SEBASTIAN
"I almost forgot, how's your wife?" Audrey asked, Jackson's smile lighting up the whole room.
We gathered back in the living room after stashing our presents away in our rooms. I met up with Audrey on the way and we went together, automatically falling into each other's arms when we flopped onto the sofa...is that cringy, it is isn't it.
"She's doing great, she's so sad that she couldn't make it but there's only so much you can do when the flight gets cancelled."
"Agreed. I saw her walking the runway for Victoria's Secret fashion show, she looked amazing. See, I always knew Violet would go places, even when we were in high school." Margo beamed, praising her best friend.
"You are so lucky, Audrey really is amazing, pairing you up when she was only fourteen." Audrey's mum commented, a wide smile on her face.
"Mother, every Cupid pairs people up when they're fourteen. They've just finished they're training and they're ready to get matching." Audrey responded, not agreeing with how big a deal she's making it.
"Yeah, but your first year after training is the year to set people up and for it not to work out, the year of mistakes. No one in the history of the database has had a successful relationship in their first year," her mother protested, her uncle and Margo agreeing.
She simply rolled her eyes and let out a short laugh, luckily the conversation changed straight after, talking and laughing until dinner. On my way to Audrey's room, I got a notification.
'Hey dude, you free to face call or are you too busy ;)
- Marcus'
"Um, Audrey, is it okay if I take a call with Marcus? I'll join you after I'm done." She smiled and nodded, making her way to her room.
I went to my room and opened up my laptop, sending a quick text to Marcus. The computer beeped a couple of times before bringing up Marcus' face.
"Sebastian!"
"Marcus!"
"I miss you!"
"I miss you too!"
"Can you both stop screaming? The neighbours already hate us enough as it is!" Luke fumed in the background.
"Sorry babe," Marcus apologised, followed my own apology.
"So how are yous two? Having fun this Christmas?" I followed it with a wink, the blush across Marcus' face being a good enough answer.
"Shut up! Anyway, so how are you and Audrey?" He fanned his face, his blush slightly fading. It was then that Luke entered the frame, setting down a mug on the table, I made small talk with him before he had to go.
"We're good, really good." I couldn't keep the smile off my face.
"Aww look at you, you're so happy. So...did you get it?"
"I did." I held the box up to the webcam. "I think it's nice."
"Nice? That is one is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, aside from Luke obviously."
"Do you think she'll like it?"
"I think she'll love it," he reassured, the wide smile on his face almost as bright as my own. "I can't believe this, I'm so happy for you."
"I haven't even given it to her yet." I laughed, putting it away.
We continued talking for about two more hours until Marcus had to go. At this, I joined Audrey in her room, she was watching a show when I entered, glancing up at me and smiling.
"Hey, how's Marcus and Luke?" She asked, going to the main menu.
I lay on the bed beside her, wrapping my arm around her. "They're good, they found a nice apartment in the Amantes complex. Pretty sure Marcus could have talked to me all day but before he ended the call he looked off to the side and his eyes widened, I wouldn't have been surprised if he started drooling."
"Ahh, well, let's hope they have fun then." She laughed a beautiful melody that I could listen to forever. "What do you want to watch?"
"I'm not sure, something good?"
"Ha. Ha. Ha. Very funny."
"You pick, you're really good at choosing movies." She smiled and complied, her brows furrowing until she could find the movie she wanted to watch.
As we watched the movie together, the only thing that was running through my mind, like a sledgehammer pounding against my heart - I love you.
By the end of the movie, we were tired and ready to sleep. Honestly, I didn't want to move, the fluffy blanket was too comfortable, it was like being wrapped in a cloud. I began to move when I was stopped by Audrey, her voice was quiet and soft and I'm pretty sure she was on the verge of sleep.
"Don't go, please?"
"Don't you need to sleep?"
"You're already in your pyjamas, right? Can't you just sleep here tonight?" She asked, wrapping her arms around me tighter.
"Are you sure?"
"You're like a teddy bear, I'm very sure." She buried her head into my chest as I laughed quietly, stroking her head before giving in.
"Alright princess Audrey, I surrender."
"Good, now sleep."
I fell asleep with Audrey in my arms, stroking her hair until I couldn't stay conscious anymore. When I awoke, I couldn't help but smile at the sleeping beauty in my arms, there were birds singing outside but the cottage was silent. Soon, Audrey began to stir, slowly waking up.
"Good morning," she yawned, sitting up to stretch.
"Morning, did you sleep well?" I rubbed my eyes, trying to fully wake up.
"Like a baby, wait, babies cry in the middle of the night...like a log then." She chuckled at her joke, going to her bathroom and getting ready.
"I'm going back to my room to get ready," I called out to her, receiving and okay in response.
I entered my room and began getting ready before Jackson popped his head in, wiggled his eyebrows then left.
The heck was that?
I joined Audrey, Jackson and Margo on the stools in the kitchen. At my confused look, Margo answered that no one was going to be up for a while so they were having breakfast in the kitchen, we talked and ate, moving to the conservatory after we finished.
Today was spent talking and joking, after lunch we all moved to the movie room where Audrey's father put on videos from the Parkinson family's past. There was Audrey at her sports and science competitions, Margo riding her horse and a video of her singing and thinking she was all that when she was ten, there was even a video of Audrey, Margo and Emma putting on a musical for the family.
We laughed all night and each family member had their turn to cringe and hide in their seats, it was fun and I enjoyed the night, even making it better by the adults adding wine to the equation after all the children went to bed.
It was the next day however, that things really began to get interesting.