Their world wasn't always perfect, but sometimes he felt like it was close to being so. He had woken up on a Friday, the human word for the fifth day of a week. It was still early, but the dawn light was colored a rich pink that was filtered through the decorative shades his wife had insisted she hang in their room. He had been disgusted at the color in the beginning, and had put on a face for his mate at her selection of them, but now he could admit that waking up in such a tinted light was comforting.
It reminded him of his pre-birth, before he had hatched, before every sangheili hatched. The thin shell of his egg had been at its breaking point, and a warm red light had encouraged his labors to break free into a strange new world.
Sometimes he wondered what sort of child he could bring into the world, and it always soured his mind with his wonderings. As an interspecies couple, biology would just not cooperate with them, so they had eagerly applied for adoption certification after marriage.
They had yet to finish the process. There was apparently unknown ramifications concerning human-sangheili couples. It was frustrating, and drove him into fits of rage. Shen merely quieted at bad news and retired to another part of the room when they were told they had to continue to wait. A limbo that they suffered through monthly. She was usually full of life, laughter and confidence. She was warlike in her enthusiasm, her taste for life. He never wanted her to lose these parts that defined her.
He loved and admired her. This day, he would remind her exactly how much. He would make this day about his love for her, for them. For their family of two.
He rolled onto his side, kicking off the sheets that ceaselessly tangled around his legs every morning. It had taken many shopping trips together to find a suitable bed for the both of them. Just enough cushion to hold both their differing forms, and enough stability to hold up a full grown sangheili male. Sometimes he would awaken to find that his wife had rolled into the curve of his legs, but this morning she was on her side of the bed in a small mound. He gently rearranged himself so that he was sitting by her.
Today was the human holiday called Valentine's, and it was known as a day for celebrating bonds between mates. He was always eager to celebrate with his wife Shen. His wife, in her human ways, enjoyed slumbering late in the morning, but he was far too excited to begin the day, and eager to get his partner up and out of bed.
This holiday was one he relished the most, as it was his time to show Shen exactly how much he appreciated her. He had been studying human culture for months, trying his best to appeal to Shen as one of her own males would. It was a common sangheili trait. Always trying to prove themselves to others.
Currently his little wife was burrowed under a mound of soft covers, only a nest of her thick brown almost black hair apparent from the folds. She made a quiet murmur as he rested his hand on her shape.
Daen 'Edoom brought a hand to her mane, resting gentle fingers on her head, "Little one." His voice rumbled out warmly.
Shen 'Edoom, of course, chose to wiggle deeper into the sheets. He did not let her escape, though, and kept his hand firmly at the back of her head, "You can't sleep all day Shen. Come out of there."
Finally the mound spoke, a bit muffled from her position under the covers, "Why not? I'm so tired."
"I will make you breakfast." He used his free hand to dig and begin unwrapping her from the covers. She slipped onto her hip, one green eye peering out at him from under the sheets she still held balled up in her grip. Finally she pushed out at him with a freed hand, and scooted up into a sitting position.
She was average sized for a human, but anything but average. She was strong and willful, and she was currently using these powers of hers to push him back against the bed, planting her thighs against his, in which he gladly responded by lying back onto the stack of pillows, letting his female sit over him, the dark tendrils of her hair falling over her rounded ears.
"You big sweetheart." She cooed. He watched her lips flex into a smile. He loved it when she used her 'baby' voice on him. It used to confuse him, he thought it quite strange to distort one's voice purposely, but now he loved every voice she used on him. It was endearing.
"I'll make eggs." He said, reaching out to brush a rogue strand of hair from in front of her eyes. He tucked it neatly behind her ear with one finger, "The 'sunny-side-up' ones. You like those."
"You were paying attention!" She smiled and bent down to peck him on the nose with her rubbery soft lips. He locked eyes with her, admiring the golden flecks caught in the tide of her green irises. "I love you."
"I know." He quirked his mandibles into a smirk and dipped his head over hers. She laughed and suddenly her curved nose wrinkled a bit.
