Cross-posted from Madrona Project and 12 days of Ficmas
Title: Merry Sinterklass
Author: kira
Word Count: 725
World: Capital city of Madrona
Main Characters: Bethany & Gabriel
Borrow: yes
Summary: Bethany and Gabriel celebrate Sinterklass…
Author’s note: This is unbetaed, so any mistakes therein are my own.
“Merry Sinterklass, Gabriel,” Bethany said as she held out a small box. Now eighteen, she had grown from a skinny little girl into a slender young woman. “Gabe?” Blind since the first appearance of The Sickness that swept through the capital when she was child, and when she was orphaned, she was looked after by her dog and the handsome young man, who stood before her and who had been little more than a child himself at the time. “Gabe?”
He blushed and gently took her hand. “Thank you and Merry Sinterklass to you too.” Gabe took the proffered gift, exchanging it with the box he held in his hand.
Bethany giggled. “Thanks.” She shyly looked in the direction of his voice. “What is it?”
“A surprise.” Gabe led her over to the sofa and sat down with her. He still could not believe their luck. During a brief resurgence of The Sickness which happened a few years ago, their benefactors, a wine merchant and his wife had lost their only child. Through some miracle they had spotted Bethany during their visit to a friend, who lived on the other side of town, and had taken her in. He soon followed at Bethany’s insistence and was made an apprentice to the wine merchant’s business, although, he lived in the back of the wine shop, instead of their townhouse.
“Gabe!” She pouted. Bethany gently shook her gift.
“Just open it.”
“Fine.” Bethany untied the ribbon. Her nimble fingers deftly opened the box and she felt inside. “Gabe?” She could sense his movements as he set his gift aside and got up off the sofa.
“Bethany…” He took her hand in his and reached for the ring in the box.
“Gabe…” she said softly.
He pushed the ring onto her finger. “I know we’re still young and…” He swallowed. “But umm, Mr. Collins said he’s going to make me a clerk in the shop now that I know the business and umm… Well, umm, will you be my wife?”
Bethany nodded, a smile slowly tugging lips upwards. “Yes,” she whispered, “Yes!”
Gabriel leaned in and hugged her. He brushed his lips lightly against her cheek.
Bethany smiled cheekily at him. “Did you like your present?”
Gabe blushed. “I umm…” He reached for his present.
She laughed. “Open it, silly.”
He unwrapped his gift. “It’s lovely.” He smiled even though he knew she could not see it.
“I made it myself,” Bethany said proudly.
“Wow!” He draped the scarf around his neck.
She reached up to cup his cheeky, playfully patting it as she said, “Just because I’m blind, doesn’t mean I can’t knit.”
“I know; it’s just that I had no idea you knew how to knit.”
“Oh.” She blushed when he took her hand in his.
“Yeah. And,” he kissed her fingers, “I’m looking forward to finding out all the other things you can do that I had no idea about.” He added when she blushed, “When we’re married and I mean wifely stuff, like darning socks and mending my collars.”
“Gabe!” She playfully swatted at him. “You’re going to be a clerk at the wine shop! I won’t need to mend your clothes as we’ll be able to afford a girl to do all those things for us.” She giggled. “And a cook too!”
“I stand corrected.”
She sighed.
“What? Don’t tell me you’re having second thoughts about saying ‘yes’.” He frowned.
“No, I’m just sad Sugar won’t be here when we get married. She was such a good dog.”
“Oh.” Gabe’s eyes widened. “That reminds me! I have another gift for you, but you’ll have to wait here while I go get it!” He hurried off, before she could reply, only to return with said present. “Here.” Gabriel handed her a squirming little bundle of fur.
“Gabe?”
“It’s a puppy. I know how much you miss Sugar and when Tom said his bitch had puppies, I asked him for one…” He shrugged. “You’re not mad at me, are you?
Bethany wiped away a tear as she held the puppy close. “Of course not. She’s very fluffy…” She smiled.
“That she is.” Gabe sat down next to her. He reached out and patted the puppy.
“Thank you.” Bethany leaned on his shoulder. “This is the best Sinterklass, ever.”
