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It’d been a couple months since moving in with Blaire and her friends and Tristan was feeling more obligation than boyfriend. They’d all been very nice to him and helpful. But with his doctors appointments and that his doctor said it wouldn’t be till after the summer for his second back surgery he was limited on what he could do. So he still needed someone to drive him to his physical therapy and doctor appointments. Many times it was Blaire who figured out how to work them into his schedule to go with him, but on those times she couldn’t one of her friends found a way to get him there. And then there were days he didn’t have appointments but they all had work or classes so he was stuck at the house alone. For someone who’d never not been active this was driving him stir crazy. It was starting to feel like recovery was never going to happen so Tristan was just getting depressed and frustrated with his physical therapy and otherwise cabin fever. Tonight Blaire had said she’d be home and they’d get to go out maybe catch a movie so he was anticipating getting to actually go out and do something as he sat in his wheelchair wandering around the house waiting. He watched at the hours passed slowly and started to wonder what was taking her so long. He wanted to call and see what was taking her but he couldn’t find his cell phone which didn’t make him any less annoyed. He was certain he’d left the volume up so if she’d called he would still have been able to find the phone to answer. So he was starting to wonder if she’d just forgotten about him and their date.
Over at the Worthington office Blaire had been stuck in a meeting room with a number of the legal team as they were working on a contract for buying out another large company. It shouldn’t have taken so long but the lawyers for the other company were being, well in Blaire’s opinion dicks about the wording of various clauses. During a few break she sent a quick text to Tristan to tell him she was running late and she’d text him again when she was about to leave the office, apologizing for being so late. Tristan of course never saw that text nor did he get the message when she was leaving. Instead he was just stewing in the living room annoyed. he saw headlights in the driveway and grumbled turning his chair so he had his back to the foyer not feeling overly in a friendly sort of mood. Blaire came in her brief case, almost bursting with the papers she had to work on, in her right hand and holding her backpack from classes with her left. Blaire sighed and saw the back of his head and the chair and set her stuff down taking off her jacket before walking over and leaning, which with her heels and him sitting was just the right height so that her breasts sat on his head. “Hey handsome. Sorry I’m late. Like I told you it was madness at the office. What should have been a cut and dry contract finalization turned into hours of bullshit.”, she greeted bringing her hands down to try and touch his chest. Tristan snorted a little moving her hands.
Blaire raised an eyebrow and stood up walking around to look at him. “What’s wrong?”, she asked. “You didn’t tell me anything.So I don’t know who you told but it wasn’t me. I’ve been sitting here, like every other day, waiting for you. You ran so late we can’t go to the movie and I got hungry so I ordered a pizza and already ate.”, Tristan spoke a bit coldly. Blaire placed her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes at him. “Excuse me Tristan Alexander Whitland? You want to lose that attitude before I slap it out of you? I sent you a text message two hours ago saying I was going to be late because the other lawyers were being dicks and that I’d send you another text before I left the office. Then I sent you another text before I left about thirty minutes ago which is about how long it takes to drive from the office in Boston back home.”, Blaire said with attitude right back. She was tired and annoyed from the long day and coming home to this was not helping that. “No you didn’t.”, Tristan argued. “Where’s your phone?”, Blaire demanded. “I don’t know. I haven’t been able to find it. But I know I didn’t leave it on silent so it would have rang if you sent those texts.”, he countered. “Uh huh…”, Blaire rolled her eyes starting to looking around the house and went into their bedroom checking the bed and around it. And found it on the floor under the nightstand. “FOUND IT!”, she walked out holding up the phone.
“It fell under your nightstand. And want to know why you didn't get my messages?”, She asked trying to power it on and getting the ‘low battery’ message. “You need to charge it.”, she said tossing at him. “Want to apologize now or later asshat?”, she asked folding her arms across her chest. Tristan looked down at his phone glaring before picking it up and chucking it at the wall cracking the screen. Blaire blinked looking over at the phone. "Really? Didn't realize I was dealing with a toddler instead of a grown ass man who's older than me.", she questioned glaring at him. "Oh yeah grown ass man that can't leave the fucking house without help. Who you guys rock/paper/scissor to determine who's dealing with me that day. Me coming here was a mistake. I'm trapped in this god forsaken house all damn day, I can't drive yet, I can only walk short distances on my own. I can't even work. And I'm treated basically like a child. So I'm not a fucking man cause you don't treat me like one.", Tristan argued glaring back up at her. "They have these things called taxi cabs and buses. The city bus stop is one block over and guess what is wheelchair accessible. You can go anywhere you fucking want when you don't have appointments and we're not here. No one rock/paper/scissors about who's driving you that day. I have rearranged my life for you Tristan, because I love you and I want to be at all these appointments. Because I want to know what's going on. The others help because they want to and they love you like a brother. You're family Tristan. If I treat you like a child perhaps it's because you are acting like one. I sure the fuck don't treat you like a child in the bedroom. Which speaking of your ass can sleep in their alone for a few nights. I'll take the couch or bunk in Hope's room.", she countered pointing to the bedroom.
Tristan silently glared and rolled away picking up his phone and going to the bedroom not saying another word. He plugged his phone into the charger setting it on his nightstand and carefully tried to get out of his jeans and shirt before getting into bed. For the first time he was going to bed angry. Blaire sighed and silently went into the bedroom, Tristan opened one eye wondering if she was coming to apologize. But instead she didn't even look at him and went to her dresser taking out a pink silk cami and matching shorts. Tristan raised an eyebrow trying to think if she'd given up on the couch idea. She removed her belt, then untucked her white dress shirt unbuttoning it and tossing it into the hamper followed by her cream colored bra, then unzipped and stepped out of her high waist camel leather midi skirt then removed her cream colored thongs before getting into her pajamas. She kept her back to him for most of it but she was aware of him watching her. She was in a way doing this on purpose to show exactly what grown men get versus the child he is acting like. She grabbed her pillow from her side of the bed and walked out shutting the door without a word to sleep on the couch. Their roommates arrived home and all looked curiously at Blaire sleeping on the couch, but none dared to ask and instead just stayed out of it going to their bedrooms.
Tristan hadn't slept well. He'd forgotten to take his muscle relaxers and hadn't done his evening stretches, Blaire often was the one that reminded him and sometimes helped him do his stretches and told him to take his muscle relaxers before bed. He reached over to his nightstand grabbing his phone and powered it up. Within seconds of its powering up the text message tone he had programmed for Blaire sounded twice. He groaned feeling guilty, she had texted him. He carefully sat up in the bed looking at her empty untouched side with its missing pillow and frowned. He brought up the first message. "Hey sorry I'm running late. The other company's lawyers are such dicks and are being picky about everything. Not sure how long I'll be. Text when I leave. Love you.", he read the message through the spider cracks of his screen. Then he pulled up the next message and groaned again. It was a picture of her cleavage where she'd obviously unbuttoned her top just enough to show the lace detailing of her bra with a message. "Sorry we'll miss the movie. Hope these will be a good consolation prize.", he frowned. She'd come home ready to make up for running late and he was a complete ass. He set the phone down and carefully got out of the bed his back stiff and sore from not doing his stretches and forgetting his muscle relaxers. He held the edge of the bed and did a few of his stretches he’s supposed to do in the morning. He looked to the medicine bottles on the nightstand and grabbed just his pain medicine taking a couple dry, he didn’t want to take the muscle relaxers.
He felt horrible as he replayed the fight in his head. He’d thrown his phone into a wall because he didn’t want to realize him not getting her messages was his own fault. He had acted like a child and she called him out on it without holding back. He carefully got on a pair of his shorts before getting into his wheelchair to quietly roll out of the bedroom. He peeked into the living room and could see her sleeping on the couch, her black hair a mess on the pillow with her right arm hanging off the edge and the blanket mostly on the floor. He frowned she was usually the type that when she slept she mostly stayed in that one position and her side of the bed was always so neat. He knew her well enough that she was not having a good night sleep. And that made him feel worse, it was her bed he’d slept on and because of his back she’d taken the couch where she knew she’d be uncomfortable. Even fighting with him she still put him above herself. He sighed and rolled closer carefully moving her arm back onto the couch and fixed the blanket to cover her. He decided he needed to do something to apologize so he rolled to the kitchen locking the wheels of his chair and getting up using the counter to brace himself as he needed. The physical therapist said standing and trying to walk short distances at home was good so he figured he could at least make her breakfast before his back decided it’d had enough.
