psl; [a marriage of inconvenience]

[hedgemaze]

THE AUBEL ESTATE is located in Derbyshire, England, a stately old home reminiscent of centuries long past. Long ago, it had fallen into disrepair and abandoned until previous generations of the Aubel family purchased the land for themselves, having found their fortunes in matters of real estate. Since that time, the outside has been restored and the inside has been renovated at least three times. Four, if you ask the uncle who remembers the one summer where the chandelier fell from the dining hall, taking a large portion of the ceiling with it. How embarrassing, if such a thing is true.

In its present state, it straddles the line between the old and new. The large, prominent rooms are ostentatious as they are filled to the brim with austere English culture; the smaller quarters, traditionally used by the servants and staff, are far more modest, and over time have allowed the tendrils of modernity to creep in as a result. Regardless, the home is impressive no matter how you look at it, and there are few who do not cast an envious glance at the estate as they pass by Derbyshire on their way to town, or perhaps northwest to Manchester, if they've even farther to go.

PHILIP AND JAMES AUBEL, father and son respectively, are the owners of the home, though only the father remains for any extended period of time. And even then, he only stays perhaps one or two seasons at a time, until he returns to his home in London, spending one or two seasons there, before returning again, living out his life of retirement to the fullest. James visits nearly every week (driving in from Manchester, and back) in the Spring, until the first freeze of Winter, when nothing will grow. Though they have a staff of two dozen -- give or take, depending upon the time of year -- taking care of the estate and its grounds, James is more diligent about keeping up appearances of the house, showing a special interest in maintaining the complex hedge maze on the land directly behind them. Only he keeps access to its center, a literal walled garden of seasonal flora.

AS RECENT DEVELOPMENTS WOULD HAVE IT, James has been drawn into an arranged marriage by his father and an old business acquaintance. She is scheduled for an extended visit soon, and the staff have done a meticulous job of preparing the hall for her arrival -- and the rest of the rooms, as well, if she is expected to make her living here permanent, one day. Today, the weather is clear and the help is eager to aid her in unpacking. The grounds are green and the family dog, an old greyhound with cataracts in one eye, bounds up to her with a slow wagging tail. The father will greet her, of course, with all the usual formalities, and though he doesn't know her all that well at all, she at least seems nice enough. He disappears soon after, leaving her to her own devices as she sees fit. James himself is nowhere to be found.

Somewhere, sooner rather than later, a collision course of first impressions will take place.

----------

D I R E C T O R Y;

➤ shitpost.
➤ first impressions.
➤ diamonds.
➤ text her, texter.
➤ saviour.
➤ flirt.
➤ closer.
➤ cross-examine.
➤ PARTY CRASHERS.
✶ elle + devon
✶ elle + corvus
✶ ian + james + corvus
✶ devon + james
➤ alien abduction.
➤ sleep now.
➤ bathe.
➤ remember.
➤ drink.
➤ welcome home.

Comments

[hedgemaze]

No, I'm pretty sure they pierce right through them.

[Yeesh.]

Are you going to tell me what's wrong, or are we going to keep up this back-and-forth indefinitely?

1/2

[winterheart]

[God, when he puts it like that, she feels even more foolish, even more childish. There's even a part of her that wants to act out and be more selfish, to just push him away again and...]

[winterheart]

[She exhales deeply and then her shoulders relax as if giving up and Devon moves closer to lean her head against his shoulder.

She didn't want to push James away. Even if they had their push and pull moments together, having him far from her is far from the truth.]

Sorry.

I'm... I'm mad at myself. For feeling mean about you.

[hedgemaze]

[Even James feels some tension leave his body when she puts her head against his shoulder. He puts an arm around her, pulling her a little closer, reassuringly. Her statement is puzzling, regardless.]

"Feeling mean"? Did I do something wrong?

[winterheart]

No, no.

You're just too popular.

[hedgemaze]

[He makes a face.] Popular?

[A beat.]

I'm actually a bit more anti-social than you might think, Devon.

[Is that... what the issue was? It doesn't clarify anything. James is a stupid alien.]

[winterheart]

[JAMES... Devon wrinkles her brows and nose, something that happens when he says something that shows how off he is in terms of communicating with people and truly understanding them. It's a good thing they've gotten as far as they have in their relationship because Devon has found that taking her time to explain is better than being patronizing.]

I'm talking about how those two girls at the museum were flirting with you and how a ton of people around us were checking you out.

[hedgemaze]

Oh. That?

[That. That, like it's nothing. Like it's practically lost its novelty to him.]

That happens all the time. I wasn't trying to outwardly garner attention.

[DOES THAT MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER, DEVON?]

[winterheart]

[... Cue the muttering as she runs one hand through her hair.]

I can't believe I have to admit it...

James. I was... [Swallows as if she has to say something poisonous.]

I was jealous. I didn't like what they were doing. And I didn't like people staring at you either like they wanted a piece of you.

[A beat. And she raises up both her arms in a shrug.]

I mean, I don't blame them.

[It's nice to know, some levity remains even in her sour moods.]

[hedgemaze]

[...oh.

Oh.

Her admission begins to make more sense as he replays the scenario over in his mind. He can't help but tilt his head at her and give her the smaaaallest amused smile.]

Jealous? You were really jealous?

[He chuckles.] You think I actually pay any real attention to those stares? To those women that come up to me, yammering about the same thing every time? Before I met you, I might have given them more notice. But now they're little more than background noise.

Now, then, if you wanted a piece of me, well. That's a different story. [Her levity is met with some of his own.]

[winterheart]

[Her face flushes when he chuckles and his reassurance puts her darker emotions at ease. And of course, Devon can't help, but chuckle back at his mirth. When it subsides, she looks at her hands on her lap before speaking up again.]

