Home Sweet Home

@"Miralis"

Emmeline was excited, there was no doubt about that. There was a spring to her step, and while she always tended to hum while she walked, this time her voice seemed just that much uplifting. She strode purposefully across the streets, a single box held carefully under her arm. The box was a curious thing, enchanted to act like the many bags she used daily for everyday items as well as several blades. It could hold much more than it appeared to be able to, and with it, she was able to pack all of her clothes, school books and paraphernalia, and trinkets and gifts she'd collected from friends and family over the years. Carrying all the individual boxes would've been no problem for her strength, but she wouldn't have been able to see in front of herself, let alone make it all the way to meet Aurum at their new home.

Home. Our home. It made her smile every time she thought about it. Yes, she knew she was being mushy about it, but she had fallen hard for the thoughtful, if not conventionally handsome, man. He managed to do everything she loved, somewhat difficult considering her tastes in romance ran traditional cliche. She had wondered on a handful of occasions if he had somehow found out she was a romantic (that reminded her, she'd have to find a good hiding place for her romance novels), but he seemed genuine in everything he did, so she didn't worry about it.

She was so excited that she had gotten up fairly early-- she was most certainly not a morning person, something Aurum should learn quickly or face the consequences-- to pack up her things while listening to energizing music, the type she reserved for jogging. When her dorm room was completely empty of her stuff, she had braided her hair back in a french braid, two long strands framing her face, and dressed in a cute but simple blue and white lolita-style dress she had left out. She made one stop to Administration to remove her name from the dorm list, then started for the adorable-- her own description-- cottage they had picked out.

She had been so happy when they'd first looked through the listings and found the cozy little place. It wasn't built for extravagance or an over-the-top lifestyle, but it could comfortably fit two people, even after taking into consideration someone as large as Aurum. Sure, the woman that had been helping them find a place had shot glances at both of them, specifically him, but Emmeline's excitement couldn't be dampened by that. Then, while the offer had been going through and finalized, they had started shopping for basic furniture and the like, things for the kitchen and whatnot. Now, all that was left was to move in and make the place home.

She smiled to herself once said cottage came into view, her pace picking up ever so slightly until she reached the stoop of the place. She set her box down, opening it to rummage through for her key. She'd wait for Aurum inside, then they could start unpacking their things together.

Emmeline sat down on the living room couch, unpacking several other boxes from the box she had been carrying. Most of the boxes were her clothes, more specifically her lolita-style dresses, and were set in their own pile. The boxes that had her school texts and law journals was set aside as well, and the few boxes that held her other things given their own pile too. Once everything was divided into groups, she began carrying each set of boxes to their respective spots; the clothing boxes were set near the matching dressers they'd gotten, the books on top of her desk, and the other boxes underneath one of the windows.

Just as she stood, brushing her hands together, she heard the roar of a motorcycle echo outside. She smiled to herself and made her way out of the main bedroom to meet her boyfriend, though paused in the middle of the living room to look around at the empty walls. She wandered absentmindedly towards one of them. They really should decorate as well--

Before she could finish that train of thought, Aurum entered, his words bringing back the smile to her contemplative expression and the arms that wound around her waist causing it to brighten a tad. She giggled as she felt the kiss to her head, humming happily, "It is, isn't it?"

She was about to say more, but fell silent as she was spun around to face the large man, the grin she was about to shoot him falling short as she returned the gentle kiss. She tilted her head inquisitively-- she enjoyed the sweet kiss, but Aurum was oddly serious.

And yet, for whatever reason, her thoughts turned to the empty walls of the house. Maybe he had ideas for the decor? Personally, she wanted to support the local artists and buy paintings from them. She thought it would be cute to have pieces from local artists decorating their walls, and even a few of her friends who studied art had offered a piece or two. They'd have to get a few indoor plants as well, resilient types that--

Oh.

Oh!

OH.

Her mind stumbled to a complete halt. She stared into Aurum's eyes, mouth forming a little 'o'. Her chocolate brown eyes, however, filled with a hope, a hope as fragile as she always looked when compared to Aurum's strong bulk.

