Valentine's Day
Summary: "To My Sweet Escape..." While Xander is away on tour, April receives a letter in the mail. Xapril Fluff for Valentine's Day.
February 14th, 2016
The sound of tweeting birds woke April from the dead-sleep she'd been in. She opened her eyes, noticing that the curtains and bay window had been opened, allowing the fresh, sea-scented air to waft through the room. She smiled, watching as big, white, fluffy clouds floated across the pale blue sky. It was another beautiful day in paradise. It was at this moment she realized, however, that her bed was empty except for her. She rolled over, facing her beloved husband's side of their four poster bed. It was empty, as it had been for the past six and a half weeks. He was away on tour with his band, The Rejects. They were one of the hottest bands in the world right now, selling almost billions of albums world wide. But it was days like this when April wished her man had a normal job with a normal schedule.
It was Valentine's Day.
Her hand absentmindedly traced over the soft curves of the satin duvet. His pillows smelt of his body-wash and deodorant. Her favorite scents wafted around her and she curled into his pillows, wanting desperately for him to be home so she could cuddle into him instead.
It was at this moment there was a soft knocking on the master bedroom's double doors. She sat up, quickly pulling on her Chicago Bulls basketball jersey before one of her children walked into the room. To her surprise, it was Brooke, her little sister.
"Morning," said the blonde, closing the door behind her as she walked into the room, a single red rose pinned into her pony-tail. She was wearing a pretty red dress, much like what her mother would wear, that hung down to just above her knee. Though she was very beautiful and provocative in the way she dressed, with her curvy waist and voluptuous bosom, today she was dressed very modestly. A black shawl was draped over her shoulders and the necklace she'd gotten for her birthday from James was around her neck, it's diamond heart glistening in the early morning sunlight. She was holding a bouquet of red, long-stem roses with a big white ribbon tying them together.
April yawned. "Morning, Little Sister," she replied, rubbing her multicolored fringe against her face.
"I found these at your door," Brooke said, handing her sister the flowers and a little white envelope with her name written in Xander's familiar cursive. A tiny heart dotted the 'I' in her name and was covered in little red hearts. "Figured your boo got someone to deliver it for him since he's in London right now."
April smiled and shooed her sometimes-bratish sibling from the room so she could read whatever her beloved had written for her. She unstuck the back of the envelope and pulled free a little card. In the top left hand corner of the page was a free-drawn picture of a little cherub, his bow and arrow pointed at a little angel. She could tell by the line work that Xander had drawn it quickly, probably on route to one of the many exotic destinations he traveled to. She began to read the lovely letter her darling husband had written for her.
To My Sweet Escape,
Kind of an appropriate nickname, considering where I'm heading to. I wish I could escape the chaos and be with you right now, watching you read this as you smell the flowers I hope to god Brooke hasn't stolen for herself. Yes, I got Brooke to help me with this one, considering besides her, the closest family member to you is Abbigail and she's still two hours away. I'm sorry if she's made what I'm trying to do incredibly awkward. And I'm sorry if she's still there.
Today (hopefully if Brooke has done her job right) is Valentine's Day. The day we celebrate love. Ironically enough, the last three years running we've been on opposite sides of the globe. And it sucks; it's sucks a colossal amount of dick because I can't hold you in my arms and feel you beneath my skin. But this is really the best I can do until I get service back. I'm writing this from the waiting area at Schiphol, the big airport in Amsterdam. There are people everywhere, going about their business and it got me thinking about what I want to do. This is normal for me, I'll be sitting in a cafeteria or a cafe somewhere around the world and I'll think about what it means to have a normal life. Normal for most people would be waking up, going to their dead-end job, coming home, having loveless sex with their boring wife and going to sleep.
That's not me.
I'm the type of person that can't sit still for more than a week, though sometimes I wish I was. I'm a jet-setter, flying off around the world to entertain one sold out arena at a time. Twelve years ago I would have had a floozy on my arm everywhere I went, a different one for each city. Then I met you and we created a perfect little world. Us, our five babies, all of our pets, and the life we've created has made my life such a beautiful thing.
They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, and it seems every single time I'm away from you, when I come back I love you all the more. I know that sounds absolutely cheesy and cliche but it's true. I want to be by your side always. But I guess I will have to deal with what I'm given; our birthdays and both of our anniversaries I'm home, which I love. But the thing I love the most is you, my beautiful Angel, and I wish I was there to hold you and make you breakfast and do all the little things you love, like tickling your back or braiding your hair after a shower. Those things make up the first couple of things I would do for you.
The world is your kingdom, my Queen, and your king will return in just under a week to rule by your side again.
Happy Valentine's day, My Angel. I'll see you soon.
Always and Forever Yours,
Xander.
April sniffed as the letter ended and she pulled it close, fleeing the paper crinkle against her chest. That was what her husband did to her; he could spin beautiful words to draw her a beautiful picture, or paint her a picture that scrawl a thousand words across her mind. He was a master poet, brilliant in every sense of the word, and he could make her world so much brighter, even when he wasn't here.
She looked down at the letter and noticed the bottom edge of the note had been folded up. Raising an eyebrow, she flicked it down to see Xander's writing again, this time hastily drawn as if he was being dragged away for his flight.
P.S. I didn't actually say I miss you in any of that. Weird. Anyway, I miss you with every fiber of my being right now and I'll be home as soon as the tour is over. Seriously, as soon as the last encore is over I'll be out the door and to the airport. But then, you know that. I'd search the world just to hold you for a minute. I love you.
April grinned as she folded the letter and set it aside on the nightstand, sighing contently.
Xander was definitely a sweetheart when he wanted to be.