Wonderful Tonight
"I'll be ready in 15 minutes, I promise," Elizabeth called out from the bathroom and Will looked up from the TV.
"Okay Liz," he said and then returned his focus to the TV. He tucked a strand of unruly hair behind his ear and fingered on the buttons to his blazer. Tonight was the night of his father's important business dinner/party, and Will was nervous. No one at his dad's work had met Elizabeth, and he hoped they would like her. He silently wished that no one would make a remark about her family though, it was still a sensitive subject, and Liz would fire up if anyone spoke ill of them. He was abruptly pulled out of his thoughts when Elizabeth stepped in, wearing only her bathrobe, and holding up two dresses in her hands.
"Which one?" she asked and Will thought about it for a second. One of them was one of his favourites; a short, red slinky number that made her skin look like porcelain. The other one he hadn't seen before; dark blue, floor length with no straps.
"That one," he pointed at the blue one, earning a smile from Elizabeth.
"I was hoping you'd pick that one. I just have to get dressed and fix my hair, and then I'll be ready."
She walked back in to the bathroom. After a few minutes Will stood up and turned off the TV before he walked into the bathroom, where Elizabeth was brushing her long honey-blonde hair before putting it up in a beautiful style. When she noticed him standing in the doorway, she smiled and put down the brush.
"How do I look?" she asked, a small smile playing across her lips. Will walked up to her and gave her a light kiss.
"You look beautiful. But then again, you always do."
She smiled, and her brown eyes lit up. "You don't look so bad yourself Mr. Turner."
Will stroked her cheek with the back of his hand and took her hand in his. "Let's go."
Elizabeth smiled, nodding and they both put on their coats before they walked down the stairs, not bothering taking the lift. On their way down they met up with Ryan, Elizabeth's neighbour.
"Hi Ryan," she greeted him, and he looked down while mumbling 'hello'. Will looked down weirdly at him, and then turned to Elizabeth.
"He's a bit weird, don't you think?"
Elizabeth shrugged and pulled her coat closer to her body, since the late November air was chilly. "A bit maybe, I haven't really noticed it. I hardly see him." She shivered and Will frowned.
"Are you cold?"
"Only a bit," she said, and then protested when Will took off his coat, and placed it around her shoulders. "No Will, you'll get sick."
He just smiled at her and placed an arm around her waist. "I never get sick."
She just laughed, remembering the time he got the stomach flu, and was laying in bed for a week, throwing up and complaining to her that he was gonna die. "Sure, love. Let's go, or we'll be late," she stated and they started to walk towards Will's car, which he had parked just around the corner. On the way over to the Ritz, where this dinner was being held, Will and Elizabeth sang along with the stereo, where an old record with The Beatles was playing.
Will stole glances at Elizabeth as he drove, and a smile slowly crept on his face when he saw how she sang along to Maxwell's Silver hammer, a big smile across her face. She was by far the most exquisite woman he had ever met, and he still, after dating for two years, couldn't believe that it was him she loved.
They had met on the day after her plane had landed in London, and they had become friends immediately. She had been excited first when she had moved to London, but after living there for three months, Will thought that she was homesick, because she was starting to act strange. The answer to her behaviour he got one stormy night in mid April, when a violent knock was heard on his door. When he had opened he had been surprised to see Elizabeth standing there, wet as a rat from the pouring rain. He only got out a 'what are you doing here?', before she attacked his mouth with hers, pressing her wet body hard against his. He had stopped her after a while, and it was then she had confessed that she was deeply in love with him, and not knowing if he felt the same was tearing her apart.
They had been inseparable ever since, and Will spent more time at her flat than his own. That could be because Will's flat was smaller; it only had two rooms, a small bathroom and a small kitchen. Elizabeth's on the other hand, was a real luxurious flat, with a big open living-room area, a big kitchen, a generously sized bedroom and a bathroom that contained both a shower and a bathtub.
Elizabeth looked over at Will, and when she found him looking at her, she gave a small smile as she continued to sing. Will was everything she had looked for in a man; he was handsome, kind, had a good sense of humour, and he was a gentleman. From the first time she met him, he had become her closest friend, something she found strange since they were of the opposite gender. She had never really had any friends, in her childhood in Port Royal she had been told by her father that 'you're too good for them; you need to play with girls of your kind'. Off course he meant the class of the family.
