[Their Vows.]

«I honestly don't remember where my present for Flora is, but hey, everybody makes mistakes...»

-Luke.


[Chapter One - The Party.]


"Luke, hold that up - Isaac, you too!" demanded Clive as his friends, who were up on chairs hanging a banner on the wall.

"No, Clive, it can't be that high!" exclaimed Marta with a demanding voice, "Hang it down, just a little bit..."

Isaac Dwanson, 21 years old, looked back, as confused as ever. He searched for Marta's eyes, trying to ask her silently to get him out of there. Isaac was a brunette - almost redheaded - short-haired boy, and he wore a pair of vintage glasses, that usually fell to the bridge of his nose. He was the typical intellectual man, kind of a freak, but not to the 'total nerd' point. What is to say: he was very intelligent, but not extremely to be a human calculator. He usually wore wool jerseys, those ones with sewed diamonds and warm. Today's one was green. Isaac also portrayed a pair of beige trousers, with classical shoes and his favorite glasses.

Marta Brigitte Lawlet, 20 years old and always known as Marta Lawlet, rolled her eyes as her friends held the banner up and down, up and down. She was a dry blondie, with long and wavy hair, and green eyes complimented with a pale skin. She wore high-waist trousers, with a black shirt that was bigger than it should. Her designer black heels stepped on the wooden floor as she helped Luke to put the banner finally higher than intended. Marta sighed in frustration, something usual on her way of being. She was a happy person, very charismatic, and a little bit moody. She was soothing sometimes, usually when Flora was sad. She was kind of thin, just as Flora - maybe a little bit less - and active, doing sports whenever Flora and her went rollerblading or Isaac chased her for stealing his books.

"Maybe like this?" asked Isaac.

"Hm. Yeah, leave it there." said Marta as she looked at Clive, who stood by her side thoughtful, "What now, Clive?"

He struggled, "I think everything is already done."

Isaac and Luke walked to the pair, "Where's Flora anyway?"

"I don't know, Luke. She disappeared last morning." said Clive.

The room had been decorated after having lunch. There were lots of balloons, the big banner behind the dining table, with a cake that had been made by Marta, who was an excellent cooker and a better baker. There was a reddish light on, a few drinks on the table in front of the sofas and some films - most of them were from the Harry Potter Saga - that they would watch. Thank God the Professor was out to Oxford for a conference, because he would never allow this mess to be done.

"Hm?" Luke's phone vibrated and he gathered it fast, "Oh my Dog, it's Flora!"

"Get it!" exclaimed everybody at the same time.

He picked it up and adjusted the neck of his white shirt, "Oh, ahem, hello?"

"Luke? Can you hear me?"

He put the call into the free-hand mode so everyone heard her, "Clearly, where are you?"

"Luke, I will get home soon. Sorry I disappeared this morning, but I had things to do and I had to go to Misthallery and do something."

"Such as...?" asked Luke. Clive elbowed him - he should go straight to the point, "Anyway, where are you?"

"Heading home." Luke gulped and passed the phone to Clive in panic, who got it and adjusted his tie, "Hello?"

"Flora, sweetie, where are you?" asked Clive, putting a sweet tone to the conversation.

"Hi, Clive. I'll be there in ten minutes." he heard her sigh, "I took a short track. Do you know how cold is it today, Clive?"

"Flower, it's February. It'll be warmer eventually, just wait."

"I guess you are right, Brownie..." Marta let out a muffled laugh that Isaac elbowed to keep inside, "Well, I'll see you in a few minutes."

Clive hung up and looked up with anxiety in his eyes, "We have to set everything up! Look for places to hide and-"

Knock, knock, "Clive! Open up!"

"How on the world has she got here so fast?" asked Marta as Isaac pushed her towards the dining table.

"No idea, but hide fast!"

Marta quickly covered herself with a white blanket nearby and snuggled into the couch to pass as a pillow - something highly impossible. Luke pushed Isaac out from the curtain by the couch, so Isaac was left unhidden. Clive, who was by the door, put a face indicating him to hide somewhere, before he went out and closed the door behind him.

"Hello, Clive!" cheered Flora kissing her fiancé's cheek, "Why are you outside? You only had to open the door, sweetie!"

Clive laughed along Flora, "Yes... But I wanted to see if it's that cold outside as you said. Brrrr! It's cold!"

Flora lightly pushed Clive aside, "Um, Clive? Can you let me in?"

"No!" she stopped on her tracks and looked back at him slowly, "Um... There's a big bee inside the house!"

"A... Bee?" he nodded, "Clive, it's winter. How in the-"

"Isaac was doing an experiment and it seems like it escaped..." Clive grinned.

Flora titled her head, "Brownie, dear Brownie, I am really cold, would you please-?"

He wrapped his arms around her, looking back to see the house dark. The others should be hidden, "Oh, let's go inside!"

He took her hand, "You are so weird sometimes."

"Not as you, sweetie." he opened the door and led her in.

"Why is everything so dark?" asked Flora. Clive turned on the light.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAAAAAAAAAAY!" Luke, Marta, and Isaac - who had hid under the dinning table and had hit his head coming out from under the table.

