"Happy anniversary…"
I hummed in response, running my hands up his body as he pressed a kiss against my neck. "Happy anniversary." Squeezing my eyes shut as his lips worked up my jaw, I tangled one hand in his hair, the other gripping his waist. I rolled so that he was on top of me, his ribs against my stomach as he kissed me. "Good morning."
He shifted against me, laughing at how clumsy it was while he was tangled in the bed sheets. Falling into me, he buried his face in my neck. "I love you."
"I love you too." If nothing else, it was nice to have him smiling again. The cold was deterrent enough to keep us both in bed for the morning, and I kept him close to me under the bed covers – not that he was protesting. "Do you want to go out for breakfast this morning? Or, ah, brunch?"
"Are you sure?" he asked hesitantly, running his fingers through my hair to brush it back off my face.
I nodded; we'd made it through a year together, and Carlisle had been through far more in the last couple of months than I'd been through in my entire life, so I could be brave for an hour or so. "Yeah, get dressed. Let's go get pancakes." Squeezing him, I kissed him again before sitting up.
That was all it took to get him up, and I watched while he pulled on his clothing – or rather, stole my clothing. I didn't call him out on it; he looked cute wearing my hoodie and I didn't want to disturb that.
We decided to drive the short distance, seeming as it was fucking freezing and raining so damn hard that an umbrella would have been doomed. By the time we got to the car, my boy was already shivering.
The café was warm inside, and rather quiet seeming as no one else was insane enough to come out on a day like today. I repressed a smile as we placed our order and I felt Carlisle slide his fingers through mine, squeezing in reassurance. We found a quiet corner to sit in, and I tried to ignore the butterflies in my stomach as he rubbed my leg under the table.
"If it's too much, we can sit in the car," he reminded me kindly. "But you'll be fine."
It was a comfort that there wasn't really anybody else in the shop, but the biggest danger was that I would lose my nerve before our food got here. I didn't get the chance though; the service was that quick that our plates were in front of us before I had time to overthink it. I didn't allow myself the luxury of panicking before I shoved a forkful of food in my mouth, and Carlisle laughed at the speed of it.
"Hungry, huh?" he teased lightly, his hand still on my thigh.
"Shut up," I grumbled back, chuckling. He was helping to distract me, though, and I was thankful for it.
Much to my amusement, he did fall quiet, suddenly distracted by his meal. It had been so long since I'd seen Carlisle be even slightly enthusiastic about food that this was a huge relief. We still had a long way to go before he would have gained back the weight that he had lost, but he would get there if he carried on like this. He glanced up, catching me staring. "…What?"
I swallowed another mouthful while I thought of an excuse, but he pushed his too-long sleeves back over his hands, and I couldn't stop myself from laughing quietly; he looked like a little kid like that, and it was fucking adorable.
"What?" he repeated, struggling to fight off a smile now.
"Nothing; you're just cute." My comment didn't help his situation any; it made his cheeks slightly pink and he looked away, suddenly shy. Cute. I was starting to get a little nervous, and I re-focused my attention on taking slow, deep breaths. The last thing I wanted was to ruin this with a panic attack. Besides, the food was wonderful, and I was starving; I wasn't leaving it behind.
"You okay, Gar?" he asked softly, closing his fingers over my hand.
"I'm good," I mumbled, ignoring the churning in my stomach. It wasn't that bad; I would survive. I kept picking at my meal while he ate, and managed to get through most of it before he had finished. I immediately put my fork down, ready to leave, but Carlisle put his hand on my arm to stop me.
"It's okay, we can wait until you're done. You're almost there." He fidgeted with my sleeve as I used my other hand to eat, the coolness of his fingertips brushing against my forearm was comfort enough to stop me freaking out too much.
.
.
A swell of satisfaction washed over me as I set my fork down on the empty plate, but I was still grateful that my boyfriend didn't say anything about it. He tried to hold my hand as we walked back to the car, but it was raining so hard that we ended up running, and it was too awkward for him to keep hold of me. We were both panting by the time we had shut the doors, already more than a little damp.
