•Got My Angel Now•

[Ryder Xavier Wilcox]

Ryder woke up that morning blissfully unaware of the turn the day would take. He rolled over, wrapping his arm around Aimee and pulling her closer to him. They shared a good morning, with showers and breakfast. It was during breakfast that Aimee had asked him to help out with some of the decisions for their wedding. As much as he argued that it was her day and he only wanted her to be happy, she still fought him. He agreed, but after he hit the library for some reference books. It was nearly the end of the year and he had plenty of final projects and assignments to do. He still had to finish the sketches for an imaginary building he was creating, not to mention start the four essays that were due within two weeks. There was far too much to do but he worked better under some pressure and knew with the fast approaching deadlines, he would spit out his greatest work.

The architect to be was in and out of the library within a couple hours and texting Aimee to find out where he was meeting her to, exactly. There were so many appointments booked already; it was a wonder anyone could keep them all straight. Maybe it was because he’d only said he would try to help with a couple of appointments but with all the assignments he still had to get done, he wasn’t promising an appearance to them all, or most of them. Ryder tossed his books in the backseat of his SUV before climbing behind the wheel and heading back towards Aimee’s apartment. They’d been spending more and more time there. Not only because Nikki wasn’t there, but also to give his twin some space to see how she felt living alone. It would be the first time the twins were living away from each other but Ryder had promised to see her every day and hang out for a bit. She hadn’t been as gung ho about him proposing to Aimee, let alone marrying her in the first place. She’d come around though, in the last little while and was even starting to look like she was excited and enjoying the finer details of wedding planning. As far as Ry was concerned, two of the most important women in his life could keep the planning to themselves and just bring him in to sign papers and say “I do”.

And those feelings were even more cemented in him when he actually got back to Aimee’s place and found himself sitting on the couch with a folder filled with different shades of white that all looked the exact same just with different names. If he had known all that went into planning a wedding, Ryder would have made himself scarce. As it was, he hadn’t known what was all involved and had agreed to help because his fiancé had asked him to. There were a lot of details; things he hadn’t even thought would be considered at all. Who thought of table cloths matching the napkins? And why did all of that have to match the dresses the girls were going to wear? It was just boggling how much went into a wedding. He would have been happy with just a simple ceremony at City Hall, twenty minutes, a judge and a ring was all he was looking for. But he wanted to make Aimee happy and that meant this big white wedding. He loved her, would do anything for her and if that meant sitting through tastings, looking at what appeared to be the same shade of white with eight different names, then so be it. He turned the page of the wedding book Aimee had started. He didn’t know exactly why she wanted his opinion on the colours for their wedding. It was her day; she should have whatever she wanted. “What about this one here, the uh,” he said looking closer at the name under his index finger. “Antique White,” he said, leaning back against the cushions again as he looked over at the beautiful woman sitting next to him.

Tag|| Aimee! <3
Words ||691
Clothes || Anywhere else
Music || Play Me That Song by Brantley Gilbert
Notes || <3

[Aimee Elizabeth March]

Since the announcement of their engagement, Aimee had been working non-stop. Both of them had agreed on having the wedding as soon as possible, which left her with little time to do anything but answer phonecalls, sleep, and attempt to stay on top of all of her end of the year work. Her mother was going nuts over the planning, especially the dresses that would be needed. Aimee's gown was going to be hand-sewn with the finest everything, giving it a price that would no doubt be enough to buy a few houses, as were the bridesmaids' dresses. Personally, she couldn't care less; all she wanted out of this was Ryder. But, her mom had never been one for "simple," so an elaborate white wedding was taking shape and getting closer as the days passed. The date was set, the venue rented, and the food covered; now came the color-coordinating, cake-tasting, and honeymoon arranging.

Aimee liked that Ryder was spending more and more nights at her apartment. It gave them a chance for some alone time, though she did feel bad for stealing him away from his sister. In a few months, she would get him all to herself, so she did try and push him to go home on occasion. She'd rather have him cuddled in her bed, but she knew she had to share; she wasn't the only girl in his life.

