I am sorry in advance for the length of this story. Somewhere around 15k?
Yeah, I couldn't resist though.
Hello again, everyone. I bring you Valentine's Day uber-fluff. This is pretty much as sappy as it gets. (Still not as sappy as "To see you smile", though.)
If you haven't read my first Valentine's Day fic, I suggest you go do so before you read this, because this, is kind of an indirect sequel.
And yes, there are probably things that happen in here that are too convenient to happen in real life, but sue me - it's a story. Take it with a grain of salt. :)
Happy early Valentine's Day, everyone (even though I don't celebrate it, personally). I hope you enjoy the fluff! :D
"I've got nothing. Absolutely nothing."
At Derek's apartment late one Thursday night with her body tiredly slumped over his kitchen table, hand lazily holding her head up as her elbow rested firmly on the wooden surface, Angie groaned out loud at her complete lack of ability to think.
Thinking was hard – especially this late, and after such a long day.
To be honest, thinking was just hard in general.
"What do you mean "I've got nothing"…?"
Best friend Leslie Sears walked over from the living room and plopped in the chair to Angie's right, her eyes lazily gliding over to the paper that rested in front of the blonde, which by now, had to have been full of ideas…
"Oh… you weren't kidding." Leslie said as she noticed that the stark white sheet was just as it had been when they had taken it out – completely blank.
"I wish I could call Tyler and ask for his help… too bad he's with Derek…" Leslie said, slumping down in her chair. The two doctors were out of town at a conference that particular week, leaving Angie at Derek's to care for his cat and Leslie with her for company and another brain to hopefully rack up ideas with.
"Why is this so hard? Why are men so hard to do romantic things for?" Angie asked, giving into gravity and letting her head crash down into the crook of her elbow as her arm dropped straight onto the table. She whined momentarily as Leslie laughed, unable to make out the incoherent thoughts that Angie was now muttering into her sweater.
The man she was referring to was of course Derek Stiles, her other half – both in surgery and out. The doctor she had been with for nearly two years, the doctor that never failed to shower her with sensitive and romantic gifts…
…the doctor who had done such wonderful things so frequently, it was becoming hard for her to top him.
And if there was anything to be said about Angie Thompson, it was that she liked to win, no matter what the circumstance.
Normally when it came to Derek, it would be okay for her to concede defeat and allow her incredibly sweet boyfriend to shower her with love and adoration, but this time was different – this time she had to outdo him.
This time… it was Valentine's Day.
Valentine's Day – the day she had hated with a burning passion for the first twenty years of her life, was now something she looked forward to… and it was all thanks to him. The year before she had seen just how far her other half was willing to go to see her smile, by not only surprising her with a beautiful bouquet of her favorite flower, but also by flying halfway around the world all night long just to be with her – a surprise that made all the other wonderful moments in her life seem like dust in comparison.
On top of that, Valentine's Day was the first time that she had heard the words "I love you…" from his lips, meant for nobody other than her – the same meaning they had as they came from her own mouth shortly after, directed at the only man she had ever said them to.
It had been a year since that day, and while they had done nothing but fall further in love, Angie had a hard time not thinking back to that day and how absolutely perfect it had been…
…almost as perfect as they were for each other.
"Angie…? Are you there?"
Snapping up from the table to look at Leslie who was waving her arms wildly in front of the nurse, Angie blinked and then giggled once, looking down sheepishly. "Sorry…" she said softly. "…I was just thinking back to last year…"
Leslie smiled and a soft 'aww' escaped her closed lips, remembering the story that Angie had told her about the day very well, as the cuteness of it had nearly brought tears to Leslie's eyes…
…right before she whaled on Tyler's arm for not being more outgoing and sweet in their relationship.
"Just, think Angie…" she said, pulling the paper away from her friend and in front of her to write. She grabbed a pen as well, clicking the top of it as she prepared to write anything that came to mind. "…what kinds of things have you done for him in the past? And what is his reaction to surprises and stuff like that?"
"Well, I gave him Tama…" she started, a soft smile stretching her lips. "And every now and then when we're together here he'll just reach over and kiss me and thank me for her again… come to think of it, he's just really grateful for anything he gets, and he never fails to let me know it. So, I'm sure anything I got him he would love, but that's not the point – I need to outdo him. I HAVE to win this year…"
Leslie rolled her eyes with a smile. "Wow, competitive much?" she said, Angie smiling back at her with a shrug.
"I just… can't think of anything that I could do. You know? He's the kind of guy that likes sentimentality in the things he receives… and with the exception of a few diamonds…" she trailed off, fingers absentmindedly tracing over the heart-shaped platinum and diamond pendant that hung around her neck. "…he's always told me, 'anyone in the world could just buy you something – but someone that really loves you doesn't spare any time or effort to show you how special you are… and that's why I like to put thought into the things I do for you.'"
"Oh my goodness that is disgustingly adorable…!" Leslie said as she let out a small squeal afterward, her hands clasping over her chest.
"I know…" Angie replied with a heartfelt smile. "…but it just makes it all the more hard, you know? To find something that really fits that bill… it's just – difficult, that's all. I'm not creative with this stuff like he is. He just… can make even the simplest things unforgettable…"
Leslie awwed again and leaned back in her chair as Angie began to drum her nails against the table momentarily, same loving smile still on her face as she turned back towards Leslie with a raised eyebrow.
"What do you and Tyler usually do for each other on holidays? You've been dating for what… four years? There's got to be some inspiration there that I can use…"
Leslie thought for a minute, throwing out a few ideas to Angie, but none of them stuck.
"That's all really cute… but it's specific to the two of you, you know?"
"Yeah…" Leslie replied, thinking again before her eyes lit up and she snapped her fingers.
"I've got it!" she said with a near devilish kind of smile, prompting Angie's expression to drop into skepticism as she waited.
"So you want something romantic…" Leslie started.
"Yes…"
"…something, unforgettable…"
"Right."
"Something… you'll remember forever?"
"Exactly." Angie finished, starting to smile a little. "What are you thinking of…?"
"Same thing Tyler and I do nearly every holiday… I can't believe it skipped my mind!" she exclaimed, now coaxing Angie into the same excitement that was written all over her face.
"Les, you know this is exactly what I'm looking for… what is it?!"
Leslie grinned.
"Sleep with him!"
The smile couldn't have dropped off Angie's face quicker, her cheeks turning a slight pink as she let out a sarcastic laugh.
"You're hilarious. You know that?"
"What?!" was the agitated reply, but the blonde wanted no part of it. "Just think about it… obviously it's sentimental, seeing as you two still haven't gotten there… and the first time is always special if it's with someone you love – come on, admit it… it's perfect!"
Angie couldn't help but let it trace her mind, slowly giving into the idea of being held in the arms of the man she loved while skin to skin – kissing, caressing…
"N-No…" she suddenly said with a shake of her head, abandoning the idea completely. "I… I just don't think it's a good idea yet…"
"Angie… I know it's a big deal to you, but you know he's never going to leave you…" Leslie reasoned. "To be honest, I'm really surprised he hasn't just gone off and popped the question yet."
"Really…? You think?" she asked, shaking her head again before she could even hear the answer.
"Special or not, I need something else. Losing your virginity on Valentine's Day is for kids in the tenth grade after a winter dance – not twenty year olds who have been dating for two years."
Leslie sighed with a giggle. "What am I going to do with you?" she asked, still laughing.
Broken from their brainstorming session by an uneven knock at the door, Angie furrowed her brow and rose from her chair slowly, walking out of the kitchen to investigate.
"Who could that possibly be…? Everyone knows Derek's gone..." she mused, stepping to the door and taking a quick glance out of the peephole.
"Oh…!" she exclaimed suddenly with a quick unlatching of the locks, swinging the door open to reveal a middle-aged woman with a large box in her hands.
"Angie, honey… hello!"
Elizabeth Stiles greeted her son's girlfriend from the hallway of Derek's apartment building, shifting the heavy-looking box as she stood.