As if on cue, my phone rang in my pocket. Seeing it was my brother dampened my spirits a little; as much as I loved him, I would have preferred to have spent the entire day with Carlisle without interruptions. I answered it anyway, locking my fingers through his. "Eleazar?"
"Hey, Garrett. I know it's really short notice, but can you watch Kate today? The school is closed because of the weather, but Carmen and I still have to work." He sounded apologetic, and I couldn't really refuse him.
I glanced at Carlisle, suddenly conflicted, and lowered the phone to my shoulder. "Do you feel well enough to handle Kate for a few hours?" Already, I was planning alternative scenarios in my head; I wasn't about to subject him to my hyperactive niece if he wasn't up to it. If the worst came down to it, I could stay at Eleazar's place with Kate for the day, and Carlisle could stay home. It really wasn't the ideal way to mark spending one year together, but I'd still get the night with him and we'd had a nice morning.
Unsure, he nibbled his lip. "It's fine," he told me anyway, trying to force a smile.
I hesitated before relaying the message to my brother, and he sighed in relief.
.
.
"I'm really sorry about this," I murmured as we pulled into the driveway. Seeming as we were already out, we decided it was easier for us to go and pick up Kate than it was for Carmen to drop her off on her way to work.
"It's okay, Garrett. Besides, you haven't seen them in ages." He was smiling, bless him, but he still looked nervous. "It's only a few hours."
"I know. I'm just being selfish; I didn't want to share you today." I squeezed his leg before undoing my seatbelt. "Are you coming in, or are you waiting here?" His boundaries with my family were still a little blurred, and I wasn't sure whether he was comfortable enough to come into my brother's house again.
Deliberating for a moment, he nodded and opened his door. I took his hand as we walked up the path, pleased to find that it was warm.
Kate burst out the door as Carmen opened it, completely ignoring me and jumping on my boyfriend. "Carlisle!"
He crouched down so she could hug him, confused but compliant. Me and Carmen both laughed, rolling our eyes.
"Such a traitor," I grumbled to her, fighting a smile. It was cute, though.
"Come inside before you freeze," she chuckled, ushering us in. She took our jackets from us to stop them dripping on the floor and hung them by the heater, looking us up and down. "You two look like drowned rats."
"We only walked from the car, Carmen," I reminded her. One glance in the hall mirror proved that we were, in fact, quite wet. "We can get changed when we get home; we'll survive until then."
"Make sure Katie wears her raincoat outside; I don't want here getting sick," she took on a tone only a mother could, and I chuckled under my breath.
"I'll take good care of her."
"I know you will. Now, come and have a hot drink before I have to leave." She hurried into the kitchen, boiling the jug and pulling out mugs for coffee. Her daughter had kidnapped my boyfriend, distracting him with pictures that she'd drawn and pinned on the fridge.
He glanced back at me in search of rescue, and I offered him an apologetic smile. I picked up Kate from behind, wincing at the pitch of her squeals and giggles as I playfully restrained her. "You won't be giving us trouble today, will you, miss?"
"No, Uncle Garrett," she told me obediently, shaking her head and making her blonde curls sway.
"I didn't think so," I laughed, setting her back on her feet and telling her to get her bag. My hand found Carlisle's again, and I squeezed his fingers. "Are you going to be okay?" I asked in a whisper, not really wanting my sister-in-law to overhear.
Nodding, he took a breath to steady himself. "Yeah, she's just, ah, full on. It's okay."
"Just say if it's too much, and I can take her out somewhere." Pressing a kiss against his cheek, I wrapped my arm around his waist and pulled him back over to the table, just in time for Carmen to set a mug in front of each of us.
"Are you feeling any better, Carlisle?" she asked, briefly squeezing his shoulder before sitting beside us.
His hand tightened around mine at her question. "Y-yeah, it's…it's getting easier." He forced a smile, almost managing to laugh before nerves strangled it.
"That's good, love." She still looked to me for confirmation that it was true, and I gave her a small nod.
Kate barrelled into the kitchen a minute later, announcing that she was ready to leave. Carlisle and I quickly swallowed what was in our cups, and I scooped her up as we ran out to the car. My back was soaked from leaning over as I did up her seat belt for her, and I was rather wet by the time I got into my seat.
