~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Life is a mystery
Everyone must stand alone
I hear you call my name
And it feels like home
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Piper and Leo arrived home after a glorious ten-day honeymoon in Paris. Following traditiion, he carried her across the threshold of his apartment, where they'd agreed to live for the time being until they could afford their own home. He set her down on the couch, then went to retrieve their suitcases while she put on music to set the atmosphere. She also got out a few candles, and was lighting the last one when he put his arms around her from behind.
"I've got a surprise for you, in honor of our first night home," he told her.
She smiled. "Really? Well that's great, honey, because I have a surprise for you, too."
"Okay," he said. "Who goes first?"
"Let me," she insisted. Taking a deep breath, she turned around to face him, and gently pushed him down onto the couch. "I have a present for you, but you're going to have to wait a while before you get it."
He grinned, wondering what she was talking about. Amused, he decided to play along. "Alright, how long?"
Nervously, Piper forced a smile. "Um... Nine months."
Leo stared at her, bewildered, and in his shock it took him a second to register that two and two was four. When he did, his face broke into a big smile. "You're pregnant? Honey, that's wonderful."
She smiled, relieved. "You really think so?"
He nodded, holding her tightly. "Yes. Definately." He kissed her, and she curled up against him. "Well, I guess this outdoes my surprise. A bottle of wine and a candle-lit dinner is nothing compared to this."
"Now wait a minute," she said. "The bottle of wine may be out, for me, at least, but the rest... Who would be cooking this dinner?"
"I would," he replied.
She raised her eyebrows. "You're going to cook? Now there's a surprise."
"Hey, don't make fun of me," he protested. "I can make a few things. I am married to a former chef, after all. I have picked up a few things, from watching you in the kitchen all those times."
"Hmm, and here I always thought you were more interesting in seeing me than the food," she mused.
"Of course I'm more interested in you," he said, twirling her hair in his fingers. "I'm interested in the way you move around the kitchen so gracefully, and the adorable way you look with little bits of flour on your face, and the way you always smile when you're making something you know I'll like."
"So you aren't going to tell me where you learned to cook - or if you learned to cook?" Piper guessed.
Leo shook his head. "No. And I'm not telling you what I'm cooking us for dinner, either. I just want you to sit here and relax while I go make it."
She frowned. "Relax? While you're in there destroying my kitchen? I do not think so."
He smiled mischeivously. "Your kitchen? You've been officially living here for less than an hour and it's already your kitchen?"
Piper grinned. "Honey, it's been my kitchen since, like, our second date."
Still smiling, Leo shook his head. He had to admit, she had a point. Without saying anything, he got up, kissed the top of her head, and went into the kitchen.
-x-
Back at the manor, Phoebe was also making dinner preparations. Prue and Paige had taken Aviva out to the mall for a few hours, so that their sister could have the house. Phoebe wanted everything to be perfect tonight. Cole was coming over, for their first official date.
He arrived prompty at six. Phoebe answered the door, trying desperately to calm her nerves. Cole didn't seem to notice her apprehension.
"Wow," he said after a minute of staring at her. "You look amazing."
"Thanks," she replied, stepping aside to let him in. "You don't look too bad yourself."
They stood uncomfortably in the foyer for a second before he remembered that he had a gift for her. "Oh, um, here," he said, handing her a bottle of wine.
She took it, turning it over in her hands, and smiled, thanking him. "This is perfect. I'll serve it with dinner, which is almost ready, by the way. Why don't you come in and sit down? Can I get you anything?"
He smiled back. "No, I'm fine. Listen, I know this is our first actual date and all, but I think we know each other pretty well by now, so is there any way we could just skip over the tradition first-date nervousness and tension, and get right to enjoying each other's company?"
Phoebe laughed. "That would be so great," she said. She smiled again, and led him into the living room. She could already tell that this night was going to be special.
****************
A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I've been busy with other things. ::nudges half-finished NaNo novel:: Anyhoo, I'll try and write another chapter soon, mmkay?