"Hello, Mrs. Stiles…!" Angie said with a bright smile of her own, as she was always quite fond of Derek's mother. "Here, let me help you with that…"
"Oh, thank you Angie…" she said. "But be careful, it's heavy…"
As the box was placed into Angie's hands she took a step back to steady herself, noting quickly that the woman wasn't kidding about its weight. She moved over to the kitchen and placed the box on Derek's island with a huff, before turning back around with a smile and a small huff at the heavy lifting.
"I'm sorry, I'm so rude…" Angie said with another smile, moving to give Elizabeth a hug. "It's so nice to see you – it certainly has been awhile…"
"It is always nice to see you too, honey… and I understand, given what you and Derek do for a living…" she replied with a genuine smile, casting a slightly confused glance over at Leslie, whom she had never met before. Angie's eyes followed Elizabeth's gaze and she lit up again, apologizing profusely.
"Mrs. Stiles, this is Leslie Sears, one of my closest friends… she's a nurse at Caduceus, and also happens to be Tyler's girlfriend. Leslie, this is Derek's mother, Elizabeth."
Leslie stood up to shake her hand, eyes widening when she was pulled into a hug, though she didn't protest in the slightest.
"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Stiles… I've heard a lot of very nice things about you." Leslie said, a large smile on her face.
"As have I about you, Leslie…" the woman replied, her relation to Derek perfectly explained in the sparkle that flickered in her brown eyes as she smiled. "Your boyfriend is just the sweetest… and quite the handful, as well…You must never be bored!"
Leslie laughed loudly at the comment, nodding her head. "Yeah, you can say that again…"
After the introductions were made and the women had some time to get to know each other, Elizabeth turned toward Angie and placed her hands on her shoulders with another genuine smile, her eyes tracing over to the box she had brought in.
"Unfortunately I can't stay…" she started, "…I've got to get home – it's been a long day… but I needed to drop these off as soon as I found them because I honestly thought I had lost them until I started cleaning for the move…"
Angie nodded in full understanding of the situation – Derek's mother was moving to a new and much nicer condominium in a quieter part of the city, and the pair had been helping her clean out her house intermittently for what seemed like the past six months.
"If I may ask…" Angie started, looking over at the box. "…what did you find?"
Elizabeth smiled. "Derek's going to love this… let me show you."
Her slender fingers reached to the top of the box and pulled it open, revealing an extensive collection of circular silver canisters. She pulled one out and blew the dust off of it, turning it over to reveal writing in black permanent marker on the top.
Angie took it in her hands and looked it over, reading the writing out loud.
"Derek's first birthday…"
She stopped with a small smile, looking up at Derek's mother who mirrored the expression.
"Oh my goodness, these are all…"
"Videos from Derek's childhood, yes, I finally found them all…"
Leslie rose from her seat to come over and look at the box as well, both of the nurses astounded by the incredible amount of videos that resided in it. The silver canisters shone in the kitchen light, and while covered with a very think coat of dust, they were mesmerizing in a timeless and classic sort of way.
"Derek's father had an antique video camera that was passed down to him from his grandfather, and he always used it to take videos of the family before he passed…" Elizabeth began, nostalgic love heavily in her voice. "…shortly before that, the machine that actually played them broke down, and I haven't been able to find another one since. We had them converted to actual tapes when he was young, but I still haven't come across them in that basement of mine…"
Angie giggled along with Elizabeth. "I can understand that – you do have quite the collection down there."
Elizabeth laughed again. "Yes, yes I do… Anyway, I just thought Derek might want to have these… have him call me when he gets back into town, would you please Angie?"
"Of course." the nurse replied, setting down the video just in time for Elizabeth to give her another hug. "It was nice seeing you – thanks for stopping by."
"My pleasure, Angie. It was nice meeting you as well, Leslie!" she chirped with a gentle smile, a glimmer in her eyes again.
"You too, Mrs. Stiles – have a good night!" Leslie replied with a wave.
Angie followed Elizabeth to the door and opened it for her, closing it and locking it after she had exited. Turning around she saw Leslie with a giant smile on her face, which confused the nurse slightly.
"…what?" Angie asked, raising an eyebrow.
Leslie chuckled.
"I believe you just had the perfect present literally dropped into your lap."
It took a second to think it over, but shortly after Angie smiled broadly, her eyes shining with excitement.
"I'll call Derek's mom and let her know what's going on…" Angie said, pacing quickly to the table to pick up her cell phone and dial Elizabeth. "…and then we've got some work to do."
"I'll start looking on the internet…" Leslie replied with a smile, rushing off to Derek's office in a flash.
"Hi, Mrs. Stiles…?" Angie began when the woman's voice came on the other line. "…can I ask you a favor?"
--
Two days later, the videos had been stealthily stashed at Angie's apartment, and things were in full swing for the plan of a lifetime. Frustration seemed to follow her from the very beginning, as she continually kept hitting roadblocks left and right, the main problem being able to find a piece of equipment so ancient that it would actually play the films. However, that afternoon, her luck began to change.
In a bright blue fitted t-shirt and a flowing black shirt that cut off around the knees, black heels clicked on the sidewalk as Angie slowed her stride to a gradual stop and removed her sunglasses from her face, promptly placing them in her purse. With a nervous sigh, she turned to her right and walked into the First Street Theater, an old-time movie theater that had since updated its technology, but never it's classic architecture. It was the oldest and most treasured theater in all of California, and according to the information she had dug up, still had some of its old reel players in storage.
Hoping the forty-five minute drive wasn't going to go to waste as she walked into the lobby, Angie was astounded by the grandeur of the theater, which by the informational plaque on the wall, told her that the theater was also once the home of small-stage plays and operas. It seemed fitting for such an establishment, as the deep crimson carpet, gold wall trimmings, and fabulous artwork presented it as an exquisite venue even before she had taken five steps inside.
"Can I help you?"
A voice promptly called out to her as the figure who had addressed her walked closer to where she had been admiring her surroundings, prompting a smile to grace her lips as she eyed the impeccably dressed man curiously.
"Hi, yes… I called not too long ago to speak to someone about some old movie projectors you may have...?"
The man smiled. "Yes, that was me… my name is Dennis Regmont, I'm the manager here. And you are…?"
"Angie Thompson…" she said, extending her hand out to the man with a smile. "Thank you for agreeing to meet with me, this whole situation has been quite the challenge."
"I can see why… technology has far surpassed what you're trying to find, and I can see why it would be so difficult. Did you bring a film with you so we can check to see if we have the right size player you would need?"
"I did…" she replied, removing the film from her purse as she followed him into a back room to give it a try. Angie admired the old projector as Dennis set it up, appreciating its classic appeal and simplicity, as there was simply nothing like it that existed anymore.
With a flick of the lights and of the button on the projector, a white screen lit up at the opposite end of the storeroom, and although there were other objects in the room that stood in the way Angie smiled brightly when a clear image of a young Derek came into view, waving at the camera with his mother by his side.
"Perfect fit." Dennis said with a kind smile, letting the movie play for a few seconds before he flicked off the projector and turned the lights back on. During that short time Angie's hands had clasped themselves together and rested against her chest, a broad smile on her face from even seeing a little bit of her boyfriend's past.
As she snapped out of it, she noticed that Dennis's hands were gently working to remove the film from the player, gently placing the cover back on it and handing it back to Angie as they walked from the storage room back out into the lobby, taking a seat on a nearby plush red bench.
"So… how does this work?" Angie questioned. "Can I buy the projector off of you, possibly rent it…?"
Dennis grimaced slightly. "Neither, I'm afraid…"
Angie's smile dropped. "Are you kidding? What do you mean neither?"
He sighed softly. "There's no way for us to let the projector leave the building, as its historical and sentimental value is far too great for us to take a chance with. Not once has one of our projectors left the building in nearly the hundred years we've been open – it's been a policy since day one."
Angie nodded sadly, defeat in her eyes. There was something about this that was too good to be true, and she knew it was going to come sooner or later.
