“Of course I will,” Vixey said with a smile, looking over at Roxie who was clearly interested in hearing more about the treats. “It’s all about capturing the right moment with pups, besides, the candid moments are always way cuter than the posed moments.” And it was true, especially when dogs or kids were involved in the pictures. As Todd raised her hand to his lips, Vixey couldn’t help but feel butterflies in her stomach. Some might have thought it to be a little silly that she still felt this way about his touch after all of these years, but Vixey knew she’d never get tired of it. Every day with Todd felt familiar and exciting all over again and she hoped to never lose that feeling. She felt her cheeks flush, “I couldn’t have picked out a better ring even if I tried,” She smiled, admiring it. “I’m serious, too, and I have great taste. You knocked it out of the park with this one,” she said, her lips curling into a smirk, “And with me too, of course.” she teased, “But the feeling is mutual.”
Todd couldn’t help but chuckle a little at her answer, specially because it was very Vixey-like. Which was one of the many reason the man had fallen head over heels for her years ago, a goner the second they crossed paths in high school. “Would you have said yes if it was a ring-pop then?” he teased with a smirk, “The green apple one would have definitely matched with your hair.” The amount of time he had spent searching and looking for the perfect ring, a year after she had moved in with him. He had always known she was the woman he’d spend the rest of his days with; it was only a matter of time for her to be ready. It was also a good thing that the redhead never really snooped around the barracks in the firehouse -a perfect hiding spot for months. To think of all the planning for the proposal, asking her parent’s blessing, the actual moment and all the wedding planning that lead to the day so close to his reach. “I can’t wait to see you in that dress. I can’t get a sneak peak, right? Even if I beg?” he teased as he brought the redhead closer, letting her sit on his lap.
The daze that was left from the holidays quickly burnt out as everyone jumped straight into January -the longest month of the year- to start their activities and calendars. Which meant Todd having to take off to DC for a lot of meetings that he was not looking forward to attending.
He wasn't excited about them only because they were always long activities that included seminars and too much lobby talking when his job was a lot more exciting and required him to be on his toes constantly, but now there was another factor that didn't make any part of this trip exciting and that was the redhead that sat on his couch as he took care of the last details regarding his bag and things he should bring. Of course, the two weeks of holidays, and somewhat of a celebration between them was nice, but the man would have wished to have the time he'd use in DC to spend it with her.
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"Okay, I don't think I'm forgetting anything," said Todd as he placed his things at the door before slipping on a jacket, all while yawning.
Just the thought of this trip was exhausting and he couldn't wait to get to his hotel and sleep the night away. But he was thankful that Vixey would be able to see him off at the airport and that she'd take care of Roxie. The woman had become one of the pup's favorite people quickly, warming up to her in no time; he knew she'd be in the right hands and not lonely like other times. Not like Copper didn't do the best job at babysitting the golden, but it did give him comfort to know Roxie would have cuddles, scratches, and treats while he was gone.
"I can't wait for this trip to be over," said the man as he brought the redhead closer, wrapping his arms around her and leaning his head against hers to rest his eyes for a minute.
"Can I just cancel last minute? I'm sure no one will notice me not there," he teased, knowing that skipping this was not an option.
"But, the one thing that it's worth it is that by the time I'm back, we'll be closer to Valentine's Day. And I don't know about you, but I am ready to wow you out. You thought the record for Christmas was good? You've seen nothing," said Todd with a wink as he placed a kiss on Vixey's forehead.
"Okay, let's get down with this," said the man as he pulled away, walking closely to Roxie's bed where the dog was already laid down with sad eyes at Todd for leaving.
"Alright sweet girl, I'll be back before you realize it, okay? You'll have fun with Vixey, she'll stay with you, walk you, give you scratchies. All good things. You be good and guard our home, okay?" said Todd as he leaned down to press a kiss on Roxie's head, earning him a lick from her.
"Alright, let's go."
Vixey was eager to help Todd get ready for his trip. She obviously would've liked to have more time with Todd, time that was peaceful and uninterrupted by the holidays, but she knew absence would only make the heart grow fonder. Plus she was basically going to be living in Todd's apartment with Roxie and his super comfortable bed for the next 3 weeks so aside from missing Todd, she couldn't really complain.
The redhead smiled as Todd pulled her closer, cherishing every second they had together before seeing him off. Her arms rest around his neck and she placed a short and sweet kiss against his lips.
"I can't wait for it to be over either," she replied with a smile, "But this will be a good opportunity for you and a good chance to network," which was something Vixey was always about in the business.
"Plus, Roxie will be in good hands."
The thought of Valentine's day made her a little nervous, it would be one of the first Vixey had a companion since high school. She smiled as Todd talked up the holiday. Christmas was a real treat so she could imagine that he had something brewing for their first Valentine's Day, especially since he'd be gone for the few weeks leading up to it.
After Todd and Roxie said goodbyes, Vixey checked her app and saw their uber was about to pull up, just in time.
"Alright, Rox, I'll be back in a little bit and then we're going to take a nice long walk." She smiled and scratched the pup on her head before heading back to the door.
"And just in time, our ride is just down the block."
Vixey held the door open for Todd, offering to help him with his bags even though she knew he'd decline. The ride to the airport was uneventful and thankfully traffic wasn't too light - though Vixey would of course love more time with Todd, she also knew that when she was catching flights she got nervous. She was the 'get to the airport 4 hours before the flight' kind of person.
The whole ride she kept her hand in Todd's and despite being nervous even though she wasn't the one traveling, the warmth of his hand on hers soothed her.
Todd easily took his bags as the couple made their way downstairs and to the Uber waiting for them, watching the city out the window on the way to the airport. His arm wrapped around the redhead's shoulder all the way, his hand tangled with hers, soaking all the physical touch he could get before the man was left with almost three weeks of nothing. And he already knew they were going to be the longest weeks of his life, already counting back the days left to get back to his home, his bed, and his girlfriend.
"Are you going to miss me while I'm away, superstar?" he asked, teasing mostly to kill the time while they made it to the airport, which was a good solid hour if the traffic cooperated.
"Just don't steal my dog, that's all I ask," added the man with a chuckle as he pressed a kiss to her temple.
When the car parked, the man unwillingly untangled himself from the redhead to get out and pull his bags out. The airport was busy as always, but thankfully they had arrived with enough time for him to get through security and wait for the boarding time with ease, with a small suitcase like his, Todd didn't need any extra time. And the man was not looking to extend his time in DC anymore than necessary; in fact, his return flight was the first of the day.
"Alright, so I'll text you when I land and if my misery is too much," teased the man with a chuckle, but he wasn't lying. Todd would take any opportunity to text Vixey when things got a little too dull for him in DC, more than happy to share any meme that comes close to him. He leaned in closer to kiss the redhead as he let the kiss linger for a little while, letting it last until he knew it started to get to her before he pulled away.
"I'll see you soon, babe," said the man with a wink before he grabbed his things and walked inside the airport.
The first days were miserable for Todd, with the man texting Vixey in between meetings and when the seminar was too much for him that he feared he was going to fall asleep instantly.
Ugh, save me. This is not meant for someone like me, I am not designed to sit down for hours and hours listening to speeches. How's Roxie? How's the city? Is it still daylight outside?
It was a task for him to do so. The last time he'd sit through so much talking was back in school and it had been two decades since then. At nights, after stripping out of his formal uniform and was cuddled under the covers, he facetimed Vixey to check on her, things, and Roxie -and hopefully get an interesting story about her rehearsals. Those were always funny.
Soon enough the three weeks were over and Todd couldn't wait to get back home, clearly by the way he was picking up his things and making his bags in his hotel room, more than ready to get out and take a cab to the airport. The fact that the man knew that he'd be sleeping in his own bed by the time it was nighttime was a promising thought that kept him going through the check-in and security line at the airport.
He just couldn't believe it had been a whole month, but at least it had gone by quickly, and Todd just wanted to get back to his life, his routine, his job and his time with Roxie and Vixey.
"I'm going to miss you so much." Vixey grinned. She was thankful for the lingering kisses at the airport.
"Tell me everything and we can definitely facetime every night," she told him, "So you can see Roxie, of course.”
Their goodbye was long but as always not long enough. The airport was the one place where when you felt that feeling, you definitely weren't alone. Usually Vixey rolled her eyes at the sight of couples kissing and silly little kiss & fly zone signs that were visible at the drop off outside of the building but for the first time she knew the feeling. With one last kiss and wave Vixey disappeared back into the Uber as Todd disappeared through the doors.
The first week seemed to crawl by as Vixey settled into her new routine, the new routine was really just taking care of Roxie which she didn't mind at all, it was nice having time with the dog, but she could definitely tell she was missing Todd.
"Don't worry girl, I miss him too.." she would remind the golden as she made dinner, watching Roxie lay on the floor by the front door. It wouldn't take her long to coax her back into the kitchen with a treat or offering to toss one of her toys around.
"We're good for each other right now, huh?" she'd say, ruffling her fur around her ears. Both of them missing the same guy. Roxie's ears would perk up as she heard Todd's voice over the phone and Vixey always showed Todd her little tail wagging in the background.
"I'm not sure who's more excited to hear from you today," Vixey replied before snuggling into bed to hear about Todd's day. She couldn't help but laugh when he'd complain about sitting through workshops and speeches, Vixey thankful she didn't have to do much of that for her work, not anymore.
She brought up the theatre conferences she used to go to while she was in college or while she was still trying to get a job performing. She told him about the summer she spent working for the worst small theatre ever, in the middle of nowhere with not much pay. They did a performance of Into the Woods that ended up being a complete disaster and another show Vixey couldn't even remember the name of because she had probably blocked out the memory.
The second week felt a little more normal, though Vixey was still missing Todd, and Roxie too, the pair had settled into a nice routine. Vixey even snuck Roxie backstage on one of her night's off with her understudy going on stage and she was very obviously a favorite.
Miss you, babe. Roxie is great and I think she's getting a little more spoiled than normal and I apologize for that. We're both doing well and can't wait for you to come home and tell us about all of the useful things you're learning. What's D.C. like? You know I've never actually been there. Wonder if I could perform on the National Mall one day for the 4th of July...
She smiled at her phone at every message and looked forward to every call every night. Though one night she lost track of time and had a bath because of course Todd's tub was nicer than hers and she drank a little too much wine and was mid drying off when the call came...
Though.. that did make for a fun chat. And probably both entertaining and frustrating for Todd. Fun all around!
When his day of arrival finally came again Vixey woke early to get Roxie out and the house tidied up for Todd. She had called him early to double check his flight time and confirm his pickup and everything and she was so excited on the phone all she could do was pace back and forth in the apartment.
After the call she sat her phone down on the counter and grabbed her purse and keys. She was only away from her phone for 5 minutes tops, getting ready to head back and call for an Uber but noticed she had several missed calls from her mom in a row which was super strange. Just as she sat her purse down it rang again and she answered on speaker so she could open Uber over the wifi and chat at the same time.
"Hey, mom! Is everything okay, I'm sorry I missed a few calls. I'm just getting ready to head to the airport, Todd's flight comes in soo-" her mom quickly cut her off, sounding hysterical.
"Mom, what is," cut off again by a sob this time. She took the phone off speaker and placed it to her ear in a panic.
"Is it dad? Mom are you okay, what's going on? I need you to take a deep breath and slow down." she explained, giving her mom another minute to attempt to compose herself
"Vixey your dad and I are okay. I'm so sorry I should've called you yesterday but,"
"But what, mom?" whatever it is now made her feel sick in the pit of her stomach.
"It's Emily, sweetie."
"Emily? My sister, Emily? I haven't heard from her in four years, minus some instagram posts of Abigail. What happened? Are they okay?" Vixey loved her mother so much but the woman was about as useful as a telemarketer in a time of crisis.
"She's gone, Vixey."
Silence. Vixey wasn't exactly close to her sister, not since she had run off with that man Vixey didn't care for, the guy who stole her sister away.
"Baby, I'm so sorr-"
"Mom, I have to go. I have to get to the airport to pick up Todd and I still have to get a car, can I call you back?"
"Of course, honey. We definitely need to talk later."
Funeral arrangements, of course.
"Yeah, mom. I'll be able to do whatever you all need, Grace will cover for me for the rest of the week. I love you, mom"
Thankfully there was an Uber close so Vixey was able to book one in no time and it was probably for the best that she wouldn't be alone. She felt really weird. At one point her and Emily were super close, they shared everything, at least what they could. And when they weren't sharing everything Emily was too annoyed with Vixey trying to copy her every move.
You're gonna be a good actress one day, kid. She'd tease her.
Then Paul came along and took her to Texas and gave her a baby. And Emily hadn't spoken to Vixey since last Christmas, not even this year. There was nothing. But Vixey couldn't think about that right now. She needed to focus on getting Todd back and then she'd talk to him when they got home.
Vixey would probably have to go to New Jersey for a few days and she wasn't sure Todd would be able to go, and she didn't exactly want him to meet her parents with a funeral, but.. it was going to be okay and Vixey would repeat that to herself for a long time.
Once she arrived at the airport she hustled to the terminal to meet Todd and she was just in time as the plane had just landed within the last ten minutes. Once he was finally off she greeted him with a big smile, putting on her best actress face.
"Todd!" she called, opening her arms to hug him.
"Sorry, I thought about doing a whole cheesy sign thing but then I ran out of time. How was the flight?"
The man had been so excited to get home, already counting down the minutes left on the plane once he had reached the airport. Thankfully it wasn't a long flight, and before he knew it he'd landed safely, bags ready and him eager to get out finally and get back to the city.
Of course, when he walked through the doors, there was a mass of people waiting on the other side. Families, parents, children; some taxi drivers with signs waiting for someone important. Todd fixed the strap of his bag as his eyes scanned the place for the redhead, only to quickly spot her as she got his attention. He made a beeline towards her, dropping the bags at his feet once he was in front of her to lift her up in a hug as he twirled around once before pressing a kiss to her lips, pulling away enough to look at her.
"I missed you so much," said the man as he now took care of his bags, with one free hand to hold the redhead.
"It was okay, I can't complain. I got free water since the snacks are so expensive. It's a good thing the breakfast lounge at the hotel was packed. I wouldn't have survived on some chips," said Todd with a chuckle while walking out of the airport, thank god.
Once inside the Uber and with the daze of seeing Vixey after a month, the man finally had a chance to look at her. Of course, at first sight, she looked like any other day; relaxed maybe for someone who didn't know her so well.
Even if Todd had only had a couple of months -and an extra one during the summer- to learn and know the redhead, it had been enough time to pick up on things she did. Like pretending she was okay when she wasn't.
"Is everything okay?" he asked gently, a hand landing on top of hers to catch her attention just in case his words weren't heard.
"Nothing wrong at home? Work? Roxie?" the man knew that if it had been Roxie, the woman would have called him immediately and Todd would have made it back in record time.
But he knew something was off, either something happened before today or earlier. By this point, Todd's whole body had turned towards her direction, giving her his complete attention - and ready to dodge whatever excuse she could throw at him if she didn't spill the beans right away- both of his hands taking a hold of hers.
In public Vixey could hold her composure and fake it well, she fed off the energy of those around her and it made it easier so while they were at the airport she had no trouble pretending to be alright. She couldn't help but hold the hug with Todd a little longer than she normally would.
Once they were inside the Uber and Todd caught on, VIxey considered lying for a little while longer, at least until they were in the comfort of Todd's apartment, but there wouldn't be any use. Though she had spaced out a little, she heard Todd's question and looked at him with soft eyes. Her fingers intertwined with his and she shook her head, "Nothing is wrong at home, I promise. Roxie is perfectly fine, she has been the best companion over the last few weeks."
Vixey wasn't quite ready to cry, honestly she was just still in shock. She hadn't had time to process much of anything yet, and she wasn't sure where to even begin because she hadn't mentioned her sister to Todd, she hadn't really mentioned her sister to anyone outside of her family. It all felt so weird.
"Work is fine, I promise Roxie is fine, too." she had already said that but for some reason she felt the need to reiterate and stall. She was thankful for the light traffic. Hopefully they'd be home sooner than later.
"My mom called me right before I left for the airport.." she began, averting her gaze to the back of the seat in front of her.
"She was freaking out and I was worried it was my dad or something but he's fine, they're fine" She found herself pausing to breathe slow deep breaths.
"I don't talk about her much, mostly because we haven't really spoken much in the last seven or so years, but I have a sister, well- I.." she stopped, staring ahead.
"My sister, Emily, something happened, I don't know what, I had to get mom off the phone so I could go but I've got to call her back. And I'll probably have to spend a few days in New Jersey with them setting up funeral arrangements.."
Todd looked intently at the redhead, feeling the touch of her hands but reading something more from them; as if she was holding on to avoid the breakthrough of a heavy burden, and the man could just rub the back of her hands with his thumbs to try and alleviate the unknown until he could finally learn all the details.
He listened but didn't at the same time as Vixey began to mention all the things that were okay like his home, Roxie, or work, but he just couldn't stop the way his gaze softened at her as he tried to comprehend what was happening.
Of course, this wasn't the most promising place to have such a talk, let alone he didn't want the redhead to start crying inside a random Uber in the middle of the street. There was still a considerable distance between them and his home; something told him that these were huge news, but worse still.
The man listened carefully when Vixey began to explain, him scooting a little closer to her. He wouldn't have been able to stop his breathing catching in his throat at the sudden realization of the news she had received, looking at her while Todd himself tried to let it sink as well. He, after all, knew this feeling of getting the worst call possible too well, the shock, the many questions, and the eventual breakdown that came crashing down after. And like her, Todd hadn't really had any chance to talk about his family at all -or the lack of one for that matter.
"Vixey, I'm so sorry," said the man as his hands gently squeezed her hands, just to remind her that he was there with her. Present. No wonder she had looked a little off at the airport. Without him noticing, they had arrived at his apartment, with the man quickly getting out of the car and helping the woman out as he carried his bags.
"Come on, let's get inside," he said softly at her, bringing them both inside. He wished he could have greeted Roxie with a lot more enthusiasm than he did, but even the pup had noticed a shift in the environment the second the woman had stepped inside, instantly moving to Vixey's heel after Todd had scratched her head.
"Hey," said the man as he wrapped his arms around her, now safely secured by the privacy of his home and Todd's arms as he hugged her tight.
"If you need me to go with you to New Jersey, I can do it no problem. Okay?" he said softly as he rubbed her back gently.
"You can stay here with me too, as long as you need. Anything you need, I got you," said Todd as he gently pulled away to look at her, placing a kiss on her temple.
Vixey was more than thankful for the safety and comfort of Todd's apartment. There was a feeling of instant relief once they had gotten in, Roxie also sensing something was off. The redhead collapsed into Todd's arms as he pulled her close.
"Thank you," she said, face against his shoulder.
"I don't want you to feel like you have to go with me, I know you've already been away from work so I don't want to make things difficult for you," she told him. It was going to be weird anyway considering the rift in Vixey's relationship with her sister and her mother. Vixey's father still kept up with Emily every now and then but like Vixey, their mom hadn't been a fan of the guy who she left with.
"Mine and my mom's relationship with my sister wasn't exactly great." She didn't want Todd to feel awkward.
"But seriously, thank you, I really appreciate that, I think it would feel too weird being alone. I mean I'm sad, it's really sad, but it's also strange.. I heard from her last Christmas and it was a short facetime call and I had reached out a few times over the previous year but she never got back. It was weird.." Vixey explained the situation to Todd, moving to the living room.
Just as she went to sit down her phone began to ring again. It was her mom calling again.
"And it's my mom.. I told her I'd call her back later," Vixey was a little frustrated but it also felt wrong to be frustrated because this situation was entirely out of her control.
"Hey mom.." Vixey's voice was soft as she sat on the couch, shifting her gaze between Todd and the floor.
"We just got back from the airport, I'm sorry I was going to call you later."
"Tell Todd we're glad he made it back safe."
"Thank you, I am too."
"Honey I hate to bug you but it would be better for you to get here sooner rather than later, tomorrow would be best. We need to talk."
That was weird. Of course they needed to talk, her sister was dead.
"Well I know there's probably a lot to do but what is it that I've got to be there? Can we talk now? Or I can call you later? Mom, I'm honestly not sure what we need to talk about that can't be sorted later.."
There was a sense of urgency in her mom's voice that made her uneasy. She heard her mom sniffle on the other end and her dad telling her in the background to go ahead and 'prepare her'.
"Mom what's dad talking about? What does he mean by prepare her? Prepare who?"
"Vix it's about Abigail. We're going to need to talk about living arrangements."
"What do you mean living arrangements?"
"Your sister had you listed as her conservator." The phone slipped from Vixey's hand and hit the floor.
"Vixey, it's no problem at all. This trip was work either way, so if anything they owe me for making me have to be away from the firehouse. Besides, I never really take holidays. I have enough days to cover as much as you need for me to stay with you," said Todd as he hugged the woman tight, giving her as much time as she needed to let it go before pulling away.
"I just don't want you to deal with all of this alone. I know it's hard and it's tough," said the man, looking at her softly but talking from experience.
Whether she'd want to know more about that or no, Todd was already decided in making the trip with her and staying for as long as she'd need.
"Of course, babe. You can take it as slow as you need, and I'll be here for whatever. I'll make some tea for you, okay?" said the man after she spoke as they moved to the living room, letting her take the couch while he moved to the kitchen, and on right timing when he heard the phone ringing, knowing it was probably her mother and betting she'd need a couple of minutes alone to deal with that -as alone as she could be with the fluffy golden retriever setting her head on her lap to keep her company and give her support.
The man busied himself setting up the electric kettle and the tea for the redhead, already knowing this would be a long and hard process not only for Vixey but for her family as well. And yes, in other circumstances, meeting her family would be a big deal, but right now he couldn't care less about the implications and expectations of it when she was hurting and funerals were a given to be an emotional turmoil.
His own experience had been harsh enough, but also he was 18 and alone dealing with the funeral arrangements of the only family he'd known. At least Vixey had the support system of her parents; him and Roxie too.
When he heard a loud thud noise hitting the floor, Todd quickly walked out of the kitchen only to find her phone on the floor and the woman sitting like a statue, with Roxie whining uncomfortably as a sign of alert as she looked at the man for any help.
"Hey, what's wrong?" said the man as he took the phone and hang up the call for now; clearly she wouldn't be able to keep on talking for the next minute.
"Vixey, are you okay?"
Vixey starred unblinking for what felt like an eternity but was probably only less than a minute. She could feel Todd close and the sound of Roxie's whining brought her back. The redhead found herself taking a deep breath and closing her eyes for just a moment, attempting to make sense of the thing her mom just said to her.
"I think my mom is confused.." was all she managed, opening her eyes to look at Todd who was now holding her phone.
"I think she's confused and I'm just going to have to text her that I'll be home in the morning but I can't talk to them right now."
Vixey felt like a crazy person and she wasn't sure if chalking it up to her mom not knowing what she said was a defense mechanism or not.. Which, Vixey was obviously experiencing early stages of grief over something she'd only known for a few hours so it wasn't exactly unheard of. She just felt like she was beginning to suffocate.
Vixey stayed seated on the couch, her head in her hands, and sighed. "My sister has a daughter, Abigail. I think she's four now? Or almost four?"
Some people probably thought it was awful that she hardly knew her niece but it was only because her sister and fiance, more so the fiance, kept her from Vixey and their parents.
"Emily met this guy while we were on a vacation down in Florida and I didn't like him very much, and he pretended to like me until he started dating my sister a few months later after moving to New Jersey.." It was so weird recounting this experience and as Vixey spoke she realized she had never told anyone about any of this.
"He became very protective of my sister but she played it off as new love and I tried to not think much of it." She sighed again, bringing her head up to look at Todd now.
"Paul, that's his name.. Anyway, they got married and moved to Texas and Emily and I were still in touch semi-regularly after she moved and a few months later she found out she was pregnant and we were so excited, I was going to be Aunt Vixey just like I had always wanted and it was going to be great and then Abigail was born and Paul got weird, again. He didn't want Emily to talk to me and the whole thing was just bad but she was hours away and I didn't know what to do.." It was going to be difficult to not place any blame on herself.
"We heard from her that one Christmas and nothing else since. Mom would get emotional when I would ask if she had heard from her so a few months ago I stopped checking in. But now mom told me apparently my sister had me listed as a guardian for Abby but Paul is her dad so that can't be right." she ran her fingers through her hair, keeping her breathing steady as she spoke but settling farther back on the couch and pulling her knees to her chest.
"I don't know, I'll just have to wait until tomorrow, I can't talk to any of them anymore today without being there."
By this point Roxie had climbed up on the couch next to her and Vixey was able to rest a hand on the pup. If anything Todd and Roxie would be exactly the comfort that she needs.
By now, Todd had moved from crouching next to Vixey to taking a seat on the couch next to her as he placed the phone on the coffee table while looking at her with a soft gaze. Roxie was just as alert as he was, constantly trying to smudge her head in between the redhead's hands to lick her face while he tried to pull her back a little to give Vixey some space.
It was clear that everything was beginning to hit her like a truck at the moment, and the man knew it was only going to get worse by the time the day went on. His hand moved to rest against her arm while his thumb gently caressed her skin, patiently waiting as she spoke and explained the whole situation. Of course, he didn't know a thing about her family because the redhead hadn't said much about them, but also they had been started dating just a month ago, so it wasn't exactly something so bad. And he wasn't one to judge her for that either.
Todd listened carefully as Vixey explained the situation with her sister, her niece, and her brother-in-law apparently. Obviously, it all rubbed him the wrong way and understood the worry coming from her mother about the situation. He didn't have siblings, but having Copper all his life that acted like a brother to him gave him some sort of glimpse of what it was like, but Todd also understood that it couldn't be even close to the real thing.
He took a deep breath, as he placed a hand over Vixey's with a gentle touch.
"Okay. Well, what we can do is take it one step at a time for now. So, when you're ready you can text your mom. I'm going to bring you your tea and we can stay here if you want, or leave. Or anything that you want to do, alright?" said Todd as he leaned in to press a kiss to her forehead before standing up and moving to the kitchen.
The whole situation sucked, obviously and it was worse after knowing the whole story. From what he could tell -or assume really- was that probably something happened to the father as well, meaning that if Vixey was being contacted to be the guardian of this little girl, things would change. The man couldn't help but wonder if her niece looked like her at all, but who knew. He wasn't worried about that, in fact, Todd was more than ready to help and support the redhead in everything she needed, even if right now it meant to help her feel as okay as she could while thinking of the next step to take.
"Here you go," said the mas as he handed her the cup, moving to grab the blanket thrown over the couch to wrap her shoulders with it.
"And I'm sorry, but I think Roxie is on Vixey duty today," said the man with a chuckle as he watched the pup snuggle as close as she could to the woman, while Todd sat on the other side while bringing an arm around her shoulders.
While Todd busied himself making tea, Vixey texted her mom, letting her know that they'd be coming home in the morning but that she needed a little time this evening to process. Thankfully her mom was accepting of that and Vixey was thankful. She'd rather that than spending the evening feeling guilty for checking out. The next few days were going to be a lot though so Vixey was glad.
"You're the best, and I mean that." Vixey said with a weak but sincere smile as Todd settled next to her with tea and a blanket.
"I think I would rather stay here for the evening. Maybe we could get some takeout and watch a movie, or something that requires little thought processing." She definitely didn't want to be alone and she definitely didn't want to head home yet.
"I'll need to go to my apartment and get some things for the next few days but I can do that later." she took a sip of the tea and leaned close to Todd.
She was also going to need to make some calls to their production staff announcing her leave for at least the rest of the week and let them know that she may need more time but she would let them know.
She hated stepping out of a show like this. People paid to see the show as a whole, sure, but people also definitely came to see the headliners. She saw a post on her instagram about it in her future. Not that she owed anyone anything but she did like for people to know she didn't want to be out. What a weird time to live in.
"Thank you, I know I've already said that and I'm just warning you that I'm going to be saying it at least a hundred more times and I'm apologizing in advance. I'm also apologizing in advance for apologizing so much. I know I shouldn't and this is way out of my control but I just want you to know. I say sorry too much" It was a hard habit to break.
"But I guess we can go to my parents in the morning. They're in the suburbs right outside of the city on the Jersey side, it's like an hour total from my apartment via transit. And you really don't have to come," she said knowing he would come regardless.
"I know you will but I just don't want you to feel like you have to."
"Alright, we can do that no problem. Roxie will be thrilled to know she gets you here one more day," said the man with a smile as he watched the dog snuggle her head in between Vixey's arm just so she could boop her nose against her cheek.
"We can definitely come with you if you want some company while you get your stuff together. I actually think this girl right here left a toy at your place the other day. Might as well recover it while we can," said Todd with a chuckle as his hand gave the pup's head some scratches.
The man also made a mental note to pack a new bag -much smaller than the one he took to DC- and call Copper so he'd come and check on Roxie while he was gone which he already knew he wouldn't say much about it since he loved the golden and she loved him too. Maybe he'd take her to his place as well. But he'd also need to call the firehouse and pull out every extra shift, favor, and seminar he'd been dragged to, to get a week off for this emergency. At least it was New Jersey so it wasn't that far either way if anything came up that required his presence in the firehouse.
Todd could only smile back at Vixey as she thanked him, apologized, and explained herself all in one sentence, making the man softly chuckle as he pressed a kiss to her temple.
"It's okay, babe. I'll remind you that it's okay every time," said the man as he rubbed her arm gently with his hand.
"And for your reassurance, I'm not going because I have to. I'm coming because I want to, and I want to support you through all of this. I can ask a favor and get the car from a friend to go to New Jersey. I saved him once from a fire, so he owes me big. That way we don't need to worry about an Uber being late and we can make it as quick as you need," said the man as he pressed a kiss against her shoulder.
"I'm here for you," said the man before a bark interrupted him, making him chuckle as he booped Roxie's nose with his finger.
"We're here for you, babe. Anything you need."
"I think a walk might be a good idea." Vixey smiled at the offer to walk to her apartment. She knew she could use the fresh air after this morning, even if it was a little cold. She gave Roxie's head another scratch.
"If anything comes up with work and you've got to come home please know that's perfectly fine. I know you said it'll be okay but I just want you to know that I'll be okay." It was going to be a long week for sure.
As Todd reassured her she smiled. She was nervous about what was to come, for her mom to tell her the thing about her niece something else had to be going on. And what if she was telling the truth? Vixey would have custody of a whole kid overnight. Vixey hadn't even given full thought to a family of her own someday, which was probably not standard for a thirty-six year old woman but she had always been so focused on herself she hadn't had time to think about someone else. Plus she had been single since meeting Todd so Todd was her first relationship where the thought might be considered. It was a lot to take in.
"I'm very thankful for you," she smiled, leaning in to press a kiss against Todd's cheek.
"And you too, Rox."
Knowing they could have a car helped a lot. Vixey had been planning on finally buying her own car but storage in the city was almost more than the car itself over time. She'd have to move to the suburbs before that happened. But maybe that was going to happen sooner than she thought. Vixey's one bedroom apartment was definitely not made for a kid. It was simply the perfect size for Vixey and really only her, that was partially why she liked staying with Todd at his apartment, and Roxie, of course.
Later that day, after they had ventured out in the cold to Vixey's apartment and she was able to pack a bag, she could feel herself growing more and more tired. It was definitely going to be an early bedtime night for her and that was probably for the best. She was going to need to be well rested for the days ahead.
When the evening finally came that was just what happened. Vixey found herself with barely enough energy for dinner but Todd didn't seem to mind. He had done an amazing job being for her throughout the day, which with the exception of being tired, she seemed alright.
Of course she was off and her head was buzzing with a million different things but she was still able to laugh and talk with Todd and play with Roxie and it was good to keep her mind occupied. She wanted to talk more about Abigail, at least of what she knew about the little girl, and show him the pictures her sister had posted, but she had been avoiding the topic, at least until she knew what was going to happen for sure.
At least she could sleep well that night knowing she wasn't alone, and that the production crew were prepared to fill in for her absence. When she finally called their stage manager and director that afternoon they instructed her to take as much time as she needed, her stage manager even asking to put Todd on so they could make it clear to him as well, knowing good and well Vixey would jump back on stage in two days if she could just to distract herself. They wanted her to take her time and know that they'd have everything taken care of and ready for her return - whenever that would be.
Vixey woke the next morning groggy but well rested after an early night snuggled in bed with Todd and Roxie. She went through her usual routine of breakfast and coffee, something she probably wouldn't have done if she were alone, just the coffee, but she was trying to be conscious and take care of herself - Todd was going to make sure that happened either way and he was definitely helping.
Before she knew it she was pacing around, playing with Roxie here and there to distract herself while Todd finished getting ready.
"I'm sorry we're going to leave you again, sweet girl. Your dad just got back to you and I'm already stealing him for a few days."
As the day went by, Todd had already made the calls to the firehouse as he explained the situation and his absence for the next week for now. He wasn't even allowed to say anything about his free days before his Chief cut him off mid-sentence and immediately allowed him to leave for as long as he needed, after all, Todd never missed a shift, worked extra and he was the one who constantly made the trips to seminars nobody wanted to attend to. The whole firehouse owed it to him; his Chief told him he'd cover for the next shifts and if any vital emergency presented itself, he'd call Todd.
Then he called Copper to make sure Roxie would be taken care of while he was away and after some explaining, his best friend didn't need any more information to agree right away.
"Hey man, listen. This is a huge step. I'm not doubting you or anything, but if you or Vixey need help I got you. I'm sure Mary wouldn't mind some playdates with the kids. That little girl would love some friends, I bet. And the kids have been asking for uncle Todd more than I wish to admit," said Copper over the phone as Todd turned around for a second to check on the redhead,
"Yeah. That sounds like a good idea. I guess I'll meet her first and then we'll see how it goes. But playdates are a must, with Roxie. They'll go nuts. But thanks man, I owe you one."
"You owe me more than a million dollars but okay," said Copper with a laugh before hanging up.
Todd had taken care of the car and had everything ready the night before for the trip to New Jersey. Copper already had a key to his apartment, Roxie's bowls had fresh water and food, and he'd bought extra treats for her. She'd gotten extra snuggles that night, to which the pup took every advantage she could. After breakfast, the man had taken care of their bags before it was finally time to leave, already crouching down with Roxie.
"It's okay," he said with a smile as he gave her scratchies.
"She's a big, brave girl. She knows how to take care of herself. Besides, uncle Copper will be here soon and you'll have fun too," said Todd as he placed a kiss on her head.
"Alright, I'm ready," he said as he offered his hand to the redhead.
"You ready?" asked the man as he looked at her, knowing that was the start of a rough trip but at least she wasn't going to do all this alone.
Once inside the car, Todd drove away and to the New Jersey exit, putting out some soft music to ease up the mood knowing the redhead's head was probably a turmoil. His hand reached out for hers, as his thumb gently caressed the back of her palm.
"How are you holding up, superstar?" asked the man while he drove, taking a chance to pause on a red light to look at her.
"Oh, by the way, I stopped on the way from gas to buy flowers for your mom. I thought it'd be nice," said Todd as he glanced at the sunflowers he'd managed to get, and managed to keep in good condition.
It was a one-hour trip, they would be just fine until New Jersey. The man had also made sure to bring a toy firefighter helmet, from the firehouse. Figuring that would be a good way to break the ice with the little girl.
Vixey smiled as they said goodbye to Roxie. She had yet to meet Copper but he sounded like a great guy and Vixey was sure they'd meet sooner or later. She nodded as Todd asked if she was ready and helped him put their things in the car.
Once she was settled in the car and they were on their way she gave his hand a squeeze and looked his way as he drove.
"I'm okay, I thing, I guess as okay as anyone could be right now, you know?" she asked.
"It's so weird, I was close to her for a while and then not and it's just strange how that can affect someone and how you feel about them. I mean I'm really upset but I also hadn't heard from her in over a year so it doesn't seem real.." She knew it would though and it would be pretty quick.
But she smiled at the flowers he picked up for her mom. "My mom will love them and she will love you, she already does and she hardly knows you." Vixey gave his hand another squeeze.
"My mom is sweet but it's hard to tell how she's going to be this week. She'll still be nice but her and my sister, who was older than me by six years, had a strained relationship for some reason. I never quite understood it and I think Emily resented me a little, thinking I was the favorite."
Sometimes she felt guilty for that, and now she especially did.
"She's probably going to be a mess." the redhead sighed and looked ahead.
"My dad will love that you came with me, and will probably show you his two vintage cars in the garage and talk to you about them for hours because he never gets to show them off anymore. Don't let him con you into helping him 'work' on them." the grinned.
"They're not really broken, he just wants an excuse to show you every part under the hood." The thought of him doing just that with Todd made her laugh softly and that felt good.
Once they were across the stateline and close to the house, Vixey braced herself. She did finally find the courage to ask her mom when Abby would be at the house and she told her later that evening. They'd at least have a few hours to talk through things. She felt nervous but the feeling of Todd's hand helped calm her.
"Alright," once they pulled up she looked at him.
"Let's do this."
Vixey's mom was already at the door ready to greet them, a corgi at her heels, the other one probably wherever her dad was. Her eyes looked tired and sad but she looked happy to greet her daughter and Todd. She opened the door and Scout came running to the redhead and her new friend, her little stub of a tail wagging behind her.
"Vixey!" her mom reached for her.
"Hi, Todd, I've heard so much about you."
She greeted him with open arms as well. The corgi kept sniffing Todd and Vixey's shoes, obviously smelling Roxie.
"And I'm sorry we're not exactly meeting under happy circumstances but we are very excited to meet you and we're so thankful for everything you've done for Vixey, I know she keeps telling me she couldn't do this without you and she always sounds like she's glowing on the other end of the phone."
Todd listened carefully while driving, catching as many details as he could about her family story and all that had transpired; it would be helpful once the time to face it all came. It was a terrible thing that there would be a piece of her that he'd never meet, but it was the same for her with him as well.
His hand gave her a squeeze as the redhead spoke about her sister resenting her. Obviously, he didn't know her, he never would and he'd never know her side of the story, but still; that argument was an ill one that he couldn't quite believe, not when the woman really didn't have anything on her to make her carry such a burden, let alone when the other part left her with that.
"Well, I'll still say she's pretty and that I know where you got your pretty genes from," he teased with a smile to try and alleviate the mood and turmoil she was under.
"I love cars too. So I'll ask as many questions as he wants me to and listen to him explaining them. Do they ride? I'd love to take a lap on one of them, if he lets me, of course. We both like vintage things after all. Him and his cars, and me and my records. But I am willing to earn as many points in my favor as possible while I visit your parents. It's a double mission," said the man as he smiled while looking ahead, his thumb caressing her skin lovingly to reassure her that despite the circumstances Todd was here to make it suck a little less.
"Let's do this," said Todd as well as he cut the power of the car and got out, already greeted by the fresh air outside of the city, the barks and butt wiggles of the corgis, and her mother's greeting. The man hugged her back with a warm embrace, one that said how sorry he was for it all, coming from someone who understood this experience better than anyone.
"It is very nice to meet you, ma'am. And I know under other circumstances, this would be a lovely meeting either way. Oh! I brought you this," said Todd as he pulled away just to get the flowers out of the car.
"Just a little something to brighten up everything, they managed to stay good the whole ride. Fresh from this morning," he said with a chuckle as he handed the sunflowers to Vixey's mom.
Of course, he had noticed the small noses digging into his pants and shoes, knowing they were catching the scent of his Roxie.
