symbiotic
Darin watched Leah make dinner while he set the table. Nominally, it was their three year anniversary. He felt like they should do something more to celebrate it, but Leah hadn't been in the mood.
“How's the table coming?” she asked as she turned around.
Darin stepped aside as he lit the last candle. “I know you didn't want to do anything special tonight, but I thought we should do better than paper plates and frat cups.”
Leah smiled and crossed the kitchen to kiss him on the cheek. “Thank you.”
Darin was caught off guard by her actions. They were rarely affectionate, it wasn't part of the arrangement between the two of them. They'd gotten married so that he could have insurance and she could stay in the country. They'd agreed to see other people, though neither of them ever had. Darin hadn't wanted to put the effort into it, when he could put the effort into building a relationship with the woman who was supposed to be his wife. “Leah, are you all right?”
“Of course,” she said, smiling half heartedly.
He eyed her curiously and nodded. “I'm going to go grab the wine from the basement.”
Slowly, they'd become more affectionate with each other, lately especially. Darin had woken up twice in the last week to find Leah curled into him, like she actually wanted to share his bed. He didn't object. He never would.
“Dinner was wonderful, thank you, Leah,” He said as he kissed the top of Leah's hand, causing her to blush.
“Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it.”
“I did. You have always been a fantastic cook.”
Leah smiled at him, chewing on her lower lip as she rubbed her thumb over his hand. “I think we need to talk about our arrangement.”
“Ok.” This was not what Darin had in mind for an anniversary dinner conversation. But he knew Leah was right.
“I know we said that we were going to date other people, but we never did.”
Darin nodded.
Leah looked flustered. “I don't know how to say this, Darin.”
“Leah, I'm not going to bite, and anything you think is important enough to discus now, I'm going to listen. Very well.” He covered her hand with his, squeezing gently.
Leah looked away. “I want to burn the arraignment. I don't want to play at being married any more. If living together and sharing a life wasn't going to work out for us, we'd have figured it out already. I want to actually be your wife, and you my husband, instead of flat mates who only kiss in public.”
Leah had fallen asleep on Darin's lap after they'd finished what was both the most uncomfortable and happiest conversation Darin had ever had with her. He'd kissed her, really kissed her, and she'd giggled, smiling like he'd never seen. So he'd kissed her again.
They'd agreed to let things happen naturally between the two of them. And all Darin could think now was that the natural evolution of their strangely symbiotic relationship was to show his wife just how much he'd grown to love her.
“How's the table coming?” she asked as she turned around.
Darin stepped aside as he lit the last candle. “I know you didn't want to do anything special tonight, but I thought we should do better than paper plates and frat cups.”
Leah smiled and crossed the kitchen to kiss him on the cheek. “Thank you.”
Darin was caught off guard by her actions. They were rarely affectionate, it wasn't part of the arrangement between the two of them. They'd gotten married so that he could have insurance and she could stay in the country. They'd agreed to see other people, though neither of them ever had. Darin hadn't wanted to put the effort into it, when he could put the effort into building a relationship with the woman who was supposed to be his wife. “Leah, are you all right?”
“Of course,” she said, smiling half heartedly.
He eyed her curiously and nodded. “I'm going to go grab the wine from the basement.”
Slowly, they'd become more affectionate with each other, lately especially. Darin had woken up twice in the last week to find Leah curled into him, like she actually wanted to share his bed. He didn't object. He never would.
“Dinner was wonderful, thank you, Leah,” He said as he kissed the top of Leah's hand, causing her to blush.
“Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it.”
“I did. You have always been a fantastic cook.”
Leah smiled at him, chewing on her lower lip as she rubbed her thumb over his hand. “I think we need to talk about our arrangement.”
“Ok.” This was not what Darin had in mind for an anniversary dinner conversation. But he knew Leah was right.
“I know we said that we were going to date other people, but we never did.”
Darin nodded.
Leah looked flustered. “I don't know how to say this, Darin.”
“Leah, I'm not going to bite, and anything you think is important enough to discus now, I'm going to listen. Very well.” He covered her hand with his, squeezing gently.
Leah looked away. “I want to burn the arraignment. I don't want to play at being married any more. If living together and sharing a life wasn't going to work out for us, we'd have figured it out already. I want to actually be your wife, and you my husband, instead of flat mates who only kiss in public.”
Leah had fallen asleep on Darin's lap after they'd finished what was both the most uncomfortable and happiest conversation Darin had ever had with her. He'd kissed her, really kissed her, and she'd giggled, smiling like he'd never seen. So he'd kissed her again.
They'd agreed to let things happen naturally between the two of them. And all Darin could think now was that the natural evolution of their strangely symbiotic relationship was to show his wife just how much he'd grown to love her.