Work Text:
The appeal of fall in Boston was one of the biggest reasons that you and Elizabeth had decided to move out there in the first place. With each year that passed, you were reassured that you had definitely made the right choice. The changing of the leaves, the satisfying crunch of one under your feet, the cooling air making the perfect excuse for a hot toddy, spiked apple cider or an extra cup of cocoa after dinner. You often joined in on the tourist fun, exploring through the city on your own sightseeing adventures, stopping in at a few orchards to pick apples and buy some of your favourite jams and preserves. You always took more time off work during the fall to make sure you had time to do all the extra activities, basking in the warmth of Elizabeth’s love.
Today, unfortunately, you did have to work and spent the day with paperwork piling over your desk, the pile seeming to never end. After you worked through your lunch you shot off a text to Elizabeth, mentioning that you were planning on working late, may as well make some OT on the rare days you actually went into the office. She replied saying she would make sure to have a plate of dinner kept warm for you, and to make sure you didn’t work too hard.
*
Elizabeth knew when you said you were working late that it would in fact, be rather late, not just an hour later than normal. You knew what it meant to work long hours from your time on her team at the White House where you were quite literally on call twenty-four seven. You had your own set of keys and alarm code to the firm, you’d likely be the last person to leave, so she knew she had more than enough time to kill. She herself had picked up a few hours at the book shop to keep herself occupied while you were working that afternoon, chatting with the owners as she perused through the shelves, relocating books and putting away a little bit of new stock. Her fingers danced over the spines of the classics, soft smile on her face as she decided what she was going to take home with her that evening. She enjoyed her little talks with customers, some regulars, some tourists or lucky people who had just discovered the shop.
Her favourites were the regulars, especially the ones involved in the loyalty program, who if they brought in five of their own books, they got one for free. She loved talking stories with them, what they loved about specific books, which ones kept them up all night needing to know what happened next, which ones had the greatest love stories and which ones make them sob in the best ways. She often found herself taking home the books they brought in, compelled in the excited way they’d spoken about it. Today her stack of books was certainly enough to get her through the next couple of months, the owner lightly teasing her about it as they gathered up their things at the end of the day to close up shop.
Elizabeth found her route home taking her past a pop up farmers market, casually strolling through the stalls as she looked through all the delicacies. She picked up a few things, some homegrown sweet potatoes, turnips, figs, a few treats, and some spiced apple infused rum, figuring it might be worth a shot. She spent some time chatting with a few of the vendors, a few of them recognizing her from around town, those little casual sort of friends that you make in every day life, and a couple that knew exactly who she was. She enjoyed those little talks, the ones where it wasn’t overly political, but still someone who could keep up, and thanked her for what she did for the country while she was in office. Eventually she said her goodbyes and made the rest of the trip home easily, settling into the house.
The air was chilly, wind whipping through the sky, blowing the coldness into the house and she could already feel the stiffness in her joints. She started dinner, leaving it in the oven before she wandered into the living room to build a fire in the stone fireplace, one of the major selling points when you’d bought the house. It kept you warm long into the night and in the cold months of the year, the crackling and sparking of the fires relaxing, the perfect way to wind down after a long day.
As stated, she wrapped a plate of dinner with tinfoil, leaving it in the barely on oven so it would still be warm by the time you got home before she ate hers. She poured out some of the spiced apple infused rum, taking a sip to make sure the apple wasn’t too strong before adding it into a mug of apple cider, picked up her stack of books and made her way back to the living room. Elizabeth settled in front of the fire on the couch, sliding her glasses on before pulling a thick blanket over her lap as she began to page through a few of the books, reading the first page before deciding which one she would start tonight.
She got lost in the book, whisked away into a fantasy world that she never would have thought she’d be interested in if it hadn’t been for the book’s original owner. The fire crackled every so often, the heat coming off it keeping her more than cozy as the night wore on, the weather taking a turn outside the windows as rain started to thunder down.
Just as she expected, you got home at nearly ten p.m. letting out a weary sigh as you kicked off your shoes, hung up your coat and dropped your bag on the entry table. You could hear the light crackling of the fire coming from the living room and couldn’t help but smile at the warmth flowing through the house. It wasn’t just the actual physical warmth, it was the fact that you were coming home to a homecooked meal, the woman you loved more than anything in the world a place where you would forever feel at peace. You noticed the pot of apple cider, flicking the burner on to reheat it, curiously checking out the bottle of rum as you did so. Cautiously pulling the plate of food out of the oven you swapped it over to a plate that wasn’t going to burn you, poured yourself a drink and followed the sounds of the fire into the living room.
You paused in the doorway, smiling fondly at the sight of Elizabeth curled up on the couch with her glasses, smile on her cheeks as she flicked the page whatever book she was lost in. While you sometimes hated working, moments like this made it all worthwhile because there was something so incredibly special about coming home to this on a semi regular basis. You moved through the room, pressing a kiss to the top of her head and she nearly jumped, letting out a little laugh as she came back to earth.
“Got a good one there don’t ya?” You asked with a slight tease in your voice as you settled onto the couch. Her finger marked the page she was on as she let the book fall shut, leaning in to greet you with a proper kiss, you managed to tilt the cover of the book towards you and raised a brow, “isn’t this for teenagers?” She let out a little chuckle,
“I suppose the girl that brought it in was on the younger side. But she made a very compelling argument, and I’d say more young adult.”
“Well it certainly had you enthralled.” You took your first bite of your dinner, “mmm… this is so fresh! Did you stop by the farmer’s market?”
“I did.” She smiled, “Lisa says hello and promises to put aside some of that coveted apricot jam when it’s back in season.” You let out an audible groan.
“Oh and I will buy all of it! I only hope we don’t run out before then.”
“I don’t think we will.” She chuckled, “there’s still a stash in the freezer.”
“Hmm…” you replied, taking a few more bites of food before you spoke again, “what else do ya got there?”
Her hand reached over to the pile, handing the books off to you and you sifted through them, examining the covers and reading the synopsis’s on the back of them while you finished your meal. The plate found its way onto the coffee table when you were done, letting out a happy sigh as your hand came to cup her cheek.
“Thank you for dinner.” You kissed her gently, “I love you.”
“I love you too little one.” She murmured softly, stroking at your cheek gazing lovingly at you for a moment before you let out a little giggle.
You snagged the blanket on her lap, unfolding it and tossing it over the both of you as you nuzzled into her side, one of the books she’d picked up that day in your hands. While Elizabeth did bring home the books for herself there was always one or two that managed to pique your interest and one of your favourite past times was curling up together at night reading.
Elizabeth’s arm wrapped around you, shifting so she could hold her book with one hand before pressing a kiss to the top of your head. She let out a little happy hum as you nestled deeper into her embrace and opened the book you’d chosen. It was nights like these, the fire burning, warmth flowing through the house and you in her arms that she loved the most. There would never be a doubt in her mind that you were her past, present and future, because all she needed was you, all she wanted was you, and she could always feel the love floating off you and straight to her.
It was nights like these that made the cooling days and chilly nights filled with warmth, love, and the love of her life and she wouldn’t have it any other way.