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 Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2019 7:01 pm
The house was spotless, dinner was almost finished and the table had never looked more prepared for a romantic date night.
Yet, despite the perfection of his surroundings, Riley Kingsley was a frantic, anxious mess.
Hands were growing clammy as he moved to check the roast in the oven for the fourteenth time in the last ten minutes. The bread was already out and cooling, the salad was in the fridge staying as chilled as possible until it was time to eat and he hadn't bothered pouring ice into any of the glasses because he wasn't sure if she would want water or wine or maybe something different but the places at the table didn't look nearly complete without glasses at least sitting there and what if---
Pausing, teal eyes closed and he took a deep breath, exhaling with a shaky burst of air to leave his lungs. He counted to ten in his head, something he'd practiced on over and over again, trying to calm down his frazzled nerves as he reminded himself that it's just dinner and that everything is fine.
It was easy to get worked up over something trivial but with it being Valentine's Day, he wanted only the best for the woman in his life as she arrived home from work. Which, at glancing at the clock on the wall, would soon be any minute now.
Scurrying over to the table, he readjusted the gold trimmed rose for the twenty-second or so time next to her designated plate, in the same spot she always chose to eat at whenever they decided to eat at the table.
Hopefully she'd like the rose. And the dinner. And his gift.
......hopefully.
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Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2019 8:20 am
Lydia's day at the paper was relatively uneventful. There was an influx of people looking for advice for her column, which she expected given what month, and more specifically day, it was. As a result she spent most of her day typing up responses. It'd go up on digital before she left, presuming her editor accepted it without fuss-- which was usually how it went, but she'd seemed like she was on edge lately and Lydia wasn't taking any chances.
Still, when it came time for her to head home, she was grateful.
Riley would get a text stating that she was heading home and it also said that she loved him. Lydia always made sure to update Riley whenever she went from one place to another, it did wonders for his anxiety since they moved and she started working in the office instead of remotely.
Her keys jingled in the lock, signifying her arrival before she opened the door and stepped inside, already placing her purse on the hooks they'd fixed to the nearby wall and then she proceeded to pull off her puffier coat.
Lydia wished it would hurry up and be spring weather, she was tired of the cold.
"Ry, baby?" She called, slipping off her shoes and hanging up her coat. "Where are you--" she cut off when she peered around the corner and saw the entire set up.
"Wow, baby, you've been busy. This looks amazing."
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Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2019 12:46 pm
The sound of the door had his head turning like a Golden Retriever's, golden hair flying with the sudden jerk as socked feet scrambled to make it closer to the door. She beat him inside before he could open it and her eyes seemed to light up when she saw the presentation laid out before her.
At least... he hoped that was her eyes lighting up and he wasn't just imaging what he wanted to see.
"You really think so?"
Hands were moving up to smooth down his hair, which never seemed to want to stay in one place no matter how hard he tried to tame the blonde locks. Wide eyes watched her reaction, drinking in her expression and watching every detail on the off chance something was found disappointing.
Out of habit, his arms moved out to collect her into a hug, the comfort of her presence a constant reassurance to the anxious boy.
"I've missed you. Happy Valentine's day, Lyds."
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Posted: Sat Feb 16, 2019 6:03 pm
Her smile when she saw him brightened, the fondness for her husband obvious when she looked at him. "I definitely think so baby," she praised, welcoming his affection when his hands slid across her frame. Her own slid across his shoulders until they wrapped around his neck and slid into the locks he kept trying to tame.
Lydia leaned her weight into the man, stretching onto her tiptoes so that she could kiss him almost chastely before she rubbed their noses together affectionately.
"I missed you too Ry," she mumbled before she leaned forward for a proper kiss, tugging her husband down when she sank back onto her heels. "I'm hoping I can show you how much I missed you after dinner?" She whispered against his mouth, stealing kisses between words before she finally untangled herself from him.
"You really went all out baby, I'm so spoiled~"
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Posted: Sat Feb 16, 2019 6:11 pm
Kissing Lydia always felt like the the first time, every time.
His heart rate picked up in pace as her hands pulled him down to her level, erratic beats thumping wildly in his chest as his breath was stolen by kisses he harbored a growing addiction to. He could spend the entire evening chasing after her lips, repaying every kiss with one of his own.
Whispered words left him dazed, promises of an exciting evening lurking in the way she looked at him with those sultry, baby blue eyes. It took him a moment to recompose himself, lips already growing swollen from her attentive kisses as he cleared his throat.
"What - did you think I wouldn't do anything for Valentine's?"
Riley scoffed softly, hand sliding into hers as he led her towards the table, soon releasing it to take hold of the chair and pull it back for her.
