Cats and Candies PV Orion

Orion sat in his office, his fingers tapping against the porcelain teacup he clenched in his opposite hand. The night prior had been another restless night. It had been his usual nightmare; flashes of green, phantom screams that echoed into the endless void that had haunted him relentlessly since his days as an Auror.

Placing the tea cup onto his dark oak desk, his eyes fell back to the parchment laid out in front of him. It contained only a few scribbled words despite the title of the work promising a lesson plan for his seventh year students. The lesson was due in a few days, but he couldn't seem to push himself to finish it. The mere topic could not seem to hold his attention, and soon he would find himself dozing in his office chair, the unfinished task forgotten for the moment.

Until the knock on his door drew him from his slumber. He heard the pattering of tiny feet hitting the ground as Bijou scurried to hide under his desk. "One moment..." He called, pushing his reading glasses up so he could wipe the sleep from his eyes. The thick black frames were then folded and set on the desk next to his teacup.

He swallowed a yawn as he pushed back from his armed office chair and walked over to the door. He was wearing his preferred dark seafoam green suit, a black turtleneck beneath it. His usual gelled back tresses were spilling from the product's hold, giving him a bit of a bed head look.

He creaked the door open a crack, then pulled it open when he saw who was waiting on the other side. "Mon Coeur... (My Heart)" He whispered when he first saw his Galahad. The sight of his warm hazel eyes had Orion's heart melting and singing all at once. He wanted to take whatever he had in his hands, set it aside, and leap into his arms to embrace him. He wished he could forget about caring who saw the exchange so he could be close to the person he loved, bury his face in his neck to find comfort in the familiar scent of his cologne. Sometimes he would catch the scent of fire and even mint, though the taste of the latter was usually found on his lips.

He could tell him his woes, ask him to make it better, but Orion refused to burden Galahad with his pain. The former Aurors were already both so haunted. At what point would the men's burdened souls be overwhelmed and succumb to the spectral abyss where decaying wights lay in wait like vultures, ready to seize their prey?

Instead, he offered his partner a flirtatious smile and leaned up against the door frame, "Hello, handsome. Come here often?" He leaned up to place a playful peck against his lips. Minty.

It was only when he pulled back that he noticed the basket, and the tuft of fur that seemed to be curled up inside of it. "Is that...?" He broke into a genuine smile, his widened eyes sparkling in delight when he bent down to take a closer look at the cat. "Who is this?" He asked as a finger reached down to stroke the cat's head.

Galahad beamed with happiness the moment he saw his love Orion. The handsome Frenchman was Galahad's favorite person in the world and how he wished he could magic more hours into the day to spend with his petite loutre little otter. The truth was that Galahad was only truly happy when he was around Orion. So much just kept getting in the way. The stupid kids were well on their way to destroy the castle and as far as he was concerned they could have at it as long he could run away with Orion and never come back. As all these thoughts went flooding through his head, the beaming smile faltered for a moment, but then he remembered that he was with Orion right now and his beaming smile was restored in all its glory.

He giggled as Orion delivered his opener. He'd done better before but he still loved it, "Oh, you know, as long as the chldren will allow." The children really were a problem, why did they insist on befouling his wonderful school and making his life as miserable as possible. Still, he needed to focus on the fact that he and Orion were together now and get the kids out of his mind lest this precious time be ruined as well. "That doesn't matter, though, the important thing is that we're together now," he said with love in his eyes and his heart.

His smile somehow became even bright when Orion pecked him on the lips. He wanted to jump him right there but controlled himself. Then Orion was the cat. He looked so happy to see his namesake and as he started to pet Catrion he would notice something hanging on his collar when Catrion raised his head to meet the hand. "Oh, yes, this is Catrion... and he's agreed to help me ask a very important question." He said with what was surely the warmest smile he'd ever put on. Hanging from Catrion's collar was a gold ring with seven sapphires spread equidistantly around the band. It was just the right size for the ring finger on Orion left hand. Galahad dropped to one knee before asking, "Orion Lécuyer, will you marry me?"

