WHO: Beth and Paul WHEN: June 9th. WHERE: Med tent, then wagon. WHAT: Paul has a surprise and question for Beth. WARNINGS: None. STATUS: Complete.
Paul had mixed feelings about the modern day. There were some aspects he liked, but most he didn’t. Which meant he didn’t venture far from the carnival grounds unless he absolutely had to. The crowds were a bit rowdier, they didn’t pay as much attention as many were stuck on their mobile devices - he learned what a selfie was fairly quickly - and the awe and wonder wasn’t there the way it used to be.
Day after day he remained at his post. Guarding and keeping watch always filled a place inside of him he knew had been empty. Any of his free time was split between socializing with Bella and spending time with Beth.
That particular day, Paul had not been at his post. He’d asked for a day to get a few things done and the request was granted.
One of the employees had moved into a wagon with someone else and Paul had gotten wind. A transaction of what little he’d saved later and he was the proud owner of a modest wagon. The inside needed a bit of refreshing, updating. Paul filled it with little things he thought Beth might enjoy; a small vase of wildflowers in the small kitchenette, a hand sewn quilt to cover the new linen sheets. Of course he had no expectation that she would even want to stay there, and he would respect that, but this was far better than the accommodations both of them had presently in the community tents.
A few dishes and utensils, a rug for the floor. The little things mattered and Paul knew he wasn’t the best at decorating but he wanted it to feel as much like a home as it could. It was as much as he had to offer, anyway.
When he felt it was completed and up to his standards for satisfaction, Paul left the wagon and went in search of Beth.
Beth’s thoughts on the modern day were similar to Paul’s which resulted in her staying within the confines of the carnival more often than not. There were times she’d wander out into the city, either for supplies or when others insisted she come along, but she found those treks could be overwhelming at times. She didn’t like feeling overwhelmed; it made her worried that she might possibly… react and that was the last thing she wanted.
She was just stepping out of the med tent when she noticed Paul wandering around the area. A bright smile spread across her face. “Paul!” She called out with a wave. When he approached, she gave him her normal greeting of a quick peck on the cheek. How things had changed; a few months ago kissing him at all seemed so unattainable but here she was doing just that. “I haven’t seen you all day. They’ve been keeping you busy?”
There.
He saw her as she moved through the flaps of the medical tent and his pace quickened a touch. Heartbeat picked up with the mixture of anticipation and excitement ahead. But his cadence would slow as he approached Beth, an easy grin splitting his lips as he came to pause in front of her. He always found himself weak in the knees when she smiled at him, it’d taken him a while to realize it but now it was something he found himself experiencing even now.
Catching her gently by a hip, Paul drew Beth close. At her kiss he brightened even more but offered only a humble look in return.
“Nah, I’ve been working on something,” he explained. It wasn’t like him to shirk duties - he would be back in the saddle before too long, perched in the security booth and watching the patrons and employees like the hawk he was known to be. But something else had taken precedence.
“I have a surprise,” he started, taking a moment to glance around as if the secret were something monumental. In a way it was, but he didn’t want it ruined and things had a way of coming back to you here when you least expected it. “That is, if you have a second?”
His free hand would dive and catch one of hers, holding onto her fingers lightly. He wouldn’t keep her if she had plans, but he was anxious to show off the prize on the horizon.
Her brow quirked. “What kind of something?” She queried, curious what would pull Paul away from his post on such a day. She couldn’t say it was abnormal for him to leave his post but it wasn’t often and especially less so since arriving in the future. His answer was merely a statement about having a surprise to show her. This piqued her interest.
“I’m on my break so I’m free for a bit,” Beth assured, tightening her hold on his hand. Her smile widened. “Lead the way.”
“Alright, but it’s a surprise, so no peeking,” he instructed, grin turning playful. Drawing back from Beth, Paul would lift their joined hands, spin her around gently like a dancer and he would come up behind her and set his palm across her eyes while his other hand stayed in hers.