"Is it my breath?" He couldn't smell anything, but it was his own scent.
"I'm sorry hon, but no one is immune to morning breath." She teased, giving him one last tap on the nose with her pink lips, "Now get in that bathroom and clean up so you can make me breakfast." He would have rolled his eyes, but sangheili didn't do that very well.
Shen crawled over him, "Don't worry, I'll help you flip those eggs."
Pushy woman. "Of course, you may watch. I will cook the eggs."
"Stubborn sangheili."
"Silly human."
"Go brush your teeth."
00oo00oo00oo00
He watched Shen eat her eggs, barely consuming much of his. He was distracted with her own eating, hoping he hadn't accidentally dropped a shell into the mix. It was hard to break chicken eggs with his large hands, but he tried his best to keep the shells out of the pan with a touch that was anything but delicate. His mother had once told him all sangheili were born strong, but it could be tempered. Few sangheili wanted to practice being gentle. Of course, not many sangheili took human mates.
Or cracked eggs.
Daen watched her scoop the last egg into her mouth. She finished fortunately with no disgusted facial expressions so he assumed it had been fine. Shen sighed, and looked satisfied until she stared his way. She gave him a severe look that brought memory of a female sangheili who had once schooled him as a fledgling. One of his mothers. "Eat your eggs mister."
"I made them for you." He insisted, too excited to be hungry. There was so much he wanted to do today.
"Tough luck." She argued, "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day."
"Well." He laughed, "My growth was possibly stunted as a fledgling."
"Shut up and eat those eggs."
Willful she was. Always. But he loved that about her. She was not afraid to speak her mind, and not afraid to stand up for what she believed in.
They had met over an incident at work. He had just been hired on as a security guard for a company, Lifecom that manufactured personal tech, some of which were purchased by military personnel. He had met Shen in the cafeteria at lunch break, where he had found her arguing with a human male.
The man had sought to pull Shen towards him, and she had smacked him across the face, the clap of her blow loud enough to gain the attention of everyone around them including himself.
He had watched the man curse the much smaller female, and Daen had moved to intervene when he felt certain the man would hit the female back. Shameful behavior, and something that brought back memories of his own mother, his true mother, and the reason for leaving his keep to live on the human colony of Shivan.
His uncles had mostly treated his mothers with contempt, like lowly servants. These uncles and an unknown father, had taken to strong drink and to bullying the children. Whenever his true mother would stand up to them, she had been hit, sometimes enough to break a tooth. Sangheili could grow them back, but it was a long painful process.
There was no arguing with these strong sangheili with weak minds, and they had been inconsolable and more aggressive when their farm lands had taken a hit from bad weather and the whole keep suffered for it. This abuse in the family was intolerable and finally he had had enough.
When his mother had passed from a genetic sickness, he had decided it was time to move on. He had escaped in the night with his brother, who he now knew was working with the UNSC as a translator, and had left that life behind.
He had smacked aside the male human, throwing him across a table and asked the woman if she was alright. Shen had reacted with stunned silence, but later defended his actions with incoming security when they came to investigate the incident. Because of the past war, humans still did not find his kind trustworthy, and he couldn't blame him. That had been a terrible mess for everyone. Their economy on Sangheilos, globally, had suffered, and the civil wars hadn't helped the situation.
After having lunch together, Shen had offered to treat him to dinner at her place as thanks, to his surprise. He had accepted the invitation only because he had yet to invest in human appliances to cook his food and had been eating dried goods because his leaser had refused to allow him a fire in the yard for his purchased meat from the butcher.
Shen had not merely been inviting him as a pleasantry. She genuinely hadn't seemed to mind his presence. His height didn't bother her, nor did his visage which he believed many humans found imposing with his four mandibles and sharp fangs. Shen refused to look anywhere else but his eyes and had welcomed him into her home almost eagerly. She had been the first human to talk with him about his home, his roots. None of the others had cared to explore his past or his character.