She enjoyed the tentative morning routine they'd established, kissing him goodbye before setting off to finish a few designs for school. There were essays she had to do, and a dress she was supposed to be sewing, but those were being put on hold for more wedding appointments. Aimee was quickly tiring of them, only going because her mother was such a fanatic about everything being "to her liking." Between that woman and Ryder, she felt a bit spoiled, which was why she tried to con her fiancee into attending, too. He was as much a part of this as she was, no matter how many times he tried to convince her otherwise. The meeting for today wasn't going to be too horrible; her mom had gone out of town for a show, so they didn't have to put up with the woman in person. She'd be video-chatting, but that could easily "lose connection" and leave the couple to do as they pleased. Aimee settled Ryder on the couch once he returned, handing him a folder and trying to make it seem like they were actually doing something when her mom called.

Scooping up a book of bridesmaids dresses and flower arrangements, Aimee paged through it, placing sticky notes on squares she liked or thought looked pretty. She'd hand this one over to Ryder next and have him go through it, as well, and they'd hopefully be able to agree upon something. Looking up as she spoke, she pursed her lips and shook her head. "But my dress is Eggshell; it'll clash," she said in a patient tone, reaching up to peck his lips. "Here, try this one. It's a bit more... colorful." She switched their folders, giving him the one full of flowers and girly things as she took a look at the swatches of white. Having grown up doing this, it was a bit easier on her nerves to stare at endless pictures of the same color, though even she preferred the pretty pictures of the other book.

• • •

WORDS: 601!
TAG: Ryder! <3
LOCATION: Her Place!
MUSIC: A Thousand Years by Christina Perri
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Ryder Xavier Wilcox]

He wasn’t regretting it exactly, but had he known what he now knew, there would have been plans made so he could avoid these hours of flowers, colours and napkins. He loved Aimee; he just didn’t love the process of getting the couple down the aisle. His mother was constantly calling and texting and because she was excited it was all in Italian. Too bad her phone enjoyed switching the words out. There were a few Ryder had just given in about and called her up; yet another mistake on his list of many. Everything was school, work and wedding planning. A little after all their finals were finished, Aimee would be walking down the aisle towards him; they would be sharing ‘I do’s’ and exchanging rings and spending the summer travelling through Europe with a special stop in Italy for Aimee to meet the family that couldn’t make it to the wedding.

If it were up to him, the ceremony would be small, practically no one there just a few friends and family, maybe in his parent’s backyard. Something simple were all they had to really worry about was getting Aimee a dress, the rings and at the very least a justice of the peace to officiate. He already had a suit, so no need to worry there. Flowers, well they would just need a bouquet if Aimee wanted one, his mother had beautiful gardens. But he was sitting through all of this, giving his opinion on different shades of white, flowers and bridesmaid’s dress colours because Aimee wanted this. He was doing it all for her.

He wasn’t good at this. Sighing, Ryder returned to looking at the page of the new book in front of him after the simple, sweet kiss. ”Bring it on, Tesoro,” he said, smiling over at her. At least this one was colourful, though how he was supposed to find a lick of caring what colour the flowers were or the dresses, he didn’t have a clue. “What flower is this, do you know?” He asked, pointing at one he’d seen in his mother’s gardens the previous summer. “My mom has it in her garden,” he added, thinking she should know where he’d seen the flower before even though it really didn’t matter. And it had a sticky note beside it so there was obviously something about it that had caught Aimee’s eye as well. He wanted to be doing this about as much as he wanted a root canal, but he was trying hard to stamp that down and just be happy he was spending some quality time with his fiancée with her mother barging in on them to chitchat about the flowers, caterers, dresses or colours. Hell, the last time she’d stopped by before her trip the two had spent nearly forty minutes going on about shoes! Thankfully, he’d been doing homework so he’d been able to hide away.

Tag|| Aimee! <3
Words ||488
Clothes || Anywhere else
Music || Play Me That Song by Brantley Gilbert
Notes || <3

[Aimee Elizabeth March]

Aimee was ready for all of this to be over. School, wedding planning, the big day; it'd be so peaceful and quiet and simple. She and Ryder could fall back into a normal routine and just enjoy being togehter, like they'd been doing for the past couple weeks before he proposed. That seemed to have jump-started everything, and she was tiring of being so busy. At least she still got to spend time with Ryder.

Despite how stressed everything had her, Aimee was looking forward to the honeymoon. That was her favorite part of the planning, mainly because it was fun to listen to Ryder talk about Italy and all the amazing places they'd be going there. She was excited for the other countries and stops, of course, but his hometown was set to be the main attraction, and she was practically counting down the days until they'd be there, meeting up with his family and enjoying the wonderful food.