“Walk forward,” he murmured into her ear. She was going to have to trust him. The spin he had her do was to throw her sense off a touch so her keen ears wouldn’t pick up on the destination right away. He knew he couldn’t fool her for long but he hoped to make it to the wagons before she caught on to what he was up to.
Every step was planned. Paul guided her in the right directions. When they came to where the wagons were kept his hand remained over her eyes and the paces began to slow until they came to a halt completely.
“Okay, I’m trusting you to keep your eyes closed for another second.”
The door to the little wagon was eased open. Paul helped Beth up the two steps and only when they were standing in the wagon itself did he squeeze her fingers gently. “Okay. Open.”
Beth let out a giggle when he twirled her around and rested his palm over her eyes. She allowed Paul to guide her through the bustle of the carnival blinded, attempting to pick up on any hints to where he was taking her using her other senses. The smell of the crowd and the various treats offered to them faded and sounds of the rides and game hawkers grew softer - they were headed toward the backlot. It wasn’t until they were nearing the group of wagons that she determined just where they were headed. The scent of the wood was telltale, differing from the scents that hovered around the communal tents. Curious.
“Don’t worry I won’t. Promise,” she replied with a playful grin, teasingly lifting an eyelid just enough to be noticed but not enough to actually see anything. Up a couple stairs; they were definitely going into a wagon. When given the okay, Beth opened her eyes to see the wagon’s interior with its quaint decor.
“Oh wow. You got a wagon?” She exclaimed, stepping forward to begin her inspection of the place. It took little time to look over the small space and she was soon sitting down onto the bed, moving her hand along the quilted blanket. She smiled over at him. “It’s lovely. How’d you manage to get one?” Beth was aware wagons weren’t the easiest things to come by especially right now.
He was absorbing her delight, glad she approved. It was challenging to actually surprise them, but he wanted to try anyway just for the sake of it. She would figure it out, he knew that, but it was the purpose of the task that mattered - the way the game was played.
In the threshold he would stand, a shoulder pressed lightly against a beam and his hands in his pockets as she moved further in to examine the interior.
Little details all around suggested he’d done his best to make it as quaint and homey as possible: the quilt, the little vase of flowers, even a candle in a flowery scent he’d managed to procure.
“Someone was moving in and didn’t need it anymore,” he explained. It was a general answer, he wouldn’t bother her with the details considering he’d spent nearly every dime he had and given up nearly everything precious to him to get it. But she didn’t have to know that. “I was hoping that...well, you’d want to...I mean..”
Maybe that sounded too presumptuous. Maybe she wasn’t ready to stay here with him yet, which was fine with him. But the option was there. This was a safe place, something secure in an unpredictable world.
Those blue eyes would shift and he looked at the floor, trying to find the words he wanted.
Her eyes remained fixed on him as she waited for him to continue his thought. He seemed uncertain, maybe even a bit shy - traits that he didn’t often exhibit. It was curious and it had Beth wondering what it was he was hoping to ask to make him act in such a way. Suddenly it hit her. Was he attempting to ask her to stay in the wagon? No, that couldn’t be it. He wouldn’t want that… could he?
Not wanting to jump to conclusions, Beth tried to coax his question from him. “I’d want to…?”
“Yeah,” he replied, nodding as his chin lifted and those eyes fixed upon her again. Normally he wasn’t shy, it wasn’t a trait he wanted others to see because of the weakness it could portray. But then Beth had a way of drawing out the softer sides of him that he didn’t believe were still there. “You know, stay here with me.” Cutting to the chase seemed more his style and so he did.
A smile was offered. Paul closed the distance between them, moving to turn and sit down on the edge of the bed next to her.
His hand took up one of hers and he leaned over to press a kiss against her temple. “If you want to, that is. I want this to be a safe space for both of us. Private and secure. Nobody is going to try to mess with two weres.”