He rolled out to the living room with a tray on his lap containing orange juice and a plate of eggs in a basket with breakfast sausage. “Ahem….Blaire?”, he said softly trying to get her attention. She didn’t stir, so he spoke a little louder. “Blaire?”, he called again. Blaire grumbled turning her head to look at him. “Yeah?”, she questioned. Tristan nodded down to the tray on his lap. “Look I’m sorry about last night. It’s just…”, Tristan sighed trying to think how he should apologize for his behavior. “Just you are depressed and having a shining moment because you aren’t used to needing help.”, Blaire finished the sentence sitting up. Tristan nodded. “Yeah basically. I’ve been self dependent most of my life, yeah dad was there when I needed him but I didn’t need him for everyday life. And I’ve never not worked, even when I was little I had chores or something to do around the ranch. Here I just feel like I’m that house guest who overstayed their welcome.”, he sighed rubbing the back of his neck. “And I shouldn’t take that out on you. You have been amazing. You got on a plane and flew to Texas when I got hurt. Other than dad I can’t think of anyone that would have traveled that many miles just to see me and know I’m alive. Then without me asking you offer to have me move in with you so I could be near some of the best doctors the country has and I’d have you for my support system. And your friends were amazing and actually planned on me moving in before you even did and have been here for me too. And I know that you’ve rearranged your schedule, had to get extensions on assignments and such to go to my appointments because you want to be there with me. You ask questions that I probably would never have thought to, because using human medicine isn’t normal to you and you worked at a healer’s clinic. And I’ve become dependent on you and in a way I hate that. Last night I didn’t do my stretches or take my muscle relaxers like I’m supposed to because I just forgot, you always remember. I appreciate everything you and your friends have been doing for me. But I just… I need to find a balance because I can’t be so dependent on you and them.”, he explained.
Blaire listened and nodded a little. “So I’m saying that I love you and you are the most incredible woman in the universe, and I don’t think or feel that I deserve you. But I don’t want to go to bed angry or alone again and I don’t want you to sleep on the couch.”, he said finally stopping his apology. Blaire sighed her shoulders sinking a little. She hadn’t liked going to bed angry. They’d never really had a fight before, but not counting the summer she went on the rodeo with him before college they’d never spent this much time together. A fight was bound to happen eventually. Not every couple can be like Bianca and Gabriel who had never fought. Hope and Jessa fought often and broke up often too. Her parents had fights because when you get two different opinions of stubborn people in a room they are going to butt heads. “I understand Tristan. I really do. Neither of us are the dependent type. I try to let you do things for yourself because you need to do them. For example the only time I help with you getting undressed is when I’m undressing you for the point of having sex with you. I don’t want you to think any of us consider you a burden or treat you like a child. We want to help and be here for you. And I hate when I can’t go to an appointment because I have questions. I want to know that you are getting better, know if there’s anything that I can do that will make this recovery easier for you. Like some of the times I have been late getting home aren’t always because of my Harvard classes or work.”, she started to explained.
Tristan raised an eyebrow. “Where are you then?”, he asked. “Your physical therapist had recommended deep tissue massages to help your back as an alternative to the muscle relaxers which I know you don’t like taking any more medication than minimally needed. I checked to see if your insurance would cover the cost of massages, which your doctor recommended getting every couple weeks, but it won’t. And I know massages can get expensive generally costing about seventy dollars per session. So I picked up night classes at Cortiva Institute over in Boston to learn massage therapy for myself so then I’d be able to do the massages your doctor recommended for free and whenever you needed them. I hadn’t wanted to say anything till we actually got into more of the actual practice rather than just talking theory of technique. Kind of wanted it to be a surprise.”, she answered. Tristan sighed and frowned but it slowly turned into a smile. She was taking night classes because she wanted to be able to give proper massages to help his back. “God you’re amazing..”, he smiled. “Remind me how a schmuck like me from a ranch in Oregon got this lucky?”, Tristan questioned with a soft laugh. “Born under a lucky star? That ranch was owned by Rose’s maternal grandparents, so you had that tie in. Being the sweet dirty minded cowboy that you are and well being damn fine helped too.”, Blaire answered. Tristan smirked. “Some lucky star. Remind me I need to call and just tell Rose thanks. So no more sleeping separate?”, he asked offering up the tray.
Blaire looked at him skeptically taking the food. “Tristan I love you, you know that. You want me back in the bed after one night, well that you’ll have to earn back. I know you’re sorry, and I accept the apology like I hope you accept I’m sorry for some of what I said last night in anger. But you don’t want to be treated like a child, you want more independence. Okay, show me that you aren’t a child and I’ll come back to bed with you.”, she explained. Tristan frowned a little but nodded. “Alright. Fair enough I guess. I had to earn my place in your bed once before, I can do it again. I just don’t like you sleeping out here on the couch. I can sleep on the couch, after all it’s your bed.”, he countered. “You most certainly will not. With your back you aren’t sleeping on this thing. I can deal with the couch for now. I would prefer you prove yourself sooner than later. Cause well this isn’t a comfortable place to sleep and….”, she sighed looking at him in his wheelchair shirtless in just a pair of shorts. “God I’m horny.”, she chuckled. Tristan smiled and laughed too. “Well you did say that’s the one place I wasn’t treated like a child…and we don’t have to do it in the bed.”, he offered with a smirk. Blaire giggled shaking her head. Tristan shrugged. “Just a suggestion, cause between that strip show last night and getting that cleavage message this morning…”, he smirked. “Hmm… let me eat and think about it. You want some of this?”, she suggested starting to eat some of the breakfast he made. “Sure.”, he said taking the fork from her and helping her eat the plate. The sooner the plate was empty the sooner he might get an answer. With the plate empty Blaire looked at him setting the tray aside. “Alright come on handsome let’s park that wheelchair somewhere that we won’t be seen as easily by our roommates.”, she giggled getting off the couch and moving to sit down on his lap instead. Tristan smirked, so maybe she might not be agreeing to sleeping in the bed with him again just yet but it was a step closer.
It only took a week before Blaire gave up on the couch and returned to her bed with Tristan. Her point had been proven and really she was the one suffering not him. But he’d started doing his stretched and taking medication without any reminders. He’d gotten a cane, Merrick made it for him so it wasn’t just some cheap aluminum cane, and started walking around the house and even walking from the front door to the road and back to show he was serious about his recovery. She would watch silently from a window when he’d go outside, the last thing she wanted was him to slip and take a fall. But he had at least shown he could be more independent. The last day before she said it was enough he’d taken a cab and went to the grocery store with only his cane and used the cart as a way to keep himself up to buy some groceries and pick up flowers for her. So when she came home that night he was in pain, but he’d not used his chair till he had gotten home. He learned that he didn’t have to rely on her or the others for everything and proved he could handle more on his own and so no more cold bed for him or uncomfortable couch for her. Their roommates were glad that was over, because them sleeping separate was weird.
Down in Manhattan Tommy had been trying to think of just the right want to ask Lily to marry him. He’d found the ring he just needed to think of the right words and the right place. Billy and proposed on basically a gondola ride on Valentine’s and her twin had been proposed to while ice skating at Rockefeller Center around Christmas. He would not let himself get outstaged by his brother and Robbie. He finally found just the right settings, Washington Square Park she loved the fountain and the arch especially in the evening when they were lit up. But he knew he needed help with making this magic, so he enlisted the help of their roommates. They helped him get it all set up just the way he wanted. So in late April while walking through the park one late evening he hoped to truly surprise her. “This park is always the best at night.”, Lily commented as they walked holding hands. “Yeah. We’ve come here a lot since starting college.”, Tommy agreed. As they walked closer to the fountain the sound of a drum and a piano started to play and then words started with a very familiar voice. “Well, it's a marvelous night for a moondance. With the stars up above in your eyes. A fantabulous night to make romance. 'Neath the cover of April skies. And all the leaves on the trees are blooming. To the sound of the breezes that blow. You know, I'm trying to please to the calling. Of your heartstrings that play soft and low. You know, the night's magic seems to whisper and hush. You know, the soft moonlight seems to shine in your blush.”, Landon’s voice rang out from apparently nowhere and everywhere. He’d gotten his band to help him with the surprise for his cousin. Jackson picked up the brass of the song as Gavin and Dan started on guitar and bass.
Lily frozen looking around confused. She knew her cousin’s voice anywhere, just like she knew their song Moondance by Van Morrison even if it was being modified to fit the scene. “Tommy?”, Lily asked looking at him with a raised eyebrow. Tommy just smiled. “Can I just have one more moondance with a-you, my love? Can I just make some more romance with a-you, my love?”, Cora Lee’s voice sang the chorus. “Well, I wanna make love to you tonight. I can't wait 'til the morning has come. You know, I know now the time is just right. And straight into my arms you will run. And when you come, my heart will be waiting. To make sure that you're never alone. There and then, all my dreams will come true, dear. There and then, I will make you my own. And every time I touch you, you just tremble inside. Then I know how much you want me that you can't hide.”, the song continued to play. Lily’s eyes were darting all around trying to find her cousins and Blaze Halo but she still couldn’t place where they were. “Can I just have one more moondance with you, my love? Can I just make some more romance with a-you, my love?”, Cora Lee’s voice joined in again. “Where are they Tommy?”, Lily asked. Tommy shrugged with a smirked. “I don’t know what you are talking about beautiful.”, Tommy teased.