From the very beginning, she had found herself falling for the kind man. Only recently, though, had she considered that she might love him. It consumed her mind when she tried falling asleep at night, distracting her with worries of Aurum's feelings and how he'd react if he knew she might love him.

She didn't want to bring it up, fearing she might drive him off if she spoke of such strong emotion, and had even been slightly in denial about it; she didn't want to ruin the lovely relationship they'd built so far, and so hadn't said anything about it.

But now...

Those three words made her heart soar.

"Oh! I... I love you as well, Aurum, my knight." She murmured once she'd double checked with herself to make sure what she was feeling was pure. She tugged him down for another kiss, and though he seemed resigned to all of the unpacking, her bright as the sun smile couldn't be dampened. She gave his hand a soft squeeze with her own much smaller one before turning back to the other dilemma, blinking at the wall as he began puttering around with the boxes.

After several long moments, she went to help him search for what they'd need for a meal, working contentedly alongside her boyfriend. It was a good thing she'd stocked the fridge the day before. It wasn't filled completely-- that could wait until they were a bit better settled in--, but she'd nearly forgot to go to the grocery store, used to eating at the Academy's cafeteria most of the time. There was enough to make a simple but filling meal, though, so she wasn't worried.

She began to unpack the plates and glasses they had picked out before, Aurum's words reverberating in her mind and making her that much more ecstatic. She adored the little names they came up with for each other, but hearing him call her his love had felt special, had felt like something more. That could've just been her romantic side talking, but she wanted to be optimistic.

She glanced at Aurum every so often as she worked, systematically organizing the cabinets with what she'd just put away and what was still left, coffee mugs and smaller plates and whatnot. Other than that, she left him to it. Just as she finished her organizing, she felt hands on her hips and was spun around once more. She did squeak a bit as she was lifted onto the counter, reaching to grip Aurum's thick arms out of reflex.

Once she was comfortably settled, however, she found she could stare at eye level with the man without looking up even when he bent down. She spared a short moment to study her love, the man that was slowly but surely becoming her heart. Aurum wasn't conventionally handsome, and certainly most would be at least somewhat surprised to learn that she truly loved him. But for the foreseeable future, he was hers and she was his, which was all that mattered to Emmeline. She wasn't a very vain woman, though did understand that she was at least a tad bit attractive, but Aurum had wormed his way into her heart. He was special to her now, her love, her knight.

She pushed her reflections to the back of her mind, smiling a bit wistfully against his lips. She'd been swamped with papers to write for school, and he'd been busy out doing whatever it was he did. They'd managed to make time to go house shopping and whatnot, but they'd not had a quiet moment like this in a while, it was true.

"I suppose it may, dear knight." She murmured, a faint hint of bashful color tinting her cheeks; he always seemed to find new ways to stoke her love for him. With that, though, she fell silent as she started returning his kisses, sighing happily every so often as she parted her lips.

Eventually, their intimate moment was interrupted by the timer on the oven. She paid little mind to the disruption, keeping her arms wrapped around Aurum's neck as their current kiss grew rather heated. Several moments later, she reluctantly pulled away, looking somewhat disheveled and-- she'd refuse any claims to this-- pouty as she huffed. "Go." She poked his shoulder to drive him into action, waiting with a faintly impatient edged quiet for him to place their pizzas in the oven. Then, they could return to their make out session until the pizzas were done.

Emmeline watched as her boyfriend shuffled over to the oven to get their dinner on its way, though was content to keep her hand in his. His current mood all but screamed thoughtful, but she didn't want to push. If it was important or something he felt the need to talk about, then he wouldn't hesitate to bring it up, so she didn't worry much.

She smiled fondly as Aurum alternated between thinking and action, the expression only growing softer as she listened patiently to him. She returned the gentler but no less passionate kisses as she allowed his words to sink in, slowly pulling away and slipping her hand from his so she could settle both her hands on the sides of his face. Without hesitation or fear, she placed a light kiss over both of his eyes, then rested their foreheads together. Her thumbs traced soothing circles against both skin and bionics. She had always felt safe when she was with him, always knew he'd do anything in his power to keep her safe; she held confidence in him.