"Alright…" she said. "Well, thank you for your help…"
"Here are the specifications for the projector you'll need, so it will be easier for you to track another one down…" Dennis said with remorse in his voice, handing her a small index card. "It was nice meeting you, Ms. Thompson."
"You as well Mr. Regmont…" she replied with a smile, the sadness still evident in her eyes as he began to walk away.
I can't just let this go – I'm never going to find another one of these in time...
Thinking back to the surprises that Derek had sprang on her in the past, something clicked in her head when she remembered something that he said to her nearly every time she asked him in wonder how he had managed to pull off what he had…
"Every time I think my plans are going to be ruined, I remember that money is what makes the world go around..."
Angie's eyes suddenly sprang open as she tapped into her creative side, and just before the man could disappear up the stairs, she began bolting after him.
"Dennis – wait!"
The short, slightly chubby bald man turned around on his ascent up the giant winding staircase and raised his eyebrows at the near-frantic nurse, walking down the stairs again to join her in the lobby where he waited to hear what she wanted.
Reaching her slender fingers into her purse and pulling her checkbook and a pen out into the open, Angie smiled as she clicked the top of the pen down, her eyes hopeful.
"Perhaps we can make a deal…"
--
A day later, Angie walked into Derek's apartment after a particularly late shift at Caduceus, her whole body aching from the strenuous day. Kicking off her shoes and not even bothering to change her clothes, she simply crashed onto the couch and barely found enough strength to pull a blanket on top of herself before she passed out, Tama curled up comfortably at her feet.
On top of the emergency surgery she had assisted with that afternoon, her mind was constantly at work, disappointed that things had not turned out the way she had wanted them to at the movie theater. They had reached a compromise, sure, but not only did Angie have no idea how she was going to pull it off, she honestly would've preferred to have somehow rented the player to spend an intimate night with Derek at home alone.
Scared that it was going to go terribly, Angie worried herself into a near frenzy the whole day, only one thought on her mind as she thought of a possible alternative to the plan in case it didn't work out.
Leslie's right – I'm going to have to sleep with him.
Barely asleep for an hour, Angie stirred when a bright light came on in the room, though she could do no more as exhaustion had taken her completely over and prevented her from moving so much as one muscle in that moment. Her tired eyes relaxed when the lights above her were shut off, replaced by a lamp by the entrance that provided just enough light for the new occupant in the room to safely navigate his way around.
Angie still didn't move when she heard someone sit down on the floor next to the couch, stirring only slightly again when a hand grasped hers and a face rested against the cushion of the couch just inches away from where hers laid. It was only when lips softly pressed against her forehead that she gently woke up, smiling tiredly when a slightly blurred Derek came into view, his chin resting on the couch as his warm, brown eyes looked on at her with a loving smile on his face.
She blinked tiredly, trying to clear up her vision. "Derek…?" she asked confusedly, suddenly sitting up straight and looking around. He just chuckled at her, knowing all too well that she only became this disoriented when she was worked to her limit - and though he hated to see that happen to her, the behavior that resulted in its aftermath was beyond adorable, in every single way.
"Yeah Ang, it's me… I'm home." he said softly, smiling when he watched her slip back into her slumber while completely upright.
Not even bothering to shed his jacket, Derek took a seat on the couch next to her and pulled her into his lap, wrapping the blanket back around her and cradling her close to him, his arms hugging her as tightly as he could manage without hurting her.
Head rested gently against hers, Derek just smiled as she tightened her grip on him while slowly waking up, his lips breathing a sigh of relief that he was home again with the woman he loved – something that made him realize how much he hated being without her.
"Hi…" she said tiredly, her eyes blinking open slowly and looking up at him, though she saw nothing but tufts of brown hair as his cheek was still pressed against hers tightly.
Derek pulled back with a loving smile and placed a soft, gentle kiss on Angie's lips as she sighed contently, a sound that instinctively drove him to squeeze her tighter before pulling apart.
"Hey you…" he said back with a smile, leaning his head back slowly to look in her eyes as his hand lovingly reached up and brushed a chunk of her hair away to free her face. "I missed you so much… you have no idea."
Angie smiled sleepily. "I missed you too…" she began, curling back into his chest as her arms squeezed him tightly again. "I hate when you go away without me…"
Derek chuckled. "Me too, Ang… me too. But, I'm back now, and you're here, so I have no complaints…"
"Mmm…" Angie sighed contently, latching her arms around his neck as he lifted her into his arms and carried her back into his bedroom, shutting off all the lights on the way there, and turning on the dim one that resided in his walk-in closet just long enough for himself to get dressed.
"Here…" he said, holding out one of his white t-shirts to her. "Put this on so you're more comfortable."
She took it with a nod and a smile, gently shedding her uniform in favor of the comfortable cotton against her skin, before she slipped under the covers and was shortly joined by Derek. Pulling her into him as she snuggled comfortably against his chest, Angie sighed again, broken from her descent into sleep by Derek's voice.
"Hey, honey…" he said quietly. "Are you still awake?"
"Yeah…" she replied. "Not for long though – you know I sleep best when you're by my side."
Derek smiled lovingly, placing a sweet kiss on her forehead as his fingers swept through her hair. "Don't worry, this'll only take a second and then I'll be by your side all night… I was just wondering what we were doing for Valentine's Day."
Eyes now wide open, Angie smiled to herself, trying to mask the sudden change in her demeanor. "Um, I don't know… probably nothing special this year. Do you just want to go to a nice dinner, or something? I really don't want to be bound to plans this year – I think we should just play it by ear."
"Yeah, that sounds nice." Derek replied. "Do you know where you'd like to go?"
Racking her exhausted brain, Angie took her time mulling it over to prevent her answer from heightening Derek's suspicions, which was working perfectly…
"Hey…" Derek said, shaking her gently. "Did you fall asleep…?"
…a little too perfectly…
She craned her neck up to look at him with a smile. "Nope, I'm just trying to remember this place I heard about…"
"Oh…?" he questioned. "Where is it?"
Angie added one more dramatic pause as she 'thought', finally coming up with something to tell him.
"I heard about it from this woman at my gym…" she said, closing her eyes again as she rested her forehead against his cheek. "…she said that it's this little French restaurant with a black tie dress requirement…"
"And we all know how you love getting dressed up…" he chuckled with a kiss to her forehead. "That sounds great – where is it?"
"Um, I think she said it was in Chesterfield…"
Derek let out a low whistle. "Wow Ang… that's almost an hour away. Are you sure you don't want to go someplace closer?"
Angie became suddenly quiet. If there was one thing she knew how to do, it was milk Derek when she absolutely had to, and this was that point.
"Yeah, that's fine…" she said with a soft sigh and a nuzzle into his chest. "I'm sorry, it was a stupid idea…"
Derek hugged around her shoulders again, quickly working to undo his girlfriend's disappointment. "Nonono! It's okay, it'll be fun…! I'm sorry, I just didn't think you would want to drive out all that way…"
Angie smiled to herself, driving it home as she gently closed her eyes again. "No, that's okay… we can do something around here, I don't care…"
"Nope, sorry…" Derek interjected. "We're going, and that's that."
Now Angie smiled for real, raising her head up to give him a kiss on the cheek.
"I just want to try it, that's all… and I'm sure we'll have a really good time…" she said, hugging around his chest as she prepared herself to go to sleep for real this time.
"Just like we always do…" he finished with another kiss to the top of her head. "Goodnight, Ang…"
"Mmm… goodnight." she said with a gentle yawn, a small victorious smile on her lips until she slipped into sleep curled up in Derek's arms.
While she loved him to death and genuinely wanted to see him happy, Angie had to admit to herself before she lost consciousness that one thing had stood out besides the anticipation of seeing his reaction to the surprise she had waiting…
…and that thought, was the happiness of knowing she was about to finally outdo him.
--
Valentine's Day came quickly after Derek returned home from his conference, as time always seemed to be well spent when the pair were together. Before she knew it, Angie was standing in her bathroom trying to finish curling her massive head of hair as her foot tapped impatiently on the ground, knowing that she was already running late.
