too long {emily}

[gage]

Gage was exhausted, the European Semifinals had concluded only two days ago, and he had returned from Barcelona late the previous evening. But there was no time to sit around and rest, he had promised to meet Emily in Hogsmeade as soon as he got back. And he did have good news as far as Quidditch went, as they had placed third Puddlemere would be in the Finals that would take place in June. Of course, that meant a more rigorous training schedule, but it would be worth it in the end. Though just then, Gage wasn't thinking on that, he was in full relaxation mode- looking forward to spending a Saturday with his fiancee.

Today was probably the warmest day of the year thus far, and that morning was sunny, though he wouldn't be surprised if it started raining in the afternoon. The ground was still damp from the previous day's downpour, puddles of murky water still pooled in the gaps between the aged cobblestone of the village's square. Gage plopped himself down on a bench, purposefully avoiding being anywhere too near the fountain, given what had happened there a handful of months ago. Today was supposed to be happy, and Gage was determined to make it such, there had been a shortage of good, or even just normal, days since the attack on the school.

Though even through the evil they had seen of late, there was still something to look forward to. He and Emily had set the date for their wedding in August, the day that they would officially be spending the rest of their lives together. Gage had never thought he would be settling down so young, but he wasn't intimidated by it, but rather looking forward to it. Emily was the only girl for him. And today he was going to spoil her like she deserved.

[emilylouisebaker]

Emily was beyond excited, today she'd finally get to see Gage, he was home. The last couple months had been tougher than she'd expected. With it being her final year, classwork had been a hell of a lot tougher than usual, and at first she had imagined that it would keep her mind off Gage's abscence. It didn't though, in fact all the extra pressure simply made her miss him more, and it also made her sad because she couldn't be there to watch his games. Though in the long run she figured it'd be worth it, in a couple more months she'd be done with school all together and her and Gage would be getting married and beginning their lives together, finally!

The thought of the impending wedding made the blonde girl smile as she hung up her apron and gathered her bag together. They weren't going for anything over the top, it wasn't who they were. They were going for simple, something beautiful though. Emily couldn't help but get giddy at the thought of it, in a few more months she'd be Mrs Emily Livingstone, married to a man she loved more than anything or anyone else in the entire world. Some would argue that marrying at such a young age, so soon out of school was insane but to Emily it felt like the most natural thing in the world.

Stepping out into Hogsmeade she looked around, combing her fingers through her hair once more before taking off towards the spot she'd be meeting Gage, a slight bounce in her step. Brushing down her outfit, she chewed down on her bottom lip, and blew out a slightly nervous and excited sigh. Then there he was, sat on a bench not far from fountain, but she refused to focus on that and instead smiled brightly and hurried to Gage. "Hey you." she said softly coming to a stop in front of him before wrapping her arms around his shoulders and holding him tightly.

OUTFIT

[gage]

Gage grinned when he saw that all-too-familiar head of blonde hair weaving through the crowd that had congregated in the square, likely all of them taking advantage of the first nice day that they had had that year. He himself was enjoying the warmth and the sunshine, though he pessimistically knew that it wasn't going to last for long, the rain would come back, and in a few months they would have the misery of the oppressive heat and humidity. Though for now, he could enjoy what they had. His smile only got wider as Emily came up to him, it had been far too long.

"Hey yourself," said Gage, returning her embrace before gently tugging his fiance onto his lap, keeping his arms tight around her. Really, it was unfair they had to spend so much time apart, but he knew it would only be for a little bit longer. Come August he would wake up next to her every day, or perhaps not directly next to her as Alice would never allow it. The bulldog seemed intent on squeezing herself between them whenever was possible. Which was fine as she was still a baby, but she was starting to get bigger and needed more space than a few months ago.

Gage dropped a kiss onto her lips, a bit more eagerness and passion behind it than a standard greeting kiss, though he couldn't help himself, it had been months. Though he found it in himself to pull away after a moment. He loosened his hold a bit, relaxing as one of his arms stayed around her, his opposite hand resting on her thigh. "How are you, my pet?" said Gage.

