In The Eye Abides The Heart} (tag: Ambrose. Cuppycake Friendship time ftw.]

"Public display of affection much?" Ambrose laughed once she pulled away. "Damn. I've gotta think of something more inventive now for you being you," he said, ending with a small kiss to her nose. "Oh! Cooking lessons. That'll do. You're gonna make the best cupcakes in the land."

He pulled a comically manly pout, jutting an arm out as if flexing his biceps.

"Cos, you know, you've gotta keep the man fed. Being the woman and everything," he added, giving up the pose and brushing his nose against hers

"Oh, you don't like PDA?" asked Luciana, sitting herself up, putting a very believable offended look on her face. She loved messing with him. "Well, alright then.. I'll go find some other guy to kiss and sit in the arms of next time."

"Cos, you know, you've gotta keep the man fed. Being the woman and everything,"

She looked at him and couldn't hold in the laugh that let itself out. "Ambrose, you're such an asshole sometimes," she chuckled, putting her forehead against his, their noses touching as well. She wanted desperately to just kiss him again, forget everything around her, and just be in his company.. but she knew it'd just-- oh, screw it.

"Brosie," she whispered, blinking her pretty little blue eyes, "I don't think I can resist your stupid, stupid lips.. but you said you didn't like PDA," she whined, poking out her bottom lip, "That totally makes me sad. You don't want me to cry, do you?"

"Aaaw, bless yer little cotton socks," Ambrose laughed, giving her another swift kiss. "You're not allowed to go find another guy, none of them are gonna take you. I'm gonna stuff you with cupcakes till you can't walk away from me let alone find another suitor."

To be fair, with the amount of cupcakes he intended to make, this seemed horrifically likely.

"And for the record, I very much adore PDA," Ambrose said. "But we're in a sweet shop, my dear, and I would prefer to flaunt our absolute awesomness in front of appropriate students rather than little children with a sweet tooth. Especially considering we are little children with a sweet tooth"

Luciana grinned again as he kissed her, laying back into his arms. "But Brooosieee," she whined, sticking her bottom lip out, "I don't want to be fat.. not fat off of cupcakes! No, I won't allow it!"

Lucie looked back at him, studying his facial features. His eyes were his best feature, to her. They held so much promise, so much determination.. and she loved that. His cheekbones were defined, much like his personality was.. and it was amazing how much she could tell just by looking at his face. "The little children that were here," said she, her fingers tracing the lines of his cheekbones, "Are not looking at us.. they admire the color, the candies, the joy.. not us."

She smiled brightly, putting her hands in her own lap, "Ambrose.. this is a.. very, very odd question, but.. it just sprang up in my mind." Taking a breath, she looked him right in the eye. "Would you run away with me if you had the chance?"

As hard as she tried to blend her French accent with the normal British one, her normal accent came back as soon as she asked the odd question, her speech making it seem all the more whimsical.

(mustsquealatALLthecuteness)


[Only admins are allowed to see this image]

"Nope, I've decided. You'll become fat, and I'll keep you with me because you won't have another choice in the matter. And you'll be entirely mine," he added, giving her a quick squeeze. He paused at her next question.

"Run away with you?" Ambrose asked, arching an eyebrow. "And where did you have in mind, dearie?"

"But I'm already yours to begin with, Brooossieee," she whined, blinking her eyes again. Where did she want to go? "I.. um.. I kind of want to go back to France. I really do. I just don't belong here, but I don't belong in France, either.. I felt safer there, though."

She bit her lip, looking down, "It's stupid, I know.. I've just been thinking about how much I'd miss you if I did leave."

"France?" Ambrose asked, choking a little on the air. "You serious? It'd be tempting if I weren't so useless."

He cleared his throat dramatically, preparing his most wondrous French accent.

"Pardon-ay voo, madamoiselle, mais I do buh-lieve I would like la baguette, see voo play. See? Absolutely useless. No, if you wanna run away, we're staying in an English speaking country thank you very much"

"Yes, I am serious. Very, very serious," said Lucie, raising an eyebrow at him as he attempted a French accent. She shook her head, leaning in and taking up her natural tongue, the words slipping off her tongue like water. "Si vous allez parler comme ça en France, vous serait bien inutile."