She knew how much he hated this, but, she had to appease her mother. The fact that she'd been engaged to someone not on the "approved list" had already gotten Aimee quite a few points against her, so, by allowing this huge wedding, she was cushioning the blow. Besides, once it was over, she and Ryder would be free to do as they pleased and would be left alone. They'd move in together, finish up school, and enjoy life by each other's side; it'd be perfect after all this wedding drama was done. "You are a saint," she smiled sweetly, reaching over to give him another, longer kiss.

She went back to her book, marking a couple shades of white to be re-checked later. At his question, she looked up, shaking her head as she saw the picture. "I have no clue. It looked pretty, so I tagged it," she shrugged innocently, smiling at the story. "Maybe, if they're blooming by the wedding day, we can steal a couple for my bouquet," she added with a grin. Aimee did like his mother, and the flowers were beautiful. If she could borrow a couple, it'd be absolutely amazing.

Slamming her book closed, she set it on the coffee table, shoving Ryder's to the side as well. She leaned over, her lips meeting his again in a warm kiss. "We need a break from this; from everything," she sighed, leaning back against the couch in exhaustion.

• • •

WORDS: 437!
TAG: Ryder! <3
LOCATION: Her Place!
MUSIC: A Thousand Years by Christina Perri
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Ryder Xavier Wilcox]

Ryder chuckled shaking his head. “I’m not eligible for Sainthood,” he said against her lips, teasing. He was certain there were requirements for that and being celibate was one of them. Not to mention the thoughts that went through his mind whenever Aimee was around him. Those alone would toss him from the eligibility list. He didn’t want to be doing this, any of this. He didn’t want to be anywhere near these magazines and books. When this was all over and done with, he didn’t think he would ever read another magazine or book or anything ever again if it didn’t revolve around architecture or music. If after all this was done and over with, he knew what the hell baby’s breath was, he was seriously contemplating tossing himself from the apartment window. Aimee, football, music and buildings, these would be what his world revolved around after the wedding, just so he could feel like a guy again and not some girl’s gay wedding planning best friend.

Ryder nodded. He had asked, but he didn’t really want to know what the flower was called. “I don’t see why she wouldn’t let you have some. She adores you and has already ranted on about her pretty new daughter,” Ryder said chuckling. With his mother there was no such thing as “in-laws”. When she married his father, it was mom and General. After a while it was mom and that ass she married, and the kids were nearly the same calling them grandma and that ass that doesn’t deserve her. “I’ll call her and ask later,” he said, making a mental note to just stop by the house later, have some tea with his mother and talk wedding; because he knew how much she loved the idea that her son had found someone he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

It seemed like another hour or two had passed in the two or three pages he’d turned. It was all just a blur of colours and whites now. Ryder didn’t know which way was up in the tunnel of wedding planning. He’d been about to say something when Aimee’s book slammed shut, bringing him out of his trance and having him keep his mouth shut to see what she was doing. He kissed her back, happily. When she leaned back, he turned to face her better. “What did you have in mind, Tesoro?” he asked, propping his arm up along the back of the couch, his fingers playing lightly with her dark hair.

Tag|| Aimee! <3
Words ||425
Clothes || Anywhere else
Music || Play Me That Song by Brantley Gilbert
Notes || <3

[Aimee Elizabeth March]

Ryder may hate this all he liked, and she may join him in most of it, but, at the end of the day, this was her world. Colors and designs and planning and swatches; this was what she was being groomed to do. One day, it would be her shouldering a fashion company's name, and all of this wedding planning would look like child's play. Aimee knew it, dreaded it, and prayed it'd somehow go away. But, unless some miracle occured, it looked like she'd forever be stuck in books like the ones currently strewn across her apartment.

She couldn't hide her own smirk at his answer, kissing him a bit harder. There was no way either of them could be saints now, especially not after the eventful nights they'd been having since Ryder practically moved into her place. "I don't think we'll ever be," she giggled breathlessly as she pulled away from the kiss. They were supposed to be working on these color ideas, though there was so much else to do besides choose swatches. Her mother may have believed them the most important thing on the planet, but Aimee had other things on her list. Discussing the honeymoon, for one, and where the couple would be living after the wedding. There was a guest list to be checked, as well, and a menu to looked over. Plus, she had a design she needed to finish for school, and a few essays she still hadn't even thought about. Color swatches were the least of her worries right now.