Right on cue, her cell phone buzzed from it's position on her bathroom counter, and curling up a chunk of hair in her curling iron, she lifted the device to her ear as she flipped it open.
"Hey you…" she greeted with a smile that he couldn't see as she unraveled the iron from her hair and placed it back on the counter. "What's going on?"
"Well…" he started. "I just happen to be at someone's apartment, and I'm pretty sure she's the most beautiful girl in the world..."
"You are such a dork…" Angie said with a giggle. "But go on…"
Derek chuckled on the other line. "Yeah, well, I'm standing outside her apartment assuming that she's not ready to go yet... am I right?"
"As always." she replied. "Come on in, I'll be out really soon, I promise."
Clicking her phone shut, Angie heard the front door open and close, Derek's dress shoes clicking against the wood floor in her kitchen as he paced through it and set something down on the counter, as best as she could tell from the faint noises she could pick up.
"I swear I'll be out in five minutes…!" she called, finishing the last curl in her hair as she coated it with a fine mist of hairspray and tousled it gently, the curls taking on a move loose and feminine elegance. Walking quickly out into her bedroom, Angie pulled on a black strapless dress that cut off just below her knees with a ragged-type hem line that flowed out at the bottom. Slipping on a pair of black, four-inch heels with black rhinestone embellishments, she sprayed herself with Derek's favorite perfume, adorned her ears and neck with jewelry he had given her in previous years, and grabbed her purse to walk out her bedroom door.
Impeccably dressed in a black suit and black dress shirt with a light silver silk tie, Derek instantly grinned when Angie stepped out and into his view, abandoning the lean he had copped against her countertop in favor of walking to her. His eyes gave her a slow and impressed once-over as he moved closer, fingers reaching up and tracing through her curls when he was close enough, with a loving smile – they were his favorite.
"This…" he said softly, sliding his hands around the back of her waist. "…is always worth any wait…"
Angie smiled as a faint blush swept her cheek, unnoticed by Derek as his lips were already on hers by that time, hands gently caressing his back as the kiss deepened in both passion and intensity. She gently placed her fingertips on his cheeks and used the leverage to pull him back slightly with a smile, a sparkle shining in her green eyes.
"There will be time for that later…" she joked with a giggle. "But for now, we have to get going or we're going to miss our reservation."
"Alright…" he conceded, stepping in and wrapping his arms around her again. "But not without a hug…"
Pulling her into him without a choice, Angie raised up on her tiptoes and placed her chin on Derek's shoulder, noticing that even in as high of shoes as she was wearing, she didn't really even come to closing the height gap that allowed him to constantly tower over her.
But as her eyes looked over his shoulder and to her kitchen, Angie smiled lovingly as she noticed the vase of two dozen pink roses on her counter with a black bow tied around them, a card just to their left. Her arms immediately tightened further around his body as she pulled back and gave him a lingering kiss to thank him for his thoughtfulness.
"They're beautiful…" she said with a smile. "Thank you, Derek…"
He kissed her back once and pulled away, his smile mirroring his. "Anything to show you how much I love you…"
She blushed again as she was swept back into his arms, her eyes inconspicuously catching the time as he did so.
"Okay, I would love to continue this…" she said in a rush, pulling away. "But, we REALLY have to go…"
Her eyes had changed and were now full of impatience and urgency, and although it concerned Derek right as the sudden switch happened, he decided to make nothing of it except for her love of being punctual, and just smiled back and gave into her request.
"Off we go, then…" he joked, taking her hand in his and leading her out of her apartment.
"But wait – can I take the card to read?" she asked, "I love your cards…!"
As if he was suddenly feeling the time constraint as well, Derek pulled her out of her apartment with a quick 'it'll still be there later', and in mere minutes, the two were on their way to a surprise that Derek would never suspect in a million years.
…at least, Angie hoped.
--
"Oh, wow…"
Exiting "Le Chateau" with their fingers intertwined with one another's, Derek and Angie strolled slowly out into the moonlit night, the stars providing a sparkling showcase of a perfectly clear sky. Derek had been the first one to speak as his free hand rubbed over his stomach, realizing that it was no mistake the couple was walking so slowly – they were both stuffed beyond explanation.
"That was, one of the best meals I've ever had… hands down." he admitted out loud with another happy sigh.
"You can say that again…" Angie replied, smiling as she caught a glimpse of their joined hands swinging lazily between the both of them as they strolled down the sidewalk of the beautiful, quaint town. The streetlights were all aglow, illuminating the immaculate architecture of every building on the road and consequently, the desolation that adorned the streets. Only half past ten at night, Angie fully expected there to be more hustle and bustle about the town on a Saturday night, but quickly digressed from the topic on her mind to a more important one.
Derek's surprise.
"Can we just, sit for a minute?" he suddenly asked before she could think on it any further, refusing to wait for an answer as he all but collapsed onto a bench on the side of the road, consequently pulling Angie along with him where he gently cuddled against her, his face now smushed into her shoulder.
The pair sat that way momentarily before Derek regained his ability to sit up straight, moving back into a normal sitting position with a groan and a chuckle.
"Well, what now?" he asked her quietly, his eyes lowering from the sparkling sky back down to his equally beautiful girlfriend, whose blonde curls were spilling over her shoulder as she turned to look at him with a gleam in her eyes that he fell more in love with every day.
"I don't know…" she said in genuine inquisitive tone. "I've never been to this town before, I don't know what's here…"
"Come on, take the bait, Derek... don't make me force it out of you..."
"Hmm…" he replied, racking his brain. "Well, how about we jump in the car and drive until we find something interesting?
"Um… okay." Angie replied with an unsteady tone in her voice.
Derek's forehead furrowed at her ambivalence, wondering what the problem was. "…did you have something else in mind?"
"Hmm... how can I play this right...?"
Angie brought her eyes back to his again. "I guess the car is fine… it's just a beautiful night, that's all…" she mused, rising to her feet.
"It is…" Derek replied slowly, thinking it over as best as his tired mind could. "...I guess it wouldn't hurt to walk around for a little bit… is that okay with you?"
"Perfect."
Angie lit up instantly, and Derek knew right then that he had gotten it right on that time.
"We could both use a little walking to burn off that dinner…" she finally chirped, rising quickly to her feet and extending her hand out to him to help him up. "…and I love going on walks with you…"
"Mmm…"
The reply came with a loving smile as Derek stood up slowly, visibly affected by the amount of food in his body. "That sounds good to me – I feel like I ate another person, or something… ugh."
"Oh, don't be so dramatic…" Angie joked, intertwining her fingers with his again as they began a slow stroll down the sidewalk, the streets just as bare as the last time they had discussed the matter.
Clasped hands leisurely swinging in between them, Derek and Angie continued to slowly walk down the streets of Chesterfield, taking in the quiet, old-fashioned surroundings as they made conversation with one another, pointing out various things that happened to catch their eye while continuing along. Moments later they came to a crosswalk, and while there were no cars in sight, the pair still waited at the 'do not walk' indication that flashed red against the black night sky.
It was at this time that Angie's eyes caught the movie theater just a short way up the road, her heart immediately responding to the sight by pounding away in her chest so hard she was surprised Derek couldn't hear it.
Gripping his hand harder to try to hide her nervousness, Angie smiled as Derek wordlessly pulled her closer to him, keeping his hand clasped with hers as he reached around and rested them on the small of her back and using the leverage to hold her as they walked. She rested her head on his shoulder and he responded to it with a gentle kiss to the top of her golden locks, surprising her when he suddenly stopped dead in his tracks and turned towards her to look her directly in the eyes.
While she was wondering about the sudden change of pace, Angie let Derek take over from that moment, his hands running up her body and then gently onto both sides of her face, pulling her in for a soft sweet kiss with the moonlight shining over them. She sighed from behind the sweet gesture, trying to fight a smile on her lips as he kissed her softly once more, his body pressing gently against hers in the way that warmed her physically, but sent chills firing through her from head to toe. Not more than a second later he softly pulled back and smiled, his hands impulsively seeking hers as they stood staring eye to eye.
