[ @bycfclicia ]
Milan at the height of Fashion Week was an experience Zaiden Hendricks often found himself enthralled with. High fashion, luxury designers, and amenities that only the richest of the rich could afford–it was everything the elder of the Hendricks pair prized. He had all but grown accustomed to the flashing lights of he paparazzi swarming around himself and his girlfriend each time they stepped out of the five-star hotel he had booked for their stay. A glitzy Rolex on his wrist and even more beautiful girl on his arm–it was all picture-perfect. Felicia Chiela was undoubtedly the love of his life–from her warm brown eyes and bubbly laughter to the way she looked at him every time they woke up next to each other in their king-sized bed, she was perfect.
The couple had their ups and downs–but Zaiden had tried his hardest over the past two years to fix himself up to be the man Felicia deserved. He wasn’t perfect–far from it, with his wild party antics and almost condescending persona–but he was trying, and the only thing he wanted was for Fee to be with him. He had spent weeks planning this trip–from purchasing VIP tickets to every show cropping up in Milan to finding the most perfect ring to convincing his brother to make arrangements with the high-end boutique where he wanted the ring planted–and so far, it seemed as if everything was going on without a hitch.
Zaiden wasn’t the sort of man who got nervous; he exuded confidence in every bit of his being, from the way he held his head high and let a smirk grace his lips–but for once in his life, the dark-haired young man could feel his heart pounding. Tattooed fingers laced with Fee’s thin ones as they traipsed their way through the Italian park. He could hear Fee babbling about something or another and he hummed along thoughtfully–though his mind was far from their current conversation. Ice blue eyes sought out the crowds in the area before his gaze snapped back to the brunette. “Babydoll,” he murmured, not quite noticing how he cut the brunette off mid-sentence. “Do you think I could see that gift you received from Cartier?” Zaiden forced his voice to remain calm and even, refusing to betray the anxious nerves settling in the pit of his stomach. It was now or never–and he needed to bite the bullet.
( @zxiiden )
Dating a Hendricks had its ups and it’s downs. And most of it, one just adjusted to. Paparazzi, seeing your picture on magazine stands, and hundreds of thousands (at least) more followers on Twitter and YouTube. Fee got used to it quickly. She kind of loved it, and it showed even when she was rolling her eyes at paparazzi’s or fighting with Twitter trolls. It was energizing for her, and pushed her into hardening her once too soft exterior. Plus, how could she not love it when she got to attention things like Fashion Week in Milan?! She joked that Zaiden was the best boyfriend in the world for treating her to such extravagant trips and experiences, but truly it was more than that which had drawn her to him to begin with. And if anything, the list of his admirable and lovable traits had grown since then.
Fee wished that she could say that she noticed the signs and got a feeling as to what was going to happen today. But really, she didn’t. She noticed that he seemed distracted, but after asking him once if he was doing alright and getting a positive response, she gave up on questioning him and figured that maybe he was just tired, or bored, or... Something. She was a little enthralled in all that was Fashion Week, though Zaiden had taken her to other ones before and many things similar to it. It was nothing new, and yet she never lost her interest and excitement about it. That was obvious from how she babbled on even though Zaiden wasn’t really even listening.
“This manicure is really holding up well this week. I thought I’d have to get them done again while we were here, but I really don’t think I’ll need to. And I’m getting compliments about them all over the place. The woman in--” “Babydoll,” Zade’s voice was soft, even, and calm. That didn’t keep her from getting annoyed that he’d interrupted her, a fact that she simply tucked into her mind for argument sake at some point in the future. He asked about the gift from Cartiers, and she paused, freeing her hand from around his arm to fish in the small bag for the extra box they’d tucked into it. It was sleek, white, with golden trim. She held it out for Zade, a curious look on her face, though she forced a smile through it. “This one?”