"Gotta show my wife how much I appreciate her, yeah? Especially since she's been working hard all day."
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Posted: Sat Feb 16, 2019 6:50 pm
Lydia played with Riley's hair, brushing some of it back from his forehead as she looked up at him. Pleasure settled in her belly as she looked at his swollen lips and the way he looked back at her.
It didn't matter that they'd been married for a while and together even longer still, being with him was exciting and always left her wanting even from the softest of touches. "Of course not, you take every opportunity to spoil me," she praised, fingertips sliding down his cheek bones before she grabbed his chin to guide him down for one last kiss before she allowed herself to be led to the table, taking a seat once he had pulled it out.
"I've got the sweetest husband," she mumbled, reaching for his hand once he sat down and squeezing it, knowing that he found great comfort in her touch. "I would've rather been home with you. Maybe they'll start letting me work from home again so we can spend more time together."
Blue eyes flicked over towards the meal laid out. "You really outdid yourself Riley, all of this looks amazing."
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Posted: Sat Feb 16, 2019 7:11 pm
"You don't have to do that," he offered, feeling it obligatory to say. Both of them knew he preferred her to be home, considering... well. Considering him.
Riley Kingsley knew he had issues. Everyone had issues, it was a fact of life. But his issues had amplified over the past few years, almost crippling him in every facet of his life but the physical. He no longer could do many of the things that he normally did without feeling overwhelmed or terrified. It was ridiculous - it was stupid - but medication and therapy were doing what they could to help and he was trying, he really was, but...
"I'll probably start looking for a job soon too. It would help, having a second income." Idle chatter continued as he moved to the kitchen to retrieve the last parts of the dinner, bringing it all back to the table effortlessly. He knew he was lying through his teeth -- it was wishful thinking, really. And he knew Lydia knew better... but sometimes, sometimes it was nice to just pretend they were a normal couple and he wasn't some sort of burden on his poor, patient spouse.
"You look amazing," came the counter as he finally sat down at his seat, scooting in and dropping the napkin into his lap. "I'm the luckiest man in the world, to end up with a girl like you, y'know."
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Posted: Sat Feb 16, 2019 7:35 pm
"I don't have to do anything," Lydia responded in that matter-of-fact way of hers, "but I want to. I'd rather be at home with you than in a stuffy office full of people I only pretend to like." She reached for bread, pulling apart the warm roll before popping some into her mouth and chewing.
She knew her husband's anxiety kept him from being able to work like a 'normal' person and she certainly didn't mind being the breadwinner. After all, they'd never been a 'traditional' couple.
Lydia was the leading, dominate force, and she wore the metaphorical pants in the relationship which suited both of them just fine. It's always been Lydia and Riley and she couldn't see that ever ending.
"I'll keep my eye out for good listings, maybe sneak them your way before the wanted ads in the papers go up," she offered knowing that they were just playing at normal.
They'd find him a job eventually, she wasn't too worried. Her inheritance put them in an okay financial situation where they were able to buy the house easily enough and not be too in debt with the loan. They had time.
"We're lucky to have each other baby. Now stop sucking up and eat so that I can show you my appreciation for my incredible husband."
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Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2019 2:38 am
Lydia having a job at the paper would provide for a sneak preview of listings and the thought of searching for an actual job that required him to go out the house to do some actual, money-earning work had his chest seizing up and the grip on his fork tightening.
No.
It would be okay. He didn't have to choose anything. They were just looking. It wouldn't be a big deal to just look, right?
It took Riley a few seconds to mentally talk himself away from the ledge, a panic attack attempting to swell up inside of him at the mere thought of being pushed too far out of his comfort zone - by his own suggestion, no less. He grew quiet as he worked to breathe again (breathe! - in... out... in....out) but brought the fork to his mouth and chewed on the small bit of roast he'd cut from his serving, doing his best to pretend like he wasn't about to have a melt down over reading the paper right there at the dinner table.
"Sounds great, sweetheart. How was work today?"
Lydia's day: a much safer subject to talk about, he hoped.
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Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2019 11:54 am
Lydia picked up on the quietness of her spouse and knew, almost immediately, that it was tied up in his anxiety and that her attempts at playing along had created a spike in panic.
"But that's something to worry about later, I like having you home right now." If she presented as something she needed from him it would help calm him down. "Selfishly I like that I can ask you to come visit me or I can call you whenever I want instead of having to work around a schedule."
She cut into her own portion of meat and tried to let things settle around them.
"Fine. Becky kept popping in to make some comment about her latest date being a hunk. Lots of people wanted advice for Valentines," Lydia told him after she finished chewing. "What did you do today besides make me this amazing meal baby?"
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Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2019 1:29 pm
"Becky's with a new guy already? Wasn't she with... Pete, wasn't it?"
