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 Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 12:52 pm
This looked like an unpromising Valentine's Day so far, even through it was likely the first that either lovers had gone though with a significant other.
But then he'd almost died - she's gotten her shoulder messed up, and both were recovering. Ainsley was gone to school, Xavier was for all intent conked out on the couch.
And Tempo wanted to be fed. She was trailing Bell's every move, rubbing ankles and meowing very, very loudly.
But wait, was that some white paper slid in between her collar and her neck ? Curious.
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Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 1:00 pm
"Hold on, hold on~" Bell said as she took something out of the oven. Something that looked a lot like, and smelt a lot like brownies. It went on a cooling rack next to the homemade doughnuts.
Although she was supposed to be giving her shoulder a rest, and probably should have been more mindful of her own recovery as well, she had promised a certain someone some back goods 'to help ease recovery' and as a 'congrats' on the power up. It would probably also triple as a Valentines gift because oh lord the days had slipped away from her and she didn't know much else to do anyway.
"Okay, Tempo, food time already? Here,..." Without even looking at the cat, Bell was already grabbing the cat food and heading towards her dish. It was then she noticed the slip of paper in Tempo's collar, and curiously plucked it from its snug little resting place. Huh?
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Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 1:03 pm
It was nothing too fancy, a little diagram of his apartment, with a x right in where his kitchen table would be.
...Uh ?
Had he hidden something there ? But the true question was, when exactly had he managed to slip out of her sight ?
Curiouser and curiouser.
Tempo meowed again. This was all well and good, but could she please be fed already ?!
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Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 1:13 pm
Bell fed Temo finally, then was left to puzzle over what the heck this hijacked diagram meant. Wouldn't writing a note have been easier if he needed something? Maybe those pain killers were messing with his head...
"Fine, fine. I'll play your game~" She headed upstairs, wincing with each step as it still brought a little pain to her injured leg. It wouldn't do to go anywhere in pajama pants that were two sizes too big, and a tank top. Not in this weather.
---
Exiting the house in slightly better attire -- black cotton yoga pants (despite the fact that she didn't participate in that activity. Hell, they were comfortable) and a borrowed hoodie. If she was going to be playing this game, then she'd just commandeer it. Ha!
She arrived after no real hurry, and made her way to the kitchen.
Okaaaay~
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Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 1:31 pm
There was a box of chocolates on the table, and then another note.
'You can come back now, your real gift is ready~
...Oh and could you bring back my phone, I forgot it. XD; '
Smilies and all.
Xavier Avery was probably a dead man.
---
It turned out that Xavier wasn't sleeping at all. No, the second Bell was out the door, he was up and ready to set his plan in action.
"Sorry, Lady." He apologized to the now eating cat. "All for a good cause."
Plates were settled quickly, as well was a rose bouquet in a vase at the center. He'd cheated quite a bit on this - he'd cooked this while she had been asleep last night and then had promptly conked on the couch after attaching the cat lure. Thankfully he had woken up in time, and only had to play the sleeping brick.
It was a relatively simple recipe, roast with a side of rice, but given his culinary skill this was quite the effort - he'd had his dad practically guide him step by step through the phone at 2am, but thankfully Damian had been more amused than annoyed.
And also more surprised that he was already up and about so soon after coming out of the hospital, but thankfully he hadn't asked.
Bell's trek to his apartment was thankfully enough time to get everything good and warm again, and on the table.
"Surprise~"
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Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 1:58 pm
Any agitation or srz bznz attitude was dissolved into a half exasperated smile and a simple shake of her head as she read the note. She was rather amused, and flattered that the effort was made despite current physical conditions. Surviving that Elysion battle was gift enough, despite her mental state the first day after. Killing would do that to you.
Box procured, and the phone as well, Bell thought to raid Xavier's closet for him since he'd been staying at her place these past few days anyway, however if he had made the venture here since then, she figured if he needed anything like that, he'd have already of retrieved it. Thus, the journey home began.
But indeed, he probably would have been quite dead if she had not been in better humor. Then again she wasn't sure she could find it in her to be cross with him anyway.
---
She returned home, closing the door quietly behind her before making the short venture to the kitchen, where what had been a sly grin ready to deliver playful scolding turned to surprise, and a light blush. That someone would go through any trouble for her was something she wasn't sure she'd get too quickly used to. She appreciated the thought and effort greatly though, and made that clearly known.
"How sweet! Thank you~ ah! Here's your phone," She fished said phone out of the familiar hoodie's pocket.
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Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 2:16 pm
And so Xavier would go on to live another day.
He looked a little surprised when he saw his hoodie having been stolen (hey !) but only started laughing and took the offered phone.
"It's not much." He admitted, from his leaning against a chair. "But anything more complicated and this would be a wreck, not a valentine's dinner."
Hey, at least he was honest with himself !
The look on her face had been worth everything. All the plotting, all the pain, all the painkillers he'd gone though just to keep on working on this. His arms and chest did seriously ache, and what she didn't know is that he called a cab there and back to plant the distraction in his apartment.
And worse of all...
