• Turn to Grey •

[Arabella Marie Curtis]

Life since Clairice left gone had actually been pretty fun. While her mentor was off rehearsing and touring, Bella had had the chance to put some of her contacts and spare time to use. Of course, there was the whole surprise-mother situation, but she'd been doing her best with a task she'd only ever lightly thought about. Between Laurence and getting the new penthouse settled, she'd been running off to auditions left and right. Most off-Broadway, and Clairice had called and gotten one for a new show that was planning to run in the next few months. They'd been sucking up most of her spare time, taking her out of the penthouse for all but some of the late hours of the evening. She'd missed dinner quite a few nights in the last month, and she'd been rushing around when she was home to make sure the penthouse was in order. It'd been hectic and amazing all together, especially when the director called and said she'd gotten the part in the Broadway musical.

A phonecall like that was the reason Bella had wanted to come to New York in the first place. She'd already given up one role for personal reasons -- which mainly meant Marc -- and she wasn't about to turn this one down, too. Marc had even told her to go for it, to keep chasing her dreams as long as she came back home to him after each little flight towards fame. She may have been abandoning him and Laurence a bit in order to kickstart her career, but she needed this; theatre was what she loved doing. Marc loved computers, video games, and teaching; he had all of it and more at his job. Bella loved musicals, scripts, and performing; she was about to finally have it all in the palm of her hand. She couldn't just pass it up, no matter how important the growing family was. But, despite her hectic whirlwind, she did miss her boyfriend and the time they'd spent together before everything had picked up speed. With rehearsal, memorizing lines, and attempting to get some form of sleep to keep going the next day, she really didn't have much time to be lounging around the apartment. She knew he was busy with finals for school, and whatever else the professor-side of college involved, so it eased her guilt a bit to know he was rushing around, too. Still, they'd finally broken down and scheduled a "date night" together. Marc found a sitter for Laurence, she'd forced herself into taking the night away from rehearsal, very well knowing it could jeopardize her place on the cast, and Marc had somehow freed up his life, too, for an evening.

Bella spent the day with her cast, rehearsing and dancing and singing and blocking; the typical events that filled her hours. She was supposed to be there long into the night, but she'd faked a sore throat and been "sent" home. It got her home, at least, though she was running late thanks to the fact that she hadn't been faking well enough for her story to work on the first try. She battled traffic on her way back to the penthouse, sending a quick text to Marc to let him know why she wasn't there yet.

After what felt like years, Bella pulled into her parking space in the building's resident garage, locking her little car and taking the elevator up to the penthouse. Halfway to their floor, her phone began blaring the ringtone set specifically for her director. She cringed, seeing as tonight was supposed to be work-free, but she couldn't ignore the call; she couldn't chance anything happening. Reluctantly, she pressed the "answer" button. "Bella Curtis," she answered in a rough voice, knowing she had to keep up the sick-act. The director scolded her once again for being so careless, but was calling during the dinner break to remind her of the fittings tomorrow morning and the dance rehearsal she was needed for. Bella knew it was more to make sure she wasn't faking, though she did need the times for when she was called. The elevator dinged and she stepped out, phone pressed to her ear as she dug for her keys. She slid them into the lock for the penthouse door, walking briskly inside and chatting hoarsely with her director.

• • •

WORDS: 761!
TAG: Her Darling <3
LOCATION: The New Penthouse, New York
LYRICS: Wanna Go Back by Jordan Pruitt
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Marc Dominique Delabarre]

Marc always knew that their lives in New York would be non-stop, but thinking about it and mentally preparing himself for it didn’t make a difference when it actually happened. He was kept busy by the grading of papers and planning everything out for the end of year, so he hardly noticed at first when Bella was out a little later than normal at auditions and then later the rehearsals. Still, he missed her a lot, even with his work and son to keep him from pining like a third dog in the apartment.

Most nights, once his head was pounding from assignments and class plans, he would check over Laurence’s homework, correcting the English translations when it wasn’t quite right and then father and son would take the two dogs to the park for some exercise before coming home for a later than normal dinner, quick hour in the gaming den and then Marc would tuck the six year old up in bed, read him a story and then call an end to another long day. Usually, this was about the time Bella was coming home and whilst he always kept some dinner to one side for her, he was too tired for anything else by that point and often sat with her until his eyes betrayed him and he was forced to go to bed, already off to dreamland before his head even hit the soft pillow.

