Fantasy Caught in the Waves (Closed)

[AvianJen]

There were always times that Ella doubted, but when he said that there wasn't a chance of him leaving she believed him. They were in love, and she couldn't imagine why he would ever want to leave or where he would go. As far as Ella was concerned, Peter was going to be by her side forever. Except for the occasions when he would be required to travel. But hopefully once he became more established in his career she would be able to come with him every once in a while. Ella thirsted for adventure too, and it didn't seem fair that he got to have all the fun. But for now, she was satisfied with her own adventure that was university. "I know," she said, rising on her toes to kiss him. "Me, too."

The sight of his smile just made hers wider- she was still a little bit sad, but he seemed to be very good at cheering her up. When he leaned down to whisper in her ear Ella blushed at his words, her stomach flipping with excitement. She wouldn't admit it, but she had sort of been hoping that was what he would say. "Hmm. He's not home, he's at a business meeting," she murmured, a tiny smile pulling at the corners of her lips. Josie was home, but surely she had better things to do than spy on her and Peter, and she already knew that Ella wasn't a virgin anymore. "I'd say that sounds like a good idea."

She took his hand and led him inside, up the marble staircase and into her bedroom. She closed the door behind her and locked it, wanting to ensure that nobody walked in on them this time. The servants weren't going to be coming down to this part of the house this late in the afternoon, so they should be in the clear. With the door safely locked behind them, Ella approached Peter again and wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning up to kiss him passionately.

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

Peter definitely planned on being able to take her around the world one day, so long as she never stopped believing in him. Somehow he was as confident that she wouldn't as much as she was confident that he could never leave her now. It did feel good to have some validation, though, and he smiled when she kissed him. "Good," he agreed.

The corners of his mouth turned up once more at her acceptance of his proposal. To be honest, there had already been plenty of times since the first that he had wanted to go again, but they hadn't been given quite the opportunity. He couldnt care less if Josephine knew at this point, seeing as she'd caught them already once. He was still terrified of her father finding out for obvious reasons, though, and didn't dare get too carried away while he was around. Now seemed like a good time, and he gladly followed her up to her room, eager to make up for any missed goodnight kisses and then some.

She wasted no time at all, and neither did he. He kissed her back just as passionately, already reaching for the buttons on her dress. This time around, although he was still careful to not hurt her in any way, he was much more confident and much less patient to get started. People always made such a big fuss about the first time, but as great as that could be, it was Peter's honest opinion that any subsequent time was bound to be better. Ella knew better now what to expect, and Peter had had a chance to learn a little about what she liked. Mostly he was eager to just be with her again because he loved her and there was no better thing you could share with the person you loved.

 

[AvianJen]

Ella had been wanting to do it again too, although the opportunity had never presented itself. The timing was never quite right. Father was always home, or they just weren't thinking about it. But now Ella was desperate to be close to him, as close as she knew how. It had been wonderful last time, but Ella was hoping that she could make this time even better for him. Now that she knew a little bit about what it was like and what she should do, she could be a little more confident in her own actions instead of Peter slowly guiding her through it. She was also very interested to find out what it felt like in a bed instead of outside.

As soon as the door was closed Peter went for it, unbuttoning her dress and letting it fall to the ground. Ella took care of the rest and then began to get him out of his suit, which she found incredibly sexy all on it's own. And just as expected, the second time was even better than the first. It was more passionate, less awkward on Ella's part and far more comfortable on the bed. Ella just hoped that Josie didn't hear anything, because she wasn't exactly great at being quiet just yet.

When they were finished, Ella pulled the covers over them and cuddled against him, breathless. She wished that she could stay there forever, that they could have dinner delivered to the room without even having to get out of bed. But dinner would be ready soon and Father would be home, which meant they both had to make themselves presentable again and go downstairs as if nothing had ever happened. The thought of it made Ella smile; it was their little secret.

"I love you," she murmured, pressing a kiss on Peter's shoulder. "I wish we could do this all the time." Maybe that was a silly thing to say, but Ella was still discovering it all.

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

Ella did manage to surprise Peter with her boost of confidence, but it was well received. It wasn't that he felt she was unconfident the first time, but there was a marked difference between someone who had no experience and one who did, even if it was still limited. He appreciated that she was willing and able to try a few things on her own now. Even if Josephine could hear them, Peter rather enjoyed the noises he was able to get Ella to make, and it was a pretty good indication that this second time was probably even more enjoyable than the first. It was only going to continue to get better, he thought, as they each became more familiar and comfortable with each other. He found that there were still parts about her to explore and discover, and that in itself was half the fun.

Afterwards, he pulled her close, tired from their passion, but satisfied to be with her again. He wasn't quite thinking ahead to dinner yet, just happy enough to be in the moment. Unfortunately though, yes, they would eventually need to get up and dressed before her father found out, but they had time yet for some cuddles and pillow talk. That was all he really cared to focus on for now.

"I love you, too," he said, then chuckled at her comment. "Yes, me too. But twice so far isn't so bad." He grinned, thinking that there was something amusing about getting away with an act that would only get them in trouble if they were caught. Well, caught by the wrong person. Josephine finding them had been embarrassing, and sort of scary at first, but at least she cared enough about her sister to leave it alone.

He turned slightly on his side, drawing her up into a slow and tired kiss. "I don't know how I got so lucky to have you," he said. The world wasn't supposed to let a rich girl and a pirate fall in love, yet... He loved her more than everything.

 

[AvianJen]

Maybe twice so far wasn't so bad, but Ella wished that they had more opportunities. It was funny, but now it was like she was finally starting to understand why people were so obsessed with this. Especially if it just got better and better as you gained more experience. Ella was addicted to him, and she was going to go through some serious withdrawal when he left. She kissed him back, snuggling against his chest and closing her eyes, just enjoying his closeness. "I'm the lucky one," she murmured. That was true, at least in Ella's opinion; she was incredibly lucky to have a man who supported her and loved who she was and wanted to be. Peter wasn't going to ask her to change or lead a life that wouldn't make her happy. But maybe she could consent to admitting that he was a little bit lucky, too.