"What was that for?" she asked quietly, feeling her hands be pulled up and against Derek's chest, his thumbs running over the backs of them.
"Just because I love you." he replied happily. "Because I looked over at you for a second and couldn't help myself."
Angie giggled softly – every single thing he said to her was so genuine, she couldn't help but feel like his princess each day they were together.
Grabbing his hand in hers and starting back down the street again, Angie tried to judge in her mind whether the theater was still too far away to be brought up without suspicion. Taking a few more steps forward, her eyes read the lettering on the building from where they were, and all of a sudden, the words popped out of her mouth without a second thought.
"Hey look… is that a movie theater?" she queried as cool as could be, pointing over to the majestic-looking building on the opposite side of the road. The massive two story building stood out from the others by the fact that it looked open, the golden letters of the words "First Street Theater" illuminated brightly by the surrounding lights.
"Looks like it…" Derek replied, seemingly unenthusiastic.
Angie noted this and pressed on in spite of it. "Do you wanna go check it out? It looks kind of cool…"
Derek didn't reply right away, taking a second to think before he sighed. "I know you said we were just going to play it by ear, but I did plan just a little something for us back home… if it's not open, would it be alright if we maybe turned around and started walking back towards the car?"
Angie felt her stomach drop at the words, wondering how difficult it was going to be to persuade him. "Sure." she finally said with slight dejection, feeling him grasp her hand tightly as they ran across the street together and towards their secret destination, Angie's nervousness growing by every minute.
Still hand in hand, the pair walked up to the ticket booth out front and Derek shot Angie a confused glance, as there was an attendant waiting for them to approach.
"What…?" Angie asked. "Aren't you going to go up there…?"
"S-Sure…" he replied. "I'm just, surprised its open, that's all…"
"Good evening…" the attendant said, her long brown hair pulled into two low pigtails that draped over her red uniform jacket. "…how can I help you two?"
Angie looked at Derek, and then back at the attendant. "What are you playing tonight?"
She smiled at the two of them. "It's actually our Valentine's Day special feature -- free of charge for couples, of course."
Derek and Angie exchanged another glance – hers hopeful, his still less than enthusiastic. However, seeing the gleam in her eyes slowly changed his mind, and before he knew it they were walking towards the entrance.
--
"This place is amazing inside, I have to admit…"
Derek and Angie stepped into the room that the usher outside had guided them to, walking through a curtain and into a balcony that overlooked the rest of the massive theater.
"Can I take your jackets for you sir… ma'am?"
The usher that had helped them inside asked his question quite politely, and while Angie was quick to give up her jacket Derek just stood frozen with a questioning stare. With a gentle nudge from Angie he finally gave in, still perplexed by the odd gesture.
"That was odd…" Derek started, his attention shifting as he surveyed his surroundings.
The design of the seating areas on both the upper and lower deck were that of a crescent shape, the rounded set-up allowing for a perfect view no matter where one would decide to sit. Tall, red curtains were pulled back on both sides of the stage to reveal a colossal screen, and from the aerial view Derek and Angie could even see down into the orchestral pit – leaving them to learn that this was more than just a regular movie theater.
Another slow gaze around caught Derek's attention as he rolled up the sleeves of his black dress shirt to his elbows, eyes on the seats below them – which he quickly noticed were empty.
"Wow… this whole city is like a ghost town – I wonder where everyone is?" he asked, earning a shrug from Angie even though she knew the answer full-well.
"I don't know…" she replied. "I guess more room for us though, right?"
Moving down the aisle directly in the center of all the seats, Derek and Angie walked carefully down the stairs and to the very first row in front of the massive white-spindled balcony. They chose the first and second seats just to the right of the aisle, and as Angie took a seat followed by Derek on her right, she noticed he still looked slightly anxious and a tad unhappy. As they waited for the film to appear, Angie turned towards him and leaned in closely, her voice in a soft lull.
"…did you want to leave…?" she asked in a sad voice. "I know you said you had something for us to do later, and I'm sorry if I'm ruining it…"
Derek's hardened gaze suddenly became softer and a smile grew on his lips to reassure her she had done nothing wrong.
"That's okay, Ang… what I have isn't under any time constraint at all, so you have nothing to worry about. This is just, odd, that's all… I'm really wondering what's about to happen…"
"Well, can't be much longer now…" she said with a nervous smirk, the lights slowly dimming their way to darkness just after the comment.
"I hope you like this, Derek..."
Leaned back in her seat, Angie's eyes traced slowly to Derek as she watched his perplexed expression, eyes fixed on the bright white light on the screen in front of them. The sound of a projector starting could be heard somewhere behind them, and as Angie took note of this important cue and began holding her breath in anticipation, she noticed that Derek, on the other hand, was just looking around aimlessly at everything besides the screen in front of him.
Shortly after that moment, a film began to play on the screen in front of the two, finally catching Derek's attention away from whatever had been holding it before.
With her eyes still on him, Angie watched as the bored, tired look that had graced his face just moments before slowly began to fade in favor of a more soft yet disbelieving expression. And though there was still a hint of confusion in his eyes as he looked on, the love that had flooded through them was what outshone everything else.
Flickering her eyes to the screen, Angie smiled lovingly as she watched a young Derek of maybe five years old waving wildly at the screen, so hard that his tiny finger had to reach up and push the glasses on his face back up his nose.
"Tell us what you're doing, Derek...!" came the voice just behind the camera, belonging to who Angie assumed to be Derek's father.
"Daddy's teaching me to ride my new bike...!" the excited young boy replied, pointing to his right as the camera panned along with him and a bright blue bike appeared in view, his mother standing near it with his training wheels off the bike and in her hand.
Angie stole another glance at Derek who was now leaning slightly forward in his seat, his hand reaching instantly for hers though his now sparkling eyes never left the screen. He grabbed it firmly in his and pulled them both into his lap, continuing to try to wrap his mind around what was happening in front of him.
"Where's your helmet, buddy?" came his father's voice again, and like a rocket, little Derek bolted to his left and into the garage, emerging with a helmet the same color as his new bike. He showed it to the camera before he put it on top of his head backwards, and unknowing of that fact, had trouble trying to figure out its correct set-up.
"Dad, will you help me?" Derek asked, his bright and shiny face now somewhat frustrated looking at the situation. Angie smiled at his pout, realizing that it hadn't changed much from the one he still used when she dropped loads of paperwork onto his desk.
The movie had been sprung on Derek without warning and to his complete surprise, and although he knew that it was from his past, it still hadn't fully sunk in.
However, as his father handed the camera off to his mother in the movie and came onto the screen with a smile and a wave at the lens, Derek let out a surprised chuckle and pulled Angie's and his hands into his chest, his mouth dropping open as his eyes began to shine with tears.
"Oh my God…" he whispered softly, bringing his free hand up and grasping Angie's hand along with his other one, their jumble of hands held tightly against his heart as he smiled nearly as broad as she had ever seen. "Oh my God, it's my Dad…"
Angie kept her gaze on Derek as he reacted to the sight of someone he hadn't seen in years, the pain of losing his best friend all those years ago obviously evident even behind the joy that also showed in his expression. The tears in his eyes did not fall as he blinked them away, trying to clear up his vision as quickly as possible to prevent himself from missing a second of the sight in front of him. Angie watched as the scene playing out in front of them reflected itself in Derek's brown eyes, his continually disbelieving smile the mirror of the one that graced his father's face in the film. The man sported the same slightly disheveled hair that his son was known for in his adult years, and with the exception of his glasses, eyes, and longer locks, it was easy to see that Derek in his older age was the splitting image of the father he had lost in his childhood.
"Come here, my man..." his father laughed, chuckling at his little boy as he flipped the helmet around the right way and helped him buckle the chin strap on one knee in front of Derek. "...Did you know if you put your helmet on backwards, your bike will go backwards too?"