"What the!" Flora ran to her friends and hugged them tightly, not letting them go, "Where's the bee, sweetie?"

He laughed and kissed her forehead, "Happy Birthday, Flora."

Everybody tore away the pair - much to Clive's dislike - and Marta and Luke sat Flora down in front of the cake. It was a chocolate one, with hazelnut frosting around the baking and caramel cookies on the top. Flora was very, very delighted, licking her lips on anticipation. She grinned and clapped, while Isaac lit up the candlelight and hummed the 'happy birthday song'. But, since everybody knew how the song embarrassed the one who they sang to - it wasn't embarrassment, just a moment of I-don't-know-what-to-say - so they wouldn't sing it to her. They simply stared at the cake and Luke told her:

"Now, make a wish and blow the candles!" said Luke, getting excited.

The female smiled, thought for a second and blew the candles softly. The whole group clapped and she grinned, "Now, the presents!"

Everybody obeyed to Isaac's command, and everyone - excepting Clive - brought wrapped presents. Marta was the first, "Woah, this is big! Hm, and heavy! May this be-"

She interrupted Flora and glanced to her sides looking for an answer, "A great present, indeed. Open it!"

Flora looked at her friend and unwrapped it with haste. The brunette gasped, "It's a- it's a-!

"Don't thank me, little mine."

Clive punched her shoulder, "Would you please let her finish her sentences?"

Flora looked at her present in awe. It was a wooden box, with engraved symbols of what Flora recognized as the symbols of the sides of a violin. There was a little musical note in the middle, just in front of her name engraved on the tap's insides. Flora palmed the small triangular crank and pulled it sideward, spinning it with ease and hearing the beautiful lullaby, "It's beautiful, Mar. Thank you!"

"Now, open mine!" exclaimed Luke. The birthday girl grasped the violet box and smiled carefully.

She unwrapped the present and laughed, because she had already seen it coming. It was a medium size box, full of small cupcakes. They were all chocolate flavored, but they were black chocolate, milk-chocolate, white-chocolate, and hazelnut. It was a mere whim she had had a shopping day with Marta, but it was quite expensive for that day, since she had already spent a hundred dollars in meals and clothes. It was a good detail from Luke, knowing how much of a clumsy boy he could be, "I'm very grateful, Luke. I never knew you would be the one to give me this."

"You knew someone would do?" asked Isaac.

"Kind of." she scratched the back of her head, action that Clive had given her after these years of relationship, "I thought Marta would, since I told her a few times that I wanted that. I assume you had no gift for me, Luke?"

The boy played with his thumbs, knowing how adorable Flora thought it was, "I was going to give you something else, but it ran out from stores when I was going to buy that. Marta told me that I could give you this, so..." he grinned, "I guess you are right."

Flora ran a hand through his hair and took Isaac's gift, that he was holding just in front of her face, "Mine's turn!"

The deep-brown eyed female eyed the box, "Rather small for your trademark kinds of presents, huh?"

The fire-headed chuckled, "You are quite critic today, Flora."

Marta thought she heard a whatever before the girl opened the small box, closed with a little bow. It read, Frabett Jewelry. Flora smirked with a sly glance to her ring, which she adjusted on purpose. The box was opened with a little breath from the girl, when a pair of wonderful pendants rested on a red velvet fabric. They were made of diamonds - something typical in Isaac's presents, his parents had lots of money and he was kind of spoiled so he usually spent it on his dear friends - with the shape of two droplets. They were surrounded with an emerald frame, with a little pearl on the bottom. Flora quickly calculated they were a thumb long, not too big or small. They were perfect for a formal party, which they would soon attend with the Professor for some issues at the university.

"They will be perfect for the party, won't they?" said Luke, "Remember that you two are also invited."

"We know. It'll be great."

"Well well, why don't we start with the films?" asked Clive, who had stayed silent the whole time.

Marta looked at him suspiciously, "Ahem, where's your present, Clive?"

Flora turned and looked back at Clive, laying an arm on the chair's back, "Mine? I don't have it here."

His girlfriend seemed disappointed, "Oh."

"You are kind of a idiot sometimes, Dove." said Isaac harshly.

Clive only scratched the back of his head, looking at Flora as she held down her glance.


"It was a big night, wasn't it?" asked Marta, stretching her arms out and yawning. Isaac chuckled.

"It was. We saw... three movies. It's too late for us to be here." he got up, letting an asleep Luke fall on the couch with a soft thud.

Flora, who was laying on Clive's chest, giggled to Luke's sleeping state, "It was. And Luke fell asleep before the last one."

Clive squeezed Flora lightly, "He was tired today. He's been working hard on the party and searching for the films."

"Well, we must head home. We live a neighborhood away and buses don't come here at these hours." Marta sighed and, with a tight pull, pushed Isaac along with her.

"We will see you tomorrow, guys!" exclaimed Flora, "We have to go shopping tomorrow, Mar. The Ball is three days away!"

The blonde winked at the female, "I know, I know! We have to anyway."

Flora waved to the pair and Clive did too from the couch. His fiancé closed the door and laid on it with a sigh.

