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 Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2016 5:02 pm
Luca was smiling brightly; he'd brought Lori a box of chocolates in case his boyfriend spotted him. "Happy Valentines," he said. "Working hard?"
Instead of going straight to research, Maia followed the boys to their office to wait until class. She grinned at Luca's handiwork. Entrusting him with balloon delivery had been a good plan.
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Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2016 5:09 pm
"Luca!" Lori cried happily, "I left your present at home!" With plans to bring it to him later, of course. "Thank you, Babe." He gave him a hard hug. "Well, not at the moment, no. Mostly I'm ignoring my work because my boyfriend is here. Just shush and let me love you."
Toby entered his office as if nothing was different, but of course it was. A grin spread across his face and he turned to Maia when he noticed the balloons.
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Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2016 5:17 pm
Luca was grinning. "I came to see you," he said, happily. Ignoring work? Hm. Wouldn't Lori get into trouble? Bleh. Abandoning all reasoning, Luca captured Lori's lips with his own. "When do you get off?" he asked, when it broke.
Maia settled in her usual chair, smiling at Toby. "Surprised?"
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Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2016 5:22 pm
"Four if I skip lunch," Lori said once the kiss had broken. He stole another, noticed an unfamiliar coworker watching, and resisted the urge to do it again. "How about you?"
"Yes. Thank you for my decorations," Toby said with a laugh. He tied one around the metal bend of Dari's chair. He was aware Dari might be feeling badly today and didn't want to leave him out. "Later we can all discover what helium does to your voice. How'd you get these here?"
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Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2016 5:28 pm
"I don't work today," Luca said, smiling at Lori. "I'm all yours as soon as you're home!" He had surprises for him there, too.
"Luca was coming to see Lori anyway, so I asked him to bring them. I knew you'd find them if I hid them anywhere in the house." She scooted closer to him. "When we get home, you guys can help me eat chocolate."
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Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2016 5:50 pm
"Great," Lori said with a grin, and he actually meant it.
"Oh, well. That's very sneaky of you," Toy said. He smiled when she came closer, though. "Nope, that's all yours. We've got our own candy."
- - -
It was quite some time later when everyone returned home, Luca and Lori to their night of shared gifts and playful romance, and Toby and Maia and Dari back home all together. Only when the happy couple went to bed would they find another surprise. Toby called Peaches into the room and the cat rumbled in happily with a bow around his neck and a little silver something-or-other hanging off of it. He stopped halfway in, though, so someone was going to have to go get him.
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Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2016 6:06 pm
Maia was surprised when Toby called Peaches in, but then she spotted the bow around his neck and went over to him. "What do you have here?" she asked, picking Peaches up and carrying him over to Toby.
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Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2016 6:10 pm
Peaches of course allowed the action and hung limply in Maia's arms, trusting her completely. From Peaches' bow hung a simple silver claddagh.
"Peaches and I, we got you one more thing."
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Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2016 6:14 pm
Maia took the claddagh off Peaches' bow, carefully untying it. She studied it, looked to Toby, back to the ring and paused. "Its beautiful," she said.
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Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2016 6:18 pm
Toby smiled. "Just like you." He kissed her cheek and took the ring from her fingers.
"Lori taught me. Give me your right hand..."
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Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2016 6:28 pm
Toby was rewarded with a smile, a slightly watery one, as she gave him her hand. "A promise ring?" she asked.
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Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2016 6:30 pm
"Well it barely compares to your pelt, but..." Toby smiled and shrugged. He wasn't usually especially mushy, not like this, but "I wanted you to know that I'm in this as much as you are."
Peaches wandered off on his own.
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Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2016 6:34 pm
Maia leaned up and kissed him. Her eyes were welling, but they were happy tears. "I love you," she said, breaking the kiss for only a moment before continuing it.
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Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2016 6:36 pm
Toby smiled and touched Maia's cheek and fell into the kiss. "I love you too," he said and fell back into it just as easily, scooting closer to Maia.
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Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2016 6:50 pm
There was nothing obviously amiss the next day save Dari's still somewhat uncharacteristic dour mood. He still smiled and talked, but there was something wrong. A day out might help, Toby thought.
"Hey, so Maia and I were thinking of going to the mall today, or maybe see if there's a movie playing?" Toby asked.
"Alright, have fun." Dari offered a small smile.
"Well we wanted you to come."
"No thank you."
"You wouldn't be interrupting."
"That is not my concern." There was still no tension in Dari's voice but it had come to his mannerisms.
"What is it, then?"
"I just don't want to go."
"Dari."
Then it happened.
"What? What do you want from me? How is it at all surprising that I don't want to spend an hour and a half spreading chemicals over my face not for vanity but for necessity. I'm sick of this, Tobias! Staying here is boring and lonely, but I'm finished! I just don't care any more! Everyone's falling in love, making love, everyone's able to go outside when they feel like it without preparation and caution and limitation! I can't just throw on a pair of pants and go, Toby. It's a pain in the a**, and I'm sick and tired of it!"
Toby's eyes were wide. He had never heard Dari raise his voice. Not once.
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