Post by Aurora Graves on Aug 19, 2017 15:36:03 GMT -5
Graves Residence
Las Vegas, NV
Saturday, August 19, 2017
The first night in Aurora and Damon’s new home – the one that had been under construction for what had seemed like an eternity – had gone as uneventful as possible; a welcome change from the hectic pace of the day before. Now, after a day of unloading the moving van and trying to make sense of what box went where, it was time to tackle the seemingly unending task of unpacking. The living room was mostly finished, with only a few boxes remaining – some marked as belonging in the bedroom, while another stack of boxes were labeled as glassware, with “FRAGILE” marked as big as a black, wide-tipped Sharpie would allow. One such box sat open on the massive wooden dining table, surrounded by several white chairs that were so new, they were still wrapped in plastic.
Bruce, the Graves’ silver tabby, hopped up on one of the chairs, then onto the table, sniffing out his new surroundings. As he made his way to the box itself, he put a single paw on one of the flaps, as if preparing to jump into the box.
Aurora’s Voice: No, Bruce!
Aurora swooped in, clad in a white tank top and pale grey cotton shorts. She scooped Bruce up into her arms, frowning as she turned him around and held him up in front of her face. He stretched his neck out, sniffing at her nose.
Aurora: And no trying to cute your way out of it, either. I don’t want to be picking cat hair off of my dishes.
She set Bruce down onto the floor, then reached into the box to pull out a stack of plates, all of them carefully wrapped in newspaper. As she turned to carry the stack into the kitchen, Bruce followed her, rubbing up against her leg along the way. Aurora smirked.
Aurora: You know, your sister is still hiding under the bed. Guess she’s not as eager to explore as you are....
She giggled softly as she set the stack of plates on the counter above the dishwasher. Stepping back, she pulled the door to the dishwasher open, then began to unwrap the dishes one by one.
Aurora: I guess if we’re gonna break in this new kitchen by cooking dinner, we might as well make sure we have some clean dishes, right, Brucie?
Bruce jumped up onto the door, placing his paws on Aurora’s knee before she could pull out the top rack. It was his not-so-subtle way of letting her know he was more interesting than whatever it was she was doing. She sighed, reaching down to scratch him behind the ears.
Aurora: Fine... you win.
Bruce started to purr as Aurora moved her hand to scratch under his chin, only to suddenly shoot straight up when she felt a hand on her ass. As soon as she was upright, she spun around, ready to smash the plate in her hand over the face of whoever would be stupid enough to lay a hand on her....
Damon: WHOA! Harley, chill out; it’s just me!
Aurora: Ugh... you scared the shit out of me, Puddin’! I told you not to sneak up on me like that!
Damon slipped his arms around Aurora’s waist, pulling her against him as he chuckled. With an apologetic smile, he rested his chin on her shoulder, burying his face into her long, blonde locks.
Damon: Mmmmm... your hair’s making me thirsty for piña coladas...
Aurora: Hmmm... maybe later. I’m hoping to at least get the dishes unpacked before dinner.
Damon took the dish from her hand, kissing her on the cheek as he set it back on the counter.
Damon: What do you say we put off unpacking the dishes until after a bit of a lunch break?
Aurora’s chin fell to her chest as the sound of her rumbling stomach seemed to answer Damon’s question for her.
Aurora: Hmmm... now that you mention it, I could eat.
Damon chuckled as Aurora backed away from the dishwasher, looking down at herself in disgust. Her clothes were covered in tiny remnants of cardboard, along with a few bits of foam packing peanuts.
Aurora: But if it’s all the same to you, I’d prefer not to look like I just crawled out of the back of a fucking U-Haul!
Damon: Alright. You go get changed and I’ll go warm up the car.
Damon turned to head toward the door, only to be stopped by Aurora as she grabbed his hand.
Aurora: Puddin’?
Damon: Yes, Harley?
She stared into his emerald eyes, biting her lower lip in a look of feigned innocence – the sort of face she knew he could never say no to.
Aurora: Could we take one of the bikes? It’s been a while since we rode together.
He hissed as he rolled his eyes. Try as he might, he just couldn’t resist that face.
Damon: Oh, alright... you twisted my arm. But only if we take the red one... and I get to drive!
Damon pointed a finger in Aurora’s direction, which she pretended to bite as she giggled.
Aurora: Sure... give me an excuse to cop a feel.
Damon: Just go get changed, already!
Aurora giggled as she headed off toward their bedroom, with Bruce following behind her.
Damon closed the dishwasher and headed toward the door, but stopped to check his pockets.
Damon: SHIT! I’m not going anywhere without the damn keys!
He headed off toward the bedroom, only to find Aurora standing in the doorway of one of the spare bedrooms. The room itself was empty, but Aurora had a look on her face that suggested her imagination was running wild.
Damon: Harley...
Aurora didn’t answer; she just continued to stare at the bare white walls, a wistful smile on her face.
Damon: Harley...
Again, no answer. It was as if she was in a trance. Damon shook his head and sighed.
Damon: Alright, you leave me no choice....
He reached up, digging the tips of his fingers into her sides, growling playfully as he tickled her. She squealed, then turned around and playfully smacked him in the shoulder.
Aurora: I thought I told you NOT to sneak up on me!
Damon: I didn’t; I tried to get your attention, but you were in La-la land, staring at an empty room.
She glanced over her shoulder, sighing softly.
Aurora: Oh, I was just thinking about how we’re going to decorate this room once...
Damon put a finger against her lips as he smiled.
Damon: I know... but we have to wait until we actually get matched with someone. In the meantime, let’s just focus on getting ourselves settled first.
Aurora nodded her head, pursing her lips as she stared down at the floor. Damon smiled, lifting her chin up until her eyes were locked onto his.
Aurora: You’re right; I’m getting ahead of myself. But it doesn’t hurt to dream, does it?
Damon wrapped his arms around his wife, pulling her against his chest and closing his eyes.
Damon: Not at all, Harley. Not at all.
Again, Aurora’s growling stomach interrupted the moment, causing the couple to laugh. After a moment, Damon pulled back.
Damon: Now come on; at this rate, that stomach of yours is gonna start screaming!
With a laugh, he hooked Aurora’s arm with his own, pulling her away from the empty room. Their time at their new home would be all too brief, because in a few mere hours, they’d be back on the plane....
