Disclaimer: So I went to Corny (whom belongs to Luis and Holly Black) and I reminded him that Valentine's Day is coming up! He promptly began to puzzle through what to do, so I showed him a poem...
Valentine by Carol Ann Duffy
Neil (you and your pseudonyms),
Happy Valentine's Day. Love you,
-Luis.
P.S. You are adorable when you snore.
Corny's lips quirked up at the corners, touched by the romantic gesture. Conveniently placed on his bedside drawer beside the note was a single thorn less rose. It looked similar to the one given to him on their first official date. He would have to preserve it, too, by pressing it between the pages of the photo album.
Slipping from the warm comforts of their bed, he pulled on a random shirt. Taking the rose with him, he thumped down the stairs, anticipating a wonderful breakfast by the smells of it.
As expected, plate full of over easy eggs, dry rye toast, bacon (not burnt as he liked it because Luis said it is unhealthy) all made with care. The worshipped cook enveloped Corny within his arms. Automatically returning the embrace, he protested the loving kiss placed on his lips. Luis ignored the "I haven't brushed my teeth yet" and said, "Happy Valentine's Day."
"You sap, why aren't you in school today? You're supposed to make those professors work for that tuition."
"I figured you need me to beat off your suitors."
"My suitors? You're the only one idiotic enough to want me."
"I'm your idiot," with a boyish grin, Luis followed the flow of their long debated argument, "I have the True Sight remember? I'm sure I can see the real you."
"How could I ever forget that?" Corny gently kissed both eyelids that hid a deep blue eye and a milky misted over eye. "Come now, breakfast is going to get cold."
Grabbing a cup, he filled it with tap water and gently placed the rose as the table center piece. After a trip to the washroom, making sure he was presentable, they sat on the same chair, objecting Corny on Luis' lap.
Corny humoured Luis, having figured out that Luis was a closet romantic. He teasingly fed parted scarred lips, only to nearly shove it up his nose. Chortling, Luis took revenge by leaving bacon pieces in his hair.
Decently full and messy, they left the dining table, all the while shoving each other. Corny flew down the stairs to open the shop, briefly letting the cold February breeze drift into Moon in a Cup. Courtesy of Kaye, the shop was decorated with dark red ribbons and pink streamers. Even the brown toned walls seemed a lighter shade of chocolate. Floating in a corner, a fistful of blown balloons with sweet nonsense, such as "Be Mine" scripted on it.
Feeling unusually amused by this holiday rather than annoyed by it (he had a wonderful lover to enjoy it with), he started the first batch of cappuccinos.
By midday the coffee shop had attracted couples holding hands or seeking singles. The Lord of both the Seelie and Unseelie courts and his consort sat in a cozy, isolated corner, making googly eyes at each other. It being winter, they should have been in the Night Court. But Kaye figured an exception was to be made for the day of lovers.
To Corny's utter surprise, he had been approached several times with batting eyelashes and charming smiles from women and men (honestly, he didn't look that different from yesterday) and all times have been thwarted by Luis' protective arm around the shoulder. It must have been the concept of taking what was not yours; the forbidden fruit, he mused as Luis chased away another 'suitor' with a ferocious glare.
"You know, those are returning customers."
"Who should keep their eyes and hands off you."
"I never took you to be the possessive boyfriend." Or that you would be mine.
"I never thought you were that much of a lady's man. Or man's man?"
Corny gave a surprise laugh, "I think they just want to piss you off. I'm certainly not attractive."
Luis tapped a long finger on the tip of his nose, gaining Corny's undivided attention, "Didn't we cover this in the morning? Besides, I will not stand by and listen to you insult my tastes. I find you striking. And apparently, so do some other people." Luis glared contemptuously at the general area of the shop. Corny laughed again and went to attend a mother and her child.
"One peppermint white mochas, tall, and one hot chocolate," Corny delivered the drinks with a half smile. He looked with a casual eye towards Luis, who was working at the cash register, taking a blond woman's order. She was bluntly flirting, an overly saucy countenance and lingering hand on Luis' arm.
A sharp sensation he recognized as possessiveness and annoyance danced through his belly, he immediately stepped intimately beside Luis and offered an icy smile from the days when his life was filled with threatening fey towards the woman, "Can I get your order?"
She coughed to clear her throat at his sudden appearance, and began wobbly, "A small cappuccino, please."
"Is that all?" Corny smile was enough to freeze liquid fire twice over.
The woman nodded.
Few quick movements later, and the women vanished from the shop.
"You are so hot when you're jealous."