She giggled a bit as she played with his hair, running her fingers through it occasionally. "What I say goes. I'm the woman here. I can easily charm you into leaving with me. I just haven't tried to do it yet.. on that note," she started, putting her arms around his neck, "My birthday's in a couple of days. What're you gonna get me, eh? Perhaps votre coeur sur un plateau d'argent?"

(TRANSLATION:

1. If you're going to speak like that in France, you really are useless.

2. Your heart on a silver platter? ;D

"Try all you like, I'm staying in Britain," Ambrose said, rolling his eyes. "Birthday? You have one of those? Liar. You're just tricking me into buying you things."

Yeah, like you haven't already bought her something

"You have to give me more warning about these things, I have so many other things to remember. I'm sure you'd like a nice muffin basket though, right? I'll even wrap it in a bow. What're you turning, anyway? 12?"

"Okay, okay.. so when I graduate and go back to France, you won't see me again," shetaunted slightly, a grin lighting up her face. "I thought I warned you THREE dang times every 4 weeks ago.. You OBVIOUSLY didn't care enough. I'm not THAT OLD, Brosie. I'm turning 9.. Duh. For the record, though.. I love muffins."

She laid her head on his chest, closing her eyes immediately as the lights dimmed along with the remains of the sunset outside. It had quieted down in the shop, with only a few straggling people left behind. "..I love you a lot, Brosie. I mean it," she said quietly, looking over at him, "You're such a damn goofball."

(sorry for taking so long.. Had a busy weekend and I don't feel well atm :/)

"Yeah, well, I'm the best of all the goofballs," Ambrose grinned, wrapping his arms tightly around her. "Love you too. But you better not make a big deal of it, as you know I'm keeping up the heartless bachelor with a razor sharp personality image, remember?"

He looked outside, seeing that the sun was setting. It wouldn't be long now before the curfew set in, but he knew for a fact that the shop was far nicer. Even if it was closing soon.

"Why would you wanna run back to France, anyway? We could just live in the cellar here. Or make our own shop"

"Indeed, you are quite the goofball," she sighed happily, putting her arms over his. "Yes, yes, whatever you say, Mister My-Smile-Can-Break-Hearts."

She couldn't help but smile from the sheer happiness she was feeling. Everything seemed perfect. Her life, his life, their moments together.. it all seemed so natural for her. She was just scared that something might happen and it'd all just crumble to pieces... and then what would she have to hold onto?

"I don't feel.. welcome here," she admitted, her face shifting into a guilty looking one, "I know, I know, it's so stupid of a thing to think of leaving for, but.. I don't know. Just a reaccuring thought I have.." She smiled at the thought of running their own shop, imagining just how perfect that would be. "You know, the shop idea.. not a bad one, I must say."

"I only ever come up with the best ideas, you know that," Ambrose said. "You have no choice now, you have to do it. We'll open up a shop, you can talk whatever language you like, and I'll snack in the stock rooms while we hire someone to do all the work for us. And it gives me a way of turning you into some giant butterball so I don't have to ever, ever think of you running away again."

Truly, the idea of her wanting to run back to France was a little scary. Despite his parents' very simple, strict mannerisms, he loved them too dearly to stray that far. Yet the idea of Lucie disappearing seemed almost as daunting.

"Tell you what," he said, tapping her nose, "we'll compromise. Coastline in England, I bet we'd be able to see France if you squint hard enough"

"I'm not a lazy bum like you are, Ambrose.. I thought the point of cooking cupcakes and running a shop together was being together. Not much of a team effort if you're in the stockroom stuffing your face," argued Lucie, sticking out her tongue at him.

Coastline of England, hm? Didn't sound like a bad idea. Water, relaxing days, silence.. it sounded like a mighty dandy idea. "I might have to take you up on that offer, Mister Maguire.. it would be a delight. Just imagine us breathing in the ocean air together.. alooooone."

