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 Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2017 8:50 pm
It was Akio's birthday. A date that Rory had been anticipating almost eagerly until he spilled the beans about that four letter word that she couldn't decide if it excited her or terrified her.
The teen could remember clearly what they had discussed when he first came by her apartment in hopes of getting her phone number. Maybe this year you won't have to spend it alone, she had told him when she learned that he had spent his birthday's alone since coming to the states.
Rory had promised that they would do something, provided they were together, and...after she had asked him to comfort her when she was hurting, she had made the decision that even if she didn't love him right now, she was going to try to love him. Akio was someone who was incredible and she liked him a lot.
Liking someone that much could easily turn into something more...right?
It didn't matter, it was Akio's birthday and she was going to focus on just him.
After he got off work.
[Text to Fairytale Prince: Happy birthday handsome <333 I hope your night is free because I'm saving mine for you.]
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Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2017 9:25 pm
Once again his birthday had arrived and once again he hadn't made plans for it. This year, luckily enough, he actually had a job to go to so most of his day was spent in the company of six and seven year olds, happily experimenting with the plastic recorders they'd received earlier in the week. Not a soul actually knew what they were doing with them but the mirth alone on their faces from playing with the "musical instruments" brought a grin to the young teacher's face all the same.
At lunch, his phone buzzed unexpectedly and he swiped the screen open. The message produced an even bigger smile - she'd remembered.
She'd remembered!
He'd purposefully avoided mentioning the day, knowing how stressed she'd been of late and the whole L-word incident. The fact she'd gone out of her way to remember...well, it only made him adore her even more.
He returned back:
[To Dragon Princess: I would love nothing more, beautiful. What time?]
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Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2017 11:42 am
While she waited for him to text back, Rory busied herself with wrapping the gifts she had meticulously picked out and assembled for his birthday in the living room while she had something baking in the oven. Somewhere, Bob was likely lurking because he had been sticking close ever since they'd had their fight.
She appreciated it, immensely, because she didn't know she would have turned to when she needed support if he hadn't.
Her phone lit up just as she finished applying the last piece of tape and she skimmed the message before she picked it up to respond.
[Text to Fairytale Prince: Can you do six? ]
She would be ready before then but she wanted to give him time to get home and change or unwind or anything else he might need or want to do. Plus, it gave her more time to make sure everything was perfect. After everything, Rory just wanted a nice night with her boyfriend where she didn't feel like everything was going to crash around her.
Besides, she wanted to spoil him a little if she could because Akio had practically been a saint to her in all of her confusion and heartache.
An idea struck her and she lifted her phone to take a selfie, unaware that there was a smudge of flour on her cheek. Rory sent it anyway.
[Text to Fairytale Prince: I can't wait to see you <3]
Okay, maybe she was laying it on a little thick but...she had made a decision that she was going to focus on him and their relationship. This was the first part.
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Posted: Mon Sep 04, 2017 5:13 am
If Aurora felt she was laying it on thick, then little did she realized that her boyfriend loved it thick.
His homemade peanut butter and jelly sandwich was about halfway devoured when her response came in. A swallow of bread later and a picture popped up across the screen, Akio's eyes widening in delight.
How had he come to be so lucky as to find someone so sweet and adorable as his Aurora?
Thumb popped into his mouth to sweep away some wayward jelly before he was able to lift up his phone and type out a response. He paused for a moment, then swapped to camera mode and clicked a shot of him, deliberately staring up at the clock that sat behind his desk.
[Text to Dragon Princess: I'll be there with bells on.]
[Text to Dragon Princess: Okay maybe not bells]
[Text to Dragon Princess: I've had enough noisemakers for today.]
He arrived home close to five-thirty, just enough time to change clothes and examine the small parcel that had arrived while he'd been at work. The symbols scribbled across cardboard gave away the sender's name and he excitedly tore the tape off to see what his mother had enclosed for him this year.
Some of his favorite candies were scattered across the surface and when pushed aside, revealed an envelope full of various pictures that his mother had taken over the year. There were some of his favorite places, his father, his little sister and of various other friends and family members, all waving hello to the Akio that missed them.
There were other knick knacks enclosed but he'd wasted enough time staring at the pictures to explore - a task to do before bed, surely, once his Aurora had her way with the evening.