It wasn’t easy trying to find a balance when their lives and their jobs kept them so busy and demanded a lot of their time. Throw in the surprise addition of Laurence and the hectic scale went up a notch more. Luckily, the French boy was plenty happy with the dogs or a video game, so he didn’t bother his father too much when he was powering through what seemed like an endless pile of papers and final exams. At least tonight they had deliberately set a date and some much needed alone time. Tonight, there would be no scripts or grades and Laurence was with Bridget, probably on some sugar rush and screaming in French; at least the literature professor would understand him without any difficulty.

Marc had changed from his casual professor wear into something a little fresher, taking the time to make sure he was clean shaven and looking a little more alive than he usual felt at this hour of night. Asking Bella to be on time was usually a waste of breath, but she was later than he expected so he took the time to look over another assignment, knowing that one less in the pile was actually something to be happy about come tomorrow. One turned into two and he was three quarters of the way through it when his phone beeped on the coffee table. Reaching for it, he sighed, reading the message and then dropping it back down, finishing up his grading of the paper in his hands before tidying up the small mess he had made. So much for a long night with no interruptions or worries; they only had a few hours left before their lives would demand they fell back into their usual routine and fell asleep.

He was in the kitchen popping a bottle of wine he had picked up on the way home that afternoon, when he heard the sound of the key in the lock and then Bella’s hoarse voice on the phone. Walking back through to the main hallway with the glasses and bottle carefully balanced in his hold, he smiled across at his girlfriend and then sat back down. It was a good job he hadn’t made dinner reservations or booked tickets for anything this evening. The only reason had been that the time for calling around or surfing online had been stolen by two sophomores who were panicking about the final exam and how they had missed several classes over the year but couldn’t afford to fail.

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• • •

TAGGED! Bella <3
WORDS! 695
OUTFIT! Phwoarr!
LYRICS! Cannonball- - - Damien Rice
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Arabella Marie Curtis]

Part of the reason Bella was loving all of this whirlwind was because it allowed her to act like a 21 year old. There were quite a few "kids" on the cast who were about her age, and they'd often go out for dinner together or for a quick drink on the rare chance rehearsal ended early. She got to have fun, laugh, and just be, well, young. There were no mommy-duties while she was at work; no teddy bears, or tripping over video game cases, or whining for cookies. She could be Bella there -- just Bella, like she'd been back in London. She could have a good time and not feel like the world would end if she stepped out of place; she could enjoy herself.

Of course, the moment she stepped through the penthouse doors, reality came crashing back into her. Hard. She had to be the darling girlfriend again; the mother who wasn't actually a mom; the one to clean the dinner dishes and make sure the dish washer was set correctly to run. Bella liked it, sure; she liked playing games with Laurence, and she liked getting those rare minutes alone with Marc where it was obvious to tell they were still head over heels for each other. But, it wasn't the stage, and she didn't get to act like a kid at home; she had to be the grown-up. Maybe that contributed to why she'd been so reluctant to miss out on a rehearsal.

Despite not wanting to leave, Bella did feel bad for being late. She'd tried to get out soon; she'd honestly tried. There was nothing to be done, however, and, as she came strutting through the door, she couldn't help feeling guilty for chatting away into her phone. As soon as she saw him, the guilt got worse, tightening in her stomach as she saw the wine. It was already passed dinner time; she hoped he hadn't starved. Bella pressed a fleeting kiss to Marc's lips, giving him an "I'm sorry" face before turning away towards the door and kicking off her shoes, still keeping up the sick-voice as her director lectured on about taking better care of herself. "Yes, but-- I know, I know. I'll be there tomorrow at six for the fitting; I promise. Straight to bed; I know, sir. Yes... yes, thank you. I promise; five thirty? Is that really nec-- yes, sir. Have a good rest of rehearsal," she babbled on, running an agitated hand through her hair as she clicked her phone to end the call. She flopped into a chair across from Marc, her expression going from one of exhausted frustration to complete smiles and adoration. It took about one blink, and the girl Marc would know was back with her charming smirk and sparkling eyes; all signs of the actress were gone. "I'm sorry I'm so late; he wouldn't let me go, and there was a scene to block, and we're not supposed to be talking about work, are we?" she sighed heavily, shaking her head once to try and erase all thoughts of her theatre time. "So, Chinese or pizza?" she asked, getting up again to grab the takeout menus from the kitchen counter where she stashed them out of sight.