"I'm tired." Clive got up and walked to her, "This has been a great day."

He nodded, "Hey, let's put Luke to sleep, I want to show you something."

He went upstairs while Flora looked at Luke nervously, "How to carry a snoring bear to a far away cave?"

It greatly surprised Clive when he saw, from the threshold of his bedroom, Flora carrying Luke on her arms, wearing a heavy face that was funny to Clive. He opened his friend's bedroom door and allowed Flora to get in. She laid the boy on the bed and covered him with blankets, kissing his forehead with a smile.

"You do that with him, and not with me?" she giggled and approached him, who stood with his hands in the pockets of his trousers, "I hope you do that to our kids, Flower."

"Hm, kids?" Clive laughed sheepishly, "Don't go so fast, Brownie."

"Come here." he took her hand and led her towards his room, which he had previously got tidy, "Sit here."

"Sure thing, sir." she giggled.

Her fiancé opened his closet and pulled out a big, cubic and card boarded box. It was very well closed, which involved a professional in between. It was a good sign for what she guessed that was her present. He stumbled and the heavy box was laid in front of Flora, who tilted her head slightly with an adorable smile that made Clive melt. He gathered a pair of scissors, cutted the zeal that sealed the box, and took out an overly-wrapped thing involved in a bubble plastic. It was tentative just to look at it, Flora wanted to burst them so bad.

"Open it, Flora." she removed the zeal carefully, and unwrapped the delicate gift.

The girl gasped loudly when the object shone to the moonlight. It was a small jar made of glass, a very delicate one. It was like a simulation of an sphere, but made in a prismatic way. Its numerous faces shone in many colors, violets and blues. It was two thumbs high and another two of height. It had a small tap, that was just the upper part of the jar, that had been cut and retouched with a small pearl on the top. There were four pearl-size legs that supported the jar, which were also made of glass. Flora opened the jar, even though she already knew it had nothing inside. But the hazel-haired was worried about a single thing:

"Clive, how much did this cost?" said she markedly.

"Sweetie, it's not polite to say that." he smiled handsomely, "But I thought this could be like... a symbol of our love!"

She caressed his cheek tenderly, "I didn't need any of this... But I can say now that as long as the jar isn't broken... our love isn't neither."

He took the gift and put it on his nightstand, "Let's hope Luke doesn't throw it to the ground..."

"Let's hope so." pointed she out, as he took her face in his hands.

Clive looked at her, smiled tenderly, and kissed her lips, which tasted like the classic flavor of hazelnut with chocolate that she always loved. Flora was enchanted to kiss him back. Kisses in their relationship were like chocolate syrup for Marta, something only used in special occasions. And Clive considered it very special. He hugged her tightly, not wanting to let her go. And Flora appreciated it a lot, feeling needed and loved. Clive was a sweetheart, but a little bit hard to conquer - even though it hadn't costed her a lot, just years of longing for him. He took the back of her neck and caressed her lower lip tenderly, making her moan and open her mouth. Clive introduced his tongue hastily, making her make a sound between surprise and excitement. He caressed the sky of her mouth, which weakened her and made her stumble - even though she was sitting. Clive took the opportunity to lie her down, something sudden and unusual from him. He was a permissive boy, always letting her take control over the situation in order to make her feel... useful, not in a mean way, because Flora was always useful. She separated his head from her lips to breathe a little bit. He didn't allow her to do so, bringing his lips to her slender neck that reddened to his luscious kisses, full of want and love.

"Cli... Clive..." breathed she. He was such a teaser, but it was her teaser after all, "S...StoOp."

He looked up, "What's wrong?"

"I think you are getting a little bit bossy, you didn't let me even move!" she laughed.

"I always let you conquer, why can't I conquer my kingdom?" said he, pecking her lips.

"Because you conquered it long ago, Brownie." whispered Flora.

"Hm. You are my fiancé, you should know-"

"You talk so much, sweetheart." she touched his nose and kissed him again, "You are thinking about the wedding again, aren't you?"

He laid by her and sighed, "I just can't believe I am getting married to a girl like you."

"To a girl like me?" the hazel-haired spoke up, "Am I that insignificant?"

"Don't you ever say that, Flora." he frowned, "You are like the light of my life."

"You show me every day, Clive. I sometimes think it is too much." said the girl.

He caught her and hugged her carefully, as if she would break, and took in her vanilla scent, "You don't know how much I love you, Flora."

The fiancé laughed, and nodded in agreement, "I love you too, sweetheart."


[Author's note:]

I didn't like this chapter that much, but I uploaded it.

So okaaaaaay the reason I mainly did was just to be fair with those ones who are following this story. So I will upload this, slower, but I will, so no worries.

THEREWILLBETRAGEDY- shut up, brain! Sorry (yeah, I did a spoiler. I am such an idiot ñ_ñ')

Enjoy, sweeties c:

By the way, I honestly don't like Clive's sweetness. It's too much sweet and sugar for me! D: I think I got caries now.

PD: At the start of each chapter I will write unwritten thoughts from a random character, just to fill up space and give a final touch for each chapter. Hm, I am an idiot genius.