"And who are you little fellas?" asked the man as he crouched to greet them, letting them smell his hand and his scent before scratching the head.
"Why don't you two go ahead and I'll take care of these bags, hm?" said Todd as he nodded at Vixey, knowing they probably had a lot to talk about and it was probably best if they started that conversation sooner than later.
Besides, a couple of bags was nothing that the man couldn't deal with. And something told him that those corgis hadn't had enough of him and the scent of his girl.
"Are you guys going to help me with the bags too? Alright," said Todd with a chuckle as he looked at them wagging their whole bodies while opening the car.
Vixey knew Todd would be more than willing to do whatever was necessary to get along with her parents, and it wouldn't take much, they already liked him and they didn't even know him. Vixey's mom smiled brightened at the sight of the flowers.
"Oh Todd you didn't have to do that but thank you, these are so beautiful and will definitely brighten up the kitchen."
Vixey's mom admired the flowers, standing a few inches taller than VIxey with hair that was more of a strawberry blonde but you could tell her side of the family was where the red hair genes came from.
"Hi Scout, hi Georgie" Vixey greeted the pups. It hadn't been too long since she had seen them but of course to them it felt like an eternity.
She looked over her shoulder as she walked into the house with her mom, chuckling at the corgis watching Todd intently as he grabbed their bags.
"It's so good to see you, Vix." Vixey smiled and put her purse down by the door.
"It's good to see you too, mom, I'm sorry it couldn't be under other circumstances." The house was quiet and she was thankful for that.
"Where's dad?"
"He's out sorting some things with the funeral home for tomorrow. We want to get things done in a day, seeing visitors in the morning and going to the gravesite in the afternoon, we just want it over with." She could hear the strain in her voice.
"I'm so sorry, mama," Vixey walked over and pulled her mom into a tight hug. The pair lingered for a few moments longer but Vixey didn't mind. She knew her dad wasn't much for hugging like Todd was with VIxey so her mom probably needed the physical contact.
The redhead felt the tears welling up behind her eyes but she looked up, doing her best to hold them back. She knew if she started crying her mom would and it just wouldn't be fun for anyone - not that any of what was happening was fun. Vixey would cry later.
Vixey's mom pulled from the hug as Todd was coming in and wiped her eyes before leading Todd to Vixey's room and Vixey was low key thankful she had redesigned her room a few weeks ago so it now resembled more of a traditional guest room as opposed to the room of a girl who was in high school in the early 2000s.
"Here, dear, I'll show you where you're staying so you can drop those bags. And don't worry, no one else is staying here this week, the rest of the family are staying elsewhere so it'll be nice and quiet." she explained, showing Todd to the room, Vixey lingering down the hall to watch.
"And thank you so much again for coming with our girl. I know she appreciates you and we do too. Things are about to change." she reached out and gave Todd's arm a squeeze before disappearing down the hall back to the kitchen, motioning for Vixey to follow.
"Can I get you all anything? Tea, water? I just baked some bread so there's fresh bread and ingredients for sandwiches in the fridge if you'd like anything. I know the trip isn't long but it is almost lunch time."
Todd easily carried the bags inside, careful not to step or touch the courgis even though they were too rowdy -with reason with a new friend in the house that smelled like another dog- so avoiding any contact with them until his hands were free for scratchies was the goal.
The man was careful not to touch anything or pass by anything with the bags, not wanting to add breaking an old vessel or a frame to the tensed-up moment that the family was living. He hadn't even noticed the women in the other room only when he heard Vixey's mother talking to him, while he just followed her down the hall to the room, not even mentioning anything about the teary eyes or the sniffles he'd manage to hear while passing by. This was their moment and he was nothing but to be respectful.
"Thank you very much, and for welcoming me into your home too," said Todd with a smile as he put the bags down, his hand gently landing over the older woman's as he smiled warmly at her.
The man's eyes looked at Vixey before looking back at her mother, "I'll take a cup of tea, sure," he said with a nod as he moved next to Vixey, gently wrapping a hand around her back, just to make sure she was okay with everything going on now that it was more real than ever before he followed her mother to the kitchen.
"So these little fellas here," said Todd as he nodded at the corgis that had managed to follow him to the room and back, on his toes and eager to get more of this new scent. He just knew they would go nuts with Roxie in the flesh, not to mention she was quite young as well. A year and a half, still a puppy at heart despite her size.
"How old are they? They seem like they have energy for weeks," he teased with a chuckle, hoping to bring the older woman's attention to something far nicer than the topic that was the theme of the day and week for that matter.
"I have a golden retriever named Roxie back at home. I got her just a couple of years ago from an adoption center, she's my little girl. She keeps me in shape too, eager for some early morning walks around the city."
"Tea sounds great, mom." Vixey agreed with Todd, leaning against him as he wrapped his arm around her.
The corgis, who had settled a little now that everyone was inside, were switching between following Vixey's mom and sniffing around Todd and Vixey's feet.
"Oh VIxey's told us all about Roxie, she sent us pictures of her while she was staying with her. She looks so sweet." Her mom busied herself with preparing tea for the three of them.
"The darker brown one with the white heart on her butt is Scout. She's eight and mom's shadow. The lighter blonde one is George and he's five and still a little rambunctious. He bullies Scout into playing with him and he gets mad at her when she lays down and stops playing." Vixey explained.
"We've always had corgis, ever since Vixey was little and insisted we adopt one, though it was difficult to adopt them because no one really puts corgis up for adoption unless they're new babies."
"Scout is wide awake now but give her ten minutes or so and she'll be snoozing somewhere."
Finally her mom turned back to the counter and placed two mugs of hot tea in front of them and took one for herself. She was quiet for a few minutes, but Vixey could see the wheels turning. She was avoiding the inevitable and Vixey knew it'd be better to get whatever it was over with.
"So," Vixey spoke up, stirring her tea slowly.
"The thing you mentioned on the phone, about Abby.. What did you mean by guardian? Why isn't Paul taking her?" Vixey was curious, preparing for the worst. Vixey's mom looked up and bit her lip before speaking.
"I'm sorry, VIx I thought you knew.. He dropped out of nowhere a few months ago. They said it was a brain aneurysm. I didn't realize Emily hadn't said anything to you."
"Emily and I hadn't exactly talked for the last year or so - at all." Vixey was trying to hide the hurt in her voice because it wasn't her mom's fault and she certainly didn't want to cause any strain.
"So, with him gone, and his family wanting nothing to do with her, Emily listed you as her legal guardian should anything happen. We're old, we can't take care of a baby again for 18 years, Vix."
Vixey stared down at her tea, watching the swirling liquid, unblinking. She had gone from Aunt Vixey to .. mom Vixey overnight.
"Now I know it's a lot to take in and there is a lot to straighten out." Her mom was prepared to be as frank as possible which was for the best, "You could of course relinquish responsibilities, there'd be some paperwork - well, there's going to be a lot of paperwork regardless, but with that Abby could go into the foster system and we could try to get her but who knows how long that would take."
"This is all so messed up.." Vixey whispered, her head beginning to spin.
"Of course I'm not going to do that,"
"I know, honey, I just wanted to make sure you knew." Vixey was hearing loud and clear.
"We've been in contact with the social worker. Abby will be here tonight but we've agreed to keep her for a little while so you can go home and straighten whatever you need out. We can help as much as we can but at the end of the day, she's yours now."
"I think I need some air.." Vixey interrupted, standing from her spot and heading out onto the back porch. It was cold but the air was fresh and she was afraid if she sat there any longer she'd be sick, or pass out. She made her way to the porch railing, resting her elbows against the wood and her head in her hands.
Todd accepted the tea and listened as the two women explained it all about the corgis, how they got them, and their respective personalities. He smiled and chuckled at the stories, knowing that he'd had more about Roxie to share when the time was right.
At the moment when the mood changed, the man simply sipped on his tea while looking between the pair. Todd recalled the detail the redhead had mentioned regarding Abigail, and that Vixey was her guardian. And as her mother went on to explain, his suspicions were only confirmed, making the woman the only choice for the little girl to have any sort of stability in between her own family, or at least the one that wanted her still.
That was a harsh reality. Todd had been in her shoes almost 40 years ago but he was just a baby with no recollection of his parents; he couldn't even begin to understand how that little girl felt. Way too scared and lost without her mom or dad.
As they spoke, Todd made sure to catch as much detail as possible, reserving any questions for later when the mood wasn't so tense but catching whatever important information he thought would be helpful later on.
But it was quickly becoming too much in so little time; for him it was overwhelming and he could only imagine what the whole process had been for them as a family. Sure enough, he felt Vixey stand up, watching her walk away suffocated from it all.
"It's okay, I'll go," said Todd with a soft smile towards her mother before the man walked outside to search for the redhead. Once he found her, the man slowly walked up to her, leaning on the spot by her side. He gave her a minute before gently settling a hand on her back as if to bring her back to reality from her little bubble.
"Hey," said the man while looking at her with a warm gaze.
"It's a lot, hm?" he said as his hand gently rubbed her back, still present. Still there. Todd had not moved an inch away from this whole process, nevertheless now that he knew all of the details behind it.
But the man was still there. "I just want you to know, whatever you decide on doing, I'm here. I got you," said Todd with a soft smile.
He knew this was a lot, and probably something that would make any man run away from with so much pressure and sudden responsibilities set upon them. But for Todd, it didn't faze him at all, but rather just made him easily step into the role without a second thought. And it was also because he understood that little girl without knowing her yet and knew what she was going through.
Vixey had to lean against the railing because all of the sudden she felt like she was going to faint. She knew her mom only meant to inform Vixey of everything and like Vixey, her mom wasn't the best at holding onto information that someone else needed to know. It was a classic Addison family move to info drop too much at once.
"Hey..." Vixey said, face against the palms of her hands, still leaning over.
She was overwhelmed. She was overwhelmed with grief, with looming responsibilities, with the knowledge that her relationship was probably about to change.. It was perfectly normal for her to react the way she had but at the same time Vixey was mostly a composed person when things weren't going well.
In times of panic she was usually calm and a voice of reason and she was proud of that so it was extra tough letting her guard down right now. She was just thankful it was in front of Todd and her mom and no one else. At least for now. Her internal monologue was going to have words of encouragement on repeat until further notice.
Finally, she raised her head and looked at Todd. He was so sweet and sincere and reminding her that he was going to be right there and she knew he meant it but she still felt bad.
"You know you don't have to, right?" she had to get these thoughts out of her head and it was better to do it now rather than later.
"We've only been together for a few months, we're still getting to know each other ourselves and now I'm going to be a mom and I don't even get the usual nine months to prepare." Those months seemed like a luxury rather than a pain to Vixey at the moment.
"This is going to change things, a lot, a lot more than I think they will. I don't really have much of a choice and it's really difficult for me to not be angry right now.." she felt those tears welling up behind her eyes again and this time a few tears began to escape. She was almost positive this was the first time she had cried in front of him, at least fully.
"I'm angry at my sister, and I feel really guilty for that because she didn't do anything. All she did was choose someone she knew would love the crap out of a kid and I'm angry at her. I'm angry at the powers that be that decided that her time was up, leaving a four year old with no one.. It's not fair.." she sighed, wiping her face with the back of her hand.
"You don't have to do anything. I won't hold it against you if you leave, you didn't sign up for this. We've hardly talked about our families with each other, let alone talked about a future together and what our plans or dreams are family wise - we don't know any of that about each other and I will have no hard feelings if this it for you." Vixey meant it, too.
She'd never force someone to stick around with a kid on the way, especially a kid that existed because of someone else. Todd had no ties to this one and she wasn't going to force him to stick around if he didn't want to.
Todd's words were nothing but the truth as in his mind he had already decide to move in with this and Vixey and this little girl for the foreseeable future; the thought of stepping down or pulling out of it this situation never crossed his mind, so when the redhead began to say that he was free to go and to tap out if he'd wanted, the only thing the man did was move a little closer to her.
His hand gently landed over one of hers as he let the woman talk all her points out -and practically she had assumed every worst possible scenario from that small conversation with her mother- and all that she needed to say, without interrupting and his face showing no judgment. When the first tear fell out, Todd gently wiped it away with his fingers, brushing a few of her ginger locks behind her ear.
"It's okay to be angry," said the man gently, "It's okay to cry, feel frustrated, and confused. That's perfectly normal, babe. I'm not going to judge you for that," said Todd with a soft smile; the man knew exactly those feelings and what she was going through, knowing every step of grief.
"But," he said as he waited to have her attention, "Have I, at any point, made it seem like I didn't want anything to do with all this? With your situation? With your niece that will walk into your life to stay?"
Todd looked at Vixey with nothing but warmth in his eyes as his hand moved to gently rub her back.
"Vixey, I don't know why you go and assume what I'm thinking or what I'll do next," he said with a chuckle, this exact situation happening to them when they broke up the first time and when she stumbled into his apartment to make things up. The man hadn't said two words and yet the redhead had come up with a whole world in her head without him even knowing.
"Stop assuming that I'm not going to play the part, or that I don't want to do this. I do. I'm not saying that I'll be here for you or that you got me out of courtesy. I truly am willing to help you with everything that is going on because I want to. So, stop trying to think or talk for me, and just let me help you, okay?" Todd's arms then opened as they pulled her into a hug, pressing a kiss to her temple.
"And as for the family talk, well," he said with a smile as he pulled away from her a little.
"We have a little bit of time to talk before your niece arrives here. If you're up for that. I mean we got tea," said the man with a chuckle.
Vixey listened patiently as Todd laid out his thoughts and she nodded slowly, still sniffling. Sure Todd had noticed by now but Vixey was definitely an "assume the worst but maybe the best might happen but also maybe not" kind of person. She hated that she automatically assumed the worst and tried her best sometimes to think otherwise. That wasn't happening right now, though.
"I know." she replied, "I'm sorry for assuming anything. You've caught on but that's kind of how my brain works, especially when I get stressed." she explained, "But no, you haven't made it seem like you don't want to be here and you have no idea how thankful I am for that. It's going to be really difficult to do this on my own."
So it was nice that she wasn't going to have to. "I guess you just assume during a situation like this that someone would run. Most men would say it's okay now but then when the delivery arrived, it would change. I can't see you doing that, I just want you to know that I won't hold it against you if you did." A few more tears escaped from her eyes but she kept her grip on him firm, "I'm just scared."
He was right though, they had a few hours before anyone else would be coming around the house so they did have time to talk and now was probably as good of a time as ever. "I think I'd like that, a chance to talk." She smiled back at him.
"We have a family room in the basement, half family room half dad's music room." Vixey explained, "We could go down there so no one will bother us." Her mom would be busy in the kitchen as baking was her coping mechanism, and her dad would probably be home soon.
After wiping a few more tears away Vixey gave Todd's hand a squeeze before leading him back inside. Just as she thought her mom was busy putting together something in the kitchen and she smiled at the two of them.
"I made a little more tea so it's still hot if you'd like some more."
"Thank you, mom." Vixey went around the counter and placed a kiss against her mom's cheek and pulled her in for a side hug.
"I think we're going to go downstairs and talk for a little while if that's okay. If you need anything just come and get me, and we'll come up when dad gets back, okay?"
"I think I'll be okay up here but I will. You two take your time."
She knew the two had a lot to work out and she could only hope for the best for them. Todd hadn't run away yet so that had to be a good sign. Vixey poured a little more tea into her mug and waited for Todd to do the same.
Once he was ready she led him down the hall and through a door that led to the basement. The space was open and airy, it didn't have a dark basement feel. Hardwood flooring covered the space, wall to wall, and two big doors with windows lead out to the backyard, under the deck they had just been standing on a few minutes ago.
There was a large sectional couch with various pillows and blankets, and a coffee table along with a big chair and a tv on the wall above a fireplace. One half of the room was well stocked with various musical instruments like guitars, a banjo, a bass, and a violin, and the walls were decorated with posters from various festivals over the years and some old record sleeves. A smaller record player was in the corner with a shelf full of records from the 60s, 70s, and 80s. Vixey sat her tea down on the coffee table and moved to turn on the gas fireplace. It wasn't freezing down there but it also wasn't as warm as it was upstairs.
"If you can't already tell, this is also one of dad's spaces. In addition to cars he likes music. The posters are from festivals he went to with my mom over the years."
"We can be scared together. It's going to be okay," said Todd as he looked at Vixey with a smile on his face, his thumb rubbing the back of her hand one last time before he let her go.
"A family room, that sounds like a nice place to hide for the moment," he chuckled as if her whole house wasn't family-friendly enough, it was the graphic description of any family sitcom he could think of.
The man followed her back to the kitchen, where their tea mugs rested forgotten on the table as he watched the older woman already moving around. He readied his tea and followed the redhead around the halls until they reached the family/basement room. It was an instant shift, reminding him a lot of his own home in the city. Inviting, friendly, and he would have said cozy had the heat not being up and running yet, but when he saw Vixey moving to set the heater up the man already knew this was a great room.
"This place is amazing," he said while looking around, taking a closer look at the instruments, the posters, the record player. Todd was in his element, more than intrigued to know more about every object around the room.
"I think I'll have some long talks with your dad when I meet him. I sure want to hear the stories about everything here," said Todd with a smile, pulling away from the observation pause to sit down on the couch, setting his tea on the coffee table as he waited for the woman to join him.
"Well, family talk," said the man as he leaned back while looking at Vixey.
"So I guess you've noticed that I don't really talk about my family much. Or during the time we've been together. But I also met your parents and your family home in one day, so you got a head start here," said the man with a chuckle.
"The reason is that, well. My parents are gone. They passed away when I was a baby and my grandmother took me in. She raised me back in Idaho and when I was a senior in high school, she made me move to the city so I could have a shot at a career and something better. That's when I joined the Fire Department and it's been that ever since. Unfortunately, my grandmother passed before I graduated. It was tough, and a really hard moment in my life, but Copper, my best friend, helped me through it," as he spoke Todd got more comfortable.
If he'd been talking about this when he was much younger, the man would have probably broken down at the memories and recollection of everything that had happened. But now, as a much older version of himself and a mature one, it was a whole different story. He didn't talk about it every day, but instead of opening a wound, talking about his past felt like opening a picture album.
"I've known Copper my whole life. We were neighbors when we were kids and he's been like a brother to me. He moved to the city when I was really bad at dealing with my grandma's death. Copper got me into therapy and paid for it until I was finally okay. He's the best. He's got two girls actually, a 6 and 4-year-old, so I've been around kids my whole adult life. They like Uncle Todd more than they like their own dad," he said with a chuckle.
"So, I guess I'm going to be a lot more helpful with your niece than you thought."
"I think he'd like that a lot." The thought of Todd and her dad bonding over music and cars made her really happy.
Once the fire was going Vixey settled on the couch next to Todd, pulling a blanket around her shoulders to get more comfortable. She was a little nervous about the talk but it was nothing more than a little anxiety compounded by everything that was happening, and the speed of which it was happening. Of course Vixey had given thought to her future but once she rose to stardom through her last show and hit the headline in Moulin Rouge over the last year those thoughts fell to the wayside. Her mom used to bug her about giving her grandbabies but once Emily had Abby those comments stopped, even though she hardly ever saw her grandbaby.
As Todd explained his past, telling her of his parents and spending most of his young life with his grandmother she felt that familiar feeling of tears behind her eyes again. She had no idea - of course because they hadn't talked about it, but still.
"Todd, I'm so sorry," she took his hand in hers, rubbing the back of his thumb slowly. Of course it had been a long time but that didn't make it any less sad.
Her heart ached for him. And she knew Copper was a big part of his life but she hadn't quite understood the magnitude until now, or that he had kids of his own. Vixey didn't really have any close friends with kids, at least not friends who lived anywhere near New York. He was much more prepared to take on this new role than she was.
"I'm really glad you've had Copper, and the Fire Department. And I'm sorry to hear about your grandmother. I can't imagine how difficult that was for you at that age."
She knew they meant a lot to him and now she truly understood why. Those guys at the house really were his family and she had never felt more thankful for them.
"I didn't realize Copper had kids, but that's very good to know." It was. Especially knowing they were younger. She was going to need other parent friends now.
"You definitely sound much more equipped for this situation than I am.." she gave his hand a light squeeze before reaching for her tea. The warm liquid was perfect and the warmth from the fire was making the room much more cozy.
"I can't say I've got anyone close to me in the city who has kids. Most of the crowd who attends the parties and stays for all of the fun are single or in childless relationships so those are the people I spend the most time with. My sister and I were all we had growing up except for around holidays when the rest of the family would visit. But now all of our cousins, the couple we have, are married and live all over. And they all had kids right out of high school or college so their kids are in middle and high school now."
Vixey felt like she was way late to the party. "Thirty-six years old and I've barely given a family a thought. One because of my schedule since I started headlining a show and two because.. well, until you came along I was missing a part of the traditional equation of producing offspring." she added with a chuckle.
"Have you thought about having kids of your own?"
"It's okay," said Todd as his other hand rested above Vixey's, smiling warmly back at her.
"Before it was hard to talk about, but now I'm okay about it. And things did work out for the best in the end," said the man, knowing that even if the beginning of his life had been rough, down the road he got friends and a family that cared for him and that he cared for. More than he could have asked.
"So yeah. I was an only child, my nana didn't have other kids besides my father. So I don't have siblings or cousins. My bloodline depends exclusively on me," he said with a chuckle, "Though I'm sure that if I give my last name to Roxie, I can start a new puppy branch."
"Oh yeah. Franny and Rose. Those girls are two little troublemakers, with so much energy and a huge imagination. I still keep every drawing they've made for me whenever I went to babysit. And I know more children's songs and shows more than I wish to admit. Everyone at the firehouse loves them. They love Roxie too. For her birthday, the girls bought her special treats," he said with a laugh as he could only remember how excited they were about giving his pup a party and presents and treats.
Of course, then he knew that they never dropped the getting a puppy talk with Copper, to his friend's annoyance.
"They traveled to see Copper's family for the holidays, but they made sure I knew how much they missed me," said Todd, knowing he'd gotten a text from them almost daily during the whole month they were away. It was probably because he was alone -as much as they knew- and figured their uncle was lonely. But for the man, it never had been an issue before.
As the redhead talked, Todd took his tea and sipped while listening. He figured not many people in the theatre had kids, some of them looked quite young, and with far too much energy on them to have a toddler on their shoulders; or with high schoolers with a foot outside the house all ready for college.
"Honestly? I've been in the same boat as you. I never really had a relationship that became serious or close to it. Things didn't work out or they left, so I didn't have much of a chance to think far ahead. But also I never had a partner that would want to settle down or something close. I have to admit before my nieces came into the picture I never thought of kids, but after them, I guess I wouldn't mind having one of my own, I don't know if Roxie would like not being my number one though," he said with a laugh.
Vixey laughed softly as he cracked the joke about Roxie. It seemed like a lot, having the pressure of knowing you were the last one able to keep the family line going. Vixey got out of that by default with her sister having a baby and it was weird to think about it that way.
Watching and listening to Todd talk about Copper's girls brought butterflies to Vixey's stomach. His eyes lit up, his smile widened, he really did love those girls and it was an absolute joy to hear him talk about them.
"They sound amazing and I'm sure you're the best uncle." she added, sure that he did what he could to spoil the girls. She hadn't really pictured it before, mostly because the topic hadn't come up before, but now she could see Todd with kids and it seemed like something that was worth being a part of. Vixey just had so much doubt in herself.
"Yeah," she nodded as he spoke about his similar situation relationship wise. "It's amazing what other people's kids will do to change your perspective.." she looked down at the mug of tea in her hands, the liquid still and calm representing the peace she'd like to have.
"I used to think about them, in my twenties when my mother wouldn't stop asking me about them and, at the time I told her to get off my back and talk to my older sister who was newly engaged at the time.." she shook her head, recalling one of the times she said that and after she didn't hear much else.
"I think she stopped bugging me about it because she felt sorry for me?" she couldn't help but chuckle, "That sounds bad but her and my dad met and married young so it was easy for them and I guess mothers think their own kid will follow a similar course, at least I think our parents' generation felt that way. I think ours is different and more open to non traditional ways.." she took another long sip of tea.
"But I've definitely thought about it. I'm aging out of the young pretty ingenue category on Broadway, even though I've only just hit it big."
It felt selfish of her to think about what this could do to her career, but it also wasn't impossible to be successful in the theatre and also be a parent. She knew plenty of people who had children and houses and spouses and were still killing it, they just looked more tired doing it. "I guess I just thought I'd have more time."
Even though that was what she felt like she was running out.
"So I guess we're doing this," she said, finally looking back at Todd, her hand still in his.
"I can't believe I'm saying this, because it was only really not that long ago that I was asking you to be my boyfriend, and traditionally there are more steps between there and here but, Todd," she began, inhaling and exhaling softly.
"Will you be my partner in beginning this journey of raising my sister's kid?"
"I suppose that's true. If we lived in the 50's we'd be probably married by now since our 20's and I mean early. But I've liked having this time on my own until now, to settle down with my career, my home, my routine. I would have not been able to take this responsibility had I been a 20 year old, I was definitely not emotionally stable to do something so big as this," said Todd as he sipped on his tea.
Now that was in his mid 30's and closing to his 40's, the man had a completely different view of the world. The man could have not helped the chuckle that escaped him as he covered his grin with his mouth, "Well, let me tell you. You're aging like fine wine, so I don't see a problem there. I guess one thing that you won't need to worry about with work is the recovery from pregnancy and labor. My housemates had a baby a couple of years ago and she says so herself that labor was so much more intense than walking into a fire. And I'll take her word for that," he said while nodding.
"Like you know women firefighters are strong. But you add pregnancy and labor to that? And my admiration is over the roof."
The man couldn't help but laugh at her comment, while he could only give her palm a gentle squeeze back at her question, his gaze warming as he smiled.
"I think we're past the traditional part of this all. I did meet your parents before the baby, so I guess we're technically still in the traditional range. But I'm here for breaking stereotypes and having you ask the big questions. As long as you don't give me a promise ring, we're all good," said Todd with a chuckle as he teased her but scooting closer to the redhead still as she asked her last question.
"Absolutely I will. I'm ready to spoil this girl rotten, and become her favorite," he said, leaning in closer to press various tiny kisses against her lips.
"Oh, that reminds me. I did snatch a toy firefighter helmet for her. I'd thought that would be nice for her to warm up to me," said Todd teasing with a laugh.
Vixey nodded along with Todd. Everything he was saying was more than true. Vixey was definitely a bit of a mess in her 20s, complete with the terrible failed relationships.
"I know what you mean, I definitely couldn't take on anything like this, even three or four years ago I just wasn't mature enough."
Well, perhaps she had been mature enough but she definitely wasn't financially stable enough a few years ago, not without working several different jobs, anyway. She felt herself blush as Todd complimented her aging.
"I don't know about that.." she laughed, and she couldn't even think about childbirth right now.
"But that's some comparison to have to make. I appreciate the honesty though. I'd rather have women comparing and contrasting it to walking into a fire than talking about how it was the most beautiful experience of their life. Sure, the product of the labor may be the most beautiful thing but no one is ever going to convince me labor is beautiful."
On second thought, she was thankful for the lack of the 9 months prep time right now. And the sleepless nights, though she knew some of those were on the horizon just because of the change. This wasn't going to be easy.
As Todd made his promise, and even with his joke about a ring, Vixey felt those tears again and by the time he finished and brought up the hat she was laughing through the tears falling down her face. Though they had said it before, hearing this final confirmation sent her over an emotional threshold.
"I'm already crying, I guess I'm ready for this whole motherhood thing.." she gave herself a hard time but laughed again and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.
"You are definitely going to be her favorite. And I'm going to be a mess." she said, "I'm also going to have to figure out my apartment because that space is just big enough for me, I'm not even sure I've got room for another bed in there, no matter how small it needs to be..."
Todd could only smile back at her, leaning in to press a kiss to her cheek after she had cleaned her face from her tears, happy and emotional ones but sure scary too. Like the situation that they were just a few hours to embark into.
"You're going to do great, superstar. She's going to love you," said the man with a tender smile as his hands reached for her, squeezing them a little. At the sudden realization of Vixey's living arrangements having to change -and adapt to a toddler with her own room and space for her to play- Todd couldn't help but tilt his face as he thought a little.
"Hm, that's true. She'll need a spacy enough room to play, and have her own things, so she's comfortable and feels safe," said the man as he thought out loud, considering also the factor that perhaps moving so much wouldn't be the best choice, thinking of them staying with him like Vixey had done so far for the couple of months they were together.
"Okay. Here's a thought and you tell me what do you think, if it's crazy or maybe it'll work," said Todd as he shifted on his seat a little to face the redhead a little more.
"I do have an extra room in my apartment, I don't know if you've seen it but I've been using it as storage and somewhat of an office though I really don't need one. So, in the meantime, while you look for a place that's comfortable for both you and Abby, maybe you two can stay with me? We get rid of the things that are unnecessary in that room and get a small bed for her, maybe some toys? Make it as cozy as we can. That way you can focus exclusively on looking for a new place and dealing with the lease and the landlord while knowing Abby will have a place to stay, and I can look after her too."
Obviously, this was quite a step. And Todd had emphasized that this could be momentary -if she wanted- but the man truly believed that giving that little girl some sort of space and routine would be best for her to start feeling better about everything that was going on.
"Your mom said Abby would stay here for a bit of time, right? We can use that time to set up a room for her in my place. You've lived in my apartment for a month already. At least you'll have somewhere to get your stuff safe while moving and other things that may come up," said the man. "Of course, if you think this is a good idea. But my apartment is an offer."
Vixey hadn't intended to prompt his response with her thoughts, she was more panic thinking out loud but as he went on about the room in his apartment that she hadn't really seen, and honestly hadn't realized was even there, it did sound like the most viable option.
"I thought that room was a hall closet.." Vixey said, having never opened the door. Even though she shouldn't have, she still once again asked if he was sure about that. The truth with all of it was that they kind of had to be sure about it now.
"Are you sure that's alright?" she asked, "I'm sorry, I know it is I just need more verbal confirmation, I guess. Things are moving so fast, I guess the moving in does usually precede the baby having and what not.."
She couldn't help but laugh again at how backwards everything was going with them and how quickly things were moving.
She drew in a breath and held it for a second before exhaling. "I think that's probably our best plan. And you're right, she's going to need a routine more than anything and that's our best bet for that right now."
She almost added 'as long as that's alright with you' but of course it was because he had just offered it and she was going to have to become much more sure in herself and soon.
"Mom said she'll be able to stay here for as long as we need and the social worker will be fine with that, as long as I sign some paperwork."
So much paperwork. VIxey checked the time, they were getting closer and closer to finally meeting her niece.
"I can't believe all of this is happening.. And we're going to meet her soon.. You know I've never met her, I've never even facetimed with or anything. All I've seen are some pictures, which reminds me," Vixey reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone.
"There aren't many, Emily didn't share much but here's one of them from last year" Vixey pulled up a photo of her sister and Abigail. "It's probably one of the only ones of them together."
"Yeah, it is alright with me. But I want you to decide on this since you kinda have the last call on the decision-making part. As I said, that room is ready to use for something that would actually be helpful rather than just getting more and more things I don't use," said the man with a nod, chuckling at her reaction because indeed things were a bit upside down when it came to the couple. They were certainly taking steps 3 and 4 before 1 or 2. But for him it was okay,
"We really are taking this the non-traditional way, hm?" he said while laughing as well.
"Well," said Todd as he reached out to take her hands once again, his thumb caressing her palm to give her a little calm and peace. They weren't out of the storm just yet, not until that little girl was settled and happy, which was a long way to go.
"For now, our priority is meeting her and having her like us, and then you work on the papers that need to be signed for your and your mom's ease of mind," said Todd as he looked at her with soft eyes.
"After that is done, we can worry about the rest of this week with the funeral. I'll start looking for a bed and things to make that room a toddler's favorite place," he added with a smile.
Of course, when the redhead pulled out her phone and he had a first glance at the picture, his face instantly showed how his heart was melting at the sight of that little girl, with her bright orange hair and cute face.
"Oh, she's the cutest tiny bean," said Todd as all he wanted was to make that little girl feel safe and loved. "She looks more like you, or your mom. It's probably the red hair," he teased with a chuckle.
Vixey hated that her mind went there but there was no denying it, "It's probably going to look better on paper if I've got a residence with another parental figure anyway. You know it really sucks that it's that way but the legal system loves a kid going to a couple." she admitted. But Vixey was fine with this arrangement and they really would be better together with her.
"Thank you," she told him, "For everything. Like I said I'm going to keep saying it and I'm sorry but I really, truly would not be able to do any of this without you. I'd be a mess if I were alone right now."
It wasn't a fun thought. Her worries seemed to melt away when she saw Todd's reaction to her picture, though. He had that same bright look in his eyes as he did when he spoke of Rose and Franny earlier and it sent the redhead's heart fluttering.
"She's a real cutie," she agreed, "And yeah, my sister was very blonde and Paul had dark hair. After she sent the first picture of her hair to us my dad joked that it looked like she stole my kid, or cloned me. She looks just like me at that age, I know mom's got pictures galore upstairs." There were pictures of Vixey and her sister when they were younger all over the house.
"She actually looks so much like me that when I introduce her to people who know me they're probably going to think she's my long lost child. The red hair runs strong in this family." she told him, taking one last look at the picture before tucking her phone away.
It wasn't too long before Vixey could hear her mom shuffling near the basement door and that shuffling was followed by a few footsteps. The woman stopped just before the bottom few stairs and peered over at the couple.
"I'm sorry to interrupt you all but the social worker just called, she said they'll be here in about twenty minutes. I wanted to make sure you all knew so you could get ready." Catherine didn't linger, instead she waited for Vixey's nod and then disappeared back up the stairs, no doubt to start cleaning something she had already cleaned ten times.
The house was spotless as always. WIth that announcement, Vixey looked at Todd and took in a deep breath, and then had to remind herself to exhale so she wouldn't pass out.
"Are you ready?"
"That's alright. You do what you need to do to give this girl a safe home," said Todd with a nod, knowing that the system was flawed and small insignificant details read more than the actual emotional stability from an adult ready to raise a child. It was trash, but also there was nothing that he could do but to support the redhead in anything else she needed while going through this process.
The man only smiled back at her as he brought their hands up to kiss her knuckles, thumbs caressing her skin, "I'll just remind you that it's okay, superstar."
"Oh that's right," said the man with a chuckle, "I can't leave this house unless I see some baby pictures of you, and I get some nice embarrassing stories from your parents," teased Todd as he laughed, wanting to hear more of what her parents would have to say; by looking at it they probably had a lot of stories to share.
The man looked at her mother, glad and thankful they had had some time to talk things out and prepare. Now that they had a plan, things didn't look as scary any longer -well at least until they actually had custody of Abby. So when Vixey turned to him and asked, the man nodded with a smile.
"I'm ready. Let's get this little girl a safe home," he said as he pressed one last kiss to her hand before he stood up, bringing the tea mugs along as he followed the redhead through the house.
While doing so, and since there were still 20 minutes to meet Abby, Todd took a second after placing the tea mugs in the sink to look around the redhead's childhood home.
He caught a glimpse of some old pictures of the family, instantly figuring out who was Vixey. The house was constantly warm and cozy, something that the man knew would help to get Abby at ease when she arrived, and something he wished he'd be able to replicate in his own home. Roxie would be thrilled to have a new friend, Todd already knew that the dog would be glued to the girl 24/7. It was a good thing that his pup had gotten used to kids since Franny and Rose came into his life.
"The camera loved you, huh? Kind of foreshadowing the future, superstar," said Todd to the redhead with a chuckle as he pointed at one picture.
"Let's do it." Vixey nodded in agreement before slowly standing and leading Todd back upstairs. Once they were in the kitchen Vixey stopped to help her mother while Todd wandered, no doubt looking at the pictures that decorated the walls.
After a moment she went to follow him, watching him admire what he saw. She found herself down the hallway towards the bedrooms when he stopped and pointed at a picture of her, it was from a dance recital and all Vixey could do was shake her head.
"I was certainly a little diva." she said, "And that one behind you is from another dance show, The Nutcracker Ballet where I was devastated that I wasn't cast as Clara." she couldn't help but laugh.
"I wasn't so good with rejection back then. But my mom made sure my costume sparkled and I guess that made up for it."
The pictures varied from dance recitals and school plays to vacations and moments in the backyard. One of Vixey's favorites hung in the living room right above the fireplace, one of her and her sister picking fresh tulips for their mom for mother's day with Vixey's nose stuck in one of the flowers. As they moved about looking at pictures, Scout had found herself wandering with Todd down the hall and it wasn't long before her father's voice could be heard calling for the pup.
"Scout! Come here, girl, let's get you back outside.." Within a few seconds he had rounded the corner coming face to face with the couple.
"Dad! I didn't know you were home yet." She stepped forward and pulled her father into a hug. He was nearly her height and his dark hair had grayed out quite a bit but one could definitely tell a resemblance to Vixey in the face.
"Of course, I wanted to make it back before the little girl made her arrival." As he pulled back from the hug he gave Vixey's arms a comforting squeeze.
"Of course," the redhead turned slightly so her dad and Todd could finally meet.
"Dad, this is Todd, Todd, this is my dad, Jeff" The man leaned forward extending a hand to Todd and greeted him with a big smile.
“Todd, it's a pleasure to finally meet the man who's making our daughter so happy. And I'm sure Catherine has already said this but we really do appreciate you for taking such good care of her, and for sticking around." He shook Todd's hand and looked back at Vixey.
"I know your mother talked to you, I just wanted to say how proud I am of you for stepping up. Nothing about this is going to be easy, but your mother and I are here, for you both," he looked at Todd, "And are prepared to do whatever we can to help."
"Not good with rejection. Why does that sound a little familiar? And the was a little diva? I don't know about that," he teased with a chuckle as he poked the redhead's side with his fingers before wrapping an arm around her shoulders.
As they learned more about each other, the man became more and more comfortable teasing her and giving her a hard time now and then, a perk of becoming her boyfriend.
"You make a nice and pretty ballerina, despite not being the main star of the show," said the man as he pointed at the brightly dressed little girl in the picture. He couldn't help but wonder if Abby liked anything that perhaps Vixey did; after all, they were family and related. Maybe she was a lot more similar to the redhead that the woman noticed. But time would tell.
It was then when Todd felt something pushing between his legs as he looked down to find the fluffy dog near his feet.
"Oh, hello little one," said the man with a smile before he looked up at Vixey's father walking in. He was much shorter than him, but his presence sure showed the experience. Todd let go of the redhead before he shook her father's hand firmly.
"It's nice to meet you too, sir," said the man as he pulled his hand away.
" Of course. I know this is huge, and it will bring changes. But I'm here for it, I think we'll make a pretty good team for Abby," said Todd as he smiled while looking at Vixey.
"But Vixey told me you have a vintage car collection? I'd love to hear about those when you have the time. And I noticed a lot of concert posters too in another room, I bet there are some good stories behind them," said Todd with a chuckle.
Vixey rolled her eyes playful as Todd teased her. "I know, me, afraid of rejection and being a diva??"
She earned the drama queen nickname well as a child. She smiled as he pulled her in closer, savoring every touch and every second of alone time they'd have. These intimate moments weren't going to go away, of course, they were just going to become less prevalent.
