The morning was clear and warm. The sound of birds singing drifted through the open window, causing Murrue to stir. Opening her eyes, she reached out to the alarm clock on the bedside table, checking the time.
"Mwu, honey, wake up. Only an hour before work.." she murmured sleepily. Then she paused.
Mwu wasn't there.
The other side of the bed was empty, save for a note on the pillow.
Murrue,
One of the other instructors rang in sick, so I have to cover his classes as well as my own.
Sorry I had to leave before you woke up, but I'll be back by five o'clock, I promise.
See you tonight!
Love, Mwu x
Murrue scowled and climbed out of bed, intent on the shower. The jerk!
Normally it wouldn't bother her that he'd been called in, but today...today was special..
No, I shouldn't be mad at him. It's not his fault...But it still hurt.
After getting ready, she pulled out the present and card she had got for him, leaving it on the mantelpiece. There hadn't been anything left for her when she got downstairs, no cards, no flowers, no nothing. Getting in her car, she left for work.
Some Valentine's Day this is...and it's our first together...
At work, when she opened her locker, there was a veritable cascade of cards, chocolates, and other little presents. Murrue hadn't a clue where they all came from, but not one of them was from him.
"Someone's popular today.." remarked Erica, as she walked around the corner.
"Where did all these come from?" asked Murrue, frowning.
"My guess would be your co-workers. You're the kind of girl who's popular without trying to be. It's very flattering, huh?"
"Not really" replied the auburn-haired woman, slamming her locker shut.
Erica raised an eyebrow. "Nothing from the boyfriend, then?"
"You guessed, huh? Just a note telling me he had to go in early."
The look on Murrue's face warned Erica not to push things any further, so she changed the subject, leading her friend to the elevator.
All through the day, in the hangar, at lunch, everywhere she turned, Murrue saw people giving Valentine gifts to each other, and whispering about who they'd like to recieve them from. It made her a little cross that it mattered to her so much.
Why am I so mad that he forgot? It's not as if it's my birthday, or anything particularly special.
So why am I acting like this?
She was jolted out of this rational introspection by two of the technicians walking past.
"So, is it true?"
"About what? That they say Ramius-san's boyfriend forgot about her on Valentine's Day?"
"Yeah. I can't believe that. That someone could forget when she's as beautiful as she is..."
"Well, you know what these pilots are like. Probably has a girl in every port..."
Putting her tools down, Murrue calmly walked out of the hangar and into her office. There, with the door firmly closed, she kicked the wall. Hard.
Why did he have to forget? I know he's been busy recently, but...even a card would have been nice...
And why does it matter to me so much?
Even with these thoughts, she already knew why it mattered. Because she loved him.
And didn't every girl want a gift from their beloved on Valentine's Day?
A faint floral scent came floating on the air, causing her to turn around. On her desk, half hidden by paperwork and her computer, was a bunch of flowers in a glass vase.
A very big bunch of flowers.
Red and pink roses.
Curious in spite of herself, even knowing that they'd just be from one of her co-workers, Murrue walked over to her deskand picked up the card that lay next to the bouquet.
To my Valentine.
A simple message, yet her heart began racing, and tears came to her eyes. But these were tears of happiness and relief, not sorrow and self-pity.
Because it was Mwu's handwriting.
He didn't forget...he didn't...
The other side of the card held another message.
Hey there,
When you get home, will you dress up in your best outfit? Can't go out to dinner in your work clothes, can you?
PS: Did you think I forgot?
Murrue buried her face in the roses, inhaling their sweet perfume. Mwu always managed to exceed all expectations.
She felt bad for ever doubting him.
"Idiot..." she whispered.
"Oh, so you found them?" It was Erica's voice. Murrue turned around, confused. "What?"
Her friend laughed. "Fllaga-san actually called me to check if they'd turned up. He was really cross that they hadn't this morning. I'd have hated to be that florist..."
Murrue flushed, and buried her face in the flowers again. So he had this all planned out?
When she reached home, he was waiting for her. Shutting the car door, she carried the bouquet into the living room, setting it down carefully on the coffee table, then sheflung her arms around him.
"Thank you..."