Changing into something more casual (and the removal of the bow-tie that had become a staple to his work outfit), he spent the next twenty minutes getting ready and the remaining five hopping onto his vespa and making his way to his girlfriend's apartment.
Even after the unfortunate run-in with her father, nothing could ruin this day for Akio, not even if he was forced to celebrate his special day with his girlfriend's dad. The two women that he loved had remembered him and the schoolteacher was fairly certain that nothing could beat that, as far as birthday gifts went.
Parking along the side of the walking path, he noted that he failed to see Mr. Willow's car anywhere nearby. Possibly a good sign for the young man... possibly.
Ascending the stairs, he gave the door three knocks before stepping back and pressing his arms behind his back.
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Posted: Mon Sep 04, 2017 9:23 pm
The series of texts along with the image, that she saved, brought about a smile to the girl's face. Akio always managed to make her smile and she could feel something clench around her heart as she thought about how utterly patient he was being with her while she sorted out her feelings and figured out what she needed.
[Text to Fairytale Prince: Can't wait (: ]
Her text back simple, to the point, because there wasn't much else to say except maybe that she missed him or that she hoped his day was great but she felt like that had been implied earlier. Besides there was a lot to do before he came over because, well, she wanted things to be perfect.
Didn't Akio deserve that much?
By the time that six had rolled around, Rory had finished baking and cleaned the kitchen to prep the dinner that she had planned for him. While she wanted, ideally, to take him out to whatever place he might have wanted to go she hadn't been able to save nearly as much as she wanted. Besides, she knew the man well enough that he would insist on something cheap and simple if only because she fretted about staying within her budgets too frequently.
It was the life of someone who had grown up on tight money and had to learn to live within very, very strict means. Akio supported her through it and she had a feeling that he likely would have preferred a home cooked meal anyway. While she tried not to admit it (because her head kept going it's too soon, it's too soon) being domestic with him was easy. So easy that sometimes she felt like her whole life had been leading up to it.
That scared her. (It scared her the same way knowing that she would do anything if it meant keeping Seal safe.)
When he arrived, she answered the door mere moments after he knocked. Long turquoise hair had been wrangled into soft curls that were pinned to one side, light make up had been applied to her eyelids, and she wore one of her nicer sleeveless dresses with a sweater. Rory couldn't suppress the wide smile that graced her lips as she looked up at her much taller boyfriend.
"Hi handsome," she greeted, stepping forward and stretching so she could kiss his cheek. "Happy birthday."
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Posted: Tue Sep 05, 2017 6:49 am
She was absolutely breathtaking.
It wasn't as if she wasn't always beautiful - she was, incredibly so. The addition of makeup was surprising though, a subtle touch to add to her already natural beauty. Dresses weren't uncommon for her wardrobe style but it was clear that she'd dressed up with the one she'd chosen in particular - for him. She'd dressed up for him and, sure, he was already impressed with the fact that she'd remembered the date but for her to take the extra time for lowly, unimportant him...
Arms opened up automatically to envelope her, closing in around the tiny waist as he pulled her close. A head turn later and the cheek kiss was returned with one from his lips, though he did his best to be gentle, as to avoid mussing up the makeup job that she'd been so sweet to apply for the special occasion. "Thank you."
It was hard to pull away from the sweetness of his lips but once he finally pried away, the smile was still dancing on his lips. "You're the best part of the day, you know."
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Posted: Tue Sep 05, 2017 7:22 am
Grinning against his lips was automatic as was the simple push back into the sweet kiss that he provided her with.
Something about kissing Akio always made her heart feel light and airy. She could be happy with him, she could love him. She could.
"Hush," she breathed, cheeks flushing pink at the compliment. Licking her lips she took his hands and stepped backwards into her home to lead him inside. "You don't need to flatter me dummy, I'm already yours." As if to emphasis the words that managed to surprise her, she moved to kiss him again.
"I--" She paused, suddenly embarrassed and wondering if choosing to make dinner had been a poor decision or not. "I made dinner and desert." A quick shake of her head pushed aside any of her worries. Akio would reassure her that her making dinner was wonderful because he was the sweetest, best supportive boyfriend she was lucky enough to have as her first.
"But first, let's do presents."
