Fic: Magic in Montreal
Feb. 8th, 2013 07:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
meridian_roseTitle: Magic in Montreal
Fandom: Original
'Verse/Series: Aura
Pairing/Characters: Nikolai/Aurelia
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 600
Prompt: For the![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
writerverse romance prompt
Summary: Flashback/pre-series. Valentine's Day is approaching but love isn't about one day per year and romance isn't one size fits all.
Content Notes: No standard warnings apply.
Index Page for this series: DW / LJ
"What do you want to do for Valentine's Day?" Nikolai had long ago learned that there were some surprises he could spring on Aurelia, and some things he could arrange for them both without consulting her first, and then there were things that it didn't pay for him make assumptions about.
She looked up from her magazine. "Wasn't it just New Year?"
"We've another couple of weeks," he assured her. "But if you want me to book a hotel room or restaurant table or a private caterer, we're already a little late." Money would probably solve that problem, of course, if she decided she wanted First Class Romance.
"God, no. Simpering couples showing their love by spending their entire month's rent on a single meal? I'd rather not go out and I don't think Saint Valentine's Day – named for a saint neither of us venerate in any way - warrants a private caterer."
Nikolai stuffed his hands in his pockets and gave a small sigh. He wouldn't have minded having a lavish meal delivered to their apartment, and Aurelia could be finicky about what was a good enough excuse for such an occasion.
"I was just trying to be romantic." He added, probably unwisely, "Other women would kill to go to Paris for a long weekend."
She frowned. "We can't go to Paris anyway. Not for another five years at least. You said so."
Nikolai stared at the ceiling a moment, recalling their last time in Paris, and then trying to remember the year in which that incident had occurred. Damn, five or six years until he felt it would be safe to return.
Aurelia tossed the magazine aside. "I don't want you to woo me because you feel obliged to," she told him, relenting in the face of his disappointment. "Saccharine as it sounds, I love you every day of the year, Nikolai."
"Really?" Sometimes he needed to hear it and he could never get tired of having her profess her love.
"Even the days when I'm mad as hell at you." She shook her head. "Buying me flowers because you're supposed to can't improve on that. I'd rather us celebrate something personal."
"One of our wedding anniversaries?" But which one? Or maybe the day he Turned her – though that was a bittersweet and bloody day indeed. Then again, Saint Valentine had been executed on the day now set aside for courtly love in his name. "I don't want to wait months to demonstrate my romantic side. Forget the dusty old saint. We could celebrate it as Lupercalia. Without the animal sacrifices."
Aurelia laughed. "All right. If you truly want to do something romantic then we will. Just not Paris."
He thought for a moment. "What about Montreal?" He knew she had a certain fondness for Canada.
"I suppose," she agreed, but her tone suggested she still needed a little convincing.
"The people still speak French, there's beautiful scenery, I know the most wonderful guesthouse – assuming it's still there of course." The problem with vampire longevity was that places you'd once held dear might disappear seemingly overnight. Still, there were always new places to discover.
He remembered something he thought would particularly interest her. "We could visit the Botanical Gardens; I know it will still be cold in February, but they have greenhouses filled with the most wonderful and exotic plants."
Aurelia moved from her seat to stand in front of him and tip-toed so she could kiss him. "It sounds magical." She gave him a mischievous grin. "And I'm sure we'll find plenty of ways to keep warm."
Fandom: Original
'Verse/Series: Aura
Pairing/Characters: Nikolai/Aurelia
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 600
Prompt: For the
writerverse romance promptSummary: Flashback/pre-series. Valentine's Day is approaching but love isn't about one day per year and romance isn't one size fits all.
Content Notes: No standard warnings apply.
Index Page for this series: DW / LJ
"What do you want to do for Valentine's Day?" Nikolai had long ago learned that there were some surprises he could spring on Aurelia, and some things he could arrange for them both without consulting her first, and then there were things that it didn't pay for him make assumptions about.
She looked up from her magazine. "Wasn't it just New Year?"
"We've another couple of weeks," he assured her. "But if you want me to book a hotel room or restaurant table or a private caterer, we're already a little late." Money would probably solve that problem, of course, if she decided she wanted First Class Romance.
"God, no. Simpering couples showing their love by spending their entire month's rent on a single meal? I'd rather not go out and I don't think Saint Valentine's Day – named for a saint neither of us venerate in any way - warrants a private caterer."
Nikolai stuffed his hands in his pockets and gave a small sigh. He wouldn't have minded having a lavish meal delivered to their apartment, and Aurelia could be finicky about what was a good enough excuse for such an occasion.
"I was just trying to be romantic." He added, probably unwisely, "Other women would kill to go to Paris for a long weekend."
She frowned. "We can't go to Paris anyway. Not for another five years at least. You said so."
Nikolai stared at the ceiling a moment, recalling their last time in Paris, and then trying to remember the year in which that incident had occurred. Damn, five or six years until he felt it would be safe to return.
Aurelia tossed the magazine aside. "I don't want you to woo me because you feel obliged to," she told him, relenting in the face of his disappointment. "Saccharine as it sounds, I love you every day of the year, Nikolai."
"Really?" Sometimes he needed to hear it and he could never get tired of having her profess her love.
"Even the days when I'm mad as hell at you." She shook her head. "Buying me flowers because you're supposed to can't improve on that. I'd rather us celebrate something personal."
"One of our wedding anniversaries?" But which one? Or maybe the day he Turned her – though that was a bittersweet and bloody day indeed. Then again, Saint Valentine had been executed on the day now set aside for courtly love in his name. "I don't want to wait months to demonstrate my romantic side. Forget the dusty old saint. We could celebrate it as Lupercalia. Without the animal sacrifices."
