(no subject)

[trueloveskid]

They've settled nicely into their life as a married couple -- married! That's something she never expected she would be, after the age of twelve when she'd finally given up on the dream of having the family she wanted. But here she is, with a one-year-old son and a husband. A husband who's a huge dork, but he's her huge dork, and she wouldn't have it any other way.

It's gotten easier for her to leave Henry with someone else for awhile (though she'll always worry), and she and Neal have planned a date night. A date night with no specific plans other than dinner. Which they've just come from, and are now strolling hand-in-hand through Rockefeller Plaza. Lights are twinkling, vendors are selling hot chocolate, and just the whole feeling of the place is rather romantic. Or maybe that's just because she was able to take a night off of working on her GED and find the time to come out with Neal.

"So what do you want to do now?"

Comments

[trueloveskid]

"I've been ice skating too, you know." She's done a few things in her life that Neal doesn't know about, though mostly unimportant ones like this. She has no major secrets from him anymore.

[alandwithoutmagic]

"Now I do." He teased as he lead them towards the window to pay and get them skates. Luckily, he was a husband who paid attention and he knew her shoe size.

"Shall I tie up your slipper Cinderella?"

Was he teasing her? Yes he was.

[trueloveskid]

"I know how to tie a shoe, too." Just in case Neal is confused about it or something. "But since you're already down there, you might as well do it."

[alandwithoutmagic]

A low pleased chuckle rumbled through Neal's chest as he finished tying her ice skates and stood. "Yes but I wanted to do it." He took the seat next to her and began to slip his skates on. They only had a half hour, New York prices were expensive, but it was enough.

[trueloveskid]

"Then I'll see you on the ice." She pushes herself up from the bench and glides easily out onto the ice, waiting for him to join her.

[alandwithoutmagic]

Neal laughed as he laced up his skates and pushed himself out onto the ice. He hadn't ice skated in a while but after a little wobble he found his balance and the reflexive memory of the activity returned.

He cause up to Emma and grabbed her hand before gently pulling her in a wide circle around the rink.

[trueloveskid]

"Not bad," she says with a smile. "I don't think you'll be doing it professionally any time soon though."

Which is fine. She's content to skate around the rink with her hand in his.

[alandwithoutmagic]

Neal snorted as his fingers laced through hers and he glided her around the rink. It was relaxing though they were naturally picking up a speed as they turned in a circle.

"Do you like skating?"

They could always do this more often and teach Henry to skate though it might be expensive for a constant activity. New York was not a cheap place.

[trueloveskid]

"I haven't done it since I left Minnesota, but yeah." It's been a few years, but it's coming back to her like she hadn't stopped doing it, and she glides ahead of him on the ice, tugging him after her. "I used to spend all winter doing it."

[alandwithoutmagic]

"Hey." He laughed as he caught up to her. Neal wanted to kiss her though that wasn't really practical on the ice. "And here I was thinking I was sweeping you off your feet."

[trueloveskid]

"You can do that later," she promises him. Once Henry's asleep for the night, they'll have plenty of time. At least until they're ready for sleep. "What about you? When's the last time you did this?"

[alandwithoutmagic]

"A few years before we met. It was here actually." He'd learned to ice skate on another world but he didn't often talk about his time world hopping. It was too weird and it was his life here that mattered.

"This is better though. I didn't have anyone to ice skate with then."

[trueloveskid]

"Well then it's a good thing that you came to Portland instead of just staying around here ice skating." Her life sure wouldn't be the same if she hadn't met him. She feels like she has a family for the first time in her life, which is huge.

"I'd be a lot more lonely."

[alandwithoutmagic]

"Me too." He leaned forward and kissed her cheek while magically managing not to fall on his face in the process. Neal was a man of many talents and that apparently also included ice skating and kissing.

[trueloveskid]

She can't help but laugh at his attempt, even though it was successful. "Maybe we save that for when we're back home too. I'll make it worth it."

[alandwithoutmagic]

Neal groaned. "You're a hard task master." His hand moved over his heart however he didn't stop smiling.

"I think we're almost out of time." He paused thoughtfully. "Want to try and spin?"

[trueloveskid]

"I'll make it up to you later," she promises as she glides away from him on the ice. "You mean like this?" She follows that up with a spin before skating back over to him.

[alandwithoutmagic]

A low pleasant chuckle rumbled through Neal's chest as he reached out and pulled Emma against him. "Exactly like that."

His arms wrapped around her waist as he smiled at her. They weren't skating in a circle now but they were enough out of the way. "I think you should make it up to me now."

[trueloveskid]

"We have five minutes of skating time left. Would you want to waste that time?"

But she leans forward and kisses him anyway. She's had a hard time resisting him since the moment they met.

Which is probably why she was pregnant at seventeen.

[alandwithoutmagic]

Neal returned the kiss, light and brief, and then rolled his eyes. "Point." Everything in New York was expensive though Neal was fairly skilled at finding where the cheapest of everything was. In this case, there was no cheap ice skating in the city and for $40.00, he was going to enjoy those last five minutes.

His fingers slipped down her arm and then laced through her hand before gently pulling her along with him. Ice glided beneath their feet and while Neal watched where they were going, his eyes were never far from Emma's smile.

Anything was worth seeing that amazing smile.

[trueloveskid]

"Maybe one day that won't matter so much." It's why they're working so hard on things now. In the hope that they can make a better life for Henry.

"Thank you for doing this."

[alandwithoutmagic]

"Yeah." He laughed again. Neal didn't think he'd ever be this happy. "You're worth it." He want to kiss her, to shower her with affection but he let them take a few rounds around the rink before gliding Emma off the ice.

"Christmas lights are up. Let's take the long way home."

[trueloveskid]

"That sounds like the best way to end the evening." She finds a bench to sit on so she can remove the skates and put her own shoes back on. "It's just too bad Henry's missing it."

[alandwithoutmagic]

"We'll take him when he's older." Neal didn't remember things about his childhood since he was five or so and was already planning some awesome family trips for them, even just short walks around New York.

He removed his skates and grabbed Emma's to return them to the counter. "I think I see a hot chocolate vendor over there too."

[trueloveskid]

"Are you planning on talking me in to letting you buy me another drink?" She comes over to him and takes his hand. "I seem to remember how that ended last time."