Carlisle immediately put his hand on my leg, fidgeting with the fabric of my jeans. Suspecting he was a bit nervous, I rubbed his fingers, taking his hand again. My niece talked the entire way home, and it was pretty clear that this was going to be our fate for the rest of the afternoon. So much for a quiet day with my boyfriend. I couldn't be mad, though; the happiness the child radiated was far too sweet.
.
.
I wrapped Kate in my coat before we got out of the car; we didn't need her to get cold as well. Ushering her inside the apartment building, I tried to ignore the water dribbling between my shoulder blades. Just being outdoors was enough to make me uncomfortably cold, and Carlisle was shivering. Kate's hair was wet, but she was warm and dry once I took the extra clothing off her.
I peeled off my top layer of clothing, cringing as it hit the kitchen bench with a wet slap. My shirt was still soaked, and I resigned myself to having to get changed completely. Carlisle would too, by the look of it. Needing to entertain my niece long enough for us to get dry again, I set her up with something to eat and a movie. "Stay there, Katie, okay?" I told her.
She wasn't listening, already absorbed in the film. Taking that as agreement, I set off down the hallway, taking Carlisle in tow.
"Doesn't she need to be watched?" he asked, glancing back at her.
"She won't even know we're gone," I laughed. "And it's only for a minute anyway."
It seemed to put him at ease, and he pulled off his shirt as we stepped into the bedroom. "Enough time to shower?" He clenched his teeth to stop them chattering, and the question had a little bit of anxiety behind it.
I hesitated, but it would be nice; I was cold too, and the intimacy was definitely welcome. "If we're quick." Grabbing a couple of towels, I almost laughed at the eagerness at which he turned on the hot water. "Cold, huh?"
"…freezing…" He was under the water before I'd managed to wriggle out of my jeans, desperate to absorb the heat.
"Come here." I hugged him as I stepped into the shower, rubbing his back as he leaned his forehead against my collarbone. Running my fingers through his hair, I tried to untangle it, wanting to soothe him more than anything. I wanted to ask if he was feeling okay, but he must have been sick of people asking that by now.
He wrapped his arms around my neck, pulling himself up to get closer to me. He really was cold, and certainly didn't have the weight to retain what little heat he normally had.
I couldn't leave Kate unattended too long, despite how appealing staying in the shower with my boy was. "I need to make sure she's not tearing down the house, but you stay here as long you need to, okay?" Catching his chin to get him to look up at me, I kissed him softly.
Nodding, he groaned quietly. "Sorry, I-"
"She's my niece, Carlisle, you're not supposed to be worrying about her," I chuckled. "It's fine, just warm up." Jumping out, I hurriedly got dry and dressed again.
Kate literally hadn't moved, still glued to the TV and munching her way through a bag of chips. I didn't have the heart to take the snack off her; Eleazar may have been a health freak, but it wouldn't kill her to have the occasional treat.
While I waited for my boy to come back, I settled on the couch, already preparing a blanket with the hope of trapping him once I had him. I wrapped it around his shoulders as he sat down, pulling him into me. It seemed to be a welcome advancement, and he leaned his head against my shoulder, cuddling into my side. "Feel better?"
"Yeah…" He was still cold, though. Tucking his fingers inside the sleeves of his hoodie, he folded his arms across his stomach, trying to retain the heat of the shower.
I rubbed his shoulder, pulling his legs across my lap to shift him closer. "I love you."
"Love you too." Fidgeting with the buttons on my shirt, he started to relax again. We both mindlessly watched the talking animals that Kate was so enthralled by, but Carlisle's proximity to me was distracting, and I was struggling to keep my hands to myself.
I slipped my fingers under the back of his t-shirt, teasing the small of his back with my fingertips. His skin was still warm from the shower, and he kissed me as I touched him, running his fingers through my hair.
"I get you all to myself tonight, right?" he asked softly, bringing our lips together again as I nodded.
"Should we get takeaways for dinner?" The extra calories would do him good, and I certainly didn't feel like cooking. Going out in the weather didn't appeal either.
"Yeah…I don't want to go out there again."
"Me neither." I ran my hand down his leg, and his fingers tightened around the collar of my shirt. It was really testing my self-control, and it was only Kate being in the room that was making me be good.
