Title: Token
Rating: T for mildly suggestive situations.
Warning: General post season 8 knowledge. They're married.
Author's Note: This is what happens when you're wondering if you should write a piece of fluff just because and harryronhermioneginny on Tumblr specifically asks for a Valentine's Day piece. Unbeta'd and written in a single sitting. All mistakes are mine alone.
Disclaimer: I don't own MM, if I did, I wouldn't have a day job. That is all.
Walking home from work on the 13th of February, William was deep in thought, stopping to pause and look at the various displays of Valentine merchandise on offer at the various shops. Shaking his head, he wasn't sure he understood the whole idea behind such a day but he was fairly sure he was resentful of said event.
Saint Valentine was a Christian martyr executed in the 3rd or 4th century AD on the 14th of February by the Emperor Claudius II, or so the story went. The details surrounding his life and death were hazy at best, and some scholars believe that it was a conflation of two separate saints of the same name. Other accounts said he was executed for trying to convert the Emperor himself, while others still said that he was a priest secretly marrying couples against the Emperor's orders. For some reason or other, the man ultimately became a symbol of courtly love and ultimately, his feast day became synonymous with lovers for reason he still didn't fully understand.
Whatever the case had been, it was by now an over-commercialized day complete with brightly colored, gilded cards, some festooned with actual lace or ribbon and completed with flowery prose that declared undying love for all time. If one of these declarations would not do, then one could apparently send a 'vinegar valentine' with a cruel message for someone you did not want as a paramour, although William could not understand why one would bother with the expense of buying that person a card if you truly did not care for them that much. Why not just ignore them?
Of course the whole dilemma had been heightened to a crisis when George had asked him innocently enough if he had yet purchased anything for Julia, and he'd had to admit that he hadn't. "Don't worry sir, even at this late hour perhaps you might find something that she'll like well enough. I imagine other chaps such as yourself have put it off until the last minute too," he'd cautioned. But William hadn't forgotten, and he hadn't meant to put it off, it was simply that he had not one idea of what to do. On the one hand, he'd abhorred the idea of a special day requiring him to purchase expensive overpriced trinkets that he doubted Julia would care much about, and that it was likely a ploy by merchants and florists to make greater profits. But on the other hand, he promised Julia that he would never stop courting her, and didn't that mean buying a token of his love on this red-letter day just for lovers?
Sighing, he trudged into the hotel and up the stairs towards their suite, praying that an idea would come to him soon, as he entered the sitting room and saw the object of his affections wearing his favorite tea gown and pouring a glass of wine for herself. Behind her, the table had already been set for two, and in dishes waiting to be served was a delicious roast chicken with herbed potatoes. Taking in the sight, he closed and locked the door behind him, along with all thought as to how he should mark the holiday tomorrow. The thought of a fine meal with the woman he loved in a partial state of undress pushed all questions and thoughts of Valentine's Day out of his mind; all to be replaced with thoughts of holding her in their place.
The next day as he sat in his office staring out the window, William was still at a loss as to what he should buy for Julia, as he had decided by now that the occasion must be marked, but had not yet decided how to do so. Certainly all of the clichéd, trifle gifts currently cluttering store windows were out of consideration as none of that really suited either of them, but what gift would be appropriate for the woman he loved more than life itself? What gift would appropriately demonstrate to her his feelings for her? He supposed he could try buying another piece of lingerie for her, but wasn't that more of a gift for him? Besides, a few weeks ago he had bought what he had believed to be a scandalous, sheer night gown made of silk and trimmed with Valencienne lace only to have Julia inform him amidst a cacophony of giggles that it was actually a petticoat and was meant to be worn over a chemise and corset. Eager to sell the expensive garment, of course the sales girl had neglected to inform him of that detail he thought with a grimace. He supposed he could steal away and slip into Mr. Oscar DuCharme's shop and purchase something Julia would enjoy, as the man's familiarity with his wife seemed to indicate that he would know of such a thing, but that detail bothered William enough to dismiss the idea unless absolutely necessary. Deciding to go another route, William continued to mull the problem over in the back of his head as he worked on various files and answered correspondence at his desk throughout the morning.
When the time of his lunch hour approached, he grabbed his coat and hat and walked towards the university, hoping inspiration would strike at one of the many shops he would pass. However, nothing on offer at these places caught his fancy either, and not for the first time, he was left wanting to curse whomever had created this most trite of holidays and was about to give up and visit Mr. DuCharme as the end of his lunch hour quickly approached.
As he turned the corner to go to eccentric man's shop, he saw one of his and Julia's favorite bookstores, a shop that specialized in both medical and scientific publications for the students at the University of Toronto and stepped inside, hoping to find something suitable for his lady. Discouraged at the inability to find anything that conveyed his true feelings for her, he had decided that he would at least find a book for her and went to ask the clerk for a recommendation of what all the medical students were currently buying when he saw it hanging above the register. Smiling as he saw it, he hoped that he had enough cash on his person to get, for it was truly beautiful!
Later that evening he rushed upstairs to their suite, eager to offer her his gift, hoping that she would love it and see the significance in it as he had.
Turning the key in the lock, there waiting on the table was his favorite meal, Beef Stew, and standing beside the table was Julia, wearing the sheer silk petticoat he'd purchased for her a few weeks earlier with nothing at all beneath it. The garment was truly beautiful, but Julia wearing it for him sans anything underneath made it truly spectacular and he was eager to touch and hold her before she reminded him that gifts were to be opened after dinner.
Though it took most of his will, William managed to make it through the meal without embarrassing himself too much, although he had lost the focus of the conversation a few times, so spellbound he was looking at her in a near state of undress at the dinner table, her nipples so pink and perfect, peeking through the sheer silk.
After dinner, Julia cut straight to the chase. "What did you get me, William?" she asked, pointing to the package he had set down upon his arrival.
Blushing and smiling sheepishly, he handed her the parcel wrapped in plain brown paper, as he had not had the time to have it wrapped in a more decorative manner. Holding his breath as she tore into it like an excited child, he waited for her reaction, hoping she would understand the hidden message behind the gift.
Staring back at her was a beautiful, full color, anatomically correct illustration of the human heart.
"William, it's beautiful. It's perfect. I haven't seen anything like it," she murmured, staring at it. "I mean, of course I've seen one before, but not like this. It's a work of art," she clarified.
"It is a hand drawn, hand colored representation. The various parts are even labeled by hand…" he trailed off, looking at her expectantly, willing her to understand what he was unable to say.
Smiling, she set the frame down, and was walked over to him, her sheer gown making it difficult to concentrate yet desperate for her next words.
"William, is this your heart?" she asked, slipping her hand under his vest and directly over his own heart.
Looking at her intently, he nodded, closing his eyes as he pulled her into his arms, and burying his face in her hair.
"Very well done, detective. But I thought I already had your heart?" she asked with a light teasing tone to her voice.
"Now let there be no doubt at all that you have it forevermore. Also, you have visual proof thereof now," he replied, kissing the top of her head.
"I believe I shall hang it right by my desk in the morgue for all to see," she announced.
Chuckling, he pulled back to look at her nearly nude in her silk gown. "Just promise me that you won't wear this to work for all to see and I'll even hang the picture wherever you like," he replied as he ran his hands up and down the garment, relishing in the feel of the silk beneath his fingers as he kissed her.
Now it was time to unwrap his gift.