“Well, it's a marvelous night for a moondance. With the stars up above in your eyes. A fantabulous night to make romance. 'Neath the cover of April skies. And all the leaves on the trees are blooming. To the sound of the breezes that blow. You know, I'm trying to please to the calling. Of your heartstrings that play soft and low. You know, the night's magic seems to whisper and hush. You know, the soft moonlight seems to shine in your blush.”, the song played on it seeming to come from all around them. “You do so. You can hear it, Moondance. Landon and Cora Lee are singing our song. So where are they? What are you doing Thomas Peitro Maximoff?”, Lily demanded stopping at the fountain folding her arms across her chest looking at him. “I don’t hear anything, I hear some crickets maybe. Must be in your head.”, Tommy shrugged shaking his head at her. “Can I just have one more moondance with a-you, my love? Can I just make some more romance with a-you, my love?”, the unique grit of Cora Lee’s voice surrounded them. “One more moondance with you. In the moonlight. On a magic night. La, la, la, la, la, in the moonlight. On a magic night. Can't I just have one more, moondance with you, my love?”, Landon and Cora Lee both harmonized as the song ended. Lilly furrowed her brow looking at Tommy. “You’re up to something… you know I don’t like surprised Tommy.”, Lily narrowed her eyes at him.
“I know you don’t. Of all people I should know that.”, Tommy defended as lightning started to streak across the sky only above the park. Lily blinked startled for a moment and looked up to the sky. The lightening wasn’t random, Lily knew somewhere Malcolm was part of this. But when her green-yellow eyes looked up to watch the lightening show Tommy zipped away to hit a button on the arch that pulled down a white cloth. And as soon as he was back to standing with her off hidden in the shrubbery Rachel hit play of the projector and the lightening stop. Lily turned her attention as she heard her mother’s laughter. “Mom?”, Lily questioned but as she turned there was a young her being pushed on a swing by her mother and her shouting to go higher. Across the bottom words scrolled. ‘Even when you were little you always reached for the heavens.’ Lily sighed a little, she remembered that. Then the video moved to video of Tommy and Billy playing and Tommy fell down and it was Lily who helped him up giving him a hug. Scrolling along the bottom the words said ‘From the start you were always my comfort.’. Lily sighed shaking her head. She had an idea of what Tommy was doing but she watched silently. The video continued showing various moments of their childhood together even the moments that were supposed to have been secret when they had kept their relationship hidden. Then finally the video came to just him and what looked like him sitting in their terrace back at the house.
“We’ve known each other our whole lives. Every good memory I have has you in it. And I want every memory to always have you in it. So do me a favor and turn around.”, Tommy spoke as the video faded to black. The real Tommy had gotten down on one knee and had the ring box open displaying the thin white gold band with a filigree raised design with two small diamonds on either end of the filigree, the center a larger diamond with two small diamonds flanking it. Lily was crying a little from watching the little film. She was mad at herself for crying, she wasn’t an emotional girlie girl. But that...that had really gotten to her. This whole evening had gotten to her. She slowly turned knowing what was coming but was still surprised looking at the ring. “So what do you say beautiful? You’re already my past and present. Be my future?”, Tommy asked with a wide smile. Lily silently nodded her head. “Yes now get up so I can decide if I should kiss you or punch you.”, Lily sighed pulling him up. Tommy chuckled and didn’t let her decide kissing her. “I’ll take the kiss.”, he smiled pulling back putting the ring on her finger. Lily sighed shaking her head. “What am I going to do with you?”, she sighed. “Just keep loving me and we’ll be good.”, he grinned. “Now where are all the others?”, she demanded. Landon chuckled from the darkness stepping into the light holding Rachel’s hand. “Congrats coz.”, Landon smiled. “We all knew she’d say yes.”, Cora Lee teased stepping out with Malcolm. The rest of Blaze Halo stepped out holding their instruments, Mitch carrying a keyboard for the purpose of the piano parts. “Congrats you two.”, they greeted with a smile. Lily sighed shaking her head. “I don’t like surprises, but this one...I like.”, she smiled looking at her family and friends. She had very few perfect moments but this felt like one.
With both Lily and Josalyn now engaged and wedding plans in the works Merrick was getting a bit of pressure via phone and text from Hazel wanting him to purpose to Rose. He was working on a rosewood music box for Zoe’s twenty-first birthday, busy carving the lotus into the lid as his phone went off. He sighed setting down his chisel and looked to the caller id. “Nana..”, he sighed hitting answer. “Hello Nana.”, he greeted having her on speaker phone picking up the chisel again going back to work. “Hello. So I had some things I wanted to talk to you about.”, Hazel greeted. Merrick rolled his eyes keep his focus on the details of the individual petals. “Oh I’m sure you do.What’s going on?”, he asked. “Well as you know now both Josalyn and Lily have gotten engaged.”, Hazel started. Merrick groaned knowing what was coming next. “Yeah Nana I’m well aware that my sisters are getting married. I’ve seen the rings, I’ve congratulated them, I’ve shaking Robert and Thomas’ hands just to the point of not breaking them as my personal warning about screwing up with my sisters. How about we cut to the chase?”, Merrick suggested pausing his work hearing footsteps upstairs and smelling Zoe. He quickly covered the music box and spun on his stool. “Hey hellraiser. Just in time for one of my Nana’s lectures about my life.”, Merrick greeted ass he walked down the stairs to the basement.
Zoe sighed. “Is there no way of sneaking up on you?”, she chuckled. “nope.”, Merrick smiled. “Hi Nana Hazel!”, Zoe greeted walking over with a lunch box. “Hello nightingale. Is it feeding time at the zoo already?”, Hazel teased. Merrick rolled his eyes. “Just because Zoe brings me lunch every day…”, Merrick grumbled shaking his head but smiling a little. “Yes well Rose isn’t here to poke you till you eat something. You know how he gets Nana, starts a project here or at the sanctuary and just forgets about everything else.”, Zoe smiled looking past him to the cloth on the table. “What you working on Lupo Cattivo?”, she questioned. “None of your business Zoe. And I’d remember to eat...eventually. And hey in Rose’s defense in about half hour she will probably call me between classes and ask if I’ve eaten today. I get it from all sides. Local I’ve got mom and you literally trying to cram food in my face. And then I’m getting calls from my med student reminding me that I need to eat and make sure I’m eating enough protein since I refuse to eat meat. Cause somehow in the twelve years I’ve been a vegetarian I don’t know this.”, Merrick sighed opening the lunch box.
“You should count your blessing young man to have so many women that love you and want to take care of you.”, Hazel stated. “Yeah what Nana said.”, Zoe teased. “We all just want to make sure you stay healthy to take care of Faelan since you are stretching yourself thin between three jobs now.”, Zoe sighed shooing him away from the lunch box started to take out the meal she’d prepared. She set one bento box in front of him containing linguine with pesto and sun-dried tomatoes, spaghetti squash, arugula with a raspberry vinaigrette, and some fresh strawberries and a bottle of water. Then she took out her which was a chicken cesar salad with some mango chunks on the side. “So what has our darling nightingale made you today?”, hazel asked. Merrick rolled his eyes. “From the looks of it linguine, spaghetti squash, arugula salad, and strawberries. Thank you Zoe.”, Merrick answered giving her a kiss on the cheek before starting to eat. “So you called for a reason Nana, let’s get to the point please.”, Merrick asked between mouthfuls of food. Zoe shook her head silently eating her salad listening to the exchange between great grandmother and great grandson.
“Alright fine to the point it is. Lily and Josalyn are both engaged. What I want to know is when is my favorite going to get engaged? I’d like to see your wedding before I’m dead and gone.”, Hazel said being blunt. “Don’t talk like that. You’re immortal.”, Zoe smiled. She was trying to distract herself from the idea of Merrick getting married. So it’d been nearly five months since he started officially seeing Rose and it’s been over a year since they’d been more than just friends. She should have gotten over it but there was still a small part of her that couldn’t just let go what she felt for him. Merrick sighed shaking his head popping a strawberry in his mouth. He knew what she was going to say, she was predictable like that. “One Nana you aren’t supposed to call me your favorite. I’ve got three siblings and six cousins.”, he started excluding Emma because after Christmas he refused to even say her name let alone say they were related. “I know how many great grandchildren I have. And I can have a favorite if I want. I wasn't allowed to say I had a favorite of my four children or my three grandsons. But I can certainly say I have a favorite of my eleven great grandchildren.”, she retorted. Zoe chuckled, she liked Sebastian well enough but of all the Frost and Bryant-Frosts she’d met Merrick did stand out as the frontrunner for best. Then it was Sebastian, Lily, Josalyn, any of his cousins and bottom barrel was Emma in Zoe’s mind.