The day of his departure came far too quickly, partially because it actually ended up happening a couple days early. Mr. Lawrence had decided to leave on Friday instead of on Monday, and Ella was far from emotionally prepared. She'd spent all of last night in Peter's room sleeping tucked into his arms, but morning inevitably came, and it was a sad one.

Ella tried very hard to be as supportive and happy as she could be, even with how sad she was. She'd helped him pack, given him about a thousand kisses, and told him over and over again how proud she was. But when they made it to the docks and she realized that she would actually have to watch him sail away and he wouldn't return for two whole weeks, her emotions started to get out of control again. It was hard to imagine getting up and going through her day without seeing him, and Ella didn't like it one bit. Her father and Josie were there as well, mostly for Ella's emotional support, but she was stubbornly holding onto Peter, not wanting to let go of his hand. She walked him down to the ship itself, dreading the moment when Mr. Lawrence would tell him it was time to get on board.

"You...you be careful," she commanded seriously. "I don't want to hear about you doing anything stupid, or getting drunk...you're only allowed to get drunk with me." That part was mostly a joke- keyword "mostly." "And..." Ella's voice cracked slightly. She was trying not to cry; she'd promised herself that she wouldn't, but it was difficult. "And I just...I love you, a lot, and I'm really going to miss you." She stood on her toes and pulled him down to kiss her still hugging him tightly and lingering there for a long moment.

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

It was unfortunate that Mr. Lawrence unexpectedly moved the trip up for the reason that Peter had to say goodbye to Ella a couple days early, but he was also very excited to be going on this trip at all, and tried to let that excitement cushion any anxieties he had about leaving Ella behind. This trip would be one step closer to any other adventures they could share together, and that made him feel much better about it. That didn't mean he wasn't still sad to say goodbye. Ella was his best and only friend anymore, his family, and he was pretty sure the love of his life. An exciting adventure without her would always be better if she was able to share it with him, but for now he was okay with going it alone.

He was patient with her when it came to the final moments in front of the ship. He kissed her back, held her tight for as long as he could. Although her sadness itself by no means made him smile, he was amused at how she suddenly resembled the kind of women he and the crew used to make fun of when they hung around the docks - overly anxious, crying, clinging to their departed loved one by the coattail. Now he knew what it was like to have someone behave that way because he was leaving, and he thought he would never judge another woman again. He was thankful someone loved him so much.

He chuckled when she tried to tell him not to drink. "Ella, you telling me not to drink is like me telling you not to read," he said. It was a problem, he could admit. But it was a fun one. "But I won't get too drunk, and not with any women. I promise." He leaned down to kiss her back, ignoring the watchful eyes of passerby and committing how it felt to hold her to memory so he could get through the next couple of weeks. When they finally parted, he told her he loved her too before Mr. Lawrence leaned out over the railing of the ship to bark at him that it was time to leave.

With a sigh, he stroked her cheek and pushed a strand of hair out of her face. "Well, that's my cue to leave, Estrella," he said with a sad smile. "I'll be back before long. You won't even miss me." He gave her one last peck on the lips, and another on top of her head. "I love you. Be good." And then, he pulled away and drug himself back to the ship before he had a chance to change his mind, waving at her, her father, and Josie from the deck once on board.

 

[AvianJen]

Ella was actually trying pretty hard not to be one of those crying, clingy women who held onto their lovers as they were trying to depart; Ella had never judged them, but she did think that it was rather sad. She didn't want to be sad like that, and besides, her lover would be back in her arms in a mere fourteen days. It wasn't long, she knew, it was just the newness of it all. Ella knew that this was something that would get easier every time that he went, but this was the first time. That was why it was so hard.

She had to let out a tiny laugh at his response, but it just made her hug him tighter. She didn't mind if he drank, she just didn't want him to get too intoxicated...not that she didn't trust him, but she didn't trust the people who might be around him. When he promised not to get drunk with any women she was mostly satisfied. Their kiss was perhaps a little too passionate when they weren't standing too far from her father and his employer, but Ella wasn't thinking about that and if she had been she wouldn't have cared. When they separated and Mr. Lawrence called to say it was time to leave, Ella had to fight against her instincts to hold him back. Instead of holding on too tight she loosened her grip, freeing him to go.

Ella offered him the best smile she could muster and nodded. "You're going to do great," she said. He was wrong- she would miss him like crazy, but she didn't want him to worry about her too much. Ella would be fine, and he would return safely having had the time of his life. It was just hard to watch him sail away. "I love you more," she murmured sincerely. "You be good." She backed up so that he could board the ship and returned to her family with tears in her eyes. Ella knew that she was being absurdly emotional about this, but she couldn't help it. Peter was actually leaving.

She turned around in time to wave him goodbye as the ship began to move, blowing him kisses until he was out of sight. They stayed until the ship had sailed past the horizon, and Ella fought against the suddenly empty feeling that had taken root. She wasn't empty- she had her sister and her father beside her, but she couldn't explain it. Finally, she turned to her family. Father gave her a big hug, but he didn't have much to say other than, "He'll be back soon, sweetheart," to which Ella nodded sadly.

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

Leaving her wouldn't be easy, and Peter knew that, but he had plenty of work to keep him busy and distracted. He just hoped Ella could do the same for herself. He did worry about her and how she would be when he was gone as well, not just that she would be sad, but for all the other reasons a person could irrationally worry for their lover. It was good that they would get this practice in now though, and looking back on this goodbye, they would probably both laugh at how melodramatic it was.

