Ivy Lodge had been standing empty for almost a year when the Old Man recommended it to a newly returned prodigal son and his newly chosen lady friend. Jasmin had been only too happy to hand over the keys, waving away any suggestion of paying for the furniture that remained in the house her parents had lived in. It was good that the house would be lived in again, in her opinion, happy as she was on the beach with her husband and Milo. So Edward and Lisbeth had been moved into Ivy Lodge by a small army of Grangers, and were now attempting to get used to each other on a daily basis. Annoying habits set aside, it wasn't going too badly, on the whole.
What Edward clearly liked most about Ivy Lodge was the piano that Jasmin's mother had made a point to add to the living room. It had been many years since he'd had the chance to plink away on a piano - ever since he'd left Rhy'Din for Earth, in fact - and he'd forgotten how much enjoyment he'd once derived from such simple pleasures as home could provide. There was a garden outside just waiting for spring planting, and a fireplace inside for cozying up to on cold winter nights. He didn't have much chance to miss Brynne and Lila, as their home was only a short walk away, as was the rest of the family he was slowly becoming reacquainted with. He had received word from Zahan that she was looking forward to a visit, but that it would have to wait until either spring break or summer when she didn't have to worry about school. All in all, things were going well, maybe too well, and Edward kept waiting for the other shoe to drop.
With little else to occupy her time, Lis had thrown herself into giving the house a full clean, and between that project and the hearty meals that kept filling the place with enticing smells, she seemed to have found her niche for now, settling into the role of housekeeper this time with a pride that came from knowing that the house she was keeping was her own. Edward's notes were proving a somewhat daunting task to try and decipher, but he didn't seem to mind her constant questions on the subject. It felt strange, but nice, to be slowly settling into this sprawling family that had such love for one another. Family was a feeling she had not had in a very long time.
The more Edward tried to decipher those notes, the harder it seemed, until he had done whatever he could to avoid the task, whether it was important to him or not. He used the move as an excuse at first, needing to repair this or update that, in an attempt to make Ivy Lodge their own. It was up to Lis to make sure he didn't overdo it, under doctor's orders to take it slow or risk further illness.
She was slowly getting used to having the privilege of being able to tell him when to stop, when to look after himself rather than read over his notes again and again until he gave himself a migraine. Such was her duty today, when he had been closeted in the room designated for an office for a good four hours - more than long enough to achieve what he had set for himself for the day. She knocked lightly on the door, ingrained manners dictating that she wait until she was invited inside.
He sat at the desk, huddled over books and notes and computer, his head held up by a hand that was unconsciously massaging a dull ache in his temple that he refused to acknowledge as he pored over those notes. Having lost track of time, he was almost grateful for that knock at the door, even as it disrupted his concentration. "Come in," he mumbled, scribbling something in his notebook before he lost his train of thought completely.
Pushing the door open quietly, she stepped inside, smiling a little exasperatedly at the sight of him clearly trying to fend off a headache with nothing but his own strength of will. "It is time to stop for the day, querido," she told him fondly, moving to kiss his temple affectionately. Her hand caught hold of the mouse to save his work thus far before he could argue with her.
He blinked out of his thoughts, lifting his eyes to her as she drew him back to the present, a soft smile on his face. "Is it that time already?" he asked, with the soft-spoken, almost melodic, voice of his. It was a voice made for Shakespeare, Jon had once been overheard to say, though Edward had never acted a single day in his life. They had agreed on four hours, at least for now, until he was feeling stronger and the threat of relapse had passed. "You don't have to knock, you know," he reminded her, a little amused at her habit of knocking, as if she was just a visitor and this was not her home, as well.
"It is that time, yes," she agreed, her hand on the mouse shutting down systems and turning off the computer. That was a habit she'd trained into herself the first time she'd caught him editing over her shoulder. She smiled a little guiltily at his reminder. "It is habit," she admitted softly. "I do not wish to disturb, even if I must."
"I thought we discussed this," Edward started, drawing her into his lap. "You're not the maid. This is as much your home as it is mine, Lis. I want you to be comfortable here, and if that means interrupting me while I'm working, then so be it. The truth is I need you to interrupt me. Otherwise, I will lose track of time and keep working all night, without food or sleep."
It took a moment for her to realize that she was in his lap, her arms looped about his shoulders, nose to nose with him as he gently scolded her for her habits of thinking. "I am comfortable here with you," she promised him in her quiet way. "But it is only polite to knock before entering a space where someone is busy, is it not?" Her fingers gently stroked against his jaw, slowly growing used to the freedom to be affectionate when she wished to. "I will not let you work yourself so hard, Eduardo, you know this."
"If I do not want to be disturbed, I will lock the door," he said, his arms loosely circling her waist as his forehead came to rest against hers. He could not imagine a time when he'd have to lock the door, except maybe when it came to the bathroom, but here in his office, he needed her to interrupt him from time to time, rather than forget about him.
"If you ever lock that door, I will pick the lock," she countered in a gentle tease, the tip of her nose circling his as she smiled into his eyes. "I am trying," she promised softly. "It is ....difficult. I am not used to being mistress of a house, to being a lover and a friend. It is all very new for me."
"It's new for me, too," he replied, smiling a little at the simple show of affection between them. "Not the mistress part," he added with the hint of a smirk. "I've been alone for so long sometimes I forget I'm not alone anymore." He didn't mean that she was unimportant or that he forgot he was with her, but that he simply wasn't anymore used to being in a relationship than she was.
She laughed her quiet laugh at the mental image conjured of him dressed up like a Fifties housewife, curling her palm to his cheek as she kissed him. "You will never be alone again, querido," she promised him fervently. "That, I can swear."