Merrick rolled his eyes. “Anyways. I’ve only been dating Rose for about five months now. That is way too soon to be talking marriage. She’s finishing up her fourth year of medical school so still has four more to go. We haven't exactly figure out what is going to happen after that.”, Merrick countered. “So what? You’ve been with the girl since she was sixteen and she’ll be twenty-one in June. So that’s five years you’ve been together, plenty of time to start talking engagement.”, she argued. Zoe stayed quiet eating her lunch. “That is completely different Nana. You don’t get to say I’ve been with her five years. Fucking her versus dating her are two different things. Back me up here Zoe. There’s a difference between a just physical only based relationship and an emotional based relationship.”, Merrick answered looking to Zoe. “There is, because by that standard one would have to could the time you spent sleeping with all those other women. But question is when did it some being physical only for you with Rose, cause I know for a fact the summer before Faelan there was more than just physical going on between you.”, Zoe said not being as helpful as he’d hoped. “Alright so we average it and say you’ve been with her for two years. That’s still plenty of time.”, Hazel said. Merrick groaned. “No. We don’t average it to two years. I refuse to count anything before Faelan because I was still with other women.”, Merrick shook his head.
He couldn’t and wouldn’t bring himself to count any time he was ‘with’ Rose while still with others. And certainly he would not count the seven months he was with Zoe into the time he was ‘with’ Rose. “Why not? So you weren’t in a monogamous relationship with her at the time you were still with Rose and still thinking of her.”, Hazel said. Zoe looked back to her food trying to focus on just eating. She knew part of that time Hazel was talking about he’d been with her and the idea he’d been thinking of Rose during those months… well she just didn’t want to think about it. Merrick groaned. “Because I said so Nana. Let’s just drop it alright. Rose and I have been dating for five months, that’s it. At best I’ll say a year this June but that’s as far back as I’ll go. And still I say to soon to think of marriage. I’ll know when I know and you know I’m too stubborn to do anything before I’m ready.”, he stated firmly. Hazel sighed. “Fine. Well my other reason for calling, I’d like you to come up this weekend. There’s a space I want you to look at, maybe set up an official storefront for Aonair Mac Tíre.”, Hazel said changing the subjected. Zoe smiled. “An actual store. Wow.”, she chuckled. “Yeah I’ll look at it. I’ll come up this weekend. I should finish eating and get back to work. Bye Nana.”, Merrick sighed. “Bye Nana.”, Zoe waved at the phone. “Goodbye my dears.”, Hazel said hanging up.
“I should let you get back to work.”, Zoe sighed cleaning up the stuff from lunch. “Yeah got a deadline on this to keep.”, Merrick nodded. He’d noticed that Zoe seemed a bit off when his Nana spoke of getting engaged to Rose and then her wanting to count all the years they’d been lovers. Merrick hadn’t wanted to count that time, especially the months he’d been with Zoe. Those months didn’t belong to Rose, they belonged to Zoe. Merrick sighed and grabbed her hand before she could grab his empty lunch tray. “Hey... you alright?”, he asked. Zoe looked at him questionly. “Yeah of course I’m alright.”, she said. “Zoe I know you. You were awkward when Nana was talking engagements and how long I have or have not been with Rose.”, he countered. Zoe frowned she didn’t really have a defense to it. “I knew this would get weird eventually. You know why I won’t count any time before last summer as time I’ve been with Rose?”, he asked. Zoe quietly shook her head. She’d been the one that told him things wouldn’t get weird if they went past being friends and had to go back to it. She’d assured him he wouldn’t lose her as a best friend, and she was trying to keep that. But yes there were times it got weird. “Because I can’t count the seven months I was with you. That time doesn’t belong to Rose. I’ll never regret being with you or say that I wish we’d never been that way. Because during that time you were exactly what I needed.”, he explained. Zoe sighed and nodded. “And Rose is exactly what you need now.”, she concluded. “I still need you Zoe, you’re my best friend. I’m always going to need you.”, he assured giving her hand a light squeeze as his phone started to ring.
Zoe nodded and glanced to the caller id. “You should get that, it’s Rose. Tell her hi for me. See you later I’ve got rehearsal I should go to.”, she smiled a little kissing his forehead taking her hand back grabbing the tray. Merrick nodded picking up the phone. “I’ll see you later Zoe.”, he said with a small wave as she headed up the stairs. “Hello little wolf.”, he greeted. “Hi. So how’s your day going? Mine has been nuts.”, Rose greeted. “It’s been going. Took Faelan up to the sanctuary this morning and let him run around the office and outside while I was talking with Jacob about sectioning areas out to keep predators and their prey separate. Otherwise been here at the shop working on Zoe’s birthday present. Talked to Nana Hazel too. Why’s your day been nuts?”, he asked smiling a little as he went back to working on the box. “Oh I’m sure Faelan loved getting to run in the woods. What are you making her this time? I’m pretty sure her apartment is fully furnished since you made that living room set for Christmas. How’s Nana Hazel doing? Did you remember to eat lunch? And well classes this morning dragged, then had to wear my mask to break up a COH attack on a business owned and operated by a mutant.”, she sighed sitting down on the sofa in the cottage Octopus jumping on her lap purring.
“Ah such is the life of a masked vigilante medical student.”, Merrick teased. “Oh I hear my cat, tell Octopus I say hi.”, he chuckled. “My cat and he says hello back.”, Rose rolled her eyes. “Anyways. I’m making her a jewelry music box out of rosewood, currently I’m carving the lotus flower into the top. Also picked up through an online company that does costume music players for boxes a player that will play the instrumental to Music of The Night from Phantom of the Opera. Yes I ate lunch, Zoe was just here and brought lunch because apparently the women in my life don’t think I’m capable of remembering to feed myself.”, Merrick chuckled. “Well someone has to make sure you remember. You wake up before the sun just to get everything you think you need to do done between exercise, taking care of Faelan, and your three jobs. We just worry you are stretching yourself too thin. I worry because I’m not there to poke at you and know you are taking care of yourself. Faelan and I need you healthy.”, she smiled. “I know, trust me I know beautiful. And the three jobs are getting to be a bit much as the Sanctuary is starting to take off and I’m getting more and more orders at the shop. I'm Actually thinking about quitting Wal-Mart. I planned to set up a company insurance anyways for the Sanctuary since soon I’ll need to get a staff. And I can just cover Faelan and I myself through that.”, he sighed.
“Wow quit Wal-Mart and just work your businesses? Do you make enough with the shop to do that?”, Rose asked. “Actually yeah. With the shop alone I’m making about ten grand a month sometimes more if I sell a lot of my larger pieces. I’m going up to Boston to see Nana this weekend she saw a space she wants me to look at in regards to opening a storefront to sell out of instead of just online.”, he explained. “That’s fantastic Merrick. I told you that you were good enough to sell your work. So that’s what Hazel called about then.”, Rose smiled. She liked Hazel, the old woman was very endearing especially for a Frost. But Rose had decided that the way Merrick’s uncles and cousins turned out were really a reflection on Hazel or the whole Frost name. Hazel was one of those hard working women who took nothing for granted and wanted to push others to be better. And Rose knew that she helped to push Merrick to become the amazing man she got to call hers. “Yeah that’s what she called about.”, he nodded. He didn’t want to bring up that Hazel was pushing him about getting engaged. He felt it was still too soon. And knew that just getting her to date him was a feat.
He knew her well enough to know that the distance, university, Excalibur, and then her powers all rolled around in her mind as to reasons they shouldn’t be together. Sure he didn’t know what he was going to do in regards to the ocean between them, maybe he’d just move. Her powers was his one worry, because what happens when he started to look much older would she still want him. He of course didn’t talk about that concern. He tried to look at it only in the positive that he’d always have the hottest girlfriend. “Alright well I need to get to my final class of the day. I’ll skype you and Faelan later. I love you.”, Rose smiled. “Alright I’ll see you then. Love you too.”, he answered before the hung up. He sighed a little setting the phone aside as he looked over the jewelry music box. He glanced over to another covered piece and smiled a little. Under that he was working on something for Rose’s twenty-first birthday in June when she’d come home. He was using more of their maple tree to make a picture frame which the bottom in the center was the section of wood he’d carved their initials in before Faelan was even conceived. He was going to print one of the pictures of them with Faelan from Christmas to put in the frame as part of the gift. He smiled a little looking from the music box to the frame, two of the most important women in his life were both turning twenty-one.