• • •

WORDS: 582!
TAG: Her Darling <3
LOCATION: The New Penthouse, New York
LYRICS: Wanna Go Back by Jordan Pruitt
OUTFIT: CHECK PLEASE!
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Marc Dominique Delabarre]

Marc was only twenty-four but he had never lived a wild kind of life, even before he knew about the existence of Laurence. He didn’t want to deny Bella her youth though and she shouldn’t have to play mom as often as she had done since the little boy had moved to New York to live with his father. She wasn’t to blame for what had happened to Daphne and Laurence was Marc’s responsibility, no matter what happened in life. He loved playing dad and it had taken him no time at all to bond with the miniature version of himself, but he knew Bella was still in need of an escape from those duties; she was only twenty-one after all! He couldn’t change their circumstances though and she had chosen to stay with him and play this game of happy families, even if it was too much for her some of the time.

He had told her time and time again that she didn’t need to fuss as much as she did; he could take care of most of the housekeeping things that were nothing but a chore to everyone. He had done it back in London before he had even met her and he didn’t feel as though he had to stop now just because they were living together in New York with a child running about on a daily basis. Marc never wanted some doting housewife figure and even if Bella could drive him insane at times, he loved her for who she was to begin with; she didn’t need to try and fit the mould just because he was a dad now.

They needed to come to an arrangement. They ought to pick out a night of the week and say that every two weeks it would be their night. It would be just one night when Bridget could have Laurence, Bella didn’t get kept back at rehearsals and Marc didn’t as much as glance at one of the papers on his desk. This kind of lifestyle they current found themselves spinning in couldn’t be good for their relationship and they had already been to the brink too many times to lose everything again now. He waited patiently on the couch, leaning against the cushions with the wine poured in front of him and arms folded. If anything, right now, he was tired, but they had agreed to have this night together and even if it was now significantly shorter, he was dedicated to making this work and giving them both the break they needed from their busy careers. Smiling across at Bella he shook his head. “Eet eez fine, but no, we’re not supposed to be discussing work.”

[/color] He said, handing her one of the glasses of wine before she scurried off back to the kitchen. “Pizza; zee last time we ordered from zhat Chinese I felt sick all night.”[/color] He pulled a face and shook his head again.
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• • •

TAGGED! Bella <3
WORDS! 528
OUTFIT! Phwoarr!
LYRICS! Cannonball- - - Damien Rice
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Arabella Marie Curtis]

Bella had never been "wild." She'd gone out with college friends, and she'd had her moments in high school, but, she'd never really crossed into that dangerous territory that threatened to go overboard. Even now, she wasn't really going nuts; she was going to rehearsal, checking up on Clairice's apartment, and coming home to spend a few fleeting moments with the new family she'd found herself a part of. It wasn't like she was spending her days wasting money and sleeping in late; she was working, the exact same way Marc was. Sure, there were times where she got to have her couple hours of fun, but, at the end of the day, she was getting paid just like her boyfriend, and she was slaving away at a job she loved, just like her boyfriend. She wasn't exactly playing giddy little kid these days.

He could say what he liked about their age difference and how he was being more responsible because, technically, Laurence was just his and not hers, but, she still felt like she had a duty to the boy. She still dropped his off at school when she could, and she tried her best to be at any events he had. Bella did play mom to him, to the best of her abilities. But, with the career she'd chosen, she didn't have stable hours, and she didn't have the luxury of sick days and vacation. She rehearsed, she performed, she got paid a heck of a pay check for it, and she fell asleep at night knowing she'd have six hours until she'd have to be up and be at the stage again. Between all of it though, she tried to make time for Laurence, often spending more with him than his father. He may not've been her kid by blood, but, one day, she hoped he'd see her as Mom, and not just "Daddy's girlfriend."

Lately, Bella had been drinking coffee like it was some sort of new water. She had a cup of it almost every hour, on the hour, just to keep herself awake, bubbly, and buzzing about, ready for whatever was thrown at her next. It was the reason she was still bouncing off the walls, even if it was late and even if she'd spent almost twelve hours at the theatre today. Thank god for coffee. "You're not starving, are you? I feel bad for making you wait," she sighed, kissing him again as he handed her the wine. She sipped at it as she made her way to the kitchen, pulling out the menus from their drawer and going back into the living room. She sat back down on the couch, dropping the pizza one into his lap. "I'll pick up a different one on my way home from the studio tomorrow; there's this great one near there that delivers over here," she said dismissively, relaxing back into the soft cushions of the couch. "What time is Laurence coming back?" she questioned, taking another drink of the wine that was already mixing with the coffee buzz coursing through her system.