Weatherby Swann was a very rich man who had married Emma Winters when they were both in their thirties. Elizabeth had been the result one year later, but Emma had sadly passed away when Elizabeth only was five years old. Elizabeth had moved to London when she was 19, telling her father that she wanted the education the London University had to offer, but really she wanted to get away from his iron grip on her. By Living in London she gained a bit of freedom, away from her father's steel grip on her.
Then she thought about Will, who was sitting only inches away from her. When they first had met, they had despite their shyness grown close to each other. After only knowing each other for two months, Elizabeth felt her feelings develop into love. For about a month, she walked around with the burden on her chest, not being able to tell anyone. She had become more withdrawn, until one night when she snapped. She ran over to Will's flat in the pouring rain, and confessed her love for him, only to have him confessing his love for her back.
"Liz? We're here." Elizabeth was pulled out of her thoughts by Will, who gently touched her hand. His brown eyes, which bore themselves deep into her soul, looked gently at her, and she smiled.
"Sorry, I was lost in my own world. Here's your coat, its cold outside, you might need it." She handed him his coat and then opened the car door. Goosebumps broke out on her skin as the cold air hit her. She walked over to Will and he took her hand in his as they walked into The Ritz. The people sitting in the lobby turned their heads as the young couple that was radiating so walked in. When Will and Elizabeth got to the lifts, Will started to get nervous again. As they stood in the lift, Elizabeth gave Will's hand a reassuring squeeze, and she looked up at him before stepping in closer. She traced her fingers along his jaw-line and mouth before she kissed him. He cupped her cheek with one hand and placed the other one around her waist, pulling her closer to him. They broke apart and Elizabeth gave a crooked smile.
"I love you, William Turner."
Will smiled and kissed her forehead. "I love you too, Elizabeth Swann, I always will." The lift doors opened to reveal a bunch of people, chatting and drinking champagne. This was Bill Turner's work partners and their wives. The cloakroom girl took their coats while a whiter came up to them carrying a tray filled with Champagne glasses.
"Champagne?" Both Will and Elizabeth took a glass and then started to mingle with the various people they met. After a few minutes Elizabeth excused herself to go to the ladies-room, but something made her stop abruptly. Behind a stone pillar she could make out two elderly women. They were talking about her.
"Did you see who Bill's son came here with?"
"No, with whom?" Came the instant reply and Elizabeth held her breath.
"Elizabeth Swann, the daughter of Governor Weatherby Swann of Port Royal, Jamaica. I hear that she moved to London because she got pregnant by a man her father didn't approve of."
"I heard she's sick in cancer, and moved here to meet with a specialist." At this point Elizabeth became fed up with them, and stepped out so that they could see her. The two women gasped as they recognized the beautiful young woman as Elizabeth Swann. Her hazel eyes shot daggers and as she looked at them, they knew that she was angry.
"I just wanted to tell you that I was neither sick nor pregnant when I left Port Royal, and that I don't wish to be subject of your gossip." They just looked at her, and she sighed before she turned around and went to find Will again. She really hated gossip, especially when it concerned her and her family. She walked with haste in her steps, and her eyes widened when she ran into someone.
"Oh god, I'm so sorry, here let me help." When she had helped him up, she lit up in a smile. "Mr. Turner, I was just wondering where you were hiding!"
Bill lit up in a smile that was so much like his son and winked. "Well, you know me, I've never been one for these kind of things."
Elizabeth laughed and turned her head when she felt a hand on the small of her back. "Hi Will, I found your dad." Will smiled and the two Turner's shook hands.
"How's everything down in the smithy, son?" Bill asked and Will pulled Elizabeth close to him as he answered.
"It's going fine dad, I have a bunch of orders that I have to work on tomorrow. It's a bit tight, but it's coming along."
Bill frowned at Will's words. The smithy had been his when Will had been young, and he had passed it on to him when he turned twenty. Will had been taught how to be a blacksmith when he was young, and he was really talented. "Do you need any financial help?"
Will shook his head. "No dad, I'll be fine, I didn't say that I was broke, I said that it was tight." Bill sighed, knowing how stubborn his son was, and that Will would never admit to anyone if he was broke. "If you'll excuse us, there are still people we haven't talked to yet." Will said and Elizabeth looked first at him, and then at Bill, giving him a small smile.
"That wasn't very nice Will, he's only trying to help." She said when they were out of earshot from Bill.