He was certain it was the best thing to ever happen to him, meeting Shen, and leaving behind Sanghelios and Edoom keep. He never would have met Shen if he hadn't left it all behind.
He couldn't imagine life without her now.
He obeyed Shen's continued insistence to complete breakfast and soon he was urging her to get dressed.
"Okay, ok." She grumbled, but her face was still smiling, "I'm hurrying!"
He left the room to let her dress and checked the clock in their dining room. It was still morning. Still plenty of time to start this holiday. He had so much planned.
Soon Shen was downstairs and he was pleased to see she was wearing the red dress he loved with the lacey patterning around the legs. He marveled at the way her long dark mane brushed across her shoulder as she tossed it around her neck. She twisted her lips into what he knew was a flirtatious smile, "So? Do you like it?"
His eyes ran over her petite form, his gaze lingering at the swell of her hips and the cloud white thighs escaping from her skirts to end at the black knee high boots she favored.
"You are stunning." He said honestly, and he enjoyed the spots of red color that appeared on her cheeks in what he knew was a blush. She was pleased by his comment.
He wouldn't have it any other way.
She walked over to him, skirts switching delicately over her creamy legs as she moved forward. Shen stepped up onto the ends of her toes and Daen tilted his head to meet her halfway.
He breathed in the scents he knew were fresh linen and a dash of cinnamon as her lips ghosted across his nose again. The sangheili felt her tongue lightly dart out to sweep under his nostrils and he made a noise like a gasp between his mandibles. Humans had long flexible tongues and he enjoyed Shen's. She seemed eager to use it on him at the most inconvenient times. He didn't want to distract from his plans for today. There was plenty of enough time for bed sport later.
He wanted this day to be special.
She drew back, her eyes narrowed, and her white teeth shown under the light in a face splitting smile, "Are you sure you don't want to start the day with a little exercise?" He felt her fingers roll suggestively down his abdomen to tweak at his groin.
"You are a wicked creature." He drew in a wavering breath, unwilling to pull away as his female ducked under his chin, swiping under a mandible with her quick tongue. "I have plans today, and I won't let you ruin them." He insisted.
She pulled back laughing, "Pushy." She lightly smacked him on the chest, as he was still very much shirtless, which he now realized with no small amount of irritation. He had been rushing his wife, when he was still very much underdressed, "Get a shirt on and I won't be so tempted."
Once they were both dressed, they left the house, his wife quickly pulling ahead. He pulled her back though as she made a left turn on the sidewalk.
He spun her back to face him and she made a face, "What's wrong now?" She sighed, though she merely sounded curious not annoyed.
"We walk today."
Now she looked a bit bothered and he couldn't hold back a laugh. She referred to this expression as a 'pouty face.' Humans had too many expressions, it was hard to keep track of them all. He was merely used to Shen's.
"I don't want to walk." She said, smacking his chest lightly with her small purse, "We have a perfectly usable vehicle in parking."
He laughed again, something like a grumble and a growl and the woman shrieked as he suddenly grabbed her under both arms and tossed her against his chest. He spread out his arms to cradle her in his grip.
Shen giggled in his hold, and he tossed her a bit before in his arms before forcing her to look up at him with her head moving to rest on his shoulder. She glared up at him, but she couldn't hide the smile that lit up her eyes. "Put me down!"
"No." He said, laughing in a way that he hoped sounded menacing. He could try to be more expressive too. "If you won't walk with me, I will carry you, you wicked little creature."
"Are you getting off on this?" She laughed, twisting her head around to get a better look at his face. Her fingers curled over a bicep, flexing lightly against the skin there, "You are, aren't you? And you didn't want to stay in bed this morning. For shame."
She sat up straighter in his grip, and he moved a hand to hold her up by the buttocks, enjoying the plushness of them. She encouraged his groping by reaching out a hand to place over the one on her rump. Shen then moved her head up and near the side of his mandibles. He exhaled softly as he felt her warm breath tickle his face, "We could've had so much fun." She whispered again, closer.