Aurelia laughed. "All right. If you truly want to do something romantic then we will. Just not Paris."
He thought for a moment. "What about Montreal?" He knew she had a certain fondness for Canada.
"I suppose," she agreed, but her tone suggested she still needed a little convincing.
"The people still speak French, there's beautiful scenery, I know the most wonderful guesthouse – assuming it's still there of course." The problem with vampire longevity was that places you'd once held dear might disappear seemingly overnight. Still, there were always new places to discover.
He remembered something he thought would particularly interest her. "We could visit the Botanical Gardens; I know it will still be cold in February, but they have greenhouses filled with the most wonderful and exotic plants."
Aurelia moved from her seat to stand in front of him and tip-toed so she could kiss him. "It sounds magical." She gave him a mischievous grin. "And I'm sure we'll find plenty of ways to keep warm."
no subject
Date: 2013-03-08 09:04 am (UTC)and then there were things that it didn't pay for him make assumptions about.
I love this so much!!
Simpering couples showing their love by spending their entire month's rent on a single meal?
Awwwwww, Aura! :D LOLOLOL :D
"Other women would kill to go to Paris for a long weekend."
I admit I took issue with this one. It's my personal negative experience with "other women" kind of phrases at fault here I guess. But things like "Other women _this_ and you _that_ what's wrong with you?" (to which I usually think "go date other women if you think there's something wrong with me" but never say it) happen to me all the time and they make me seething. Or things like "you're not like other women", meaning it as a complement somehow, which I fail to appreciate because 1. no woman is like other women and every person is unique; 2. it generalizes women and implies that there's something wrong with being a woman (because if not being like women is a good thing it means that being like women is a bad thing and I'm like "whoa, dude").
I wish Nikolai hadn't said that because it makes it really hard for me to forgive him for it.
But it's my bitterness talking right now. I'm sorry. My issues are showing and I do have them in spades.
And I highly doubt I'm being objective here so please ignore this!
I love you every day of the year
OMG!! BB, I have so much love for this!! I didn't even realize how much I needed this in my life! Thank you!!! :D
"One of our wedding anniversaries?" But which one?
LOLOLOL :D Yeah, I guess they would have lots of those! Awwwww)))) Love it! :D
"And I'm sure we'll find plenty of ways to keep warm."
Ooh, yes, I'm sure they will. :D
BB, thank you so much for this fic and this verse! :D Let me love you!! ♥♥♥
BTW I'm dying to know what happened in Paris now!
Awwwww, please write more!! :D
*FLAILS HARD*
no subject
Date: 2013-03-08 08:03 pm (UTC)"Other women would kill to go to Paris for a long weekend."
I admit I took issue with this one. It's my personal negative experience with "other women" kind of phrases at fault here I guess. Yes…I've been reading this lately about how men often whine about women but to the token woman in IT or other male domain say "but you're not like other women. It depends on what you think women are like – the media and some vocal minorities skew the demographic so it seems like we're all pink wearing idiots obsessed with nothing more than sex and/or motherhood and reality television. Except for all of us who aren't.
I did wonder about it a bit and I did add that it was probably unwise of him to say it. I think he was needling Aura a bit, spoiling for a fight, because he really wanted to do something and she was practically ignoring him. He'd rather them bicker – normal behaviour, having a discussion of sorts – than have her just dismiss all his suggestions.
Would "Some women" rather than "Other women" make it better, do you think?
Thanks for bringing it up. I'll try and do better in the future!
I don't even know when, historically, Weekend in Paris became such a trope – I had to check details on the attractions in Canada to make sure I wasn't sending them to visit something not built yet since I was thinking this was early 1900's, pre 1950 at least.
"One of our wedding anniversaries?" But which one?
LOLOLOL :D Yeah, I guess they would have lots of those! Awwwww)))) Love it! :D I'm glad you liked it! They have two or three to choose from :)
BTW I'm dying to know what happened in Paris now! I have this thing where I drop hints of dramatic backstory in with no real clue as to what happened in Paris or why they can't go back to Belgium/Sweden/wherever. It adds to the mystique :)
no subject
Date: 2013-03-09 01:59 pm (UTC)On one hand I totally love mystique. On the other I just have this need to know.
Well, if this flashback could happen in, say, book ten I'd be more than happy about it. ;D
Basically I JUST WANT MY TEN NOVELS OF AURA!! Pretty please! :D
no subject
Date: 2013-02-08 08:03 pm (UTC)Absolutely LOVE this newest Aura-centric story!
no subject
Date: 2013-02-10 10:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-02-08 10:05 pm (UTC)And, hey, if you can't go to France, Montreal's the next best place - right?
no subject
Date: 2013-02-10 10:02 am (UTC)I love Canadian shows and I'd love to see parts of Canada, so I think Montreal would be a good choice :)
no subject
Date: 2013-02-09 11:36 pm (UTC)"Saccharine as it sounds, I love you every day of the year, Nikolai."
"Really?" Sometimes he needed to hear it and he could never get tired of having her profess her love.
"Even the days when I'm mad as hell at you." She shook her head. "Buying me flowers because you're supposed to can't improve on that. I'd rather us celebrate something personal."
This moment is my favorite :D So romantic and sweet! And smart.
And off they go to Montreal, cold but interesting :D
no subject
Date: 2013-02-10 10:04 am (UTC)I'm so glad you like that bit! I think Nikolai is more romantic and prone to grand gestures while Aurelia is more reserved and cynical. But they work well because they're so alike in most ways, complementary in others, and both willing to compromise.
I keep titling things after places the action isn't taking place, but I'm having fun with that; they may go, or not go, somewhere else next :)