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Posted: Tue Sep 05, 2017 8:43 am
The kisses were enticing but so was the smell wafting in from the direction of the kitchen. At the mention of food, his stomach growled - how long had it been since he'd inhaled the sandwich at lunch time? Six, seven hours?
Home cooking was a luxury for people who weren't exhausted when they got home; Akio hadn't realized how much energy it would take to corral a herd of youngsters until he'd closed the classroom door and started his first session. After that point, his evenings had consisted of frozen meals and easy-cook kits. Every now and again he'd share a meal with Aurora and those were the few times when he'd somehow find enough energy to create dishes with his sweetheart.
"Smells amazing," he confessed as he moved to walk past her, dragging her with him by their laced fingers. He only paused when she mentioned presents, the tall, newly twenty-four year old turning to give his girlfriend a look. Sure, he knew she'd gotten a job at a nearby coffee shop but that didn't mean spending her hard earned money on him - she was enough and if she didn't know that by now, he clearly wasn't doing a good job at being a boyfriend!
Still... "You didn't have to get me anything, beautiful - you know that, right?"
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Posted: Tue Sep 05, 2017 10:20 am
Usually Rory did meal prep on her day off and used that to make all of her dinners for the week that could constitute as leftovers. Plus, she did her best to make lunches for Akio when she could, but her time had been stretched far thinner than she would have liked. It was a habit that had been ingrained in her since she went into high school and her dad had been switched to the night shift which left young Aurora Willows on her own for food.
It created practical life skills in the teen at least.
"Don't be a dummy," she scolded, reaching up to tap his nose. "It's not about needing to, it's about me wanting to." She drew him into her for another kiss before ushering him to take a seat on the couch. A short moment later and she was depositing two carefully wrapped packages in his lap. When he unwrapped the larger of the two he would find a frame with a matching set of pictures; the ones from their respective graduations. The smaller gift was a paper jewelry box that had a leather bracelet with a tree that looked suspiciously like a willow tree.
Rory thought she was clever and she'd been so careful when it came to making the bracelet too.
It wasn't like the necklaces she gave Seal and Bazzi where Hydra's symbol was bold but it was still a part of her.
"Made salmon, hope that's okay?"
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Posted: Wed Sep 06, 2017 10:09 am
He was amicable, as always, when it came to being directed and moved around by his adorably short girlfriend. She quickly led him away from the kitchen with another kiss, choosing instead to force him onto the couch, which he happily complied with.
The two boxes were neatly wrapped - it was almost a shame to have to rip away the perfectly folded paper or cut the curled ribbon that held the box together. But, curiosity outweighed his appreciation for her wrapping skills and the paper came off. The first was a frame, simple but elegant. The pictures inside were familiar at a glance; one had been captured at his own college graduation while the second was from her own. Dual surprised grins lit up the faces of the graduates and for a moment, his grin matched the one of himself in the picture. Had it only been three, four months ago? Gah, it felt like at least a year had passed since the end of the school year.
As if to imitate the picture on the left, Akio leaned over and pressed a kiss against his girlfriend's cheek. "Thank you. It'll go on my desk, so I can look at it every time and remember how wonderful you are to me."
He didn't allow her any time to scold him for being hammy, moving to open the smaller of the two boxes. Out came a leather bracelet, a peculiar looking symbol on the jewelry catching his eye. It was a tree - symbolic, maybe? Holding it up to the light of the living room proved to aid in his studying, revealing the willow tree, in specific.
As in the Willow he always kept close to his heart.
"It's beautiful, Aurora. Thank you." Brown eyes only lifted up from the bracelet to glance over at his thoughtful girlfriend who seemed proud of the presents (as well she should be!). "Did you make this?"
Offering it to her, he stretched out his dominant hand. "Would you please put it on me?"
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Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2017 10:59 am
She seemed nervous for a brief moment until Akio's appreciation blossomed across his face and he pecked her cheek. Lips parted to tease him in return but he was opening his second present and she resigned herself to being quiet and patient for the time being.
"I know it's not exactly your thing but..." she chewed on her lip while she scooted forward to fasten it around his wrist. "Seemed cheesy enough for you," Rory teased, hesitating for half a second before she slid herself into his lap and placed her hands on either side of his face. "Yeah, it's okay right?" Her thumbs rubbed along his cheek bones when she leaned in to press her forehead against his, the tips of their noses brushing.