"I hope so. I'll tell you all about it when I get back," he said, then smiled at her insistence that she loved him more. "I'm not really sure that's possible, but I appreciate the sentiment," he added, and nodded that he would be on his best behavior. Then it was far too soon that he was turning his back on her to join his new crew and Mr. Lawrence. A few of the men whistled and clapped him on the back at his arrival, having just witnessed the goodbye for themselves. He had to grin with pride knowing that even though he was leaving now, he was the only one aboard the ship who had a woman like Ella to come home to.

As Ella came to join the rest of her family, Josephine gave her a hug and rubbed her back soothingly. Even she had to admit having Peter gone for the next couple of weeks was going to be odd. She had sort of gotten used to him being around. She never much cared for the man, but her heart did feel for Ella. She knew what it was like to tough out the absence of a loved one, but at least Peter would be back, and it wasn't like watching her sister's heart get broken for real. Things would be normal again soon, and any help Ella needed from her in the meantime, she would gladly give.

They stayed there until the ship disappeared behind the horizon, then Mr. Sinclair wrapped an arm around each of his daughters. "Alright, girls. Come. Let's go home."

 

[AvianJen]

Despite everything, Ella couldn't help but feel a surge of pride as she watched Peter board the ship- a merchant's ship, not a pirate ship. He was well-groomed and impossibly handsome, and he was turning his life around. Yes, he was leaving her temporarily, but this was still a huge step in the right direction. Ella was so proud of him, and she hoped that he knew that.

She accepted Josephine's hug gratefully, happy that she had her sister for comfort. It was going to be so strange not seeing Peter every day, but hopefully only the first few days would be hard. Then she could get past missing him and just focus on being excited for him to return. It hurt her heart to watch the ship disappear, but when it was gone there was nothing more to see, and she nodded when their father said it was time to go home. Reluctantly, Ella turned around and climbed into their carriage to be transported back to the estate.

Already, it didn't feel quite the same. Ella wasn't sure what to do with herself; she'd gotten so used to having Peter here. Eventually she just did what she always did: practiced piano for a while, read a book until her eyes hurt, and stole food from Rory before dinner. Eventually she happened upon Josephine again.

"So...how is date planning going?" she asked. She and Alec's big date was tomorrow, and she was excited for her sister. Ella knew that she would have something wonderful planned out for them, and they deserved it.

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

While Ella found the first few hours of Peter's absence difficult, there was at least one person in the house who found it somewhat relieving. It wasn't all that different, but at least Josie no longer had to worry about accidentally stumbling in on her sister and Peter once more. Before he had left, she was pretty sure she might have heard what they were up to a couple of times, and she rather preferred not to. Maybe there would be more to come when he returned, but for a couple weeks at least she had her sister back to herself. Call her a little selfish or even jealous, but she sometimes missed the days where they would spend most of their time together, even if they did nothing together. Now it seemed like Ella spent much of her free time with Peter, and Josephine had been too preoccupied with her own problems lately to have much energy left when she managed to catch Ella alone.

This time, however, it was Ella who caught Josie. She wasn't doing much other than bending over a flower pattern she was stitching onto a piece of fabric, listening to Ella play her piano, while she mostly just thought quietly to herself. She had a lot on her mind still, running the events of the last few days over in her mind. She felt considerably better about John after a couple of days. It was out of her control, and although she hated having a lack of control, she chose to spend her energy on her actual relationship instead. The only problem with that was that it was stressing her out more than was necessary. She had never had to do this before. Not with anyone. And the fact that Alec meant a lot to her, and they'd just had an argument about it, only seemed to complicate the matter.

She looked up pensively from the flower. "I don't know. It's... going... I suppose," she said. Everything she might like to do she was afraid Alec wouldn't like. Or it was too structured, and she knew Alec didn't necessarily like that either, and it would take away from any fun they could have. And anything she might actually want to do, like take him to the market and introduce him to Miss Crawford while they bought some chocolates from her, she wasn't allowed to do because of Alec's stipulation that they couldn't do anything public. "I don't know. You think it'd be easier now that we don't have to hide anything, but I don't think either one of us really knows what to do with our freedom after so long without it." They had fallen into a comfortable pattern, but this was new. An exciting new, but new nonetheless.

 

[AvianJen]

It was becoming rapidly apparent that Ella needed another distraction, because reading and piano wasn't quite working. It would probably do her some good to focus on Josie's problems- or, hopefully her lack of problems. She sat down on the sofa next to her sister and peered over at her stitching, very impressed. Ella had never been very good at things like that. "It's pretty," she commented, reaching out and running her fingers across the smooth stitching. "You should give it to Alec. He needs to decorate a bit," she suggested with amusement. Alec's house was perfectly nice, but there wasn't much in it yet. Ella couldn't wait to see what it looked like when Josie got her hands on it. "That might be a fun date idea actually, for the future- give Alec's house a makeover." It sounded silly, but Ella knew that was exactly the sort of thing she'd want to spend all day doing with Peter, even though their decorating would probably be much clumsier than Josephine's and probably include a lot of crafting. "I'm sure he'd like that, don't you think?"

She was happy to hear that it was going well, though, and she scooted closer. "Well...what are you going to do?" she asked playfully. It seemed like it was stressing her out though, and Ella sighed, tugging on her hair. "You're overthinking it," she decided after a moment. Josie always overthought things, especially things that had to do with Alec. "Just...don't think about the freedom part. It doesn't matter. Pretend as if you two never were a secret. What would you want to do?" She really did think that Josie was getting too hung up on the specifics of it all. Who cared about that?

"All that matters is that you get to spend time together and you have fun," she said. "I mean, what about going for a ride? Alec loves horses, and you could even take a ride in town to get out, like you want to. I'm sure he wouldn't object to that." She was speaking as if Josie didn't already have the whole thing planned, which she probably did, but Ella wanted to help...and she needed to think about something other than the fact that Peter could be getting eaten by a shark right now.