"But thank you, I'm not the best dancer but I've learned a whole lot over the years." Her dance calls were not her strong suit, it was her voice that won her the roles she had, but she did learn fast and she at least had a sense of rhythm and that helped.
As her father greeted them the look behind his eyes brightened and his smile was wide and sincere as Todd reassured him that he would be there to do whatever he could for Abby, and Vixey. Instant brownie points were earned. He nodded as Todd mentioned the car and music collection.
"Ah, now that's what I like to hear," He bumped his daughter playfully, clearly excited she had already told him about his collections.
"The girls just don't appreciate the cars like I do but I'd love to show you. One in particular looks fantastic under the lights in the garage, the shine in the paint job is perfect. I'll take you out there later once the sun goes down. The light from the window just doesn't do it justice."
Vixey found herself rolling her eyes at her dad but it was cute how excited he got when he talked about his projects. "And we've got stories galore from our concerts. We're hoping to get back to more here soon once things settle again. I'm also sure stories about those will come out with time. There are some even Vixey doesn't know all of."
Scout began barking as the sound of a vehicle came within range. "And that's my cue." Jeff said, turning around and scooping the corgi up with ease to put her out back with Georgie.
Supposedly Abby had been around dogs before but they figured it was best to keep them outside at least while they got inside and got settled. Their comfort would most definitely come in handy after a little while but a few moments of quiet with introductions was also going to be necessary.
Vixey felt herself tense up and felt the knot in her stomach tighten as the sound of car doors closed. Jeff returned from securing the dogs out back and Catherine made her way to the front door to open it.
Vixey gave Todd another look, one full of fear and also hope, and lead him back into the living room, not letting go of his hand. She was afraid if she didn't feel his touch against her she might faint. And she didn't want to make a bad first impression. The redhead inhaled slowly and deeply to ground herself and exhaled nearly right as the door opened.
Vixey leaned her own head against Todd’s as his rest against her shoulder. She was full of so many emotions, feeling things she couldn’t even imagine feeling leading up to the big day. She was excited beyond belief because she couldn’t wait to finally marry her best friend, but she was also so nervous. More planning had gone into this than she had ever put into anything else in her life and she was worried about anything and everything going wrong. But, moments like this with Todd, quiet moments where it was just the two of them and Roxie, reminded her that no matter what the day would be perfect because she was marrying the perfect person, her perfect person. The thought of Roxie with her flowers brought a grin to her lips, followed by the thought of Christmas. “You know we’ll be taking Christmas card pictures in matching pajamas with Roxie, right? And we’ll be sending them out to everyone.”
“The question is, will you be able to keep Roxie still enough for a good picture? I don’t think there’s enough treats,” said the man with a laugh; the word treat causing the pup to lift her head from where she was. Todd couldn’t help to imagine that becoming a tradition, and how later on a little baby would be next to Roxie. A thought that caused him to smile. His hand then turned to grab a gentle hold of the ginger’s, bringing up to eye level as he couldn’t help but awe at her engagement ring. The golden rose ring, with the diamond as the cherry on top shining on Vixey’s finger proudly. “I did good with this one, hm? Your mom said that I definitely hit the jackpot when she saw it. I’m pretty sure she was talking about you and not the ring, but who knows,” he teased as he brought her knuckles to his lips to kiss. Todd could only imagine how beautiful she’d look when he saw her walking down the aisle; it was going to be a sight to remember, for sure.
The rest of their day was spent as a pleasant bliss, with dinner and eventually with the woman leaving to her home. A wonderful day one for them both now that they had settled on this journey together; the man couldn't have been happier with the way things had developed between them.
Of course, the holidays came right around the corner, and soon enough, Todd was finding himself getting ready for his Christmas day shift as he moved around the room grabbing his things and making sure Roxie was settled after her morning walk. The man always made sure to give her an extra-long walk the days he had a 24-hour shift; before it was Copper how stopped by and checked on the pup for a period of the day, and he still did. Only that since Vixey had suggested she could do so as well, the man had eventually given the redhead a key for her to check on his dog while he was out at work saving lives from fires.
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"Alright, Rox. I love you, sweet girl. Wish me luck today," said the man after kissing the top of her head, earning a lick from the golden as he stood up and winked at her just as he was out the door -with a wrapped present hidden inside his bag. After all, the man had gotten extra early that day with one important stop on his way to the firehouse.
The theatre came into view instantly, having seen it from afar as he went to the small alley on the side. The same entrance the redhead had shown him for actors. Thankfully, he wasn't a stranger now, managing to get in easily into the building and after a few questions around her co-stars, Todd managed to find her dressing room.
She wasn't there yet, having taken the extra time from his route to guarantee this as he carefully took the Christmas present and wrote a small note on it, carefully placing it on the counter. It had been an extra effort and a stretch to get this in so little time, but at the same time, things were different now between him and the redhead.
Before the boyfriend label, Todd wouldn't have dreamed of doing something like this for her, but after it, the man was all in. The record rested safely under the wrapper and bow, with a custom cover and a song list. The small Spotify logo on the back, knowing that even if Vixey didn't have a record player at home -or in her dressing room for that matter- she'd appreciate hearing it.
The man left everything ready before he left, saying hi to her co-stars on the way until he reached the street; the cold air hitting his face as he took a deep breath in and made his way to the firehouse.
When Vixey got home after the day with Todd she fell back on her bed and stared up at the ceiling while feeling pure relief. It was just the kind of day they needed, full of talking, a movie, dinner, and even a whole day away from her phone for Vixey. Taking the time to just be and enjoy what was happening around her was kind of strange for her because she didn't do it often at all and of course, just like she did every time she did something like this, she made a mental note to do this more often. It was going to be no surprise to no one when she didn't go through with that. Relaxation was a difficult thing to keep up with.
Vixey spent her final day of her vacation lazing around her apartment, mostly reading and napping, and occasionally texting Todd. It was an absolute miracle that she didn't have a million messages to respond to after her day without her phone but she only had a few messages, two inquiring minds about what the TMZ snap was all about but they weren't from anyone important and Vixey didn't feel like she owed them any explanation.
Instead she chat with Reeves a little more, updated her close costars in the show in their group chat about it - they were bound to meet Todd soon anyway, and she called her mom to update her parents on her new relationship, though she had already told them about Todd previously. Vixey expected her mom to think it strange that they got together so quickly, especially given that Vixey had made it clear that she was very single when she saw her parents a few days earlier, but her mother was instead overjoyed, happy her daughter was able to "come to her senses". Her mom didn't even know the guy yet but was sure that he was perfect for her daughter.
She was thankful for the week of no real responsibilities because Tuesday was about to hit her like a ton of bricks. Nothing bad happened, the redhead was just struggling to get back in the groove of her normal, busy life. She was welcomed with open arms back to the show and many of her friends wanted to know more about this new but not new man of hers considering most of them had known about Todd before. There were some surprised faces but mostly everyone was happy for the leading lady, as her costar and on stage lover Aaron had said, he hadn't seen Vixey light up more than when she was talking about Todd.
Promises were made to bring him around and let him meet people soon and Todd was more than happy to oblige, quickly becoming a favorite of the spouses and partners. Vixey was glad to be back in her role and ready to take on the holiday show schedule, with already fully booked houses night after night at the Moulin Rouge.
It had been a whirlwind of a few days but the redhead wouldn't have traded any of it, especially the part where she had a key to Todd's place now. Of course she was really only using the key to check on Roxie at the moment, but it was still a nice excuse to hang out with her third favorite dog. The new addition to her weekly routine was welcome change, in addition to the whole dating Todd thing, that was really nice too.
It was a very nice Christmas present, which had reminded her that she still needed to finish planning her gift to Todd. She was unsure about all of it, it was difficult to pin down the perfect gift for a man who meant so much to you after such a small amount of time, but honestly she probably could've given Todd a paper bag with a sweet note on it and he would've thought it was the greatest thing ever simply because it came from Vixey and he got to see her.
Though Vixey had only had one show on Christmas Eve, she felt like she had been non-stop all day so when she woke on Christmas Day knowing she had a 2pm and an 8pm show, she was doing everything she could to get herself awake and ready to go. She wasn't much for working out at home, she usually liked to go to the gym to help herself stay motivated but given the holiday and her working in the entertainment industry where you were the holiday plan, she had to make due and was hoping the at home workout would get her going.
This was one of her first Christmases actually working on the day, she had never had such an important show role before, in a show that was still living out its early, new show days, and she was so nervous but also very excited. Though she was exhausted she was still riding on the high from the previous night's packed house. There was something about those moments shared with a full, mostly reactive audience, that made it so much better.
Upon her arrival to the theatre, Vixey was greeted by her usual friendly faces but today there was something extra friendly about it, maybe friendly wasn't the word, maybe it was more intrigued? Whatever it was, Vixey hadn't been in the building for 10 minutes before she felt like someone was waiting for her to do something.
"Did I miss a secret Santa or something? I thought we did that last weekend?" she asked one of the girls as she walked into the dressing room.
One of her costars who had already been there getting ready laughed, "No, but you may have missed a drop off from a real-life Santa."
Vixey looked at her utterly confused before turning her attention to her spot in the dressing room. Dropping her bags once she was there, she picked up the note and the package and began reading the note.
"Aw, Todd.." she said, a few of the girls who had seen Todd deliver the gift just watching her and smiling behind her.
"Well, open it!" another one called and Vixey put the note down at her mirror before opening the package.
"Oh my god," she looked at the record, clearly custom, in awe.
"Okay, that's so cool. He made you a playlist." It really did appear that way and she even saw the Spotify link on the back cover which she would definitely be taking advantage of during their break between shows later.
"You've got a good one, Vix." she smiled at her friend, "Yeah and he was so cute when he delivered it. You need to bring him to one of our next events."
"I will, I promise. We just need to get through this crazy schedule this week and make it to the new year.." Once Vixey was settled, she held the record, took a selfie, kissing the record in the picture, and sent it to Todd.
Thank you so much for my gift. I can't wait to listen to it later! 💓
Todd's walk was steady but giddy, almost like the sunshine was bright only on him despite it being a cold day of winter in the middle of Christmas; yet the man could feel nothing but a sense of warmth from that day so far. Of course, this had been the theme for the past week since Vixey had made her way back into his life -and Roxie wasn't complaining either with the extra company, walks, and snacks she was getting while Todd was working.
His trip to the firehouse was so nice, and ahead of schedule that the man even had time to stop for some fresh and much-needed coffee with how cold it was getting; and maybe a bagel, he was just a human after all and the man doubted there were any fresh bagels left at the firehouse by the time the past shift left. Those were sharks around food and his shift was lucky to have snacks only because they were well hidden in a secret stash.
"Morning Captain!" heard Todd as he walked through the garage, waving at the candidates that were already out and working out with weights and plates all over the place, which only earned an eye roll from the older man. Young, dumb, and full of hormones; working way too hard for a six-pack. Possibly fighting for a spot in the next calendar. That thing was far more popular than anyone in the firehouse had anticipated. It brought money too. That was the good side.
"You look extra giddy today. What the hell did you do," asked his Co-Captain as he eyed Todd throwing the empty coffee cup to the trash as he entered the lockers.
"Oh you know. Fresh coffee, warm bagel on a cold day. What more could you ask for but the bare necessities?" said back Todd with a smirk as he chuckled at the man.
"Mhmm, sure. And it doesn't have anything to do with the actress girl you're dating, right?"
"My lips are sealed Cap," said Todd with a laugh as he began to change into his uniform, locking his things and walking to this office with the bag of bagels in hand.
Despite sharing an office with more people during all shifts, all parties involved had settled with sharing the desk but each getting a locked drawer for their small things that were a pain to bring every shift. Todd's contained aspirin, gum, a copy of his documents where he placed his wallet while working, and a wireless speaker. Earplugs were banned inside the house for any sudden emergency, and you had to be really stupid if you missed it just because you were wearing Airpods; so that tiny speaker was his companion for the long and slow shifts and after a quick linking with his phone, Elvis played softly, filling the space of his office as Todd leaned back on his chair and enjoyed the warm bagel while looking at the paperwork.
"Elvis Presley, huh? Maybe that'll be the theme for our next calendar," said one of the firefighters as she came to give Todd a fresh set of paperwork to be done for the day. The man only laughed at the thought, knowing that someone would rather enjoy the product of that photoshoot.
"Can't say I wouldn't look good in a leather jacket and jeans." As the man thanked her, he felt the small ding sound interrupting the song making him look and smile softly at the redhead's text.
Glad to know you liked it, superstar
As the day went on, his music kept on playing. At first, transfers and candidates gave Todd a hard time about it; one because it was always playing when he was on shift, and second because it was usually 80's music or classic records. Never popular music. Maybe once every full moon if one of the younger kids managed to hook the older one with a song. But after various shifts -and plenty of karaoke sessions at the bar with the whole firehouse- Todd had earned his spot as the one to play music on shift.
Besides, the Chief liked it. Made him feel young again like he once said to him, which was more than enough encouragement for the Captain to keep it going. And at this point, the man accepted requests, catching more than once a rookie firefighter or a so-called tough one lip singing to the tune.
Besides one or two simple emergencies that were fires started in kitchens or from terrible quality Christmas lights, Todd's day had been okay so far; with a family stopping by to drop eggnog and food for the house. It was a type of shift where he could focus on getting all the paperwork done during the day without leaving any for him on the next shift, or for the Captain after him for that matter. Anything to help his people. He eventually texted Copper to check on Roxie, and to see if Vixey had sent anything else but since she was in rehearsal and had a show, the man knew she was busy. It was Christmas and a busy day after all.
"Superstar.." Vixey said aloud to herself as she read his text. She probably wasn't going to get tired of that nickname, it made her feel happy.
Just as she was about to send another message the cast received their house open and thirty minutes until go call and Vixey had to turn off the outside world and begin to focus on bringing Satine to life. She turned her phone off, securing it in her bag, and began to ready herself, one of the wardrobe girls assisting with curling her hair. Several of the girls around made comments about how strange it was that they were having to work on Christmas, most of them newer to the profession, and Vixey laughed softly.
"This is technically my first Christmas with shows but you get used to it, I've had plenty of Easter's spent in the theatre, and right up to Thanksgiving, too. Think of us as a new extended family. I'm almost positive they're providing us with a meal between our shows today for anyone who's interested and as we've already seen over the last few months, that's a rare occurrence." she added, softly humming to herself to warm up her voice.
As usual, the show went off without a single problem. The house was packed and the audience was surprisingly lively for a 2pm show. The matinee audiences were hit and miss mostly because outside of the holidays a weekday afternoon show was reserved for special groups so they were either full of elderly people or were full of high school or college kids and most of the time they were too quiet, fearing they'd piss off their chaperone, to react. Or, they were in awe. Vixey remembered those days, she remembered seeing her first Broadway show on a holiday with her parents and she couldn't believe her eyes. It was magical.
After the cast made their exit from the stage at the end of their afternoon show, they arrived backstage to find a table full of food and a whole 2 hours before their calls for the 8pm show began. Vixey grabbed herself a bottle of water and a snack, knowing she'd be back in a few to make herself a plate but first she wanted to get in touch with Todd. She turned on her phone and typed out a quick message.
Merry Christmas, loverboy I hope your shift is going well. I meant to ask if you were staying overnight tonight, I'd love to come by your place if not, but if you are.. and if it's allowed, I'd be up for sneaking into the firehouse to see you. It is our first Christmas, after all.
The house enjoyed the food that was brought over while having the news on tv -which had been the lucky day for the ones in charge of the kitchen for the whole shift- with Todd sipping on his second cup of coffee for the day. Even if he was working 24 hours straight, the man had a straight policy to never have more than three cups of coffee -when necessary.
He wasn't 20 anymore, and more than his quota of coffee only caused him stomach aches and lack of sleep. And with an alarm possibly going off at any second, no one wanted a sloppy Captain during a fire. The man leaned back on his chair while watching over the news once his plate was finished when he felt a buzz from his phone, and the next thing he knew, the redhead's name popped on his screen, making Todd smile behind his cup.
"Ooooh, the Captain's blushing”
“Will you shut up, Carson," said Todd as he teased back, throwing a rolled napkin to the candidate; he had enough teasing for a lifetime in his workplace with all the guys around. At least the girls were a lot more mindful -at least they didn't tease him when everyone else was in the room to join.
Merry Christmas, pretty lady. How was the morning show? Did you have fans wanting selfies and autographs? And yeah. You can totally come by the firehouse, no problem. But yeah. 24 hours shift, so I'm here until 8 am. You'll earn extra points in here if you bring donuts or any type of refined carbs in large doses. The house will love you instantly.
The man locked his phone as he finished his coffee, watching the Chief walk closer to drop an envelope for Todd.
"Your ticket for the seminar in January. You know the deal, make us look good in DC," said the older man as Todd's gears worked inside his head, completely forgetting the trip that had been planned months ago.
"Oh right, that thing. Yeah, Chief. I got you," said the man as he remembered the whole thing. Two weeks and a half of seminars and talks, mostly just earning sponsors and economical aid for the many firehouses in the city. And this year he'd gotten lucky with the spot, and the extra paycheck.
Of course with the redhead in the picture, those plans surely were inconvenient. But not necessarily bad. Todd already knew that he'd have to talk it with Vixey, and Copper too to watch Roxie while he was gone.
Vixey was happy to see a reply from Todd so quickly. She knew that wasn't always going to be the case and honestly she absolutely dreaded the day that she tried to get in contact with him and heard nothing back - but, it was Christmas and that thought had no place right now.
Instead, Vixey smiled at her phone, her costar, Aaron Tveit catching her.
"I think I can count the number of times I've seen you smile at your phone and the grand total is like two, and the first time was when Todd said something about meeting you after the show."
"I figured I'd get you something before the good stuff was gone, and a piece of cheesecake to split - mostly because the new kids had already taken some of the good stuff." He sat another plate down on the table in front of them and Vixey was thankful once she heard her stomach growl.
"You're the best.' she said, taking a sip of her water, "And yes, if you have to know, it's Todd. He's working today so I'm trying to set up visiting after work to give him his gift. You know, if you're not busy," she took a bite of food and chased it down with her water, "you're welcome to come. You can't stay like I can, I have special privileges from the captain, but," Aaron nudged her as she spoke, "I know of at least one guy who would be pretty excited to see Christian of Moulin Rouge, it'd probably be a pretty nice Christmas gift."
Aaron agreed to accompany her after the show, he didn't have much planned aside from meeting up with his boyfriend later in the night after he finished his late-night concert.
Then it's a date. And the show went well, we didn't hang at the stage door for long since we've got a short break but it was fun.
As it came time for the show again Vixey put her phone away and went through her usual pre-show routine once again. The 8pm show went on again as perfect as could be, once again, and given the fact that it was a holiday the cast was only outside for a few minutes at the stage door to snap a few pictures, they did have places to be after all.
After Vixey and Aaron said their goodbyes, they went back inside to gather their things before setting off to Todd's firehouse. On the way they stopped to grab two dozen donuts, fresh from the oven, Vixey thankful for the extra hand as she did have a gift bag of her own for Todd. When they arrived at the house, Vixey smiled widely as they entered.
"Delivery!" she called as Aaron came in with the boxes of donuts, complete with little red bows.
"Oh, and someone find Patrick, I managed to convince the Aaron Tveit to accompany me tonight," she told one of the guys, figuring Patrick might appreciate the extra surprise for Christmas. It wasn't every day you had two Broadway stars in the same firehouse.
And with that she went to find Todd, asking for the Captain because it was her favorite thing to do. When she got to his office, which was empty, she waited patiently for Todd and placed the bag containing a red polaroid camera full of film and a little photo album for the pictures titled Our Big Adventure, inspired by one of Vixey's favorite movies, on his desk. In the back of the album there were two blank Broadway show tickets and a fancy hotel voucher for one of the nicest hotels in the city with a note attached that read "a night out on the town, you pick the show and it's all on me."
After their meal, and with how slow things were going Todd did a little check on things around the firehouse, his office empty and open with the wireless speaker still playing music. Considering his Chief was in the office next to his and a secretary sat in between them, the man was petty much okay with leaving his things at the view, it wasn't like he had anything of value as well.
When the two new guests arrived, the word delivery caught everyone's attention -and surely everyone's stomach hungry for something sweet- as they got up to take the boxes and welcome them into the house. Of course, Patrick's eyes were the first to actually notice who they were and before anyone could look for him, his voice was heard all over the building.
"OH MY GOD. OH MY GOD, THAT'S AARON TVEIT. OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD I'M GONNA CRY. Oh my god, I think I'm having a heart attack," said Patrick as he watched him, mid walking closely and mid having a meltdown in front of two Broadway stars.
Not his brightest of moments. Of course, the screaming had everyone's attention, with the Chief and Todd appearing, the man looking around as he couldn't understand what was going on.
"Wait, Aaron Tveit? What are you doing here? You're giving my firefighter a meltdown," said Todd as he couldn't help the laughing from Patrick's reaction, the man having to be taken to a chair with a tough, buff guy fanning him with a paper plate.
"Jesus, you have this effect everywhere you go or something?" said Todd as he got close to shake his hand.
It was only then that the Chief signaled the man that he had someone waiting for him at his office. Figured who it was, Todd made his way to find the redhead.
"You brought Aaron Tveit here? Vixey, you broke Patrick. He's literally having a moment there, oh my god," said the man in between laughs, whipping a couple of tears that had managed to escape.
"Oh, he's not living this down anytime soon. Hi," he said as he walked closer to kiss the girl, with an arm around her waist.
"What's all this?" he asked as he eyed the bag on his desk, snooping inside for a second but not getting much from that.
Vixey couldn't help but grin so wide as she heard Patrick reacting to seeing Aaron, who was fully ready to hang out for a bit and chat with the guys at the firehouse. She caught a glimpse of Aaron just watching Patrick have to take a seat. Aaron waved at Todd, the two had mostly met, Todd knew he was Vixey's on stage man in the show, but Vixey honestly couldn't remember if she had officially introduced them or if they had just met on their own during one of Todd's visits to the theatre. On cue, Aaron pulled a free chair nearby, making it known that he was there to hang out for a little while, and eventually, once Patrick had calmed a bit, began chatting with everyone.
"I did bring Aaron. His boyfriend has a concert that runs a little late so I invited him because he didn't want to go home yet." she smiled, stepping closer to Todd.
"And I think Patrick will be alright, it'll be awhile before Aaron needs to go so there will be plenty of time for questions and pictures before."
She wrapped her arms around his waist to pull him close, pressing a soft kiss against his lips and lingering for just a moment. She didn't want to cause a scene, but she did want to enjoy her moment.
"And that's just something for you.." she said, "There may be some tickets and information in the back for something and the dates are flexible, we can use them soon or in a few months, I just thought it might be nice for us to go out together. I like seeing shows, too." She added, planting another kiss against Todd's lips.
"Oh, and with that," she pointed to the camera, "I already made a spot in the book for a picture from tonight so we've got to get one."
The photo album felt super cheesy but at the same time, Vixey really wanted a way to document things that they did in a way that would be unique to the both of them, something that only they - and whoever else they showed, would see. With phones it was easy to post to social media, and while that camera did have a digital component, it still printed the little polaroids first so Vixey thought it might be something fun for them to keep for themselves and no one else.
Their little off-the-grid memory book ... that was also backed up the internet in the event that they lost anything.
Todd's eyes shifted to the bag as Vixey began to explain what it was, a present for him for Christmas and an elaborated one that he could tell. And the man thought his gift had been a lot. He was all about it.
"Oh, really?" asked Todd as he walked closer and soon began to take everything out as he began to inspect the camera. It was the coolest thing he'd seen so far and since he was a fan of vintage things and old school stuff, this was all up in his alley.
"This is so cool," said Todd as he looked at the photo album too, loving the idea of taking pictures of moments and keeping them in a place to revisit when they wanted to down the road. As he eyed the tickets and the hotel voucher the man couldn't help but chuckle.
"You know, I don't think I've had a weekend away or a mini-vacation in so long. I've never had a reason either or like a place to travel. My free days with Roxie were enough so far," said Todd as he eyed the tickets.
"And I haven't seen a show in so long either. What's the best choice right now? Since you're an expert in the field."
"And since we're talking about taking pictures," said Todd as he lifted the camera up, waiting for Vixey to pose before he snapped a picture.
The little polaroid printing itself right away as the man took it out and smiled at the picture. "Look at that, the prettiest superstar ever," said the man with a chuckle as he showed her the picture but before the redhead could do anything about it -like take it from him to put it on the photo album- Todd took the picture back.
"This one is going straight to my wallet," said the man with a chuckle as he proceeded to open the wallet on his desk, slipping the picture of the redhead in the small transparent pocket, right next to Roxie's puppy picture; the first picture he ever took from his golden from his phone which he had gone to get developed specifically for this.
"We should definitely look around and find a photo booth or something for the photo album, I've always wanted to use one of those."
Vixey smiled as she watched Todd go through the bag. "I figured it would probably be a while before we can actually have time to travel somewhere together, at least outside of the city, so a night at a hotel might hold us over for now."
Vixey was hoping for some real-time for a vacation over the summer but for now her couple of days with her parents in New Jersey was going to have to hold her over, and that wasn't going to be so easy.
"And we can sit down and choose a show, based on recommendations, for any time and there's not a rush to use them right away, so we can hold off until after the new year, maybe closer to spring." she suggested with a shrug. It would give them plans to look forward to.
As Todd lifted the camera, the redhead posed for Todd, her hair still styled from the show and her lips still Satine's signature deep red, "A superstar picture for sure. A very fancy one," she pulled a pin from her hair, allowing a few curls to fall around her face.
"I barely bothered to get out of costume tonight, we were all so ready to leave." she gave a nod at the photo booth idea, "I love it, we definitely should."
As she spoke she moved and repositioned herself so that she was leaning against his desk, "So, how's your day been? Any big emergencies or wild Christmas stories?"
"Yeah. About that, we might need to have a raincheck on the show. For like, after January," said Todd as he pulled out the envelope with the plane ticket and all the information he needed for the Fire Department seminar.
"In my defense, this was all set up months ago and it was between me and the other Captains of this house, and I haven't done office work in a while. So there was no chance for me to get away from it," said the man with a soft shrug. And a couple of months ago Todd didn't have the redhead in his life to consider or even try to get past that.
"But it's less than three weeks, and it's DC so I won't be that far either way if anything happens. You can get Roxie all for yourself while I'm gone," said the man as he looked at her.
As the redhead moved, the man took the opportunity to sit on his chair and bring the woman along with him as his arms circled around his waist, letting her sit comfortably on his lap with him looking up at her.
"It's been a pretty slow day so far. I think people actually listened, at least this year, about low-quality Christmas lights. And ovens too. We did have a family bring over dinner with all the good sides. That was really nice. Not every holiday we get good food, especially the not-so-important ones. Like the national ones. That's when we settle with pizza or leftovers from the last shift," said Todd as he kept the woman close to him.
"We had some emergencies to attend, but nothing that couldn't be handled. Mostly cats trapped in trees and a smoke detector going off from a pot left unsupervised," said the man with a chuckle, the day by day of many weeks and shift during seasons like Christmas.
"But, on another note. Were you able to listen to the record?"
"The good thing about the tickets not having official dates on it is it doesn't have to be a raincheck, just holding off for a little while to use them."
She didn't want Todd to feel like he was holding them up from doing anything, though they had been officially together for a couple of weeks, Vixey knew it was still something they fell into, a little out of the blue, so she definitely didn't want to seem like she was keeping him from any plans he had already made - especially if they were for work.
She listened carefully as he explained his trip, feeling like he needed to defend himself and as he spoke and they settled in his chair, she wrapped her arms around his neck and rest a hand on the back of his neck.
"Todd, don't take this the wrong way, but I don't know why you're trying to apologize for a work trip that existed before my status as your girlfriend did." She carefully rubbed the back of his neck with one hand and placed her other one on his shoulder.
"It's not like we had any big plans, you're not canceling anything on me," she added, and smiled at the thought of having Roxie all to herself for a few weeks.
"I think Roxie and I will be just fine without you, not that I'm trying to push you off as soon as possible," she teased, "But I don't want you to feel bad about having to go."
As he spoke about the day Vixey listened and smiled. It was so simple but she was so happy to be here with him. It wasn't a big Christmas celebration but it felt close enough, the sound of laughter from the guys in another room echoing throughout the firehouse was enough to make her feel less alone this holiday season.
"Well, I'm glad there wasn't too much excitement, too much excitement at your work isn't exactly good for everyone else involved." she pointed out. Quiet days were good days, she thought.
At the mention of the record, she shook her head slowly. Vixey hadn't really had a moment away from people since she began her day at the theatre and listening to Todd's record was definitely something she was going to want to do on her own time, preferably alone.
"I haven't listened yet, I've been wanting to but I've been around people all day and haven't had much time to myself so I was going to do that when I got home tonight." she explained.
"But I'm very excited to hear it, that's a very thoughtful gift. Probably one of my favorite gifts yet and I haven't even heard it yet."
"I'm just saying since having a little getaway in a nice hotel does sound like a nice weekend. Much more pleasant than a seminar during this cold season too," said Todd with a chuckle as he kept the redhead close, as the man looked at her with the warmest of gazes.
Of course, logically what she said made sense. There was really no point in thinking that things that were planned, and expected to happen would change or be canceled after Vixey settled her place in his life. The one thing he could do was just to go through with them and come back as soon as he could; not because she had asked him to, but because the man really didn't want to waste any time away from the woman.
He hadn't even left yet and was already wanting to be in her arms once all that business was over.
"But alright. If you say it's not a problem I'll just bring you something from DC. I'm sure Roxie will enjoy your company too, you'll have golden retriever hair on your clothes for the days to come," said the man with a chuckle.
"True. Only that there's only so much we can do while waiting for the alarm to go off," said the man with a shrug, but it was true. No emergencies -at least no big ones- were a sign that all was good and at peace.
The man couldn't help but smile as she talked about her present, truly one of the best things Todd could have thought of. It was a nice throwback present and not as crazy as a piece of jewelry or something that a couple with more years on them would do. Besides, this was a nice thing that she could have in her home and also served a purpose.
"Hopefully you won't fall asleep when you do," he teased with a chuckle. His eyes then managed to catch the hint of a mark peeking over the collar of her shirt, which only caused him to snicker at the sight as his finger hooked to pull the shirt a little down her neck just to let it go right away.
"Looks like your make-up game wasn't that on point, hm?"
"Like I said, I think Roxie and I will be alright without you, we'll miss you and will send you all kinds of picture updates, but we'll be okay." Vixey reassured him.
"Once you get back we can start planning our little weekend staycation. The tickets aren't going anywhere."
Honestly the thought of planning something after Todd's return was more exciting than anything, it'd give them something to look forward to for when he got back.
"And like you said, DC isn't that far away."
She nodded as he pointed out the time spent between alarms, Vixey could only imagine how boring it must get at times, but it seemed nice to at least have the downtime to nap if you needed on the longer shifts. Regardless, she was thankful for the work he and the guys did. It was difficult work and someone had to do it.
"Well, if I do fall asleep, at least I'll fall asleep to something nice, I am definitely excited to hear the music, I haven't even peeked at the spotify list to see what's on the track list. I'm proud of myself."
That was saying a lot, Vixey could never wait for surprises, she was definitely too impatient.
As Todd teased her and pulled her shirt collar down she felt a blush rise through her chest first and then to her face.
"Well, considering I went through two full shows today, back to back, and then changed to come here, I think I've probably sweat or wiped some of it off, I can't do a full shower at the theatre but I do at least like to wipe what's on my neck off, and sometimes my face but I figured I'd keep the lipstick and smokey eye tonight. It feels very festive."
"I couldn't remember if you had a record player at your apartment, so either way if you did or didn't, you'd be able to listen to the playlist. I personally love them, my collection gets bigger any chance I got to step into a store. Or have money and an online shop open," said Todd with a chuckle, losing count of how many times he'd search for movie soundtracks or an independent band he'd heard somewhere to grab a record before they were sold out.
"And if you ever want the full experience, you can use my record player. I'm not gonna lie but it's something different than just using your phone, and I wouldn't be angry if you ever want to give me a record of sorts," said the man as he teased.
His chuckles were evident as the rambling started, the man watching the blush creep up the redhead's skin over the remains of the love bites left from a couple of nights ago. Todd could only lean in closer and catch her lips, kissing her softly just as she had finished talking.
"You're so cute when you blush and ramble," he teased with a snicker. Throughout the course of the summer they had spent time together and these couples of days, the man had taken the liberty of observing carefully what were her buttons, how to push them so he could earn either an annoying look or a ramble. Just like now.
"I definitely don't mind the fact that your make-up did a miserable job at hiding all of these," teased the man even more as he eyed what was left of those marks.
"I bet there are some left here, and here," said Todd, with every here he mentioned his fingers poked her sides and skin. The man remembered faintly the redhead mentioning that she was ticklish. And in this position, he was definitely in advantage to tease her even more.
"I've got a smaller one in my room at my parents house and it works very well but it's older and I've been afraid to transport it to my apartment, I may need to use yours so I can listen to it with a full effect sooner rather than later." she smiled, making a mental note to look through Todd's collection while she was gone so she'd know what to look out for for him the next time she was out and about.
"My dad has a full set up in the living room, one of the older players from the 70's, the cabinet with the speakers and all. It's his baby." she chuckled, thinking about her dad and how proud he is of that thing. There were always records playing at the Addison residence.
Vixey smiled against Todd's lips as he stole a kiss and she did have to hold back an eye roll as he commented on her makeup doing a terrible job again because it had in fact done a great job but when she wasn't on stage, she didn't want to be caked in it. She decided letting Todd have his moment was more enjoyable.
"You do a really good job at making me blush and ramble.." Vixey was pointing out the obvious but it was true. She hadn't met a man yet who caused her such a stir as he had.
"You'd be pleased to know no one else causes that from me."
Soft giggles escaped her lips as Todd traced and poked around her body. She was fully at his mercy, there in his lap in the chair in his office, knowing anyone could walk in at any moment. It made her nervous and she felt like a teenager again, sneaking kisses behind doors in between class. It was thrilling then and still thrilling now but masqued by a tiny fear of embarrassment of being caught in the act.
"You're an absolute tease, you know that?" Vixey said as she wrapped both of her arms around Todd's neck.
"Especially because I can't take you home with me right now, the waiting is going to be torture."
"That is very pleasing to know. But with this information, I'll you start trying how many times I can make you blush and ramble in public," teased the man as he kept the redhead close to him, arms circling tighter around her waist to keep her in place while not only teasing her with words but poking her with his fingers.
The giggles were a nice response that only encouraged him to keep on going with it, only proving his point further as the man leaned in closer to press a soft, sneaky kiss against Vixey's neck, knowing that action would radiate heat for the rest of the night, even if she left for home and he stayed in the firehouse.
"Oh, you'll survive," said Todd with a snicker as he pulled away, only to have his hands fully tickled her sides.
"I'm sure you'll be able to pass the time for the next 14 hours remaining of my shift," he added with a chuckle just as he stopped the tickling; the man would have done so much more had they been in a more private space but that would suffice for now.
"After all, you need your beauty sleep for the next show tomorrow, and it means I'll be free so who knows. Maybe I'll stop by and visit, drop a snack, bring Roxie over? She's a good girl and she'll be happy to receive as many scratches as possible," said the man with a chuckle, knowing the golden would easily win everyone's heart the second she was into view.
"All I know is that the guys are going to be out in a second with all the donuts you brought. Sugar gets them to sleep in no time. The firehouse will quiet down right away. It's basically like kindergarten but with grown adults," said Todd with a chuckle.
"But having you here for a couple of hours made this Christmas so much better. And with a gift too."
"I'm not surprised one bit." Vixey leaned in against him as he pulled her as close as she could get. Sure enough the skin against his lips warmed instantly and the woman was almost kicking herself for visiting. Of course she wasn't really because she definitely wanted to see him on Christmas and spend a few minutes together but it was going to make leaving him to go home for the night so much more difficult.
"Will I survive, though? You're making it very difficult to leave," she said, tracing her fingers around the collar of his shirt.
"Thankfully I've just got an evening show tomorrow at 8 so I really don't need to go in until around 7. Two shows on Christmas Day is a lot but most of the other theatres save their two show day for the day after Christmas and while it kind of sucks not being able to spend more time with family on Christmas Day, I'd much rather be busy than have a two show day after all of the festivities. I'm tired just thinking about it."
It wasn't like she had many people to see on Christmas anyway, her parents were across the river in Jersey and her sister was halfway across the country and she hadn't seen her in 5 years. She was more thankful for Todd this year than any other.
"Maybe, Roxie might like some company tonight? That way I can get the full effect of the record before I fall asleep and have you there when we wake up? Plus, I could take Roxie out in the morning so you go straight to bed if you'd like when you get home, and the bed will be warm.." as she spoke she continued to trace her fingers carefully around the collar of Todd's shirt and just under along his neck.
"It's just a suggestion, though.." she added, planting a soft kiss against his lips.
"At the sound of that, though, I also hope you're able to rest tonight with the guys out and hopefully no big emergencies." Of course it was always a hope for no big emergencies with Todd's job.
"And I'm also very glad we've been able to see each other today. This is my first Christmas as a headliner in a show and I wasn't fully prepared for how busy I'd be, unable to go see my parents like I usually do. Don't get me wrong, I love it, it's just definitely an adjustment. I'm very thankful for you."
"I never said I would make this any easier now, just that you'll survive," said back Todd with a smirk on his face as his arms settled comfortably around her waist, feeling like this had been enough teasing.
At least for these couple of minutes. No one said she wouldn't be getting a little teaser of what could have happened had they been in a much private location. But the man knew that it would only give her ideas for the next day when he was off shift and back home. And that was clear by how he felt the redhead touching the collar of his shirt that only earned her a warm gaze from him.
"Oh, so you get a lazy morning then. That's got to sound amazing during the week. I tend to take advantage of those whenever I can. They don't last long with Roxie demanding a walk if it's nice outside," said the man with a chuckle.
"You know what, I just might take you on that suggestion. Roxie will appreciate the company. And I am certain that one who's getting more from this arrangement will be you since you'll get my bed. I bought fresh coffee beans yesterday, so breakfast is on me," said Todd with a snicker, already knowing the golden would be excited to have the redhead at home. She's was such a people dog, always happy to greet anyone and get scratchies from them.
"And that bed will be a lot more than warm when I get you in there with a whole day to spare," he said as he leaned in closer to whisper into her ear. A little something to warm her up the whole night in anticipation.
"Eh," said Todd with a soft shrug. "Night emergencies are usually car accidents or drunk people having way too much eggnog and ending up in the most random of places. We once had to rescue a dude who was using a trash can as a floating device in the river. And by that I mean he was kayaking his way around, miserably," he said with a chuckle.
At her words, he could only smile back at her, pushing a lock of her red hair behind her ear, "I'm very thankful for you too, it's been a while since I've had a Christmas so nice," said Todd before pressing a soft kiss against her lips.
"Your bed is much more comfortable than mine, so I can't disagree."
Just the thought of her head hitting those pillows brought her so much excitement now she could hardly stand it. His whispering threw her for a loop, though she should've been prepared for it, and she did her best to hide the blush.
"Oh, yeah?" she asked, raising a brow. "Then I really can't wait for you to hurry home." Vixey could only hope for an easier night for Todd and the guys, they really deserved a quiet night with rest for the holiday.
"A guy using a trash can as a kayak?" Vixey repeated, making sure she heard Todd correctly.
