Wally walked up the stairs to their apartment quickly his backpack swinging against his back, a smile on his face. He pulled his keys out of his pocket and unlocked the door in front him, and the shut it behind him.
"Hey babe?" Wally called out in search of Artemis.
"In here," she called back from their bedroom down the hall. He sped towards their room to find her sprawled out on the bed, several books and her laptop in front of her. He cleared a space off for himself and leaned in to plant a soft kiss on her cheek.
"How was class?" Artemis inquired not looking up from her screen.
"Not bad," he responded opening his backpack and pulling out a small book, "I need your help with something though." She looked up then meeting his bright green eyes.
"With what exactly?"
"Well for Lit class I have to do a dramatic reading of something by this Lord Byron guy, and I just want to practice it on you."
"Really?" He looked at her with pleading eyes, and she let out a soft sigh of pretend annoyance. "Okay, fire away," she said as she closed her laptop.
"Alright, this is 'She Walks in Beauty' by my main man Lord Byron," he paused for a second. "Huh, Lord, he's got Lord in his name do you think he's like a lord of fate?"
"Wally."
"Right sorry, anyways, here it goes. She walks in beauty like the night, of cloudless climes and starry skies; and all that's best of dark and bright," his eyes drifted from the page to her face with a smile. "Meet in her aspect and her eyes: thus mellow'd to that tender light, which heaven to gaudy day denies. " Wally leaned across the space between them and kissed her softly on the cheek. She let out a hum of approval as he continued on.
"Which heaven to gaudy day denies. One shade the more, one ray less, had half impair'd the nameless grace; which waves in every golden tress." His hand stoked the hair that was falling over her shoulder taking a piece gently in his hand and placing it behind her ear. "Or softly lightens o'er her face; where thoughts serenely sweet express. How pure, how dear their dwelling-place."
Her eyes closed as his voice grew softer, and she let out a shaky sigh. His forehead fell to her shoulder the book to her lap as he began again. "Ooh and on that cheek, and o'er that brow, so soft, so calm, yet eloquent;" his lips touched softly against her exposed shoulder, and her hand came up to wind in his ginger hair. "The smiles that win, the tints that glow, but tell of days in goodness spent. A mind at peace with all below. A heart," his lips hit ghosted up her neck to the hollow of her ear, "whose love is innocent." Wally's lips finally met her with a smile, his hand cupping the back of her head, curling in her golden mane. He pulled away an inch, his forehead resting against hers, "I love you babe."
"I love you too Wally, even if that was incredibly cheesy." He let out a low chuckle and leaned back in, her lips moving against his in sweet harmony.