Derek and Angie both chuckled in the theater at the statement from his father; her eyes now back on the film where his had remained since the second it had come on. Slightly nervous as he still had yet to say anything to her, Angie simply waited and watched as Derek relived memories from his life that had all but faded away until that moment, as he had been too young to remember them so vividly.
"No, Dad... that's silly!" the young Derek replied, giggling when his father put his hand on the top of the helmet and moved it down until it was nearly covering his eyes to tease him. He quickly lifted it out of the way with a grin, now giggling harder along with his father. "Bikes don't go backwards – they only go forwards!"
Derek's parents chuckled at their son's prowess, and in that moment, as his father billowed loudly with laughter, it was also easy to see that Derek had not inherited his laugh from his father whatsoever.
"Thank God I didn't get that laugh…" Derek admitted quietly, fueling another round of laughs from both him and Angie at the statement.
"You are too smart to keep up with sometimes, you know that, Derek?" his father said, patting his son's shoulder gently. "I bet you're going to be a doctor one day..."
Angie smiled.
"No way, Dad – I'm going to be a spaceman!"
Both Derek and Angie laughed again at the irony of the situation, a brief sadness flickering in Derek's eyes as he realized just what he would give to show his dad that he had been right about his life from the beginning – that it was because of him that he had committed himself to saving lives until the day he took his last breath.
"Well alright then, Captain Derek – go rocket on inside and put your shoes on so we can hop on your bike and blast off!"
"Okay, Dad...!" the boy replied, jetting off the second his father had told him to.
As they waited for him to come back outside in the film, Derek suddenly realized that he had barely said a word to Angie since the start of the movie, intermittently feeling her eyes on him since the beginning. He suddenly turned towards her with a serious, loving stare and she mirrored it with the utmost affection, adoring the experience of seeing him relive the memories that had been covered up by such a painful loss.
"Angie…" he started, pulling her hand up to his mouth with the both of his and planting a gentle kiss on the back of it. "I..."
He stopped at the beginning, completely unsure of what he could possibly say to her in that moment to explain how much the gesture meant to him – how utterly shocked it made him, how thoughtful and how overwhelmingly wonderful of a girlfriend she was…
All he could muster up was, "…did you do this?"; sent off in a shaky voice as his eyes flickered back to the screen and he realized the lengths she had probably gone to make something like this happen.
She nodded gently and smiled at him with all the love in the world, her free hand coming to rest with the two of his that were gripping her right one tightly to his chest.
"Angie… I…" he began again, completely speechless at that point in time. No words could ever begin to do the gesture justice, and overwhelmed by so many feelings, all Derek could do was stare on at her as he tried to fumble for words to convey to her how much it meant to him. The only thing he managed to get out besides incoherent stuttering and half-sentences was a tear that slid slowly down his left cheek, only to be gently wiped away by the woman in front of him as she began to tear up as well.
"Shh…" she finally said, taking her left hand in his and pulling it around her until his arm was protectively hugging around her shoulders. "Just watch…"
Her hand reached forward and pushed back the retractable armrest between them, moving her body closer to his as he tightened his hold around her and rested his head gently against hers, his right hand still holding hers firmly. And in that moment, Derek simply did as he was told and focused his eyes back on the screen again with a loving smile and a gentle squeeze of his best friend in the whole world – the woman he loved more than life itself.
"Alright, here we go... this time it's all you buddy!" his father said, holding the back of Derek's bike seat as he turned around to look at the camera and give his wife a thumbs up.
"I don't know, Alex... do you really think he's ready?"
"He'll be fine! He's practically a pro already..."
"See those trash cans over there?" Derek whispered to Angie, pointing a ways down the road in the movie and to the left.
"Yeah…" she replied hesitantly.
"Keep a good eye on them." Derek said with a soft chuckle.
"You're not gonna let me go, right Dad?" young Derek asked in the movie, turning around to look at his father nervously.
"No way, bud..." he said with a smile towards his son and a mischievous giggle back to his wife and the video camera. "I'm gonna be with you the whole way..."
"Alex..." his wife chastised from her cinematographers post, "don't you dare do what I think you're going to do!"
"What, teach my son to ride his bike?" he shot back with another devilish smile, helping Derek raise the kickstand on the bicycle and get into position.
Both Derek and Angie watched as Alex gave his son a pep-talk and started him on his ride, running alongside him until he was riding steady.
And at that moment, he gently let go of the bike, hands on his hips and big smile on his face as he watched his son pedal down the road.
"Told you...!" Alex said back to his wife with a laugh, walking slowly down the road after Derek as he pedaled along.
When suddenly…
"Dad?!" Derek yelled, now turned fully around and staring at his dad with a horrified expression that he had actually let him go.
Alex whirled around in the video to see his son looking back at him, and in an instant he was sprinting down the road, hands waving wildly.
"Derek, turn around and pay attention!"
"Dad, why aren't you holding onto me?!" Derek screamed back, the bike starting to wobble as Derek had stopped pedaling in his surprise.
"Alex!" Derek's mother yelled, now walking forward down the road as well.
Before either parent could do anything, Derek's bike rode up the curb at one of their neighbor's houses, and in a split second, the boy was off the bike and in a large pile of trashcans at the end of the driveway. There was a short pause as Alex flinched in the middle of the road before he was running again, this time fueled by his son's cries, who was now buried in a pile of metal and black garbage bags.
Angie was giggling softly, her hand over her mouth with a soft "Aww…", feeling bad for Derek even after the camera cut off at that scene.
But it was when the camera started up again, now inside the house and later that day, that she really began to laugh.
Seated on the couch with his arms crossed and four blue neon band-aids on his pasty skin: one on his chin, left forearm, and on both knees, Derek sat with his arms crossed and a huge pout on his lips as his dad tried to make amends by holding out an ice cream cone to him.
"Look at that pout!" Angie exclaimed with a laugh, prompting her boyfriend to laugh as well.
The pair watched as Elizabeth teased her husband from behind the camera, as he desperately tried to explain the situation to his son.
"Derek - I only let go of you because I wasn't helping anymore... you were riding your bike all on your own!"
This sparked the boy's interest a bit, but the skepticism was still heavily laced in his expression.
"...I was?"
Alex smiled. "Yes... I didn't need to help you because you didn't need my help. You learned to ride your bike today all by yourself!"
Derek's eyes suddenly grew bright and he turned to his mother as she held the video camera.
"He's right, Derek... I watched you. You were riding your new bike just like a pro!"
Derek's gaze lingered on her and then snapped back to his dad, who was still smiling at him hopefully, chocolate ice cream cone in his hand. The boy began to smile gradually and took the ice cream from his dad, giving him a high-five as he began happily licking away at his treat.
"That's my boy...!" Alex said as he picked Derek up effortlessly and plopped back down on the couch with the boy on his lap. He gave him a quick kiss to the cheek and relaxed in front of the TV, a smile on his face. "I'm so proud of you, bud."
Angie felt her heart begin to ache watching that scene, especially when Derek pulled her in even tighter to him, his breathing shuttered and unsteady.
They watched as Elizabeth turned the camera on again later that night and walked back into the living room to see both father and son passed out on the couch, Derek's head on Alex's chest, his mouth still rimmed with chocolate ice cream. Alex held his son to him tightly, his cheek resting lightly against Derek's messy brown hair, a loving expression on his face even in his unconscious state.
There was a pause in the video long enough for Angie to hear a small sniffle come from Derek, unable to look up at him as his arms were firmly around her and his head still rested gently against hers. All she could do was take her left hand and rub the back of his hand that her right hand held, giving it a gentle squeeze from time to time.
For the next hour and a half, the pair said nothing to each other as they watched the rest of the movie play out, Angie suddenly glad that out of all the ones in the box, this was the one she had chosen.
From the Halloween where Derek went as a banana and his father as a gorilla, to his sixth birthday, to their father/son fishing trips and Derek's first day of school, Angie couldn't help but become choked up when she realized just how strong the bond had been between him and his father. They were absolutely inseparable – everywhere Alex would go Derek wasn't far behind, imitating his every action to be more like the man he regarded as his personal hero. From the way Alex ate his food to the way he stretched early in the morning, little Derek was right by his side like his shadow, eyes always fixed on his daddy with everything he did.
