Work Text:
“Hey, there you are,” Benedict smiled as he entered the nursery. They still had a few weeks to go but as with Noah and Vivienne, Charlene wanted to make sure everything was perfect when the little one arrived. Placing one hand on her back, she turned around, the soft, off-white cushion she was just about to place on the white, comfortable arm chair still in her hand.
“Sorry, I got a bit lost in here. I’m still not quite sure about the cot. Do you think it’s okay on that side of the room or should we rather switch it with the chest of drawers?” Her chocolate brown hair was bound together in an untidy knot and she looked tired and exhausted as her eyes flitted about the room.
“Honey, it’s perfect,” Benedict whispered, taking the cushion out of her hand to leave it on the armchair. Gently, he turned his wife towards him, one hand buried in her hair at the nape of her neck, slowly massaging the knots out of her tense muscles while his other stroked lovingly over her growing bump. “Don’t worry so much, sweetheart. Everything is just fine and we still got a few weeks until the big day,” he added quietly and she leaned against his chest.
“You’re right, I know. Sorry Ben,” Charlene mumbled against his neck, breathing a kiss onto his soft skin underneath her lips. Deep down she knew that the room was already perfect and that she and the baby were healthy and it really would be fine. But she was a perfectionist and there was always something that could be altered and improved and added to the big picture already in existence.
“Come on, dinner is ready. Let’s enjoy the peace and quiet in the house and not worry about anything,” Benedict suggested and he could feel her nod against his skin.
Breathing a kiss onto her temple, he led her down towards the dining room where he had set the table for two. The white porcelain plates were flanked by silver cutlery, an heirloom from his grandparents, and he had lit candles whose flames, together with the fire flickering away in the fireplace, were bathing the table and room in a soft golden glow. A single rose lay on her plate and she blushed in his arms as she saw it.
“That’s so sweet of you. Thank you love,” she breathed, kissing him softly, her worries about the nursery’s interior already swept to the back of her mind. He helped her take her seat before Benedict vanished in the kitchen to bring out the food he had spent hours making.
“I feel like I missed an important day,” Charlene chuckled as he re-entered the dining room with their filled dinner plates and for the briefest second his face fell, though she did not seem to notice. Clearing his throat quietly, he placed their food on the table and took his seat opposite her.
“Well, everyday with my beautiful wife is special and important. In particular when the children are with their grandparents and I’ve got her all to myself,” Benedict winked and she blushed. The little black box in his pocket felt heavy all of a sudden. He did not want her to feel bad for forgetting about their anniversary and yet he felt the urge to show her, once more, how much he loved her.
Dinner was a relatively quiet affair and only a few words were exchanged. The other unspoken ones were replaced with loving glances in between bites and with the odd touch of hands as they met in the middle of the table. Benedict simply could not take his eyes off her. Despite the fatigue that still shone through every now and then, she practically glowed, her slightly fuller cheeks rosy and healthy in the golden light of the fire.
When the table had been cleared by him and only their glasses remained, he lovingly took her hands in his. “Charlene, darling…” Curiously, she looked up, gently squeezing his hand, still oblivious to the special occasion they were celebrating.
“I often worry that I don’t tell you often enough how much I love you. How much you mean to me and how perfect my life has become ever since you’ve accepted me in your life. You have given me the most wonderful children and the most amazing years by your side. I can’t wait to welcome another addition to our family with you and I sincerely hope that I will never fail you as a husband and father. You are my everything, you and Noah and Vivienne and our little ‘it’.” They both chuckled a bit, his eyes still resting on hers as one of his hands vanished in the inside of his pocket, fishing out the little black box.
“I know you forgot and I don’t blame you, sweetheart. But please allow me to give you this as a symbol of my love for you, which seems to get stronger and stronger every day. Happy Anniversary, Charlene.” Immediately, her hand flew up to her face not only caused by the sight of the shimmering, silver ring but also by the very fact that she had indeed forgotten about their wedding anniversary.
“Oh god Benedict. I am so sorry. Oh no, how could I forget that?” Her words were muffled by both her hands now pressed against her face while she shook her head and Benedict had to laugh quietly at the sight of it. Quietly, he got up and walked to her side of the table, kneeling down next to her chair.
“Sweetheart...Charlene, love, look at me,” he smiled, trying to peel her hands away and succeeding eventually. She looked utterly ashamed and sad and he could even see a tear glistening in her eye. “Hey…don’t worry about it, okay? I know that your head is so full with baby things and with thoughts and worries about our little one.” Lovingly, he stroked over her bump.
“But I didn’t get you anything. And anyway, how does one forget about their own wedding anniversary?,” Charlene mumbled, angry at herself, and a tear rolled over her cheek even though it was quickly wiped away by her husband.
“I don’t want anything. I’ve got you, that’s all I need,” he smiled, his hand still resting on her cheek. Slowly, Charlene shook her head before she leaned into his touch, breathing a kiss onto his palm.
“I don’t deserve you,” she mumbled, a faint smile now appearing on her lips as Benedict interrupted her with the tip of his finger. His eyes never leaving hers, he grabbed the box from the table and took her left hand gently into his before the ring, cold and smooth against her skin, slipped onto her finger with ease. “It’s beautiful,” the young woman whispered, biting her lip as she looked at the pretty jewel.
“Just like you.”