"Alone?" Ambrose scoffed, shaking his head. "Oh, no no no no, Little Miss, we won't be alone. I'm bringing along at least five dogs. And at least one of them will drool so he will be my favourite, you can have one of the fancy ones. Though that's boring. You can train yourself in the art of cupcake baking- because that's all we're going to eat- while I walk them on the beach. I'm not gonna lie, they're probably gonna do a good job of stealing my attention."

"..Drool?" Luciana repeated, the sheer mention of the word making her skin crawl, "That's unsanitary, Brosie.. you know how I feel about that. I'm not baking anything while you ditch me for the dogs. That's not going to work."

She looked at him with a pout on her face, her hands toying with his shirt collar. "You would ignore me for the dogs, Ambrose? Jeez, now I'm totally rethinking my plan of being the future Mrs. Maguire.. might have to reroute my entire life, really."

"A bit of drool won't bother you after the kids," he said, rolling his eyes. "They're gonna be way messier. And you are not allowed to reroute your life, I've planned it out quite nicely for you. Couple of years of baking skills, then the first baby, then the barrage of dogs, then more babies. And then more cupcakes, because I'll miss them by this point"

"Well, I know that, it's just.. dog drool is different. It's so.. gross.." said Lucie, making a face at the mental image of it, "And um, hold it right there. BABIES? What makes you think I'm gonna LET YOU get in my pants after you're supposedly gonna stuff me to death? Nope, uh uh, Brosie.. I'd rather just stay Miss Luciana Avery Saint Clair if we're gonna be like that."

"Keep your name if you want, I'm still gonna stuff you up," Ambrose laughed, squeezing her tightly. "Or some other way of keeping you around. I'd go with the traditional ball and chain but you'd look better all plumped up. We could put you on the tree at Christmas! Seriously, it's gonna be awesome"

Lucie snuggled into him, closing her eyes as she breathed in his scent. God, he smelled wonderful. "I'm not go nna be a Christmas tree topper, Brosie.. you know how I feel about heights. I'd be scared the entire time."

A soft tone took over as she maneuvered herself to look at him again, her blue eyes staring directly into his, "Whatever you do, Ambrose.. don't let me go. I.. I love how close we are. Promise you won't leave me?"

"Let you go?" Ambrose asked, arching an eyebrow. "Why would I let go of my wonderfully foreign, bakery scented, wild cat of a girl? You'd have to think up some pretty dangerous spells to escape," he added, nuzzling her neck playfully. "It's gonna take something pretty big to get rid of that five dog, several children, fat wife image out of my head"

Luciana let out a giggle as he nuzzled her neck, a genuine smile creeping across her face, "Brosie, I'm ticklish!" she laughed, craning it slightly as his nose ventured across it. She bit her lip playfully as he spoke, her face lighting up. "..So, you're telling me you'd marry me? Are you serious?"

[[Love how in this thread we're all COMMITMENT while in the other we're like NO COMMITMENT]]

"Calm your horses there, it wasn't a proposal," Ambrose laughed. "I dunno, that's just the picture in my head. Of course it would be horrible breaking the news to my parents, they always thought I'd marry a Hufflepuff. I'm sure they'll handle the shock though." He paused a moment, looking directly at Lucie. "Do you think about that stuff?"

[AND THAT, MY DEAR FRIEND, IS HOW BABIES ARE MADE. xD I just love how different they can be when around other people.. Lucie basically poured her heart out to Liam and she's genuinely afraid that he's going to get mad because someone other than him knows about her feelings..)

"Oh, I know it wasn't! If it was, I'd probably be crying," she admitted, grinning goofily. The smile quickly faded as he asked another question. Did she really want to tell him? "Yeah.. um, actually. I have.. been for a few fleeting moments, though in my thoughts it's not always me.. it's.. someone else. I don't know why, it just is." She reached down for his hand, squeezing it gently. "..Being your wife and your best friend sounds hard.."

"Well, if you're picturing me with someone else, it better be someone famous. Like one of those singers or something." He shook his head. "Seriously though, why? Who're you picturing me with? And it can't be too hard, you're already my best friend, remember? You've pretty much got your job sorted"