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

Josephine smiled at the compliment. It had been a while since she spent a lot of time sewing, but she found it relaxing. She could spend hours stitching intricate patterns onto cloth, and loved that each design could be used for something practical too. "Thank you," she said, finishing off a blue petal. "Actually, I was kind of already planning on it." She was ten steps ahead of Ella already. In her mind she practically had an idea of how she wanted everything to look from the curtains, down to the color of the flowers on the table, and everything in between. "The house is a little bare bones right now, and I figured it could use something to liven it up." Even before the house, Josephine had made a few things for Alec with the intention of making the loft a little cozier or to replace the items that were more worn. She always thought things looked better with a bit of a feminine touch

As far as their date went, she had not given much thought to what she would do if they had never had to keep their relationship a secret. It was just the nature of how their relationship had always been, and usually the other men she dated had all sorts of ideas that she more or less just went along with because she had to. Ella was right about her overthinking it, though. She tended to do that a lot, especially when it came to Alec. "I don't know... There's things I want to do, but I don't think they're good ideas for our first date. Like... It's girly and silly, but attending one of father's parties together for once has been a fantasy of mine for a while. He might do it just to please me, but I know it's not really his thing. Also, it's not like father has any planned." She paused for a moment, mulling over the few simpler ideas she had. "I thought about asking Rory to give me a few recipes we can cook together. I figure... Alec can cook some things, obviously, but we've always had Rory... So I thought it could be a fun way to learn. I'll have to eventually."

But of course there would be a ride in there somewhere. Josephine knew that Alec's greatest passion was his horses, and it was something she had never gotten to share with him before due to circumstances. At least not privately, or for long periods or time, or not ever off the property. She wasn't sure he would want to ride into town, though. "Maybe... Maybe not. I'm not sure he's ready for anyone to see us together quite yet. But... I was sort of thinking about maybe introducing him to mother. That should be private enough, and I always wished she was around to meet him. I think she would have been more accepting of him than father was at first. I don't know, that isn't too dark and depressing for a first date, though, is it?"

 

[AvianJen]

Ella had never found sewing relaxing. She'd always fought with the stitches, wishing that they could be as pretty as her sister's but always ultimately failing. She had her piano, though, and her books. They couldn't have all the same hobbies, and Ella was glad that they didn't. It kept things exciting. She smiled again at the thought of Josephine trying to brighten up Alec's place, and nodded. "It does," she agreed. Alec didn't have a lot of things in his possession to put in such a big space- it wasn't a big space to Ella, but it was a mansion compared to the loft he'd lived in before. A lovely blue flower would be nice, and if Josephine made it then Ella was sure he'd smile every time he saw it. Maybe she should make something for Peter, while he's away. "His house will be nice, though, once it's all fixed up. Don't you think? Father picked a good one."

She raised her eyebrows at the mention of going to one of Father's parties with Alec, thinking it was funny she brought that up as something she'd like to do for a first date. "Well, you'll get to do that eventually," Ella said with a laugh. "Father can't go very long without throwing a party, and I'm sure Alec would go. I imagine he'll throw even more parties once we move out, just as an excuse to get us to visit." Of course, the girls visiting their father wouldn't be an issue. It made Ella sad to think of him living in this huge estate all alone, but maybe he wouldn't. He had to give the estate to one of the girls when he died and Ella knew it would probably be Josephine, his eldest, but she didn't mind the idea of living at the estate until that happened and she didn't think Peter would either. Especially if he was going to be gone often. But it was too soon to be thinking about that and it made her sad, so she pushed the thoughts from her mind.

The cooking idea was a very good one, however, and Ella's face brightened at the thought. Neither of the girls could really cook, but that sounded like a fun way to learn. "Josie, I think he'd love that," she said approvingly. Simple and private, but also with potential to be very fun. It sounded like a good way to just have a great time. "I think that sounds perfect." A ride, followed by a home cooked meal. It sounded just like the lifestyle that they were eventually going to have together. The mention of taking him to visit their mother's grave was different, though, and Ella sobered slightly. "I...I don't know," she admitted. "I think that's up to you." Ella didn't think she'd be taking Peter to their mother's grave for a long time, but Josie and Alec had known each other for much longer. "If it were me, I think I would wait until I was engaged," Ella said finally as she gathered her thoughts. "But you should take him when you think the time is right."

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

Josie beamed, excited just to see Alec and give him a little something special. It wasn't often they got to exchange gifts, and though she had taken a risk and gave him a few things in the past, it had been difficult knowing if her father found them, it would raise questions. "Well, this time I'll give him flowers, and this one will never die." Or need to be hidden from anyone. She had a book upstairs where she kept every flower he'd ever given her perfectly pressed. She had a plan one day to take them, frame them in an arrangement, and hang it on the wall somewhere. It could be a wedding or anniversary gift to him, when the time came. "And yes, I think so. I'll miss it here, but the house is charming, too. He's put so much work into it, it will be nice once it's all finished." Mostly she was just excited to share any space with him.

She would miss father though too, so moving out was going be hard just because she wouldn't see her family everyday. Still, Ella was probably right that he would throw many parties as an excuse to get them to visit, and she had to laugh at that. "True. And I would go just for the excuse to wear fancy ballroom dresses again for a night. And to see you, of course. Do you think it will be strange? I mean, I know we still have time, but... We've never really been apart. It's a little hard to imagine." She and Ella were very close despite their differences.

