Entry tags:

!complete, char: alec urquhart, char: nora urquhart, location: other, time: 2009 03

RP: :D
Who: Alec & Nora
When: Thursday, March 30th, 2009 (evening)
Where: St. Petersburg, Russia
What: EXCITING THINGS HAPPENING
Warnings: None!

Alec had been determined, come hell or high water, that he was not going to let Roger's news from the night before get to him-- or keep him from going through with his intended plans, for that matter. And while a part of him felt guilty not to be telling Nora this right now… the last thing he wanted was to bring her down on their vacation.

Besides. All things considered, this really was on Roger to tell her, not him. He'd made it plenty clear given the decision he was making that Alec was hardly his keeper, after all, and certainly not his friend. Not that he would be, anymore, after this anyway.

So he was determined to push Roger's bullshit aside, instead focusing on Nora and his plans for tonight, Alec tying his tie in the mirror as he glanced back to the bedroom. "You ready yet?" Because… if she was, he had something to give her. There had, after all, been a reason he'd asked her to wear green tonight.

***

Nora was still reeling over this entire trip. And while part of her wanted to be salty at her best friend for not warning her ahead of time (she figured Dora had helped Alec pack all of her necessities, anyway), the other part of her knew that it wouldn't have been nearly as fun if she had known. Plus, her expression wouldn't have been as priceless, she knew that for sure. Because the look on her face when Alec told her all the places they were going, and showed her where they would be staying? It was a cross between utter amazement, slight annoyance, and heart wrenching love for the man who had put all of this together for her. There were still days she didn't understand how she was even deserving of a human being like Alec, but for the time being, she was spending every moment just enjoying it..

Which is why she might have been the slightest bit upset when he left the previous evening, but it was something about a patient and an emergency situation, so she attempted to be understanding. Even if she had this gut feeling that she knew just who that patient was… But she couldn't dwell on that, she wouldn't.

"Almost!" She called out, straightening out the long green dress she was wearing, and charming a bit of a wave into her dark hair. Nora then took a slight moment to just stare at herself in the mirror before deciding this was the best she could do and made her way over to the bathroom door, gently pushing it open to lean in the doorway.

"I don't think I've ever seen someone so handsome," she sighed, a small smile playing at the corners of her lips as she took in his appearance. "I'm ready whenever you are."


***

They'd spent their first day at Copenhagen before embarking, their day at sea spent simply exploring the ship, which turned out to be as lovely as he'd hoped. Then it had been Finland, and now… St. Petersburg. Their day's itinerary had included the Winter Palace, the Hermitage, and the Peter and Paul Cathedral, while tomorrow would bring with it a visit to Catherine's Palace about an hour outside of the city. And while a good bit of the sightseeing today had been lovely and breathtaking, Alec had a good deal more in store for them, the two of them headed out for dinner and the ballet for the night.

Looking up at her form in the doorway, Alec smiled, pausing momentarily in lowering his shirt collar as he instead took the moment to nod over to the package sitting on the living room table in their suite.

"You should probably open that. It's for you."


***

Nora followed his gaze, actually surprised she hadn't noticed the small parcel sooner. Flashing him a curious look, she went back to the living room and with one more glance in his direction, untied the ribbon before she opened the gift. For a moment, she stared in disbelief at what was inside, before turning to Alec, wide eyed.

"I… What… This.. Alec," she breathed out, running a hand through her hair while she tried to process the delicate piece of jewelry. "Love this is… beautiful. But.. it's too much," she finally managed.


***

"I'd… transfigured it into something less conspicuous," he admitted softly, answering the question that had been self-evident in her eyes, if not in her words.

At her comment, he just laughed, his eyes crinkling as he shrugged. "I'm not taking it back, so you might as well get used to it being yours." Leaning against the fireplace, his hands in his pockets, ankles crossed over each other, he smiled. "Besides. You look phenomenal in green."


***

"You are such a pain sometimes," Nora said with a sigh, her fingers travelling over the delicate gemstones for a brief moment. Never in her life had she owned something so beautiful or, quite frankly, expensive. She didn't even want to imagine how much it had cost, though she supposed that was really not the point of the gift to begin with.