[emilylouisebaker]

Emily smiled brightly, her arms around Gage's shoulders holding him tightly. He tugged her down gently onto his lap and she went all too willingly, not caring about the other people around, it'd been too long since she'd been close to this guy and she'd missed him immensely. Closing her eyes she inhaled his scent deeply, finally feeling at home, this was where she belonged and she despised they'd been separated for so long, it simply wasn't fair, though that'd change soon. Thankfully. They only had to make it through to August and then that was it, they'd be able to be together.

Returning the kiss, Emily sighed, her fingers lightly playing with his hair at the base of his neck. Feeling the passion and eagerness behind his touch, Emily felt her own passion and desire ignited instantly. Yes she wanted him, it had after all been months apart, and she loved him, Emily wanted them to reconnect in the most physical way possible. So when Gage broke the kiss she pouted, sighing softly and smiling, slipping a hand back over his shoulder she gently let her hand rest against his chest. "I'm better than I have been that's for sure...I've missed you so much." she admitted, her hand coming to rest over the one he had resting on her thigh.

"What about you? How was the trip home?" she asked, wondering if he'd even taken the time to simply relax before meeting her. Part of her was tempted to suggest they go home together, but she knew the pile of studying that waited for her back in her dorm, and with exams she really didn't want taking time off....then again she'd missed Gage, and now she had him back she was reluctant to leave him again.

OUTFIT

[gage]

Gage could feel Emily's own eagerness, and was glad to know he wasn't the only one who had troubles going this long. Really, it wasn't fair, but at the very least they would have the rest of their lives together after August. Staying together in the same bed every night for however long their forever would last, it was an appealing idea to say the least. He didn't even care who might see them, her in his lap, their arms wrapped around each other. It was like showing the world that Emily was his, and his alone. He listened as she spoke, nodding along.

He was glad that she was doing better than she had in a while, he honestly did worry about her all too often, especially since he hadn't been able to be around to check on her daily. But Gage knew that his fiancee was tougher than she looked, she was able to take and bounce back from a lot more than what other people might expect that she could. Gage honestly did admire her resiliency. "I missed you, too, love," said Gage, lightly patting her knee and smiling a little bit.

She then went on to ask him about the trip home. Really, it had been uneventful thanks to the wonders of apparation. Global travel could be conducted in a matter of seconds rather than hours. Of course, the further the distance the more unpleasant the apparation, but Barcelona wasn't terribly far, though it had still been long enough to make him nauseous for a few hours. "Uneventful," said Gage, "though Alice attacked me when I walked in the door." The bulldog wasn't used to being alone for so long, he had paid the daughter of his across the hall neighbour to feed his dog while he was gone, but he had a feeling Alice had missed him.

[emilylouisebaker]

Emily smiled biting down on her lip as her fingers unconciously played with the buttons on his shirt. Darn them for being in public, she almost had to force herself to remain concentrated on the conversation. When he told her he to had missed her, the smile on her face widened and she blushed a little, glad almost that he had. It was simply a shame she couldn't show him just how much she had missed him. So leaning forward she lightly kissed the tip of his nose, her attention grabbed once more when he mentioned Alice.

Pulling back to look at him she smiled, "So she was okay? I mean the neighbors took care of her? I've missed her terribly as well...been almost tempted to sneak out just to check up on her." she said with a slight shrug of her shoulders, not afraid to admit it. For Gage she had broken the school rules a couple of times, and she'd been so close to doing so for the dog as well out of sheer worry for her. However due to a promise to her parents and Gage as well she'd remained on school grounds, safe, or at least safer than she would be away from the grounds, she'd learnt her lesson only too well last year.

Thoughts of the attack on the school and here in Hogsmeade made her smile falter a little but there was nothing that could damper her mood now. Leaning forward she kissed Gage again, not allowing herself to linger too long for fear of giving the whole of Hogsmeade a nice show. "So tell me how was it in Barcelona? Your alright, they've not been working you too hard?" she asked, one hand gently rubbing his shoulder, the one he'd injured in the attack, knowing how it still pained him. Pressing a kiss to his temple she chuckled, "I'm sorry...I've missed you way too much..." she laughed softly, blushing as she did so.