"...Do you know how hard it is to pretend you're asleep when you're smelling brownies ?"
Yup.
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Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 2:54 pm
"Not much?" Bell said with a laugh, "Considering the last few days have been comprised of my microwavable skills? This is wonderful." Those microwave nuggets the other day? Not so much. Ugh...
Bell leaned in and gave Xavier a kiss on the cheek before mention of the brownies.
"Well then, I guess you'll be glad to know that they are all yours. The brownies and the doughnuts, though you might want to wait on the later till I make the glaze for them." Otherwise they're just bread. With holes.
It was quite amusing though that both had thought food.
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Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 3:19 pm
"Well, it's not like that is much different for my usual." Really, microwaveable food was Xavier's friend. It was hard to screw -that- up.
Through he had managed.
"Well, let's eat before it gets cold, then we can attack those brownies." Of course he was going to share !
Seesh.
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Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 3:44 pm
No arguments there. Bell was very grateful that he had expended the effort to make this, and wasn't about to let it get cold. And heaven forbid anything catastrophic happen. Injured or not, she was pretty sure neither of them would stand for it.
All in all it was a pretty simple Valentines, and for that she was glad. Otherwise she would have felt bad about her own lack of effort. Of course, that was debatable since not everyone found baking so easy, but it was something she did rather frequently, so it wasn't exactly special, and certainly not as well planned as Xavier's efforts..
The food was good though! Of course, Bell could count on one hand the number of home cooked meals she'd ever had, that didn't matter.
"You did a good job," She said with a warm smile.
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Posted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 1:40 pm
"Thanks." He managed to smile, and for a moment seemed like he was just going to sit here and watch rather than enjoy the food he haf made.
It seemed to little, and Xavier wanted to do so much more for her. So much more. Like move mountains. Take one of the stars out of the sky to give it to her and her alone.
Nothing might ever be enough, and there was nothing he could do about it, especially at this moment, so he just continued to smile at her. "Im glad. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be... Hm."
Maybe he could try to cook more ?
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Posted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 10:14 pm
Bell laughed a bit, "Oh, you haven't set fire to water yet!" That was..an interesting story, really. Why the home ec class was having them use alcohol in the meal they were supposed to be preparing was beyond her but... It was probably a case of too many cooks in the kitchen anyway.
But if Xavier wanted to try and cook more, Bell would gladly play guinea pig. And a switch of the traditional roles didn't really bother her. She still had at least some claim to the kitchen. And it sure beat endless years of microwaved meals.
On another note...
"How you feelin' today?"
Bell could at least tolerate the majority of her pain. It was her shoulder, even after surgery, that still bugged her tho most. From the shoulder blade, all the way up the side of her neck it felt like the bones themselves had just turned in to one big aching bruise. She would sometimes shift and roll her shoulder, providing temporary relief before it felt like the muscles would bunch up again.
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Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2011 8:08 am
"Oh, im sure if you give me the opportunity, it'll happen." He said with a chuckle, shaking his head. He'd certainly done his share of stupid things. Like trying to BBQ something and putting it on fire instead.
Delicious.
"A little better." He answered. "It doesn't hurt as much as it used to, but I still gotta be careful not to lift anything too heavy."
And then, came the unavoidable question. "And you... ?"
He'd seen her the last few days - and knew that not all the wounds were physical.
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Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2011 9:11 pm
Bell had to think a moment before she could answer. Thankfully she had a moment. Yay food! But umm,...
"Doin' alright. Stiff at times, but You kinda start to ignore the discomfort after a while." The doctors had said she would probably always feel some degree of discomfort in that shoulder. She other wounds were nothing so grand, and were fastly healing. However there was more than the physical damage indeed. She had been serious when she had declared a temporary neutrality at the hospital. And she hadn't disclosed that she had killed anyone either.
Would Xavier have made dinner on Valentines day for a murderer? Hell, would he have been able to sleep with her again, not to mention in her house knowing she had taken a life? Those were the thoughts that made her worry, made her shake, made her question everything about this war...
She sat her fork down for a moment until her hands quit their small shake caused by those very thoughts. There was no way she could keep it a secret for very long. Still, she shifted her shoulder - luckily she ate with the same hand as the injured shoulder - and gave a wry smile, as it that explained the small tremble.
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Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2011 12:10 pm
"Ah... Yeah, I know what you mean. You kind of get used to it." He had something similar, though he wasn't expected to have any lasting damage left behind once everything healed. Or at least that what had he'd recalled of the speech the doctor gave him. He'd been on painkillers, and more distracted by the look his father had been giving him at that instant.
As much as he had wanted to just tell the truth, he knew he couldn't. It would only made him a target, and this was the last thing Xavier wanted for his father.
But he was also quite certain that Damian hadn't believed him when he said he didn't remember a thing.
And now Bell wasn't talking. At least, not what he hoped to hear. But he couldn't force it out of her, and he knew that, so he said nothing else.
It wasn't like he wasn't used to being out of the loop by now.
"Maybe ice will help your shoulder ?" He offered, pretending that he had fallen for it.
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