She was glad Ella thought cooking would be a good idea. Josephine didn't have very high hopes that anything she attempted to cook would turn out well - she hardly knew how to hold a spatula - but she was down for the experience. Maybe Alec could even teach her a few things, and if not, they could still have fun trying. If nothing ended up being edible, there was still Rory to rely on. Though Ella's uncertainty about visiting their mother was leaving her a little more pensive. "I just feel like... I don't know. Father knows Alec and accepts him now. You know Alec, obviously. The only one I care about who doesn't know about him or us is mother, and... Even though she's gone, that doesn't mean I can never formally introduce them." She had never been a very religious person, but Josephine desperately wanted to believe in Heaven simply because it meant the people you loved could still remain with you after they passed. It was important to her to eventually take Alec there. They were as good as engaged already, and being with him for two years, she didn't see much of a point in waiting anyway. "Maybe it's too sad for our first date, though. And just because I'm ready doesn't mean he is, I guess." Alec already seemed stressed out, and the last thing she wanted to do was freak him out and inadvertently push him away.

 

[AvianJen]

Josie always found ways to be sentimental. Ella wasn't usually so creative, but she thought it was sweet. Alec wasn't always the most romantic guy she knew, which usually meant that Josie had to be romantic enough for the both of them, but Alec always won in the flower department. Flowers were something he could do a little more discreetly, wildflowers in particular since Josie could always claim to have picked them herself in the field if she was asked. He'd given her flowers as often as he could, and Ella knew that Josie had many of them pressed in a book. It was sweet, and she found herself daydreaming about what kind of traditions like that she and Peter would develop. They hadn't been together for two years, but Ella was convinced they had much longer than that to go.

"He'll love it," she said encouragingly. She also agreed that the house was charming, and when Josie got her hands on it it really would be precious. Her sister was a master decorator, and even though it was a small space Josie would make it feel like home. Ella couldn't wait to visit, though with she and Peter's restless personalities she hoped that they ended up with just a little more space. And there she went again, thinking about Peter. He had only been gone for a few hours, but she was already missing him. "I want to make something for Peter," she decided, scooting closer to her sister and peering at the pretty flower. "Something to keep me busy while he's gone...any ideas?"

It was hard to imagine, not living in the same house as her sister. They were best friends and they'd always been together, but somehow Ella didn't think that living apart would be so strange. They were already beginning to see how their lives were taking different directions, and she thought that living apart would be a natural progression. "It is," she agreed. "But I think it'll be okay. You won't have to deal with me and Peter anymore, at least." Ella knew that despite her best efforts, Josie still wasn't completely sold on her relationship. It would probably be nice for her to not have to pretend to get along with him all the time. "And you'll be so busy, having kids and learning to cook and cleaning...you won't even notice I'm not there," she added teasingly.

Ella understood why Josie wanted to take Alec to visit mother. It didn't sit quite right with her, but her relationship was completely different and maybe now was the right time to take Alec. It wasn't her place to say, but she could at least voice her thoughts. "I think...I think maybe it's too heavy for tomorrow," she said. "I know you've been together for a long time, but you're kind of...rediscovering your relationship, you know? I'd wait until you've gotten into the new routine, and I think you're feeling enough pressure about tomorrow as it is."

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

Josie smiled, hoping that Ella was right. She wanted to give Alec something for a change, especially because they had reason to celebrate. After all, their anniversary had come and passed during the period they weren't even allowed to see each other. It had been devastating for her, but now they were together again and everything would hopefully be alright. Her artwork was a nice house-warming gift and reminder that their love was strong enough to survive even the worst hardships.

"Why don't you compose a song?" she suggested after giving Ella's question a thought. While sewing was more her own strength, Ella was extremely musically talented, especially at the piano, and she knew Peter liked to sit and listen while she played. She couldn't remember if Ella had ever written a song before, but it would probably be fun to at least try. Josephine thought she could be good at it - and he'd love that. Two weeks was more than enough time to come up with something fun and simple, while also keeping her occupied.

Music was something Josephine would probably miss about leaving. It made her happy to hear her sister play, and it wasn't like there was much room Alec's house for a piano. Not that she was particularly great at it herself. Apart from the occasional singing, she was never really that talented with music. Though leaving was something she would eventually get used to. They could always visit. She had to chuckle a little bit when Ella pointed out she wouldn't have to deal with her and Peter anymore, though. "I don't know about that. I feel like I'll always have to deal with you and Peter. Plus, with how annoying you are? I'd notice," she teased. "But I love you, so I'll miss you, too."

She went back to meticulously sewing small details onto the flower, trying to make it look as realistic as she could with just some thread and a needle. She figured Ella was probably right about taking Alec to see their mother just yet. She desperately wanted to, but at the same time, it was true. They were learning about what it was like to not have a secret relationship. They had to adjust to what the new normal was now that they could be normal. "Yeah... probably. I think I'm just excited to finally show him all the parts of my life he's never been able to see before. Like... can you believe he's never seen my room? It's a little strange, considering we've spent practically our entire relationship in his. I know the color of his pillows, yet he wouldn't even know what wall my bed is up against," she said. They were small details, but details that defined her life ever so slightly, and he didn't know about them. "It just feels wrong that there's still so many parts of me he isn't familiar with yet, and I guess mother is the biggest one right now." He knew about her, but he'd still never seen her. Two years seemed like a long time to go without them meeting, but it wasn't like they were the typical couple.

 

[AvianJen]

Compose a song? That definitely wasn't anything that Ella would have thought of for herself, and she'd never tried writing music before. How could she write a song for Peter? Sure, he'd probably love anything she did with him in mind, but that sounded a little bit scary. "I don't know if I'd be very good at that," she said uncertainly, but it was a good idea in theory. "I've never tried composing before, I have no idea how to do it." She could probably come up with a few chords, but nothing special. Writing something for him, though...that was an idea. "What if I wrote him a story?" she said, thinking out loud. "That's almost the same, I think I could do that. Is that stupid?" She didn't want to be over the top or anything, but...she wanted to have something special for him when he came back.