OUTFIT

[gage]

Gage grinned lightly when he noticed Emily's fingers playing with the buttons on his shirt, happy he wasn't the only one needing to make a conscious effort on keeping their contact appropriate for being out in public. Really, it was taking a great amount of restraint for him to not apparate them back to his place. It had been several months since they had been together, and he was still a nineteen-year-old guy with the sex drive to go along with it. Gage lightly rubbed Emily's thigh, unable to help but wish it were simply skin beneath his hand rather than her jeans.

He chuckled lightly, sometimes Emily seemed a bit more concerned about his dog than he was. Yes, the young bulldog was spoiled completely rotten, but she was still only a dog. Though Gage was beginning to have the feeling that once he and Emily were married they'd be the kind of people whose dog was their baby, at least for a while. He figured he might want a kid or two eventually, but not for a couple of years. "She's fine, Em," said Gage, still chortling a bit, "their daughter seemed more than happy to feed and play with Alice while I was out."

Gage kissed back when Emily placed her lips against his, though it seemed she pulled away far too quickly for his liking. He merely settled for stroking her thigh with his thumb. "Barcelona was great, I'd love to take you there," said Gage. Really, he wanted to take her anywhere she wanted to go. "Don't fret my pet," said Gage, "they always work me too hard. But we placed third, so we'll be in the finals. Italy's hosting this year, you should come." He smiled again at her words, resting his cheek against her shoulder, taking in the scent of her perfume. "Don't apologize," Gage said simply, lightly closing his eyes as she rubbed his shoulder, it still ached on and off, though nice warm days like this it was mostly normal.

[emilylouisebaker]

Emily pouted slightly as Gage chuckled at her, "I just miss her is all...feels like it's been forever since I last saw her...and you, I can't wait till school is over." she said softly, forcing herself to let her fingers stop playing with his buttons and laying her hand on her lap. The temptation for him was too great and she had to admit she was surprised he was managing to hold back as much as he was. Apparently he had way more restraint than her, which was in another way kind of disappointing. Part of her wanted him to whisk them away back home so they could finally be together but...

Sighing softly, she listened contentedly as he spoke about Barcelona and she found herself smiling. "Third, that's great! I'm so proud of you..." she exclaimed happily embracing him again and pressing her lips against his before breaking the kiss and allowing him to rest against her shoulder. Her fingers continued to lightly rub at his shoulders, whilst the smile remained etched on her , "And you know there's no where else I'd rather be, count me in...Italy sounds amazing." she said softly, her cheek resting against the top of his head, enjoying this closeness, though she was still wishing they were closer.

"So tell me...we have the rest of the day together what are we doing?" she asked with a light smile, excited that they had a few hours together though she was wishing it was longer, she was dreading the work back at her dorm, now she had Gage back in her arms she didn't want to leave him, at least not yet, and the thought that she'd have to in a few hours darkened her mood, though she did her best to try and ignore it.

OUTFIT

[gage]

Gage couldn't help but smile slightly, sometimes it was the simple things in life, like being able to spend this time with Emily when the weather was agreeable, that made him happiest. Of course, there were things that he wanted to do that generally weren't acceptable in the middle of Hogsmeade Square... But this would work for the time being. "You're almost there, love," said Gage encouragingly, he remembered this time the previous year, having been chomping at the bit to get out of school. The only pitfall he had seen in his graduation being not getting to see Emily everyday anymore.

And really, it had been killer, having all this time apart, but they were very near the end of it now. School was due to let out the first part in June, and then in the middle of that month they'd be in Italy. Granted, Gage would be working, but there were times in Spain where he hadn't been either training or playing in a match, and they'd have that time and most evenings together. Gage kissed Emily back, his hand sliding a bit further up on her thigh, though he had to forcibly restrain himself from going any further than that. The kiss ended too quickly for his liking, and he sighed lightly. "Excellent, my pet," said Gage, "it'll be a pre-wedding honeymoon."

He gladly leaned into his fiancee as she continued to rub his shoulder, his forehead resting in the curve where her neck connected to her shoulder, content to simply be for the moment- having her against him, the sun on his back, lightly smelling her subtle perfume... "The choice is yours, my dear," said Gage, himself fine with anything Emily wanted to do, "you tell me."