Tease.
"For shame." He said, and she squeaked as he suddenly dropped her onto her feet, his hands keeping her balanced as he did so.
"I thought you liked it that way." Shen merely teased back, laughing gaily.
"We are in a public place." He didn't want to encourage this behavior now because he knew how judgmental humans were. They had this holier than thou attitude in military environments, although socially they could be quite cruel to one another. They often set up unfair expectations for others, which reminded him of his own people. No one was perfectly at peace it seemed.
"Party pooper." Shen laughed, and grabbed a hold of his hand. She folded her small white hand over two of his fingers. At first they had been uncertain of how to hold hands, like couples tended to do. This was something both races had in common. The urge to touch one another, even casually.
They walked together now, Shen practically skipping as he pulled her along like a cheerful child being led by a mother.
"So." She sought to make small chat as they walked, "Where are you taking me?"
"To a romantic destination." He said simply.
"Can I guess?" She pushed.
He didn't stop, but tugged gently at her arm, "You may, but we must hurry."
"Ooh, now I'm really curious."
00oo00oo00oo00
He looked at her face, scanning it for the expression he was looking for. Joy, excitement…maybe awe.
Shen looked wide eyed, maybe confused. She was frowning. Why is she frowning? She saw him looking at her and quickly smiled, but she appeared uncertain.
"What is wrong?" He asked, his voice rising a bit. Panicked. Was he mistaken in his research? Did females of her kind not enjoy these?
Cursed internet. A database of lies.
"No, nothing!" She said quickly. She quirked her lips again, trying to smile with her teeth, though she appeared in pain, "This will be great. I love, um…swans." He watched her eyes twitch from the pond back to him. She appeared ready to flee.
Daen had searched the human's database, the Internet, for ideas on how to impress his wife. In the images of Valentine cards he had seen online, he found intricate shapes of forms called 'hearts' unrelated to the human organ, but with great symbolism with love. He had found a strange animal, necks curved into one another in the shape of a heart.
This 'swan' he found was represented as a romantic animal. In clips of entertainment films humans enjoyed, they were the backdrop of such media relating to human courtship.
Fortunately the animals were residents of the local park, where a large body of water contained many fine examples of the birds. He admitted to finding their white plumage and proud necks attractive. The food seller nearby had told him that they preferred this pond over the others and regularly kept close to the shore. Even now the birds were floating peacefully around each other, one dipping its elegant neck into the water to sweep its beak through the water logged vegetation.
Shen, however, seemed uncomfortable by their presence, as she was fidgeting.
"Let's get closer." He reached for his mate's hand but she quickly pulled away from his grip.
"Listen, I understand that you're trying to be sweet." Shen smiled, but still looked anxious, her eyes switching back at the graceful white creatures floating on the water nearby, "But…some birds, um, freak me out."
He was confused. What was so frightening about these soft feathered beasts? "Are you allergic?" At the this idea, he side stepped to block the creatures from her view, which in some way she seemed to appreciate as she exhaled softly, her shoulder's settling.
"No, no." Shen explained, "Um, my grandfather used to raise geese. They're kind of like swans, but a bit different. They ganged up on me as a child, I was quite young…" She crossed her arms, hugging herself. "I had to get stitches."
"They attacked you?" Daen looked crestfallen. He hadn't found a symbol of love but one that had its origins in Shen's fears.
He felt angry, frustrated. He gnashed his mandibles together, teeth clicking. He felt Shen's hand on his arm and sighed, craning his head to meet her eyes. "I'm sorry Shen. I was only trying to be…romantic. Human males employ such symbols for love, I was unaware of your fears, and I apologize."
"I'm sorry for being ungrateful." Shen said quickly. "I love you, I love your intentions. You're adorable, and you care so much that I can only love you more for trying."
