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Gwen had never done anything like this before in her entire forty-six years of life. She’d planned surprises, sure, for her children and her ex-husband and her parents, but never anything that so blatantly put herself on center stage the way this was going to. Gwen had never done anything like this before, and she was as nervous as she was before the first time she performed in a national tour.
It had all started a month ago during the night of the Voice Finale Results. Gwen and Blake had gone to the afterparty, had a wonderful time (and Blake had ogled her all night and his eyes had traced up and down her legs and she had been glad, so glad she wore this dress for him), danced and drank, and headed home. It was probably because they were both a little tipsy (not drunk, no, Gwen wasn’t too much of a fan of that anymore and Blake had severely cut back since getting divorced), but Blake had pulled her into his lap in the backseat of the car the minute the doors had closed. He’d pushed her knees apart gently so that she was straddling his hips, and had run his hands up her thighs before kissing her passionately. She’d grinned then, reaching up to her hair with one hand before getting it out of her face and off to one side, tilting her bare neck towards Blake in blatant invitation. He’d bit it tenderly before caressing it with his tongue, and she’d let out a panted breath that was barely a whimper (there was still someone driving after all, and they had to be quiet). They’d kissed a bit more, their kisses going from passionate and filthy to tender as they both acknowledged they were in a car in public and couldn’t start anything they couldn't finish until they got to her house, upon which case all bets were off.
Blake had nuzzled his nose against the side of her neck her hair was on, inhaling deeply and wrapping his arms around her waist. “ Fuckin’ hell, “ he murmured under his breath, hands rubbing on her back. She giggled then, a high-pitched thing, and scratched her nails through his hair.
“ Whatsa matter baby? ” She’d drawn the words out in his ear, and he’d shivered before she’d kissed his cheek a few times. He’d taken a deep breath in, and leaned his forehead against hers.
“ I’m gonna miss you so much next season,” He’d hurried out, almost as if he wasn’t going to say the words but then had convinced himself to. She had been a little startled. He’d said as much over and over again in interviews, sure, but she didn’t think he really meant it (because he was in L.A. a good part of the year and so was she—hell her kids went to school here— and so they’d see each other all the time, they really would despite the fact that they wouldn’t be working together anymore.) She’d laughed a little, taking it as a bit of a joke.
“ We’re gonna see each other, like, all the time, “ She’d whispered back. He’d opened his eyes then and looked in hers, and the sincerity in his baby blues had nearly taken her breath away. Those eyes did on a daily basis; and so did his soul. He was an emotional man who felt deeply and fully, and it was so different from Gavin and his British stoicism and dislike talking about emotions that it often threw her for a loop. This had been one of those times, and she’d tilted her head a little in question.
“ Ya just, “ He cleared his throat then, hugging her to him, “ make goin’ to work so goddamn happy every day; with your smile and your giggle and the way ya throw your head back when ya laugh,” She cupped his cheek and he kissed her palm. The contact seemed to give him strength to continue, “ When Christina’s on, it’s great yeah but she’s a little rude and pushy and so fuckin’ irritatin’ sometimes, “ Gwen couldn’t help but laugh a little. She’d met Christina quite a few times, and she could wholeheartedly agree with Blake although she knew that Christina was like a pesky little sister to him at this point. She still thought he had more to say, though (she was getting the ability to read him so well; he had a ton of tells for his feelings you just had to know them, and she was beginning to), so she kept silent, stroking her fingers over his cheekbones. “ I just….” His eyes had been totally stricken then and her smile had fallen a little, “ can’t help but think that the minute you start tourin’ you’re gonna meet some guy that’s better for ya than me,” He exhaled deeply as he said it and turned red, shutting his eyes and nuzzling his nose against her neck now as he held her to him with white knuckles.
On Gwen’s part, her mouth had fallen open. She’d known that his words were largely spurred on by the most of a bottle of wine he’d had at the party (they’d split it although her tolerance meant she could only have a glass and a half before she decided to stop whereas he’d had three quarters of the bottle; and she knew wine hit him harder than other types of liquor, especially the strong full bodied red they’d drank that night), but it still shocked her how self- effacing he was sometimes. For all that he’d done to restore her confidence and make her feel beautiful, he still felt like he wasn’t worth her. She’d cupped both of his cheeks then, manhandling his face up and kissing all over it with her lips. Tears had clouded her vision a little and she had waited for him to open his eyes and look at her. “ You,” she began, “ are the most rad, awesome, handsome, wonderful man. “ He’d blushed then, an adorable thing that made its way up to his cheeks through his neck even as he smiled with his dimples. “ I don’t want anyone else. You saved me, and you save me more every single day i’m with you.” She’d kissed him then, a firm one with tongue, and then they’d arrived at her house and between thanking the driver and him plastered to her back as she opened her gate and her door, between his laugh as she tore two of the buttons on his shirt and vest in her haste to get them off and her yelp as he’d sunk to his knees and peeled the stockings off her body before standing up and taking her dress with him as he went and led them up the stairs, between his swearing breaths as she rode on top of him roughly while clutching the headboard and between her too loud moans as he licked her to her fourth completion three hours later with his fingers inside of her, the conversation had been done and she’d forgotten about it for a blissful week and a half.