[emilylouisebaker]

"A pre-wedding honeymoon? Gage you really do spoil me...makes me a little sad I have nothing to offer in return..." she said, giving him a smile. Spending time together in Italy would be a dream, sure he had the match but likelihood is he'll get some days off. Yes, now she was excited, she had yet something else to look forward to about finishing school. Italy, their wedding, then the rest of their lives it was going to be perfect. Or as close to perfection as they could get, which as of right now felt pretty darn close. Who would have thought two years ago her life would turn out this way...certainly not her.

"Have to admit though I am definitely looking forward to the honeymoon..." she teased playfully as he leaned into her, offering up their choice of activity today to her. In turn it made her laugh, as a subtle blush filled her cheeks and she pulled away from him, slipping easily off his lap to stand before reaching down for his hands. "Really you shouldn't leave it open to me like that...I definitely know what I'd prefer us to be doing right now." she said, sticking her tongue out before giggling and winking at him, then tugging his hands for him to stand up with her. "But for the sake of studying another three hours tonight I shall restrain myself."

Sighing dramatically she lifted his arm up over her shoulder, and slid one of her own around his back so she was tucked neatly into his side. "how about we get something to eat...have you eaten dinner yet or did you come straight here?" she asked, knowing her fiance well enough to know he wasn't likely to turn her down, not where food or sex were concerned. The thought made her laugh lightly again as she shook her head and let it come to rest against his shoulder, finding a sense of calm as she inhaled his scent. Really she couldn't wait to fall asleep with him every night.

OUTFIT

[gage]

Gage again chuckled lightly, though really he couldn't help himself, he liked to spoil his Em as much as was possible. And now that he had the resources with which to do so, he saw little reason to show any restraint. Yes, continually shelling out loads of money would probably land him in trouble, but Gage was figuring out how to budget things, all while beginning to build an emergency reserve. He was honestly surprised at how responsible he was becoming with money, he normally hadn't been able to hold onto it. "Don't fret my pet," said Gage, not really caring about getting anything in return.

Gage grinned devilishly when Emily mentioned looking forward to their honeymoon, knowing exactly what she was talking about. He liked this hidden side to his fiancee, nobody would expect such an innocent-seeming woman to have a splash of seduction deep down. Though he mourned the loss of the contact when she slipped off his lap, instead grabbing his hands and encouraging him to stand with her. Gage stood, keeping hold of her hands, and frowning when she said they shouldn't do what they both obviously wanted. "It's not good to study all the time, you know," said Gage, wiggling his eyebrows at her.

Gage allowed her to drape his arm around his shoulder, tucking her against his side to maintain the contact that he liked having with her so much. She then mentioned getting something to eat, which also sounded good to him, specifically sushi or Mexican, he didn't know why, but those two kinds stuck out to him at the moment, but he'd let Emily decide, he just liked food in general. "I came straight down," said Gage, "you hungry? What sounds good?"

[emilylouisebaker]

"I't's not good to study no, it does certainly distract from the more fun things I could be doing..." she added playfully, shooting a wicked grin back at Gage before giggling and tucking into his side. Like him she needed the contact, it was strange, she felt kind of lost without holding onto him somehow and she wondered if it would always be like that. She hoped it would...no actually she knew it would. Gage did strange and wonderful things to her, growing up she'd always dreamed of finding her soul mate, finding him so soon though had been a shocker, a happy one at that.

He turned the question onto her and she chuckled lightly, pausing to turn into him. Emily wrapped her arms around his waist, locking them at his back as she leaned up to press her lips against his, unable to resist doing so, once again. This one she let linger longer than before, buried emotions stirring and she was tempted to suggest they skip food and go find somewhere to be alone. When she finally broke away she sighed softly, her fingers playing with his collar, "Well it is Hogsmeade, not exactly known for their wide range of choices in regards to good food..." she pouted slightly and shrugged, moving back to his side.

"So wherever we end up is good with me...it's you who needs to eat." she said, patting his stomach lightly with her hand, her engagement ring glistening on her finger, a constant reminder to her how lucky she was. "You have no idea how tempted I am to escape with you for a few hours...feel like my brain is about to explode with all the studying I'm doing, then with my Head Girl duties, and work...and missing you, it's been a hectic few months." she said softly, letting her head rest against his shoulder.