• • •

WORDS: 554!
TAG: Her Darling <3
LOCATION: The New Penthouse, New York
LYRICS: Wanna Go Back by Jordan Pruitt
OUTFIT: CHECK PLEASE!
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Marc Dominique Delabarre]

Really, Marc and Bella were two very different people. She flourished in the spotlight and the attention whereas Marc much preferred to be hidden in the background with his gadgets and his games. They had their individual strengths and weaknesses and sometimes they clashed, but Marc still loved Bella for all of that. He knew how much fun it could be to chase those dreams and finally catch up with them, so the late nights and the drinks were her acting friends were just something to smile and shrug off. He was happy for her, wanting her to have all of that, but he did miss the nights of just cuddling on the couch while either he had to watch some amazing movie that Bella loved or she had to sit through an hour of some technology programme.

He was surprised and happy with how well Laurence was coping with the new life that had been thrust upon him. There were obviously nights where the little boy had nightmares or would just cry about his mother and how much he missed her. Those things were understandable, especially after everything that had happened to the little boy and Marc did everything he could to console his son and bring him far away from those sad thoughts. Still, those moments were becoming fewer and fewer now, Laurence’s English lessons were coming on in leaps and bounds; the little boy could hold a short, basic conversation now, entirely in English, and he had taken to Bella rather well too. That had been Marc’s biggest concern; that his son would detest the woman he loved and think that she was some replacement for Daphne, but they had worked it out well enough that he didn’t seem to think that at all, and the only problems they had had were really the same things that every little kid kicked up a fuss about; what cereal he wanted, picking out just one toy…that sort of thing.

Marc managed a small smile and shook his head. “I ‘ave managed to survive. Don’t worry about eet.”

[/color] He told her, before picking up the menu and opening it out, glancing over the choices he already knew. Most weekends was a take-out party, much to Marc’s annoyance at times, but now Bella had someone to side with her for pizza or Chinese whenever she felt like it. He would much prefer cooking for his family, but apparently on the weekends it wasn’t allowed and all that could happen was shopping, video game marathons, movie nights and an excess of junk food to accompany it all. “I’ll just ‘ave my usual.”[/color] He said as he handed the menu over to her. Not many people seemed to like the Hawaiian pizza, but Marc did and it didn’t feel as greasy as some of the others. His dark eyes looked down at the watch he always wore on his left wrist and he let out a soft sigh. “Bridget is dropping ‘im off at nine, and zhen ee’s straight to bed.”[/color] It was past Laurence’s bedtime by then anyway, but they had to compromise for this night so that they actually had a chance to be completely alone. The six year old might already be asleep by that point, but Marc doubted it, knowing just how much fun Bridget seemed to be to the little boy and how excited he always was after a few hours with the blonde professor.
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• • •

TAGGED! Bella <3
WORDS! 612
OUTFIT! Phwoarr!
LYRICS! Cannonball- - - Damien Rice
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Arabella Marie Curtis]

Bella did like that the three of them had become an unusual sort of family unit. She liked coming home at the end of the day and playing with Laurence, or walking through the penthouse doors to find Marc whipping up an amazing meal in their kitchen. It was a comfortable routine, and one she was content with, but also one she had been missing since her career stole her away. She used to boast about how the stage would make her happy, yet it wasn't even close to true now. Marc, their home together, and even Laurence made Miss Curtis happy, and she didn't know what she'd do if she lost that; she'd tasted the lifestyle and loved it, and now couldn't imagine her life without it.

She didn't mean to push Marc away or not include him in the theatre side of her days; it just sort of happened. They didn't get much time to talk any more, and, usually, it was a quick kiss goodnight or a cuddle before they fell asleep; it didn't leave spare moments to dote on the little things like they used to be able to do. That was what helped keep them together and interested in each other's worlds, but, without it, there wasn't glue to tie them together. Bella didn't want to lose him or Laurence, and she didn't want to sacrifice what they'd built together for her own dreams. There wasn't much of a choice though, at least until she'd gotten high enough on the totem pole to begin demanding days off. She was stuck running until that longed for day; hopefully Marc wouldn't mind waiting a little longer for his Bella to really come home.

She sat on the couch next to him, reveling in the moment of truly sitting down. Lately, it'd been a rare occasion for her to sit still for longer than two seconds, though this night was supposed to be a bit of a break from all that. Looking up at her taller boyfriend, she said, "We can order one of those fancy desert pizzas, too. Or whip up some of those cookies I usually burn." She gave him a sweet smile, hoping to find something to cheer him up a bit. He had a right to be upset with her for being later; she knew that. She just hoped he understood that she didn't have much of a choice unless she wanted to lose her place on the cast.