Will stopped and looked at her. "I'm sorry Liz, it's just…I don't want him to think that I can't take care of the business."
Elizabeth took his hand in hers and led them to a sitting area, where they sat down in a couch. "I'm sure he doesn't think that Will, or else he wouldn't have given it to you." She noted a pained expression and stroked his cheek. "You okay?" she asked, her voice filled with concern, and he shook his head.
"I have a terrible headache." She raised an eyebrow and he laughed. "Okay, I was just trying to get out of here, you know me too well."
She smirked and moved closer to him."Too well indeed." They kissed softly and broke apart when a 'ahem' was heard. They looked up and saw the two elderly ladies that had been gossiping about Elizabeth earlier.
"Excuse me, but the seats are for us elder people." One of them said, her lips pressed together in disgust, and Will and Elizabeth stood up. They sat down and just as Will and Elizabeth turned around to leave, Elizabeth heard what she hated. Gossip and talking trash.
"I told you, she has no manners at all, I'm surprised her father put up with her for as long as he did."
Elizabeth's eyes filled with anger, and she turned around violently. "And who are you to talk about good manners? Speaking ill of others so that they can hear you. You don't know anything about me, or why I left, and it's none of your business. Don't speak of what you don't know." Her voice was raised, and everybody was looking at them. She looked over at Will, and was revealed when she saw that he had pride in his eyes. Pride because she stood up for herself, for her family. "Let's go home," she pleaded and Will nodded.
"Yes, let's go home."
They put down their glasses, checked out their coats and then left. In the lift on the way down Elizabeth looked at Will with teary eyes. "I'm sorry Will, I ruined everything. Damn, I can't even control my temper for one night. I'm an embarrassment."
Will pulled her close to him and embraced her tightly "You're not an embarrassment. I'm proud of you, you don't let anyone step over you." He mumbled in her hair and she took a deep breath, breathing in the scent that was her Will.
When they got down to the lobby, it had started to snow. Big white snowflakes fell like pieces of cotton candy from the sky.
Elizabeth laughed. "Look Will, it's snowing." She let go off him and tilted her head up and opened her mouth. The snowflakes fell down on her tongue and melted. Will laughed at her and did the same. When Will didn't look, Elizabeth took up a handful off snow, and threw it at Will. He looked surprised at her and she stifled a giggle.
"You know I'm gonna get you for that," he smiled and Elizabeth walked up to him slowly, like a predator on the hunt.
"And I guess there's nothing I can do to avoid that evil fate?" she asked with faked innocence and Will pulled her close, earning a giggle from her lips.
"Well you can start by kissing me." She giggled and gave him a quick kiss. "That was pathetic love, wanna try again?" he suggested and Elizabeth laughed.
"You're so cheeky!" But still she threw her arms around his neck and gave him a long passionate kiss that took the breath away from both of them. When they parted, Will looked down at her, and gave a crooked smile.
"Now that's more like it. Wanna continue at your place?" Elizabeth drove a hand through his hair and gave one of her adorable smiles. Then she leaned in as if to kiss him, but she didn't.
"I'll race you to the car." she said before she started to run towards his car, but running in high heels didn't make it go faster, and soon Will had caught up with her. When he laughed at her, she pouted. "You cheated."
He played mock offence and crossed his arms. "I did not. Just because you run like a girl."
Her eyes widened and Will yelped when she smacked his arm. "I do not; you take that back William Turner!" She continued to smack him, and he laughed.
"I take it back, I take it back!"
She stopped and pushed back a strand of her hair which had escaped her hairdo. "You better. I might be smaller than you, but that doesn't mean that I can't kick your ass." Will just smiled at her and unlocked the car. On the way home they continued to tease each other about various things.
"You hungry?" Elizabeth asked as they had walked into her apartment.
"Not so much, no" Will answered and looked over at her. She was standing and looking out the window, lost in her own thoughts.
Elizabeth smiled and leaned back when she felt Will behind her, and his arms went around her waist and came to rest on her lower abdomen. "I love you, Liz," Will whispered in her ear and she turned around, looking up into his eyes.
"I love you too, Will."
Their lips met in a gentle but passionate kiss and Elizabeth draped her arms around Will's neck. They poured all their love into the kiss, all their feelings for each other. So there they stood, in the pale moonlight. The blacksmith and his lover, in each other's arms as the cold snow fell just outside the window.