For Derek, the flashbacks made him both happy and sad at the same time. His heart soared every time his father came on screen, the only memories that were strong in his mind those in pictures he still had and the little things his father had left for him before he died. Sadness came when he realized that this was as close to his father as he was ever going to get, a painful tightening in his chest when it passed his mind that he would give anything to see him one more time. It had been nearly fifteen years since he had seen the movies, and getting to see his father moving, talking, and smiling again brought Derek to tears in every scene that passed by.
It's great to see you again, Dad...
For Angie, it patched together explanations of why Derek was the man he was today. In every interaction between his wife and son, Alex had nothing but love in his eyes and a smile on his face, and it was easy to see that there was nothing he loved more than spending time with his family. She drew parallels with the way his father acted with his mother to how Derek acted with her, the sweet, respectable, sensitive side something that he had most definitely inherited from the man on the screen. And the more and more she watched the video, she realized that in personality – not only appearance – Derek had taken the form of the father he had loved so much… from the loving smile right down to the way he scratched his head when he was nervous.
Thank you so much for your son, Mr. Stiles... I know you'd be as proud of him as I am.
Wiping a tear off of her cheek, Angie watched on as the movie came to a close at the end of Derek's first Little League game, his father scooping him up in a huge hug the second he had walked off the field.
"Say bye, guys!" Derek's mother insisted from behind the camera, pulling the boys' attention away from their secret handshake as they looked back at the camera. Derek and his father both smiled, the little boy pushing his glasses up again as they waved at the camera for the last time, the screen fading to a blank white shortly after.
Derek and Angie waited to make sure that the film had indeed ended, eyes still on the blank screen until it changed to a different shade of white, the sound of the film being taken off of the projector indicating that it had really finished.
Angie pulled back hesitantly to look at Derek whose arm was still around her, her smile fading when she saw his tear-stained face and sad brown eyes still turned towards the blank screen as if it had more to offer him. Waiting, she said nothing to him as she continued to squeeze his hand, growing more concerned when he refused to look at her at all.
Gently, he removed his arm from around her and rested his elbows on his knees, clasping his hands in front of him as his head hung down. Angie sat forward in her seat next to him and looked on at him in sadness, wondering if this had really been a good idea as she noted his heartbroken expression.
Turning his head up toward the screen again, Derek wiped his cheeks and sighed deeply, hands pushing on his knees to give him leverage as he stood up silently, head still turned away from Angie. She felt her heart drop into her stomach as she watched him turn and begin to walk away, his back to her, prompting to her to stand quickly as well.
"D-Derek…!" she exclaimed, instantly in tears as he continued walking quicker, now disappearing behind the curtains that they had walked through when the night had begun.
Beginning to sob, Angie collapsed back into her seat and held her head in her hands, eventually opting to rest her forehead on her knees as she wept, feeling more guilty than she ever had before for upsetting him so badly. The plan had turned out to be a bust – thinking that she would make him happier to relive memories of his father that he hadn't seen in years, she had done nothing but crush him… a response that selfishly, she hadn't even thought of.
"Hey…"
Angie sat up quickly and turned to her right to see Derek sit back down next to her quickly, concern in his tear-rimmed eyes as he gently pulled her back into his arms.
"Angie, honey… what's wrong?"
She sniffled when he pulled her away from him to look in her eyes, his hands holding her arms just above her elbows.
"I'm s-so sorry, D-Derek…" she cried, covering her mouth with her hand. "I-I never meant to m-make you s-so upset… I just…"
"No…! Nonono!" he exclaimed, letting out a sniffle of his own at her distressed state. "I'm not upset, Angie… I'm not."
"You're not?" she asked, tears subsiding for a moment as she looked up at him, a small smile on his face.
"Ang…" he started, tracing his hands down her arms to take her hands in his. "T-That was… the most wonderful surprise of my entire life…" he began, another tear falling down his cheek which she promptly wiped away. "It was the most thoughtful thing anyone's ever done for me… and I was just, shocked, that's all…"
She nodded, unbelieving of his statement.
"I mean, I just have so many questions…" he started with a smile. "W-Where on earth did you find that movie?"
Angie chuckled. "Your mom brought them over while you were out of town… there's a whole box of them." she started. "I just picked the longest one and paid the theater to play it… they were the only place around that had the old projector that would fit them."
Derek laughed through his tears, pulling Angie back into his chest. "I can't believe you did this for me, Ang… I loved it more than I can even begin to tell you…"
"Really?" she asked, feeling him nod his head against hers.
"Really." he replied.
Angie sighed, tightening her arms around him firmly. "It was worth every penny to see you get to watch these again…" she started. "Watching your father made me realize why you're the kind, loving man you turned out to be… you are so much like him, Derek… you are."
He sniffled again at her words, shortly after leaving a kiss on her forehead.
"Thank you…" he said in as genuine of a voice as he could possibly use. "What you did for me tonight…" he began, cutting himself off again as his voice broke. "…thank you so much, Ang."
She leaned her chin up and looked him in the eyes, her fingers delicately coming to rest on his cheek as her lips met his in a passionate kiss.
"It was so… nice, to get to see him like that again…" Derek started as he pulled back, beginning to chuckle. "How could you ever think that I was mad at you for something like this?!"
She glared up at him, moving out of his embrace. "Well, you didn't have to get up and rush out like that without saying anything… I thought you were upset!"
Derek turned serious and bit his lip, taking her hands in his as he turned towards her gently.
"Listen, Ang…" he began. "I just… I guess I just got kind of overwhelmed is all… I mean, watching my parents like that just made me realize how lucky I am to have you, but it also made me sad because I c-could never imagine losing you like that…"
Beginning to choke up again, Derek held his composure as best as he could as his thumbs traced over the back of Angie's hands gently, his eyes lovingly locked with hers as she too began to tear up.
"It really just made me realize that I don't want to waste another minute of my life doing anything but being with the woman I love more than anything in the world…" he started again, this time more frank in his explanation. "…you just, never know… that's all."
Angie nodded at his explanation with a loving smile, leaning forward to place another gentle kiss on his lips.
"I know…" she explained, suddenly realizing that he never answered the question.
"…then why did you get up and leave?" she asked, seeing him look down momentarily with a soft smile.
"I just needed a second… so I went to get my jacket."
She looked over his shoulder at the seat a few down from him, his black jacket now sprawled across it.
"…where's my jacket?" she asked, confused.
He smiled again. "We'll get it on the way out."
Angie's eyes turned slightly irritated. "What do you mean we'll get it on the way out? You just went to get your own jacket?" she asked, now giggling at Derek's lopsided train of thought as she stood from her seat and moved out into the aisle directly in the center of the balcony to exit the theater. "I don't get you sometimes…"
With her back to him, Derek quickly moved to his jacket and pulled a small black box from the inner breast pocket, slipping it quickly into his pocket before she could notice.
Turning around to see that he was still standing in the row that they had been sitting, now three whole steps below her, Angie became confused and walked back down towards him as he smiled.
"What…?" she asked, even more confused when he lovingly grabbed her hands in his and looked down at them before returning his gaze to her.
"You're not the only one that had plans for tonight… remember?" he admitted, sparking her interest.
"Oh?" she asked suddenly, completely unaware of what he was hiding.
Derek nodded, his eyes watering over again as they looked on at her, seeing her smile and reach up to touch his face before returning her hand to his.
"I just… I meant what I said before." he began. "I know how the story can turn out sometimes…" he said, in reference to his parents' shortened romance. "And knowing that I've found someone I love more than life itself…" he said, smiling when she began to tear up, "…means that even though it was going to happen later tonight, I can't wait that long. I don't want to waste another second."
Angie giggled, still completely oblivious. "You're so sweet…" she said. "But what on earth does this have to do with your jacket?"
Derek smiled. "It has nothing to do with my jacket…" he began, removing his hand from hers and reaching into his pocket, pulling the little black box into the open.