"How on earth do you get to that level..." she thought out loud, knowing an answer but having trouble imaging it.
"Anyway.." she shrugged and then smiled, kissing him back with ease. She was very glad she was able to see him tonight and he wasn't away on some emergency.
"Me too," she nodded, "Well, I suppose I should grab Aaron and we should head home so you can maybe try to get some rest, or work done, whichever it is I'm stopping you from doing," she teased him once more before placing another soft kiss against his lips, and then stealing another as she got up from his lap.
She finished their goodbyes, grabbed her gift, and met Aaron and said goodnight to the guys, "Don't work too hard tonight guys, if you can help it!" they called. "And Merry Christmas!"
Before they left Aaron waved to Todd and promised he'd get his girl home safe. On their way out Vixey gave Todd a wink and blew him a kiss, hoping no one else would see because he'd probably never hear the end of it if so.
Aaron walked Vixey back to Todd's apartment just as he promised and even stuck around and walked with Vixey and Roxie around the block for a quick walk with Roxie. Vixey tried to protest and send him home since it was late but that was his exact reason for walking with them. Though Vixey rolled her eyes, she did appreciate it and she knew Todd would too.
Once they were finished and Vixey and the pup were safely in Todd's apartment behind the locked door, Aaron went home. Vixey shed her coat and made her way for the bedroom, a very happy but also sleepy Roxie trotting along behind her. The pup made herself comfortable on the bed while Vixey showered and changed into shorts and a button up pj shirt, having come prepared with a bag since she knew she had a long day, and finally climbed into bed.
She felt like she was being hugged by a cloud and having Roxie cuddle close was the cherry on top. Vixey smiled and gave the girl some head scratches and before finally settling down to fall asleep snapped a selfie of her and Roxie snuggled in bed and set it to Todd with the message:
Goodnight loverboy See you in the morning
The man couldn't get enough of her lips as she kissed him, and teased him while standing on her own two feet; he was sure that he could have stayed the whole night kissing her without a worry in the world but the reality was there, and he was still working. He'd need to wait for the next morning to be able to enjoy the redhead's company without anything to bother them.
"I suppose you should, but I wouldn't mind keeping you around while I work. Are you sure you can't stay?" he asked, completely joking since he knew the woman couldn't stay in the firehouse without them getting into trouble; as in breaking the rules and them not being able to keep their hands to themselves.
Todd watched them greet everyone as they walked out of the firehouse, waving back at Aaron while leaning against the garage door, smiling at Vixey's kiss as he pressed his palm to his heart, the gesture hitting him like an arrow from cupid. Obviously, the guys would not let the man live this down, but the free donuts sure were an incentive to not give their Captain so much of a hard time as he walked back while the garage doors closed behind him, with the biggest smile plastered all over his face.
And just as he had predicted, soon one by one the guys from the firehouse were saying goodnight and retiring to their bunkers, the lights switching off and silence soon taking over the house. Todd laid down on the bunker in his Captain office, for once feeling very content with a Christmas day shift; as if the redhead's presence hadn't changed it completely for him. Without him realizing it, Vixey had managed to easily and strongly leave a mark on him, lighting up a room anytime she walked in and certainly putting a smile on his face. A hand behind his head and one on his stomach, Todd laid down and looked up at the ceiling, only shifting when he saw his phone light up and the redhead's name appearing with a picture.
Goodnight superstar. Enjoy the puppy hair 🥰
The man then proceed on changing his background picture to the one sent; definitely enjoying that view rather than the new york picture he'd had for years.
The days passed rather quickly between holidays, everyone around him in some sort of daze that was common between Christmas and New Year's Eve with people switching from buying presents to choosing the perfect outfit for the last night of the year. And Todd had that day free, thankfully having just worked a shift the day prior. It was rare for him to have a holiday to enjoy, but one being that would not complain about it was Roxie. The golden was more than happy to have Todd with her for those days, cuddled up to him on the couch, cozy with the heater working and the snow falling outside.
"What are the plans for tonight, hm Rox? No dog party or something I should know about?" said Todd as the dog only sighed back, too comfortable to care or react.
"Well, I got you a New Year's Eve glasses and some festive donuts for me," which to that only meant half-priced, but he wasn't complaining. He definitely wasn't the one with the weirdest groceries that day, buying donuts and a tiny bottle of champagne with a bow among other things. Had it not been for his biological clock waking him up early, Todd would have been stuck in lines that went on forever around the closest bodega.
But that early morning also meant a walk with his pup to the theatre, knowing that Vixey was nowhere near the building by that time, giving him a lot of time to great everyone, have Roxie win everyone's heart of the cast and Vixey's co-stars and leave another nice present on her dressing room; the tiny champagne bottle with a bow resting alongside a small note.
"I don't know about you baby girl, but I sure don't mind spending the rest of this year on the couch. What about you?" asked the man as he got comfortable with the blanket and the golden, choosing a movie to watch while scratching the dog's belly.
An early show day to ring in the new year complete with a few of the cast members performing on Dick Clark's New Years Rockin' Eve to send out the year wasn't exactly what Vixey had in mind for the new year but it was certainly something.
The redhead would've much preferred spending the night of New Year's with Todd and Roxie at home but at the same time to be in Times Square with Ryan Seacrest on the most-watched NYE show way more than Vixey could've ever dreamed. The matinee show had been bumped up an hour early to give everyone ample time to prepare to be televised in front of the entire world and though Vixey was excited she was also cursing herself for it.
As much as she liked to fight it, Vixey wasn't a morning person. She was only kind of a morning person when Todd was around to make her coffee. This morning she had to settle for Starbucks but it was alright. She would get through this and she'd repeat that to herself throughout the day.
When Vixey arrived at the theatre a little earlier than normal but not so early that it would've been weird, she was once again greeted by a present at her spot. It wasn't so strange - it wasn't uncommon for Vixey to arrive to flowers or fan art, but every now and then she knew when the gift was a little something special. She couldn't help but smile as she saw the tiny bottle of champagne and the note sitting on her vanity.
"Of course," she whispered to herself, picking the note up to read it. "Happy New Year to you too, babe.." she said in response, completely oblivious to her coworkers around her.
They had met Todd by now, and no doubt Roxie, and were smitten by the two, but the giggles and magical atmosphere of the Christmas gift delivery had worn off. She sent Todd a quick little thank you text with a confetti effect before going about her normal pre-show rituals to ready herself for Satine. It was going to be a long day.
The show went off without a hitch, of course, and the cast had an audience talkback event after the show to sit in the house and answer questions and give some details here and there about the show and the behind the scene activities. Every now and then the producers wanted them to do that to boost interest for the show and for Broadway. It meant a few hours extra but thankfully everyone was compensated for their time.
Once they were done they had a little bit to change and ready themselves for their television appearance. It was going to be Vixey, Aaron, and three of their other co-stars performing a medley thirty minutes before the ball dropped. Of course, they wouldn't be headlining just before, they were more of an opening act for the one leading up to midnight but they were excited nonetheless.
As the evening drew on, Vixey grew more and more nervous but having Aaron there was the next best thing to having Todd there and she was doing her best to deal. The small group had interviewed with Ryan early on, giving a little sneak peek about their show and a little tease as to what was going to come later in the show. It was a huge ad moment for their show, which was still doing incredibly well at the box office, and it didn't look like things were going to slow down anytime soon. Vixey was nervous about the interview questions but they stayed away from anything personal for any of the cast members and stuck to more generalized information about Broadway and their show.
Vixey couldn't have been more thankful. Though partially hidden by her pink coat her dress sparkled under the lights in time square, revealing just enough. It was during this moment of downtime before their performance only thirty minutes before midnight that Vixey wanted so badly to text Todd and tell him about how bad she wished she was with him and Roxie, on the couch and home alone. You really couldn't beat being in the literal middle of Times Square on new year's eve but Vixey couldn't help but find herself wishing that she could share this moment with Todd - which was a new feeling for her.
Once they had inched closer to the midnight hour, Aaron and Vixey were introduced and performed the Elephant Love Medley followed by the closing number for the show. It was one of the most exhilarating moments and probably one of the best moments of Vixey's life. The crowd outside was far different from the one inside of the intimate theatre and the energy feeding from them was amazing. It was unlike anything she had experienced before and what she was feeling following the performance was equivalent to a high. They got to stand off to the side of the stage with Ryan as the headliner performed a song and then they all gathered around the button for the ball drop right around twelve. Though she didn't touch the button "controlling" the ball drop, Vixey and her castmates were right behind them all on the stage and it was an incredibly unique experience. One that she'll never forget.
When the clock strikes midnight she and her co-workers celebrated, hugs all around and even a few kisses here and there, but not for Vixey. Vixey and Aaron simply hugged, sharing a peck on the cheek, and waited out the rest of the celebrations which surprisingly only lasted a few minutes past the big hour. It wasn't long before Vixey and Aaron were making their way down to Reeve's apartment to finish out the night with some of their other Broadway pals, still decked out in their fancy NYE attire.
Upon their arrival, Vixey immediately opened the small bottle of champagne from Todd and proceeded to pour it into a giant wine glass as opposed to a skinny champagne flute.
"What?" she asked with a shrug, "The whole thing fits in this.." she said, before bringing the glass to her lips and taking a nice long sip.
Her friends thought nothing of it and continued for the next little bit, celebrating the new year and sharing their stories about their experience in Times Square. At one point, Vixey found herself talking with one of her friends from another show, they were all talking about what they would've been doing for the night if it hadn't been for their previous obligations.
Vixey, who had finished her tiny bottle of champagne and wasn't exactly drunk, but was a good tipsy, picked up a pillow next to her from the couch and proceeded to give it a false kiss. Reeve had happened to be watching her from afar and decided to snap a picture of the very moment Vixey held up the pillow and kissed it. The man grinned as he sent a photo to Todd.
I can't help but feel like someone had to reenact what would've been tonight without the show...
Todd’s day was spent as any other day off that he managed to enjoy on a holiday. In other circumstances -and when he was younger with energy to spend- Copper would have invited him to an NYE party in the city, crashing it or, if they were lucky- winning some entrance tickets to dance and drink the whole night through; earning them both a hangover for the rest of January.
But as both men got older, it was quickly becoming more of Copper with his girl and Todd third wheeling, until they eventually accepted they were too old for this crap and called it quits. His couch had become the space to watch the ball drop every year, and once Roxie came along there was nothing that could top this.
Except maybe kissing a redhead when the clock strikes twelve. But the man knew this was a big day for her, having the TV turned on and ready for her performance since the program had started.
“Are you ready to see Vixey? I know you like it when she sings, I've caught you wagging your tail so many times when she sings in the shower,” said Todd with a chuckle as he scratched Roxie’s ears while they both settled to watch the show.
His eyes spotted her in glimpses here and there, watching her in that beautiful dress that made her sparkle like the brightest star he’s ever seen. She was his superstar after all.
“She’s amazing, right?” said the man out loud, with Roxie barking at Vixey’s sight on the screen that only earned a laugh from Todd.
“She can’t hear you, but I’ll tell her you agree with me. We’re her biggest fans after all, gotta support this lady on New Year’s. Speaking of,” said the man as he turned to take out the NYE hat he’d bought for Roxie, carefully settling it on the pup’s head just to take his phone out and snap a nice picture of her.
Someone’s ready for the New Year! read the caption as he posted the picture on Instagram. It was a yearly tradition after all, and every holiday was adorned with a picture from Roxie.
And once the woman appeared on screen and performed, Todd wooed and screamed with pride -as if anyone would doubt the man wouldn’t be her hype man, not like she needed him to be. She had all the hype she needed by being herself. The ball dropped and Todd counted down until they reached 1, kissing Roxie’s head that earned him a couple of licks on his face.
“Happy New Year baby girl, you’ve been nothing but a good girl. Please stay like that,” said the man with a laugh.
“Alright, I guess there’s nothing left to do then,” he said as he turned the TV off, moving with Roxie -who had already ditched the NYE crown- to his bed, as he was more than ready to bring in the New Year in his comfy bed with some puppy cuddles.
The man had barely sat at the edge with the golden already climbing, when he felt his phone buzz. Probably some of the guys or Copper texting their greetings and whatnot; if they weren’t drunk yet. But he was not expecting Reeve’s name to pop up, let alone a picture.
The man bursted out in laughter at the sight of Vixey kissing a pillow and his caption, even tears managing to escape. This was the last thing he’d expected to see but surely the best he’d seen so far.
I admit I gave her a bottle of champagne as a gift, but it was so tiny. I would not have expected her tipsy over one glass
After kissing her pillow, having unknowingly been caught on camera, one of the girls had returned with a glass of wine for Vixey and she graciously accepted. With the glass in her hand she pulled out her phone to see if Todd had sent her anything. She knew he had an early day tomorrow so she didn't want to bother him.
When she checked instagram and saw the picture of Roxie in the party hat she couldn't help but smile widely to herself. She clicked 'like' and then shared the post to her story, adding little heart and confetti gifs around the picture. She knew tonight was a once in a lifetime chance but she also really missed Todd and Roxie.
While Vixey was otherwise distracted and feeling slightly more tipsy, Reeve chuckled at Todd's response.
By the looks of it not many of us here are going to make it much longer so I can't imagine it'll be long before she's out.
They had all had long days so whereas the drinks would usually keep the party going, it looked like they might’ve just been making everyone sleepy here.
The man had managed to send the text back at Reeve when suddenly his phone began to blow up in notifications, mainly from Instagram and he was most certainly not used to this sort of stuff. Did he post something weird or by mistake? Copper would have let him know minutes ago if that had been the case but as Todd checked his social, he was faced with Roxie's picture getting so much more attention than normal -usually, he got around 20 or sometimes 40 likes from it, from friends and people he knew and that knew Roxie- but getting 100, then 500, then 1k was so out of the normal.
It was only when he checked that someone had shared his picture that everything seemed to click. It seemed that the golden was going to enjoy the extra online attention thanks to the redhead's fanbase and followers.
At the thought of her, a new text popped up from Reeve.
I don't know. She certainly seems awake enough to use her phone 😂 Are you guys in the building? Maybe I can come and pick her up if she's here before she drinks herself up in champagne and I need to find a liver transplant for her.
Todd could only bet Vixey would like a comfortable bed after the day she'd had and the number of drinks she was downing; besides the thought of starting the year with the redhead, even if she was a little tipsy was a nice one. If she woke up feeling not so much like death, maybe they could even go for a little brunch with Roxie.
The main character of his internet attention at the moment was currently cuddled up on his side of the bed, more than happy to be turned after midnight, meaning that if he was going to go out to retrieve the woman, it was most likely going to be a solo trip.
While Todd waited for Reeve's reply, he moved around his home; taking a fresh set of clothes for her to sleep in and sleepers to change for her heels, grabbing a cold water bottle and aspirin, and even making her a sandwich -in case she wanted to sober up a little. It was a good thing he didn't buy any champagne. But with that little welcome package, the man figured she'd be fine. That was if she didn't pass out right away.
The thing about New Year's Parties is that the real height of the party always takes place within those two hours prior to midnight. When the clock strikes midnight, everyone gives a cheer and shares hugs and kisses to welcome the new year and the party continues for another hour or so, or at least that was always how it worked in the performance community.
After all, the theatre hardly stopped for anything and while Vixey's show had the following day out, many shows had new year's day performances. Slowly but surely the party at Reeve's apartment began to wind down. While there were a few people left chatting here and there, the bulk of the small crowd had headed out to head to bed.
As he awaited to hear from Todd, Reeve had settled down on the couch next to Vixey, chatting with her, his boyfriend, and a few other cast mates of Moulin Rouge. After Vixey finished that single glass of wine, following her champagne, she had leaned her head against Reeve's shoulder and at some point during the conversation had begun to quietly doze off. No one could blame her, though. The girl could usually party hard but after a full show and then a performance in Time's Square just before the ball drop, her body was exhausted. Sparkly and exhausted.
When Reeve felt his phone buzz, he chuckled as quietly as he could so not to disturb the actress snoozing on his shoulder and replied to Todd. She was, but now she's out quick. He snapped a selfie of Vixey blissfully snoozing against his shoulder and sent it to Todd.
And yeah, we're over in my apartment. I'm sure she'd appreciate a bed and a change of clothes. I don't think sleeping in those sequins is very comfortable. he added his apartment number just in case Todd needed it and then leaned his head against Vixey's.
Todd checked on the texts as he took his shoes to put them off. And a blanket. Something told him she might want this over her overly fuzzy coat -if he was able to find where it was- so she wouldn't freeze on the way to his home.
By the looks of it, if the redhead was already dozing off, it was going to be a little hard to get her inside the apartment; it was a good thing the man's back wasn't busted or something close. He'd carry her the long way at least. A jacket and a scarf later, and he was ready to venture out and retrieve his lady.
"Okay, Roxie. You guard home while I go and get Vixey. Try not to fall asleep if a stranger walks in," said the man teasing, knowing the golden was probably out cold by now on his bed, but that only meant the bed would be warm when they got back.
The man walked out of his apartment and to the street, quickly remembering Reeve's building and where it was. It was a good thing they didn't live far, either way, only a short walk. That just meant his arms won't hurt so bad. As he quickly reached the door, Todd knocked while fixing his scarf. The new year brought a cold season upon them, much colder than Christmas; if he wasn't careful the man would end up with a cold, and having to stay in bed before a trip wasn't the best of ideas for him.
"Hello," said Todd as he saw someone opening the door, that wasn't Reeve, most likely one of their co-stars.
"I'm here to rescue the redhead snoozing over there," he said with a snicker as he nodded at Vixey, more than out at this point.
"I don't know where her coat is, but I did bring a blanket so she wouldn't get cold," as he spoke, he took the rolled clean blanket in his hands that he'd brought under his arm.
"Wouldn't want that superstar over there to get a cold in the middle of her shows."
He walked inside the apartment, knowing he was definitely the talk of the hour right now -and he was the only one without a fancy outfit or a cup in his hand- but it wasn't like they hadn't seen him before. Todd had stopped multiple times at the theatre, with Roxie and Vixey, anyone close to her already knew about his existence.
"Psst, Vix. Wake up sleepyhead," said the man with a chuckle as he gently caressed Vixey's cheek, and only when he had her attention did he smile.
"You sure you're comfortable? I know a good bed that would be better than this."
Vixey really was sleepy because she had no recollection of time passing and was beyond confused when she felt a warm familiar hand caress her face. She had been sound asleep against Reeve's shoulder when Todd was let into the now very small party.
As Todd entered, announcing he was coming to get Vixey, one of Reeve's roommates went to grab her coat from their room but happy Todd thought enough to bring the blanket because it was much more comfortable for a half awake human than having to fully put on a coat. He handed it to Todd as a very groggy Vixey was waking up.
"Hmm?" she hummed in reply, slowly opening her eyes only to see that she had fallen asleep against her friend and that her boyfriend was in front of her to take her home. Either that or she had been dreaming.
"Oh, Todd!" she finally realized what was going on.
"I definitely thought I was dreaming there for a minute.." she teased, her eyes sleepy.
"Alright.. this sleepy superstar has had enough excitement for the night." she gave Reeve a peck on the cheek, thanking him for lending her a shoulder to sleep on, and stood up slowly to meet Todd.
The redhead took her coat but after seeing the blanket under Todd's arm, on the way out of the apartment didn't even bother to put on the coat. She gladly took the blanket offered and wrapped it around her shoulders.
"Don't worry, loverboy, I think I can walk, at least as far as your apartment." she told him, "And I'm glad it's only as far as your apartment because this dress would not be very comfortable to sleep in.”
“And I'm sorry I didn't want to bother you because I thought you might have an early morning so I didn't text but then after I shared the oh so very cute picture of Roxie I realized that I probably ended up bothering you anyway.." she explained.
"Well, not bothering you, you know but disturbing you I guess is a better word." Vixey was rambling but it was only because she was so sleepy and mildly buzzed.
The excitement of the night had definitely worn off and she could feel her whole body tiring out and couldn't wait to get out of her heels. And the dress - so much so that Vixey hardly waited for them to fully enter Todd's apartment before reaching behind her to fumble with the zipper of the dress.
The man took a hold of her fluffy coat that seemed more like a marshmallow or a big plushie at this point, but he was pleased to know the blanket had fulfilled its purpose as he saw the redhead wrap herself with it, knowing she was cozy and warm.
"Well, I was more than ready to take you there myself and not have your pretty feet worn themselves out after such a big day for you, superstar," said Todd with a smirk as he kept his arm around her shoulders to keep her close while walking down the street.
"And you didn't bother or disturb me, you could never," he added with a snicker as he leaned in to press a kiss to her cheek.
"But yeah, Roxie has gotten quite popular this night from that small Instagram picture. I can already see all these Pets accounts all over the internet reaching out to get a piece of her story. I'll blame you if she goes off to become a famous pup in movies and forgets about me," he said with a chuckle.
Todd was quick to open the door since it was so cold, happy to switch the scarf and jacket for the warmth and coziness of his home once inside, hanging Vixey's coat on the hanger and throwing the blanket over the couch.
"Need a little help, superstar?" said the man as he walked behind her, quickly grabbing a hold of the zipper and helping her out of the dress.
"I left some fresh clothes on my bed that you can change into, and some water and aspirin, just in case. And Roxie has made sure the bed is warm. It's like she already knew you were stopping by," he said with a chuckle as he teased the woman, walking towards his room more than excited to finally lay down after a long day.
"Oh, by the way, you were amazing at Times Square. We had front row seats on the couch the whole day. Roxie was so excited, she's out cold now," said the man as he nodded at the golden, snoozed away and not even bothered by their presence.
"I know but I did kind of give you a lot of attention, I'm sorry.. I couldn't resist, it was such a sweet picture of our girl." Vixey didn't even realize she said our girl instead of Todd's girl.
"But I will definitely make sure when her contract comes along that you get in on part of the deal." the redhead teased, dropping her hand as Todd reached for the zipper of her dress. It was a feeling of almost instant relief as the zipper came down. The dress wasn't super tight but it definitely hugged her body like a glove and it was a dress she was able to keep as it was a gift from the designer, designed just for her to introduce the designer's Broadway line, inspired by the stars.
"Thank you," she said as Todd helped her. As he did that she reached for her heels and unbuckled them. It was a wonder they stayed on at Reeve's but Vixey knew the second she took them off it would be game over and she couldn't risk it.
"And thank you so much again for rescuing me. I can't wait to cuddle with you and Roxie." she explained as she followed Todd to the bedroom. As soon as she was in she began to shimmy out of the dress.
"I'm glad you enjoyed the show, it was a fucking incredible experience, oh my gosh.." she said, a bit dazed.
"To have lived in the city for most of your life and say you've never experienced Times Square on NYE. I mean of course I've been past it in the day as people have started gathering and what not but hardly any of the shows schedule evening performances on New Year's because of the crowds, attendance is too low and it's too loud to hear much anyway.."
Though to be fair most residents of the city knew to avoid the whole area for the three days around the New Year.
"To be on that stage and help make the ball drop was just, incredible. But of course all I could think about was how warm you must've been here and how cozy that would be." she added with a grin and she held her dress in her hand.
"Is it alright if I borrow a hanger for this?" she asked, "I wasn't so worried about my little black dress being on the floor but this one is kind of expensive.. and also designed just for me, can you believe it?" she asked, admiring the details as she held it up.
"The designer let Aaron and I keep our outfits tonight, explaining that they were designed just for us to introduce his new line inspired by Broadway stars. It launches tomorrow."
Todd listened carefully to the woman’s POV of being a the heart of the city in the most important night-at least for shows and performers- to watch the ball drop and bring in the New Year; all while changing into a long sleeve shirt and pajama pants, more than happy to be comfortable and ready for bed. He could only imagine the excitement she felt the whole day, considering the redhead had done a show and then a performance surrounded by a mass of people. The man could tell -even by just looking at the TV- that Vixey was having the time of her life.
“Eh, it’s okay,” said Todd as she talked about his New Year’s Eve at home, “We always have next year to celebrate all warm and cozy, but tonight was your night and I’m glad everything went out incredibly well.”
As she spoke, Todd moved and wrapped his arms around her waist from her back, pressing a kiss on her cheek before admiring the dress.
“You looked incredible in it, a glowing and bright star. I bet you left some people blind with all the lighting reflecting on you. And I got some space in my closet where you can hang it. I promise I won’t tear it apart,” teased the man as he carefully took the golden dress, hanging it next to his tux that was reserved for special occasions like fundraisers, holiday parties and whatnot.
After his first years in the Fire Department, renting suits and tuxes, the man finally figured investing in one of good quality was a much better choice in the long run.
“There, safe and sound. The glamour will be there and waiting for you, superstar,” said Todd with a snicker as he walked back to his bed, easily crawling under the covers to lay on his side, more than ready to lay down.
“But with all the glamour in the world, nothing beats this bed after all the fun from today,” said the man as he brought the redhead closer to him, wrapping his arms around her. The bed quickly got cozy -thanks to Roxie’s job at warming it up- which was a great contrast to the cold winter outside.
“Hey,” said Todd as he caught her attention, fingers gently lifting her chin up, “Happy New Year, babe,” the man leaned in to press a soft and sweet kiss against her lips, starting the new year with the redhead in his arms.
"Thank you, dear."
She couldn't help but admire the sight of the dress in his closet, right next to his tux. The redhead definitely wanted an excuse to see him all dressed up in that at some point in the possibly near future.
The thought of the two of them all decked out and glammed up for an event together brought a smile to her face. She definitely wouldn't expect Todd to attend events with her left and right and she'd never force him to accompany her, but she did have a feeling that he might be willing to come with her to a few things.
Vixey was quick to put on the clothes Todd had left her and slid into bed, feeling instant comfort from the comfortable mattress and cozy blankets. The energy high from the day had definitely calmed and now all she could think about was drifting off to sleep in the comfort of Todd's arms.
He was right, the bed was warm. Her eyes were already beginning to feel heavy again. She smiled as he pulled her close and she snuggled as close to him as she could get.
"Happy New Year," she replied, pressing her lips back against his softly.
"I think this is definitely the best start to a New Year I've ever had," she whispered, "I don't think I'd want to be anywhere else right now.."
The thought of starting the new year this way brought Vixey a sense of peace. The past few years had been busy and while Vixey was thankful for it, she was glad to have found a sense of normalcy outside of work with Todd. She wasn't exactly sure what the new year would bring but she was confident it would be better with him by her side.
Vixey stopped as Todd did and looked at him. She felt a nervous feeling in her stomach as he spoke, finding herself unable to say anything in return at first.
She didn't regret any of it either, or the way it happened, really. If she hadn't had the encouragement she probably would've ended up waiting until it was too late, until there really was someone else sleeping in his bed.
As Todd spoke, Vixey instead focused on her breathing and listened carefully to every word, not letting go of his hand. It meant the world to her that he had reacted the way he had. Of course things were different now and Vixey also wanted to make it clear that she was in this for the long haul, but it could've been very different last night.
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"I'm glad I came and talked to you too."
As she spoke she gave Todd's hand a squeeze. The look behind her eyes was soft and thankful. She didn't feel like she had much energy right now to say anything in response.
"We are definitely worth fighting for, and I'm all in. We'll adjust to schedules and make it work."
Vixey was afraid if she said anymore that she might cry and she definitely didn't need that right now - she was already freezing.
Vixey leaned in as Todd kissed her and couldn't help but laugh at Roxie as she was quickly becoming impatient.
"Sorry, girl." Vixey looked at her before they started walking once again, "That's twice you've had to stop for me today," she had to stop herself from adding I'm the worst in fear of Todd once again having to talk with her about it. The last thing she needed was Roxie being annoyed with her.. again.
"Let's not make a habit out of this," half meaning that for herself.
For the rest of the walk Vixey had found herself blissfully unaware of their surroundings, really focusing her attention on Todd and Roxie as they made their way to her apartment. She wasn't in the same neighborhood but Vixey wasn't necessarily too far away from Todd. If she had been alone she probably would've hopped on public transit just to get her home faster but despite the cold she was enjoying the time outside and the company.
Before they knew it they were on the front steps of her place, Vixey fishing for her keys in her purse and she only had a simple second of panic wondering if she had lost her keys before she felt them at the bottom of the bag.
"Beautiful.." she muttered to herself, unlocking the door and making her way inside, leaving the door open behind her for Todd and Roxie, "You're welcome to come inside and wait if you want. I won't be long but I figured after I change we can continue walking for a bit. I'll be much more comfortable walking around in more layers, any layers, in fact."
She couldn't help but chuckle as she looked at her bare legs, and instantly feeling relief as she slid out of her heels.
Todd's thumb caressed the back of the redhead's hand as they walked down the street until they finally made it to Vixey's place, with Roxie smelling the place all around from the street to her door; the dog more than excited about these new surroundings.
He vaguely remembered her home, from the few times he'd been over; maybe one or two nights sure. But not really much for him to catch that much detail around, or what made it her space. Roxie on the other hand was thrilled as she walked inside, smelling every object and feet of the floor that she could get; the golden was definitely excited about a new space filled with Vixey's scent and quickly finding a spot that was comfortable enough to lay down while waiting for the woman to get back.
"I think we'll do just right by here while you go change. Definitely go for some good solid layers so you don't get sick. I believe the people at your theatre will hold me responsible if you end up with a cold just before your shows start again," said Todd with a chuckle while moving to the couch, his feet next to his pup.
The man took those minutes by himself to look around and notice things he hadn't had much of a chance to do before; one because they were probably in her apartment after a date, or for a cup of coffee. Situations that didn't exactly give them much time to take a breathe and look around. Now when they had a few minutes and the urgency was first on the list.
"What do you think, Rox? Like Vixey's place so far?" he asked, the golden raising her head towards Todd's direction as all she could do was pant a little, earning a head scratch from the man.
"At least it's not cold. I'm sure your paws appreciate it, which reminds me that I need to get you a paw balm before they get too dry," said Todd as he reached down to rub her paw pads with his thumbs, already worried the cold weather might take a toll on them.
"Maybe some of those socks for dogs, hm? You'd look really cute in those."
It wasn't until he heard noises behind him that he straightened up and looked at the redhead, in much more suitable attire for the weather and actual comfortable shoes.
"Now you look like can walk around for a while, without catching pneumonia," said the man with a chuckle as he stood up and walked closer to her, wrapping his arms around her waist; while Roxie couldn't bother to get up from her spot at the moment.
Just as he was about to lean in closer for a kiss, a small ding sound caught his attention, feeling a buzz in his pocket. A message probably, but since he was off shift, Todd didn't pay much attention to it and still managed to steal a kiss from Vixey before he moved to get Roxie's leash.
"So, ready for more walking?"
"I will," she laughed, "I promise I won't get you in trouble if I do end up sick, but I think I'll be okay," a voice called as the redhead disappeared into her apartment and she couldn't help but smile as she heard Todd talking to Roxie.
The voice was quickly muffled though once she walked past the kitchen and into her bedroom. It took her no time to shed her coat and dress, tossing her coat on the bed and leaving her dress on the floor. Before she changed she used her iPad to contact her stage manager about possibly getting into the theatre to show someone backstage and thankfully got a response almost immediately. She changed quickly, jeans, a t shirt, and a sweater over that, and grabbed a pair of socks on her way into the bathroom.
"Yikes.." she muttered to her reflection. She had thrown her red hair into a bun before the shower and hadn't bothered to check it before leaving. No wonder Reeve had looked at her funny.
With a sigh she took the knot down from her head and used some of her dry shampoo and magic hair products to once again tame her red mane with just the perfect amount of waves and straightening out her bangs which she had pulled back last night.
After a few minutes Vixey returned to the living room looking fresh with the slightest hint of concealer, highlight, and mascara, and her red hair cascading down her mid-back. Grabbing a pair of boots by the door on her way, Vixey took a seat on the couch and put on her socks and boots, "Yes, we can," she replied and then looked over at Roxie.
"What do you think, Roxie? Do you approve?" she asked the golden as she got up and wrapped herself in a scarf and another less fancy coat.
"I guess I should get you a water and food bowl for here just in case you come and visit again." She winked as she spoke and then straightened up and looked at Todd again just in time to be pulled in for a kiss.
"I think I'm ready now, I'll definitely be more comfortable in the cold," she grabbed her gloves and her purse, leaving her dead phone on charge on the counter since she already contacted anyone she needed to today.
"And if it's okay with you I might just leave my phone here. It'll be weird without it but it also might not be a bad idea to spend one of my last vacation days away from it."
"You'll definitely not become a lollipop with how cold it is, now that you're actually wearing something," teased Todd with a snicker, while wrapping his own scarf as well.
The weather was brutal that time of the year, with anyone at the brisk of catching a cold or worse. And that was not welcomed.
"I'm sure that'll be appreciated when you go on stage," said the man with a chuckle as he tugged on Roxie's leash, the golden immediately getting up on her feet and at Todd's heel, more than ready to keep on with her walk; she was getting spoiled -more than usual at least- but the golden was definitely not going to bark back at that.
He eyed the dead device, patting his own in thought. "You might want to leave it charging. Just in case," he said, but it wasn't like anyone could exactly reach out to her while she was with him. She could use his phone if anything was urgent.
"Mine is charged so we're good to go if you need anything."
"I hope you don't get used to so many long walkies Roxie, or you won't forgive me when I go back to work," said the man chuckling as he crouched to the dog's height, scratching her face that only earned him getting his face covered with kisses from her.
"No hard feelings then," said Todd as he stood up straight once again.
"Where to, superstar?" as he spoke those words, his face turned to look at Vixey, his free hand lifting up as he offered another walk hand in hand. And if he heard the word boyfriend again, Todd was about to tease her even more. It was a ride he'd have until it got old, but from the many blushes he'd seen from the redhead, there were many more to come.
Just as they had set on a stroll and a slow pace, the man felt the sun on his face. A clear day but a cold one nonetheless, and with that small hint of hope for some warmth, it was probably one of the nicest days during the season.
Of course, that was disturbed by the sudden buzz coming from his phone, much more insistent than before. He'd purposely left on do not disturb so he wouldn't be bothered during their stroll, but Todd couldn't ignore it any longer and he figured that it wouldn't stop until he finally looked at what it was. The man didn't expect a text -or many in this case- from Copper out of all people.
Dude?! You disappear for two days and now you're back with the Broadway chick? I didn't even hear it from you, I heard from the news... 😡
At this point, Todd had let go of Vixey's hand to reply back with a confused look on his face.
Her name is Vixey. And what do you mean by the news... I really don't know what you're talking about man, sorry I couldn't check back. It's been a couple of days. Todd had managed to send the text when immediately he got a reply from Copper, with a link attached to it and a picture.
I mean trash news like TMZ. That's you! And Roxie! And her! Bro what the hell... Todd had stopped on his tracks completely when he took a closer look at the picture, clearly from that morning when they were outside his building, the link opening to a news article related to them both, with Vixey's name big and bright on it.
"Uh oh," said the man with a face as he showed the redhead his phone.
Vixey was fairly confident that no one would need her. She had just spent a few days with her parents, Reeve was the only friend she had been texting within the last 24 hours consistently and outside of showing the theatre to Todd, she had no other obligations to the show for another 48 hours.
While walking out of her apartment without her phone felt weird, it also felt nice. She locked up as they stepped out onto the street and smiled widely to herself. Despite the cold it was a beautiful day outside with the sun shining bright.
"The theatre?" she replied as he inquired about where they should go.
"It's only a few blocks away, unless you want to hit the park first with Roxie before going to visit the theatre. Roxie is welcome on the backstage tour, there won't be anyone else in there but that's totally up to you," Vixey went on.
"And you know, speaking of Roxie, I can always watch her or take her for walks when I'm free but you're at work for a long shift." she suggested. The redhead certainly wouldn't mind spending more time with the pup, in fact it would probably be pretty good for her and for them to bond.
Vixey had been going on about her idea for plans and taking care of Roxie that she hadn't really noticed Todd becoming distracted with his phone. He hadn't checked it much this morning so she was totally fine if he needed to catch up with anything. She had kind of barged in out of nowhere last night so it was understandable that he couldn't drop everything and give full attention to her all day for every second.
When she noticed the confused look on his face she looked at him with a raised brow. "Is everything okay?" she asked. For a moment she couldn't help but feel a little paranoid, she wasn't sure about what but he looked concerned and it obviously made her concerned.
"Ohhh..." when the picture flashed in front of her face Vixey wanted to toss the phone across the street - she obviously wouldn't do that because it was Todd's phone and he had nothing to do with this but seeing that moment captured like that and shared to the world with a stupid caption really bothered her.
"Oh shit, I'm so sorry Todd." this was what she was afraid of but she figured she'd at least have a few days to lie low and then deal with it later, and talk to Todd about it again, sober.
"I can't believe that's already... fuck."
It wasn't really the sharing of a photo that bugged Vixey so much as someone thinking it was okay to share such an intimate moment like that so soon.
"Did someone send you that?" not that it mattered, it wasn't going to change anything. The redhead brought a hand to her forehead, rubbing it as if she were preparing for the aches and pains from a headache brought on by stress, already..
Of course, when the man had shown her the picture he expected some sort of reaction. He did not prepare himself to watch the redhead practically have a nervous crisis right before his eyes and in an instant, Todd had switched into work mode as he moved closer trying to calm her down.
The last thing they needed was her having a panic attack or something in the middle of the street. And if someone had managed to snap a picture like the one on his phone, the man could only assume there were more around them.
It was a weird feeling. Like he was watched as if they were a display or animals in a zoo. Todd didn't give that much thought but rather focused on the woman in front of him.
"Wow, wow, hey. It's okay, it's fine," said Todd as his hands moved to grab her arms to somewhat give her a little stability -even if his hands had Roxie's leash and his phone- the man looking nothing but calm.
Sure, it was unexpected that something like that was all over the internet; if anything the guys back at the house -and Copper- would give him a hard time about it; but other than that, he was pretty safe. It was VIxey that worried him in regards to this because it obviously sucked. Let alone, it had been quite a private moment for them both.
"It's okay Vixey. I don't care," he said, sounding as sincere as he could; he was, the man truly didn't think much of that.
"My friend Copper did. Someone send it to him, from TMZ's page or Instagram I guess," said the man with a soft shrug, "He's not one to listen to trash news like these ones," said Todd in any case she thought he was some sort of gossip person.
Obviously, the man would have to stop by Copper's with a cold one and make it up to him for being an ass and hide from the face of the planet.
"Are you okay with this though?" asked the man as he took a look at her, gently catching one of her hands in his already noticing the levels of stress increasing just by looking at the redhead.
"We can go back to your place, or mine, whatever you want," said Todd, even Roxie walking closer with a whimper as she watched the woman with big eyes, clearly feeling the distress she was in; and with how sensitive animals were, the golden only wanted to be closer to Vixey, her nose gently booping one of her hands, even if she wouldn't feel the cold snout with her gloves on while Roxie only wanted to help.
Vixey was usually fine with the attention, she had become accustomed to it really and could just shut it down in her brain, not worrying a bit, and was fine.
But this was different. Todd was a part of this, their relationship, this intimate moment was on display and in this moment all Vixey cared about was making it go away. She couldn't, obviously, it was a part of her fame and she absolutely hated that she couldn't do anything about it.
She did her best to keep her breathing steady and ground herself in front of Todd, keeping a hold of at least one of his hands. The last thing she needed right now was another capturable moment.