It was as he’d had to go back to pre-filming meetings and he’d kissed her with an air of desperation before he’d left, seeming unable to let go of her lips or her hips surrounded by his hands, that she’d thought about it again. Gwen was nothing if not a planner and impeccably organized, so she got out her old fashioned Filofax (there was something about seeing her life on paper that she liked) and her phone and began to scheme.
It had been surprisingly easy to get herself added to the Voice mentor team. All she’d had to do was put in a call to one of the producers and sweet talk him into letting her be another one of Blake’s advisors, and she’d ignored the obvious dollar signs the producers were thinking the filming portions of their interactions were going to create for the show, instead focusing on the fact that she’d get to work with him again if only for a little while. She’d shot off a text to Brad Paisley then, swearing him to secrecy (because he was going to find out only because he was going to have to share mentor duties this season and she’d ignore his good-natured ribbing on her behalf so she could give this to her boyfriend). She’d sweet talked a different producer then into letting her blind audition in the last slot of the last day (it was all about what made them smile and for this second producer it was a promise to arrange another playdate between her four boys and Gwen’s three all around the same age with Gwen supervising that got it for her; hey she knew how to play what she had and what this producer/mother had was an overly demanding career and not a lot of time with her husband or for sleeping).
Compared to all she’d had to do with the show, making the reservations for the private mountain retreat in Colorado for immediately after the blinds had been easy. She knew he’d be tired, knew that the sixteen hour days that were the blind auditions would take its toll on him (hell it had her two the past two seasons she’d been on the show; she remembers going home and falling into bed for twelve hours after the last one; and that had been half depression and half tiredness but she was still tired). Upon confirming with Gavin that he could have the boys that weekend, she was finished.
Deciding what to sing had been easy (she was going to put her own ska twist on “Gonna,” because she’d never forget the way he looked at her when he’d sung it last season; he’d just radiated happiness and she’d been overcome with the force of his joy). It had also been easy deciding what to wear (signature red lip and eye makeup, dark black jeans, his favorite blue plaid button down with the sleeves rolled up and made to look chic; black boots, and his favorite camo hat (she ignored the bit of flutter that it caused thinking about all of those people seeing her wearing his clothing because they had before and this was for him and she knew he loved her in his clothing, knew that it made him smile and duck his head while being unable to take his eyes off of her). It had been easy telling Adam, Pharell, Carson, and Christina about the surprise (Carson and Pharrell had laughed and shaken their head the same way they did when Blake had made the “Hotline Bling” joke last season and Adam had laughed himself almost to tears before hugging her and telling her “ you’re good for him” in that sweet soulful way he had; Christina had said “you get ‘em cowgirl,” before laughing a little and shaking her head); she’d convinced them not to turn their chairs for her and to let Blake have this one alone. She’d finished off the plan by going to her parents for the past two weeks, telling Blake she had to go to Urban Decay meetings in New York and wouldn’t be able to see him until Saturday (his smile had faded a little and he’d hugged her tight before saying of course he understood that her career was important and she’d fallen for him a little more).
What wasn’t easy, however, was actually working up the courage to go out and go through with it. Gwen had never been the particularly demonstrative sort until Blake, but he’d brought out things in her she never knew she had (like her love for riding horses or that she’d find peace on a hill in Oklahoma with him looking up at the stars as his arms wrapped around her). Before she could totally chicken out and cancel the whole thing, however, Carson’s voice came over the intercom backstage.