"Should I be jealous?" Corny frowned with petulance.
"Possessive then," Luis grinned smugly when Corny snorted.
The next hour or so, Luis managed to snag a couple of kisses, uncharacteristically giddy-like.
An hour to closing time, Kaye and Roiben said they had to leave for the Night Court. Generously, Roiben had written stories that he might have gathered from gentry that Kaye did not know of to include in their ever growing library at back of the shop.
Before they left, Kaye pulled Corny to the back among the books, "I made what you had requested. And you call Luis a closet romantic. This present can't get any sappier."
"Please Kaye, you're the one who asked an old friend of mine to make your prince charming silver love tokens," Corny teased back, handing her a considerably old style satin bag, the contents inside clinked pleasantly, "Good for one kiss? Good for all my love?"
"Shut up," Kaye half-heartedly pushed him. She gingerly took the gift, examined its contents, and then nodded in appreciation, "They'll do."
She took out gently from her coat pocket a paper bag, grinning, "He'll be so bewildered when he sees this. I wish I could see his expression."
"Do you think he'll like it?" He, too, carefully took it the bag.
"I'm sure he'll love it."
"Kaye," Roiben called, "We must not linger. The Night Court is waiting."
The pixie and human gave each other a fierce hug, knowing they wouldn't see each other till spring, "Happy Valentine's Day, Corny."
"Happy Valentine's Day, Kaye."
Secretively, Luis closed the shop and said they were going out.
"Is this an occasion where I have to get dressed up?"
"Nope, just go in whatever you're comfortable in."
In the end, Corny settled with a pair of faded jeans and a black turtle neck. It didn't make him seem as scrawny in it. Luis joined him when he was pulling on his jacket, a hand on a picnic basket.
"Let me guess, we're going to have a picnic in the winter. At night."
"You guessed correctly," Luis laughed.
"Why am I not surprised?" Corny rolled his eyes, "I suppose we'll be kissing under the stars, making passionate love on the dew covered grass, while bugs crawl up and down our legs and arms."
Eyes filled with mischief, Luis said, "That's what I'm hoping for, minus the bugs."
"Then I'm going to need a thicker coat." Corny ran back upstairs, changed the coat to put on a new one. Truthfully, he only said that he needed another jacket as an excuse to get the paper bag he hid in the bedside drawer. Giving it to him tonight would be perfect, and he didn't even have to think of a scenario. Stuffing it in a pocket, he double checked to see if it would fall out accidentally, or would the package be prominent. Knowing he couldn't keep Luis waiting any longer, he bounded down the stairs.
"That took a while," Luis greeted him with a kiss.
"Couldn't find the coat," Corny lied smoothly.
Hand in hand, they left through the back with Luis guiding them. It was still light out, the sun just setting beyond the horizon. About ten minutes of walking, Corny realized they were heading towards the park, "I hope you realize that fraternizing in public is illegal."
"I do," Luis grinned broadly.
They weren't the only couple taking a stroll in the park. Like them, they were intimately connected by the hands or hips. Corny grimaced, disliked being categorized as common lovers, but disliked even more the idea of relinquishing the warmth of Luis' hand.
Somehow, Luis was able to find them an isolated section of the park, trees and bushes covering them public eye. They checked for rocks, needles, and garbage. Satisfied, Luis laid down an old blanket. They settled down, making sure everything was comfortable in arrangement and within reach. Corny was delighted when he found out Luis made his favourite seafood pasta with an overdose of mozzarella. For dessert, Luis pulled out mango pudding, which he remembered Luis telling him was Dave's favourite.
Belly content and blissfully dazed, he gazed at the darkened sky. Not a single star glittered before him. But Corny was comfortable with the warmth of Luis' head on his abdomen. He fiddled with a thick braid of hair, feeling a welcomed rush of adoration spread through his system.
"Where'd you learn to cook like that?"
"If you are forced to live on your own for a while, you pick up a couple of skills. Mine just happens to be things a housewife would do."
"So you know how to sew, too?" Corny lifted his head to look at Luis in amusement.
"I'm can stitch and patch up a hole," Luis said rather defensively.
"Funny that you would bring up wives…" Corny said to the sky.
"What do you mean by that?" His blue eyes peered into his hazel curiously, "You're not going to tell me that you're married, are you?"
Corny forced himself to stretch his lips into a nervous smile. He lifted himself up, so they sat face to face on the soft comforts of the old blanket. Without answering Luis' previous question, Corny hugged Luis fiercely, "Thank you so much for the breakfast this morning and dinner tonight," he gave the other's cheek the briefest of kisses.