... I needed to think about why I felt that so easily though. Because... I don't think I should be so insecure that I get mad when people so much as look at you. It's understandable, but not right.

But then I remembered. That we're serious. With each other and about how we're going to be together. It's a serious thing and I never had to be serious. Maybe because I didn't want to be because it meant I'd have to be vulnerable.

[Her one year relationship, she was never broken up about when it ended. That ex would be able to move on, find someone else who treasured him more and Devon hardly thinks about him these days.]

... I don't like being vulnerable. When the sleepwalking happened it made me feel that way and I just ended up the way I am for better or for worse. I compensated in other ways, not all of them good in the long run.

[hedgemaze]

[He listens while she explains, wordless. He can understand her concerns, when she takes the time to communicate it to him. Still, at the mention of feeling vulnerable, he looks at her thoughtfully.]

If you don't like being vulnerable, how do you think I feel?

[It's not just you, Devon. He decides to make that clear.]

This is a two-way street, you know. The serious relationship of ours. I'm just as open as you, my heart just as made of glass and easily shattered if mishandled. But I trust you to not mishandle me, as I hope you trust me to do the same.

That said, no one would blame you for feeling trepidation. It's only human, isn't it?

[winterheart]

... Yeah. It is. [She leans further on his shoulder, taking comfort in the closeness.]

I may not like losing to you, but I'd hate losing you even more.

[hedgemaze]

Devon... [He turns his head to look at her, his expression taking on something more serious than it might usually.]

You're not losing me. I don't plan on going anywhere.

[winterheart]

[She takes his words and his expression to heart. If she had been a lesser person, Devon may have assumed that those words were empty platitudes meant to placate her. But something, instinct or love, tells her otherwise. It tells her that it's a serious truth.

So she kisses him on the cheek.]

Doesn't look like I can shake you off anyways.

[Smiling, she pats a spot on the bed.]

So? Gonna nap until dinner with me?

[Yeah, that's all they're gonna do, right? Devon's sure of it.]

[hedgemaze]

[He grins, feeling warm at the little peck on the cheek.

Of course, when she pats at the empty spot next to her, a different sort of thought begins to worm its way into his head again. He quirks a brow at her.]

Well... I could. Or we could do a little more than nap. We have the house to ourselves for now.

[He leans in a little closer, a sly smile on his face.] Those shorts of yours are terribly distracting, you know. You should remove them.

[winterheart]

[Give her a second.]





What.

[Okay, maybe another one.]

[hedgemaze]

[He gives her a look.]

Should I spell it out for you? I can.

[winterheart]

You don't... I know what you mean!

[Her face is red now because she IS caught off guard and feeling self-conscious about how she was dressed. For her, it's casual and something she could wear around the house on a normal day with just family around, but with James...]

But... Like... You're already in the mood??

[Thinking back on it, Devon realizes it's been a while since her first time with him, but she had never really thought about the passage of time that went by.]

[hedgemaze]

You aren't?

[For James, the time in-between their last together was more than tangible. Something about no longer having a dry spell ironically makes him far more conscious of the passage of time.

And the way she's blushing now, well. How can that not encourage him?

James slips a hand under her shirt, gently. Fingertips teasing lightly at her skin.]

I can fix that for you.

[winterheart]

[She doesn't resist him, not entirely. There is an attempt at a mild protest.]

H-Hey... [Devon puts her hands on his shoulders, steadying herself. Focus, she tells herself. It's not like they couldn't wait and go back to the hotel for this instead of doing any funny business in her old bedroom and...]

There's... Everyone's gone right?

[Wait, wasn't she trying to argue?]

[hedgemaze]

[Her hands on his shoulders stop him, though her lack of any real protest is telling. He smirks at her, certain that his answer will be more convincing than otherwise.]

Ian left just as I was coming up the steps to see you. So the house is quiet -- for now.

[He leans in even closer, teasing her with how near he is.]

Whether it stays that way depends on you.

[winterheart]

[Something about this moment between them feels different; was it the spontaneity? She had invited him on a whim at first, but that had been in her control, a setup that was a gateway to giving themselves to each other and allowing her a safe first. This? This was pure temptation, one that flares up unexpectedly, a taste of a small flame Devon feels herself wanting to chase after and to give in.

God, she hates losing, but when he leans in even closer, her iron will is not so iron anymore. Or was it ever to begin with?

Devon tries to hold on before being swept away to see how he would pull her into his gravity even when she pushes.]

So you're saying you can be quiet the whole time? Or that you're going to make it difficult for me?

[Her hands move from his shoulders to the collar of his shirt, two fingers on the first button, but ceasing, waiting to see what his answer is.]

[hedgemaze]

[He gives a self-satisfied "mm" at her question. He's more than ready to pull her in, to let her bask in the flare of temptation and impulse. Sometimes, that made it more fun that way, more thrilling. She deserved that much, didn't she? It wasn't only pure selfishness that drove him, he tells himself.

He slips both hands under her shirt this time, resting at her torso. He leans in close, his lips at her ear, his voice low.]

I'll make it as bloody difficult for you as possible, if you'll let me.

[winterheart]

...

[Well. With a challenge like that (spoken with that tone of voice so close to her ear, damn it's like fighting a losing battle that hadn't even begun), there's no way Devon can back down, not when she wants to know what "bloody difficult" is like with James and maybe prove her strength to him.

Who knows? Maybe she could handle it. But neither of them will know unless tested again, and again, and again...

Desire wins out and Devon swears under her breath, moving her legs so that she can face him properly and straddle his lap. There's an undeniable if low key hint of heat in her voice. ]

Do your worst.