Her heart jumped into her throat. So her suspicions were true; he really was asking her to stay with him there. Eyes shifted to the floor as she processed the question. He wanted to live together. He wanted to live together. Share the same quarters, the same bed. They would fall asleep cuddled together, usually under the stars, but rarely shared a bed. Their communal living arrangements didn’t support that. To be sleeping beside him every night in a warm, inviting bed was… well, it sounded heavenly. Her cheeks reddened, impure thoughts beginning to creep forward.
His approach broke through her thoughts and made her aware of her silence. She lifted her head, eyes closing when he pressed his lips against her temple, bringing a smile to her face. Private and secure. A safe space just for them. She liked that. “Okay,” she said after a moment, squeezing his hand gently. She turned her face toward his, eyes soft. “I’ll stay here. I’d love to.”
Paul was aware of what people believed about him, about who he dated and what he was after. He and Beth hadn’t been together in a physical sense and he didn’t mind the wait. Honestly, it was a bit refreshing to not just fall into bed with a stranger and part ways when the sun rose. So, as they journeyed there he wanted things to be mutual and secure. The wagon was the first step for a proper foundation for both of them, and it was really all he had to offer Beth.
At her acceptance a breath was uttered that he wasn’t aware he’d been holding until it came out, and his smile widened with renewed confidence.
“I’m glad. I can help you with your things, whenever you’re ready.” Like him, he knew she probably didn’t have much but he wanted to help all the same.
The idea of coming ‘home’ to the same woman day after day and night after night was oddly solidifying. He found purpose for living, something to look forward to as the days dragged them closer to the full moon and its secrets.
The renewed confidence was evident in his smile and gave her a hint of confidence as well. Beth had agreed to stay with him, told him she’d love to, but doubts still lingered. It was a huge step in their relationship and she was prone to worry over change, especially one as big as this. But she’d work past that because despite her uncertainty, she wanted this. A place of their own to call home.
“I’m glad too.” Beth rested her head on his shoulder, threading her fingers with his. “Maybe tonight after closing? It won’t take too long. I don’t have much.” She let out a soft chuckle, adding, “Obviously.” Communal living didn’t leave much room for extra things. “That could change now though, couldn’t it?” Her gaze flitted around the place. “Being able to put my clothes in a proper chest would be nice.”
For once in a long while he felt purely satisfied with a decision that affected someone he cared deeply for. It had been the next step, and while their relationship was moving slowly he knew the benefit of having a bit more security than they already did prior to the wagon. Paul also hoped Beth knew just what her presence here would mean to him. He needed the consistency, the familiarity.
“Sure. I can meet you at the medical tent,” he offered.
There wouldn’t be much to move from her place, the same way there had been nearly nothing at all that had come from his own.
As she looked around he would smile, watching the gears in her mind turn with the potential of the space they now would share. “Yeah, I hope it does change.” He wanted her things there. He wanted his things there, and for them to mingle together.
“Yeah, sounds good,” she replied with a slight nod, confirming their plans for later in the evening. They would leave the med tent, make a stop at the communal tent to pick up her things, then go to his - their - wagon. It wouldn’t take much time at all, even adding in time for her to figure out where to place her things. Quick and easy.
It left her wondering what they’d do after their goal was complete. There would be time between getting her things and sleep. A mystery to be figured out later.
Beth lifted her head, smiling up at him. “I’ll see what I can do.” She rested her head back on his shoulder and let out a content sigh. A comfortable quiet settled over them as they sat there hand in hand.
After several moments, she said, disappointment in her tone. “I suppose I should think about heading back soon.”
When the plan ahead was confirmed he couldn’t help but radiate a bit. She was the world - Paul never imagined finding anyone that could light up those dark spaces inside of him the way that she did. He doubted she knew, but maybe she did. The idea of disappointing Beth sat heavy in the pit of his stomach.
“Good, it’s settled then.” Something to look forward to, at least. And every moment that ticked by between now and then would be arduous because of his lack of having anything else to do. He would find something to keep him occupied and out of trouble.