Walking over to him she tugged gently on his tie, enough so that he would lean into her waiting lips as she gave him a slow, loving kiss. "You're going to spoil me, Alec," she murmured against his lips, smirking as she pulled away. "Alright, fine. Since I don't want something so pretty to go to waste, you win this time. Help me with it?" Unclasping the back, Nora put it on before moving her hair so Alec could secure it.

"Alright.. How does it look?" she asked once he was finished, turning around so he could see it with her outfit.


***

"I do try," he grinned, more than eagerly pushing off the wall to lean in to kiss her back. Taking the necklace, he stepped behind her, gently pressing a soft kiss to her neck, the crook of her shoulder, and just under he ear once it was exposed before finally going about securing it as he was asked. "Now… what kind of terrible boyfriend would I be if I got you something and didn't at least help you put it on?"

Stepping back once done, Alec smiled. "Beautiful as always. Not that that's any surprise." Cocking his head, he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Like my gorgeous Slytherin princess." Fighting off the urge to look smug, he held his hand out to her. "Ready to head out?"


***

Nora couldn't stop the goosebumps that broke out along her skin in the wake of Alec's lips, though she was used to such a response at this point, not that she was even close to growing tired of it. Once the necklace was secured, she couldn't help but bring her hands up to it once more to gently touch the cool stones and precious metal that sparkled in the light of their room, a slight blush coloring her cheeks and neck when he called her that. For a slight moment she felt weak in the knees as she reached out to grasp his hand, nodding at his question.

"Yes, more than ready. I think we'll manage to turn a few heads and everything, looking this good," she teased, walking next to him and gently resting her head against his arm for a small moment. She honestly couldn't recall the last time she had went to a ballet, and was oddly looking forward to the experience, even if it wasn't usually something she would do. But this trip, it seemed, would be a whirlwind of new experiences and she was ready to meet all of them head on.

Merlin, Alec had truly outdone himself.

"I still can't believe we're here and on this trip," she mentioned once they were on their way to dinner. "How long have you been planning this little getaway? And how on earth did you manage to do it without my suspicions. You're a crafty man, Alec Urquhart." Really, she admired that a lot more than she probably should..


***

Entwining their fingers, he pressed a soft kiss to her temple. "Pretty sure you'll be turning far more heads than I will, but that's how it should be."

Making his way out of their suite and to dinner by her side, he couldn't help but laugh. "Oh, a while. Dora knew… bits and pieces here and there, and then all of it came together over time. It really became cemented after all that… drama happened. I wanted you to have a break, and I wanted us both to get some time off we could spend together..." For reasons he absolutely wasn't about to delve into here and now, of course. "And, well. I wanted it to be a surprise."

That had really been all that had mattered to him throughout all of this, her happiness aside, that she wouldn't see this coming. "Did I do all right?"


***

"I think you have a very inflated perception of me," she argued, though it was more playful than anything else as they walked. And of course he would have started with this sort of plan after everything with her ex and Roger. That was just… Alec. Always thinking of her above all else. It was… refreshing, and so incredibly perfect. He was so incredibly perfect. How was he even a real person?

His question certainly perked her up and she stopped the two of them, her arms going around his shoulders as she looked up into his impossibly blue eyes. A girl could certainly get lost in them, and she knew she would if she stared long enough. But no, she needed to keep her focus as she let a single finger trail along his jawline. "It's all so wonderful, so incredibly wonderful that I could cry. I still might, but I mean, I don't want to go and ruin my makeup. Thank you, love. Truly."

Even though she still thought it was all too much, Nora couldn't help how grateful she felt for the break. The time alone with him, everything he had done for her. Her heart nearly ached with in love with him she really was.


***

A couple of hours had seen them through both dinner and the ballet, and while both had been fantastic-- as if the possibility of either not being great had ever entered his brain, which it hadn't-- Alec couldn't wholly shake his nerves all throughout. Much like when he'd asked her to the Yule Ball, Alec had always been all internal nerves, external confidence. Well. At least it worked for him.

One thing it certainly had to have helped on this night in particular was his ability to appear… calm. Even if he felt just about consistently nauseous throughout the evening, he'd managed to eat dinner in spite of it and, at the same time, not let it show.

As they neared the fountain at the center of the gardens, however… his insides were slowly doing a number on him.