Aimee couldn't hide a smile as Ryder said his mother loved her. She did like his parents, though his sister still seemed to avoid her whenever she came near. And, that best friend of his was a piece of work; she doubted she'd ever truly get along with her. She reached up and pecked his cheek, saying, "Did you show her the invitations yet? And did Nikki try on her dress? Allela said it'd fit, but she hasn't called to say if it did." Aimee still couldn't believe Nikki had bailed on the shopping trip; it was supposed to have been bonding time for them, along with Allela. All that had really come of it was Aimee and Allela hating each other more, and a few expensive dresses being picked out that had the present-bridesmaid cringing. There really was no way she was ever going to get those two to like her.

She curled up next to Ryder, her head on his shoulder and her eyes closing as he fingers began to toy with her hair. Aimee loved when he played with the long locks, and she especially loved when she could just snuggle with him and not have to worry about anything other than how his touch made her heart race. "We could run away and elope," she suggested hopefully, sighing after as she opened her eyes to look up at him. She pressed her lips gently to his chin, reluctantly untangling herself from him and getting up off the couch to straighten the other wedding books spread over the coffee table. "How about pizza? We can blow off my mom, order in dinner, and possibly burn these stupid books," she said, turning around to face him. She smirked, hands on her hips, "And, we can turn off every phone, computer, or electronic device in the place. No weddings, no school, no anything; I'm sick of it. I want you all to myself for a night." Aimee leaned down and gave him a loving kiss, hoping he'd agree to the mini-escape from the world. They both needed it; the only problem was finding a time when they could take the break. Well, there was no better time than the present.

• • •

WORDS: 673!
TAG: Ryder! <3
LOCATION: Her Place!
MUSIC: A Thousand Years by Christina Perri
OUTFIT: LOOK AT ME!
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Ryder Xavier Wilcox]

Ryder was aware that this would be Aimee’s life, her career was clothes; no, fashion. Designing, creating, and searching through books upon books of fabric squares, choosing the best one and turning a drawing into reality. He was very proud of her, and always smiled when he thought about it. It was, in some ways, exactly what he wanted to do with his life. Only he didn’t work with fabrics and colours; he worked with steel and wood. He looked at schematics and a space and tried to see how he could rework the building, or create a new one, a better one that was ecofriendly. There was so much going into this wedding, it was so overwhelming. A few weeks ago he’d been more concerned with finishing projects and filling his sketch books with ideas and designs and now it was what food they wanted to serve at the reception.

“Not since the day we met,” Ryder said, knowing he had fallen that day and not just her. She may have fallen into his lap with the help of those shoes she and the most of the female population adored so much. He still felt like his life really began that day and he didn’t want to live the rest of his life without the charming, beautiful woman sitting next to him. Though there were a number of things Ryder would prefer to be doing at the moment, other than looking at flowers, shades of white and food choices. He wanted to toss it all away and just curl up with Aimee and watch bad TV, order takeout and veg out for days.

Ryder sighed, heavily. His sister, as much as he loved her, was being a pain about all of this. She was lightening up on it though, so that was a plus. Allela on the other hand wasn’t being nearly half as nice as his twin. Nikki was practically an angel by comparison. “Yes, she said they were lovely, and I have no clue. She’s been MIA the last couple weeks; in person at least. She texts and calls the family but her dress is back at the apartment, waiting for her,” he said, rolling his eyes. He knew when he’d first told her, Nikki wasn’t as gung ho about the engagement as he would have liked, but she was warming to the idea slowly.

Chuckling, Ryder turned his head and pressed his lips to Aimee’s temple. “Our mother’s would kill us both,” he said, letting his hand fall away when she stood up and starting organizing the stacks of books littering the table. He picked a couple up and set them on a pile she’d already straightened up. “That sounds like the better option by far; a good old fashion book burning,” he said, jokingly, “Lock them up in the cupboards and be done with it for the day.” He stood, wrapping his arms around her waist and lifting her up a few inches of the ground, holding her against his body. He kissed her again, lingering a little longer this time. “You order the food, I’ll hide anything not related to bad movies and take out,” he said, finally setting her on her feet again.

Tag|| Aimee! <3
Words ||540
Clothes || Anywhere else
Music || Play Me That Song by Brantley Gilbert
Notes || <3

[Aimee Elizabeth March]

Aimee's entire life had been fashion. From the moment she was born, it was designer booties and Baby Chanel everything, and it'd carried over into the rest of her years thanks to her mother. There wasn't really a choice in it becoming her major, or of her becoming a designer; it was expected. Everyone, including her mother, saw her as the darling daughter set to take over a fashion house that she'd been the star of more than once. She didn't have a choice in it, and never had. Unless she wanted to be cast off, she had to play along with it all and be princess, which was why she didn't protest in her mother basically running the wedding. It was what she did; sit back and let Mother take over while she smiled and nodded.