The kisses Carlisle was pressing against my neck weren't helping, made even worse as he pulled my shirt away from my collarbones. Half wanting him to stop, but fighting begging him to go further, I tangled my fingers in his hair, brushing my thumb across his cheek.
"We need to behave until Kate goes home," I reminded him, kissing him again anyway.
He groaned quietly, resting his forehead against my neck.
She turned to look at us as she heard her name, throwing herself at me when she realised she was missing out on cuddles. "My turn," she announced, barging in.
I laughed, pushing Carlisle into the seat next to me and lifting her up. He just rolled his eyes, keeping his hand on my thigh anyway. I hugged Kate, letting her settle against me as she turned to watch the TV again. While she was distracted, I slipped my fingers through my boyfriend's, gently squeezing his hand.
He wrapped both of his hands around one of mine, tracing circles against the back of my palm. Ignoring Kate's insistence to be the centre of my attention, he leaned his cheek against my shoulder. I felt bad for pushing him away, but my niece would only be with us for a few hours, so it wasn't the end of the world, really. I slipped my arm behind him, hugging him as much as I was able to in our current position.
.
.
An hour later, and Kate had given up sitting still. Carlisle had her amused at the kitchen table, drawing and gluing and doing god knows what else. I watched from a distance; arts and crafts time really wasn't my thing.
We had to clean up for lunch, but she was overly eager to pull everything back out again as soon as the table was cleared. My boyfriend stayed with her, both controlling the mess and letting her do whatever she saw creatively fit, but I could see him getting tired pretty quickly. I didn't blame him; the kid had talked non-stop at him from the second she'd gotten in the car. The last thing we needed was for it to make him anxious.
I stood behind him, rubbing his shoulders and the tops of his arms. "Need a break?"
He glanced up, offering me an apologetic smile and hesitating before he nodded. "…kinda…"
Sitting next to him, I kissed his cheek. "You don't have to watch her, Carlisle, it's me that's supposed to be babysitting," I reminded him.
"Yeah, but…" He looked away, nibbling his lip. "We're together...I want to help…"
I smiled, kissing him again. I knew what he meant; he was only just overcoming being stuck on the outside of a family his whole life, and being involved was everything. "I know, but if you're not feeling well, it's alright to have time out. She loves you, but you're not responsible for entertaining her all day."
It seemed to put him at ease, and he relaxed a little, giving my hand a gentle squeeze as he stood up. After playfully telling Kate to behave for me, he disappeared down the hallway.
I was left to supervise as my niece attempted to glue a bunch of feathers and pipe cleaners onto a piece of paper. It looked like someone had skinned a multi-coloured chicken, and I tried not to cringe as some of the glue dripped onto the table. Carlisle had far more patience that I did, obviously.
A particularly violent gust of wind made all the windows rattle. Kate whined and glanced up at me for reassurance. It was making me a little nervous too; this was definitely the worst storm we'd had in a long time, and I certainly wasn't looking forward to driving in it when it came time to take her home. Eleazar and Carmen lived fairly close to their places of work, so at least they wouldn't have to go too far, but they lived across town from me.
"It's fine, Katie, finish your...finish with your feathers." I switched on the TV for a little background noise and did my best to ignore it. It didn't help; all that was playing was weather warnings and footage of absolute chaos around the city. As if to rub it in, the high pitched squeal of tyres on tarseal outside echoed through the house as a far was forced to slam on its breaks. I went to look out the window, making sure that there wasn't an actual accident out there.
I caught Carlisle doing the same thing through the window in the hall, and he looked over at me, worried. "You can't drive to your brother's place in this weather," he told me quietly, almost a plea.
"I don't want Eleazar trying to drive over here; he's a bad driver at the best of times," I groaned.
"She could stay the night with us," he suggested, picking at the edges of the book he was holding. His nervous behaviour didn't instill much faith in me.
"Well, yeah..but-"
"I'm fine, Garrett," he insisted, rolling his eyes at me. "But I don't want you to get hurt, Gar…"
I was sure my heart melted, and I stepped forward to hold me hand against the side of his face, kissing him lightly. "I'll talk to Carmen, just stop your worrying."