Realistic or Modern 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚋𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚘𝚛 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚜𝚎 - (milkette & astralis)

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a one x one between astralis & milkette
​

 

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Lawrence Coldwell

Lawrence sat on the side of familiar olive green sheets, breathing in the all-too-familiar scent of rose and jasmine. He had never been a huge fan of perfume but Jean Desprez's Bal à Versailles had grown on him. He'd bought a bottle shortly after their anniversary and Susan used it any time she was given the chance. She'd spray some on their pillows, so they could close their eyes and pretend they were in a field of flowers. She'd dab some on her neck and wrists with dainty hands when heading to the supermarket, or now, when they were expecting company. Bal à Versailles had become one of his favorite smells, because it reminded him of Susan, and he loved Susan. He did.

"You look lovely, darling," he assured, meeting Susan's eyes through her vanity mirror. She smiled at the words but Lawrence could see the hints of doubt in her eyes. He told her she was beautiful anytime she seemed to doubt it but the words never seemed to stick. It confused him, really, how someone as beautiful as his wife could ever doubt their beauty, but he'd done his best to reassure her any time he could regardless. She was beautiful, after all. It wasn't one of those empty words that he said to make her feel better, he really meant it, and only wished she could see it too.

Susan sighed, gingerly placing the glass bottle of perfume back on the vanity. She stared at herself a second more before turning to Lawrence, a soft, red-painted smile pressed onto her face. "Zip me?" She asked, standing up so her back was towards him. She flattened the wrinkles in the pleats of her dress with her hand as Lawrence stood. He carefully moved her hair to the side, not realizing his breath had caught in his throat until he felt the warmth from her neck. Such a tender moment would make most men weak in the knees he assumed, but he only felt... Guilty as he pulled the zipper up the back of her dress. He did so quickly, stuffing his hands deep in his pockets the moment he could. He'd known for years now that he'd never love his wife that way but it never failed to make him feel guilty.

"Fred and Caroline should be here soon," she kissed him on the cheek leaving a print of lipstick where she had kissed him, but had left before he could reciprocate, arguably making him feel worse. Lawrence wiped away the lipstick with an exhale before following her, making his way towards the dining room. The table had already been set; expensive porcelain dinnerware and wine glasses had been set out for the four of them. Susan had a chicken in the oven but it wouldn't be ready for another half hour. There was nothing left to do at that point but wait, so he poured himself a glass of whiskey and turned on the radio. He was glad to hear Johnny Cash's Ring of Fire playing through the speaker; it was a simple song with a simple melody, perfect for whistling to Barney in hopes that he'd pick it up.

The sound of the doorbell interrupted the song not seconds later and Lawrence placed his glass of whiskey on the table to welcome them. Susan grabbed the door with a now-gloved hand, a pleasant smile on her lips as she opened the door. As usual, she gave an air kiss to Caroline's cheek before gesturing for both her and Fred to come inside. Lawrence shook Fred's hand before taking his jacket, hanging it next to his on the rack. "Welcome, welcome," he spoke, shutting the door behind each of them as they walked in. "Dinner isn't quite ready yet but it shouldn't be too long."

Like a good host, he poured a cup of whiskey for Fred, handing it to him. "Feel free to take a seat," he encouraged, speaking to everyone as he pulled out a chair for Susan and then himself before taking a seat.

Susan is the next to speak, hardly able to contain her excitement. "I've been looking forward to this all day," she states, grinning from ear to ear. Lawrence knows it's true; she'd been excited ever since he mentioned it a week ago. "It's been too long! How have you been?" She asks, glancing between them both. "How's work? And George? You know Larry still won't let me get a dog? Can you believe that?"

"I'm allergic!"