Perhaps it was best she scrap her initial plans for the day for now, it wasn't like the theatre was going anywhere, Vixey could show him any day before a show, maybe even before a show he'd come to see of hers.
Plus, it was cold and while it was nice to walk to and from their apartments, Vixey was getting into a headspace in which it'd probably be better if she were inside and away from people. It wasn't anything bad and she was okay, but if she were to encounter someone with a camera even slightly in her direction, she'd be regretting whatever the camera would capture her doing and the last thing she needed right now was to make "real" headlines outside of the TMZ gossip/low profile twitter tags. She just wanted to be with Todd, completely uninterrupted.
Vixey hadn't even realized that she had been closing her eyes as she was trying to regain her composure but she opened them slowly to see Todd's soft face looking back at her, and Roxie nudging her nose against the redhead's hand. Thank goodness for dogs, and boyfriends.
"Maybe..." she began, slowly, she felt bad because she felt like she was ruining any plans for the day, even though they didn't really have any yet so it was fine but she was still a little mess on the inside right now.
"Maybe we could go back to your place?" she shrugged.
"Watch a show or movies and get takeout later or cook or something and just.. hang out inside away from everyone?"
At this point Vixey was even planning on leaving her phone charging at her house because she knew if she brought it with her, even as a "just in case someone needs me" situation, she'd be glued to it and it wouldn't be good for anyone.
"Does that sound okay?"
She realized she hadn't even replied to his question about being okay with this but it was mostly because she hadn't been able to properly put together an answer in her head yet.
"Alright," said Todd with a nod and not a second thought to it once the redhead agreed to head back and out of the public eye for the rest of the day.
"You've had enough walkies for now too, so I'm sure you'll enjoy going back to home to your warm bed and a toy. I got treats too," said Todd with a chuckle as he looked down at Roxie, her tail wagging and her head tilting at the treat word making the pup forget whatever was left of the walk.
And with the distance between his and her home, twice, the golden was very much okay with resting the rest of the day next to a heater and a blanket.
"Come on Rox," said the man as he gently tugged on her leash, the dog already on her feet and ready to head back home.
"Right now, staying warm with a blanket and some hot cocoa sounds much better than staying outside in the cold," said Todd as he took a hold of Vixey's hand again, intertwining their fingers as he lifted them up to bring her skin closer to his lips.
The man didn't care about him appearing in a picture, surprisingly he'd appear many more times on the news after an emergency -or on a rare occasion with a special from Good Morning America and the importance of keeping smoke detectors on a check- yet he'd never be bothered by it. Many of his housemates had appeared in an article, and the calendars had their faces every year.
What worried him was the redhead and what this could possibly mean for her. Todd didn't want his presence to cause her trouble, knowing her line of work. But for now, he truly didn't let it get to him. Only reminded him to be more careful.
The walk back to his home was nice and calm, with Roxie stopping every so often to sniff a tree or wag her tail at something that cooed at her for attention. Nothing out of the ordinary, the man secretly hoping the last bit of some fresh air would help calm her down.
"Since you mentioned cooking, I got a tacos recipe that I've really wanted to try. I bought groceries yesterday, so I guess we can do that later. But now I'm really craving something warm. With marshmallows," he said as he took his keys out once they've reached his building.
The second the door to his home was opened and the leash unhooked, Roxie made a beeline to the kitchen for a sip of water and because that was where Todd kept the treats.
"Make yourself at home while I get the heat going," said the man as he moved around his space to make it cozier. With the heater going, his record playing one of his favorite albums, and the golden settled in her bed with a treat, Todd walked out of the kitchen with two cups of hot chocolate and marshmallows, setting them on the coffee table, grabbing the blanket he had over the couch as he wrapped them both in it.
"The walk was nice, but cuddling with a hot Broadway star it's better," he teased.
Vixey was more than thankful for Todd being okay with them heading back home for the day, she was sure she wouldn't have been alright in the public eye for at least the rest of the day. If she had to mentally pull herself together to get through something she would've pushed through but she needed to take advantage of the fact that she could actually hide and more importantly be with Todd.
She had hoped that Todd wasn't freaked out or anything by her reaction which was somewhat of a shut down. It wasn't normal for Vixey and she'd explain it later. "I think some hot cocoa and warm blankets sound like an excellent plan for today." she smiled.
She was thankful for the fairly short and easy trip back to Todd's apartment, eager to get inside and warm up. Though she was much warmer than she was on the walk to her place, it was still cold and jeans only did so much to keep someone warm - and it wasn't much. As they made their way inside, Vixey shed her coat and gloves and slipped out of her boots as Todd went on.
"Tacos sound like a good dinner but I'm definitely up for some hot chocolate right now, with extra marshmallows." she chuckled as she settled on the couch.
As she sank back against it she felt the anxiety fog begin to lift, the comfort of the couch taking all her worries away, at least temporarily.
"Thank you," she took the warm mug and smiled as she brought it to her nose. Vixey didn't drink hot chocolate very often so this was a real treat - and there wasn't much of a reason for why she didn't, hot chocolate just felt like something best enjoyed with someone else.
At his hot Broadway star comment she laughed, holding the mug steady. "I can't say I know the feeling, I'm not one to cuddle with co-stars off the clock, but I guess I know a similar feeling with a hot firefighter," she said teasingly.
After taking her first sip of the hot chocolate she was extra glad for this decision to come back. Between Todd cuddling close and the delicious drink, it was just what she needed after what happened.
With that thought, she sighed, "I know I don't need to apologize, but I still wanted to apologize for just kind of shutting down over the post. It's not your fault or anything, at all. It has a lot to do with me, mainly me worrying about how that kind of stuff makes you feel," she explained, holding the mug on her knee.
"They're not always so bad, and I'm used to the gossip and I'm usually pretty good about ignoring it but because it involved you, and us, such a private moment, and I don't think it'll be a common occurrence but I'm worried about how it'll affect you.."
"You're very welcomed, with extra marshmallows like you asked," said the man as he took his own sip.
The sweet and creamy drink quickly pushing away whatever ounce of cold that was left in him from the walk, with the blanket and the comfort of the couch in his home, it sure was a treat. Not every day did he managed to reach this level of relaxation when he off-shifted. It was usually him running errands and keeping his house clean, taking care of Roxie, and maybe, maybe if he was lucky Todd had a night free to watch a movie. The man never made it to the end without falling asleep.
"Hot firefighter. That has to get old at some point," said the man with a chuckle as he hid the smile behind the cup, knowing the redhead certainly had gotten a liking to that nickname. Among others.
Todd's face shifted towards her direction when the woman began to explain and excuse herself and her behavior, while he had thought that had already been forgotten. Guess it wasn't.
"Well. To ease your worrying, I don't care about the picture. I'm not saying that to ease you up, I really don't care about that picture. I was just worried about you. I know we said we'd fight for us, but I also know that my presence will affect your work and the last thing I want to do is cause you trouble," said the man as his gaze softened at her, an arm wrapping around her shoulders to -carefully- bring her closer.
To her last comment, the man couldn't help but chuckle because boy if she knew. "You act like I'm off the grid or something. I've been on a fair share of news interviews and all that. My picture has been around too. Sure, people forget about it rather quickly but still," he said with a soft shrug.
"The ones that don't forget are my friends and they become a pain in the ass every time I appear on the news after some emergency. They're like a mom cutting parts of articles where her kid shows up. And you know there's this thing firehouses do every year to raise money," he said while fishing for his phone.
Probably showing Vixey his last calendar was a bad idea, but at the same time maybe this would be enough to make her forget the fiasco that had been that stupid gossip.
"Every year this calendar is published, my Instagram number goes up, but all they get are pictures of Roxie, the real star," said Todd as he eyed the golden, far too relaxed to care, as he showed the redhead the last issue with his pictures all over one month.
"Your presence will absolutely not affect my work or me in any negative way."
Vixey wanted to make sure she made her thoughts on that clear because the last thing she wanted was Todd thinking he might be a burden on her. Honestly, she was relieved to hear him admit that he didn't mind. It'd get annoying for the both of them at times but knowing that he was okay was what was most important.
"I just want to make sure you know, being famous within the entertainment industry comes with an extra set of eyes on you, seemingly at all times. I think once we're together for a while things will settle but I'm sure the next few weeks might get annoying. Like I said, I ignore them, unless they get in my face about it and then I'm not so easy about it," she shook her head.
"I once had someone who worked for the new york post call me a rude bitch for telling her to get off the front steps of my apartment. They're real gems.." the redhead rolled her eyes before taking another long sip of hot chocolate. Every sip was like a cure for annoyance.
Vixey was glad that Todd explained how he felt about it all, and he was right, it wasn't like Todd needed to be protected, he was a grown man and according to what he was saying, wasn't a stranger to the public eye. It was easy to see why Todd would go viral, at least locally, after an appearance anywhere for work, he was attractive and the internet loved that.
"It's true, people do forget, thankfully." she wasn't sure if she could survive in the world of social media if people didn't. As he went on about the calendar her eyebrow raised, she was intrigued and happy to see him pulling his phone out.
"You were Mr. August oh my gosh." She was absolutely delighted to see that picture, "You're so handsome, oh my gosh, look at you," Vixey couldn't help but carefully zoom in.
"Being a heartbreaker. Oh I'm sure so many were so sad to see that instagram page of yours, they probably thought you were a model on the side." she added with a laugh.
He probably did this to help her and it was working, she'd be sure not to tease him too much about this. "So.. are there more somewhere? How many calendars have you been in?"
"Hey, they all love a good picture of a pretty dog. Roxie gets likes and comments every time I put a picture online, especially when she's all cute for the camera. A natural," said the man with a chuckle, knowing that pictures of his dog were far more popular of himself posting about a great burger he had somewhere in the city.
At her questions, the man couldn't help but look at her with a smirk on his face. "You'd love to know that, wouldn't you. They're probably somewhere in a box in my storage unit or somewhere around here, I don't know it's been a while," said Todd with a snicker, before he took another sip of hot chocolate.
"Uhhh, well," he said as he tilted his head, making mental calculations of said calendars and how many were in fact published. "I entered the Academy when I was 18, and it's been the Fire Department ever since. So I guess there would be around.. 22? Yeah, I think that's right."
As he was finishing calculating, the man carefully set his cup down and got up from the couch, knowing exactly where the box with the crime proof was hidden.
It was better to have the redhead see them all now than have her pester him about them later on. She'd have her laughs and all the teasing she wanted now, and then they were going back to the darkness -in the storage unit that she didn't know about.
"Alright. Mind you that as I got older, there were fewer abs and more me rocking a tuxedo. But hey, I always tell the candidates that what I lack in muscle I compensate with experience and charm, so I tell them to go and get the trucks clean," said Todd with a laugh as he set the box down on the coffee table.
"Go at it, have your fun," he said as he took a seat on the couch with his cup and the blanket. There were pictures of him in his younger years, definitely some of him shirtless and provocative. Those were the years when the calendar sold like baked bread.
Back in the day, he never cared about them but rather had his fun and enjoy the photography session. Every one of the guys wondered how didn't he landed a girlfriend during those years with those pictures out in the public. It was the yearly joke. Some issues had puppies, some had him all soaked in slow motion.
All he knew was that thanks to those sales, the firehouse had managed to improve a lot. And everyone definitely enjoyed the nice couches and the big TVs.
"I am certainly glad you don't have your phone with you."
"She's definitely pretty perfect," Vixey laughed and threw a glance at Roxie who seemed as happy as she could be, cuddled inside after a long walk in the cold.
She quickly turned her attention back to Todd who may have been regretting sharing what he just shared but now Vixey was all about it. The look behind her eyes was playful as she brought her mug to her lips to take another sip, the liquid still warm.
"I would love to know that.. and 22 years? You old man." She gave him a playful nudge as she teased him. "That's so many calendars."
Her eyes followed him as moved to get the box with the goods and Vixey absolutely couldn't help herself, "That's not the only thing you compensate with if you know what I mean..." She thought she was so funny. A knee slapper she was.
She laughed at her own childish remark and eyed the box on the table. It was a shame she didn't have her phone with her. She reached for a few on the top, for some more recent ones which held some very handsome photos of Todd all dressed up, "You're very dashing, you know," she complimented him.
"And yeah, it's an absolute shame I don't have my phone with me. I can promise you wouldn't have to worry about me sharing anything, at least not any of the really good ones. That's not to say so many people don't have your picture hanging in their house or in boxes somewhere but I do have a farther reach with my following," she pointed out.
That was one thing Vixey was very good at, not sharing other people's business or information online, she was even hesitant to post family pictures, which she only shared every now and then. There were crazy people in the world.
"So how do you all pick who does which month? Do some people want to be the same month over and over? How much planning goes into this stuff?" she asked him as she carefully flipped through a few, of course looking for Todd but also just admiring the quality of it all.
You could easily make a calendar for super cheap and have it look as such but it looked like the guys really pulled out all the stops with the costumes and photo quality. And it was definitely worth it, or looked like it was.
"Man I should've been buying these.. I always thought the sexy firefighter stuff people sold was a joke.."
"You can do so much better than that," said Todd as he heard her joke, while he made a face on his own. Even his jokes weren't so lame, worse than that. Even her firefighter jokes weren't so bad.
"Eh," he said with a shrug, "Honestly I wouldn't care. People usually go to the firehouse after the calendars are printed to get an autograph, more from the younger ones than us the older men. Experience is not as attractive as a six-pack," he said with a chuckle, having witnessed so many younger members of his house, men and women become the closest to a superstar whenever the calendars were out.
"For me, another Captain and the Chief is all in good fun. They take one for their spouses, and I just ended up getting one either way. Gotta support our team," said Todd as he put his cup down.
"But why worry about pictures on your phone when you have the real deal right in front of you," he said as he leaned in closer, stealing a kiss from the redhead when she least expected it, tasting the sweet chocolate off her lips.
"Uh," he said as he pulled back a little, "Honestly the communication people do their magic. They've done it every year, and now it's a thing for a lot of houses around the city. Some want specific months and others, like me, settle with what's left or what's best. Whatever sells, we do it," he teased.
"But yeah, it's months' worth of planning, scheduling, and hiring a photographer. Back in the day, a friend of a candidate started it, but now it's gotten a lot more work into it. The point was to do something good, even if it started off as a joke," said Todd, only chuckling at her last words.
"You definitely missed out, but you can always make up for it next year. The firehouse will be glad to receive your money, or I can get you one for free, at a very reasonable cost. Who knows," said the man with a soft shrug, teasing her.
"Okay, but let's put these away," said the man as he took the box away once the woman was done looking at them, and from the looks of it, the calendars had been the perfect distraction from the incident that had happened earlier in the day.
"I know, I know," Vixey groaned. Her joke was lame but all of her jokes were lame. She was an actress, not a comedian.
"And I know, but still, like I said if I shared something a lot of people would see it and you know, I'm just not willing to share you like that" she grinned against his lips as they met hers.
"And you've got a point, the real deal is much better."
Her gaze lingered on him for a few moments longer before her attention returned to the box in front of her. She set her mug down safely on the coffee table for better use of her hands as she looked through the box.
"Jackpot.." she whispered as she found some older ones, looking through them carefully as Todd explained the process, nodding in acknowledgment.
"You can definitely tell the change over time but even in the early days it was still worthy quality.." and she didn't just mean the quality of the pictures. Her eyes found a rather nice photo of Todd modeling the suspenders and pants without a shirt, his abs fully exposed and his arms very nice as well.
"Wow," was all she said, afraid of what other words might come from her mouth.
"I will definitely make up for it next year, I wouldn't mind making a sizable donation, it's for a good cause, after all. I mean all the good work the firehouse does for the community.. of course, the calendar is a good cause but you know I want to support the real work, too, and yeah, reasonable costs are nice too" Vixey was rambling as her eyes lingered on another picture of Todd from a later calendar, still very nice looking, his features strong.
"Are you sure we have to put them away right this second? I mean I'll put them down but I might want to look again later.."
"Could you drool more for my old pictures?" teased the man with a chuckle as he watched the redhead look closely and carefully to his older and golden days as a young firefighter with definitely nothing to lose, and having way too much fun with those photoshoots.
"I would not stand a chance if a hot lady had hit on me back then. You would have crushed me, completely."
Sure, there had been some episodes and moments where women a little too old made a comment at him about his abs, more specifically. This only caused him to laugh now, back in the day though it earned the nickname of cougar's favorite.
"I was quite a catch, hm?" he teased over her shoulder with a snicker, because the man could not humor her about her reaction after she had given him a hard time about the nicknames and more.
"Go on, tell me what you think of them? Did I look good? Dare I say, hot?" added the man with a smirk on his face clear as day as he looked at the redhead.
"Could you ramble even more? I'll get you a calendar, you got it," said Todd in between chuckles as he could only shake his head at the woman while she was awestruck by his younger self and the many pictures all over the calendar.
And by the looks of it, she was bound to take her time with them, so the man thought the redhead might as well get it all out of her system while she could. Because after this, Todd was hiding those calendars where no one could find them again.
"Alright, you have as much fun as you want with those," he said with a snicker as the man took a hold of his cup once again and got comfortable on the couch with the blanket over him.
"I could, yes, I could in fact drool more," Vixey admitted. She felt a blush rise to her face as he went on about crushing him.
"I don't know if I would've had it in me to hit on someone like that," Vixey was an open person and more of her life was out for everyone to see than she had liked, and she was definitely a flirt but she was subtle until she received acknowledgement and almost permission to go on in return.
Vixey never would've picked up a calendar like this without knowing anyone and made a comment out loud to anyone, or where anyone would've seen, she was far too embarrassed to do that.
"But yes, you were quite a catch, and you still are quite a catch, a catch I don't plan on letting go of anytime soon," she smiled as she glanced at Todd for a moment before looking back at the calendar.
"A very hot catch," she added with a laugh.
"Perfect," her smile morphed into a big stupid grin as Todd agreed to let her keep looking at them for now. She moved so she was sitting on the floor with her back against the couch so she could have quicker access to the box on the coffee table. She was enjoying this and enjoying seeing Todd as much as everyone else. The calendars were so impressive and she was amazed.
"And in case you haven't noticed, I ramble.. when I'm drunk, when I'm nervous, when I'm excited.. when I'm afraid to stop talking because I don't know what the other person is going to say," that was part of what happened last night when Vixey was rambling on about wanting to be with Todd, she was afraid of how he was going to react.
Her nerves had definitely gotten the best of her over the last two days but it was all made better by the fact that she now had Todd by her side. She knew it was going to be a challenge to navigate at times but from what she already knew about Todd, he was going to be willing to work with her and be there for her and that was more than anyone else had done in the past, and Vixey felt the same with him, working with his schedule and making the most of their time.
It was scary, but it was exciting.
"I'll take note of that," said Todd as he placed a cushion at the back of his head to be more comfortable, a smirk on his face as he could only chuckle at her while the woman was very settled on the floor and looking at all the calendars.
The man simply let her enjoy this moment while he sipped on his hot cocoa and listened to the record playing in the background.
"You soak up those pictures while you have the chance," he said with a chuckle as he glanced at Roxie, who had the same idea as him, the golden out on her back while enjoying the cozy and warm room.
"They are definitely going to disappear after this," said the man behind his mug, as he watched the redhead.
JACK PEARSON
↳ This Is Us
❝I am thankful for my family. I’m thankful that we’re all safe and there’s no one in the world that I’d rather be too hot or too cold with.❞
Honestly Vixey was not at all expecting it to be that easy. Of course, it wasn't necessarily easy getting to this moment but she definitely didn't expect Todd to jump in just like that. She thought he might need time to process and talk and that would've been perfectly okay, Vixey definitely would've waited on him at this point but of course this was okay too. More than okay, in fact.
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She melted in his arms and found herself smiling against his lips as he pulled her closer. She wrapped her arms around his neck, resting one on the back of it.
She couldn't help but laugh when he joked about her proposing.
"It sure got serious for a second there, didn't it?" she asked.
"Also," she looked back at him with a teasing grin.
"Propose, actually lover boy I feel like a proposal would be more your thing. I can see it now, you pulling out all the stops to make the moment as magical as possible."
She was teasing but also kind of totally meant it.
"And I don't think it's on a bingo card but I'm sure I can get you a trophy or something." she teased, leaning in to give him a short kiss in return.
"For real though, this worked out well because I was afraid I was going to have to sleep on a couch tonight, unless.. you're gonna make me sleep on a couch.."
As she spoke she glanced at Roxie who was still snoozing away, the only one in the room who wasn't crazy and still wide awake.
"Besides, I don't think there's much room.."
Todd couldn't help the chuckle that came out of him at the lover boy nickname.
"What is this, Dirty Dancing? And anyway, since we have not had a proper date as the definition says, you either put a lot of pressure on me or, you really don't know what you're getting yourself into, missy," said the man as he winked back at her.
The couple had gone out for walks with Roxie, coffee dates -sometimes lunch if they were lucky with time- and a night out at a bar or something.
But a proper date? With flowers, candles, and dressing up? Not exactly, but it wasn't like he'd step down because of that. In fact, it was a challenge Todd was more than willing to prove himself to.
He wouldn't help but chuckle again but narrowing his eyes at the couch thing, assuming the woman was going to her friend's like she had mentioned in her rambles.
"You really did have a whole plan in case I said no, huh?" he asked with a smirk as he teased her again.
"No shame in that, I like a woman that thinks ahead," said Todd, and just as he was talking, his hand move easily from the side of her neck down under knees, easily picking Vixey up bridal style.
"Well, I don't know about this couch. I can't say that Roxie is that willing to give space. And, not to brag, but my bed is a lot more comfortable. Not like you'd remember since it's been so long," teased the man as he walked them both to his room, turning the lights off on the way.
"Besides, I bet that dress is pretty and I must admit, you look fantastic on it. But I just know it would look a whole lot better on my floor," said Todd as he very gently set the redhead down on his bed.
“I probably don’t know what I’m getting myself into but I think I’m going to be okay with that.” Vixey said, very well meaning it.
Before Todd scooped her up she grabbed her phone from the couch and sent Reeve a quick text:
Staying with my boyfriend tonight, will report back tomorrow
“You know, just so he doesn’t think I’m dead..” she shrugged at Todd before tossing her phone on the couch and wrapping her arms around Todd before he scooped her up.
“And I did kind of have a plan, yeah but I have to admit if it weren’t for Reeve’s encouragement I’m not sure I’d be here. He hyped me up..”
It was weird for Vixey to admit that she needed a pep talk from someone else. But it had definitely proven to be worth it.
As Todd laid her back on the bed she smirked back at him.
“It is one of my favorite dresses, but I think I’ve got some you’d like even more..” She leaned in and nibbled on his lower lip before pulling away only long enough to say.
“Good thing this one is easy to take off” but not easy to put on by yourself as all it had was a zipper up the back. So, convenient for Todd but not so much for Vixey alone getting ready..
"Oh really?"
Said the man just as she leaned in closer to him, and the need with the urgency to get her out of that dress already present was only fueled even more.
"Care to have a fashion show soon, then? I'd love to have a front-row for that"
He said with a smirk as he watched the woman lean back on his bed while his eyes followed close her every move. And even though it had been four months since they had been together, the man had a good memory of where and what made her shiver and see fireworks.
He wasted no time and pull his shirt off, forgotten somewhere on the floor as he crawled over the redhead while carefully watching her every action and once he had contact with some skin, Todd let his lips wander loose.
"By the way," said the man as he rose up to her ear.
"I haven't forgotten that you called me hot first thing after knocking on my door," he said with a snicker against her ear, only to sit up, bringing her along with him as his arms secured around her waist placed her in a comfortable position.
"Rather flattening, I'll take it," said Todd with a chuckle just before his lips brushed down the line of her just where her neck started.
The small window of comedy sure was enough to snap her out -just for a second, he wasn't letting her get greedy with it- but the man was quick to bring her back to the daze with the soft touch of his lips, pressing a kiss just where her pulse was felt on her neck as his hands searched for the zipper. A small bite and a mark were left on her skin as a sign of victory once he was able to bring the zipper down completely, hands hooked on the fabric just to slowly lower the dress down the redhead's shoulders so he could enjoy more of her skin.
"I do think that can be arranged." Vixey replied as Todd laid her down onto the bed.
As soon as he lifted his shirt and tossed it on the floor her eyes traveled to his mid-section once again and she found herself subconsciously biting her lower lip. It was only when he once again called her out on how she reacted when she first saw him tonight that she snapped back to it and playfully rolled her eyes.
"What can I say, that was a surprise I wasn't expecting either. You should answer the door for me like that more often." she teased and felt goosebumps rise again all over her body as his lips moved along her skin.
No one teased her quite like Todd. He was thorough and calculated, noticing Vixey's every move, every reaction she had to his touch and following up accordingly. Her arms were wrapped around his neck as he brought her upright but fell to her sides, hands landing on his waist, as Todd pulled her zipper and took a handful of her dress.
She couldn't believe the night had ended up here, it wasn't where she saw it going at all, maybe in a dream but she truly wasn't expecting to end up in Todd's arms, let alone his apartment. It had been so long and she couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed by it all.
Then again, she knew of a pretty good stress reliever and well, they were well on their way to doing just that. She moaned softly as he left a mark on her skin and couldn't help but give him a hard time about it.
"You're really going to make me work extra hard to cover up these spots when I get back to work in three days, huh?" she grinned.
"My costumes are very revealing, you know.."
"I should be making you work extra hard for every single one of these. You'll survive," said the man with a smirk against the skin of her neck at the mention of that tiny hickey on her neck -and for good measure Todd's teeth leaving yet another one mark right on a spot he knew drove her crazy.
"But if that's what you're worried about, I got a whole lot of places to leave marks that I know your costume will keep hidden."
He said with a low snicker as his hands slowly pulled her dress down the redhead's arms to her waist. With more skin at his disposal, the man was free to tease, kiss, and bite as he pleased -as if he wasn't going to take advantage of that.
"Three days is plenty of time for you to model some hickeys around before you get back to work," said Todd with a smirk and lusty eyes as he looked at her only to kiss her again.
"Unless you end up burning up here," his words were low and sultry spoken against her lips while his hands had a field day with her upper body exposed to him and no fabric to bother him.
Todd's hands moved up her waist to her back, pressing more into him while deepening the kiss, letting the tip of his tongue trace her bottom lip. And just because he could, his hands decided to make a step by every spot on her skin that made her shiver, determined to have the redhead be very vocal and clear about how it made her feel. After all, he didn't read code, or at least not for one night.
Todd had his mindset on driving the woman crazy in every sense of the word, and his hand slowly slipping down her back and up her chest to cup her breast and tease her skin while his lips pulled away just to tease her neck, the man believed he was well on his way to do just that.
"Since communication was tonight's theme, you better tell me what you want. I'm not reading between any lines here," he said with a snicker against her neck just to lick and bite the spot where her collarbone met her neck.
He hadn't forgotten a thing about her despite the four months they had been apart, knowing exactly what to expect from touching her body here and there.
"Well, I guess you'll be pleased to know there is definitely a finite amount of space that is covered by my lingerie and I can't imagine that's going to be an issue for you."
She said softly, her voice breathy thanks to Todd doing his best to make up for lost time. Which that had made Vixey realize she wasn't even sure if Todd had seen all of her costumes, sure he had probably seen her Instagram with promotional photos but there was a costume or two that wasn't plastered on the playbill or promotional material due to the mature content. She was going to have to finally give him comp tickets for the show so he could finally come to see her as Satine.
Her mind didn't have too long to wander though as Todd's lips exploring every spot on her upper body brought her back to the moment. The redhead whimpered under his touch, she found herself craving him. It had obviously been several months and much to everyone else's surprise Vixey was unable to keep the company of anyone else.
Though she was playing a mistress on stage every night, the only boy she was kissing on the regular was her co-star Aaron and though it was steamy to the audience eye, Vixey and Aaron were nothing but good friends off stage. She hadn't spent a single night with another man since she had broken things off with Todd so it was safe to say that while she was willing to let things play out a little she was also eager to get things going. The teasing was just mean at this point.
She shuddered again as his tongue tickled the skin just above her collarbone and a groan escaped from her lips as she grew even more frustrated with the teasing. With an arm wrapped around his neck and a hand resting on his chest, Vixey pulled herself closer to him so she could first nibble on and then whisper against his ear.
"I want you to remind me what I've been missing all this time.." she kissed his neck slowly, her breath hot against his skin.
"I want you inside of me."
He was aware of the pulling in when her grasp on him tightened and the minimal space between became non-existent; it didn't stop his actions and he still very much teasing her with every new sound he was able to get from the woman. It was gratifying, to say the least, and know that despite that much time with nothing, Todd still had this effect on her.
And his ability to learn with as little time as they had was magnificent since the man was able to push all her buttons with the result he expected. The redhead's words against his ear made him open his eyes as the soft touch of her lips against his neck made him scratch her back slightly, managing to grab what was left of her dress that had pooled around her hips.
The man didn't say a word back -actually didn't make much of noise except for the deep growl that came from his chest- but rather proceeded to push her back on the bed, that way finally having somewhere to slid her clothes off and away, lost somewhere near the bed.
He now had the woman completely exposed to and under his mercy, Todd's lips softly and gently brushing up her collarbone and neck just until he reached her ear, hands on either side of her body as a devilish smirk formed on his lips.
"Hang in there," was all he whispered before the man took his sweet time making his way south with his lips.
Todd traced every inch of skin as if she was new and undiscovered, fresh and eager to be marked, leaving plenty of bites on his way in places that would be easily covered -and some where the redhead would possibly have to spend an awkward moment giving an explanation or add another layer of makeup- making sure she'd have a hard time forget them, or this night for that matter.
His hands easily spread her legs while letting his fingertips tease the inner side of her legs, wanting to earn just another little sound from her lips before the man quickly set her legs over his shoulders and his hands settling firmly on her hips to hold her down -without much room to move or escape for that matter- just as he took a dive down and have a taste of her.
Vixey groaned again, half out of frustration and the other out of pleasure as Todd made his way down her front. She felt herself sink into the bed as her body completely relaxed and it was probably one of the first times her body had relaxed like this since the last time they were together like this, but this felt new while also feeling like home.
It was strange because she had never felt this way, of course, she had felt some of the things she was feeling tonight many times before as one does but with Todd it was like falling back in sync with someone. It was obvious to her that he was taking his sweet time, she knew he wanted to savor this moment and she did as well.
This was like make-up sex but better and unexpected because if you had told Vixey a mere twelve hours ago that she was going to be where she was now she would've probably run away to her parents to make sure that wasn't the case.. maybe.. If she were to think about it she might actually have come to see Todd, but knowing the universe if she knew what was coming something totally different would've happened because that's how things worked.
Her back arched up and her lower body pushed down against the bed as she surrendered to Todd's touch. A loud moan escaped her lips and her fingers were grasping at the covers as he worked his magic. Her breath, though heavy had steadied as she lied back completely at the mercy of her boyfriend.
At some point while he was down there her hand had traveled to the top of his head, her fingers tangled in his hair, careful to not actually pull too hard. This moment was euphoric, Vixey felt like she was floating without a care in the world. For the next several hours there wasn't a thing in the world that could bother her.
"Damn, lover boy.." she said between breaths before moaning again, feeling herself nearly hitting a peak. It really had been a while..
It was the first moan that had him making a sound as well, the vibrations traveling all through his mouth and to her skin as he set up a friction that was enough to drive her wild -and make her reach the top in record time. Sure, he was definitely savoring every sweet second of having her meltdown under his tongue and squirm when he touched and teased her.
But Todd was sure that waiting was not something that he could do any while longer, not with the redhead looking like she did -at the verge of exploding from the heat that he was the cause of. It was that nickname again, that made the man shot his gaze straight at the woman, his blue eyes catching her gaze just as the friction he had managed to set only increased and his hands pushed her hips down against the mattress to let her deal with the fire and take it.
Only when he was satisfied with his work - and once he'd seen the redhead reach her climax and meltdown right after- did he pulled away from between her legs as the man's hands pulled firmly on his hips, bringing the woman to his eye level and knowing he'd probably startled her with the strong awakening from her haze, eyes full of lust as he threw a wink at her.
He was done being soft and gentle for the night. Todd's lips went straight to her neck, adding yet a new mark as he wished for a louder moan this time, barely giving Vixey any time to register what was going on before his sweats were gone and he was sliding into her effortlessly as a loud growl erupted from his chest as his blue eyes found the redheads for a second, leaving a teasing kiss on her lips before he pulled away to settle on his knees, both hands firmly holding her hips.
He set a rhythm that started slowly only to quickly quicken until he was pumping into her, holding the woman in that place. She had asked to be reminded of what she had been missing for those four months, and boy was he going to remind her of every second, minute, and hour the man had thought of her; longed for her, dreamed of her. There was not a day in those four months where doubt crept up and made him wonder if calling was okay.
And here it was. All pent up and ready to melt. When Todd could feel he was close and it was time, he gathered all his strength to lift her up with him, an arm wrapping around her waist as he kept her in place, blue eyes keeping a hold of her gaze while his hips moved, time and space lost in between sighs and breathless words until his forehead rested against the skin of her neck as he finally felt his climax. The haze was there, almost like a spell that the man was under while holding the redhead close to him in between rapid breaths.
Pure ecstasy would've been how Vixey were to describe the moment between the two. Her body fell in rhythm with his as he entered her and with that entrance her head fell back against the pillow, back arching again as she could tell her body wasn't quite done enjoying the moment yet.
The friction between them was enough to get her going again almost immediately, pleasure pulsating through her body as they moved together and another loud moan coming from her lips. She had asked Todd to show her what she had been missing and he was not here to play. It was what she had remembered and so much more than that.
As Todd pulled her close Vixey used her core strength to assist him, her arms easily snaking around him, a hand resting against his back, nails pushing against his skin as she felt herself quickly coming to climax once again. When his gaze met hers she could've sworn she felt her heart pause for a fleeting moment.
The connection the two shared in the bedroom, beyond the literal sense, was something Vixey couldn't imagine finding anywhere else. No one else could even come close. As his gaze held hers her other hand moved to his cheek, cupping it with a soft yet firm touch, a touch that said I'm here and also I'm not letting go. She wined a bit as she came again, her forehead leaning against his, her body shaking against his, the only way she was able to keep her bearings upright was thanks to his tight grip around her.
With another long exhale Vixey closed her eyes for a few moments, feeling lightheaded, but she kept her forehead against his, firm and steady. With her eyes closed she was able to focus on her breathing and bring herself back down and after a few more short moments she finally opened her eyes to look at Todd.
A soft smile appeared across her lips and she brought her other hand to the other side of his face, carefully cupping his face between them before leaning in to give him a soft kiss, her lips careful against his, a contrast to what had just transpired between them. There was no doubt that Vixey would be covering bruises before her Tuesday matinee.
"For the sake of total clear communication, you are absolutely incredible," she told him, her voice still soft as her breathing had finally slowed and the dizziness had gone away.
The man felt himself coming back from what he could describe as a rollercoaster of emotions while trying to keep his breathing and heart rate steady while also keeping the redhead firmly in his arms, in fear that either of them would melt like water at that moment. The whole room, the whole area around the couple had silenced down, nothing but just the noise of their breathing -and quite possibly their heartbeats- even as if the city had shushed enough for them to calm down after what had just happened.
It was fair to say Todd was completely worn out at this point, any ounce of stamina left gone and a few beads of sweat down his spine and neck to prove it. He couldn't bring it to himself to open his eyes just yet when he felt the redhead's hands cupping his face only because the man still needed a few more seconds to get it together -certainly and experience this intense wasn't one to have every day, his heart rate would not allow it.
But it wasn't before his breathing had steadied that his blue eyes finally met her gaze, kissing her back as his hand pressed against the back of her neck, just to keep her close for a little more. Todd couldn't help the -rather hoarse and tired- chuckle at her words, his eyes only able to look at her as his soft smile stayed on his lips, his face gently moving to press a kiss against the palm of her hand.
"I love it when you communicate great with me," he teased with a snicker as he was finally feeling the heat die down. At least for now. The man was not planning on burning that much.
"If this is what happens after just four months, who knows what else could happen had this been longer. Your dress would be shredded for starters, " he teased again, clearly the absence and longing had played quite a role here.
He carefully proceeded in letting them both lay down on the bed, first with the redhead on her back only to roll over, pulling Vixey along with him as she was secured in his arms.
"Also, I'm absolutely not letting it go that you called me your boyfriend after labels were one huge topic for you," said the man with a chuckle as he turned his head to look at the redhead.
"Not gonna lie but I'm completely enjoying being your boyfriend so far," oh he was not going to have enough fun with this now.
"Well then it's a good thing that didn't happen because that's one of my favorite holiday party dresses." Vixey replied with a laugh, her hands falling from his face in anticipation of them lying down.
When they finally did fully meet the mattress, Vixey pulled herself as close as she could to Todd with his help. She had to admit that his bed was more comfortable than the one she would've ended up in tonight had this not transpired, and she could imagine why.
With a job as demanding as Todd's and mattresses at work that probably weren't exactly top of the line, he needed something similar to a cloud to sleep on at home. It was probably nearing time for Vixey to invest in a better bed herself given that she was approaching the second half of her 30s and had no plan to slow down anytime soon.
At the second mention of the word boyfriend Vixey found herself smiling. A few weeks ago the thought of the word sent her running but it truly did feel different to hear it used for and by Todd. It didn't feel out of place, it didn't scare Vixey off as she thought it would. It gave her butterflies and a warm feeling inside. Her devoted gossip spies were going to have a field day when they found out the photo with Reeve was just a ruse to stir a pot. And Vixey would think about that tomorrow but tonight she wanted to cuddle close to Todd.
"I think it's a good title for you, it suits you." she said back.
"And I have to admit I can't complain so far, you certainly seem to be up for the task. I can't promise you it's going to be easy but I can promise that I'm going to do what I can to make it easier for you."
As Todd knew from before, for the most part, Vixey was a well known figure on the stage and her fan base reached far beyond the boundary lines of New York City. People traveled from across the globe to see her show and Moulin Rouge had taken things to a whole new level as she was originating the role of Satine in the Broadway show. The show was still in an early run and this was about to be one of her busiest holiday seasons yet but she couldn't help but feel better knowing she wasn't going to be going into it alone. The thought alone brought a comforting smile to her face.
Todd's chuckles only increased as the redhead spoke, making him tighten the hold he had around her as they laid in bed while thinking of what it all meant now. He wasn't intimidated by it -or the woman and her life for that matter- but rather understood what it would entitle, and it at this point after facing fires and life-threatening emergencies; a couple of social media comments and events with a plus one was honestly nothing the inflicted fear in the man. But rather they felt like a challenge, which was more in his aisle.
"You make it sound like it's an impossible task. If anything, I just need to sure not to be in your way when you're mad and have a bottle of wine when you stop by," he teased.
And even if they didn't exactly have enough time to spend together because of their schedules, he had decided to make the most of it. Even if it was 20 minutes a day sometimes. Or whole nights which to that the man was not complaining about.
"I don't exactly have any experience regarding the glittering life of stars, but I've saved a solid amount of public figures from some nasty fires so I'll take what I can get," said the man with a chuckle as he brought the covers over them.
"I can handle the heat, quite literally from what I do for a living. So you can relax if you think being the boyfriend of Vixey Addison Broadway star will be hard," said Todd reassuringly as he leaned in to press a kiss against the woman's forehead.
"Anything is worth having you here, and calling me your boyfriend," teased the man with another chuckle.