"Happy birthday Akio," she mumbled, using the pads of her fingers to brush some of his hair back. "I hope it's everything you wanted." Her fingers pushed his jaw up when she shifted to kiss him.
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Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2017 8:17 am
He had just enough time to hold out his wrist at a distance to admire the craftmanship before Aurora plopped herself down directly in his lap. Arms reached out automatically to circle around her - lest she tumble out - as her hands cupped his cheeks and she stared into dark brown eyes.
Wait... she'd taken the time to make the bracelet for him? That was even more sentimental to him than her finding it off of Etsy or another website; she'd dedicated both time and materials for him until she'd made him a bracelet particularly for his liking.
"It's perfect," he assured her, moving his head to where their noses brushed back and forth, forming an Eskimo kiss. "It's almost as beautiful as y--"
She'd cut him off with a kiss, but he was fairly certain that she knew where he was going with his comment. Hands tightened around her as he savored the birthday kiss - something he'd never been more excited over than he was right then and there.
Arguably the most important person in the world to him had remembered his birthday in such a spectacular way that he was almost speechless as to what to say.
Almost.
"Thank you," he murmured softly, one hand moving up to brush against her long hair, worn down especially for him. "I don't deserve any of this, beautiful - you are far, far too good to me."
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Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2017 12:07 pm
"Don't be a dummy," she scolded, leaning into his touch. "Of course you deserve this. You deserve so much more Akio." A peck to his lips before she was forcing herself to slide out of his lap and stand once again. As far as she was concerned, he was the one who was too good to her. "You're the best boyfriend I could have ever asked for, you know that right?" Small hands reached for his and she tugged him to his feet while she tried to hide her smile and failed as she looked up at him.
Akio made her feel safe and well, loved. The girl knew that there were very few things that he wouldn't do for her if she asked and she had never been more determined than in that moment to reciprocate.
Akio loved her and Seal did not; those were the simple facts of the matter and despite the aching of her heart she was going to accept it. She had to.
"I- " her voice shook but she forced herself to say it anyway, "I don't know what the future holds but I do know that I want you by my side for it, as long as you'll have me."
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Posted: Sat Sep 09, 2017 12:16 pm
He swallowed the words down, three small little words that threatened to escape, that he feared saying would ruin another wonderful affair between himself and the princess he'd fallen in love with. It hurt his heart to stare down and look at her, knowing he felt so much and couldn't express it.
Aurora was innocent - she didn't realize just how fragile life was, that it could be snuffed out at a moment's notice thanks to either driving force in this magical war that had seized the city. That he needed to express his feelings, lest his own light be smothered by one of the men Lady Hydra seemed to fear on his behalf.
Fingers toyed with soft hair, the birthday honoree moving to brush away her bangs before leaning down to kiss her across the lips. It was a chaste kiss, one worthy of a knight loyal to his dragon princess and he paused for a moment to bask in the words she offered him.
It wasn't love, but it was a declaration all the same. He wasn't sure if she was simply saying it because she couldn't reciprocate his own feelings but whatever the reason, he wasn't going to pry. Not today.
Another kiss and he replied quietly, "That's a very long time, Aurora, are you sure?" He gently brushed his nose against the top of her hair, lips moving to tease the peak of her forehead. "I wouldn't want the dragon princess to tire of her silly knight."
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Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2017 11:21 pm
Turquoise lashes fluttered when lips brushed hers fleetingly. Her heart beat to an erratic rhythm in her chest while she focused on her boyfriend and the things he was saying to her. Several blinks and a sharp inhale later and she was leaning into him, slender fingers sliding into messy brown locks as short nails scratched at his scalp.
"I'm sure," she replied firmly, jade eyes meeting blue ones. "You're not my silly knight." Knuckles from her free hand run down the side of his face as she steps closer, if it was even possible at this point with how they clung together. "You are my fairytale prince, Akio."
If she believed hard enough that he was her destiny, would that make it so?
Maybe it didn't matter if they had been brought together by fate or any red strings, she was choosing him and in the end, that was all that mattered. "I'm picking you," she told him as resolutely as she could manage. "If I am going to be a dragon princess, then you are the prince of my fairytale." Maybe it wasn't I love you but it was close enough.
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