garnet day (Day 6: Anniversary)
For their second wedding anniversary, Moxxie looks to pick something a little more lowkey. But it's Millie who surprises him this time.
"Not doing Ozzie's again," Moxxie muttered as he trawled through a Lucimaster search. "We are not doing Ozzie's again. No sirree."
It was coming up to his and Millie's second wedding anniversary, and he was starting to get a little frazzled trying to find a fitting way to celebrate it.
He'd learned his lessons from last time. Though there was now much less risk of his boss stalking him and Millie again (what with Blitzø slowly working out his own convoluted relationship with Prince Stolas), getting put in the spotlight at a prominent public venue again like that wasn't a palatable prospect.
Plus, he was pretty sure they were barred from ever setting foot in Ozzie's again. Clobbering the King of Lust's beau with a guitar would do that.
Ah well, they'd tried it once, they'd had a very good time while it lasted and they'd come away feeling just as assured in each other's love and loyalty as ever; if not moreso. Moxxie didn't feel the same pressing need to prove his devotion to Millie before all the evil eyes of Hell; she'd assured him he didn't have to prove himself in front of everybody for her sake.
But he still had to treat the love of his life to something good for this anniversary. And he wanted it to be a surprise again, too.
Frowning, Moxxie scrolled, scrolled, typed and scrolled again; racking his brain for ideas on how to treat his beloved.
Restaurants? They'd already been to most of the decent-or-above ones that were within their budget, and a few that had stretched his wallet too. A dancing lesson - which kind of dance? (Blitzø was right, he had to concede; like art classes they were absurdly expensive) A vacation? To where; which city in which ring? Would the hotels or motels there even have rooms available - or affordable - this close to their anniversary? And how would they get there and back again when they still didn't have their own car?
Keys rattled and their apartment door creaked open, shaking Moxxie from his frustrated reviere. Millie's twang sounded from the foyer. "Heya, sweetie - ugh - ah'm home!"
"Hey, Millie!" he chirped back, closing the incriminating Lucimaster tabs and swivelling around in his chair. "How was shopping?"
Laiden with loaded paper bags, Millie made her way into their living room. "Like murder," she groused, dumping most lf bags on the kitchen counter. "Almost did have ta kill some sonuvabitch over the last fresh leg of venison. Word of advice, sweetie, next time it's your turn to get the groceries, go early. Beat the rush."
She leaned in over his shoulder, planting a smooch against his temple. "Whatcha been browsin', Moxx'?"
"Oh, just some weapons factoids," he half-lied; he had been researching those before he'd switched to anniversary plans. "I wanted to see if I need to replace my copy of Encyclopaeida Sclopēta yet."
"Uh-huh," she nodded, and suddenly Moxxie felt a bit transparent. She looked a bit knowing, a bit bemused, a bit… anxious? But then she smiled and pinched his cheek. "You and your clever lil head, sweetie," she cooed.
There was a ripping noise. A hole opened up in the bottom of the last paper bag and its contents spilled onto the floor. "Aw, shit," Millie swore under her breath.
"Let me help you," Moxxie exclaimed, already out of his seat.
"Oh, no, no Moxxie, I can do it-" He wondered why Millie was almost frantically turning down his offer to help, when he was already bending down… and then his brain caught up to what his eyes were seeing.
None of the items on the floor were groceries. Tickets, tickets for a playwrights festival at the old open-air amphitheater ruins - the one he'd offhandedly mentioned he'd like to go to a while back. A thick paperback book emblazoned with the words The Phantom Of The Opera - Full Score in silvery serif font. A pamphlet, entitled A beginners guide to the Theatre District. A little velvet box.
Was this what he thought it was?
Moxxie looked back up at Millie. Her whole body resonated with the sheepishness of a parent caught red-handed putting gifts under the tree in Krampus's stead.
"Millie…" he whispered, his heart full.
"Ah was hopin' to surprise ya with all this for the anniversary," Millie mumbled. "Didn't feel ah should let ya do all the heavy lifting when it comes to romance."
She buried her face in her hands, then ran her claws through her hair "Oh, Satan, an' ah know you've probably picked out something already."
Moxxie giggled, he couldn't help himself. "Actually, I was having a bit of a hard time brainstorming myself," he admitted, stacking the books and tickets atop his desk.
Millie sagged, looking relieved and yet still a bit disheartened. "Ah'm sorry Moxxie…ah really wanted to save this all for the day."
"Hey." Moxxie took her by the arms. "You know I don't mind. You doing that… it means so much, and whether I found out now or on the day I'd have felt exactly the same." He pressed a kiss to the back of her hand. "And I feel so thankful, so fortunate, so…I can't find the words for how loved I'm feeling right now."
"Thank you, Moxxie." She pressed her forehead against his for a long, tender moment.
Moxxie stooped to pick up the velvet box, the last thing still on the floor. He had an inkling what might be inside. "Do you still want to save this for the anniversary day?"
"Nah, go ahead," she smiled. "Ah can whip something special up for breakfast-in-bed or something, surprise ya another way."
Moxxie opened the box, and his eyes widened.
Inside was a necklace; subtle silver chain, with a pendant the shape of a music note. Embedded in the head of the quaver was a deep scarlet jewel; red as the Pride Ring's dawn sky.
"They said garnets are supposed to be the gemstone for a second anniversary," Millie explained. "An' it's music-themed! Ah thought of ya as soon as ah saw it."
Moxxie felt happy tears welling up in his eyes. "It's perfect. I can't wait to wear it," he said, and meant it.
"Would go well with that lavender dress of yours," Millie only half-teased. Moxxie laughed and willingly toppled into her embrace.
"Thank you, honey. I love you so much."
"Ah love ya heaps too, Moxxie," she beamed, and kissed him.
Moxxie didn't end up wearing the lavender dress on their second anniversary, but he did pair the garnet necklace with a burgundy skirt-and-suit combo to wear to the playwrights festival.
It was a wonderful second anniversary; quiet, intimate, uneventful, and uninterrupted.