Never was a very long time - never implied that they'd be spending the rest of their lives together, and who was he to argue with that' Though they hadn't known each other very long, he didn't need to know her for years to know that she was the one he'd always been searching for. "Are you proposing?" he teased, a hint of mischief in his eyes, once he'd taken the time to return that kiss.
What Edward clearly liked most about Ivy Lodge was the piano that Jasmin's mother had made a point to add to the living room. It had been many years since he'd had the chance to plink away on a piano - ever since he'd left Rhy'Din for Earth, in fact - and he'd forgotten how much enjoyment he'd once derived from such simple pleasures as home could provide. There was a garden outside just waiting for spring planting, and a fireplace inside for cozying up to on cold winter nights. He didn't have much chance to miss Brynne and Lila, as their home was only a short walk away, as was the rest of the family he was slowly becoming reacquainted with. He had received word from Zahan that she was looking forward to a visit, but that it would have to wait until either spring break or summer when she didn't have to worry about school. All in all, things were going well, maybe too well, and Edward kept waiting for the other shoe to drop.
With little else to occupy her time, Lis had thrown herself into giving the house a full clean, and between that project and the hearty meals that kept filling the place with enticing smells, she seemed to have found her niche for now, settling into the role of housekeeper this time with a pride that came from knowing that the house she was keeping was her own. Edward's notes were proving a somewhat daunting task to try and decipher, but he didn't seem to mind her constant questions on the subject. It felt strange, but nice, to be slowly settling into this sprawling family that had such love for one another. Family was a feeling she had not had in a very long time.
The more Edward tried to decipher those notes, the harder it seemed, until he had done whatever he could to avoid the task, whether it was important to him or not. He used the move as an excuse at first, needing to repair this or update that, in an attempt to make Ivy Lodge their own. It was up to Lis to make sure he didn't overdo it, under doctor's orders to take it slow or risk further illness.
She was slowly getting used to having the privilege of being able to tell him when to stop, when to look after himself rather than read over his notes again and again until he gave himself a migraine. Such was her duty today, when he had been closeted in the room designated for an office for a good four hours - more than long enough to achieve what he had set for himself for the day. She knocked lightly on the door, ingrained manners dictating that she wait until she was invited inside.
He sat at the desk, huddled over books and notes and computer, his head held up by a hand that was unconsciously massaging a dull ache in his temple that he refused to acknowledge as he pored over those notes. Having lost track of time, he was almost grateful for that knock at the door, even as it disrupted his concentration. "Come in," he mumbled, scribbling something in his notebook before he lost his train of thought completely.
Pushing the door open quietly, she stepped inside, smiling a little exasperatedly at the sight of him clearly trying to fend off a headache with nothing but his own strength of will. "It is time to stop for the day, querido," she told him fondly, moving to kiss his temple affectionately. Her hand caught hold of the mouse to save his work thus far before he could argue with her.
He blinked out of his thoughts, lifting his eyes to her as she drew him back to the present, a soft smile on his face. "Is it that time already?" he asked, with the soft-spoken, almost melodic, voice of his. It was a voice made for Shakespeare, Jon had once been overheard to say, though Edward had never acted a single day in his life. They had agreed on four hours, at least for now, until he was feeling stronger and the threat of relapse had passed. "You don't have to knock, you know," he reminded her, a little amused at her habit of knocking, as if she was just a visitor and this was not her home, as well.
"It is that time, yes," she agreed, her hand on the mouse shutting down systems and turning off the computer. That was a habit she'd trained into herself the first time she'd caught him editing over her shoulder. She smiled a little guiltily at his reminder. "It is habit," she admitted softly. "I do not wish to disturb, even if I must."
"I thought we discussed this," Edward started, drawing her into his lap. "You're not the maid. This is as much your home as it is mine, Lis. I want you to be comfortable here, and if that means interrupting me while I'm working, then so be it. The truth is I need you to interrupt me. Otherwise, I will lose track of time and keep working all night, without food or sleep."
It took a moment for her to realize that she was in his lap, her arms looped about his shoulders, nose to nose with him as he gently scolded her for her habits of thinking. "I am comfortable here with you," she promised him in her quiet way. "But it is only polite to knock before entering a space where someone is busy, is it not?" Her fingers gently stroked against his jaw, slowly growing used to the freedom to be affectionate when she wished to. "I will not let you work yourself so hard, Eduardo, you know this."
"If I do not want to be disturbed, I will lock the door," he said, his arms loosely circling her waist as his forehead came to rest against hers. He could not imagine a time when he'd have to lock the door, except maybe when it came to the bathroom, but here in his office, he needed her to interrupt him from time to time, rather than forget about him.
"If you ever lock that door, I will pick the lock," she countered in a gentle tease, the tip of her nose circling his as she smiled into his eyes. "I am trying," she promised softly. "It is ....difficult. I am not used to being mistress of a house, to being a lover and a friend. It is all very new for me."
"It's new for me, too," he replied, smiling a little at the simple show of affection between them. "Not the mistress part," he added with the hint of a smirk. "I've been alone for so long sometimes I forget I'm not alone anymore." He didn't mean that she was unimportant or that he forgot he was with her, but that he simply wasn't anymore used to being in a relationship than she was.
She laughed her quiet laugh at the mental image conjured of him dressed up like a Fifties housewife, curling her palm to his cheek as she kissed him. "You will never be alone again, querido," she promised him fervently. "That, I can swear."
Never was a very long time - never implied that they'd be spending the rest of their lives together, and who was he to argue with that' Though they hadn't known each other very long, he didn't need to know her for years to know that she was the one he'd always been searching for. "Are you proposing?" he teased, a hint of mischief in his eyes, once he'd taken the time to return that kiss.