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It’d been a couple months since moving in with Blaire and her friends and Tristan was feeling more obligation than boyfriend. They’d all been very nice to him and helpful. But with his doctors appointments and that his doctor said it wouldn’t be till after the summer for his second back surgery he was limited on what he could do. So he still needed someone to drive him to his physical therapy and doctor appointments. Many times it was Blaire who figured out how to work them into his schedule to go with him, but on those times she couldn’t one of her friends found a way to get him there. And then there were days he didn’t have appointments but they all had work or classes so he was stuck at the house alone. For someone who’d never not been active this was driving him stir crazy. It was starting to feel like recovery was never going to happen so Tristan was just getting depressed and frustrated with his physical therapy and otherwise cabin fever. Tonight Blaire had said she’d be home and they’d get to go out maybe catch a movie so he was anticipating getting to actually go out and do something as he sat in his wheelchair wandering around the house waiting. He watched at the hours passed slowly and started to wonder what was taking her so long. He wanted to call and see what was taking her but he couldn’t find his cell phone which didn’t make him any less annoyed. He was certain he’d left the volume up so if she’d called he would still have been able to find the phone to answer. So he was starting to wonder if she’d just forgotten about him and their date.
Over at the Worthington office Blaire had been stuck in a meeting room with a number of the legal team as they were working on a contract for buying out another large company. It shouldn’t have taken so long but the lawyers for the other company were being, well in Blaire’s opinion dicks about the wording of various clauses. During a few break she sent a quick text to Tristan to tell him she was running late and she’d text him again when she was about to leave the office, apologizing for being so late. Tristan of course never saw that text nor did he get the message when she was leaving. Instead he was just stewing in the living room annoyed. he saw headlights in the driveway and grumbled turning his chair so he had his back to the foyer not feeling overly in a friendly sort of mood. Blaire came in her brief case, almost bursting with the papers she had to work on, in her right hand and holding her backpack from classes with her left. Blaire sighed and saw the back of his head and the chair and set her stuff down taking off her jacket before walking over and leaning, which with her heels and him sitting was just the right height so that her breasts sat on his head. “Hey handsome. Sorry I’m late. Like I told you it was madness at the office. What should have been a cut and dry contract finalization turned into hours of bullshit.”, she greeted bringing her hands down to try and touch his chest. Tristan snorted a little moving her hands.
Blaire raised an eyebrow and stood up walking around to look at him. “What’s wrong?”, she asked. “You didn’t tell me anything.So I don’t know who you told but it wasn’t me. I’ve been sitting here, like every other day, waiting for you. You ran so late we can’t go to the movie and I got hungry so I ordered a pizza and already ate.”, Tristan spoke a bit coldly. Blaire placed her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes at him. “Excuse me Tristan Alexander Whitland? You want to lose that attitude before I slap it out of you? I sent you a text message two hours ago saying I was going to be late because the other lawyers were being dicks and that I’d send you another text before I left the office. Then I sent you another text before I left about thirty minutes ago which is about how long it takes to drive from the office in Boston back home.”, Blaire said with attitude right back. She was tired and annoyed from the long day and coming home to this was not helping that. “No you didn’t.”, Tristan argued. “Where’s your phone?”, Blaire demanded. “I don’t know. I haven’t been able to find it. But I know I didn’t leave it on silent so it would have rang if you sent those texts.”, he countered. “Uh huh…”, Blaire rolled her eyes starting to looking around the house and went into their bedroom checking the bed and around it. And found it on the floor under the nightstand. “FOUND IT!”, she walked out holding up the phone.
“It fell under your nightstand. And want to know why you didn't get my messages?”, She asked trying to power it on and getting the ‘low battery’ message. “You need to charge it.”, she said tossing at him. “Want to apologize now or later asshat?”, she asked folding her arms across her chest. Tristan looked down at his phone glaring before picking it up and chucking it at the wall cracking the screen. Blaire blinked looking over at the phone. "Really? Didn't realize I was dealing with a toddler instead of a grown ass man who's older than me.", she questioned glaring at him. "Oh yeah grown ass man that can't leave the fucking house without help. Who you guys rock/paper/scissor to determine who's dealing with me that day. Me coming here was a mistake. I'm trapped in this god forsaken house all damn day, I can't drive yet, I can only walk short distances on my own. I can't even work. And I'm treated basically like a child. So I'm not a fucking man cause you don't treat me like one.", Tristan argued glaring back up at her. "They have these things called taxi cabs and buses. The city bus stop is one block over and guess what is wheelchair accessible. You can go anywhere you fucking want when you don't have appointments and we're not here. No one rock/paper/scissors about who's driving you that day. I have rearranged my life for you Tristan, because I love you and I want to be at all these appointments. Because I want to know what's going on. The others help because they want to and they love you like a brother. You're family Tristan. If I treat you like a child perhaps it's because you are acting like one. I sure the fuck don't treat you like a child in the bedroom. Which speaking of your ass can sleep in their alone for a few nights. I'll take the couch or bunk in Hope's room.", she countered pointing to the bedroom.
Tristan silently glared and rolled away picking up his phone and going to the bedroom not saying another word. He plugged his phone into the charger setting it on his nightstand and carefully tried to get out of his jeans and shirt before getting into bed. For the first time he was going to bed angry. Blaire sighed and silently went into the bedroom, Tristan opened one eye wondering if she was coming to apologize. But instead she didn't even look at him and went to her dresser taking out a pink silk cami and matching shorts. Tristan raised an eyebrow trying to think if she'd given up on the couch idea. She removed her belt, then untucked her white dress shirt unbuttoning it and tossing it into the hamper followed by her cream colored bra, then unzipped and stepped out of her high waist camel leather midi skirt then removed her cream colored thongs before getting into her pajamas. She kept her back to him for most of it but she was aware of him watching her. She was in a way doing this on purpose to show exactly what grown men get versus the child he is acting like. She grabbed her pillow from her side of the bed and walked out shutting the door without a word to sleep on the couch. Their roommates arrived home and all looked curiously at Blaire sleeping on the couch, but none dared to ask and instead just stayed out of it going to their bedrooms.
Tristan hadn't slept well. He'd forgotten to take his muscle relaxers and hadn't done his evening stretches, Blaire often was the one that reminded him and sometimes helped him do his stretches and told him to take his muscle relaxers before bed. He reached over to his nightstand grabbing his phone and powered it up. Within seconds of its powering up the text message tone he had programmed for Blaire sounded twice. He groaned feeling guilty, she had texted him. He carefully sat up in the bed looking at her empty untouched side with its missing pillow and frowned. He brought up the first message. "Hey sorry I'm running late. The other company's lawyers are such dicks and are being picky about everything. Not sure how long I'll be. Text when I leave. Love you.", he read the message through the spider cracks of his screen. Then he pulled up the next message and groaned again. It was a picture of her cleavage where she'd obviously unbuttoned her top just enough to show the lace detailing of her bra with a message. "Sorry we'll miss the movie. Hope these will be a good consolation prize.", he frowned. She'd come home ready to make up for running late and he was a complete ass. He set the phone down and carefully got out of the bed his back stiff and sore from not doing his stretches and forgetting his muscle relaxers. He held the edge of the bed and did a few of his stretches he’s supposed to do in the morning. He looked to the medicine bottles on the nightstand and grabbed just his pain medicine taking a couple dry, he didn’t want to take the muscle relaxers.
He felt horrible as he replayed the fight in his head. He’d thrown his phone into a wall because he didn’t want to realize him not getting her messages was his own fault. He had acted like a child and she called him out on it without holding back. He carefully got on a pair of his shorts before getting into his wheelchair to quietly roll out of the bedroom. He peeked into the living room and could see her sleeping on the couch, her black hair a mess on the pillow with her right arm hanging off the edge and the blanket mostly on the floor. He frowned she was usually the type that when she slept she mostly stayed in that one position and her side of the bed was always so neat. He knew her well enough that she was not having a good night sleep. And that made him feel worse, it was her bed he’d slept on and because of his back she’d taken the couch where she knew she’d be uncomfortable. Even fighting with him she still put him above herself. He sighed and rolled closer carefully moving her arm back onto the couch and fixed the blanket to cover her. He decided he needed to do something to apologize so he rolled to the kitchen locking the wheels of his chair and getting up using the counter to brace himself as he needed. The physical therapist said standing and trying to walk short distances at home was good so he figured he could at least make her breakfast before his back decided it’d had enough.