"And thank you again for protecting me from my Valentine's Day suitors," Corny nuzzled his boyfriend's jaw line with his nose.
"It was my pleasure," Luis breathed, confused and pleased.
"I have something for you, too." The devious mortal lulled his other deeper within the security of his arms with whispers of affection, and with his other half dazed, Corny pulled out the brown package out of his pockets.
Luis looked up from Corny's arms, kissed his collar bone in gratitude as he pulled out the gift.
With a bemused smile, he looked at Corny who wore a matching whimsical smile, "You gave me an onion?"
Guiding his hands so they enveloped Luis' darker ones he began with the barest of murmurs,
"Not a red rose or a satin heart,
I give you an onion."
Together, they peeled the skin,
"It is a moon wrapped in brown paper,
It promises light like the careful undressing of love.
Here."
Corny insistently gave it to Luis, so it was entirely within his palm. The pale smooth flesh of the onion gleamed an earthly opal.
"It will blind you with tears like a lover.
It will make your reflection a wobbling photo of grief.
I'm trying to be truthful.
Not a cute card or kissogram.
I give you an onion."
Corny was trying to convey his feelings through his hazel eyes. I might not be an ideal lover for you. I might make you to be sad. But I will be honest with you because all I have to give to you is me.
"Its fierce kiss will stay on your lips,
Possessive and faithful
As we are,
For as long as we're here."
At this Luis smirked.
"Take it.
Its platinum loops shrink to a wedding ring
If you like."
Though the lines were said like it had been rehearsed, Corny still rushed the last words insecurely. Blue eyes widened considerably, staring at him in disbelief, clutching the onion tighter, closer to his heart.
"Lethal.
Its scent will cling to your fingers,
Cling to your knife."
He finished solemnly, his expression blank. He didn't want his desires to get in the way of what Luis wanted. He silently pulled out a fruit knife from the basket and placed it carefully at Luis' knees.
Luis cradled the onion, stroked its beautiful pale flesh, and took the knife to the surface. He watched Corny's reaction with careful eyes. Delicately and cautiously, he cut it in half.
Anxiously, though his facial expressions showed nothing, Corny watched Luis pick out the ring. It was a deeper opal than the onion flesh, more solid and intricate, but no less beautiful. The stone itself was an amber gem and sparkled under the faint light.
Luis held it between his fingers and once again met eyes with him. His hands cupped Corny's chin, kissed him ever softly and said, "If you think I'm going to say no, you are going to be disappointed. Does this mean you'll get down on your knees for me?"
Almost immediately, Corny released the breath he was holding and smiled widely, "With this ring," Corny held Luis' hands within his, "Will you promise me your hand in marriage?"
"And you call me a sap. How many romance books have you been reading to obtain that line?"
"Not very many."
"Well then. As it is, my virtue has already been sullied, and even if you hadn't asked me for my hand, I would have forced it on you to take responsibility."
"If I remember correctly, it was you who took my virtue first."
"First, second... what does it matter?" Luis grinned light-heartedly, "Aren't you going to put the ring on me now?"
"You will have to say, yes."
"Yes." And Corny threaded the ring onto his left ring finger. They admired it on his hand for a few moments, breathless.
"Of course this will be the promise ring; I expect that our wedding rings will be silver or gold. That opal looked better in my head than on your hand," though Corny stroked his ring finger lovingly.
"Are you certain?" Luis breathed, drawing nearer to Corny.
"Very."
Their lips clashed and moulded together as they did in the beginning, bodies straining to be nearer to each others. He trailed tiny, frantic kisses down the strong jaw and unto the dark curve of his fiancée's neck. Meanwhile, Luis' right hand—his left being held captive by Corny's—managed to snake their way under his turtle neck and onto his abdomen. Murmuring against Corny's soft skin he managed to speak.
"I hope you realize that just because you proposed, I'm not going to be the one walking down the aisle."
A/N: Honestly, throughout this whole fic I had to struggle to keep up with Corny's perspective. It was so easy to fall back to Luis'. But I must be diligent! So yes, Corny proposed to Luis and I got them married! Or they will be. I very much doubt I'll actually plan a wedding for them LOL. However, if you prospective reviewers hand me some fruitful ideas and I get my hands on a wedding magazine, it might be possible.
The lovely poem Corny recited is by Carol Ann Duffy, Valentine. I have tried to give my perspective on it the best I can. XD Remember when you read this poem, you may have a different take on it. I hope I didn't mangle it.