She grinned when Josephine pointed out that she would always have to deal with Peter, letting out a laugh. "Well, yes, you will," she agreed happily. "Just not as constantly, maybe. But don't worry, I'll find plenty of ways to annoy you." Ella knew that was true; she was going to be the kind of aunt that took her sister's children for a day and fed them nothing but sugar, making them a handful for their mother when they got home. And of course she would always be her loud, energetic self. Sometimes that was enough to drive Josie crazy. "I'll miss you, too," she said with a genuine smile.

Ella really couldn't believe that Alec had never seen Josie's room. The idea almost made her blush a bit, thinking about how much time she and Peter had spent in her room in the last week alone. She was certain that he knew the color of her pillows, let alone which wall her bed was up against. They spend a lot of time just sitting there, reading near her bookshelf and not saying anything, but they'd spent some time doing other things as well. It was crazy to think that Alec and Josephine had been together for two years and he didn't know those kinds of things about her. She understood where Josephine was coming from, strangely enough- sometimes that was a rarity. "Well, what else is there?" she asked. "I mean, besides mother and your bedroom. What are some things that you can show him now?"

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

"I think you would be," Josephine said. "But it's up to you. It was just a suggestion." But it seemed like her idea lended Ella the hand to think of her own, and Josie smiled, liking her idea of writing a story equally as interesting. "I think he'd like that, too. You both like to read a lot." Not to mention, Ella's imagination was much more active and creative than her own. Before meeting Nora, Ella never needed proof of the unbelievable, while Josephine was very much a skeptic. It would probably be easy for Ella to come up with something. "I'm sure he'll like anything you do for him."

She was not particularly eager to find out how exactly Ella planned on annoying her in the future, but she was sure it consisted of a lot of the usual things. Not to mention her children were going to be spoiled by a terrible influence. Maybe Ella didn't want children of her own, but Josie knew she would be a good Aunt for her own someday. Just one who spoiled and pampered them more than a mother would want. She probably still had a year at least, probably even more, before she had to worry about that, though. They had to marry first, and she knew Alec wanted to wait just a little bit before starting a family.

There were a lot of little things Josephine could say to answer Ella's question. In some ways, Alec knew her more intimately than any man ever had, besides her father. In others, he was behind. It wasn't his fault, just circumstances, and there wasn't anything of significant importance, just little details that helped define a small part of who she was. She was excited for him to learn them all, just like she was sure there were yet some things she had to learn about Alec now that they weren't confined to the stables. "Lots of things. Like my card collection," she said. Besides clothes, her other passion was games. There was a reason she was good at them. She often played solitaire when she was bored. "My memory box. Our childhood fort," she grinned. It was barely a structure, just a few sticks leaning against each other with a blanket thrown on top, but to this day it was still out there tucked away in the trees that separated their property from the neighbors.

 

[AvianJen]

Josephine was right, Peter would like anything that Ella decided to do for him. He would love that she thought to do anything at all, and he was sure that she would appreciate something like a story. Maybe she could even write a story about them...mermaids, pirates, and a rich girl falling in love with a man she was never supposed to fall in love with. It was a good story in real life, but it sounded like a storybook. A perfect little fairytale that could never possibly happen in real life...except it had. Or maybe she should come up with something on her own, something more original. Whatever it was, she knew that he would like it.

She raised her eyebrows when Josie mentioned her card collection; that was an easy fix. Josie loved her card games and she knew that Alec and her sister had played cards before, but Josie did have a rather impressive collection of beautiful cards. They could afford expensive things, and Josie had only the best. "Well, that's easy," she said. "Start there. Do some cooking, go for a ride, and sit down and play a card game or two. He'll love it." She gave her sister an encouraging smile, hoping that she would go along with it. But whatever they did, Ella just hoped that she had a good time.


Alec had been thinking about Saturday since the day he and Josephine had fought. Not fought, really, but...they'd misunderstood each other, and no matter how many times they tried to figure it out they couldn't. It was frustrating, but he hoped that today everything would go back to normal. Or rather, that they would start to discover what the new normal looked like. Together.

He had no idea what she had planned, but he was happy that he'd left it up to her to plan it. Alec had hardly had a spare moment all week, but it was paying off quickly. Soon, he would be able to buy Josie a ring and ask for her hand in marriage. Maybe as soon as a month or two, if things kept going on the same trajectory. Until then, he was more than happy to be able to spend time with the woman he loved openly, even if openly didn't always mean out in the open. The best part about it was that they didn't have to hide, and he would no longer have that constant anxiety that her father was going to walk around every corner and find them. It wasn't a done deal yet, but it was almost there and Alec was filled with hope. He just hoped he hadn't upset Josie too bad.

As was his tradition, though, he had managed to get himself to town just long enough to buy a bouquet of flowers. He'd always brought her wildflowers before so that she could hide them better, but this time he'd opted for something a little different- roses. He'd picked all kinds of colors to represent the diversity of the wildflowers, but it was something new. He was pretty optimistic that Josie would pick up on it. They hadn't discussed a time so he wasn't sure when she was going to show up, but he'd cleared out his schedule all day. He was insanely busy, but today belonged to Josephine.

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

Josephine was happy to have Ella's support and input, and she was more excited than ever for the big day. She also knew that whatever Ella decided to occupy her time with would be fine with Peter in the end too, and a part of her was curious to see what her sister could come up with. But for now, she was happily going to devote her time and energy to Alec and her own relationship.

When Saturday finally arrived, Josephine spent a decent amount of time in front of the mirror getting ready. She knew Alec wouldn't care how she looked, but considering it was their first official date together, she wanted to look nice. Considering she also knew there was a potential for mess, though, she chose a more comfortable gown instead of her nicer ones. She also made a small trip down to the market with Rory after he suggested one his recipes for her to try. She never realized there were so many ingredients to choose from, and was both nervous and excited to see how cooking went, She just hoped that it would taste good and she didn't end up accidentally poisoning them both in the process - or catching Alec's nice new kitchen on fire.