He rolled out to the living room with a tray on his lap containing orange juice and a plate of eggs in a basket with breakfast sausage. “Ahem….Blaire?”, he said softly trying to get her attention. She didn’t stir, so he spoke a little louder. “Blaire?”, he called again. Blaire grumbled turning her head to look at him. “Yeah?”, she questioned. Tristan nodded down to the tray on his lap. “Look I’m sorry about last night. It’s just…”, Tristan sighed trying to think how he should apologize for his behavior. “Just you are depressed and having a shining moment because you aren’t used to needing help.”, Blaire finished the sentence sitting up. Tristan nodded. “Yeah basically. I’ve been self dependent most of my life, yeah dad was there when I needed him but I didn’t need him for everyday life. And I’ve never not worked, even when I was little I had chores or something to do around the ranch. Here I just feel like I’m that house guest who overstayed their welcome.”, he sighed rubbing the back of his neck. “And I shouldn’t take that out on you. You have been amazing. You got on a plane and flew to Texas when I got hurt. Other than dad I can’t think of anyone that would have traveled that many miles just to see me and know I’m alive. Then without me asking you offer to have me move in with you so I could be near some of the best doctors the country has and I’d have you for my support system. And your friends were amazing and actually planned on me moving in before you even did and have been here for me too. And I know that you’ve rearranged your schedule, had to get extensions on assignments and such to go to my appointments because you want to be there with me. You ask questions that I probably would never have thought to, because using human medicine isn’t normal to you and you worked at a healer’s clinic. And I’ve become dependent on you and in a way I hate that. Last night I didn’t do my stretches or take my muscle relaxers like I’m supposed to because I just forgot, you always remember. I appreciate everything you and your friends have been doing for me. But I just… I need to find a balance because I can’t be so dependent on you and them.”, he explained.
Blaire listened and nodded a little. “So I’m saying that I love you and you are the most incredible woman in the universe, and I don’t think or feel that I deserve you. But I don’t want to go to bed angry or alone again and I don’t want you to sleep on the couch.”, he said finally stopping his apology. Blaire sighed her shoulders sinking a little. She hadn’t liked going to bed angry. They’d never really had a fight before, but not counting the summer she went on the rodeo with him before college they’d never spent this much time together. A fight was bound to happen eventually. Not every couple can be like Bianca and Gabriel who had never fought. Hope and Jessa fought often and broke up often too. Her parents had fights because when you get two different opinions of stubborn people in a room they are going to butt heads. “I understand Tristan. I really do. Neither of us are the dependent type. I try to let you do things for yourself because you need to do them. For example the only time I help with you getting undressed is when I’m undressing you for the point of having sex with you. I don’t want you to think any of us consider you a burden or treat you like a child. We want to help and be here for you. And I hate when I can’t go to an appointment because I have questions. I want to know that you are getting better, know if there’s anything that I can do that will make this recovery easier for you. Like some of the times I have been late getting home aren’t always because of my Harvard classes or work.”, she started to explained.
Tristan raised an eyebrow. “Where are you then?”, he asked. “Your physical therapist had recommended deep tissue massages to help your back as an alternative to the muscle relaxers which I know you don’t like taking any more medication than minimally needed. I checked to see if your insurance would cover the cost of massages, which your doctor recommended getting every couple weeks, but it won’t. And I know massages can get expensive generally costing about seventy dollars per session. So I picked up night classes at Cortiva Institute over in Boston to learn massage therapy for myself so then I’d be able to do the massages your doctor recommended for free and whenever you needed them. I hadn’t wanted to say anything till we actually got into more of the actual practice rather than just talking theory of technique. Kind of wanted it to be a surprise.”, she answered. Tristan sighed and frowned but it slowly turned into a smile. She was taking night classes because she wanted to be able to give proper massages to help his back. “God you’re amazing..”, he smiled. “Remind me how a schmuck like me from a ranch in Oregon got this lucky?”, Tristan questioned with a soft laugh. “Born under a lucky star? That ranch was owned by Rose’s maternal grandparents, so you had that tie in. Being the sweet dirty minded cowboy that you are and well being damn fine helped too.”, Blaire answered. Tristan smirked. “Some lucky star. Remind me I need to call and just tell Rose thanks. So no more sleeping separate?”, he asked offering up the tray.
Blaire looked at him skeptically taking the food. “Tristan I love you, you know that. You want me back in the bed after one night, well that you’ll have to earn back. I know you’re sorry, and I accept the apology like I hope you accept I’m sorry for some of what I said last night in anger. But you don’t want to be treated like a child, you want more independence. Okay, show me that you aren’t a child and I’ll come back to bed with you.”, she explained. Tristan frowned a little but nodded. “Alright. Fair enough I guess. I had to earn my place in your bed once before, I can do it again. I just don’t like you sleeping out here on the couch. I can sleep on the couch, after all it’s your bed.”, he countered. “You most certainly will not. With your back you aren’t sleeping on this thing. I can deal with the couch for now. I would prefer you prove yourself sooner than later. Cause well this isn’t a comfortable place to sleep and….”, she sighed looking at him in his wheelchair shirtless in just a pair of shorts. “God I’m horny.”, she chuckled. Tristan smiled and laughed too. “Well you did say that’s the one place I wasn’t treated like a child…and we don’t have to do it in the bed.”, he offered with a smirk. Blaire giggled shaking her head. Tristan shrugged. “Just a suggestion, cause between that strip show last night and getting that cleavage message this morning…”, he smirked. “Hmm… let me eat and think about it. You want some of this?”, she suggested starting to eat some of the breakfast he made. “Sure.”, he said taking the fork from her and helping her eat the plate. The sooner the plate was empty the sooner he might get an answer. With the plate empty Blaire looked at him setting the tray aside. “Alright come on handsome let’s park that wheelchair somewhere that we won’t be seen as easily by our roommates.”, she giggled getting off the couch and moving to sit down on his lap instead. Tristan smirked, so maybe she might not be agreeing to sleeping in the bed with him again just yet but it was a step closer.
It only took a week before Blaire gave up on the couch and returned to her bed with Tristan. Her point had been proven and really she was the one suffering not him. But he’d started doing his stretched and taking medication without any reminders. He’d gotten a cane, Merrick made it for him so it wasn’t just some cheap aluminum cane, and started walking around the house and even walking from the front door to the road and back to show he was serious about his recovery. She would watch silently from a window when he’d go outside, the last thing she wanted was him to slip and take a fall. But he had at least shown he could be more independent. The last day before she said it was enough he’d taken a cab and went to the grocery store with only his cane and used the cart as a way to keep himself up to buy some groceries and pick up flowers for her. So when she came home that night he was in pain, but he’d not used his chair till he had gotten home. He learned that he didn’t have to rely on her or the others for everything and proved he could handle more on his own and so no more cold bed for him or uncomfortable couch for her. Their roommates were glad that was over, because them sleeping separate was weird.
Down in Manhattan Tommy had been trying to think of just the right want to ask Lily to marry him. He’d found the ring he just needed to think of the right words and the right place. Billy and proposed on basically a gondola ride on Valentine’s and her twin had been proposed to while ice skating at Rockefeller Center around Christmas. He would not let himself get outstaged by his brother and Robbie. He finally found just the right settings, Washington Square Park she loved the fountain and the arch especially in the evening when they were lit up. But he knew he needed help with making this magic, so he enlisted the help of their roommates. They helped him get it all set up just the way he wanted. So in late April while walking through the park one late evening he hoped to truly surprise her. “This park is always the best at night.”, Lily commented as they walked holding hands. “Yeah. We’ve come here a lot since starting college.”, Tommy agreed. As they walked closer to the fountain the sound of a drum and a piano started to play and then words started with a very familiar voice. “Well, it's a marvelous night for a moondance. With the stars up above in your eyes. A fantabulous night to make romance. 'Neath the cover of April skies. And all the leaves on the trees are blooming. To the sound of the breezes that blow. You know, I'm trying to please to the calling. Of your heartstrings that play soft and low. You know, the night's magic seems to whisper and hush. You know, the soft moonlight seems to shine in your blush.”, Landon’s voice rang out from apparently nowhere and everywhere. He’d gotten his band to help him with the surprise for his cousin. Jackson picked up the brass of the song as Gavin and Dan started on guitar and bass.
Lily frozen looking around confused. She knew her cousin’s voice anywhere, just like she knew their song Moondance by Van Morrison even if it was being modified to fit the scene. “Tommy?”, Lily asked looking at him with a raised eyebrow. Tommy just smiled. “Can I just have one more moondance with a-you, my love? Can I just make some more romance with a-you, my love?”, Cora Lee’s voice sang the chorus. “Well, I wanna make love to you tonight. I can't wait 'til the morning has come. You know, I know now the time is just right. And straight into my arms you will run. And when you come, my heart will be waiting. To make sure that you're never alone. There and then, all my dreams will come true, dear. There and then, I will make you my own. And every time I touch you, you just tremble inside. Then I know how much you want me that you can't hide.”, the song continued to play. Lily’s eyes were darting all around trying to find her cousins and Blaze Halo but she still couldn’t place where they were. “Can I just have one more moondance with you, my love? Can I just make some more romance with a-you, my love?”, Cora Lee’s voice joined in again. “Where are they Tommy?”, Lily asked. Tommy shrugged with a smirked. “I don’t know what you are talking about beautiful.”, Tommy teased.