 

[milkette]

FREDERICK MORGAN

ALSO KNOWN AS ❛FRED❜

Being invited to dinner wasn't something that frequently happened to Frederick and Caroline. So, upon getting invited to the Coldwell household for dinner, the two were pleasantly surprised, especially Caroline - she was the more social one. Fred worked with Lawrence and they were friendly to each other at work. Initially, he didn't think much would come from it. Work relationships never seemed to go anywhere for Fred... he only spoke with his coworkers while on the job, not anywhere else. But as they continued to work together, they formed some sort of friendship that was more than just a "work relationship". Throughout the past couple of months, the two had met up once in a while for drinks on a Friday to wind down after a long week. Their wives had only met once or twice before, and, at least to Fred, they seemed to get along well. It was nice having a friend, something Fred wasn't used to. So it was unexpected when the other had asked if Caroline and he would like to come over for dinner some night. He readily agreed, and now here they were, getting ready for the night. Upon telling Caroline, about a week ago, that they had been invited to something, she was over the moon, giving him a peck on the cheek and jokingly saying something along the lines of, "Honey, I'm so proud of you! You've finally made a friend!" To which he just smiled, happy with the fact that she herself was happy. Dinner parties weren't exactly his thing, but it was still nice being invited to something for once.

Caroline - being Caroline - had baked a tart to bring over as a 'thank you for inviting us' gift; she thought it was polite. The tart was in the fridge now as they got ready, about an hour before they actually had to be there. Caroline was a stickler for arriving exactly on time - or early - which was a pain sometimes. But, for the most part, he was alright with it. Being early was better than being late.

It had only taken him a small amount of time to get ready, probably a bit longer than usual just because he wanted to look less bland than he normally did at work. Caroline, on the other hand, took a while to get ready, trying to get her makeup to look just perfect. Her signature deep wine-colored lipstick, a basic but pretty-looking eyeliner trick that made her eyes pop, paired with a lovely little off the shoulder black dress - something a bit more fancy than usual. She looked beautiful as always, and she knew it too. Upon complimenting her, she offered only a small smirk and a, "Thank you, darling, I know." At that, he gave her a gentle squeeze on the shoulders, kissing the top of her head as to not mess up her makeup, before going into the living room to wait. Fred himself wasn't the most confident person in the world, so Caroline's own confidence somewhat made up for that in a weird way. Seeing her so positive made him feel the same, though at the moment he couldn't help but feel a bit nervous, unsure of how the night would go. Fred hoped he wouldn't make things awkward, but from the few times they'd hung out before, there never seemed to be any uncomfortable tension between them. So hopefully tonight would be the same.

They make their way out of the house after Caroline is finished getting ready, making their way to their little car sitting out front. It doesn't take long to get to the Coldwell's home, a cozy looking place at the end of the street. Standing at the front door, Caroline rings the doorbell, and then quickly turns to Fred, dusting off the cat hair on his sweater. He smiles, and gives her hand a gentle squeeze before the door opens, revealing Susan - Larry's wife. She smiles at the two of them, ushering them in, seemingly quite excited. Caroline hands Susan the tart with a grin, and the other woman thanks her, going to put it in the kitchen for later. After they go through the typical formalities - kisses on the cheek, shaking of hands - they take a seat in what looks like their living room. Fred gets handed a small glass of whiskey, which he takes with a thank you along with it. Although it's not something he particularly likes or drinks a lot, he still takes it, knowing it would be rude not to.

Once they get comfortable, Susan begins to throw questions at them, which the two - mostly Caroline - answer with ease. "I know! We haven't seen each other in such a long time," she begins, "We've been great! Fred actually repainted our bedroom walls and we got some new furniture, so that was nice. How about you two?" Caroline asks with a grin, giving Fred a glance when Susan mentions George.

"He's been good, just getting fatter each day," Fred laughs, "I've been feeding him... a bit too much."

"Mmm, yes, he is obsessed with the cat," Caroline says with a playful roll of her eyes, bumping him with her arm, "Maybe it's good thing Lawrence is allergic, wouldn't want him to fawn over the pet too much... like someone I know." she laughs; it's only a joke, there's no malice that comes with it. Fred really wasn't all that obsessed with George, Caroline just liked to over-exaggerate it for a laugh. She truly could be a jokester sometimes.

"Hey, don't make me out to be a crazy cat lady," Fred replies, a small smile on his face. The two acted more like good friends rather than husband and wife, which he himself found odd, so he hoped no one else noticed. Caroline was lovely and beautiful - of course - but he never felt romantically attracted to her. They loved each other in... different ways, to put it that way. She'd never know that, though. It was something he hoped would resolve itself the more they were together.

"But really, how are you two?" Caroline asks politely after a moment.

location: the coldwell's home

feeling: somewhat nervous

wearing: this

coded by natasha.