He was never going to let her live this down.
"You're hot and you can handle the heat at work, you truly are a package." Vixey teased, leaning into him as he kissed her forehead.
"And I know," she sighed softly, fighting back a yawn.
"I just, I guess I'm nervous. It's probably a part of why I haven't really dated anyone, I'm nervous they'll be too overwhelmed by it all or intimidated and run away. But you do run into burning buildings and I've never been romantically involved with someone who did that so it certainly makes you very different."
Now that things were official Vixey would have to reckon with the stress of knowing what he does for work but those were going to be thoughts she would shelve for another time.
"The truth of it is it's not much different from how it was before, when we were seeing each other, not dating. The holiday weeks are about to be busy but I don't have parties or anything to attend. I had this last week off to visit my parents because I'll be performing Christmas Eve, Day and New Years Eve and Day. Which, you work holidays too so it's not like that's going to be an issue. You know I once had a guy tell me after I told him through a message on tinder that I was on Broadway he asked if I worked holidays and I said yes and he was like 'well then we can't talk because you need to be able to go to church with me every holiday and at least every other Sunday' ... " Vixey chuckled, the stories she had.
"He ditched me before I was able to tell him that the only church I've been in since I was kid was made of plywood and painted spray foam, and it was for a production of The Crucible. I wish I could've seen his face at that one.."
Though she was starting to get sleepy, she couldn't help but fight it off as there were so many things she wanted to talk about. They had time, she definitely knew that, but she was enjoying the moment.
"I mean it would be the same if you were a politician or a health worker, with the busy days and everything. I guess it's the downside of dating someone later in your 30's because everyone has their life settled and all," said Todd as he turned his face to look at her, his thumb gently caressing her arm while holding her close.
"See the only problem I can see is if you were a criminal that's running from the law. But since you're not I know that we're gonna be fine. Worse comes to worst, we can be pen pals," teased the man with a chuckle.
He wasn't even that worried about it -and he wasn't about to start now- since things had evolved so naturally between them. Despite the woman being busy, she wasn't bossy or controlling with him in regards to his schedule or his free time, which was something he really appreciated after a long shift.
"Oh, I actually don't work on New Year's Eve," said Todd as he looked at the redhead just as she finished that small little detail.
In his defense, the man had not foreseen this outcome and had planned ahead for the holidays with nothing or no one to do or spend the day. It didn't bother him. For Todd, it was just a day to spend with his golden retriever and that was more than he could ask, especially if it was a colder day.
"Yeah, I couldn't take two shifts on holidays. The last time I did that, I had to take a break after January because I was burnt out and exhausted. But it's alright if you have to work. I'll just be here with Roxie and we'll order a pizza. Maybe two," he said with a soft shrug, already reassuring her that the man really didn't get bothered by how busy she was.
"Well, how nice now that you got an actual man and not boys on your phone to waste your time, hm?" said Todd as he leaned in close to press a soft kiss to her lips, and then her forehead.
"Now you should get some sleep before you drift mid-story and leave me in the worst cliffhanger possible," he teased as he brought the covers closer, wrapping them around her shoulders and bringing her close to him; with the warmth and the fatigue from that night the man knew it was only a matter of minutes and he couldn't deny that was feeling it as well.
"That's fair, I'd love to play a criminal though that would be so much fun. I never get to play the bad guy," Vixey could feel her eyes begin to close as she spoke and felt Todd close his embrace around her.
They hadn't spent too many nights together in the before time and when they had been together one or the other had to rush off to work or something, they hadn't really had a good late-night encounter followed by a morning without much.
Of course Vixey wasn't all too sure of Todd's schedule since she just kind of dropped by out of the blue but she was hoping that he didn't have much to do.
"Mmhm," she hummed happily as she snuggled as close as she possibly could to him, already feeling the warmth encouraging her to drift off to sleep.
"I'm definitely about to fall asleep mid story so we should save the rest for breakfast.." the last bit of breakfast was mumbled as the redhead closed her eyes and almost fell asleep instantly.
The drinks in her system - which had mostly worn off but any longer awake and a headache would've set in, Todd's comfy bed, and his warm embrace were the perfect sleep cocktail ingredients for the actress.
There absolutely wasn't a doubt in her mind that she was going to sleep well tonight. She'd get onto herself in the morning for not washing her makeup off or moisturizing her face but for now she was living in pure bliss.
The man drifted off to sleep easily once he felt the woman's breathing steading and her body relax next to him, secured in between his arms and wrapped in the warmth of the covers of his bed.
The slumber was peaceful and just what he had been needing after a shift of work the day prior, meaning that the current morning was all to himself, and by the looks of his sleeping partner it couldn't have come up at a better time. Thanks to that late-night walk, even Roxie had jumped on the late morning schedule, with Todd dozing off much later than he'd usually get up accustomed by the schedule from the firehouse.
But around 10, the golden woke up searching for him, with her cold nose booping his arm to wake him out and take a walk with her.
Of course, that woke him up instantly. Responsibilities were not to be ignored, less when a cute dog was the face of them. Ever so careful the man slipped out of the redhead's grasp with all of the world's care to not wake her up from the sweet sleep she was getting -something told him she really needed that.
After a few clothing changes and a note dribbling, the man carefully slipped out of his room with Roxie's leash in hand making sure that not even the noise of the door would wake her up.
Went to walk Roxie, be back soon.
Todd didn't come back home empty-handed, clearly visible by the bag and tray with coffee in hand with breakfast, along with some baked puppy treats for his girl. Had it only been that easy because the moment Todd had set the things he'd brought on the kitchen counter, Roxie had taken the advantage and pitter-pattered her way to his room with the mission of waking up the woman peacefully sleeping -with the least peaceful of ways if he could add- as he cold nose booped her face, greeting Vixey with puppy eyes and wagging tail.
"Rox, come on. Let her sleep," said Todd as he called for her, pushing the rest of the door open with his foot as he walked inside with a tray and breakfast; the smell of coffee already filling the whole room.
"Morning superstar," he teased.
Vixey couldn't have told you the last time she slept as deeply as she had and with hardly any movement. It was rare that the redhead woke up in the same position in which she fell asleep, she usually tossed and turned a few times.
She had to have been incredibly exhausted to be out for as hard and long as she was and she didn't even notice when Todd slid out of bed. The last thing she remembered was mumbling something about the next day and the next thing she knew she was squinting as a cold nose brushed against her face, a feeling she definitely wasn't used to.
"Morning Roxie.." Vixey mumbled.
Hopefully there would be way more mornings like this.
The redhead shifted in the bed, turning to greet Todd as he walked through the door, elbows propping her up.
"Morning handsome," she replied with a big stupid grin.
Yep, she was very thankful for every choice she made last night, well, almost every choice. She wasn't necessarily hungover, but her head did hurt a little and she could've done without that.
"Mmm, that smells good." she sat up a little more and reached for the coffee as he brought the tray closer to her. That first sip was everything she needed.
"What time is it?" she glanced around, remembering her phone she had left in the living room.
Usually she was a fairly early riser by nature and she didn't always love it, sometimes she really just wanted to enjoy the sleep but it was also nice to enjoy slow and quiet early mornings. It was hard to tell what time it was now. Though she also didn't care, she was content in bed with the coffee and the dog and whatever Todd happened to have to cure her not hangover.
"I figured coffee and fresh bagels would be a nice breakfast. And because I just realized I'm out of coffee. I also didn't really know if you were into any milk option so I went with almond. Just in case," said the man with a smile as he set the tray down, pulling their meal -still warm and smelling like a god-sent gift- out of the bag as he handed it to the woman.
"Around 11? Yeah," he said as he took a glance at his clock on the nightstand before he took a seat on the other side of the bed, coffee and bagel in hand.
"Roxie here couldn't wait to come back and say good morning. You're probably one of her favorite people, and she was a waiting list on that, so it's quite exclusive" he said with a chuckle, watching the golden jump on the bed to settle against Todd's leg with a treat.
"How'd you sleep?" asked the man as he settled -carefully- next to Vixey, an arm wrapping around her shoulders, his coffee in hand, and his dog munching on a bone-shaped cookie.
"If Roxie hadn't woken me up, I think I could have easily slept past noon. But she needed her walks and the fresh air first thing in the morning," and said dog couldn't have had a better timing considering she had let the couple sleep for a good amount of hours without any disturbance.
"So, any important plans today? I'm off shift so I have all day for myself before I walk into the dreaded holiday shifts where people go crazy and have fire hazards with cheap Christmas lights," he said with a chuckle, taking a sip of his coffee. Exactly what he needed to start the day.
"It's a very nice breakfast," Vixey smiled, taking a long sip of the coffee and enjoying every second of it. It was delicious and exactly what she needed.
"And thank you, I try to stay away from regular milk as much as I can just because of my vocal cords and what not, I can't get away with dairy like I used to, getting older sucks." she added, taking another long sip.
At the mention of the time she raised an eyebrow. 11 was definitely the latest she had slept in, well she couldn't even remember. Even over the last week away from work she had still been waking up by 9 at the latest, but they were awake until who knows when so she figured it did make sense.
"Honestly," she looked at him at the question about sleep and smiled.
"I haven't slept as well as I did in.. well at least since I can remember. I definitely had help, the bed was nice and cozy last night," she grinned.
"Roxie has always seemed like a good partner to have around, she's considerate but also knows when she needs what she needs, she's such a good girl."
Vixey reached over and scratched the golden behind the ear as she chewed away happily on her treat. This really was just what she needed this morning, breakfast in bed, Roxie, Todd, coffee.. It just felt so right.
"I also have the day off, I took the last week off, as I had mentioned, for a little vacation before the holidays. I spent the first half of the week with my parents since I won't be able to visit for Christmas," Vixey smiled as she thought about her visit with them and their corgi pups who were more excited to see Vixey than they had ever been, or at least it felt that way.
Realistically Vixey knew dogs had such a short attention span you could leave for five minutes and come back and they'd act like you had been gone for a week.
"And their corgis, my babies.. And then came back for that holiday party, and now I've got today and tomorrow left to recover and on Tuesday I'm back at it with an evening show."
She couldn't help but chuckle at Todd's comment about the Christmas lights. It wasn't really a laughing matter, of course, but the way some people really went out for Christmas had always amazed her.
"Have you ever been called to a fire started by someone trying to fry a turkey only to find they just made a fire bomb?"
She knew the answer was probably yes but she was curious because that seemed to be one of the biggest causes of calls around the holidays, and it was always what you heard about in the news.
Todd busied himself and his attention to his bagel while he listened to the redhead talk -and he'd heard that correctly, about her holidays knowing she probably needed these days before walking into the storm that was labor on a holiday- about her last two days of freedom.
"I have to work tomorrow. And I'll be free when you go back to work, no surprises there," said the man with a chuckle as he cleaned his face with a napkin.
"That just means I'll do some Christmas shopping with my girl here," said the man as he nodded at Roxie who had gotten comfortable with her head over Todd's leg, content with her treats and the comfy bed.
"Which theatre are you working at, again? I think I passed by it once, but I'm not sure," he asked.
He hadn't been paying much attention to it and it was on their way back to the firehouse after a call, but Todd could remember the flashing sign with the show.
"Yes. Plenty of times. Far more than I can count on a day," said the man at her turkey fire question.
"People get way too creative during Thanksgiving to get the turkey going. Some are smart and do it outside in a yard. Others not so much. It always ends up with burnt turkey and the family ordering a pizza," said the man with a shrug.
Just the common holiday episode. It always left him smelling like a kitchen accident. "It's a lot more entertaining when it's a vegan turkey. Then it just smells like burnt bread all over the place. Like an explosion on a breadstick factory," he chuckled.
"Since you have the rest of the day free, why don't you go back and change from your fancy pants and I can meet you at your place? We can grab some lunch or go for a walk. I know she'd like that plan," said the man as he eyed the golden retriever whose ears instantly popped up the second the word walk was said.
"Unless you want to do something else?" Todd's eyes settled on the redhead, his fingers gently brushing back some of her locks behind her ear, head tilting as his gaze softened.
"I'm up for anything, you just tell me."
"Of course, but that's alright, I'll have to head into the theatre early Tuesday anyway so it'll be an early night to bed for me tomorrow." Vixey smiled as Todd looked at Roxie, she loved to watch and listen to him talk about his dog, he lit up.
"I'll have 2:30 and 8:00 shows Thursday and Saturday but the rest of the days are just 7 or 8pm shows." she explained, sure she had mentioned that before but figured it was worth mentioning again,
"Usually I don't have to go in until an hour before.." Vixey fixed her own bagel and took a bite, the food working magic and making her feel better.
The woman took another long sip of her coffee before replying.
"We're in the Al Hirschfeld Theatre, on West 45th and 8th. The Lion King is a block down on 45th and 7th."
Everyone knew where the infamous Lion King Theatre was, at least every school group who came through to visit, that seemed to be a popular place to meet as it was an easy theatre for the kids to identify. She carefully readjusted herself in bed, sitting up with her legs crossed now as she enjoyed her bagel and listened to Todd talk about the holiday fire fiascos. Vixey wrinkled her nose at the mention of vegan turkey, it didn't sound too appetizing. Vixey didn't eat a ton of meat but she loved a good holiday turkey, a real one.
"I just can't imagine a vegan turkey tasting very good. At least it's not tofu, I'm not the biggest fan of that stuff. People will try anything to substitute meat and I admire that but sometimes the substitutions are just odd.."
With tofu for her it was the texture, she couldn't substitute chicken for a sponge.
As he suggested changing and a walk Vixey smiled.
"I can't think of anything I want more," she told him.
"Maybe I can sneak you in for a quick tour of the stage before the show tonight too, if that's something you'd be interested in."
She suggested, she had been wanting to invite him to see her stage and maybe a costume or two, she knew a couple of the custodians and was close with her stage managers so she knew she could get them in easily, especially if they went in the middle of the afternoon, a few hours before the show when the place was quiet.
"Well, that's a busy schedule," he teased with a chuckle, knowing the woman was the definition of a loaded day.
Sometimes he wondered how she did it, but then again it was probably years of being used to that speed just like he was used to the pressure in his job.
"I actually have one special task on my next shift. I need to pick up a Santa costume, it's my turn to cheer the kids up that visit the house this year," said the man after a sip of coffee.
"Beard, boots, the fake belly, and glasses. The whole game on point. I hope we get great cookies too. This is a great time of the year to get fresh snacks at the house too."
Todd nodded at the theatre reference, having passed by it many times -on and off a truck too- while munching on his bagel, which was practically gone in a couple of bites. He was hungrier than he had realized, probably from the extra exercise they had done last night.
"I've seen it, I think once I saw a huge line for a show. Seems like you have quite a fan base, right superstar?" said Todd with a smirk as he gently bumped her shoulder with his. He chuckled at her comment.
"They don't. And they smell terrible. We once had a family bring a vegan turkey dinner to the house. I didn't get it when it was fresh, but there were tons of leftovers and after we tried the so-called turkey, it was clear why there were so many tupperwares filled with fake meat. A normal turkey would have not survived the night. Those men are vicious monsters with food around."
"A stage tour. Oh la la, that's VIP treatment," he teased with a snicker.
"I haven't been in a theatre since, maybe middle school? I think the last time I saw a show was probably when I was 15," said Todd as he had to take a second and think when was the last time he ever had a ticket to a show that wasn't a birthday present or from saved up allowance money.
"Yeah, I remember we took trips here with my grandma to see a show, and now that I live in the city with every possible theatre, I really don't see them much. Maybe when there's an emergency."
Vixey’s eyes lit up as soon as Todd brought up having to dress up as Santa,.
“Oh my gosh.”
She grinned, she thought her heart might burst at the mere thought of seeing him interact with those kids. She was trying her best to imagine him all decked out in Santa gear, bringing the kids close to hear what they wanted most.
Honestly, the thought of Todd interacting with kids like that brought a whole new feeling to surface that Vixey wasn’t sure she could feel and she quickly had to shake it off. Not right now.
Instead she took the last bite of her bagel and smiled.
“That sounds like a great time, I might need to sneak by and have a chat with Santa myself.”
Chewing slowly, she recalled the many times the line for their show had been very long, they were the hot ticket to have now as their show was still in their first six month run and Tony award season was quickly approaching.
This was about to be one of Vixey’s most stressful holiday runs of a show yet. Nominations would be announced in the spring and their show just made the cutoff for this year. She had to throw that thought out too as it made her too nervous.
She smiled again and reached for her coffee, using her other hand with her napkin to wipe any bagel crumbs from her chin, as Todd recalled his trip to see shows. She remembered that magic she felt when she visited the theatre as a kid.
“Well then you’re in for a real treat and hopefully no emergencies.” Thankfully Vixey had yet to encounter any at work as of yet.
“But yeah, I can get us in and give you an up close backstage tour. And I can show you my costume for our love medley song.. I think you might enjoy that one more than any others..”
This show had definitely put Vixey in costumes she wouldn’t have otherwise worn in public but she knew Todd wouldn’t mind the show.
"So you can sit on his lap? Hm, I don't know. I don't think Santa had any naughty on his list this year," he teased with a smirk at her comment about Santa, leaving the man snickering at the thought. It surely would be fun if the redhead stopped by.
Todd hadn't had a chance to show her around the firehouse as much as he'd wished. Sure, Vixey had met some of the guys during a night at the bar -clearly by Patrick's presence- but she never really saw him in action.
Not like he wanted her to see him jumping straight into a fire. That was what the news was for. Or a calendar for that matter.
"Maybe Santa will give you an extra special present. Who knows," said Todd with a teasing shrug.
"But yeah. It's me during my shift, and the next shift will be some other guy doing the Santa work. Thank god New York is cold, so I won't melt with that suit. I can't imagine what's like for firehouses in California. That must suck," said Todd with a chuckle.
Summers were terrible during a call, with a fire and a suit that felt like it was hard to breathe in as well.
"So if you slip by, better do it while I'm working or you'll miss it. I'll save you a cookie," said the man with a snicker.
"If I'm off shift, no emergencies," he nodded as he took another sip of coffee, almost done with it while listening to Vixey.
"Oh yeah? Care to give me a bit more detailed explanation to know what I'll encounter?" asked the man with a smirk on his face behind his coffee cup.
Todd hadn't seen the show Moulin Rouge but he also didn't live under a rock; he knew what it was about and that it was rather heated, to say the least. It didn't bother him either way. If anything the man only admired the redhead from the amount of work that needed to be done and to do it practically every day of the week.
"I kind of want to have a mental image to know what I'll see in regards to costumes and everything."
"Well, fine, I guess we'll just have to arrange another meeting with Santa after hours, then."
Vixey replied with a playful nudge. The idea of seeing Todd at work was a fun thought, of course she had stopped by the firehouse once to bring him coffee, not that he needed it there because the place was stocked to the brim with whatever they needed but she had still wanted to see him. Now that she was his girlfriend she figured she had a pretty good excuse to see him at work more often.
"I'll definitely need to slip by during your shift though, at least to see the hot firefighter Santa in action." she added with a wink.
The playfulness of that only fueled her teasing him more about her costume for the show she was planning on modeling for him.
"Well, I'll say when I wear it there isn't much left to the imagination.." It was a corset lingerie set so it wasn't like she was in the nude or anything but it was surprisingly a costume she had to talk herself up to get herself into it and on stage in it for the first few nights.
Of course she still has nights where the last thing she wants to do is go out in it but once she gets out there and into the scene, she looks like she doesn't have a care in the world and she couldn't do it without her good friend and co-star, Aaron. The two had made a pact to leave the show at the same time, Vixey was sure she couldn't do those scenes without anyone else.
"I do have a robe, it's sheer so it doesn't cover much but it's there," she added.
"The satin sheets on the bed on stage really help set the mood, too."
Now she was just giving him a hard time but it was fun. With that she had finished the last of her coffee as well, feeling much better than she did when she woke up, ready to conquer the adventure of the day.
"You're very brave to say that when you're wearing nothing but my bedsheets right now," said Todd with a snicker as he took one last sip of coffee but still making his teasing as smooth, considering he was the one heavily clothed between the both of them.
And that fact was just something to snicker about. He'd definitely be teasing a lot more -or have her down against the bed for that matter- if it weren't for the fact that they had plans, and Roxie was there too. It would be just words, for now. The man could only chuckle at her last comment, making him shake his head lightly.
"Oh, I'm sure you will."
Todd only looked at her with a smirk on his face, watching her describe her costume and instantly noticing a tone in her voice that the redhead used whenever she wanted to tease him.
"I bet," said the man as put the empty cup aside before turning back to look and listen to her.
Only that he listened carefully for one reason.
"Hmmm. Doing all that must be so hot with all that people watching. Really sets the mood, right?" said the man back as he looked at the redhead with a smirk on his face.
"Also, silk is highly flammable so don't burn yourself every night, superstar," added Todd, just to add a little bit of spice there, holding back a snicker as he moved to get up while grabbing the trash from their breakfast.
"And, for the record. If you want to tease me, you might need to try a little harder," said the man as he leaned closer just to sneakily press a kiss right below her jawline, throwing a wink her way as he pulled away.
"I'm gonna throw this away while you get ready. I may need to take a shower too before we walk you back home," said Todd as he eyed Roxie, already perked up with the word walk.
Todd had thrown her a little when he called her out for still being wrapped in nothing but the sheet from the bed. She had been so comfortable in his bed and so comfortable with him that she hadn't even given a second thought to it.
Any other guy and she probably would've been up frantically trying to get dressed or at least throw a shirt on over herself before him coming back with coffee or something.. Though, actually, if it had been anyone else Vixey would've had an alarm set for 6:30am to get herself dressed and back home to the safety of her own bed before the morning rush. This was very out of character for her.
"Yeah, okay that's fair." she replied with a shrug and a playful eyeroll. It was all she had.
As he rattled off about the show, making excellent points because at times it was weird sharing those intimate scenes with 200 other people, she just shook her head, a smile stuck across her lips the whole time.
"Thankfully the fire risk is fairly low throughout most of the show so I think I'll be alright but at least I know I'll look damn good god forbid you have to come and rescue me."
At the mention of a shower and the timing of the reminder about teasing, Vixey smirked.
"You know, I could go for a quick rise off myself, just before I slip back into my dress. I did get a little sweaty last night." she shrugged, slowly lowering the bedsheet from her torso as she began to move from the bed.
"If it's okay with you, I might go ahead and slip in the shower with you?" she asked though it was more of a suggestion.
"Or, I guess you could wait on me, I'll only be a second," at this point the redhead had slipped out of bed, totally bare, and had begun to make her way toward Todd's bathroom.
"But they are always talking about conserving water throughout the city, so..?"
The whole way towards the bathroom Vixey had been throwing playful glances towards Todd, using the hair tie from her wrist to secure her hair into a neat bun, not even bothering to grab a towel on her way. Before they knew it she was in the bathroom turning on the hot water, humming one of her songs softly to herself.
The man was right on his way to the door when the redhead began talking, which made him stop on his tracks and turn around to look at her -and his eyes watching carefully as the sheet slowly slipped away from her- as the woman not only looked at him but started to make her way to his bathroom.
Todd's blue eyes looked at her -and since she was moving so slowly and taking her sweet time to do so- and observed her body with the light of the day, making him notice so many more details that only fueled him more, as the trash left from their breakfast fell to the floor, forgotten but thankfully all inside a bag.
"Well, you know what they say about saving the planet," said Todd with a smirk on his face as he quickly pulls his shirt over his head while undoing his pants on his way while following her.
His clothes, scattered on the floor created a little path that guided to the bathroom, as the man walked into the room and circled his arms around Vixey's waist as he pulled her closer to him.
"We wouldn't want to waste water now, would we," said the man with a smirk against her shoulder as he moved up slowly pressing soft kisses against her neck while keeping her close to him.
"And both deserve a nice hot shower," whispered Todd as he turned the redhead in his arms so she would face him, just to have his hands easily pick her up with her legs secure around his waist.
"I'm sure the hot vapor will be very useful with all the screaming you did last night," said the man as he leaned in to catch her lips with his, deepening the kiss immediately while slowly and carefully getting inside the shower, the couple greeted by the hot water instantly as Todd pressed her up against the shower wall.
Todd's lips pulled away just for a second to move down her neck, as his body pressed against hers -to keep her in place against the wall and not leave any space left between them. With the woman propped up, his hand slipped between them and settled between her legs as he circled and rubbed her skin to fire her up, just as his teeth left a new and fresh mark on her neck.
Vixey could only grin as Todd dropped the trash and came for her. She pulled herself around him with ease, using her upper body strength to secure herself.
"I guess a little hot steam from the shower wouldn't be the worst thing for me right now."
Her lips curled against his as they deepened the kiss, Vixey already allowing a whimper to escape from her lips as they stepped into the shower. The combination of their bodies connecting and the hot water and steam embracing them had Vixey ready to go in no time.
The redhead leaned her back against the shower wall, carefully and more for support and to make things a little easier for Todd but she kept her grip around him secure. She moaned louder this time as he teased her and it was better than cursing him for giving her another mark on her neck. She really was going to have a time with the makeup on Tuesday.
"You know," she ran her fingers carefully through his hair.
"We should probably go slow, we want to be careful."
Her voice was soft and low, almost sultry and she could only blame that on her talent as an actress and the literal heat of the moment.
"Don't want to fall, that'd be an embarrassing story for a leading lady and her firefighter boyfriend.." she couldn't help but chuckle softly as she said boyfriend again, knowing he wouldn't get tired of it.
But she didn't give Todd much of a chance to react because as she spoke she tightened her grip around him with one arm and allowed her free hand to carefully travel south to tease him. Todd was definitely better at this than Vixey but she figured this was a game two could play.
"Oh, you're not going to fall," said the man, whispering against her neck as his lips kissed the spot where her pulse was visible only to trail up her neck and jawline with his lips as he made sure to stop for a couple of seconds on every part of her skin that made her tremble; for the mere fun of it.
"You might need to explain why you're walking funny after all this," he said with a smirk against her skin.
As he talked, Todd's hand only increased the friction between her legs, but not able to control the growl that came from deep in his chest as he felt her soft touch against him. As if the man hadn't been ready for her the second the redhead had suggested sharing a shower.
"I'm sure the boyfriend talk will be loud and hot when you get back to work with hickeys on your body and walking from side to side. Your costume changes will be fun," said Todd with a snicker.
With her legs securely wrapped around his waist, there was not much of an obstacle for him to tease her with his hand, speeding up just before the woman could come up with any sort of comeback. And if she had been worried about having to cover those marks for her show, the man had already made up his mind to make it the hardest task possible for her; just so she'd remember exactly what happened the night before and the morning after.
"Hold on tight," he said suddenly, not giving Vixey much time to think before he was easily slipping into her as the man pressed her body against the wall.
With one hand secured under her bottom and another one flat against the wall next to her waist, the man easily settled with a rhythm that started slowly at first, but in a matter of seconds picked up speed. With the noise of the water running muffling much of whatever noise that was made, any sounds, words, and breathless gasps were left just for the couple, in a private little bubble as the man eagerly worked to get just a louder moan than the last one.
It didn't take much to get Vixey going this time, her nerves feeling just as sensitive as they had last night, she was definitely able to tell that it had been a long time. Todd hadn't given her much of a chance to respond to anything but she didn't mind.
The hot shower stall and the activity transpiring between them was the only thing on her mind right now. Any thoughts she had were definitely not there anymore.
Though she was still a little paranoid about falling, Vixey was confident in Todd's strength and any worry left her as he pressed against her, back against the wall and moaned louder this time, following that with a soft whimper.
"Todd.." she whined, the water drowning her out.
Her body moved with ease with his and though she wished for something extra to hold herself secure, Todd showed that his grip on her was enough. She felt the hairs on her neck stand on end as the warmth of the shower and the feeling of pure bliss embraced her. Vixey moaned again as she felt herself already reaching her climax, the friction between them strong.
"Damn, lover boy.." she half whispered half moaned.
It of course wasn't more than she could handle but she could feel her body working hard to keep up. Vixey Addison was way off her game, but it wasn't like she was going to complain. A little practice definitely wasn't going to hurt her. She moaned his name again as she reached her peak, her breathing fast and hot against his skin as her fingers clutched the side of his neck and his shoulder tightly, no chance to reciprocate the marks he had been leaving all over her.
It was a quick and shorter moment of bliss but strong nonetheless; much stronger than the one last night that they had from the speed in which things had developed, and with the hot water, the steam, and the skin contact, the man was left with shaky legs but firm hold of Vixey against the wall. The climax struck him hard, leaving the man breathless as he was left panting against the redhead's neck, while the water ran down his back, already the heat increasing enough between them.
"You keep calling me that and you'll end up not feeling your legs for a show," he said with a snicker as he pressed one last kiss on her neck.
With a few seconds to gather his wits, Todd slowly and carefully put the woman down on her feet while making sure she wouldn't fall or slip.
"I bet this is better than any morning cardio to start the day, hm?" said the man with a chuckle, reaching for his shampoo only when he was sure the redhead was not jello any longer.
"I won't say no to some morning cardio every once in a while," said the man with a smirk while laddering his hair with shampoo, handing the bottle to Vixey.
"It's probably not what you're used to, but it's not one of those 3 in 1 body wash. It's a local brand from a store close to the firehouse."
A couple of minutes later, he walked out of the shower while grabbing one clean towel. As a man who constantly had things together, Todd had clean towels in his bathroom all the time. His apartment was sparkling clean; clean bedsheets, clean dishes, even if he had take-out, it was clean, not a thing rotten in his fridge.
Of course, that also had to do with the fact that he was close to his 40's and in comparison to his 20 or 30-year-olds housemates who probably only had a mattress as a bed, some sort of collection, and wore the same t-shirt for days on end. It was definitely a grown-up, have-it-together type of place.
"So we're clean and worked out. Do you want to get back to your dress or do you want me to lend you a shirt or something? Which, you'll return?"
"Hmm."
Vixey grinned and offered a shrug in return as he threatened her with more of a good time over her new apparent nickname for him. Honestly she couldn't have told you where it came from, certainly not from her show or anything, but it seemed appropriate, as much as it may have annoyed him.
Once she was firmly on the ground, Vixey took some of Todd's body wash and began to scrub herself, she didn't mind, even if it had been the 3 in 1 stuff, that definitely wasn't her first choice of stuff it was only for a quick shower.
"I think I'd also be up for some similar cardio in the future, it's good for the heart and mind, it's definitely better than my usual meditation." she teased.
It didn't take her long to rinse the soap, and even less time since she wasn't planning on washing her hair just yet.
After Vixey was clean and wrapped in one of Todd's towels, which thank god he kept stocked. Though Vixey didn't make it far enough for a shower at many other apartments, men usually weren't ones to keep everything so clean and stocked.
That was probably one of the reasons why Vixey liked Todd so much, he was clean about nearly everything, even his fridge which even Vixey had trouble keeping up with which leftovers needed to get thrown out. She wasn't much in the kitchen and that certainly didn't help her case.
The redhead pat herself dry and as she wrapped the towel around her she looked at Todd. She couldn't help but weigh her options, was it worth it to make the journey to her apartment in her heels or would she look even sillier with one of Todd's shirts and shorts in addition to her.. heels? She definitely had no other shoes prepared.
"I think I might need to brave the walk back with the dress. While being possibly spotted in a dress from the night before isn't ideal, I'm not so sure a t shirt is going to look so good with my heels."
She couldn't help but chuckle. She probably sounded ridiculous rationalizing this but she couldn't help it. As she spoke she hung the towel on one of the hooks in the bathroom and then made her way over to her dress, which was still in a crumpled heap on the floor. She examined it carefully before slipping it on.
"Since you're the one who removed it, would you be so kind to help me back in it?" she asked him with a laugh, already turning and moving her hair out of the way to free the area around the long zipper on the back.
"Well, I don't exactly have anything that would fit you. Or shoes for that matter. I bet those heels will be, comfortable," teased the man with a chuckle as he wrapped the towel around his waist as he moved around his room to his closet.
The man had managed to slip into some boxers and was in the middle of choosing some clothes when he heard Vixey call for him.
"It's a good thing I didn't mess up your dress. Next time you might not be this lucky, so if I were you I'd probably choose a fancy dress you won't miss," said Todd with a smirk as he walked closer to zip her up and just as he had finished -and taking advantage that her hair was out of the way- the man leaned in closer to press a kiss against her nape, lips brushing over one of the many marks on her neck.
A walk back into his closet and the man walked out fully clothed, cologne and ready as he brushed his hair back with his fingers.
"You ready, superstar?" asked Todd as he grabbed a jacket and a scarf.
Winter was colder now, and he wasn't about to catch a cold right before a shift. He was a healthy and in-shape man, but he wasn't 20 anymore.
"I must say. You probably look like the most elegant woman walking back from a night over at your boyfriend's," said the man as he leaned in to press a kiss to her cheek, moving away to grab Roxie's leash -to what the dog had caught on rather quickly- the golden retriever lifting her head and jumping from Todd's bed to his heel with the excited tippy tappies and her tail wagging out of control.
"Alright girl, we're going," said the man as he kneeled down to hook the pup, and Roxie been more than ready to leave for a walk.
"Let's get Vixey back to her home," said Todd as he stood up and looked at the redhead, making his way to the door as he let her out first and out to the street.
He zipped his jacket up, the cold air hitting him right away while wrapping the scarf around his neck watching his pup already happy being outside.
She felt chills as Todd's lips met her skin, that was a feeling she could get used to.
"Maybe we should just agree to be more careful around the fancy dresses." Vixey chimed in, not being able to help but laugh.
"There aren't any I'm willing to part with, but there are plenty I think you'd like that you haven't seen yet. Though thankfully," she adjusted her dress as she spoke and then moved into the living room to find her shoes.
"The super expensive dresses are loans and give them back almost immediately. I cannot be trusted with expensive things."
Though Vixey was talented and very graceful she was also very clumsy and often found herself spilling or breaking things. It was a wonder she hadn't broken any bones yet.
A smile graced her lips as he called himself her boyfriend again. That really wasn't going to get old anytime soon, in fact, Vixey felt butterflies at the thought. She found her heels and sat on the couch to put them on, adjusting the straps. Things were a completely different story last night when she dropped her shoes by the door.
Once she was ready she found her phone, which was dead, and stuffed it in her purse before grabbing her jacket. It wasn't the warmest jacket, it wasn't very thick, but it was a longer pea coat and would thankfully mostly mask the dress as the coat came down almost to her knees. At least she opted to bring her coat, she was thanking her past self for that.
"Yeah, Roxie, you've got to get Todd's girlfriend home so she can put on some real clothes." she smiled as she scratched the golden behind the ears just before they made their way outside.
Vixey hugged her coat close to her as they turned to head in the direction of her apartment but the redhead stopped as she heard a familiar voice from behind them.
"There you are" the familiar voice of her best friend greeted them and Vixey turned to face him.
"I was wondering if I was going to have to send a search party out for you, but then I read your text from last night again and remembered you were probably okay."
Reeve teased her and her cheeks were almost as red as her hair.
"Good morning sunshine, or should I say afternoon?"
The man gave Vixey a big grin and turned to Todd with a smile that seemed to say 'you're the man, dude.' Vixey smiled and greeted her friend.
"No, I'm not dead, I'm great actually."
She grinned and before Reeve could say anything smart in return, she looked at Todd and Reeve extended his hand towards him.
"Todd, this is my best friend Reeve. The famous Orpheus in Hadestown. And Reeve, this is Todd, my boyfriend."
Reeve's smile grew even wider as Vixey introduced him.
"It is very nice to meet you, Todd."
The man had been seconds to reach his fingers out and tangle their hands together had they set off to her apartment if there hadn’t been an interruption, making Todd hide his hands inside his pockets. One because it was cold, and two because this was Vixey’s friend and he didn’t exactly know whether to be upfront or wait and see things unfold. Sure, she had used the word boyfriend maybe a hundred times during the course of the night and the morning after; but that had been between them, in the privacy of his four walls.
Of course, when he was introduced and he knew who he was -remembering his face from the instagram post- Todd reached out and shook his hand firmly, smiling back at him.
“Nice to meet you too. Haven’t seen your show yet, work is crazy lately. But I’ve heard good things about your performance. They say you might be up for a Tony this year,” said Todd as he side eyed the redhead, throwing her a quick wink just to throw her off.
Yeah, he may not been seeing the theatre scheme every night, but the man was up to date and knew his Broadway talk as well. He had to with a friend that was crazy about theatre too at the firehouse.
Todd heard a bark as he looked down at Roxie, his free hand instantly moving to scratch the pup’s head.
“Right, sorry. This is Roxie, the apple of my eye,” said the man with a chuckle as he watched his dog wag her tail at the sight of this stranger.
Roxie wasn’t exactly opened up completely to people she’d never seen before -but with anyone that didn’t have any sort of bad vibe, the golden was friendly. Of course once he’d let the woman talk it out with her friend, they could finally make their way to Vixey’s apartment all while Todd could only smirk at her.
“Calling yourself my girlfriend, introducing me to your friends, using all these labels. You must really like me, hm. What’s next? Are you giving me a promise ring too?” he teased with a snicker as he gently bumped her shoulder while holding Roxie’s leash to keep her at his heel, all while enjoying the sunny winter day as the man brought his scarf closer to not get much of the cold wind.
“I totally nailed a hottie as my girlfriend, can’t complain about that,” said the man with another wink, the teasing coming from only refreshed right now with the encounter of her friend.
He could only imagine what it would be if he’d meet all of her people, or the other way around.
“And you look really cute when you blush,” he said with a chuckle, and as he talked, Todd’s hand slipped from his pocket just to softly brush his fingers with the redhead’s.
And only when he felt her move but not retract, did his fingers slowly slipped between hers, intertwining hands as they walked down the street -hand in hand like any other couple would- the man smiling to himself as he felt the soft touch of her skin and the warmth of her palm against the cold weather.
Reeve grinned back at Todd's comment about his possible Tony nomination and firmly shook his hand, already liking him.
"Well, thank you, yeah I think I've got a pretty good shot but we'll see." the man let go of Todd's hand and then pushed his hand through his hair before looking down at the dog that just barked.
"It's very nice to meet you too, you're adorable."
He pet her carefully on the top of her head and if he wasn't worried about getting hair on his pants he probably would've welcomed her in for a hug. After a few more pets he looked back at Vixey.
"Well, I won't keep you guys, looks like someone needs to go home and change," he shot a quick wink at Todd.
He was having too much fun. Vixey rolled her eyes.
"But I've got a theatre to get to. Vix, let's catch up soon. And Todd, it was great meeting you - I hope we see each other again soon! Vixey, bring him to a show!"
He was already on his way in the opposite direction before he finished talking.
"I promise I will." Vixey called back.
"That man is always on the go.." she muttered as they set off, for real this time, with hopefully little interruption.
As Todd went on about her introduction and the ring Vixey's mind came back to the moment and she once again felt a blush rise to her cheeks.
"I mean, word is going to get out soon somehow and if it's what we call each other in private then I'd much rather get it out in the open, too." she shrugged.
If she was going to have to get used to the labels eventually then now was really the best time to start. It was still weird but it was a good weird, she wasn't nervous nor did she feel awkward introducing him.
Plus, that was her best friend who she was with last night.. who convinced her to go see Todd. He was the last person who was going to give her a hard time about it. She smiled back at Todd.