There were perks to being an only child, and she'd contiually realized more as she tried to interact with Nikki. At least Ryder only had her parents to impress; she had his sister, his best friend, his parents, and his grandparents. Though, with the world she lived in, he'd quickly realize that people openly expressed their opinions of relationships, even when they weren't wanted.

Aimee sighed heavily as Ryder answered. "She may not like me, but it's your wedding, too," she muttered, shaking her head. "I'm glad your mom liked the invites, though. Has she picked out a dress yet? Mother offered to give her one from the shop, if she'd like," Aimee said, glad to use her mom for something good. She truly loved Mrs Wilcox, and would love to have her over for lunch upstairs, and a mini-shopping spree downstairs. Her apartment above the boutique could finally be used for something!

"Not if we didn't come back," she challenged with a smirk. Running off did sound like a great idea, but, their honeymoon was going to have to be enough of a trip; at least they'd have their freedom then. Aimee smiled as he wrapped his arms around her, hers going around his neck as her feet left the floor. She giggled against his lips, kissing him back gently and easily landing back on her feet. "You can throw the books on my desk. I'll have to sort through them later again, anyways," she said quickly, going into the kitchen to find her collection of takeout menus. They were hidden inside a cookie jar tucked behind boxes of cereal, away from her mother's sharp gaze and suspicions. She set everything back into place, leaving the jar out and pulling the menus free. "What're you in the mood for?" Aimee called over her shoulder, shooting him a suggestive smirk.

• • •

WORDS: 492!
TAG: Ryder! <3
LOCATION: Her Place!
MUSIC: A Thousand Years by Christina Perri
OUTFIT: LOOK AT ME!
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Ryder Xavier Wilcox]

Ryder had been holding off on telling his grandfather the news of the engagement for as long as he possibly could. His grandmother knew, and since she adored Aimee, welcomed the news happy. His parents loved her from the moment they met her and the only ones who seemed to be so against their relationship was the old man, Nikki and Allela. Allela was very vocal about her opinions on it all. She was wary of it all but ultimately said it was his life and he could do with it as he so pleased. Of the ones who knew about it, it was Nikki who was being a pain in the ass about it all. Even warming, she was still not for it. It was difficult planning a wedding with a big Italian family. Even with some people not knowing, there were still a dozen others who had opinions on everything. “Ma would love that. You should text her later about it, invite her. She’d appreciate the gesture, too,” he added, though his mother already adored his betrothed. It wouldn’t have been difficult to twist his mother’s arm into going out for a day with Aimee.

“Your father would have the FBI on our trail before we could board the plane,” he said, chuckling. If it were an option, at this point, he would have gone straight down to city hall, filed the paperwork, paid the cash and said I do right then and there. “And I don’t know if it’s possible to deport to deport me. If it is, I’d be on the next plane back to Italy and you’ll be locked up in a tower without a door, Rapunzel,” he added, smirking at the reference. Besides, he’d much rather not find out if his dual citizenship meant what it was supposed to. He didn’t want to live forever in Verona with his extended family. A visit was all fine and good but to live there? Not until he was old, retired and had lived a full and wonderful life with Aimee.

Grinning he watched Aimee head into the kitchen before picking up the piles of magazines, binders, scribbled notes and anything else that was on the table that looked wedding related. He left everything on her desk, tidying up the pile he’d just made once again before leaving the room again. He was nearly to the kitchen when he heard Aimee called out. He leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed and his legs at the ankles. “Starts with a ‘y’, ends with a ‘u’,” he said grinning wickedly. “Though I’ll settle for Chinese for the time being,” he added, stepping up to his fiancée and wrapping his arms around her waist, leaning slightly to rest his chin on her shoulder.

Tag|| Aimee! <3
Words ||465
Clothes || Anywhere else
Music || Play Me That Song by Brantley Gilbert
Notes || <3

[Aimee Elizabeth March]

Aimee was excited about the idea of being a part of a functional family. She and her parents had never really been that family that sat around the table each night, the ones who watched movies together and made memories; they saw each other when necessary, rarely at dinner at the exact same time, and usually made "memories" at some sort of social party. The fact that Ryder had such a loving, welcoming family only made this wedding and almost-marriage easier; she felt like she was going into a real home for once. She hoped to have that someday with him. They could move out to the suburbs, raise a few kids, and enjoy their lives together; that was what she saw every time she thought about the future. No more rushing around the city, no more fussing over clothes and modelling; them, living together and creating memories with their own families.