"You don't have to apologize." Daen said gruffly, turning his head to glare at the animals floating nonchalantly on the water nearby, "I'm angry that such animals hurt you. That they were allowed to cause you harm. Were they appropriately destroyed for their actions?"
Shen laughed lightly, releasing her breath in a soft sigh, "No, but grandad cooked the biggest offender that night. He tasted pretty good."
They were silent for a while. Shen seemed reluctant to meet his gaze, and then he felt his hearts echo hollowly as he saw her fingers dig into her arms.
She was embarrassed, maybe ashamed. It upset him, that Shen could feel this way. This morning was not becoming what he had hoped it would.
He reached out to touch her shoulder, and she looked up as he squeezed it gently, making sure to keep his claws curled to his palm lest he cut her.
Shen sighed, closing her eyes. She held a small hand over the one he had rested on her shoulder and he marveled at how tiny it was compared to his own. Like a child's. She was so delicate looking sometimes enough that his instincts pushed him to defend her, from other people, from her own demons even.
"Daen, I love how much you care. It's a lovely surprise. They really are beautiful animals, and it's a beautiful day." Her fingers curled between his own and he let her carry his hand to her chest and hold it there. Over her single heart. "I love you, and I know the rest of the day we spend together will be special, because we're going to share it together."
"Precious." The sangheili laughed softly.
"Smookums." She teased and he scoffed, mandibles flicking with distaste.
"What a demeaning word."
"Aw, you don't even know what it means."
"I'm not cute." He spoke the word with as much disgust as the former. Honestly he didn't understand humans and their insistence on naming things as they weren't truly. There was nothing soft about him. He was strong, thick skinned, and tall. A good example of the average sangheili, though he could brag he was wider in the shoulders than most. From his own observations of course.
"You are a big softie." Shen teased, poking him in the chest with one of her soft nails, "And you know it."
"Fine." He gruffed, "Now let's move away from here before the birds decide to make a meal out of you."
His wife visibly shivered and cast a look around his bulk, "Don't jinx it."
He just laughed as he followed her down the walk. She smiled and grabbed onto his hand as they walked together. They continued hand in hand, Daen shortening his stride to keep even with his wife's.
It really was a beautiful morning. There were small birds singing in a way that sounded like music. Shen didn't seem to mind this smaller variety, he watched her eyes follow a crimson colored creature that flitted around the low hanging branches of a nearby tree.
Sunshine warmed his skin and he craned his neck up to catch the rays against his neck. It was not as warm as on Sangheilios, but this sol was still comforting.
"It's such a nice day." Shen said pleasantly, "You're right. Walking is better than driving. I like feeling this, all this warmth and air."
"Yes." He agreed, his voice thrumming in his chest like a purr. "And it will only get better." He pulled her hand up to guide her stride in a new direction, down a more southern path, "Come with me."
"No deadly animals ahead of us?" Shen asked.
He shook his head slowly, "Just the two of us."
"Where we can do the dirty and have no observers?" Her eyes sparkled as he met her gaze.
He fought the urge to pick her up in his arms, instead rolling her small hand within his warm grip.
"Wicked creature."
She merely laughed as he tugged her along.
00oo00oo00oo00
In his research he had determined that females found private places romantic along with a scenery set in natural forms like flowers and flowering trees. What he would bring along, however, would be the real gift.
He hoped she would find pleasure in it. It was something he brought back from home. A traditional approach to romance, at least with his own people.
They had walked off the path and he had led her under the flowering trees with their low hanging boughs currently abundant in fluffy blue flowers.
"It's gorgeous this time of year." Shen said.
"Yes." He agreed, though instead of lifting his head towards the flowers, he kept his eyes on his wife. He watched the way her eyes lit up as she took in the natural beauty of their environment, and he stopped when she stooped to pick up a blossom. She cradled it in the palm of her hand, lifting it up to her face to admire.
"I'm glad I don't have allergies." Shen said with a soft laugh, "It would be a shame to have to stay away from all this beauty."
"There is preventative medicine for allergies." Daen said.