"And I'd say I'm the one who nailed a total hottie, and he's a fireman? Listen, I hate stereotypes and encouraging them but.. that's a lottery win if you ask me."
She was trying to play off her blush and his compliment about her blushing, which only made her want to blush more. She was thankful for the cold wind which was already turning her exposed cheeks pink, it made it easier to mask it.
Todd's hand was warm as he intertwined his fingers with hers and she was thankful for it. She was also thankful that it felt comfortable, she couldn't dream of pulling away and she didn't even want to think twice about hiding it. There were people who were going to say it was too soon and it was going to happen, Vixey was sure of it, and there were going to be people who thought it should've been their business to know the details of it but Vixey was promising herself that she wouldn't give them the time of day.
There were vultures in her community, there were people who were relentless when it came to knowing and sharing business that wasn't their own, and Vixey was sure she was just going to let it ride without acknowledgement. That was the best plan of action for everyone involved and it was also what she wanted.
She just wanted to enjoy this time with Todd and this sense of emotional freedom she was feeling from herself. She was sure she'd spend some time overthinking later and that would be okay, things did happen quick but she wanted them to happen, she had already wasted time and she didn't want to waste anymore.
"Thank you," she leaned towards him as they walked hand in hand down the sidewalk, Roxie trotting alongside them.
"You totally could’ve sent me away last night, honestly, if I had seen me like that, I probably would've.. or would've at least just put me straight to bed. But for some reason you listened to me.. and I'm not sure I necessarily deserved your time after what went on, but I'm really thankful that you gave it to me. I'm not going to forget that and I definitely feel like I owe you for that."
"Stop it," said Todd as he gently tugged her hand and the woman as well from her thoughts.
The man stopped his tracks just to have her pause and look at him. The hand that was holding Roxie's leash reached out for Vixey's, as his blue eyes looked at her with a warm gaze, one that read that there was no judgment in him in regards to what happened last night -and how they happened for that matter.
"I'm just glad that you came to talk to me, even after all that happened. Because I hadn't stopped thinking about you ever since things were broken up, and I honestly didn't know if you'd want to talk to me or even have a conversation," the man took a step closer to her, just to have their own private bubble, even for just a second.
"Of course I'd listened to you, of course, I'd let you in last night, of course, you'd deserve my time, Vixey. Was I expecting things would turn out the way they did? Absolutely not. But I don't regret it. You don't owe me anything because we're both putting the effort here, but we also know this," he said as he motioned to them.
"It's worth fighting for. And you can bet that I'm not giving up on you, even if your schedule is a little crazy," said the man as he teased her at the last part, throwing her yet another wink to ease her thoughts; or at least he'd hope it would.
"So, now, superstar. All we need to worry about is to get you to your apartment so you can actually wear some real clothes that won't have you getting sick in this weather," said Todd with a chuckle before he leaned in to press a soft kiss against her lips, letting it linger for a couple of seconds, pulling away after when he felt Roxie's tugging at her leash.
Sure, the pup was patient but even she had her limits and her walk was important as well.
"And also, Roxie can't wait," said the man with a chuckle as he kept one of her hands in his as he let the golden tug them both down the street.
Of course, he had not been aware of the faintest snap noise heard from a couple of feet from them, the sound lost in the middle of the noise that was the city during the day.
A camera that had managed to catch their little private moment together just before they set off back to their route. A picture-perfect moment with even the golden included; one picture that would go viral in a matter of seconds on the internet and every social media platform. Anyone with a phone would soon know the news that this small snap brought, and it was a given the fortune that this paparazzi would earn from it.
It hurt so much more than she could ever imagine hearing all of this, and in the midst of what was supposed to be one of the best nights of her life. The feeling was one she wouldn’t be able to shake for quite some time, and maybe not ever. She sniffled a bit as Lukas explained, and brought a napkin to wipe along the bottom of her eyes. At least he wasn’t in pain, at least it didn’t happen on the job, at least it wasn’t a terrible accident. It hurt so much that it happened at all, this wasn’t a part of life they had ever imagined.
A half laugh, half sob fell from her lips as Lukas told her how excited he was over the invitation, how ready to go he was and Vixey could picture it now in his head, the way he was always so excited for something with Vixey. It hurt even more knowing that he had gotten it, he was ready to come home to her and the universe responded in the most wicked of ways. They were robbed. And Lukas losing his uncle.
She still found herself at a loss for words as he went on about Todd and his ways of keeping her with him for all these years. “I had meant to get out there and see him,” she said, sniffling as she spoke. She had to rest her hands with the letter in her lap because they were trembling. “I meant to come and visit you all, to meet you, he spoke so highly of you. I know he’s really proud of you.” she found herself crying as she spoke. This couldn’t be real, Todd couldn’t be gone. But the pain on Lukas’ face said it all. “He was the love of my life, too. I just realized it twenty years too late..” she said, looking down. “I had always loved him, but you know how it is, even if you haven’t given it much thought yet. At your age, you just see things differently. I did.” she said, “And when I didn’t I was too scared to say anything.” It hurt to remember but it also felt like a nice relief, telling Lukas, “He was my very best friend.”
The build up to this moment had definitely played a role in his emotional and mental endurance; Lukas was running on possibly a granola bar and water, not to mention he hadn’t even had any sleep from the second he’d jump out of the cab until now. It was fair to say that after everything was done, the boy was feeling the crash hitting him harder than expected. He had one mission, and thankfully, it was successful -he’d sleep at ease that night.
It was incredibly awkward to stand there with this woman -who was a very important part of his uncle’s life- cry and mourn just as he was, if not more; considering he’d met her a couple of hours ago. It was incredibly bizarre, this whole experience was surreal and the boy was still trying to grasp that it was all happening. “Yeah, well,” he said with a soft shrug, “Life happens, I guess.” Lukas had watched his uncle growing busier; sometimes wondering if he had been the reason, the decision to not go back to the city. The softest hint of a smile was visible when she mentioned how proud his uncle had been of him. It wasn’t like he said constantly -and everything he’d done for him said that he was indeed proud for his nephew- but with the way things had ended, it was hard for Lukas to believe.
“This probably wasn’t how you saw your night going,” said the boy as he stood there -awkwardly, incredibly tired but satisfied with everything- while looking at the woman. “But I really just came here to give you that. I just had to get you that letter. I know he’d want you to keep it, and if I find something else that’d he’d want you to keep, I’ll send it here. I guess.” The way he stood, the way he talked; the same gestures and look Todd had when he was the same age. Lukas was the living and breathing image of his uncle. “I should go, y-you have this to go back to.”
“Listen,” Vixey couldn’t help but laugh, still blushing too. “No girl wants to recount one of her most embarrassing moments. I’m not proud of it, either. It was high school, though, one of my first shows.” she explained, hesitating if she should go into more detail. It was so silly thinking about it now but it still went down in history as one of Vixey’s most embarrassing moments. “I had a massive crush on the guy who played the lead opposite me and I had asked him and he turned me down.” It was one of the only times that had happened, “Anyway, we did our kissing scene for the first time and, well, he was a terrible kisser.” she laughed, “Still one of the worst kisses I’ve ever experienced. But he decided he liked me after that but I just couldn’t kiss him again after the show..” It sounded even more silly now, but she figured it made for a good laugh.
“But oh,” she sighed, “Thankfully things aren’t too exciting right now, the show’s going on as normal, things are calm. I have no juicy drama to share which is new for me. Or maybe it’s just a product of getting older in the industry. I feel out of touch with the younger adults on the scene.” She brought her coffee to her lips and took a long sip. “One of my co-stars tried to get me to make a Tiktok with them yesterday. That didn’t go over well.”
“So the guy says he doesn’t like you and turns you down, but then says he does after kissing you,” said back Todd with a snort once the redhead had finished telling her story. “Did he hit you with his teeth?” the man was teasing and laughing. Truly, the story was an embarrassing one. “Man, imagine if he had bad breath. And you didn’t make fun of him? During high school? I’d simply disappear if that had been me, you would have not seen my face see the sun ever again.”
Another snort was heard from him as the woman mentioned -so casually- that she was old, making the man throw his head back a little in between a very muffled laugh. “The visual of a teenager making you participate in a trend for social media,” the man was chuckling already, covering his face with his hand. “Did you have to dance? I’m searching for that, I’m gonna find it,” Todd wasted no time with his phone, knowing that a video like that was bound to be everywhere.
His arms kept her close to him -as close as possible after months apart. His lips kissed her like she was air to breath. When she spoke words of love and commitment to him, a smile appeared before Vixey kissed him once again. It had been so long, so long since he had held her close, enough to feel her warmth seep to him, enough to take in her scent and every detail of her face. Stare into the blue of her eyes -his favorite view to get lost in. It was like a door had been opened, one that had restrained emotions and feelings which were now overflowing as Todd’s lips kissed her, his hand moving to rest on the side of her neck.
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Todd pulled away from her for a second, just enough to have their foreheads and noses touch, feeling breathless with it all. It had been more than three months since they had been this close -considering the months that he had moved out of the house after the fight but also all the time she had been away on tour prior to that.
It was quite hard to have any small moment of intimacy with Vixey considering their busy schedules and three kids, not the mention their youngest one was always craving attention and following his mom around anywhere she went. It was only rare moments or at times just taking a weekend off -the kids sent for the day. A more private space would be welcomed for them in that moment rather than standing at the roof of a hotel even though they were the only two in that place. It was still an open space.
“I”
He looked at her, his face pulling away just a little Despite anything, Todd was never going to assume anything happening with Vixey. Not after that much time that had passed between them.
“I got us a room,” he said as his blue eyes locked with hers.
“Because I don’t think this is the best place to make out”
Todd then leaned in to whispers something to her ear.
“And you can’t wear that dress and expect me to stay calm right now,” he whispered against her skin.
His hand pulled her along with him, not letting her go as he could only look at her with a smirk on his face and playful blue eyes.
“But I am leaving it all to you, you know I won’t do anything you won’t want me to,” he said with a smile as his thumb brushed the knuckles of her hand.
The second the elevator doors closed behind them, Todd pushed her gently against one of the walls and his hands rested on her hips. His eyes looked at her, the blue of his gaze turned a bit darker now, looking at her like she was the only woman there was, and she was the only one he needed in that moment.
His lips crashed against hers, his hands moving just slightly up to her waist, slowly as he felt the fabric of her dress. Todd had tried his best to keep himself under control during the walk from the spot they had danced at to the elevator - which had resulted in the hardest thing to do for him because all he wanted to do was tear off that dress from Vixey and kiss her neck.
Those small seconds of privacy that the closed elevator allowed them had been enough for Todd to let loose, his body not letting any space between them.His lips moved to her jawline before he took a step back from her -the elevator reaching their floor- reaching out to her, his fingers intertwined before he pulled them both out to the hall, quickly finding their room to open it with the keycard.
It had been months since he had touched her like this, looked at like this, held her so close with so much urgency. Her mood had changed quickly, she was hungry for more touch, more of him, more of all of this. It seemed like it had been much longer of a time since they last had a moment like this one, before the tour, probably months before the tour, and honestly the more she thought about it she realized it had been years since they had done this. Moments of intimacy were hard to come by in their home, and were definitely only possible when the kids weren't home because even when they were sleeping with three there was always a chance at least one would be up within a few hours.
She felt the tiniest of hairs on the back of her neck stand straight up as he leaned in and whispered in her ear after revealing he had also gotten them a room for the night. Another surprise, one she was more than welcoming of in this moment. She looked back at him, a look of love looking more like that one of lust for him with a playful glint. She bit her lip as he pulled away from her and took her hand to lead them back into the building and onto the elevator. She hadn't even said a word, only taking it all in with a smirk across her lips. She wanted nothing more than to be alone with him.
As soon as they were alone in the elevator she looked back at him with narrowed eyes and when his lips met her jawline she let out a groan and finally spoke.
"You know I'm going to let you have your way with me," she told him in between breaths.
When they heard the elevator ding she straightened up and pushed herself away from the wall of the elevator, intertwining her fingers with his, and followed him out of the elevator and into the hallway towards their room. She felt hot, electricity from their little moment in the elevator pulsing through her, and she could hear her heartbeat echoing throughout her body.
She was glad Todd wasn't one with fumbling hands, pulling out the key card and unlocking the room with ease. Though she had told him he could have his way with her once they were out of sight and behind closed doors she carefully pushed him against the wall, her hands immediately beginning to roam his body, one fumbling with the top buttons of his shirt and tie, finally managing to loosen it, pulling the knot out with ease and dropping it to the floor.
She knew this moment wouldn't last long, he'd have her as the one against the wall within a second, but she was going to take advantage of it. When she felt his hands on her again she couldn't help but whisper into his ear, after all she did care about the dress and she knew his fingertips would be toying with the zipper on her back within seconds.
"Careful with the zipper." she teased in a soft whisper and gave him a playful eye.
In between him opening the door and Vixey pushing him against the nearest wall, there were barely any seconds, and all of a sudden he felt her hands down his chest, expertly moving to undo his tie and starting to unbutton his shirt. Even though he had always been the one to take the reigns in control between them, Todd never complained when she took over.
Let alone when she undressed him, something he always found so attractive and only helped in fueling him even more. But he wasn’t just going to stand there and let Vixey have all the fun, not when she was still wearing that red dress that had only driven him crazy from the moment he saw her wearing it.
His hands moved to her waist, moving up her sides as his palms pressed against the fabric that separated his touch from her skin. The whisper on his ear had Todd already growling as he felt the brush of her lips against his skin and in response to her words, a deep but gentle growl coming out of his lips before they pressed against her jawline.
Todd did listen to the small aid Vixey gave him, as one hand moved to her back slowly, until his fingertips bumped with the harsh texture of metal in between fabric, following the line of her spine until he reached the zipper and pulled down slowly.
Todd pulled away just to press his forehead against Vixey’s, his blue, dark eyes looking into her blue ones, for a second locking her gaze and looking away as his fingertips began to touch the skin of her back, following up her spine and tracing every bump and line until they reached the back of her neck.
It was like going back to a road that he hadn’t been in years. Changing but still knowing every turn and corner by heart. His lips captured hers in a kiss, deepening it instantly as the tip of his tongue traced the line of her bottom lip. There was going to be lipstick all over his face come morning, but that was the last thing he worried about at the moment. Todd then, kissed his way down her jaw, following her lines until he reached her neck, his lips brushing ever so gently, almost like a feather touch like against her skin, before he stopped at the spot he knew made her melt, pressing a kiss to her neck.
His fingers moved up her arms slowly, his palms taking in as much skin as he could. He had missed the feeling of her skin under his hands, the warmth that came from her, the softness, her scent. Everything about Vixey, he missed it terribly, and now he couldn’t get enough. Todd’s hands then reached her shoulders, his fingers hooking on the fabric of her dress as they began to slowly pull down, revealing more and more skin, his eyes moving to lock her gaze as he undressed her.
Todd's touch was driving Vixey wild, she couldn't get enough of the feeling of his hands roaming her body. No one had ever managed to make her feel the way Todd did when he touched her. He was careful and gentle but confident and urgent all the same, passionate, definitely.
Her hands had managed to unbutton the rest of his shirt along with his jacket and she pushed his jacket off just as his lips moved down her jawline and neck, down to that damn spot that made her go weak in the knees. She couldn't resist that touch, the feeling of his lips and tongue against her skin, she wanted more of it, the feeling of him touching every inch of her body. She tilted her head back the slightest bit, moving a hand to rest on the back of his neck, pulling him closer as she stared back at him.
He wasted no time going for the zipper of her dress and pulling it down over her curves slowly. Once her arms were free again she went straight for his belt and though she held his gaze for a moment, Vixey pressed her lips back against Todd's, playfully biting on his bottom lip as she did so. Once she had finally undone his belt she pulled it off of him, allowing it to fall to the floor before unbuttoning his pants, her hands roaming south to give him a little squeeze before letting her hands roam again, pushing off his shirt and tracing the curves of his arm muscles. Even after all of this time Todd had managed to stay in incredible shape and Vixey would never get tired of looking at that. Her lips traveled from his own and made their way down to his own jawline, all the way up to the spot right behind his ear, nibbling the slightest bit.
A louder growl came out of his lips as Vixey kissed him, the feeling of her hands touching his skin as much as she could driving him crazy. And when he felt her hands on him, teasing him, his hands grabbed the fabric of her dress, pulling it down to her hips, almost instantly.
She was making it harder for him to keep things slow and savor the moment but at the same time, he couldn’t wait any longer after months of not chance to have any intimacy. Todd’s hands roamed up her bare back as her hands touched his arms, and his muscles tensed up and relaxed with her fingertips, his own hands pulling off his shirt to let it fall on the floor. A groan falling from him when she teased his skin, his hands then moving to lift her up in his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist, moving to the bed.
Todd’s lips moved down to her neck, teasing the spot that drove her wild as his own weight pressed her against the mattress, leaving no space between them, as much as possible with still layers of remaining clothes between them. His hands moved south, his palms taking in all the free skin that he could touch, down her chest, following her every curve, searching for every spot that was her most sensible.
It was like he was marking her with his lips, with his hands and his touch, washing off any trace left of the stranger that had taken his place, claiming her back from anyone who had tried to take her away from him. His hands then pulled down her dress, his lips moving south as they followed the trail his hands had left on Vixey’s skin, teasing her skin, leaving a burning trail as he moved down, down her abdomen, his fingers hooking on her underwear to pull it down slowly as his teeth gently bit her hip bones.
Todd’s hands traced her thighs, his fingertips gently touching the scar of her bad knee, his lips following and getting lost in the lines and curves of her legs. His fingertips touched and teased the inner side of her thighs, his fingers moving between her legs to tease her skin as his lips moved back up, crashing with hers in a kiss.
Vixey could feel the tension the two were creating with every move, every touch more forceful than the last. She felt goosebumps as his hands roamed her body and her legs immediately wrapped around him as she picked her up and moved them to the bed. She didn't want any space left between them, keeping her hands glued to him the entire time.
She craved his touch more and more. No one ever touched her like he did, no one ever could. He knew all the right spots to tease. She melted under him, the mattress curving to match the curve of her own back as he pressed her against it. A groan escaped her lips as his hands moved down, pulling the dress down and the rest of her clothing soon after. When his teeth met the skin around her hips she arched her back and felt her toes curl and fingertips reach for him.
She felt shivers down her spine as his fingertips grazed her scar, the area still tender to the touch at times but she knew he knew that. When his lips met hers again she groaned again and her hands traveled back down his body, her fingertips brushing everything within reach on the way down to the waistline of his pants, pushing them down the best she could as he had her pinned against the mattress and her hands were the tiniest bit unstable, fumbling with the zipper of his pants as she unzipped them the rest of the way to help. Her heart was racing as it had been so long since the two of them had shared a moment like this together. She wanted to savor every bit of it and slow down but when she felt his fingers slide between her legs, her body tensing and relaxing at what seemed like all at once.
He knew that the second his fingers touched her most sensible skin, she’d melt under his touch. Todd wanted exactly that. For Vixey to be breathless, not able to think at all with every little thing he was doing to her, for her to forget about the world for a second and focus only on him. He was going to make that night, one that she would never forget. The smirk settled on his lips when he noticed the trouble she was having to push his pants down.
“What’s wrong babe,” he whispered against her ear.
His lips brushed the spot where her jaw ended and her neck began, one he knew that caused shivers to happen for her.
“Having shaky hands now?”
The tip of his tongue licked a spot on her skin, blowing a bit of cold air just to make goosebumps appear.
“You’re going to need to wait a bit,” he said against her skin as his fingers sped up just a bit more, wanting her back to arch, her toes to curl and his name to fall out of his lips.
He could tell she was close to lose whatever was left of self control she had, and Todd wanted nothing more but for that to happen. Only that it didn’t mean that he was going to be done with her so soon. His fingers moved even faster now, increasing the friction as his lips teased the spot on her neck, his hand roaming all over her skin as he tried to cover as much skin as possible. And when he felt Vixey reach her high, he held her close to him, before he looked at her with a smile on his face, his fingers gently took a few of her ginger locks away from her face.
“I’m not done with you yet,” he said with a smirk as his lips crashed against hers, deepening the kiss as his tongue traced the line of her bottom lip, before he pulled away and his own lips began to move south.
He kissed and teased and left a few bites on her skin as he moved down her chest and abdomen, only to settle between her legs, bringing them over his shoulders to have a taste of her.
She felt like she was gasping for air as his fingers moved faster, but gasping for air in the only good way possible. She was breathless, her body once again melting under him as he moved and as his lips met various spots on her skin. She had one hand resting on the back of his neck and the other had moved from his waistline to her side on the bed and it wasn't long before that hand was clutching the sheets as she felt her body tense up again and tremble after, Vixey groaning his name as it happened,
"Dammit, Todd.." she said breathlessly.
When he told her she was going to have to wait she moaned, her head pushing back against the pillow as her back arched. Her heart felt like it was beating a million times a minute and if she were to be honest, when his lips met her most sensitive skin she felt like she was having an out of body experience.
Making love with Todd always made her feel a way, a way she had never felt before, and over the years all of that only got better, the more they got to know each other's bodies the better it all got. Even her rendezvous a few months back couldn't measure up - if she were to be honest about that, it was awful, but she also didn't want to revisit that at all, and she wasn't. Her mind was totally elsewhere in the moment, focused on her husband, taking in every move he was making on her, every move bringing her closer to yet another high.
He absolutely loved to hear his name coming from her lips, when she was breathless and melting under his touch. It was one of his favorite things to hear. Todd’s name had never sounded so good before Vixey started to say it. His blue eyes watched how her body reacted to everything he was doing. Her head digging into the pillow, her back arching up, her toes curling, her hands gripping the sheets. All good signs that he was on a good road to push her over the top quickly, it was so rewarding to watch all that happened to her when he touched her.
He felt her body tense up and relax when she reached her high, Todd then pulling away to lick his lips, his blue eyes then locking on Vixey’s. His lips traveled up her body, tracing her curves with the faintest touch of his lips, gentle and careful, knowing she was far too sensible at this point. His fingertips moved up her legs, and hips, covering as much skin as he could before they pulled away from her.
“God, I love you,” he whispered against the skin of her neck.
His lips kissed the spot that made her come back to life, distracting her as his hands took care of his pants, kicking them out of the way as his whole body now pressed hers against the mattress, bodies matching together like puzzle pieces. Todd pulled away just to have his eyes lock their gaze, one hand on her hips and the other one wrapping around her shoulder as he pushed into her, a breathless moan coming out of him.
She groaned his name again as she let out a breath, Todd pushing her over the edge. She closed her eyes as she room began to spin and after a moment his gaze found her and she watched as he traveled up her body, leaving a trail of kisses and feather like touches everywhere he could. No stone would be left unturned with him. Another moan fell from Vixey’s lips when his own lips met her neck again.
“And I love you” she whispered breathlessly, any care she had in the world falling away in this moment.
Her body, though incredibly sensitive in the moment, was the most relaxed it had been in months, maybe even a year. Todd had that ability to make all of that happen in a way that no one could. She wrapped an arm around his neck as he pulled her close, a hand settling on her hip before she felt him inside of her, groaning again as she pushed her body against his. With the way he was moving against her she was sure she’d be on her way to another climax in no time at all.
Todd’s forehead rested for a second against her shoulder, before he began to move against her, the grip he had on her hip tightening just barely, a growl coming out of him. It had been so long since the last time he had done this, it had been so long since he had had a moment like this with Vixey.
Everything felt intense, almost like their first time but with the advantage of knowing each other completely. His lips kissed her neck as he moved, before he sped up quickly, his arms bringing her closer to him.
“Mine,” he growled against her skin, his teeth leaving a mark on her spot.
Todd acted almost territorial at this point. He wanted anyone else’s trace on her gone, no one else’s but his own. Todd’s lips then blindly searched for hers before they crashed against her lips, barely able to kiss her once before a moan came out of him as he moved against her one last time, his legs trembling, his heartbeat loud, completely breathless as his weight fell onto Vixey, his forehead resting against her neck as he tried to catch his breath.
She pushed her head back against the pillow again as the two moved together, Vixey feeling her heartbeat all throughout her body, electrified by Todd’s touch. It had been so long, too long, since they had been this close. She still couldn’t get enough of it, enough of him. It all felt so refreshed, like it was happening for the first time but between two people who knew each other’s bodies entirely too well.
When he growled against her and left his mark on her her grip around him tightened, her nails pushing against his skin. With his final move and his lips finding hers she kissed him, her body trembling under his weight. She could feel his own heartbeat against hers, feeling her breath fall in sync with his own. Vixey was exhausted but entirely revived all the same.
Whatever flame they had that seemed like it was burning out its last bit of wick suddenly felt new, a fresh wick burning as bright as I could, inextinguishable. She felt renewed, felt a way she had never felt with Todd before though at the same time it was all entirely familiar and she was thankful for it. She felt at home, finally, lying there tangled in the sheets with her husband as close as he could get. She needed this more than she had ever needed anything else before.
He was breathless at this point, trying to regain whatever composure that had been thrown away the second they stepped into that room, feeling like was melting over Vixey at this point. He was exhausted, but a smile did creep to his lips after a few seconds, with her heartbeat so strong against his chest.
Todd’s lips moved then, placing gentle kisses on her jawline before they pressed a sweet kiss to her lips. But that tiring, physical feeling, felt familiar, warm and welcoming. Like he was home after being away for so long.
“Ow,” he said with a chuckle as he moved a little, feeling scratches on his back.
Todd reached for one of her hands before he took a look at her nails and he couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Are you trying to kill me now,” he teased, before he intertwined their fingers, his blue eyes looking at her.
She looked back at him as his lips drew back from her own, and when he chuckled and rolled over, bringing Vixey with him so she could rest on top of him she chuckled herself. She actually had gotten her nails done somewhat recently, too, something she hardly ever did, mostly because of money and time but also because she was always working with her hands so there was no use.
"I'm sorry, I had sort of forgotten about those, ya know, all in the moment. The last thing I'm going to think about is how long my nails are."
She shook her head, looking back at him, studying every inch of his face, every wrinkle, every spot. He was so handsome.
"Though I could ask the same of you, let's hope I don't fall over from a heart attack anytime soon. I can't remember the last time I was so out of breath.."
“I got you a little distracted, didn’t I,” said Todd back with a smirk as he looked at her
His thumb caressed the knuckles of her hand. He had always loved these tender moments between them when they were exhausted, but happy, and content. When they had only one another and that was the only thing they needed and that mattered.
His arm wrapped around her shoulders as she laid over him, his thumb caressing her skin, his blue eyes looking at Vixey, and to him, it really did feel like she was the only woman in the world for him.
“I can,” he said back to her comment, the smirk still on his lips.
“I mean if you really want an answer to your question, I can keep going,” he added with a chuckle, his smile sweet and adoring, his gaze warm and loving, his touch careful and longing.
“You’re a tough cookie love,” he added before he leaned in to press a kiss to her forehead, reaching out for the covers to bring them over them both.
Vixey laughed softly.
"Yes, a little distracted, we can call it that."
She looked back at Todd as he stared longingly back at her. She could stare back at him in this moment for forever. She kept going back to it but she couldn't stop thinking about how much she needed this, how much they needed this time together, just the two of them, not having to worry about anything or anyone else.
It was just Todd and Vixey, like time had stopped and the two of them were the only people left. When he spoke again she chuckled once more and shook her head.
"Ah, you can keep going, eh?" she asked him with a teasing grin and quirk of her brow.
Vixey placed a sweet kiss to his cheek as he caressed her cheek, and when he brought the covers over the two of them she locked her gaze with him once more, smiling now.
"I couldn't do it without you."
Todd smiled back at her, his arm keeping her close to him so she could rest her head against his neck comfortably, her warmth is more than welcome to him at this point as he rested his head against Vixey’s.
“I love you,” he whispered to her, his voice tired, his body relaxing already as his eyes are heavy, slowly closing.
“Goodnight Vixey”
It had been so, so long since he had slept so peacefully and so much. Nights and sleep had turned out to be a task that he didn’t like to do, that he didn’t want. Because it always meant that he would lay in a bed that wasn’t his, staring up at the ceiling, cold and alone until at some point late in the night his own body shut down if he was lucky. Sometimes he ended up with sleepless nights too.
But this night, Todd didn’t wake up until a ray of sunshine that slipped through the curtains fell right over his eyes, the light waking him up as Todd opened his eyes slowly, adjusting to his surroundings. For a second there, he couldn’t recognize where he was, or why was he there to start with.
But then he turned his face to the side, and there was Vixey. Asleep, cuddled comfortably and close to him, her face against his chest, peacefully sleeping. He hadn’t realized how much he had missed that look, that view. Waking up to her face every morning, falling asleep to her pretty eyes every night.
He had missed Vixey and her presence in every second of his life so much. Turning on his side gently, his arms cradled her close, keeping her against his chest as he moved to keep his arms around her before his lips pressed gentle, sweet kisses to her cheeks, and her forehead.
He had missed waking her up like this so much. Missed being the first thing she saw when she opened her eyes. He loved her so much, every part of him had been aching for her touch and her warmth for so long.
“Good morning Gingerbread,” he whispered softly, his nose nuzzling against Vixey’s as he smiled at her warmly.
“I love you..” Vixey managed to mumble as she snuggled closer to Todd and in no time had drifted off to sleep happier than she had been in months.
She missed falling asleep in his arms more than she knew, let alone just in the same bed as him. Todd was her home in every way. When she was with him she was home. She felt at home in this hotel room simply because she was with Todd.
And it was one of the best nights of sleep she had in months, she slept through the nights without interruption, granted they were also away from home without kids and that did make a difference, but even at home with Todd she could still get a restful night even when Oliver had her up. It was never restful when she was alone. It was difficult.
Her eyes fluttered open slowly when she felt a stirring in the bed next to her and she smiled against Todd’s chest when she realized where she was. His voice was the best sound, music to her ears. She looked up at him as his arm wrapped around her and he brought her close.
“Good morning, love.” She said when she felt him nuzzle against her neck.
“Good morning indeed.” Vixey said with a smile.
“I’ve missed this so much..”
Todd smiled against her skin as she spoke, her sweet voice is the most beautiful sound to him, even though he was still a little sleepy still and trying to wrap his head around the fact that what had happened last hadn’t been a dream. But that it was real. His forehead pressed against Vixey’s as she talked about missing a morning together, and he couldn’t agree more.
“I did too,” he said with a smile.
His blue eyes looked into her own blue ones, his hand moving to rest against the side of her neck, his thumb caressing her skin.
“You are still so beautiful when you wake up as I remembered,” he said with a smile.
His eyes caught a glimpse of what time it was on the clock, his eyes going back to looking at Vixey.
“We didn’t sleep that late either, it’s almost 9″
His fingertips traced circles on her bare back, keeping her close because he couldn’t get enough of her warmth at this point. And he wanted to savor that moment for as long as he could before they had to get up and leave.
“You know,” he said as he got more comfortable, getting a pillow under his head.
“We do have the rest of the day too”
Her parents wouldn’t bring the kids home until Sunday, so that meant they had a whole day ahead of them too. A whole day without kids, just for them both. The possibilities were endless. But one was for sure. After that day, Todd knew he’d have to endure the whole process of packing and moving into the house, again. A more than enough stressing process since he was in that apartment for two days at a time.
“I’m thinking that you should be the one to tell the kids. Because I’ll work on Sunday, and I don’t want them to wait a whole day for me to tell them. And they’d have to wait a whole morning too because they have school on Monday.”
He knew already they were going to be so happy to know he was coming back home.
“And that it won’t be the literal day after,” he added with a chuckle, knowing those kids they would jump into conclusions head on and bug him about why wasn’t he there already.
“It’s going to be a bit long,” he said as his blue eyes took in every detail of her face.
It was going to be a long process and he knew it and Todd would wish for a snap of his fingers and have everything fixed. But it wasn’t so easy.
“We should probably get up, I want a shower and not only have that suit to wear today. And I’m sure you want something else than that dress, although if you want to keep that dress for the whole day, I’m not complaining,” he said to Vixey with a smirk on his lips and sending a wink her way before he leaned in to press a kiss to her lips.
“Maybe, just maybe because you look incredibly hot in that dress,” he added with a smirk before his hands moved to her sides, tickling her just for a second before he let go.
He couldn’t remember the last time he had been that playful with and around her, but it sure felt nice to do that again. It made him feel like things were gone back to normal, to their normal. And Todd loved that.
He untangled his arms from Vixey so he could sit up, stretching himself just to push whatever was left of sleep away from him, his fingers rubbing his eyes a little.
“Or,” he said back with a smirk as Todd looked down at her, his hand reaching out to Vixey to bring her into his arms once again, making her sit up but close to him. Truth was, he couldn’t get enough of the contact between them.
“I do know there is a bathtub in the bathroom.”
“We do have the entire day for ourselves.”
She told him with a smile when she herself remembered that once again her parents had the kids.
“I should probably call mom at some point today to check on them, I know she’ll tell me I don’t need to but I can’t help it.”
Her eyes a little sleepy but bright as she looked at Todd as he spoke of moving back home. She knew it would be a process, and honestly she knew it'd take time because even Vixey knew one night with Todd wasn't equivalent to a magic spell that would change everything, change everyone's feelings about what had happened. Though she knew there was forgiveness she also knew moving was stressful, and things were still complicated.
Less complicated was better than very complicated, but things were still not easy. Helping the kids understand wasn't going to be easy either. Vixey could already hear the avalanche of questions following her reveal. This was going to be an interesting conversation for sure. But she smiled back at Todd and nodded.
"Absolutely, I'll probably sit them down and explain it to them tomorrow night. You know you'll still get bombarded with questions when they see you but at least I'll be able to say I covered my bases." she chuckled.
It was going to be a process but they were a team and they could get through this together.
At his suggestion of actually getting up and out of bed Vixey couldn't help but laugh. She kissed him back when his lips met hers.
"I'm sure you'd like me staying in this dress all day very much" she teased.
"I guess I'll have to wear it again sometime for you." she winked back and fell into a fit of giggles when his fingers met her sides.
This was the Todd she had been missing, this was the playfulness she missed. It was something she had never encountered with anyone else. Their relationship was comprised of the perfect mix of nearly everything, right down to a little bit of pain, though of course those levels had been severely elevated as of lately and that was certainly going to change and was never going to be revisited. She was so in love with this moment, she was so in love with him.
When he sat up she eyed him with a quirked brow, paying close attention to what he may say after his or. She intertwined her fingers with his as he reached for her and brought her close, Vixey leaning in to press another kiss against his lips at his suggestion. She barely pulled away, keeping her forehead pressed to his and locking her gaze with his own, getting lost behind his eyes.
"Well you of all people know how much I do love a hot bath, especially one where I'm accompanied by my husband." she said in almost a whisper, her lips moving to place soft feather-like kisses along his jawline, her free hand resting on the back of his neck.
Todd’s blue eyes watched her every move when she was sitting up and close to him, a hand resting on her thigh when she kissed him before he felt her eyes on him. Her forehead rested against his, and he looked into her eyes, watching every small detail.
He could stare into her blue eyes for days and never get tired, it was his favorite view, it was the most beautiful thing for him to see. And he couldn’t help but smile when she referred to him as her husband. Todd had never liked a name more than that title, or that it meant that he was hers.
“I love when you call me your husband,” he said to her, just a second before the mood changed instantly, and Todd’s hand moved to rest on her hips now.
“What was that about you being out of breath last night?” said Todd with a smirk as he felt her lips pressing kisses down his jawline.
His neck moved just slightly as she rested her hand. His arm wrapped around her waist now, keeping her close to him.
“You’re making it very hard for me to leave and get that bath ready you know,” he whispered to her with a smirk on his lips.
The man leaned in to brush the skin of her neck with his lips. His hand had begun to roam her bare back at this point, the actions almost automatic to him when Vixey was close, let alone, with her wearing no clothes it was impossible for him to try and stay calm. And he also didn’t want to.
A second later he had her pinned down against the mattress, her legs on each side of him, his own weight pushing her down as his lips had managed to stay glued to her neck.
“Unless you don’t want me to leave and spend the rest of the day here,” he said to his wife with a smirk against her skin before Todd pulled his head away to look at her.
“Which, I don’t mind either.”
Vixey felt goosebumps as his hands roamed her back, a chuckle coming from her lips at his question about her being out of breath.
"It's a wonder what a good night's sleep can do for a person." she whispered but not without a quiet groan escaping when his lips met her neck.
She loved every bit of this, his hands roaming her body, his lips against her skin, waking up in this room with him. There was something quite revitalizing about the whole situation, an awakening.
She was caught off guard by him pinning her down, she half expected him to tease her and lead her off to the bathroom but she was much more intrigued by this maneuver. A smirk played across her lips as she looked back at him as he laid there over her.
Really she could stay in this moment forever, pinned under him without a care in the world. There were a million different things that she could worry about but she wasn't about to do that today. Today she was going to push everything else aside and focus on her husband, their relationship. They needed this.
"You know," she began, still looking at him with a smirk
"Honestly, when was the last time we spent a day in bed together?" Vixey thought about her question herself, realizing it had indeed been a long time.
Before Oliver, so at least six years. She wondered if it had been since before any kids. Most of the days blurred together now though so perhaps there was one, but not one like this.
Todd could only chuckle at her question, indeed it had been quite a long while since they both had spent a whole day in bed. But just because she was asking him a question did it meant that he was stopping what he was currently doing. His palms moved up her sides as they roamed over her skin, his weight pressing her body down.
“It was probably when we were still living in the apartment,” he said as his lips pressed kisses down her neck, his tongue tracing every mark that was already visible on her skin.
“I know we did when we were just married,” he said with a smirk.
The young newlyweds spending as much time together as possible since they spending their honeymoon and the prospects of kids were far into the future to worry about that.
“Wait,” he said as he pulled away from her neck just for a second so his free hand could take a hold of both of hers, lifting them above her head to keep them out of the way.
“I don’t want any more marks, the ones from last night still hurt a little,” he said with a smirk on his lips before he began to trace kisses up Vixey’s jawline, making sure he stopped by every sensitive spot she had for a good minute before moving on, his body grinding against hers.
“At this point we’re going to be taking a lot of small naps throughout the day,” he said with a chuckle and a smirk as he pulled away to look into her blue eyes.
“But I don’t mind that one bit,” he said with a wink before he leaned down to capture her lips with his.
Vixey laughed softly, but the laugh was soon followed by a groan as his lips and tongue met her neck, her back arching the slightest bit as his hands roamed her side and he pinned her down.
It was incredibly reminiscent of their first bit together as newlyweds. The two of them had truly never been able to keep their hands away from one another, but it was all amplified after their wedding, if that was possible.
Vixey had never been able to resist Todd, and she knew the feeling was mutual. This all happening now was no surprise, but it all did still bring a smile to her lips as she thought about it.
Another small laugh fell from her lips when he gathered her hands and pinned them above her head.
"Again, I'm so sorry about that. I really just- well, I wasn't thinking. Clearly." she pointed out.
She never was when the two of them got into it. The last thing Vixey did was think when she was in bed with Todd. It was impossible, and again, it was something they were able to hold on to after all of these years. Todd still had that ability, that hold on her, she could forget anything and everything under his trance. She groaned again as his lips explored her neck.
"I'll be honest, looking at our current situation - that being the parents of three kids with grandparents who have the said three kids in their care for the next twenty-four hours, I'd say we take full advantage of the day in bed and naps. God knows we both need it.."