"I'll call her tomorrow. I've got to talk seating arrangements with her, so I'll slip it in then," she smiled, making a mental note to do just that. Lunch and a mini, private shopping spree with her future mother-in-law actually sounded fun, especially since she was sure Mrs Wilcox would be a lot less cruel than Alella.

Aimee sighed in agreement as Ryder spoke, knowing he was right. Her father had the resources to get both of them locked away if needed, though the man was decently found of his future son-in-law. He'd complimented his daughter a few times on her choice, even if it was a bit of a disappointment to some of his colleagues. Mr March was fond of Ryder, despite his lack of business knowledge, mainly because Aimee was so in love with him. Her mother may be caught up in the wedding, but she knew her father was more focused on how the couple worked and if it'd be a smart match; so far, he hadn't had much to complain about.

She couldn't keep the smirk off her face as she heard him come in, leaning back against him as his chin came to rest on her shoulder. Aimee was considerably shorter than him, especially when she didn't wear her trademark heels, but she liked the feeling of being tiny and delicate. Besides, she felt more like herself when she wasn't tottering around in miniature skyscrapers. "Sometimes I swear that's all you think about," she joked teasingly, turning her head to give him a gentle kiss. "Mm, Chinese it is. We're getting extra eggrolls, by the way. And extra food; we need something for breakfast," she said with a laugh, plucking out the menu and tucking the rest back into their hiding place.

• • •

WORDS: 480!
TAG: Ryder! <3
LOCATION: Her Place!
MUSIC: A Thousand Years by Christina Perri
OUTFIT: LOOK AT ME!
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Ryder Xavier Wilcox]

Ryder was just as excited about this wedding happening as Aimee was. He couldn’t wait for Aimee to be an official part of the family, to start a family, have a couple kids he could teach to play the guitar. When he’d first met Aimee’s parents, he was shocked to say the least. Coming from a family that were loud and spoke over each other to get their opinions out and going into a barely civil meal where the questions asked where bordering interrogation and only required a simple answer had left Ryder reeling for quite some time after they’d left. Then again, it had probably been a little shocking for Aimee to show up at his family’s Sunday dinner where half the people were yelling out profanities in Italian while pretending to be polite in English and the other half were trying to talk down the first half! It was why half his friends got along so well in the family, and loved stopping by for the Sunday dinners when everyone was welcome. “She’ll love that. I think she’s more excited about this than we are,” he said, teasing.

Meeting Aimee’s family and trying to impress them, show them how much he truly loved their daughter was a daunting task. He loved her, wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, grow old and sit on a porch swing listening to their grandbabies ramble on incoherently about school and things. If they didn’t believe that from even the look in his eye, then there was no way he was going to ever be able to prove it except be with her forever, by her side and cheering her on with whatever she wanted to go after. His family was a little more welcoming and, hopefully, far less scary. Aside from Nikki’s initial dislike and his grandfather’s hatred and disapproval for anything either of the twins liked. They’d learned though, not to care about what that man had to say or thought on a matter. He was old and too set in his ways to change him now. The only thing that would please the old man would be Ryder telling everyone he was going to enlist and for Nikki to tell everyone she was married and expecting her second child already! Anything short of that just wouldn’t ever make the man smile.

Ryder chuckled pressing a kiss to Aimee’s lips. “That’s not true! I think about music, too,” he said seriously, kissing her again. He couldn’t get enough to Aimee. He spent one night at the apartment he shared with his sister and was disappointed when he woke up and the other side of the bed was empty. “Get all the extra food you want, but I stashed some pancake mix in the cupboard. It’s not as good as homemade but it’ll do in a pinch,” he said, going over to another cupboard, opening it up and pulling out a box of pancake mix. He’d had the stuff before when the family had gone camping and it was good. Not as good as his mom’s that she made from scratch, but then again, he didn’t think there was much out there better than his mother’s cooking.