And then Paul nodded at the last comment. “I know. I can walk you back, if you want.” Keep the last moments before they had to separate.
“I would be disappointed if you didn’t,” she replied, squeezing his hand. Beth remained next to him for a few moments more before finally standing, positioning herself in front of him and grabbing his hands to help him up. “I wish I didn’t have to go back,” she admitted. If she could find someone to take her place for the rest of the day she would in a heartbeat. “But duty calls. Work to be done and all that.”
“You’re important,” he assured her, standing easily with her support. He never found her small though she was shorter than he was. Somehow she exudes a greater presence, one he could understand and appreciate.
She had to get back. She was necessary, the same way he was, and he wouldn’t be selfish enough to convince her to stay. Plus the time would go faster now that something lay ahead.
“I’ll walk you out.”
Before she could turn, though, Paul let go of her hands. He wrapped Beth up in an embrace and leaned in to kiss her sweetly. He knew that would only make him miss her more, but he couldn’t help himself.
She let out a surprised squeak as he scooped her into his arms and leaned in for a kiss. Beth closed the gap, pressing her smiling lips against his with a soft giggle. “Oh you’re mean,” she teased, flicking the tip of his nose with her finger. As if it wasn’t hard enough to leave! She leaned in for another kiss, a bit deeper this time. Moments later, she released his lips from her hold and stepped out of his embrace with a playful smile. “Let’s go, you tease. Before I get in trouble for skipping.” Because while she was a diligent worker, those lips were tempting.
He laughed softly at her reaction, letting her go. “I couldn’t go without that, I’d miss you too much.” It was an honest confession, though he’d probably miss her more now that he could taste her on his lips. And then they were kissing again.
Paul closed his eyes and fell into the depths of the connection with her. With a laugh, he leaned back and looked at her. She made him happy. Happier than he’d been in a long time.
Offering a wink and his hand, Paul led her out of the wagon. “You’d never do that. You’re too good for skipping,” he teased lightly, squeezing her fingers as they walked back in the direction they’d come.
“Are you calling me a goody-two-shoes?” She gasped in mock insult. Her lips pushed out in a pout, barely hiding her smile. “Now that's just rude.” Her eyes twinkled with amusement. Beth nudged him with her shoulder in retaliation for his 'rude' implication. “But at least I'm not a troublemaker like someone I know,” she teased, squeezing his hand.
“You’re definitely too good for me,” he murmured. It was the truth. Beth was a saint and he knew he didn’t deserve a second look from her. But that only made him want to be good enough to deserve her and it gave him something to shoot for.
A laugh. Those blue eyes would sparkle and his head would duck before his gaze lifted and found hers again.
“I have a reputation to uphold,” he teased, making a face. Paul’s nose would crinkle, the corners of his eyes would crease, and he would laugh again.
Before too long they were standing in front of the tent where he knew they’d have to part.
“I guess this is goodbye, for now.”
His murmur hit her sensitive ears and Beth simply dipped her head with a humble smile. She didn’t agree with him in the slightest. She wasn’t too good for him; if anyone was too good it was him for her. But she made no attempt to counter his claim with her own. It wasn’t necessary.
“Oh yes, of course,” she returned with a roll of her eyes. His crinkled up nose made her giggle and she couldn’t help giving it a little poke. He laughed and her smile widened. Such a lovely sound.
Her eyes moved toward the tent’s entrance, then back to Paul. “I guess it is.” She took both of his hands in hers, giving him a gentle squeeze before moving forward to give him a peck on the cheek. “But not for long. I’ll see you later?”
There was laughter that joined hers, a sound of joy and delight. It was rare he felt much more than fear or pain, anxiety, unless he was with Beth.
And then as her hands wrapped up his, Paul would nod. “Of course you will.” He would meet her in this exact spot after the minutes stretch on into an eternity.
Paul leaned over to catch the corner of her mouth with a kiss before letting go of Beth’s hands. With a smile and a wave, he stepped backward and turned, heading back toward the wagons to finish setting up for the move.