“ Next and final contestant please, number 2148.” He sounded the same as if it were anyone else, and she stepped out onto the dark stage. Carson had talked to the audience about what was going to happen before the coaches had arrived, and the audience was buzzing but was keeping her secret (Carson said they’d nearly been apoplectic and they’d had to totally confiscate all phones to prevent everything from coming out on Twitter for Blake to find it. Gwen had grinned and mentally told herself she needed to make her famous ginger cookies for the entire production crew when this was over, fact that the recipe took two hours a batch be damned.) The music had started, her own remix of the opening strains of “Gonna “playing (she’d added some steel drums and a little beat but left the guitar the way it was and it sounded so awesome if she did say so). She saw Blake “woohoo” a little before shouting to Adam that this one was his, and Adam had quipped back (he was playing his part so well Gwen could kiss him). She began to sing then,
I’m gonna take you for a drink,
Take you for a ride, gonna get you over there on the passenger side,
I’m gonna put the radio on your favorite song,
Gonna crank it on up and get you singin’ along
Midway through the first line, she had seen Blake freeze, From the back, she saw him tilt his head to one side before hitting his button as fast as he possibly could before she’d gotten to passenger side. The look on his face as he saw her was totally and completely shocked. His mouth was open and his eyes were wide, and he had the biggest smile on his face that she’d ever seen. He laughed then, a beautiful thing that consumed his whole body and made him fall back in his chair a little before clapping his hands. She made it through the first chorus before she signaled the sound guys to cut the music. She was smiling too, wide as she looked at him. Adam was practically twitching with excitement and Pharell and Christina were looking over to him with smiles on their faces as their chairs turned to.
“Surprise,” She said into the microphone laughingly, and the audience went crazy. She only had eyes for Blake though, as his eyes traced up and down her body. He couldn’t stop looking at her and couldn’t stop smiling, his face radiant. She’d known then, as she looked into his eyes, that she’d made the absolute right decision, plans and nerves be damned. He stood up (and Phil was furious at that she saw out of the corner of his eye and dear god Phil needed to chill and go have a drink or something), and practically leapt onstage, pulling her into a hug and spinning her around as her feet came off the ground. She laughed brightly and he did too, and she held onto her hat with one hand as the other moved through his hair. She couldn’t hear anything over the audience’s deafening roar, and she’d never been happier. He set her down then and kissed all over her face with his lips. She’d laughed (the producers were getting television gold they’d better be happy otherwise she was never gonna let them hear the end of it), and let him do it, filled with joy.
When Carson announced a minute later that she was going to be one of his advisors, she thought he was going to cry. His eyes had sparkled and he’d hugged her again, wrapping his hand around her back. He’d entwined their fingers then and said, “ Well, then I get my wish’a havin’ my girl on my lap,” and he’d picked her up bridal style (she’d screeched a little and held onto his/her hat) and led her over to the chairs, sitting down at his as she draped both her legs across his lap and shook her head (she was laughing so much now she’d swear that her mascara was running but she didn’t care). Adam had made a simpering face then.
“ You should have seen him, whining about how he wasn’t going to get to see you for two weeks and how hard it was without you,” Adam teased to the laughter of the audience. Blake had blushed from where he was surreptitiously nuzzling his nose into her neck and had thrown him the middle finger. Gwen slapped his shoulder (because that part was going to have to be censored out and those people worked hard enough as it was) and he grabbed her hand, kissing the fingertips to the audiences aww.
“ Ok folks, well, now that’s done and Blake and Gwen have proved themselves to be the world’s most nauseating couple,” Carson teased and the audience screamed, “ So are the blind auditions also over. See you all next week and let the battles begin. Who will win? Find out on NBC’s the Voice,” He finished his schpeal and the camera cut.
Blake was still nuzzling into her neck when the camera cut, and she scratched her fingers through his scalp. She knew hundreds of people were probably taking their picture now that their cell phones were allowed, and she resigned herself to the fact that they’d be trending on Twitter for at least the next week. She cupped his cheeks, staring down at him.
“Good surprise?” She asked, and he’d laughed brightly, his eyes a little wet (she’d never met anyone so happy to see her, and oh my god she couldn’t get enough of it). Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Adam, Pharell, and Christina leave the stage followed by Carson as the crew directed audience members out by row.
“ You’re amazin’,” he drawled lowly. “ This was,” he shook his head then a little, swallowing. She couldn’t help the tenderness now as she cupped his cheek again, “ the best endin’ to a shitty week ever,” She laughed and he kissed her forehead, wrapping her up in his arms. “ You look fuckin’ gorgeous,” He murmured in her ear, and she laughed again.
“ It’s not over yet, “ She said with a wink, and he tilted his head at her, eyes traveling up and down her body. “ You and I are going to Colorado for the weekend, to this totally awesome log cabin that, like, has no one around for miles and—-“ He kissed her then, a firm kiss full of love. She eventually tapped his shoulder to remind him there were people around when he tried to take it further and pressed his tongue against her lips, and he’d sighed deeply.
“ I ain’t ever been this happy, “ He murmured to her, and the pure joy on his face arrested her heart and made her eyes brim over with tears. She kissed his nose and his cheek then, and smiled down at him.
“ Me either, “ She echoed.