asked, instantly concerned. She’d never really done wedding research online ,and had no idea what he was talking about.
“There are forums full of planning. It’s like a thing that never ends.” He frowned he was no good with plans. “I’m not plan guy. “ He anxiously toyed with the cup of his choice coffee and looked down at it as though it had become incredibly interesting. “There’s so much to do and I can’t even figure out what’s for dinner tonight.”
“I mean… well, I think you’re putting too much pressure on yourself.” Anna said, still frowning. Concerned. “Can you just… I don’t know. It doesn’t have to be that much pressure, does it? Can you have it be really casual? Or… what does Athos think? Surely he’s got some ideas about how it should go?”
"I don't know, aren't these things a lot of work?" He hesitated and looked over at the window. "I think I'd even be okay if we just eloped at this point. Heh." He was practically squirming with nerves. The future was hard for him to put a lock down on, when he'd agreed to marry Athos he'd only been thinking in the moment of things. He loved him then, so of course he wanted to be with him. He didn't regret it, but he was nervous.
“Why do they have to be?” Anna asked. Sure, when she got married, she’d probably want a big dress and lots of flowers and pictures and music and everything. But not everyone wanted or needed those things. “I mean, isn’t the wedding just about the two of you vowing to be together faithfully forever? Who cares where or when or with whom that happens, right?”
“I thought that was just how they were.” He shrugged. D’Artagnan would have just been happy with a small type of thing. He was simple when it came to celebrations. He didn’t need anything big or fancy. Finally he seemed to loosen up just slightly as did the vice grip on his coffee. “...Yeah. I guess so.” The ‘forever’ term still terrified him, but nobody need know that. he would drink it away. “It probably isn’t any different than living together like we are now right?”
"I don't know, I've never been married," Anna said, shrugging one shoulder gently. "But it seems that way. I mean, what's the difference? You've already said vows to yourselves, right? The wedding ceremony part is just saying them out loud for your friends and family. And signing the paperwork to make it legal. Then you get to party!" She beamed. "That's my favorite part. But really, you guys should do what you want to do. Don't let what other people have done dictate what you force yourself to do." “Nothing I suspect. Except I’ll likely take his last name.” Maybe being so worried about things was silly. He nodded to her second question a little awkwardly. Unused to sharing that sort of information, but she had been one of his longest friends thus far. He didn’t need to worry that she’d find it ridiculous or anything of the sort. “Athos had this whole candle lit dinner planned out. He imported wine from Gascony. It’s a nearly impossible village to find where I’m from in the dreams, it exists in real life and he found it.” He was still smiling about it. “When he’s around I don’t have to worry about anything.” He toyed with the coffee cup idly and glanced at the ring on his finger. “We’re thinking of just a casual thing I think. Or at least I am.”
Anna had on her best aww face when D’Art explained how it happened. She was squeeing inside, but didn’t want to go over the top with it. D’Art was hesitant to share intimate details, she’d learned (and she couldn’t blame him!) so she didn’t want to push it. She was honored that he’d shared this much with her. “That’s so wonderful. He’s so thoughtful.” She said, smiling warmly. “I’m sure it’s going to be amazing and romantic no matter how you guys decide to celebrate. I hope I’ll get an invitation. But no pressure!” She added quickly. “If you want to keep it small, I totally understand that, too.
There was a faint pinkish color to his cheeks as he accidentally looked away from his cup and at that expression of hers. “We don’t even really fight. It’s almost weird.” He kept expecting one to happen at some point, but it just didn’t. Athos was far too patient at times with him. He raised an eyebrow at her. “Don’t be ridiculous, no matter how small it is of course you’ll be getting invited.” And went back to enjoying the mostly chocolaty coffee he’d ordered.
“Good.” Anna beamed. “Thank you. And you know I’d want you at mine. Like, ten years down the line or whenever that happens.” She sipped from her own coffee cup thing. “Hans and I are better now than we used to be.” There were times when she’d done things to hurt him, or they hadn’t communicated well, or whatever. But things were going fairly well now. He’d saved her life with true love’s kiss and she’d stopped mentioning the Dreams to try and … stop people from hating him.
"It makes me a little worried for when we do fight, but it's nice. ." He admitted quietly as he nursed his drink and looked over at her. "You know I don't really know anything about Hans. We should get together for dinner or something. The four of us. I'll give him an actual chance this time. " He knew he was sort of judgmental last tune around but he was just the protective sort.
“People fight. It happens. I mean, it’s good when it doesn’t, but fighting doesn’t mean the end. You know? Fighting just means that two people disagree and care enough about each other to express it.” Anna needed to give herself pep talks more often. “That would be great!” She added, brightening. “You’re really gonna love him. He’s funny and smart, and he always has interesting opinions on things. We’ll definitely all have dinner. Out somewhere?”
"We hardly do. I mean sometimes about stupid little things, but nothing big." He shrugged as he toyed with the lid of his cup again and finished off his coffee, "We're starting to do that a bit more, the couple dinner thing. We need to get out a little more as it is." He admitted with a nod to her enthusiasm, giving her a bit of a smile. "Talk to Hans and see when works out for you two. I'm thinking out is good, otherwise Athos will want to play host." He rolled his eyes, D'Artagnan knew that Athos enjoyed it but he didn't always want him doing all the work....
Anna nodded. “I’ll bring it up with Hans. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind. We’ll just pick a nice restaurant, pick a good day and time, and all meet up there. I wouldn’t want Athos to have to host.” She added, then finished her own coffee. “I’ll text you. Okay?”