(no subject)
Author: wolfraven80
Title: Moments
Fandom: Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
Character: Eirika (Seth/Eirika)
Rating: PG-13
A/N: Seth/Eirika Modern-Day AU (Takes place after events of Seven but works just fine as a stand-alone)
Link to Table
Prompt: #5 Wedding
Day Forty-Six: Wedding
"Eirika, you look gorgeous!"
"Really?"
"Yes! Spin so I can see the whole thing."
I feel as light as the silken fabric of my wedding gown as I spin for Tana. The seamstress waits patiently by while we delight in the dress as if we were still little girls. It’s a Vera Wang gown, strapless and shimmering with a short, ruffled train. Wearing it, I feel like a princess.
"It’s wonderful!" Tana’s face is almost shining with glee; you’d think she were the one getting married. "Seth will fall over himself when he sees you in it."
I laugh at the sudden image of Seth stumbling, all decked out in a tux. Seth doesn’t stumble. He just doesn’t.
I pause for a moment to inspect myself in the full-length mirror. The fabric shimmers and makes a delightful crinkling noise as I turn this way and that to get a good look at it. It’s everything I could have hoped for. There’s still so much left to do for the wedding, so many things that need to be finalized, but as I stand still and stare at myself in the gown it really hits me: I’m getting married. I’m getting married to Seth. I can’t believe it; it’s too much like a dream to be true.
Tana comes up behind me so that I can see both our faces in the mirror. "I’m so happy for you," she whispers, taking my hand. I squeeze her hand and stand there for a minute, smiling.
"It’s perfect," I tell the seamstress. "I love it."
Only a few slight alterations need to be made and soon enough Tana and I are at our favourite Italian place in Soho. The menus feature the Italian names for everything. Seth was petrified the first time I took him here. I’m quite used to asking the waiter when I’m uncertain of what something is; Seth balks at it. The names are meant to make the most simple items sound exotic. I’m having "Verdure Miste Alla Griglia."- all that to say grilled vegetables with seasoned olive oil. Tana meanwhile is picking at her "Calamari Saltati Con Pomodoro, Avocado Peperoncino," i.e. sauteed calamari with tomato, avocado, and pepper. It looks delicious and I’m feeling rather envious of her choice.
"So how are the preparations coming?"
I sigh. "I’ve got about two hundred items on my checklist."
Tana winks. "Enjoy it. You’ll only be doing it once."
"Thank goodness." Smiling, Tana leans back in her chair and sighs. "What is it?"
"Nothing."
"Tana," I drawl, but she straightens and shakes her head.
"It’s nothing. Don’t worry. What about the wedding planner?"
I’m about to protest but then let it drop. Whatever’s on Tana’s mind will have to stay there; there’s no use in pressing her, I’ve found over the years. "It’s all right now that she understands I don’t want to be consulted about every single niggling detail."
"That’s an improvement," Tana says with a laugh. "I thought your head was going to explode when she asked you if you were all right with ivory napkins instead of pearl."
I groan. "As long as they’re not hot pink I think I’ll be fine."
I turn towards the window at the sound of sirens. A police car. And suddenly all this talk of my wedding seems frivolous.
"How was it yesterday?" Tana asks quietly.
"It was... very sad. He was only a few years older than Seth, you know." It’s been less than a year since Seth was shot. The bullet pass through his shoulder but there was so much blood... I clear my throat and turn my attention back to lunch even though I’ve little in the way of appetite anymore. "Some of the others, the ones Seth’s kept in touch with, invited us out for drinks on Friday. They wanted to have a get-together in honour of Mark."
"That’ll be nice."
I poke at the vegetables on the plate with my fork. "I hope so. I’m a bit nervous. I’m not used to being around..."
"The little people?" Tana ventures with a grin.
"I was going to say police officers."
"Of course you were."
"Tana."
"All right enough of that. Back to the wedding. Or better yet, the honeymoon," she says with a wink.
And I can’t help but smile. I know that at any moment your life can go to pieces, but right now we’re safe, we’re well and have the luxury of dwelling of frivolous things. It’s my wedding and I want it to be beautiful.
Day Forty-Five: Birth
"I’m certain this deal with usher in the birth of a whole new era of financial success for both our companies. We’re all very fortunate things have turned out this way."