Interaction: @Orion Lécuyer

Orion gave the other a knowing smile, a hand reaching out to pull him inside of his classroom, "Let us not linger in hallways and give them an opportunity to interrupt." He teased the other, an arm wrapping around his waist as he pressed another kiss to his lips and closed the door with his free hand.

"There we go, now we can just ignore any knocking unless it's urgent..." He grinned, his expression only faltering when he saw how serious Galahad was being. Sapphire eyes flickered over his face, a warm blush blooming over his cheeks.

Right, the cute cat his partner had brought. Bending back down to give the charming creature more attention, he raised a brow when the Irishman gave him his name. "Catrion? Now I know you're trying to butter me up..." Because it was working, Orion had always been a sucker for romantic gestures. Galahad had the Frenchman wrapped around his finger.

"He's ador--..." Orion started to coo down at the animal, his words interrupted when his eyes flickered down and he saw the ring hanging from the cat's collar. "Galahad...?" He turned his head to watch his partner bend down. His heart hammering against his chest, he could practically hear his own pulse.

The Gryffindor Head of House wouldn't even get the chance to properly finish his question before Orion was all over him. The force of his hug might have pushed the two of them over, but it would result in laughter filled acceptance. "Yes, yes! Of course I will, Mon Coeur (My Heart)."

Galahad knew he had him when he saw how excited Orion was upon learning the cat's name. It hadn't even been a part of his plan to propose to Orion by using Catrion. The truth was that Catrion is the reason he finally realized he should propose. He had been in the always alone auror mindset for so long and he got Catrion because in his mind he was basically resigning himself to a life of loneliness, his only solitude being the cat. Then he realized how stupid that was. He worked (and lived for 10 months of the year) within four floors of Orion. And he wasn't fighting for his life on the daily anymore. This job was his retirement - his reward - for putting his life on the line for years so that other people could live in happiness. Damnit, now it was his turn to live in happiness. And so he plotted and found the perfect ring, and the perfect way to be with Orion forever.

Galahad so Orion's eyes light up as he saw there was something around the cat's neck. He saw them go even brighter as he saw what it was. The proposal could not have gone any better than he had hoped. Of course Orion had said yes. He was surprised Orion didn't say it was about time because, in hindsight, it was. Orion had been letting him off the hook for far too long but now, he finally had his reward. Galahad was his.

And then they were both on the ground. Orion had been so overjoyed, so excited, that he had basically full on tackled Galahad. He laughed with Orion at their sudden toppling, but the grinned broadly as he heard Orion say yes. This was truly the happiest moment of his life and he couldn't wait to spend the rest of it with this bearded god of a Frenchman.

Still on the floor, Galahad gave Orion a beardy kiss on the lips. He pulled out his wand and wordlessly summoned Orion's bottle of Firewhiskey and two goblets. He poured some in each glass and used his wand to hover them in the air between them. He took one of the goblet in his free hand and raised it towards Orion, "Here's to us my love, you've made me the happiest man in the word. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you."

Interaction: @Orion Lécuyer

Orion's grin was wide enough to split his face as he sat up, his fingers still brushing through his fiancé's beard. As he glanced down at the ring on his finger, his expression softened into something warmer, something he reserved for only Galahad.

"Je t'aime de tout mon cœur (I love you with all my heart). Tell me the time and place, I would run to the Ministry of Magic right now to marry you." He didn't need some big event; he only needed his Galahad.

He leaned closer again, lips brushing against the Irish man's own. His arm wrapped around his shoulder, pulling him closer to fall into another deep kiss. He'd be met with smiles once they pulled apart. "Do you have any idea how long I've been waiting for this?" His voice was thick with amusement as he spoke, "I was starting to plan my proposal to you." It would have involved candy too, copious amounts, as well as music.

He reached forward to accept the goblet from the head of house, waiting as the firewhiskey was poured. He raised his glass to meet Galahad's own, "To us, and to a life that neither of us will ever have to face alone again." To never feeling so completely lost in the void of his own mind again, because with Galahad by his side the nightmares didn't not haunt him as frequently.