"Capsule swallowing isn't fun."
"I thought you enjoyed swallowing things." The sangheili closed off his mandibles as she turned to scowl at him.
"Say that again." Shen glared at him, but her façade broke not a moment later when she began laughing.
"You started it, I finished it." The sangheili laughed shortly, stopping them where they stopped walking. "We're here," he explained when Shen looked at him.
"Why do we have to finish anything?" She pouted as she looked around at their surroundings, "What are we doing in the woods?"
He chuckled as she looked at him curiously, "Shen, I have something to give you." He said these words with a rumbling warmth, and she grinned as he stepped forward, planting her in his shadow. His hand reached out to pluck both of his human wife's. She let him, her smaller hands disappearing within his own.
"Dear heart." He started slowly, almost carefully. Her green eyes searched his dark brown as he continued, "I have practiced for weeks. Trying to get it right. It is the accumulation of all my thoughts, my dreams, my hopes and love for you."
She said nothing, waiting for him to continue.
He breathed in again, slowly, preparing for the words to come.
"Dawn did not come with my birth, it rose in my sky when I met you.
I was in a twilight, a dusk with no promise of a rising sun. Bereft of warmth and of love.
I didn't believe I could love, or be loved. Love had not felt real to me. It was a mythology. Forgotten. Disbelieved."
His hands still clasped around her own, he took a knee, they were eye to eye now. He could see nothing but her green eyes.
"You pushed away the darkness. You brought in the light. With you, I realized the dawn. I felt warm, and I thrived in your light, in the sunshine for your being. The dawn did not end with you, it is always with you. You are my reason for living. A reason to live. "
He watched as a drop of moisture slipped free from Shen's eye. It trailed down her cheek to catch in the curve of her lips.
He brought her hands to his chest. His twin hearts pounded in the intensity of this moment, in his feelings. He wanted her to feel this. This genuine emotion for her, for the both of them.
For their future.
"Shen." He said clearly, "I cherish you."
He felt a trembling and realized that it was in her hands. He stood up carefully, slowly pulling his now sobbing wife towards his body.
"Shen, are you well?" He asked, as she buried her wet face into his tunic.
"Happy tears." She explained, laughing and snorting a bit through her emotions. She sought to wipe away fresh tears that were slipping free from her glistening green eyes, "I can't believe you wrote that for me."
"This day is about expressing love for your mate." Daen explained, holding her chin in one hand, cradling her tears that slipped off her face, "What better way than with words?"
"Yeah." Shen sniffled, wiping her face onto the back of her hand. She swiped some hair out of her eyes and looked up at him. "I love you so much. You don't know how happy this has made me. You care so much. I don't feel like…I deserve you."
"Don't say that." He said gruffly, turning her face to peer up into his. Their eyes met. "I once felt like I didn't deserve you."
He gently brought an arm around her body. He knew it probably looked comical. Shen was so tiny compared to himself, but somehow it worked. Somehow a lot of things worked.
It was all he could have hoped for and more.
His silly wife continued sniffling, in her emotional human way, he merely waited patiently for her to wipe away her tears on the neck of her dress. She looked up at him with a wide smile.
"You know." He ducked his head over hers, mandibles brushing up some hair. "I made dinner reservations tonight."
Shen turned, spinning around to face him, one hand on his arm. She didn't release it. Instead she folded her arm over his.
"You charmer." She laughed, her eyes still bright and moist. "I love you sugar bear."
"And I lov-what does this mean?"
She just chuckled and pulled him towards the trees, "You know, I think this spot is shady enough." She gazed up at the low hanging trees.
"Shady enough for what-"He paused and watched Shen smile widely.
"…naughty girl."
Hope you guys enjoyed. I planned on making it longer, but I was happy with how this ended, regardless…but if you do want more maybe I can add it in as a multi-chapter. The plan was just a Valentine's one shot. If I get enough hollers, I may at least add the night date scene. We'll see.
Happy Valentines, it's early, but enjoy. :P