Ephraim and I exchange glances, he at the head of the long boardroom table and I at his right. Neither of us so much as raises an eyebrow but I know he’s thinking the same thing. Fortunate. Fortunate! It was less than a year ago and already it’s slipped this Armani-clad serpent’s mind that my father was murdered. That’s the only reason we’re treating with Carcino Ltd. at all. Our stock tumbled after the incident and we don’t have the resources alone to hold Grado Inc. together. With Vigrade and Lyon gone and the scandal surrounding the company, they’re in a far worse state than us. We need to make new business ties if we want to rebuild. Ephraim and I are fine no matter what happens to Renais Enterprises; the same isn’t true of our employees.
"Thank you, Mr. Pablo," my brother says icily. "Let’s move on then, shall we. Eirika?"
I begin my presentation, complete with graphs and pie charts. Even though I have equal shares of the company, it was long ago agreed that Ephraim would head the Renais Enterprises after dad retired. At least that’s how we thought things would happen. I’m head of our charitable operations, a role I’ve always been happy with though some of the decisions I have to make are unpleasant. Everyone wants donations but we have to pick and choose carefully. Some causes simply garner more attention and better serve the company’s image than others even if they’re just as important.
I can see Pablo’s eyes glaze over as I talk about our efforts to make the company greener, and our donations to the Red Cross- at least until I mention the numbers I had our accountants draw up. The long-term energy savings and the tax benefits from our charitable gifts seem to perk him up.
When the meeting wraps up Ephraim pulls me aside to talk and we head to his office. The two back walls are windows and offer a superb view of Manhattan, the taxi cabs like scurrying yellow beetles on the streets below. I never get tired of the view. "What do you think of our new business partner?" he asks as I close the door behind us.
I sniff. "I’ll be happy to see him slither back under the rock he came out from. I think we should keep an eye on him."
"We’re in agreement then."
"Aren’t we always?"
"Very nearly," he replies and his fingers glance over my cheek for an instant. He takes a seat at his desk, steepling his fingers.
"You look jetlagged still."
"I’m fine. Don’t worry." I huff. Tana said the same thing yesterday. "I heard about Seth’s friend. How is he?"
"Quiet." I’ve barely seen him since the service... and I miss him.
Ephraim nods. "He’ll be all right."
"I know. I just-" My blackberry is vibrating- I’d turned off my phone during the meeting and haven’t turned it back on yet. I look at the number and smile. "It’s Seth."
"I figured. The beatific grin gives you away."
I’d shoot Ephraim a dirty look but I’m too happy to as I read the message. ‘Dinner tomorrow night- my place?’
I key in my reply. ‘Yes.’
Day Forty-Four: Understanding
Every time I visit Seth’s apartment I can’t help but notice that it’s small. I just... can’t help it. He’s always so pleased about it being so spacious for a downtown apartment that I don’t dare say that to me it looks tiny. At least it’s nicely decorated. It’s not a "bachelor pad" like Forde’s place, which, though I’ve never seen it myself, has become infamous among security personnel.
"And who’s this one?" Cuddled up on the couch in Seth’s arms, I point to the policeman in the photo.
Seth peers at it a moment. "Jim O’malley. He’s in Jersey now."
I flip through several more photos, all of men and women in NYPD uniforms or in the garb of cadets. "You look so young..."
"I was nineteen."
I chuckle. "I was eleven." I stop to inspect a group photo taken after hours it seems- it looks like they’re at a pub. There’s a blonde with her arm around Seth’s neck. He looks a little distressed in the picture to be honest. "Who’s she?"
"Linda Smith."
"She’s pretty," I say with a raised eyebrow as I turn to look into Seth’s face.
"She swore like a sailor," he replies, giving me a squeeze.
I intertwine my fingers with his and lean my head back against his chest. "Thank you for sharing these with me."
His lips brush a kiss over my temple. "I know I’ve been... distant this week. I just needed time to think."
I give his hand a squeeze. "It’s all right. I understand." And that’s all we need to say about it really because each of us does understand. It’s true I was worried that first night, but as long as I know that he’s all right then I know I can let him have his space and that he’ll come back to me.
It’s a weeknight and I ought head back home, but I feel so warm and pleasantly drowsy in Seth’s arms and it’s not long before I doze off.