Office talk was safe. Mundane, casual, every chatter was good and distracting, better than him trying to focus on eating instead of anxiety. Lydia always knew how to better a situation - god, the woman knew him better than he knew himself, most days.
"I'm sure everyone wants to know what the clever Mrs. Kingsley suggests for Valentine's Day," he conceded with a small grin, pausing to wash down his bites with the water he'd poured for himself. "I still think you should push to be an Editor for the place -- you're an asset there, Lyds."
His day never seemed to be anywhere near as exciting as hers but he was okay with that. He'd felt bad at the beginning of their... situation, that he wasn't an exciting, interesting partner. But she'd proven time and time again that he was enough for her and if she felt he was enough, then he was enough.
"Cleaned. And..." Eyes darted off towards the hallway leading towards the rest of the house, "May have hidden a few surprises for you, around and about."
The grin grew wider and he couldn't help but wink, the anxiety quickly fading as a small bout of confidence began to surface through his expression.
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Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2019 4:18 pm
"No her last boyfriend was a Jacob or maybe it was Johnny. Who knows." Lyds shook her head, cutting herself more roast and popping it into her mouth. Salad came next and so did some more bread.
"I don't want to be the editor," she replied, setting her fork down when she went to take a drink of water. "It means more responsibility and less time with you. I'm comfortable where I am." The woman knew she was suited for the position but she didn't want the extra responsibility and having to manage other people was less than ideal.
"Besides, they won't pay me what I'm worth. If they give me a better offer then we can talk about it okay?" It was her way of shutting down the conversation temporarily. It wasn't worth discussing when they were only going to pay her a few dollars an hour over her current salary.
"More surprises for me? Riley, you shouldn't have. Mmm my husband is so good to me," she hummed, reaching for him and leaning forward to kiss him.
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Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2019 5:47 pm
His hand slid out to take hold of hers, squeezing it gently as she spoke of the office and how underpaid she was. She really was worth so much more than she was putting up with - he admired how firm she was. Lydia Kingsley couldn't be pushed over - she was a stalwart rock and it was a stalwart rock that he relied on for every sense of support.
"I gotta keep up with how good my wife is to me~"
He happily returned the kiss and gave her hand another squeeze before releasing it. She'd find a new set of candles and a bath bomb waiting for her in the bathroom, a small box of chocolates on her nightstand and a small teddy bear on her side of their king sized mattress, among a handful of rose petals. He hadn't wanted to go full cliche but...well, it at least seemed romantic to him. If anything, it at least helped the bed smell even better than the fresh sheets he'd put on them that morning.
On the teddy bear though was the real surprise - a small little star pendant, simple but pretty, dangling from a chain.
Riley had saved up parts of the stipend she gave him for spending money, squirreling it away ever since Christmas. Because, after all, if he couldn't manage to please Lydia of all people then surely there was no chance for him to ever find happiness.
"You want dessert now or after dinner settles a bit?"
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Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2019 6:04 pm
He made her grin so easily, her smile warm and bright when she pulled away. Blue eyes lingered on his face, soaking in every handsome feature of her sweet husband who she knew would do anything and everything she asked if only she'd ask.
Taking a few more bites she cleared her plate and contemplated how much she'd want more of the food he had spent so much time preparing. Ultimately, she decided that it she was done and that everything would make such wonderful leftovers for her lunches.
"Dessert sounds nice," she admitted, knowing that he'd undoubtedly done something absolutely wonderful for her. "Even if your kisses are all the sweetness I need~" She teased.
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Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2019 6:46 am
Her teasing was met with a quick stolen kiss, Riley rising up from his seat to lean over towards her before scooping up both of their dishes. For still being in socks, he managed to glide across the floor with ease on his way to the kitchen, the special dessert still waiting for her in the fridge.
Dishes were deposited in the sink (something that would normally bug him until they were properly washed and returned to their rightful homes in the pantries) and he turned to fetch the dish from the fridge. A few minutes of rummaging around for things and he was finally turning the corner from kitchen to dining room, two plates in hand.
A slice of fresh cheesecake sat on each one, perfectly cut (okay, mostly perfectly cut) with a strawberry glaze dripping from the top. Berries lined up the side - he'd taken a minute to make sure they looked as good as the example on the online recipe post before bringing it out because... well. Because Lydia was worth impressing, as far as he was concerned.
Laying both plates in front of him, he moved to sit back in his chair but didn't scoot forward. Instead, he looked over her and gestured towards both plates, then himself.
"Wanna snuggle while we finish up?"
Eating while in a lap wasn't exactly practical but as far as Riley was concerned... it was totally, without a shadow of a doubt, worth it.
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