"Everyone has their scars, dear heart. It is my belief that it is a part of someone, a part that makes them who they are. Yours, my Aurum, merely show me how strong, unshakably strong, you are." She murmured, giving her own words the earnest gravity they needed to show him that she spoke the truth. "Even if you believed yourself to have been a wreck, whatever may come in the future, I will be glad to face it together and, if necessary, to help pick up the pieces once more. You are my love, my protector, my dearest knight. It would be remiss of I, who loves you so, to do any less than that."

This... this was why she loved her knight as much as she did, and maybe even more than she had slowly come to realize. He was so undeniably selfless and noble, an honorable man that had won her heart and looked to protect her even still. She didn't know how she'd gotten the luck to have met Aurum, but she wasn't questioning it. No need to look a gift horse in the mouth, after all.

She didn't take offense or become indignant at his words. She knew most of her own limits, and while she could hold her own considerably well in a spar against her boyfriend, the man was practically physically built for combat. Maybe if she'd been younger she'd have become upset, misunderstood that he was looking down at her because she was female and gotten angry, but she'd grown past that phase. It had been part and parcel with learning her limits, what she could and couldn't do, under her teacher's guidance at the Academy. She also knew-- or at the very least, assumed-- that there were more people like her boyfriend, and though she had her power of strength and formidable skill to back her up, there was no way she'd be able to take on anyone like Aurum in a serious, life-or-death fight, much less more than one.

"I won't go looking for trouble, dear heart, but I will not sit back and twiddle my thumbs if there's even the slightest chance I can do something to help. You have my unwavering, unending support, my knight, whether you like it or not." Even though she was content to accept Aurum's protection and willingness to keep her out of danger, she was still stubborn Emmeline; girly though she may be, she wasn't one to sit idle when there were things she could be doing.

With that, she offered the man a gentle yet self-assured smile even as he pulled away slightly to stare into her eyes. Her expression softened further upon what she found as she studied her dear knight's features, a faint blush dusting her cheeks. It still sent a warm shudder through her when she thought about Aurum's admittance of love. She remained silent, however, as she was settled on the ground, her head tilting a bit as she realized Aurum was still somewhat preoccupied. She left him to it, however, but when he did speak next, still looking for the right words, the light blush deepened considerably.

They hadn't yet broached the subject of a physical relationship until now, and while Emmeline had fallen for him without it, she couldn't claim the hunger wasn't there-- the slowly but surely growing desire to be connected to her knight in such a irrevocable way.

"I..." She began quietly, a sheepish pout tugging at her lips, "I admit that this is only my second relationship... and you're my first male partner, Aurum." There had been a phase where it had been difficult to stop from daydreaming about her crushes, but as with everything else, she'd soldiered through it, fighting to focus on her studies and protecting the balance of justice. And her first time had been with her, only a few years ago. They'd parted on good terms after Emmeline had realized she simply loved the woman but hadn't been in love with her-- not like how she was in love with Aurum. "But... I think I know what you mean."

She reached up to try and tug at the collar of his shirt, signaling for him to bend down so she could kiss him. She added a bit more sensuality this time, however, a bit more heat and tongue, teasing him. "After lunch, my love." She murmured, pulling away after several long moments before leading him to the table, then moving around him to plate the pizzas he had cut and set said plates on their respective place settings. This also served to calm her down lest she jump Aurum and offer herself up before they talked it out while they were still rational-- the kitchen table was no place for their first time, but... maybe later.

((There's something about this pairing that just makes my muse throw up sparkles and words. I didn't finish it in time to ask if you wanted me to leave it for after they eat or not before you went to be, but I can edit it either way~ I'm especially worried since it's been such a long time since I've replied but. And I'm sorry if it sounds too dere dere ;;;;; ))