“Yeah…” Gabe rested his head against hers.
Author: kira
Word Count: 725
World: Capital city of Madrona
Main Characters: Bethany & Gabriel
Borrow: yes
Summary: Bethany and Gabriel celebrate Sinterklass…
Author’s note: This is unbetaed, so any mistakes therein are my own.
“Merry Sinterklass, Gabriel,” Bethany said as she held out a small box. Now eighteen, she had grown from a skinny little girl into a slender young woman. “Gabe?” Blind since the first appearance of The Sickness that swept through the capital when she was child, and when she was orphaned, she was looked after by her dog and the handsome young man, who stood before her and who had been little more than a child himself at the time. “Gabe?”
He blushed and gently took her hand. “Thank you and Merry Sinterklass to you too.” Gabe took the proffered gift, exchanging it with the box he held in his hand.
Bethany giggled. “Thanks.” She shyly looked in the direction of his voice. “What is it?”
“A surprise.” Gabe led her over to the sofa and sat down with her. He still could not believe their luck. During a brief resurgence of The Sickness which happened a few years ago, their benefactors, a wine merchant and his wife had lost their only child. Through some miracle they had spotted Bethany during their visit to a friend, who lived on the other side of town, and had taken her in. He soon followed at Bethany’s insistence and was made an apprentice to the wine merchant’s business, although, he lived in the back of the wine shop, instead of their townhouse.
“Gabe!” She pouted. Bethany gently shook her gift.
“Just open it.”
“Fine.” Bethany untied the ribbon. Her nimble fingers deftly opened the box and she felt inside. “Gabe?” She could sense his movements as he set his gift aside and got up off the sofa.
“Bethany…” He took her hand in his and reached for the ring in the box.
“Gabe…” she said softly.
He pushed the ring onto her finger. “I know we’re still young and…” He swallowed. “But umm, Mr. Collins said he’s going to make me a clerk in the shop now that I know the business and umm… Well, umm, will you be my wife?”
Bethany nodded, a smile slowly tugging lips upwards. “Yes,” she whispered, “Yes!”
Gabriel leaned in and hugged her. He brushed his lips lightly against her cheek.
Bethany smiled cheekily at him. “Did you like your present?”
Gabe blushed. “I umm…” He reached for his present.
She laughed. “Open it, silly.”
He unwrapped his gift. “It’s lovely.” He smiled even though he knew she could not see it.
“I made it myself,” Bethany said proudly.
“Wow!” He draped the scarf around his neck.
She reached up to cup his cheeky, playfully patting it as she said, “Just because I’m blind, doesn’t mean I can’t knit.”
“I know; it’s just that I had no idea you knew how to knit.”
“Oh.” She blushed when he took her hand in his.
“Yeah. And,” he kissed her fingers, “I’m looking forward to finding out all the other things you can do that I had no idea about.” He added when she blushed, “When we’re married and I mean wifely stuff, like darning socks and mending my collars.”
“Gabe!” She playfully swatted at him. “You’re going to be a clerk at the wine shop! I won’t need to mend your clothes as we’ll be able to afford a girl to do all those things for us.” She giggled. “And a cook too!”
“I stand corrected.”
She sighed.
“What? Don’t tell me you’re having second thoughts about saying ‘yes’.” He frowned.
“No, I’m just sad Sugar won’t be here when we get married. She was such a good dog.”
“Oh.” Gabe’s eyes widened. “That reminds me! I have another gift for you, but you’ll have to wait here while I go get it!” He hurried off, before she could reply, only to return with said present. “Here.” Gabriel handed her a squirming little bundle of fur.
“Gabe?”
“It’s a puppy. I know how much you miss Sugar and when Tom said his bitch had puppies, I asked him for one…” He shrugged. “You’re not mad at me, are you?
Bethany wiped away a tear as she held the puppy close. “Of course not. She’s very fluffy…” She smiled.
“That she is.” Gabe sat down next to her. He reached out and patted the puppy.
“Thank you.” Bethany leaned on his shoulder. “This is the best Sinterklass, ever.”
“Yeah…” Gabe rested his head against hers.