Bella chewed the inside of her lip, sitting up to pour herself another glass of wine. "We've still got a couple hours," she reminded him, having heard his sigh. She'd ruined the night before it'd even started; it was exactly the kind of careless mistake she'd make. "I'll call for the pizza. Pick out a movie," she said, reaching over him to grab the phone and dial the number. Bella quickly placed their order, giving their address and telling the guy the penthouse number. It didn't take long before she was hanging up, tossing the phone onto the coffee table and saying, "It'll be here in a half hour. That leave's us plenty of time to eat before Laurence gets back and devours it." She smirked, showing she was joking. This night could turn out good yet; they both just had to work a little for it.

• • •

WORDS: 608!
TAG: Her Darling <3
LOCATION: The New Penthouse, New York
LYRICS: Wanna Go Back by Jordan Pruitt
OUTFIT: CHECK PLEASE!
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Marc Dominique Delabarre]

Everyone needed a life away from the little family set up they had going on these days. Marc had his computers and his job at the university, Bella had the stage and Laurence was developing quite the passion for the solace of the “man cave” they had set up in the spare room of the apartment. Marc spent many of his free hours in there with his son and sometimes alone, if it was late and Bella was having a little time to pamper herself or rest her voice. They all had their little escapes when they needed them and had the family to come back to whenever it got too much outside of their cosy apartment.

He understood how much her career meant to her and while he wasn’t the biggest fan of the late rehearsals and the stolen moments that they now had to call their relationship, Marc wasn’t about to bring it up with Bella. He saw it in the same light that she probably saw his life around the end of the semesters when his career meant his nights were filled with exam papers and assignments to grade and send feedback on. They both had their time consuming moments in their careers and there would be times when it seemed difficult to be together, but Marc thought they were doing pretty well so far. They were coping, even if they weren’t getting to spend as much time together as they would have liked to.

He arched an eyebrow at the suggestion of one of those dessert pizzas. He had some allowance for take-out meals, but it did not stretch to those questionable “treats” that seemed to be growing increasingly popular. Shaking his head, he shot Bella a look that she ought to know by now as the one he only flashed whenever he wasn’t planning on budging on a matter. “Or, ve can finish zee ice cream zhat eez in zee freezer.”

[/color] He said with a small nod of his head and a soft smile. Marc would rather not put whatever the hell was in one of those things in his body and while it was funny to watch Bella cremate cookies, they probably didn’t have the time for all of that and he definitely knew they wouldn’t have the time to just kick back by themselves if they had to dig out something else sweet.

Marc knew that they still had a chance to enjoy themselves tonight, but he just wished that they had a bit longer to spend together. Still, this was going to be the longest time they spent together in a while, so it was definitely better than nothing. The Frenchman pushed himself to his feet and moved to look at their DVD collection, knowing that there were a few they hadn’t watched yet, but had picked up on their ventures out in the city. He snatched one up, not really minding what it was and slipped the disc into the player, grabbing the controls and turning everything on before falling back into his space on the couch. “’Ee vill probably be full of sweets and cookies.”[/color] He knew what Bridget was like and spoiling Laurence was a definite possibility. He smiled at Bella and pulled her into his side as the movie started up on the large screen in front of them.
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• • •

TAGGED! Bella <3
WORDS! 595
OUTFIT! Phwoarr!
LYRICS! Cannonball- - - Damien Rice
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Arabella Marie Curtis]

It may've been Marc's name on the lease for the penthouse, but Bella paid for as much as he did, and she would never let that change. He wasn't there to spoil her and let her live off of him for free; she worked, just like he did, and she brought home a paycheck that helped support their budding family. He could try and tell her to put away her purse or not treat Laurence so much with food and gadgets, but, it all helped to even out the budget stretched between them as an unmarried couple. Sharing a last name changed the whole ball park of financial situations, which, admittedly, would make both their lives a hell of a lot easier, but Bella knew better than to push topics like that with him. He'd come around in time, or find some middle ground that made everyone happy; he always did.