“Well, it's a marvelous night for a moondance. With the stars up above in your eyes. A fantabulous night to make romance. 'Neath the cover of April skies. And all the leaves on the trees are blooming. To the sound of the breezes that blow. You know, I'm trying to please to the calling. Of your heartstrings that play soft and low. You know, the night's magic seems to whisper and hush. You know, the soft moonlight seems to shine in your blush.”, the song played on it seeming to come from all around them. “You do so. You can hear it, Moondance. Landon and Cora Lee are singing our song. So where are they? What are you doing Thomas Peitro Maximoff?”, Lily demanded stopping at the fountain folding her arms across her chest looking at him. “I don’t hear anything, I hear some crickets maybe. Must be in your head.”, Tommy shrugged shaking his head at her. “Can I just have one more moondance with a-you, my love? Can I just make some more romance with a-you, my love?”, the unique grit of Cora Lee’s voice surrounded them. “One more moondance with you. In the moonlight. On a magic night. La, la, la, la, la, in the moonlight. On a magic night. Can't I just have one more, moondance with you, my love?”, Landon and Cora Lee both harmonized as the song ended. Lilly furrowed her brow looking at Tommy. “You’re up to something… you know I don’t like surprised Tommy.”, Lily narrowed her eyes at him.
“I know you don’t. Of all people I should know that.”, Tommy defended as lightning started to streak across the sky only above the park. Lily blinked startled for a moment and looked up to the sky. The lightening wasn’t random, Lily knew somewhere Malcolm was part of this. But when her green-yellow eyes looked up to watch the lightening show Tommy zipped away to hit a button on the arch that pulled down a white cloth. And as soon as he was back to standing with her off hidden in the shrubbery Rachel hit play of the projector and the lightening stop. Lily turned her attention as she heard her mother’s laughter. “Mom?”, Lily questioned but as she turned there was a young her being pushed on a swing by her mother and her shouting to go higher. Across the bottom words scrolled. ‘Even when you were little you always reached for the heavens.’ Lily sighed a little, she remembered that. Then the video moved to video of Tommy and Billy playing and Tommy fell down and it was Lily who helped him up giving him a hug. Scrolling along the bottom the words said ‘From the start you were always my comfort.’. Lily sighed shaking her head. She had an idea of what Tommy was doing but she watched silently. The video continued showing various moments of their childhood together even the moments that were supposed to have been secret when they had kept their relationship hidden. Then finally the video came to just him and what looked like him sitting in their terrace back at the house.
“We’ve known each other our whole lives. Every good memory I have has you in it. And I want every memory to always have you in it. So do me a favor and turn around.”, Tommy spoke as the video faded to black. The real Tommy had gotten down on one knee and had the ring box open displaying the thin white gold band with a filigree raised design with two small diamonds on either end of the filigree, the center a larger diamond with two small diamonds flanking it. Lily was crying a little from watching the little film. She was mad at herself for crying, she wasn’t an emotional girlie girl. But that...that had really gotten to her. This whole evening had gotten to her. She slowly turned knowing what was coming but was still surprised looking at the ring. “So what do you say beautiful? You’re already my past and present. Be my future?”, Tommy asked with a wide smile. Lily silently nodded her head. “Yes now get up so I can decide if I should kiss you or punch you.”, Lily sighed pulling him up. Tommy chuckled and didn’t let her decide kissing her. “I’ll take the kiss.”, he smiled pulling back putting the ring on her finger. Lily sighed shaking her head. “What am I going to do with you?”, she sighed. “Just keep loving me and we’ll be good.”, he grinned. “Now where are all the others?”, she demanded. Landon chuckled from the darkness stepping into the light holding Rachel’s hand. “Congrats coz.”, Landon smiled. “We all knew she’d say yes.”, Cora Lee teased stepping out with Malcolm. The rest of Blaze Halo stepped out holding their instruments, Mitch carrying a keyboard for the purpose of the piano parts. “Congrats you two.”, they greeted with a smile. Lily sighed shaking her head. “I don’t like surprises, but this one...I like.”, she smiled looking at her family and friends. She had very few perfect moments but this felt like one.
With both Lily and Josalyn now engaged and wedding plans in the works Merrick was getting a bit of pressure via phone and text from Hazel wanting him to purpose to Rose. He was working on a rosewood music box for Zoe’s twenty-first birthday, busy carving the lotus into the lid as his phone went off. He sighed setting down his chisel and looked to the caller id. “Nana..”, he sighed hitting answer. “Hello Nana.”, he greeted having her on speaker phone picking up the chisel again going back to work. “Hello. So I had some things I wanted to talk to you about.”, Hazel greeted. Merrick rolled his eyes keep his focus on the details of the individual petals. “Oh I’m sure you do.What’s going on?”, he asked. “Well as you know now both Josalyn and Lily have gotten engaged.”, Hazel started. Merrick groaned knowing what was coming next. “Yeah Nana I’m well aware that my sisters are getting married. I’ve seen the rings, I’ve congratulated them, I’ve shaking Robert and Thomas’ hands just to the point of not breaking them as my personal warning about screwing up with my sisters. How about we cut to the chase?”, Merrick suggested pausing his work hearing footsteps upstairs and smelling Zoe. He quickly covered the music box and spun on his stool. “Hey hellraiser. Just in time for one of my Nana’s lectures about my life.”, Merrick greeted ass he walked down the stairs to the basement.
Zoe sighed. “Is there no way of sneaking up on you?”, she chuckled. “nope.”, Merrick smiled. “Hi Nana Hazel!”, Zoe greeted walking over with a lunch box. “Hello nightingale. Is it feeding time at the zoo already?”, Hazel teased. Merrick rolled his eyes. “Just because Zoe brings me lunch every day…”, Merrick grumbled shaking his head but smiling a little. “Yes well Rose isn’t here to poke you till you eat something. You know how he gets Nana, starts a project here or at the sanctuary and just forgets about everything else.”, Zoe smiled looking past him to the cloth on the table. “What you working on Lupo Cattivo?”, she questioned. “None of your business Zoe. And I’d remember to eat...eventually. And hey in Rose’s defense in about half hour she will probably call me between classes and ask if I’ve eaten today. I get it from all sides. Local I’ve got mom and you literally trying to cram food in my face. And then I’m getting calls from my med student reminding me that I need to eat and make sure I’m eating enough protein since I refuse to eat meat. Cause somehow in the twelve years I’ve been a vegetarian I don’t know this.”, Merrick sighed opening the lunch box.
“You should count your blessing young man to have so many women that love you and want to take care of you.”, Hazel stated. “Yeah what Nana said.”, Zoe teased. “We all just want to make sure you stay healthy to take care of Faelan since you are stretching yourself thin between three jobs now.”, Zoe sighed shooing him away from the lunch box started to take out the meal she’d prepared. She set one bento box in front of him containing linguine with pesto and sun-dried tomatoes, spaghetti squash, arugula with a raspberry vinaigrette, and some fresh strawberries and a bottle of water. Then she took out her which was a chicken cesar salad with some mango chunks on the side. “So what has our darling nightingale made you today?”, hazel asked. Merrick rolled his eyes. “From the looks of it linguine, spaghetti squash, arugula salad, and strawberries. Thank you Zoe.”, Merrick answered giving her a kiss on the cheek before starting to eat. “So you called for a reason Nana, let’s get to the point please.”, Merrick asked between mouthfuls of food. Zoe shook her head silently eating her salad listening to the exchange between great grandmother and great grandson.
“Alright fine to the point it is. Lily and Josalyn are both engaged. What I want to know is when is my favorite going to get engaged? I’d like to see your wedding before I’m dead and gone.”, Hazel said being blunt. “Don’t talk like that. You’re immortal.”, Zoe smiled. She was trying to distract herself from the idea of Merrick getting married. So it’d been nearly five months since he started officially seeing Rose and it’s been over a year since they’d been more than just friends. She should have gotten over it but there was still a small part of her that couldn’t just let go what she felt for him. Merrick sighed shaking his head popping a strawberry in his mouth. He knew what she was going to say, she was predictable like that. “One Nana you aren’t supposed to call me your favorite. I’ve got three siblings and six cousins.”, he started excluding Emma because after Christmas he refused to even say her name let alone say they were related. “I know how many great grandchildren I have. And I can have a favorite if I want. I wasn't allowed to say I had a favorite of my four children or my three grandsons. But I can certainly say I have a favorite of my eleven great grandchildren.”, she retorted. Zoe chuckled, she liked Sebastian well enough but of all the Frost and Bryant-Frosts she’d met Merrick did stand out as the frontrunner for best. Then it was Sebastian, Lily, Josalyn, any of his cousins and bottom barrel was Emma in Zoe’s mind.