They'd returned to the Hermitage for the ballet, which meant access to the Winter Palace and the surrounding foliage, Alec's hands in his pocket for once not only just a result of habit and comfort, but needing confirmation of the small box's presence, as well.

Bringing the two of them to a slow stop to face her, he removed his hands to take hers, Alec faintly smiling. Oh, how deceptive that was…

"I spend so much time listening to my patients that I have no idea what to say at times like these… but I suppose there isn't all that much that needs to be said. And if you think it's too soon..." Leaning in to kiss the back of her hand, he slowly moved down on one knee, finally retrieving the small box containing the ring from his pocket. "... I'll obviously understand. But that doesn't change the fact that I would quite like to marry you. Whenever you're ready."


***

Nora was pretty sure she resembled that of a starry eyed child the entire evening, much to her embarrassment. But to be perfectly frank, she couldn't help it. All the places they were visiting, the cities, the food, and Merlin, the ballet, it was all so incredibly beautiful. In her lifetime, Nora had been a few places, but never like this. Their entire itinerary overwhelmed her in the best possible way, mostly because never in a million years did she think she would see so many different and fantastic places. It truly was a privilege to partake in this opportunity, and she felt Alec didn't have the slightest clue how much it really meant… What all he was really giving her.

Once the ballet let out, Nora was happy to walk around with her boyfriend, hand in hand. She had very much enjoyed the performance, but was truly in desperate need to stretch her legs as well. The weather was thankfully mild, not too hot, not too cold, just comfortable enough for their evening stroll throughout the garden. Honestly, she was completely caught off guard when Alec stopped them, a curious look crossing her features when he began speaking. What in the world…?

And then, holy shit, he was down on one knee! Was this honestly happening?! Nora's heart was beating so hard she barely heard the words coming from his mouth, but it didn't really take a genius to figure it out. And while she was both nervous and terrified she was also suddenly filled with a feeling of excitement that she had never experienced before. It was truly overwhelming for a slight moment, and Nora couldn't exactly remember how to breathe. And that ring… It was so bloody perfect, especially considering she was the furthest from traditional a person could get. This had to be a dream, she thought. It was a dream and soon she would wake up and come to realize that none of this had been real, that she had been making up someone so utterly handsome and charming and perfect the entire time. Except she didn't wake up, and Alec was still on one knee, in front of her, and fuck she should probably say something.

"Yes. Fucking hell, absolutely yes. Are you sure? Is this real? Merlin… yes, I want to marry you." She was stammering out her words, voice shaking as tears suddenly filled her eyes, making them shine. But of course they weren't tears of fear or unhappiness, they were pure, unadulterated joy.


***

Oh thank god. He'd certainly hoped that she'd say yes, but he hadn't been about to presume, either-- after all, there had been a reason that he'd asked Dora to check if Nora might agree to marry him-- even in spite of the fact that they'd only just started dating shortly after the start of the new year…

"Yes, I'm sure!" he laughed in complete and total disbelief at how she could possibly. "How could I not be sure?"

Kissing the back of her hand, he slowly slid her ring on her finger before re-pocketing the box, moving to stand, and pulling her into his arms to kiss. She was crying, but he was pretty sure that in this instance, that was a good thing.


***

Nora watched with wide eyes as he put the ring on. Her ring. Her engagement ring. SHE WAS ENGAGED! She truly believed, before meeting Alec, that she would never get to this point in her life. That no matter who she met, or for how long she knew them, they would never want to marry her. Really, she just classified herself as the non-marrying type. And yet just a few months had gone past since she began dating Alec, and she couldn't see herself anywhere else, than in that moment, with him.

So when he finally kissed her, she couldn't help but respond in kind with all of her emotions towards the situation, still semi-crying while their lips were locked. But he was right, it was a good thing. She had never felt so happy, so fulfilled, as she did in that moment.

"I want to do it before we go back home," she said out loud, her voice completely sure as she broke away, looking up into his eyes with a stupid, huge smile plastered to her features. "If you're okay with that, anyway. I want it just to be us…"


***

For a very long moment, he thought she was implying something very different from what she'd actually said, Alec laughing as he grabbed hold of her thighs and picked her up, the slit in her dress-- so convenient!-- easily allowing her to wrap her legs about his waist as he grinned.