~from the song "Like A Prayer" by Madonna~
Life is a mystery
Everyone must stand alone
I hear you call my name
And it feels like home
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Piper and Leo arrived home after a glorious ten-day honeymoon in Paris. Following traditiion, he carried her across the threshold of his apartment, where they'd agreed to live for the time being until they could afford their own home. He set her down on the couch, then went to retrieve their suitcases while she put on music to set the atmosphere. She also got out a few candles, and was lighting the last one when he put his arms around her from behind.
"I've got a surprise for you, in honor of our first night home," he told her.
She smiled. "Really? Well that's great, honey, because I have a surprise for you, too."
"Okay," he said. "Who goes first?"
"Let me," she insisted. Taking a deep breath, she turned around to face him, and gently pushed him down onto the couch. "I have a present for you, but you're going to have to wait a while before you get it."
He grinned, wondering what she was talking about. Amused, he decided to play along. "Alright, how long?"
Nervously, Piper forced a smile. "Um... Nine months."
Leo stared at her, bewildered, and in his shock it took him a second to register that two and two was four. When he did, his face broke into a big smile. "You're pregnant? Honey, that's wonderful."
She smiled, relieved. "You really think so?"
He nodded, holding her tightly. "Yes. Definately." He kissed her, and she curled up against him. "Well, I guess this outdoes my surprise. A bottle of wine and a candle-lit dinner is nothing compared to this."
"Now wait a minute," she said. "The bottle of wine may be out, for me, at least, but the rest... Who would be cooking this dinner?"
"I would," he replied.
She raised her eyebrows. "You're going to cook? Now there's a surprise."
"Hey, don't make fun of me," he protested. "I can make a few things. I am married to a former chef, after all. I have picked up a few things, from watching you in the kitchen all those times."
"Hmm, and here I always thought you were more interesting in seeing me than the food," she mused.
"Of course I'm more interested in you," he said, twirling her hair in his fingers. "I'm interested in the way you move around the kitchen so gracefully, and the adorable way you look with little bits of flour on your face, and the way you always smile when you're making something you know I'll like."
"So you aren't going to tell me where you learned to cook - or if you learned to cook?" Piper guessed.
Leo shook his head. "No. And I'm not telling you what I'm cooking us for dinner, either. I just want you to sit here and relax while I go make it."
She frowned. "Relax? While you're in there destroying my kitchen? I do not think so."
He smiled mischeivously. "Your kitchen? You've been officially living here for less than an hour and it's already your kitchen?"
Piper grinned. "Honey, it's been my kitchen since, like, our second date."
Still smiling, Leo shook his head. He had to admit, she had a point. Without saying anything, he got up, kissed the top of her head, and went into the kitchen.
-x-
Back at the manor, Phoebe was also making dinner preparations. Prue and Paige had taken Aviva out to the mall for a few hours, so that their sister could have the house. Phoebe wanted everything to be perfect tonight. Cole was coming over, for their first official date.
He arrived prompty at six. Phoebe answered the door, trying desperately to calm her nerves. Cole didn't seem to notice her apprehension.
"Wow," he said after a minute of staring at her. "You look amazing."
"Thanks," she replied, stepping aside to let him in. "You don't look too bad yourself."
They stood uncomfortably in the foyer for a second before he remembered that he had a gift for her. "Oh, um, here," he said, handing her a bottle of wine.
She took it, turning it over in her hands, and smiled, thanking him. "This is perfect. I'll serve it with dinner, which is almost ready, by the way. Why don't you come in and sit down? Can I get you anything?"
He smiled back. "No, I'm fine. Listen, I know this is our first actual date and all, but I think we know each other pretty well by now, so is there any way we could just skip over the tradition first-date nervousness and tension, and get right to enjoying each other's company?"
Phoebe laughed. "That would be so great," she said. She smiled again, and led him into the living room. She could already tell that this night was going to be special.
****************
A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I've been busy with other things. ::nudges half-finished NaNo novel:: Anyhoo, I'll try and write another chapter soon, mmkay?
~from the song "Like A Prayer" by Madonna~