Mwu grinned and returned the embrace. "You're welcome. They were late, actually, they were supposed to be on your desk that morning. I hope you didn't think I forgot about what day it was..."
Murrue didn't answer, just nuzzled into his neck, blushing.
He laughed. "You did, didn't you? Silly. Come on now, let's get ready. We have a table booked, after all."
The restaurant was lovely, quiet and out of the way, with only a few other couples there. The food was wonderful, and even Mwu, with his self-professed dislike of 'fancy food' had been impressed. Especially with the steamed chocolate pudding for dessert.
"Hey, this is good stuff..."
Murrue giggled, and straightened his collar. "It certainly is. Now perhaps you can take me out for dinner more often?"
He flashed a rueful grin and rolled his eyes. "If you like..."
Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a long black-velvet covered box, and handed it to her.
"Here. Happy Valentine's Day. Our first together, huh?"
Murrue flushed, the pink in her cheeks matching her dress, as she popped the catch and opened the box. What she saw took her breath away.
A bracelet, made of delicate golden links, so fine it looked as though it would break if she even breathed on it.
And hanging on the bracelet, a charm. A tiny golden angel, with equally tiny crystal wings.
"Oh Mwu...it's so beautiful..."
He smiled, and fastened the jewellery around her thin wrist. "I thought it would be perfect for you. What with you being an angel, and everything."
Murrue went scarlet, and looked down, her auburn hair hiding her face. "Don't be silly..I'm not an angel.."
"Of course you are." he replied, tilting her face up to where he could stare into her marigold eyes.
"If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be here right now, and I'd never know what it was like to be this happy."
Murrue looked away again. "Well, if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be here either. So, does that make you an angel too?"
"Nah" he replied. "I'm not special, or beautiful, or any of the things you are. You are an angel as far as I'm concerned, my angel, and I'm incredibly lucky to be able to be with you."
Embarrassed, but at the same time,absurdly happy, Murrue looked at her present, cheeks still pink.
After their dinner, the couple went for a walk on the beach in the moonlight, hand-in-hand. Murrue's gaze kept wandering to the bracelet she had recieved, her mind returning to the things Mwu had said to her. It still made her heart race and colour rise in her face.
Mwu's attention, on the other hand, was focused solely on her, the way the moonlight reflected from her haunting eyes and made her hair shimmer. She is an angel...
"Were you sad?"
"Huh?" She looked up at him, confusion on her beautiful face.
"When you thought I'd forgotten. Were you sad?"
She smiled a little. "A bit. But I got lots of other presents from people, chocolate, cards..."
Mwu felt jealousy, but squashed it down, and smiled.
"Were they better than my presents?"
Murrue pretended to think about it, an impish grin on her face. "Hmmm...let me think...those chocolates were nice, and then there were..."
Mwu scowled playfully, and wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting her from the sand.
"So, they were better presents than mine, huh?"
She giggled, and tried to escape, but he had a firm hold on her. "Well?"
Murrue just smiled. "What about you? Didn't you get any other presents?"
He blinked. "Well..I did get some chocolate.."
"Well then? Was that better than my present?"
In answer, Mwu pulled her closer so she was pressed against him, head on his shoulder. "What do you think?"
Murrue closed her eyes as she inhaled the scent of the aftershave she had bought and left out for him as a gift.
"The answer's the same for me. Your gifts were best, because they were from you. And I was very sad when I thought you'd forgotten."
Then she frowned slightly, and pulled away from him a little. "But your presents were so...mine seems cheap in comparison..."
"What are you talking about? I'd love whatever you bought me."
"That's not the point. I wish I'd got you something more now.."
Mwu grinned. "Well, you can still give me something if you like." Leaning down, he whispered something in Murrue's ear that caused her to gasp and turn poppy red.
"How about that?"
Murrue didn't answer, just nodded. He could feel her heart racing, and he smiled again.
"Happy Valentine's Day, Murrue. I love you..." he said softly, bringing her close and pressing his lips to hers.
Their kiss on the moonlit sand was a passionate one, a promise of what was to come later, and a promise that all the Valentines that followed would be as happy as this first one had been.
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( Damn, the end was a bit steamier than I'd intended :laughs:
Happy Valentine's Day, minna-san!
Please read and review! )