She knew she hadn't been the perfect girlfriend lately, or even the Bella he was used to. This whole stint with Broadway was a new ballpark for her, and, while it was exciting, she was still gaining her footing in that world. That included things like balancing family with work, and finding half-normal times to eat or doing basic, daily tasks. She ended up taking showers at midnight half the time, and doing her makeup at four in the morning to make it to early rehearsals; she couldn't remember the last time she'd been on a daily schedule. After it was over and she'd finished the show, she'd make it up to Marc and Laurence somehow; pay for a weekend getaway to a family resort or even just a few nights in a hotel in New York. Bella would find a way to thank them for their patience eventually, even if Marc was starting to get fed up with it all right now.

She cuddled into his side on the couch, her head resting on his shoulder as she tucked her legs up next to her. This was one of the little things that she missed while off at rehearsal; snuggling with Marc. They used to do this all the time, before Laurence arrived and life started tearing them apart. It felt nice, but, at the same time, it didn't feel the same; something was just a little off in the atmosphere of the room. "Did you see the tickets I left on the table this morning? Laurence was all over them when I got him his cereal; he seemed excited to come see the show," she said with a proud smile, enjoying the fact that the boy was actually looking forward to her big opening night. "I put a couple extra in the envelope, in case you had anyone you wanted to invite from work or something," she added, shifting closer to his warm body. It'd been a long time since she'd had an opening night to brag about, and she wasn't about to miss the chance now; she'd even invited Kari to catch a flight over for the weekend, though her sister pointed out how long that flight would be, and how little time they'd actually get to spend together. Reaching up to kiss Marc's cheek, Bella turned her eyes back to the screen and settled in to wait for the pizza.

• • •

WORDS: 582!
TAG: Her Darling <3
LOCATION: The New Penthouse, New York
LYRICS: Wanna Go Back by Jordan Pruitt
OUTFIT: CHECK PLEASE!
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Marc Dominique Delabarre]

Marc was quite the traditionalist. He didn’t mentally live in some earlier century, but he did think some things ought to be kept a certain way. Like marriage; he wanted to be the one to ask Bella, and not the other way around. Other things, he believed ought to be shared, which was why he didn’t throw too much of a fuss when Bella paid for something. The only times he really shot her a look was if she came back from an afternoon out with Laurence and the kid looked like he had raided the toy store. He might have spoilt his son himself, but he had been trying to make up for six years of being absent, which never would have happened if Daphne had just told him about his son in the first place. Marc couldn’t be angry at her though, even if the bombshell had almost shattered his world apart. He still like to pay for the dates when they left their penthouse and he would never stop buying Bella little gifts, like earrings and necklaces when he saw them on his travels through the city. Besides, he didn’t feel right in himself if he didn’t bring her a bunch of flowers home at some point in the busy week, especially if it was when he was swamped with work of his own. At least over the summer there would be very little and he would have more time to work around her schedule and spend time with Laurence to work on the boy’s English.

He knew that Bella was still trying to find her place in the Broadway world and that it wasn’t an easy lifestyle for anyone, but he still missed her and the way they used to be. It seemed like they barely had the time to see each other in passing these days. He knew most it was out of her control, which is why he never brought it up with her, but it was still hard, especially when they set aside this time for themselves and she had been unable to leave the theatre early for it. Marc had been excited for tonight, but his own hectic schedule was taking its toll on him too and now he was more exhausted than he had hoped to be at this point.

His arm instinctively moved to pull Bella closer to his side, but his mood wasn’t in the right place now. He wasn’t angry or bitter, he was just tired and that could sometimes be worse than the others. Once the school year was out then he wouldn’t have to worry about this anymore, but right now he was probably the busiest he had been since accepting the position at the university. There were students panicking and rushing to his office for support, other students finding things they hadn’t quite grasped first time round and so they were coming to ask for a little more help, others wanting references for graduate courses…his office barely felt like his own place lately and it really did impact the rest of his life when he didn’t have those office hours with only one or two students coming at random points. “I did. I moved them to zee cupboard, just out of zee way.”

[/color] With a six year old and two dogs frequently running in and out, it was a lot safer to keep things behind closed doors, or else who knew what might happen to them. He was looking forward to seeing the production that had kept his girlfriend hostage for the last few months. “Okay, I do not think zhere eez anyone, but I shall see.”[/color] He pressed a soft kiss to the side of her head and settled down to watch the screen again. He didn’t know if many of his colleagues were fans of the theatre aside from the professors of that particular subject and Marc didn’t really speak with them, just because the university was a large place and he taught on the other side, with his office buried deep into the sciences division, not the arts.
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• • •

TAGGED! Bella <3
WORDS! 720
OUTFIT! Phwoarr!
LYRICS! Cannonball- - - Damien Rice
NOTES! <3 <3 <3