Title: Moments
Fandom: Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
Character: Eirika (Seth/Eirika)
Rating: PG-13
A/N: Seth/Eirika Modern-Day AU (Takes place after events of Seven but works just fine as a stand-alone)
Link to Table
Prompt: #5 Wedding
Day Forty-Six: Wedding
"Eirika, you look gorgeous!"
"Really?"
"Yes! Spin so I can see the whole thing."
I feel as light as the silken fabric of my wedding gown as I spin for Tana. The seamstress waits patiently by while we delight in the dress as if we were still little girls. It’s a Vera Wang gown, strapless and shimmering with a short, ruffled train. Wearing it, I feel like a princess.
"It’s wonderful!" Tana’s face is almost shining with glee; you’d think she were the one getting married. "Seth will fall over himself when he sees you in it."
I laugh at the sudden image of Seth stumbling, all decked out in a tux. Seth doesn’t stumble. He just doesn’t.
I pause for a moment to inspect myself in the full-length mirror. The fabric shimmers and makes a delightful crinkling noise as I turn this way and that to get a good look at it. It’s everything I could have hoped for. There’s still so much left to do for the wedding, so many things that need to be finalized, but as I stand still and stare at myself in the gown it really hits me: I’m getting married. I’m getting married to Seth. I can’t believe it; it’s too much like a dream to be true.
Tana comes up behind me so that I can see both our faces in the mirror. "I’m so happy for you," she whispers, taking my hand. I squeeze her hand and stand there for a minute, smiling.
"It’s perfect," I tell the seamstress. "I love it."
Only a few slight alterations need to be made and soon enough Tana and I are at our favourite Italian place in Soho. The menus feature the Italian names for everything. Seth was petrified the first time I took him here. I’m quite used to asking the waiter when I’m uncertain of what something is; Seth balks at it. The names are meant to make the most simple items sound exotic. I’m having "Verdure Miste Alla Griglia."- all that to say grilled vegetables with seasoned olive oil. Tana meanwhile is picking at her "Calamari Saltati Con Pomodoro, Avocado Peperoncino," i.e. sauteed calamari with tomato, avocado, and pepper. It looks delicious and I’m feeling rather envious of her choice.
"So how are the preparations coming?"
I sigh. "I’ve got about two hundred items on my checklist."
Tana winks. "Enjoy it. You’ll only be doing it once."
"Thank goodness." Smiling, Tana leans back in her chair and sighs. "What is it?"
"Nothing."
"Tana," I drawl, but she straightens and shakes her head.
"It’s nothing. Don’t worry. What about the wedding planner?"
I’m about to protest but then let it drop. Whatever’s on Tana’s mind will have to stay there; there’s no use in pressing her, I’ve found over the years. "It’s all right now that she understands I don’t want to be consulted about every single niggling detail."
"That’s an improvement," Tana says with a laugh. "I thought your head was going to explode when she asked you if you were all right with ivory napkins instead of pearl."
I groan. "As long as they’re not hot pink I think I’ll be fine."
I turn towards the window at the sound of sirens. A police car. And suddenly all this talk of my wedding seems frivolous.
"How was it yesterday?" Tana asks quietly.
"It was... very sad. He was only a few years older than Seth, you know." It’s been less than a year since Seth was shot. The bullet pass through his shoulder but there was so much blood... I clear my throat and turn my attention back to lunch even though I’ve little in the way of appetite anymore. "Some of the others, the ones Seth’s kept in touch with, invited us out for drinks on Friday. They wanted to have a get-together in honour of Mark."
"That’ll be nice."
I poke at the vegetables on the plate with my fork. "I hope so. I’m a bit nervous. I’m not used to being around..."
"The little people?" Tana ventures with a grin.
"I was going to say police officers."
"Of course you were."
"Tana."
"All right enough of that. Back to the wedding. Or better yet, the honeymoon," she says with a wink.
And I can’t help but smile. I know that at any moment your life can go to pieces, but right now we’re safe, we’re well and have the luxury of dwelling of frivolous things. It’s my wedding and I want it to be beautiful.
Day Forty-Five: Birth
"I’m certain this deal with usher in the birth of a whole new era of financial success for both our companies. We’re all very fortunate things have turned out this way."