OUTFIT

[gage]

Gage sighed again, the idea of having to wait even longer to be together in the most intimate way was killing him. It had already been way too long, waiting more seemed cruel. "Well, I say you don't allow yourself to be distracted from the fun things," said Gage, mirroring her wicked grin. Ultimately, he would understand if she absolutely had to return to her homework, and thus meaning no sex for him, but that didn't mean that he would like it. That schedule would probably become as frequent as it needed to be for the both of them come August, but that felt like forever away.

In reality, it was only four months off, but that seemed like such a very long time indeed. Though they had made it since September having very little regular contact, surely they could make it those last four months... "No, definitely not," said Gage, chuckling when Emily commented on the food selection of Hogsmeade. She then went on, saying she wanted to get away with him for a couple of hours after all the stress she had been under, and he felt this was the most opportune moment to make his move to steal her away for a bit.

"Then let's head out of here," Gage suggested, "there's this out-of-the-way Japanese place I found, and we can go from there." After making sure that Emily was securely tucked to his side, he disapparated to a quiet street on the outskirts of London, a short walk away from what was quickly becoming one of his favourite restaurants. It was definitely authentic, the owners spoke very little English, but they were excellent at what they did. "Not far from here," said Gage, leading the way.

[emilylouisebaker]

Emily opened her mouth to reply to Gage's suggestion they leave Hogsmeade, when she felt his arm tighten around her and the familiar tugging sensation in the pit of her stomach. Closing her eyes she held her breath and sure enough when she reopened them they were stood in a street very different to the one they'd just left. Taking a breath she shook her head, even though she had long since been taught how to apparate and had mastered it, going along with someone else always made her feel queasy, which was confusing to say the least. "Japanese you say..." she said, shooting him a smile as he began to lead the way through the street.

With her arm wrapped securely around his waist still, Emily felt safe almost. Like this was how it was meant to be, Gage, her and Alice. Speaking of, "So since you whisked me away does this mean I get to see Alice?" she asked a little excited as she looked up at him, knowing for damn sure if she got to see Alice then that meant they would head to his apartment after dinner, and finally the pair of them could really catch up as only a young couple like themselves could do. The thought sent a blush to her cheeks and she had to turn to refocus on the street and the people they passed.

"So I know we have quite a few months yet, but I was wondering if you'd thought any on where you want us to honeymoon?" she asked him, feeling a slightly giddy feeling fill her stomach at the thought of getting married, in less than four months. She already had her dress picked out, just when she finished school she had to go for her final fittings, and the ceremony was a small one so they didn't have a huge guest list to worry about, which was great. All in all most of it was sorted, of course there were a few little things that needed to be done but they were okay to be left till later.

OUTFIT

[gage]

Gage looked down at Emily after they had materialized on the London street, glad that she seemed mostly unfazed by the apparating. It had taken him a long while to get used to the sensation, but now he found that he was more than used to it as long as the distance wasn't too great. Going from England to Spain had been a bit far, but Hogsmeade to London was easily palatable. "Indeed," said Gage, "you'll love it." He had a bit of a knack for finding out of the way, mom-and-pop joints that didn't get much attention, but had fantastic food.

He continued to lead the way down the street, directing them into a small strip mall where the restaurant was located, its blinking OPEN sign and paper lanterns a dead giveaway as to what would be found inside. Gage found that familiar wicked grin spreading across his face at Emily's mention of going to see Alice. If that were to happen, there would be a good chance he'd get what he wanted as well... "Sure, she'll be thrilled to see you," said Gage. Oftentimes he swore the bulldog poked around the flat looking for his fiancee, as if she knew Emily ought to be there.

As they approached the restaurant she went on to ask him if there was a specific place he wanted to go for their honeymoon. Gage found he liked traveling, there were a number places he'd like to go, but he wasn't in any rush to see them all. "Well, what kind of place do you want to go? You want to go to a beach or a city or what?" said Gage as they entered through the propped open door. The hostess directed them to a booth beside a miniature babbling fountain.