"We can also do it before we get back to the ship..." Shooting her a grin, he kissed her again. "But yeah. I'm more than okay with eloping. I mean..." He laughed, shaking his head. "You did meet my parents, after all… best we just avoid all that, even if it does mean some slightly upset friends."

Then again, even if Dora and Katie would be upset-- and Hannah too, for that matter-- it wasn't like he wholly knew if he would even still be able to list Roger amongst his friends any longer, depending on what happened after his trip to the United States, and there was no way he would let his parents in on any of this…

They were both fairly private people at the best of times. There was no reason to overcomplicate this. "Anywhere you want to get married, we'll get married."


***

Laughing out loud at his comment about doing it, she couldn't help but do exactly as he'd intended, wrapping her legs around his waist as her arms encircled his neck. She pressed her forehead to his, unable to contain just how incredibly happy she was as he spoke, her lips trailing to his jaw and neck. "Mmm.. yeah… I don't think anyone besides our awful parents would be all that upset. Really, what else would they expect out of us?" she asked seriously. Because while others would want some large public display, Nora wasn't interested in any of that. After all, it was about her and Alec, not the rest of the world. She truly believed weddings tended to be parties about everyone else, instead of the two individuals they were supposed to be celebrating, and she would have none of that when it came to them both.

"Alicante. I want to get married to you on the beach, next to the ocean," she said without hesitation. It had been one of the few places, before Alec, that Nora had found peace and happiness. So really, she couldn't think of any better place than there. "If that's okay… I just.. I want to be Mrs. Lenora Urquhart as soon as possible." And while she knew their eloping would mean plenty of speculation with the press, for once, she honestly didn't give a damn.

"This… you… this is so perfect."


***

Resting his forehead against hers, he let his eyes close, just taking in a deep breath to let him soak in the sheer happiness of this particular moment.

"Alicante sounds just fine. I don't particularly care so long as you're there with me… becoming Mrs. Lenora Urquhart." And didn't that just have a magical ring to it. "I love you so much. And I'm so glad--" He laughed. "So relieved that you said yes."

Though, truly, she was entirely right-- and about the both of them, for that matter.

"New Year's Eve, at Cho's wedding… which, incidentally, would have been my personal version of a nightmare… I told Katie that that sort of wedding was the absolute last thing I'd ever want. And it would seem that you feel the same way." And he couldn't help but be thrilled about that.


***

"If I wasn't there with you, I don't think this would work out quite the way you planned," she teased lightly, this time, kissing him gently. Merlin, she still was having a hard time believing this was real. "You honestly thought I'd say anything else other than yes?" she asked, genuinely curious. Because from her perspective, it was only Alec. It was only ever Alec. At this point in her life, after everything, she couldn't see herself with anyone else. Perhaps some might think that naive, considering the fact they had only been together a few months. But Nora was over 30, and at some point in her life, she had to make a solid decision. This was probably the first time she truly felt this was the best one…
.
"Well then…" she giggled, placing another soft kiss against his lips, "Just you and me then. I think it'll be absolutely perfect. No pressure. No people staring at us. No first dances, or expectant parents and friends… I think.. This is exactly what we need," she assured him with a nod, a content sigh escaping past her lips.

"We should get back to the ship you know," she told him, unable to help glancing at the ring on her finger. "Mostly because there are so many things I want to do to you right now, and none of them appropriate in public…" she was mostly teasing. Mostly. But also not really at all..


***

Laughing, Alec couldn't help but duck his head for a moment before kissing the tip of her nose with a small smile. "I… might have asked Dora to double-check with you to make sure the idea didn't seem… totally outlandish or… horrifying."

He loved her mental image of their wedding, Alec just smiling against her, blissfully happy for the moment. "Well..." he whispered, "we can still have a first dance. Just no one to stare at us while we sway to whatever music we want." She was right, of course. This was precisely what they needed-- and both of them, for that matter.

"Mm..." Leaning in to nuzzle her neck, he softly chuckled. As much as he loved the idea of breaking Russian law by means of public indecency… they probably ought to avoid any international incidents on what was about to be their honeymoon. "Back to the ship, then," he chuckled softly, mirthfully. "With my fiancée." And didn't he just love the sound of that. "Shall we?"