Ephraim and I exchange glances, he at the head of the long boardroom table and I at his right. Neither of us so much as raises an eyebrow but I know he’s thinking the same thing. Fortunate. Fortunate! It was less than a year ago and already it’s slipped this Armani-clad serpent’s mind that my father was murdered. That’s the only reason we’re treating with Carcino Ltd. at all. Our stock tumbled after the incident and we don’t have the resources alone to hold Grado Inc. together. With Vigrade and Lyon gone and the scandal surrounding the company, they’re in a far worse state than us. We need to make new business ties if we want to rebuild. Ephraim and I are fine no matter what happens to Renais Enterprises; the same isn’t true of our employees.
"Thank you, Mr. Pablo," my brother says icily. "Let’s move on then, shall we. Eirika?"
I begin my presentation, complete with graphs and pie charts. Even though I have equal shares of the company, it was long ago agreed that Ephraim would head the Renais Enterprises after dad retired. At least that’s how we thought things would happen. I’m head of our charitable operations, a role I’ve always been happy with though some of the decisions I have to make are unpleasant. Everyone wants donations but we have to pick and choose carefully. Some causes simply garner more attention and better serve the company’s image than others even if they’re just as important.
I can see Pablo’s eyes glaze over as I talk about our efforts to make the company greener, and our donations to the Red Cross- at least until I mention the numbers I had our accountants draw up. The long-term energy savings and the tax benefits from our charitable gifts seem to perk him up.
When the meeting wraps up Ephraim pulls me aside to talk and we head to his office. The two back walls are windows and offer a superb view of Manhattan, the taxi cabs like scurrying yellow beetles on the streets below. I never get tired of the view. "What do you think of our new business partner?" he asks as I close the door behind us.
I sniff. "I’ll be happy to see him slither back under the rock he came out from. I think we should keep an eye on him."
"We’re in agreement then."
"Aren’t we always?"
"Very nearly," he replies and his fingers glance over my cheek for an instant. He takes a seat at his desk, steepling his fingers.
"You look jetlagged still."
"I’m fine. Don’t worry." I huff. Tana said the same thing yesterday. "I heard about Seth’s friend. How is he?"
"Quiet." I’ve barely seen him since the service... and I miss him.
Ephraim nods. "He’ll be all right."
"I know. I just-" My blackberry is vibrating- I’d turned off my phone during the meeting and haven’t turned it back on yet. I look at the number and smile. "It’s Seth."
"I figured. The beatific grin gives you away."
I’d shoot Ephraim a dirty look but I’m too happy to as I read the message. ‘Dinner tomorrow night- my place?’
I key in my reply. ‘Yes.’
Day Forty-Four: Understanding
Every time I visit Seth’s apartment I can’t help but notice that it’s small. I just... can’t help it. He’s always so pleased about it being so spacious for a downtown apartment that I don’t dare say that to me it looks tiny. At least it’s nicely decorated. It’s not a "bachelor pad" like Forde’s place, which, though I’ve never seen it myself, has become infamous among security personnel.
"And who’s this one?" Cuddled up on the couch in Seth’s arms, I point to the policeman in the photo.
Seth peers at it a moment. "Jim O’malley. He’s in Jersey now."
I flip through several more photos, all of men and women in NYPD uniforms or in the garb of cadets. "You look so young..."
"I was nineteen."
I chuckle. "I was eleven." I stop to inspect a group photo taken after hours it seems- it looks like they’re at a pub. There’s a blonde with her arm around Seth’s neck. He looks a little distressed in the picture to be honest. "Who’s she?"
"Linda Smith."
"She’s pretty," I say with a raised eyebrow as I turn to look into Seth’s face.
"She swore like a sailor," he replies, giving me a squeeze.
I intertwine my fingers with his and lean my head back against his chest. "Thank you for sharing these with me."
His lips brush a kiss over my temple. "I know I’ve been... distant this week. I just needed time to think."
I give his hand a squeeze. "It’s all right. I understand." And that’s all we need to say about it really because each of us does understand. It’s true I was worried that first night, but as long as I know that he’s all right then I know I can let him have his space and that he’ll come back to me.
It’s a weeknight and I ought head back home, but I feel so warm and pleasantly drowsy in Seth’s arms and it’s not long before I doze off.