Eyes still on him, Angie suddenly looked downward to see what he was holding and her mouth slowly opened wide, hand covering it as her eyes shot open and she began to cry.
"…it was what was inside my jacket…" he finished with a mischievous smile, watching her lose it.
"You jerk – you tricked me!!" she exclaimed through her tears as she stomped her foot. Derek laughed at her outburst before he turned more serious, though a smile still remained on his face.
"I love you with all my heart, Ang…" he began. "And the only thing I know besides how happy you make me every day, is that I was meant to spend my life with you…"
Lowering gently to one knee, Derek smiled as he looked up at Angie, tears generously streaming down her face.
"And when I saw what you did for me tonight…" he continued.
Popping open the box he saw her eyes light up – an impressive square diamond on a diamond-studded eternity band rested on the soft, velvet pillow inside, gleaming against the lights above them.
"…I realized I don't want to waste any more time being without you."
Still crying generously, Angie's eyes were focused on the box, leaving Derek to roll his eyes playfully with a smile.
"Angie… look at me." he said, unable to help himself from crying with her.
Bright green eyes raising up from the box in his hand, Angie stared up at Derek and held her breath, not even bothering to wipe the tears away as she waited.
He paused for a moment, lips giving way to a smile as they parted to speak.
"…w-will you marry me…?" he finally asked, voice cracking as he cried. A smile suddenly sprang onto Angie's face as she stood in shock, looking back down at the box and then at him again, now giggling through her tears.
"Y-Yes, Derek…" she stammered out, watching as he became elated from where he knelt. "Yes, I'll marry you…!"
Derek didn't even have time to slip the ring on her finger, as her hands instantly latched onto the collar of his shirt and dragged him up to meet her, lips pressing passionately against his when he stood. Ring box still open and in his hand, Derek wrapped his arms around her and lifted her off the ground to hug her as tightly as he possibly could before she pulled back and grinned at him broadly.
Setting her down gently, Derek pulled the box in front of him again and gently plucked the ring from its holder, smiling as he watched Angie's expression, her hands clasped together and against her chest. Grabbing her left hand with his right, he pulled it towards him and slowly slipped the glittering ring on her third finger, where he knew it would stay forever.
Angie took a moment to stare at it with an impressed gaze, her eyes landing back on Derek's with a giant smile and another passionate kiss.
"…did you want to go get your coat now?" he joked, laughing when she lightly slapped him in the arm in response.
"Come on…" he said, holding out his hand for her to grab, which she did as he led the both of them out of the theater, his jacket in hand. Free hand with a new accessory, Angie continually brought it up from her side to look at, unbelieving of how beautiful the ring was from every single angle. Grabbing the movie on the way out and thanking the staff that had made such a wonderful night possible, Derek and Angie walked back through the streets of Chesterfield and to their car, not paying a second thought to the desolation of the small town their second time through.
As was usually true, nothing else was important, as long as they were together.
--
"Will you stay here with me tonight…?" Angie asked when they had arrived back at her apartment, answered with a warm smile and a kiss from Derek.
"Of course." he replied. "There's nothing more I want to do than spend the night with my new fiancée…"
She giggled at the word and kissed him again gently before turning to walk back to the bedroom. However, when she turned around, a flash of bright red caught her eye, belonging to the card on the counter that Derek had brought her earlier.
"Oh…!" she exclaimed, walking over to where it laid. "Can I open this now?"
He smiled and stuck his hands in his pockets with a soft nod. "Go ahead."
She tore open the envelope as he moved to sit across from her on a barstool, waiting until she finished.
The inside read:
"To my amazing fiancée...
(Now do you see why I didn't let you open this beforehand?)
Every time I get to a point where I think there's no way I could possibly love you more, you surprise me with something else I adore about you. You're perfect for me in absolutely every way, and I count myself as the luckiest man on earth to get to spend the rest of my life with you by my side, assuming you said yes tonight...
(I'm honestly not that worried.)
You've come a long way from the woman who despised everything having to do with Valentine's Day, and while back then you challenged me to change your mind, I realize that over the past two years of spending this day together, I'm positive I've finally done it. After today, the day you once threatened to kill me over will now hold a place in your heart that you'll never forget for the rest of your life – and it's the same place that I'll hold in my heart as the day you made me happier than I ever thought I could be.
This Valentine's Day, instead of a half-asleep, jet-lagged zombie, I give you my ring, my heart and soul, and the rest of my life to make memories with... and I promise to spend every day trying to make you feel the same way that you make me feel every time I see you.
Love you always,
Derek.
Crying by the end again, Angie set the card down on the counter and walked around to where he sat, jumping up onto his lap and curling up in his embrace. She sighed as she tried to catch her breath from softly crying, feeling comforted as he just rocked her back and forth without words.
Gently she raised her head up and kissed him, sighing again when his arms enveloped her tightly. She pulled back and looked him in the eyes, a bright smile now on her lips.
"I don't know what I did to deserve you…" she started. "But, I'm glad I have a lifetime to show you how happy I am that you're mine… I love you so much, Derek… thank you for being so perfect."
Before he could say anything in return, Derek became confused as suddenly Angie's tune changed, her expression now slightly perplexed.
It was supposed to be HER year to outdo him…
…and once again, he had bested her.
"Angie… are you alright?"
"Dammit – now what?!" she thought, running over the scenario in her head. She had rented out a theater to show him some old family movies he thought were lost forever. He, on the other hand, had given her flowers, a beautiful card, and a rock that now hugged her left ring finger. Had he really won, again…?
As Angie looked down at her hand, the square diamond sparkling in the light, she sighed with frustration, coming to realize the bitter truth.
He got her. Again.
Bringing her eyes up to him, Angie glared at Derek momentarily much to his confusion, before a thought popped into her head.
"So you want something romantic...?"
"Angie, what's up?"
"Yeah, what is it?"
"Helloo…? Are you there?"
"Same thing Tyler and I do every year...!"
Angie suddenly grinned, confusing Derek even further as she jumped off of his lap and grabbed him by the shirt, walking backwards towards her bedroom as her lips connected with his, hands now working to pull off his tie and get his shirt halfway unbuttoned before he stopped her, still completely lost.
"Ang…" he started with a goofy smile. "What's gotten into you?"
He failed to protest further when she gave him another heated kiss, reaching her hand out to flick off the lights as she pulled him back into her bedroom, kicking the double doors shut behind them. Walking backwards until she hit the bed, Angie climbed up on the edge of the mattress and onto her knees, now eye-level with Derek who was still standing upright. She pulled him in for another kiss and then pulled back, reaching behind her and pulling the zipper of her dress all the way down, the fabric slowly falling off of her body to reveal just her bra and underwear underneath.
Now with his eyes nearly bugging out of his head, Derek quickly looked back at his fiancée in surprise, wondering where this had all come from.
"Angie, honey…" he stammered, chuckling in surprise. "What are you doing?"
She smiled.
"Celebrating Valentine's Day, of course."
Surprised, yet unwilling to protest her request, Derek rose up onto the bed with her and pushed her down onto the mattress, climbing on top of her with a series of passionate kisses.
"You're sure?" he suddenly asked, pulling out of their kiss before he was yanked back down by his collar. It was a precautionary measure to ask, on his part, but after she had clearly answered him, Derek ceased from asking any more questions.
Making love for what would be the first of many times through their long life together, Angie and Derek spent the night holding and caressing each other in a way that only two people madly in love could do. Worries fading away with every kiss that they shared, the nurse was forced to realize that Leslie was right – there was simply nothing like it that could do a love so great proper justice.
Somewhere in the midst of their passion and the tangled sheets that enveloped them the whole night through, Angie finally let go of her desire to outdo Derek, because this year, they both had won something much greater than a present contest.
And that, was a life with each other.
Besides…
…there was always next year.
*sigh*
I am happy now. I need to spread the fluff love. Now it's someone else's turn - get on it!
Or just leave me a review, that's cool too :)
See ya!