Merrick rolled his eyes. “Anyways. I’ve only been dating Rose for about five months now. That is way too soon to be talking marriage. She’s finishing up her fourth year of medical school so still has four more to go. We haven't exactly figure out what is going to happen after that.”, Merrick countered. “So what? You’ve been with the girl since she was sixteen and she’ll be twenty-one in June. So that’s five years you’ve been together, plenty of time to start talking engagement.”, she argued. Zoe stayed quiet eating her lunch. “That is completely different Nana. You don’t get to say I’ve been with her five years. Fucking her versus dating her are two different things. Back me up here Zoe. There’s a difference between a just physical only based relationship and an emotional based relationship.”, Merrick answered looking to Zoe. “There is, because by that standard one would have to could the time you spent sleeping with all those other women. But question is when did it some being physical only for you with Rose, cause I know for a fact the summer before Faelan there was more than just physical going on between you.”, Zoe said not being as helpful as he’d hoped. “Alright so we average it and say you’ve been with her for two years. That’s still plenty of time.”, Hazel said. Merrick groaned. “No. We don’t average it to two years. I refuse to count anything before Faelan because I was still with other women.”, Merrick shook his head.
He couldn’t and wouldn’t bring himself to count any time he was ‘with’ Rose while still with others. And certainly he would not count the seven months he was with Zoe into the time he was ‘with’ Rose. “Why not? So you weren’t in a monogamous relationship with her at the time you were still with Rose and still thinking of her.”, Hazel said. Zoe looked back to her food trying to focus on just eating. She knew part of that time Hazel was talking about he’d been with her and the idea he’d been thinking of Rose during those months… well she just didn’t want to think about it. Merrick groaned. “Because I said so Nana. Let’s just drop it alright. Rose and I have been dating for five months, that’s it. At best I’ll say a year this June but that’s as far back as I’ll go. And still I say to soon to think of marriage. I’ll know when I know and you know I’m too stubborn to do anything before I’m ready.”, he stated firmly. Hazel sighed. “Fine. Well my other reason for calling, I’d like you to come up this weekend. There’s a space I want you to look at, maybe set up an official storefront for Aonair Mac Tíre.”, Hazel said changing the subjected. Zoe smiled. “An actual store. Wow.”, she chuckled. “Yeah I’ll look at it. I’ll come up this weekend. I should finish eating and get back to work. Bye Nana.”, Merrick sighed. “Bye Nana.”, Zoe waved at the phone. “Goodbye my dears.”, Hazel said hanging up.
“I should let you get back to work.”, Zoe sighed cleaning up the stuff from lunch. “Yeah got a deadline on this to keep.”, Merrick nodded. He’d noticed that Zoe seemed a bit off when his Nana spoke of getting engaged to Rose and then her wanting to count all the years they’d been lovers. Merrick hadn’t wanted to count that time, especially the months he’d been with Zoe. Those months didn’t belong to Rose, they belonged to Zoe. Merrick sighed and grabbed her hand before she could grab his empty lunch tray. “Hey... you alright?”, he asked. Zoe looked at him questionly. “Yeah of course I’m alright.”, she said. “Zoe I know you. You were awkward when Nana was talking engagements and how long I have or have not been with Rose.”, he countered. Zoe frowned she didn’t really have a defense to it. “I knew this would get weird eventually. You know why I won’t count any time before last summer as time I’ve been with Rose?”, he asked. Zoe quietly shook her head. She’d been the one that told him things wouldn’t get weird if they went past being friends and had to go back to it. She’d assured him he wouldn’t lose her as a best friend, and she was trying to keep that. But yes there were times it got weird. “Because I can’t count the seven months I was with you. That time doesn’t belong to Rose. I’ll never regret being with you or say that I wish we’d never been that way. Because during that time you were exactly what I needed.”, he explained. Zoe sighed and nodded. “And Rose is exactly what you need now.”, she concluded. “I still need you Zoe, you’re my best friend. I’m always going to need you.”, he assured giving her hand a light squeeze as his phone started to ring.
Zoe nodded and glanced to the caller id. “You should get that, it’s Rose. Tell her hi for me. See you later I’ve got rehearsal I should go to.”, she smiled a little kissing his forehead taking her hand back grabbing the tray. Merrick nodded picking up the phone. “I’ll see you later Zoe.”, he said with a small wave as she headed up the stairs. “Hello little wolf.”, he greeted. “Hi. So how’s your day going? Mine has been nuts.”, Rose greeted. “It’s been going. Took Faelan up to the sanctuary this morning and let him run around the office and outside while I was talking with Jacob about sectioning areas out to keep predators and their prey separate. Otherwise been here at the shop working on Zoe’s birthday present. Talked to Nana Hazel too. Why’s your day been nuts?”, he asked smiling a little as he went back to working on the box. “Oh I’m sure Faelan loved getting to run in the woods. What are you making her this time? I’m pretty sure her apartment is fully furnished since you made that living room set for Christmas. How’s Nana Hazel doing? Did you remember to eat lunch? And well classes this morning dragged, then had to wear my mask to break up a COH attack on a business owned and operated by a mutant.”, she sighed sitting down on the sofa in the cottage Octopus jumping on her lap purring.
“Ah such is the life of a masked vigilante medical student.”, Merrick teased. “Oh I hear my cat, tell Octopus I say hi.”, he chuckled. “My cat and he says hello back.”, Rose rolled her eyes. “Anyways. I’m making her a jewelry music box out of rosewood, currently I’m carving the lotus flower into the top. Also picked up through an online company that does costume music players for boxes a player that will play the instrumental to Music of The Night from Phantom of the Opera. Yes I ate lunch, Zoe was just here and brought lunch because apparently the women in my life don’t think I’m capable of remembering to feed myself.”, Merrick chuckled. “Well someone has to make sure you remember. You wake up before the sun just to get everything you think you need to do done between exercise, taking care of Faelan, and your three jobs. We just worry you are stretching yourself too thin. I worry because I’m not there to poke at you and know you are taking care of yourself. Faelan and I need you healthy.”, she smiled. “I know, trust me I know beautiful. And the three jobs are getting to be a bit much as the Sanctuary is starting to take off and I’m getting more and more orders at the shop. I'm Actually thinking about quitting Wal-Mart. I planned to set up a company insurance anyways for the Sanctuary since soon I’ll need to get a staff. And I can just cover Faelan and I myself through that.”, he sighed.
“Wow quit Wal-Mart and just work your businesses? Do you make enough with the shop to do that?”, Rose asked. “Actually yeah. With the shop alone I’m making about ten grand a month sometimes more if I sell a lot of my larger pieces. I’m going up to Boston to see Nana this weekend she saw a space she wants me to look at in regards to opening a storefront to sell out of instead of just online.”, he explained. “That’s fantastic Merrick. I told you that you were good enough to sell your work. So that’s what Hazel called about then.”, Rose smiled. She liked Hazel, the old woman was very endearing especially for a Frost. But Rose had decided that the way Merrick’s uncles and cousins turned out were really a reflection on Hazel or the whole Frost name. Hazel was one of those hard working women who took nothing for granted and wanted to push others to be better. And Rose knew that she helped to push Merrick to become the amazing man she got to call hers. “Yeah that’s what she called about.”, he nodded. He didn’t want to bring up that Hazel was pushing him about getting engaged. He felt it was still too soon. And knew that just getting her to date him was a feat.
He knew her well enough to know that the distance, university, Excalibur, and then her powers all rolled around in her mind as to reasons they shouldn’t be together. Sure he didn’t know what he was going to do in regards to the ocean between them, maybe he’d just move. Her powers was his one worry, because what happens when he started to look much older would she still want him. He of course didn’t talk about that concern. He tried to look at it only in the positive that he’d always have the hottest girlfriend. “Alright well I need to get to my final class of the day. I’ll skype you and Faelan later. I love you.”, Rose smiled. “Alright I’ll see you then. Love you too.”, he answered before the hung up. He sighed a little setting the phone aside as he looked over the jewelry music box. He glanced over to another covered piece and smiled a little. Under that he was working on something for Rose’s twenty-first birthday in June when she’d come home. He was using more of their maple tree to make a picture frame which the bottom in the center was the section of wood he’d carved their initials in before Faelan was even conceived. He was going to print one of the pictures of them with Faelan from Christmas to put in the frame as part of the gift. He smiled a little looking from the music box to the frame, two of the most important women in his life were both turning twenty-one.