Soon enough she was packing everything she needed into Chestnut's saddlebags. It was already after noon, but they had the whole rest of the day together. There wasn't much chance she could spend the night like she used to without upsetting her father, but as long as she came home before it got too dark, it would be fine.

When she pulled up finally to the house, she got down off of Chestnut and left him waiting patiently outside the stables for a moment so she could run up to Alec and wrap him up in a big hug. Sometimes an embrace could be more intimate than a kiss,on and she didn't feel that great about how they left things, but she wanted to put it behind them and just make this day special. "I missed you," she said, sticking her face deep into the crook of his shoulder and neck, then gave a soft laugh of joy at the warm, familiar scent of him. "You smell like horses."

 

[AvianJen]

Alec was relieved that when Josephine arrived, everything seemed like it was back to normal. She was happy and he was happy, and she appeared to have planned a full day for the two of them. For the first little while, they just hung out in his house and it was absolutely perfect. He didn't have a sofa yet, but he had no problem with bringing her up into his bedroom. They sat on the bed and played cards for a while, Josephine winning every time, but Alec didn't mind. He was fascinated by her collection but most importantly, he enjoyed spending time with her. Just the two of them, getting used to things being normal again. There was no fear of being caught this time around, and Alec found it especially liberating.

After an hour or two, they quit the games and went downstairs to try and figure out something for lunch. Josie had gotten some ingredients and a pasta recipe from Rory; pasta wasn't too difficult, so Alec thought it was a good starting place. He wasn't a fancy cook but he knew how to make simple meals, and he enjoyed showing Josie her way around the kitchen. She knew the basics from simply observing Rory most of her life, but he was happy to pitch in where he could. He knew it was going to be hard once they were married; most days it felt like he hardly had enough time to feed himself and so the cooking responsibility would fall predominantly on her. But he loved her, and he was endlessly patient. At the end of that, they had made a halfway acceptable pasta dish from one of Rory's recipes and Alec was very proud of both of them.

They were about to move on to the next activity when Josephine realized she had forgotten something, so the date was reordered a bit. She'd brought Chestnut and of course he had Nielson so a ride had been more or less inevitable from the start, but Alec was excited when it was finally suggested. He helped her saddle up Chestnut again and got his own horse ready, after which they sped off towards the Sinclair estate. Alec challenged her to a race, thinking that he more than deserved to win something after losing so many card games in a row. When they arrived, they dropped the horses off in the stables and Alec followed Josephine up to the house, hands stuffed in his pockets.

"When are you going to tell me what you've forgotten?" he asked her for probably the tenth time. As soon as they went through the backdoor his ears were filled with piano music, presumably Ella in the front parlor. He'd forgotten the younger sister could play. "Is that Ella?" he asked, although he already knew the answer. Secretly, he kind of hoped that Josephine wouldn't want to go say hi. He never knew how to act around the energetic, talkative girl.

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

The date was perfect, despite Josephine's initial expectations that they would go out. Staying in without worrying about her father walking in at any moment was refreshing, and she didn't have to feel embarrassed or worried about sitting on Alec's bed. They didn't do anything other than play cards, as they usually would even before he had the house, but it was good to know that even if someone assumed anything by it, it was about her and Alec her boyfriend, not Alec the stable boy. Which, to her, was immensely better.

The food was surprisingly good, too. Of course it was Rory's recipe, so it had to be, but she did think at first that she would find a way to mess it up. However, Alec was incredibly helpful, and even though she ended up covered in flour by the time they were ready to actually eat it, she'd enjoyed herself. Maybe she wouldn't be so bad at the married life after all, and proving that she was capable of what she perceived as the most difficult tasks was a huge comfort.

Alec's flowers were lovely too, and she was thrilled when he presented them to her. They did also remind her of the gift she had meant to bring in the chaos of making sure everything else was prepared, but it was alright because it gave them an excuse to go riding, which she knew Alec wanted to do. So they took off together, and soon enough they arrived back at her home and were greeted by Ella's music.

"I told you, you'll have to wait and see," she said with a small laugh at the repetitive question. Hopefully her flower for him didn't disappoint. She took him by the hand and started pulling him along with her, also excited for the excuse to show him her room too. She only hoped her father wouldn't be too strict about that, considering Peter was always sneaking into Ella's room.

To answer Alec's other question, she nodded. "Yeah, she's been playing a lot more now that Peter's gone. I don't think she really knows what to do with herself." There was plenty about them she could update Alec on, she realized. She still hadn't told him about how she had caught the two of them that one night, or how she overheard their obnoxious nicknames for each other all the time.

She wasn't in the mood to say hi to Ella right at the moment anyway. She loved her sister, but right now it was her time with Alec, and after so long she didn't want many interruptions. Instead she just guided Alec up the stairs, grinning from ear to ear when they approached her rooms. She'd just opened it when her father rounded a corner.

"Josephine," he said, a look of curious, possible disappointment on his face to see his daughter leading her boyfriend into her room. She winced just slightly at being caught but stepped back.

"Father," she echoed.

"I know I've been fairly lenient so far, but Alec stays out of the bedrooms," Mr. Sinclair insisted, earning an annoyed sigh from his daughter.

"I just forgot to give Alec his gift... He won't even be here long. I'll leave the door open. Please?"

 

[AvianJen]

Alec had no idea what she could possibly have to get, but he was taken by surprise when she started to lead him up to her bedroom. It also filled him with a strange excitement; he'd never seen her bedroom before, and he didn't know why it was important but he really wanted to. It was a whole part of her life that he knew nothing about; he'd hardly ever been with her inside this house before.