Tag|| Aimee! <3
Words ||539
Clothes || Anywhere else
Music || Play Me That Song by Brantley Gilbert
Notes || <3

[Aimee Elizabeth March]

Aimee would never be able to pull off sweet little housewife. She barely knew how to cook, paid someone to clean her apartment, and had rarely dealt with babies in her lifetime; not exactly the makings for a perfect wife. Ask her which fork to use, which colors were in for the season, and how much her earrings cost; those were the kind of things she was used to. Shopping, tea, and clothes were what she had lived and breathed her whole life. There hadn't been time for the motherly lessons normal girls got from their moms; she kind of wished she'd gotten some, now that she was marrying such a "traditional" guy. His family was so great and perfect, and she had no idea how she'd look, unable to do anything but design expensive clothes. Ryder could cook better than her, and she was betting he could bake, clean, and keep house a hell of a let better, too.

Despite all of it, she still wanted to marry him. Her parents and friends could disapprove as much as they liked; Ryder was the one for her, and she'd been sure of it since the day she fell into his lap. He never failed to make her grin, and just being around him brought a sense of calm and happiness that Aimee had never felt before. Whenever he went home to spend some time with his sister, she couldn't help feeling alone and a bit cold; sharing a bed with him was a luxury she never wanted to lose. Cuddling with him was heaven, and kissing was a whole new bliss for her; she couldn't picture life without him now, and she didn't want to try.

She shot him a playful glare, going to get the phone as he went for the pancake mix. Food had magically been appearing in her cupboards since he'd started practically living with her, but she didn't complain; she loved when he cooked for her and forced her into healthier, homemade food. She typed in the number for the Chinese place, rambling off their usual order, along with the few extras she was craving. She gave the apartment address, sighing at the forty-five minute wait time as she hung up. "Isn't it called 'fast food' for a reason? Not 'forty-five minute food?'" she grumbled, setting the phone back into its dock and going to replace the takeout menu. Coming up to Ryder, she spread her fingers on his chest, reaching up to give him a long, sweet kiss. "I think there's some candles from our last living room camp-out. We can set up a fort and put that fireplace thing on the TV... cuddle under some blankets while we wait," she whispered, pressing her lips against his between words. Screw wedding planning; they could focus on that after they had their first bit of fun in weeks.

• • •

WORDS: 506!
TAG: Ryder! <3
LOCATION: Her Place!
MUSIC: A Thousand Years by Christina Perri
OUTFIT: LOOK AT ME!
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Ryder Xavier Wilcox]

For six years of his life Ryder practically lived with his Italian grandparents since both his parents worked. And then every summer after that he spent in Verona with that side of his family. All that time in the Italian countryside, he had to learn something about his culture. And in an Italian family, everyone needed to know how to cook. His Nonna wouldn’t allow either of the twins to go through life clueless in the kitchen. By the time they moved to New York, Ryder and Nikki knew how to cook well enough, bake and clean. His family wasn’t entirely the traditional Italian family like others were. The women didn’t do all the house work, the cleaning, cooking or baking. They didn’t dote on the men like they were the kings of the castle, even if they were unemployed, rude assholes. Nonna Bartolini didn’t treat her husband like he was Heaven sent; she didn’t treat her sons that way. When they were old enough, they were sent off to college, living alone and fending for themselves. They left her home knowing how to take care of themselves and that was what she’d wanted from them. Ryder was the same. Even at the tender age of 3, he was learning how to bake, how to cook. He couldn’t remember a lick of those lessons, but the ones from his summers he remembered well.

To him, it didn’t matter if Aimee was the perfect housewife, he wasn’t looking for that in her and if she ever wanted to cook, his mother would be more than pleased to teach her. Carinna loved Aimee nearly as much as her son did. And like her son, she wasn’t expecting Aimee to be a Stepford wife either. Ryder loved Aimee though, and didn’t want the fashion addicted brunette to leave his life for any reason. She’d fallen into his lap that first day and he’d known instantly looking at her that his life was changed. She was exactly what he’d been looking for. He didn’t care if she had never cooked a day in her life, if she hired a service to clean the apartment or if kids made her nervous because she’d grown up hardly around them. She was his and waking up with her curled in next to him in bed was something he wanted to do every morning and felt a little empty when he went back to his own apartment for a night or two to spend with Nikki.

“In New York, that is fast, unless you go to the restaurant and grab to go,” he said, rolling his eyes. He didn’t like takeout food for that exact reason. It took just as long to cook something himself as it did to wait on the delivery guy to knock on the door with his order in hand. He set the box on the counter, pushed in a bit so it was out of the way but in sight for the morning when he hadn’t had coffee yet and wondering if left over Chinese food was really worth the stomach ache it always gave him. Ryder easily fell into the kiss, spreading his hands on her hips and holding her against him. “That sounds like a great plan, Tesoro,” he said, leaning closer and letting his hands slide lower to pick Aimee up. Grinning like a mad man a bit, Ryder carried his fiancée back into the living room, pressing a quick but heated kiss to her lips before setting her on her feet again and letting her go to search out those candles himself. "Found them," he said, returning to the couch and setting them down on the coffee table.