"Well he hasn't been gone for long, has he?" he asked in regards to Peter. "Didn't Ella have things to do before he came about, anyways? They can't possibly spend all their time together." But once again, Alec knew very little about Peter and Ella's relationship. Only that he didn't understand it. He allowed her to pull him along and they rounded the corner to get to her room, only to be met by her father.

All of the sudden, the anxiety returned. Shit. He'd just seen them going into Josephine's bedroom. Alec meant to say "yes sir" and return downstairs to wait for her, but when Josie spoke up he stayed quiet and let her handle it. It still made him feel nervous. Maybe that would never entirely go away, after everything they'd gone through.

Mr. Sinclair sighed, eyeing his daughter and her boyfriend. They'd managed to behave themselves so far, he highly doubted that they would do anything crazy while he was here. Alec was a respectable young man and despite all that had happened, Mr. Sinclair found that he trusted him with Josephine.

"If the door stays open," he consented, looking at Josephine. He supposed that was fine. Of course, he had no idea that Ella and Peter had been sneaking into each other's rooms almost on a nightly basis for the past week. He leaned in and gave Josie a kiss on the forehead before heading around the corner with the intention of coming back to check on them in a couple of minutes.

When he was gone, Alec let out a sigh of relief and followed Josephine inside her room. Instantly, he was amazed. It was stunning. Of course she would live in a room like this; his tiny bedroom was probably only a fourth of the size. "Wow," was all he could come up with.

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

"No, only a day," Josephine answered. "And yes, she did, but she's never been in love before. Now that she is... Whenever he's here, they're constantly together." It wasn't so much of a lack of enjoyable activities so much as a general lack of Peter to do them with, at least that was what Josie assumed from her own experiences being away from Alec. "It's only slightly annoying..." But Josephine also knew that part of the annoyance was jealousy on her part. Jealous that Peter took away from her sister's time, and jealous that Ella got to see Peter as much as she did. She tried not to let it show too much, but she knew it was probably written clear as day on her face at the moment, particularly now that her father chose the most convenient time to walk by.

It was silly really that her father insisted on her keeping the door open when they could have done anything they wanted back at the house, but she didn't want to push her luck, so she nodded anyway. She watched him walk back around the corner before finally pulling Alec in all the way. She did leave the door open as she said she would, but just a crack. "Peter gets to sleep in the house, but god forbid I let my boyfriend of two years into my room," she mumbled. Maybe he trusted her, but from her perspective she still saw it as if her father played favorites between Alec and Peter. If he only knew...

She turned to Alec then to gauge his reaction. To her, it was simply the room she'd always known as her own. Yellow patterned wallpaper, silky and shiny bed sheets and pillows, the bed itself the main feature of the room due to it's size and the large canopy frame. She knew for Alec it must seem like a lot, especially since she had her own sitting area as well, a desk, bookshelf, and just off the far corner, access to the balcony she used to sneak out of and a fair sized closet where she kept her dresses. Knowing this, she couldn't help but turn red in the face with embarrassment at all she had. "It gets sort of cold in the winter..." she said for some reason, as if pointing out the flaws of a large bedroom like her own could somehow make the class difference between them less apparent than it was.

She had brought Alec's flowers along with, with the intention of putting most of them in a vase but one with the others, so she preoccupied herself for moment by searching her bookshelf. Once she found the book, she carefully pressed one of the roses in-between its pages and put that up before getting him his gift.

She pulled her artwork off of her bedside table and went to him, holding it out so he could see. "Part housewarming, anniversary gift, and just... A way to say I love you and everything you've done for us." She was feeling very sheepish all of sudden, to have him in her room, surrounded by her things, her father and sister downstairs, and just the general feeling of how "new" this all was for their relationship.

 

[AvianJen]

"Oh yeah?" Alec wasn't sure he believed her when she said that Ella and Peter always being together was "slightly annoying." He had a feeling that it bothered her a little more than that, and he supposed he could understand why. "You happy he's going to be gone for a little while, then?" he asked with a smirk. Even if she was, they both understood that it was probably hard for Ella to be away from Peter. Alec didn't like not being able to see Josephine much and he knew that she felt the same, but at least he was just a short ride away if either of them really needed each other. Peter was entirely unreachable, and would be for the next couple of weeks.

He raised his eyebrows at her little comment, shrugging. "I don't know, I mean, I get it," he said. "It's not really the same thing. Does Peter go into Ella's room?" He could understand why her father might disapprove of that, but at least at his house it was all fine and if it became an issue, they would be married soon enough anyways. Hopefully.

But he was amazed at her bedroom. It was crazy. He knew how luxurious the Sinclair estate was, but he'd never been in a bedroom like this. He'd never seen a bed like that, but somehow...it fit. He could easily see Josephine sitting on that bed, playing Solitaire or braiding Ella's hair, wearing a pretty nightgown and a chiffon robe. He knew exactly what she was feeling when she commented that it got cold in the winter, and she shook his head. "You don't have to do that," he said. "It's nice. It's very...you." That was the only way he could think of to describe it, and it was true. He thought that he would have been able to recognize this room as hers even if she hadn't led him straight to it. He watched her as she took one of the roses and pressed it inside a book, thinking that was curious but not commenting on it. He knew that Josie was sentimental...but he never would have guessed she had a flower from every bouquet he'd ever given her in there.

A bit hesitant about everything, he didn't stray too far from the door. It was open, but just barely. His eyes followed her movements, watching as she put the book away and crossed over to her bedside table to present him with a small piece of embroidery; a blue flower. It was stunning, and he ran his fingers over the perfect stitching in amazement. "You made this?" he asked in disbelief. She'd talked about needlework before, but he'd never seen anything that she'd made. "It's incredible, Josie. Thank you." He slid his arm around her and pressed a kiss to her temple lovingly. "I know just where I'm going to put it."

((Happy New Year!))