Tag|| Aimee! <3
Words || 619
Clothes || Anywhere else
Music || Play Me That Song by Brantley Gilbert
Notes || <3

[Aimee Elizabeth March]

They were both only twenty years old, a fact many people kept throwing in Aimee's face. They pointed out how horribly young marriages often turned out, and how unhappy she'd be tied down so early in life. They used this niece or that friend's daughter as an example, claiming they'd all married at the same age and gotten divorced within a couple years, claiming the other person wasn't the same anymore and their fairy tale wasn't what they'd wanted. Aimee wasn't afraid of that happening though; if she had been, she would've never said yes in the first place. She'd seen a perfectly loveless marriage survive her entire lifetime, and, while it wasn't what she dreamed about, it wasn't actually that terrible. Even if her and Ryder did drift apart, they could be friends and go through life together; they wouldn't have to be that horrid tale of divorce and heartache. Though, she didn't want to happen. She wanted to always be head over heels for him, and to get a rush of butterflies every time he entered a room. That was the kind of love she'd never believed was real, and it was also the love that had prompted the quick marriage. People could claim that she was pregnant as much as they pleased; Aimee knew better, and so did Ryder. They were young, crazy, and in love; what was stopping them from announcing those feelings to the world through a wonderful marriage?

Aimee giggled as Ryder pulled her against himself, deepening their kiss further. She pecked his lips when he spoke, smiling happily. "I'm sure we'll find creative ways to waste time until the food's here," she joked, clinging to him as he scooped her up and carried her to the living room. She wrapped her legs around him, kissing him hungrily again before he set her down. She released him, pulling out their usual blankets and pillows that were used specifically for lounging in the living room. Aimee spread them out, turning and smiling as Ryder brought in the candles. She pulled a lighter from a drawer in the coffee table, easily lighting the candles and setting the romantic mood before tucking the device back where it belonged. Spreading out on the blankets, she smirked up at him and grabbed the remote, flipping the fireplace onto her flatscreen. "Anything else we need?" she said, running a hand through her loose, messy curls.

• • •

WORDS: 433!
TAG: Ryder! <3
LOCATION: Her Place!
MUSIC: A Thousand Years by Christina Perri
OUTFIT: LOOK AT ME!
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Ryder Xavier Wilcox]

Ryder loved Aimee. That was all that mattered to the twenty year old singer. Age was simply a number to him. So what if they were marrying young, Ryder knew from the moment Aimee tripped up and fell into his lap that she was the one. He was hardly going to keep his mouth shut about it; not that he could. Growing up in a very Italian family meant there was no such thing as hiding your feelings or emotions. It didn’t matter to Ryder if they waited five weeks or five years to walk down the aisle and say their vows; it was going to happen either way. Ryder would prefer sooner rather than later, but it all came down to what Aimee wanted. And so far, the pretty brunette wanted sooner just as much as he did.

And as much as Ryder wanted to have a few kids, start his own family, he wanted that to be a little later. After all, they were only twenty; they had love and time on their side. At the very least, Ryder wanted to be finished school before really sitting down and talking about kids. That was the hope at any rate, but he knew better than anyone that plans didn’t always work out that way and he would figure it all out if they were to start their family a little earlier than preferred. He and Aimee weren’t going to end up like one of those couples who get married and just somehow stop communicating. He loved making her laugh and act silly with him. He honestly couldn’t get enough of her.

“There are plenty of things to do. We’ll pull an idea from a hat,” he said against those soft lips. He had to let go if they wanted to curl up like they did. Thankfully, he’d found them fast enough and was back in the living room with Aimee in no time at all. “A couple things but they can absolutely wait,” he said, lowering himself to the blanket next to his fiancée. He was thinking of grabbing a bottle of wine and a couple glasses to add to this moment, but there was no real need for that. And there were plenty of other things on his mind that could take up the time they had to wait for food to arrive.

Tag|| Aimee! <3
Words || 395
Clothes || Anywhere else
Music || Play Me That Song by Brantley Gilbert
Notes || Sorry -__- <3