Vixey went on, albeit having to take a breath on occasion between a word or two as Todd continued to roam her body.
"I have no objections."
“I may forgive your nails, just this once,” he said and Todd could only smirk against her lips
His fingertips switched with his palm as they traced her hips bones, moving north to leave feather-like touches on her skin. He wanted to tease her as much as he could, her reaction to him being his absolute favorite thing to see.
“Oh, we will,” he said against her skin with a growl.
“We’re going to have a lot to do here,” he said as his teeth began to gently bit her collarbone.
“I love it when we agree,” he said with a chuckle his hand moved down to trace the curves of her thighs, teasing her skin just enough, before he slipped his hand between her legs to tease her most sensible spot.
He moved his fingers and built up the rhythm and friction, his lips moving up her neck and her jawline. Todd wanted nothing but to make whatever she was thinking about to turn into mush with the touch of his fingers. He loved to see her back arch and her toes curl and his name falling from her lips, but also didn’t want to waste time.
Todd let go of her hands just so he could get a hold of her hips, needing something to hold on to as he pushed himself into her, a groan coming out of gritted teeth against her skin. His lips moved until they blindly found hers, kissing her deeply as he moved against her. His free arm circled her waist to bring Vixey closer to him, closer as they were last night, with no space or air between them.
The heat coming from her skin burning him, but at the same time he couldn’t get enough of it, of her and he was hungry for more. Todd’s palm pressed against the mattress, pushing them both as he sat up, bringing her along with him, giving her even a slight height advantage as his free hand began to trace down her spine, his forehead resting against her shoulder as he kept moving.
Vixey felt more relaxed than she had in months, a day off with Todd - no responsibilities, no house to clean, no kids to entertain. It had honestly been thirteen years since this was something that could happen. Of course her parents could take the kids at any time, but she didn't abuse that privilege.
"A lot to do here?" she repeated, the words falling out of her mouth, followed by a groan as his teeth met her skin.
It wasn't long before she felt his fingers between her legs, her body instantly covered with goosebumps from his touch, her back arching instinctively.
"Damnit, Todd.." she was already reaching for breath.
Todd acted quickly, so quickly that Vixey wasn't able to process it all. She bit down on her lip, pushing her head back against the pillow but only for a moment because Todd brought her up and closer to him as he sat up himself. She wrapped both of her arms around his neck, her lips pressing against his.
She groaned again as his fingers traced her spine, he was driving her mad, so mad that she couldn't think straight, she couldn't think about anything in this moment except about what Todd may do next. Her neck rolled back the slightest bit as he buried his head against her shoulder as they continued to move in sync with each other, Vixey already feeling herself on edge.
Todd’s arm kept Vixey close as he could, one hand resting on her hips as he moved with her, his breath hot against her skin before he pulled away his head from her shoulder. His lips pressed a kiss to her neck, just before Todd pulled away to lock his gaze with her blue eyes, a deep moan coming out of him when just when he moved against her one last time. His lips pressed tender kisses to her jawline, making their way slowly to her lips until he kissed her sweetly, a smile appearing on her lips.
“This is definitely the best way to start any day,” he said with a chuckle, pressing sweet kisses to Vixey’s cheeks, before Todd pinned her down against the mattress once again just so he could lay her down.
“I could get used to this,” he teased with a smirk against her neck before Todd pulled away his face to look at her.
“How about you order some room service and I actually get that bath going?” he said with a chuckle, eyeing the time not he nightstand once.
“It may be a little late for breakfast, maybe we could have pizza?” Todd smiled at Vixey, his eyes locking with her gaze, and taking in every detail of her face.
She was still the most beautiful woman he’d ever laid eyes on, his fingers gently taking one of her ginger locks to place it behind her ear, his fingertips tracing down her cheek gently.
He leaned closer to place one last kiss to her cheek before he finally untangled himself from her and he found the action the hardest to do, considering he had been glued to her from the second they stepped into that hotel room. Todd pushed himself off the bed, grabbing his boxers on the way to the bathroom to finally get the water going to fill up the bathtub. Not before shooting her a smirk and a wink her way as he walked, knowing that she taking a good look at him from head to toe.
Vixey's whole body relaxed against Todds as he moved those last few times, she felt everything melt away. Her grip against him tightened for a moment and then loosened as she felt her shoulders fall, her neck rolling back the slightest bit before she moved so that she could find his lips again, crashing hers against them.
She was breathless as she fell back at against the mattress, Todd pinning her down.
"I would get absolutely nothing done if every day started off this way."
Vixey laughed, pressing another kiss against his lips.
"But I could too." she added with a sweet smile.
She loved the prospects of this day already. She looked back into his eyes as he suggested she order room service and he'd draw the bath water.
"That sounds perfect." she said, her bright eyes looking back at him with so much love, desire, playfulness too.
Vixey offered her cheek as Todd leaned closer to kiss her. She indeed watched him as he walked away, giving him a good once over with her eyes.
"Ow ow." she teased as he shot the wink her way.
"Lookin good, babe."
Vixey held her gaze on him, biting her lip the whole time, for a few seconds longer before rolling over and pulling a menu from the nightstand drawer, quickly choosing a few things for them and calling down to the desk for room service.
When she had finished she wrapped herself in the sheet on the bed and made her way over to the bathroom where Todd was drawing the bath, Vixey stopping to lean in the doorway, just watching him.
She could watch him all day, staring away, recognizing every part of him, every mark, every spot, every wrinkle. So many years she had spent memorizing him, everything about him and she was more than thankful they were going to make this work.
Todd had slipped into his boxers as he made his way into the bathroom, letting the water run on the tub just for a few seconds before it heated up quickly. He threw in some soap for the bubbles, and a few oils for the scent, busying himself with what salts to throw in when he heard footsteps walking closer, his eyes looking up at Vixey leaning against the doorway.
The scent filled the air around them, his smile already on his lips as he stood up straight, taking a step closer to Vixey, his arm slipping in between the bed sheet to circle around her waist, touching her skin as a smirk formed on Todd’s lips.
“Don’t you look hot wearing only a bed sheet,” he said as he pulled her closer to him, his lips brushing against her jawline with a feather-like touch.
“I swear I could look at you a whole day if you were only wearing this,” he whispered against her skin.
The man enjoyed every second of her warmth and the feel of her bare skin against his lips and his palm, as it pressed against her lower back so she could stay close to him.
“My girl is such a hottie,” he said with a smile as he pulled away just a little so his blue eyes could look into her own.
“You really, really are,” said Todd in a whisper as his fingers hooked on the bed sheet up against her back, pulling it to loosen it easily, his smirk forming as he heard the sound of the fabric falling and touching the floor.
“Out of curiosity,” he whispered as his hand now roamed her bare back, his eyes watching Vixey’s every reaction to him.
“How long do you think we have before room service is here and I have to put on a robe?”
Vixey smiled back at Todd as he got up and stepped closer to her, taking in a whiff of the scent of the oils and soaps, the bathroom was warm and inviting and made so much better by Todd standing there, looking back at her. She chuckled softly as he spoke, pulling her closer and pressing the gentle kisses against her jaw.
"I'll be sure to wear one more often around you.." she teased, one hand still gripping the sheet against her chest but the other falling away, her hand reaching around his neck to bring him closer - if that were even possible.
She could only shake her head as he called her hot, her grip on the sheet loosening as she felt Todd give it a tug, the fabric falling away from her body and landing on the floor around her. His touch was there again giving her goosebumps again. Her hand fell from his neck and found its way to his chest, Vixey slowly tracing across every line, every crevice.
"I'm not the only one who is.." she said, her blue eyes looking back at him and a playful smirk playing at her lips.
"Well, I was told about half an hour, so given the delay, I'd put us at about twenty-four minutes now.. Maybe twenty-three." she said slowly.
Her eyes traveling his body as he stood before her and Vixey slowly leaning forward just enough to give her enough space to press her lips against Todd's jawline carefully and biting down gently on his earlobe before slowly trailing kisses back to his lips.
“23 minutes, huh?”
His eyes watched her every move and just how much Vixey was taking her time into with tracing every line on his chest and his abdomen. Todd’s blue eyes then slowly looking her up and down, from head to toe before they settled on her eyes now. His eyes closed when he felt Vixey’s lips tracing his jawline, and teasing his earlobe.
“Plenty of time,” said Todd as he pushed Vixey against the bathroom sink.
His lips searched for her and crashing against hers desperately at this point. He deepened the kiss in a second, his hands roaming her bare back before they moved to her hips and down her bottom, lifting her so she could sit on the sink.
“The bath will be hot enough by the time I’m done with you,” he growled against her neck after pulling away from her lips as his hands wrapped her legs around his waist, his fingers then slipping between her legs.
“God, I love when you’re wearing no clothes, we save up a lot of time,” he said with a smirk against the skin of her collarbone, fueled by every sound she made with his touch.
His fingers hooked on the waistband of his boxers, pulling them down before the fabric fell on the floor, his teeth marking a spot on her neck, teasing the place that made her melt, and speeding up with his fingers before he pushed himself into her. He wanted to make the most of their time together, and their day together with no kids or responsibilities or anything to worry about. They had not spent this much together in such a long while, literal years, and he knew this chance wouldn’t come again so often.
He moaned her name against her neck as he moved faster against her, his hands grasping her hips to keep her in place before he moved one last time. Todd’s heartbeat was loud once again, and he was breathless as his forehead rested against her neck, his hands now roaming around her waist as his arms hugged her close, his touch tender and sweet.
"Plenty of time, huh?" she teased as her lips trailed away from his ear, making their way back to his own lips.
When Todd propped her up onto the bathroom sink she wrapped an arm around him to keep her close and she secured the other one against the edge of the counter to keep her stable. She didn't have much of a chance to reply before she felt Todd's fingers between her legs once more, moaning his name at his touch - it was driving her mad as it always had.
She smirked at his remark of the lack of clothes in this whole equation.
"It does make everything much more efficient, doesn't it?" she teased.
She was down for the count once more very quick though when she felt Todd bite down on that spot on her neck, groaning and feeling her back arch the tiniest bit. When she felt him inside of her again she gripped the counter for support and half out of instinct, trying not to leave any more scratch marks on his back but she couldn't help the impulse.
His touch made her want to melt, her entire body relaxing once more though it wasn't long before she felt that sensation, her lips crashing against Todd's as he pushed into her one last time, Vixey seeming to have fallen in sync with him now, collapsing into his arms, her grip against the counter loosening now.
"Fuck, Todd.." she said breathlessly with a soft chuckle.
She kissed his shoulder as he hugged her close, her own hands resting on the back of his neck now.
"Twice and it's not even noon yet.. We're on track to set a record." she said with a playful smirk, pushing a lock of his hair from his face.
"It's safe to say it's been a bit since we've had a morning like this one."
“More than a bit, for sure,” he said back to Vixey with a smile on his lips as her fingers ran through his hair.
“We should have done more quickies around the house had I known we’d be this efficient,” said Todd with a smirk on his face.
Although he was surely filling that night and this day as an example. Just as he was helping Vixey off the sink, he heard a knock on the door.
“That must be the food,” he said before he pressed a kiss to her cheek.
“You get yourself comfortable in the tub while I get the food here,” he said to Vixey as he grabbed a robe and put it on while walking towards the door.
He smiled at the staff member as he pushed the little cart with all Vixey had ordered for them both before he closed the door and just pushed the cart into the bathroom.
“A bath and a meal. When have you been able to say you’ve got both?” said Todd with a chuckle as he slipped off the robe, himself than getting into the tub, her back facing before Todd pressed a kiss to her bare shoulder.
"Well, at least now we know we can be," she teased back.
She pushed a lock of hair from his face and hopped down from the counter as they heard a knock. She grinned back at him as he kissed her and instructed her to get into the tub before disappearing.
Vixey nodded and did as she was told, carefully making her way over to the bathtub and settling down into the water, the warmth of it incredibly inviting. She looked over at Todd was he reappeared with their food. She smiled at him.
"You know, I don't think I've ever been able to say that I've had both." she replied with a soft laugh.
"And there's certainly a first time for everything."
She settled herself comfortably between Todd's legs as he got into the tub and settled behind her, Vixey leaning back slightly as she felt his lips against her skin.
"This is definitely a first for me." And she loved it, every second of it.
“First for a bath with me in a fancy hotel?” he teased back, his hand moving up her bare back and shoulders.
With the aid of the soap and bubbles, everything feels a lot smoother. And the hot water felt so welcomed, relaxing Todd almost instantly. With Vixey with him, he couldn’t ask for anything else. He was more than content with all of it. His lips pressed a kiss to her neck before he began to unveil all the plates with food, himself snickering when he eyed a can of coke.
“Oh good, you ordered sodas. I could use some sugar right now,” he said with a chuckle as he grabbed one to open it, taking a long sip before he placed it behind him.
“Remind me to look at it so I don’t confuse it with a bath oil or something,” said Todd with a chuckle.
“And do I smell pizza too?”
The man smiled as he grabbed the plate with it, himself then placing it in front of Vixey so she could take a slice before he did too, putting the plate back in place.
“Pizza, a hot bath, and my girl. I’m very happy right now,” said Todd with a smile before taking a bite, himself leaning back just a little to rest his back, letting Vixey comfortably rest against his chest.
“We should really do this more often, even if we just settle for a hot bath with snacks,” said Todd with a chuckle, his pizza pretty much gone in two bites.
He spent the next couple of minutes picking up plates from the cart, grabbing bites from here and there and handing Vixey food too before he let the plates aside, his hands now taking her in his, fingers intertwining, to bring his arms around her and closer to him.
“I love you,” he whispered as he pressed a kiss against her cheek, before he moved to her neck, just for a brush of his lips against the many marks that he had already done to her.
“I may need to head down first to buy you a scarf babe, just in case,” he said with a snicker as he chuckled, his forehead pressing against her temple, his smile already everywhere. He hadn’t smiled or laughed that much in months.
"Well, in a fancy hotel in NYC." she told him with a smile.
She watched as he reached over to grab the plates, revealing the food and she chuckled.
"I did get soda and pizza. I figured we may need a little caffeine."
She took the plate with the pizza, taking a bite and smiling. It was good, just as the person she had spoken with over the phone had suggested. There was a part of all of this that made her feel like she was in her twenties again, pizza in a bath with her boyfriend, now husband, but those vibes were real.
For a brief moment she was able to forget about the kids, her work, the affair, all of it, and just focus on Todd. Though of course she could never really forget about the kids it was nice to focus on just her husband for a change. It was easy as a couple who had been together and had been through so much as they had to get tangled up in everyday life, the hustle and bustle of parenthood with full time jobs and forget about the person who started the whole adventure.
"This is pretty great isn't it?" she asked between bites. It didn't take long for Vixey to finish her portion. She had worked up quite the appetite.
When they were finished with their meal she settled comfortably against Todd, intertwining her fingers with his own and just smiling.
"I love you." she said back to him.
She felt the tiny hairs on the back of her neck stand up again as his lips brushed against her skin, his touch a s light as a feather but enough to gain a response from her. Vixey laughed at his comment about a scarf, though.
"It's not so much the public I'm worried about. It's the kids," she laughed again at the thought.
They were still young but she knew Josh and Emilyn, or at least Josh, he wasn't so naive. There was no way he was. And even if they were they'd notice the marks and question it. With Vixey's sensitive skin they lingered as bruises for at least a day or two. She'd be breaking out the concealer tomorrow for sure when her mom would come to drop the kids off. Also her mother, she did have to see her mother the following day.
"And my mom." she added.
"I'll definitely need a scarf tomorrow if we keep this up," she teased, leaning her head back so she could turn and place a soft kiss against his lips.
"Not that I'm complaining. I'll happily wear a scarf tomorrow. I'll cover up every inch of me if I have to." she whispered playfully.
“Oh, the kids,” he added with a chuckle against the skin of her neck with a smile.
He could only think of what the reactions would be if they, by any chance managed to see all the marks that spread all over her neck and collarbone. Todd had marks too, only that back scratches were a lot easier to hide. His snickers did grow louder, even a small snort coming out of him as his forehead rested against her shoulder when Vixey mentioned her mom. That woman was smart, there was no way she was going to let them go so easily. But Todd did look up when Vixey spoke again, a smile forming when her lips pressed against his.
“I’m sure we’ll have some time before the kids come back home,” he added with a small smile.
And then a smirk formed with her next words, Todd turning just a little so Vixey could face him more.
“You know,” he said as one of his hands let go of her, just to have his trace her curves under the water, the soap making everything a lot smoother.
“I am indeed a little rough with you,” said Todd with a smirk, his lips moving once against down her neck, with the softest of touches, as smooth as possible.
“Maybe I should be a bit more gentle,” he said as his hand traced her things and up her waist, all while his lips moved slowly up and down her neck, before gently tracing the spot where her jaw met her neck.
“Or,” his hands were quick then, his touch getting just hard enough against her, only to tease each and every sensible spot of Vixey.
“Maybe I should just mark your skin where you can hide it. Hm, but where to start.”
His hands touched, and roamed and traced her skin as much as her skin allowed him to, Todd’s lips tracing up her jaw with a careful touch, but stopping to tease every mark already made. But one of his hands did began to trace her thighs, fingertips touching her skin before he slipped it between her legs, feeling her body melt as she was pressed against him, an arm circling her waist to keep her in place, her back pressing against his chest. Todd’s lips moved to trace her spine, every bump as he followed as much as he could, a hand against her hip as he moved her against him.
And he wanted very badly to leave a mark but ended up biting his lips with every sound and every move she did to his touch, but he could only do so much with her reacting like that. He lifted her just barely to push into her as his hand moved up her front, pressing her back against his chest. Todd’s growls were loud as he moved against her, keeping her body close to him, almost like he needed her as close as possible to survive. He sped up just when he felt her get louder, moving more, Todd moving one last time against her, his heartbeat loud, and strong, his skin hot even with the hot water around them, himself breathless as his lips planted gentle kisses on her jawline.
"Plenty of time." Vixey said with a smirk and when she felt his touch she closed her eyes and took in a slow breath.
"You're bad, Todd Summers.." she told him with a low, soft chuckle, her eyes closing as his lips met her neck, her head slowly rolling over to the side, her hair falling out of the way and to the side, away from her shoulders.
All of this felt like making up for lost time and she was desperate for more of his touch, despite all of the attention she had received so far during their time together. With every touch she was craving him more and more.
As he teased her about marking her elsewhere she laughed softly again but the noise quickly turned into a moan as his hands met the skin of her thighs again. Her body immediately tensed and relaxed in tandem as she moved back against Todd, one of her hands reaching for his leg.
When he slipped into her she pushed her shoulders back against his chest as her back arched, groaning softly, as softly as she could, biting her lip in an attempt to stifle the noise, Todd's name falling from her lips. Her body was so relaxed at this point, moving in rhythm with him slowly before quickening the pace, Vixey breathless now once again. Her head fell back to rest against his shoulder for a moment and she felt her toes curl and her grip on his thigh with her hand tighten as she reached her climax.
After several breaths, Vixey hearing the sound of her heartbeat in her head she finally let out another laugh.
"I don't know where all of this energy is coming from," she teased as she turned back to place a soft kiss against his lips.
"But I think I'm going to need a nap soon if we plan on keeping this up."
“Wherever it’s coming from, I’m hoping it’s not close to ending,” he said back to Vixey with a smirk on his face.
His lips pressed a kiss to her neck, down her shoulder, before he felt her own against his. This moment, when they were both breathless, tired, but satisfied. Naked and exposed to one another, but so content, and so close. Those were Todd’s favorite moments. He had missed them for so long, he had missed that warmth for so long.
“But a nap is welcomed too,” he said as his arms wrapped around her tighter, his lips pressing a kiss to her cheek.
“Let’s get washed up, and get that sheet back where it belongs,” said Todd with a chuckle as he eyed the bedsheet on the floor next to them.
“I’m pretty sure they can charge extra if a sheet is missing,” he said with a chuckle, the last of the bath water running down the drain before Todd opened the shower, after carefully helping Vixey on her feet.
His arms pulled her closer to him, hugging her tight as the water run down, washing off any trace of the soap.
“I’ve missed this,” said Todd as he pressed a kiss against her cheek, some wet locks of hair blocking his vision but him still burying his face on her neck.
“I should probably wash my hair or I will smell like a wet dog,” he said with a chuckle as he pulled away just a little from Vixey.
Vixey smirked back at Todd. She couldn't get enough of this time with him, especially time when they were so vulnerable yet comfortable all the same. She'd go back to being a mom tomorrow but for today she was Todd's wife and nothing more, she didn't want to be anything else for a short while. She chuckled as he carefully helped her to her feet.
"Yeah I think they can and we don't need that."
A weekend away was more than enough and though all she wanted to be was a wife for a moment the reality of it all was they still had a house to keep cool and three children to feed so extra spending needed to be limited.
When they were under the water she wrapped her arms around him in response and smiled back, looking up so he could kiss her.
"I've missed this too, but you should, I'll miss it less if you do end up smelling like that," she teased, poking him in the side.
He pulled away and the two finished washing up and when they were finally finished Vixey stepped out of the shower first, wrapping one of the robes around her body before handing the other one to Todd. When it was secure she pushed the room service cart out of the bathroom leaving it out of the way and by the door and grabbing a smaller towel to dry her hair on the way out. For the first time since their arrival Vixey looked around the room, and couldn't help but admire the view of the city through the windows.
"I forgot how much I loved the views like this of the city.." She said, standing there in front of the window drying her hair which was considerably longer now, longer than she ever kept it when they were younger anyway, reaching midway down her back.
"How'd you manage to score a hotel room like this? There's no way this was a short notice deal." she laughed as she looked back at her husband.
When Todd stepped out of the shower, he took the offered robe, tying it tight around him before he grabbed a smaller towel as well for his hair, drying his face as well. He followed Vixey out of the bathroom, himself taking the bed sheet from the floor before he spread it over the bed.
He debated for a second whether they should get dressed to go out for a second so their room could get clean and organized, his blue eyes then looking up when he heard Vixey talk. He walked closer to where she was, his arm circling around her waist, his lips then pressing a kiss to her temple. But Todd’s smirk was visible with her question.
“Well,” he began, Todd now moving behind her to wrap both of his arms around her waist, bringing her close to her back could rest against his chest. His cheek pressed against her cheek.
“I did look out for all of this a while ago. I just got so busy I never managed to fully set a date and all,” he said, before he let out a chuckle, himself pulling away just a little as he turned his face to look at Vixey.
“And Will helped me too as well. It’s a wonder what friends in high places can do,” he said with a chuckle.
“All that matters is that you liked it all,” he said with a sweet smile as he looked into her blue eyes, his lips then pressing a kiss on her forehead, himself then turning so he could hug her close to him, his lips resting against her shoulder.
“I figured a grand gesture was fitting for this time,” he said with a smile, one of his hands tangling in between her ginger locks.
“Going back to that apartment alone it’s going to be a lot harder than I thought,” he added as he pulled away just to look into her eyes.
Todd could look into Vixey’s eyes for days and never get bored, he loved that view more than anything else in the world.
“But it’s going to be just for a little while, worse comes to worse, I’ll come home to stay for the night. I bet the kids would love that,” he added with a sweet smile, his gaze warm as he looked at her, his hand gently caressing her cheek, his thumb gently tracing her cheekbone.
“I will try to make that whole process as quick as I can.”
Vixey just smiled as Todd brought her close.
"Well, thank you, really. I loved it, I've loved all of this, every second of this time with you has been just perfect." she said, tilting her head the slightest bit when she felt his lips against her shoulder.
"You know I love all of your grand gestures." she chuckled.
"You know I don't need them, but I do love them. Don't tell the kids but this has probably been my favorite date. Theirs was cute, but.. this one was needed." she turned her head back to press a quick kiss to his cheek before he turned to face her.
She felt her stomach drop a bit at the mention of the apartment but the feeling didn't linger for too long, she had just almost forgotten about everything for a moment, forgetting the reality of that situation. But things were going to be better now. She smiled back at him.
"The kids would love to have you stay for a night, all of the nights, but any night. The first night you do stay I'd expect a full bed." she laughed again at the thought.
"Probably not Josh, but definitely the other two, and two dogs. Good grief that's a full house now.."
“Well I think we all knew my date was going to win,” he said with a chuckle at her comment.
The date their kids planned was adorable, and something told him that they were going to be just fine whenever they wanted to do something to swoon any poor soul that came their way. They were his kids anyways.
“But your secret is safe with me,” he said as he zipped his lips before he smiled at her when he felt her lips on his cheek, a more relaxed smile, his arms still keeping Vixey close.
Todd’s head tilted just a little when he saw that look on her face when he mentioned the apartment and the whole fact that that was still a thing.
“It’s going to be fine. I’ll do my best to speed up that process,” he said as his fingers took a hold of one of her ginger locks, letting it rest behind her ear.
And then he was laughing at her comment about the bed, and the kids, and the fact that their family seemed to expand to the maximum at this point.
“Okay Charlie Brown. It’s going to be fine. Investing in a king size bed was a good idea after all. We knew those nights were coming at some point,” he said with a chuckle as he pulled her with him towards the bed, his arms keeping her close even when he made them both fall on the bed. He brought her closer as he got comfortable, putting a pillow under his head.
“I’ll make them watch a movie and they’ll be out sleeping in a minute,” he said as Todd cuddled Vixey closer to him.
“Even Josh. Is he still sleeping with his teddy bear? That boy wants to grow up so fast, but he can’t let go of that stuffed animal,” he said with a chuckle.
His son had grown up so much in literally a blink of an eye. To Todd, he was still that small, tiny baby that he was able to hold in his arms.
"You're right." she laughed.
"That king sized bed sure has been a blessing and a curse." Vixey admitted.
Mostly a blessing of course, leaving them with extra room for the kids and Roxie, though the curse bit mostly showed its face over the last few months, Vixey sleeping alone, feeling more alone than usual in the bed due to its size, even with Roxie taking up residence next to her. But she smiled through the comment because Todd was right, it had been a good investment.
There was no way she would have been comfortable in any smaller of a bed and they did know that nights like those would eventually come. If there was one thing that Vixey and Todd had been prepared for, even when it was a surprise, it was kids. They knew, well Vixey before Todd but he was more ready than he thought, that they wanted to be parents from the start and they had always been ready.
Vixey let out a laugh as they fell onto the bed and she snuggled close to him as he settled them against the pillows and she kept the smile on her face as he asked about their son.
"As far as I know he still does, of course I don't like to spy but I'd be lying if I said I haven't pushed his door open at 2am to check on him. And don't tell him about that, he'd kill me. I've given him so much more privacy recently, partially due to his request, you know it's not cool for a mom to hover," she told todd with a grin.
"Or, that's what he told me. None of the 'cool' guys moms hover or check in." she said as she nodded and raised her eyebrow, clearly imitating Josh.
"It's difficult.. it's been difficult." she said, that feeling coming back, that one that left her distant and feeling like a single mom.
Once Josh had made a comment, in the midst of the mess, about him being without a dad, him living without a dad and how that would ruin him. Vixey tried her best to explain in the moment that he still had a dad, one that loved him and was going to be there for him but he seemed to refuse to believe his mother. She spaced out for that bit. It was something she wanted to share with her husband but at the same time she didn't want to bring that up, not right now, when things were so nice. But she also didn't want to hide it.
Finally she sighed, she needed to open up about the battle she'd had with their son while they had been separated. Vixey knew Todd had spoken to Josh and even had called him out for the way he had spoken to his mother, but there was still so much more that Todd hadn't seen.
"I know it'll be better with you back, but it's been so hard with him." she admitted, absentmindedly tracing her fingers across his chest with one hand, her other hand resting against his head, her fingers tangled in his dark locks as they laid there.
"I know you've been witness to his attitude, which I can fend that off. But there was one night, I don't know I guess one of the guys at school made a comment but he said it was my fault that he didn't have a dad at home to be there with him and help him, he just had a mom but that wasn't the same."
It made her sick, repeating the whole part about it being her fault, because it was actually her fault. It just sucked to hear it out loud, and it sucked even more hearing that from her own kid, her own kid who in reality had no idea of the actual situation at hand. But at the same time she couldn't help but wonder if he knew, or just assumed. Josh wasn't as naive as Vixey wanted him to be, though she did realistically hope that he didn't really know..
"It's quite the big relief to know you'll be back home.. For more than just me.."
He noticed the change in her breath as if she wanted to speak but stopped herself, Todd then turning his head just slightly to look at her. There was something she wanted to say and she hadn’t, himself not pushing it, but he figured it had something to do with Josh hence him being the topic of conversation.
But then Vixey spoke, and Todd could only narrow his eyes. He had indeed first seen the attitude he had given Vixey and could only imagine for how long that had been going, but what she said next made him sigh. Todd wondered just how many times did his son endured that and why he hadn’t heard of that before, let alone why he hadn’t said a thing to him before.
“Kids are cruel,” he said as he looked at Vixey, his fingers pushing behind a ginger lock of her hair.
“I know that too well. I’m glad they’re tougher than what they look though, they got that from you,” he said.
Because Todd in his shoes had been completely different. He didn’t shoot a comment back at anyone who said something to him, who hurt him on purpose. But chose to stay quiet and endure whatever they threw at him, even if it was painful.
“Josh and Emilyn are very much like you in that aspect. I’m glad they’re not like me, they can defend themselves,” he admitted.
Todd had taken years to develop his own confidence, let alone stand up to someone who tried to hurt him or insult him. It was hard when it was thrown and him, but something inside him always boiled whenever someone insulted anyone he cared about. Their youngest child, Oliver was much more gentle, as gentle as him and he feared for him to go through the same when he grew up a little more. Kids were so cruel and Todd knew that firsthand.
“I’ll talk to Josh still, maybe I’ll take him somewhere else. You know, just me and him,” he suggested.
Whatever that kid wanted to say or talk with Todd, he knew it would be a lot better if it was only him and his son.
“Maybe I’ll stay the night after shift, I think that’s Monday,” he said as Todd then turned to look for his phone, knowing it was somewhere around that room.
“I’ll look for that later,” he added with a chuckle, not even bothering to go on that search, not when he could avoid reality just for a little longer, as his arms brought Vixey closer, his lips pressing kisses to her cheek and jawline.
“I’m telling you now so you help me with the hurricane that will be those three kids when I step into that house,” he added with a laugh before his lips found hers, pressing a sweet kiss.
"They really are," Vixey said with a nod but she couldn't help but smile again as he talked about Emilyn and Josh and them being so tough.
Vixey couldn't lie, she had always been the tougher one of the two. For the most part she was one to let words roll of her back, she had to be that way to get so far in performing. If she let every negative review or criticism of her affect her she never would have made it to do the things she did.
Of course she would say that motherhood had softened her up, a lot. She couldn't deflect the words like she used to and sometimes it was incredibly frustrating.
"I think you guys should do something like that, he would love it. And maybe you can get more out of him. He doesn't talk to me much anymore, which I don't think that has anything to do with anything that's happened, I think that's just him being a teenage boy. I know from personal experience that they don't like to tell you what they're feeling." she said, giving Todd a look and poking him in the chest.
When they were in school he never told her things, it was always Vixey walking around like an open book. She kissed him back slowly, still smiling at him as they pulled away.
"And of course they'll love having you home, we can even surprise them. Maybe Oliver will cling to you all night for a change. Don't get me wrong, I love it to death but that kid follows me around like a puppy."
“Oh, you are so funny, aren’t you” said Todd as he eyed her with that last comment that was literally thrown at him.
The man rolled over her so he could trap Vixey with his weight, as his fingers went to her sides to tickle her, himself just snickering before he leaned in to press another kiss to her lips. Back in high school, there was only so much he could tell Vixey, in comparison to what he told Copper.
But there was also the fact that she was constantly busy and there was always a boy around and Todd as always being Todd never wanted to be in the way, so instead always took a step aside. Things were obviously different now.
He couldn’t help but chuckle as his forehead rested against her neck at the comment about Oliver, and he was laughing now even though it was probably bad that he did.
“He does,” he said with a smile as he looked into Vixey’s eyes, a sweet smile on his lips.
“Well that boy has been attached to your hip from the second he was born. You always wanted one of the kids to be close to you, and you literally got what you wanted,” said Todd with a chuckle.
Ever since Oliver had learned to talk and walk, he’d go straight towards Vixey when something happened. There were more times than he could count that they woke up from his callings at night only to end up with Todd coming back to bed because he wanted his mom and not dad. The first years it got to him but then, in the end, Todd just got used to it. Let alone he was the oldest’s favorite either way.
“And I’m pretty sure that kid is going to keep on even after he’s an adult,” he added with a chuckle.
“He’s a momma’s boy, you can’t expect any less. And even if he does cling to me, it’ll be for like an hour, tops,” said Todd with a chuckle as he settled his head against her neck, comfortable as his arms wrapped around her body.
“But you know, I think he’ll be more into the new puppy than me,” he said as his eyes were slowly starting to close.
Every single moment already catching up to him since they had pretty much done a lot from the second they woke up. And now Todd was more relaxed than ever.
She laughed as Todd rolled over onto her and she only laughed a little harder when Todd started laughing about the comment about Oliver but he was right, that's what she wanted. Vixey had always wanted a little mama's boy and she got her wish.
"I think I've spent more nights in his bed than I have in ours over the last several weeks. Poor Roxie's been sleeping alone."
She shook her head as she looked back at her husband, her hand resting on the back of his head, her fingers running through his hair.
"He loves you though, he's been asking about you a lot. I don't know how you were as a kid but I like to think he's the spitting image of you."
She said softly, smiling at the thought. She was sure that every parent thought they were lucky but Vixey was blessed beyond measure. Their kids were perfect, their home was perfect, Todd was perfect.
"They'll be over the moon about that puppy, though."
She turned her head the slightest bit to place a kiss to the top of Todd's head, holding him close. She couldn't get enough of this time together with him.
“You think I was a momma’s boy?” he asked with a chuckle, his blue eyes looking at her.
Truthfully, Oliver was a gentle soul like Todd had been when he was a little boy, and he was always near his grandmother, but because she was the only parent he had. He had always been an obedient and caring little boy and that stayed as he grew up, getting a little adventurous, but only enough when he met Copper and they grew up together. He always wondered what would have been of him or how he would have ended had his grandmother not taken him when he was just a baby.
“I guess he does take after me in some things,” said Todd.
“But that puppy might distract them, enough, or at least enough so they don’t choke me when they see me,” he added with a laugh.
“He’s got your looks though, clearly,” he leaned in to press kisses against Vixey’s cheek, his nose nuzzling her neck as his arms kept her close to him.
Todd’s eyes quickly closed when he settled against Vixey, sleeping for a couple of hours before he felt the sun hit his face, with the curtains wide open this time, his eyes opening slowly to see the sun down to at least a good couple of minutes before it set. “
Babe, wake up” he whispered as he looked at Vixey, his lips pressing against her cheek, waking up her softly with the touch of his lips, and only when he saw those sleepy blue eyes, did he smiled sweetly at her.
“Look,” he as he sat up, himself bringing her along with him as well, the sun setting in front of them, the hotel having an incredible view for them both to watch it without the disturbance of a building or something else. And the view was incredible, the sky slowly changing its color, as the sun went down. He remembered the many time they both watched sunrises and sunsets, and Todd had seen so many, but he never for tired of them.
“Just in time to watch the sunset,” he said as he turned to look at her with a smile, his eyes soft and warm, kissing the wrinkles next to her sleepy eyes, and the dimples on her face as she smiled.
She was so beautiful, he loved her so much, that was never questionable, no matter how much she had hurt him. That feeling could never stop.
"My looks and your sweet personality. The kid's heart is the biggest thing about him." she said, still smiling and still thinking about the kids.
"I think the puppy will make everyone a little happier, nothing in comparison to you coming back home, though." Vixey included.
She was ready to have her husband back, she was ready to be that inseparable team they had been again. She couldn't see herself doing this life with anyone else. He was her rock.
She held him close as he cuddled closer to her and it didn't take long for Vixey's eyes to close. She was exhausted but it was a good kind, she was happy, too, so content to be there with him.
Vixey felt like she had slept for a day and while it was restful, she looked back at Todd with a sleepy smile as he called for her to wake her. It took her a few seconds to register was he was saying but when she did finally realize, she sat up with him, keeping close to him. She smiled back at the view, one of the most beautiful sunset views of the city that she had ever seen. She leaned against Todd, feeling so much comfort by his touch and the scene before them.
"It's beautiful.." she said softly, her eyes watching the sun as it slowly set in the sky.
"I love you.."
Todd’s arms kept her close to him, his lips pressing a kiss against her temple, pressing more kisses around her face, a sweet smile forming on his lips when she told him she loved him. He loved it when she said it to him, and he felt he hadn’t said it enough as of late.
“I love you too,” said Todd before pressing one last kiss to her forehead before he kept her close, watching the sun go down.
“Up for the sunrise and the sunset,” he said softly with a chuckle.
“I won’t ever get tired of this, this little tradition,” he said before the last seconds of light was visible, the orange turning into purple and soon, the night becoming darker and the stars coming out.
“But I have to say,” he said as he moved a little to look into her blue eyes, a sweet smile on his lips.
“That view?” he said as he pointed out to the window.
“That view can’t compare to you though. You’re definitely the most beautiful view I’ve ever seen,” said Todd as he smiled at Vixey, himself leaning in close to capture her lips with his.
“You’re absolutely my favorite view to look at,” he whispered against her lips, a smile forming before he pressed a kiss to her jawline.
“You know we still have a couple of hours before we have to leave this place,” he said with a smirk on his face as he looked at Vixey, his arms moving just slightly so his hand could rest against her waist.
“And honestly, when are we ever going to have all this time and privacy for ourselves?” he said in a whisper as his lips brushed the skin of her cheeks just gently, moving back to where her jaw met her neck.
“Last one for the road?” his lips then pressed against hers, not giving her a second to answer really or to think as he pushed her back against the mattress.
“Mind you, I will check on just where in the house we can sneak out,” he said with a chuckle against the skin of her neck, the tip of his tongue teasing the spot that made her melt.
“Because you are not going to be able to escape from me now, that’s a given,” said Todd as one hand worked on the knot of her robe, easily undoing it as the fabric fell on each side of her body, his palm now roaming up her bare skin, following her curves as his blue eyes moved to look at her.
“You’re so beautiful,” he said with soft, adoring eyes as he looked at her, while his hands made sure to touch as much skin as possible.
It felt a lot like their wedding night, him undressing her from her white dress but it was a lot different than any other time before. He couldn’t keep his eyes from her, because it really felt like he was looking at her for the first time.
“I love you so much,” said Todd in a whisper as his hands pushed the robe down her shoulders and arms.
Soon pulling it away from her, and throwing it over his head, along with his own robe, before he pressed his body against hers, his blue eyes locking his gaze with Vixey’s as he touched her, before he pushed into her. It felt just like the same night, feeling her close all over again, intertwined to his own soul like it had been for the past decade and more, like finding that puzzle piece that had been missing or had been taken away.
He had finally come back to her, for good, and now there was nothing that could take him away from her. He pushed one last time against her before his own weight fell against Vixey, his heartbeat loud, his breathing uneven but slowly coming back to normal, but content either way, as his lips pressed tender kisses against her neck.
Coming back to that small and cold apartment was going to be a lot harder than he thought, after that whole day with Vixey, making him go back to the very beginning of them, there was nowhere else that he wanted to be but by her side, in his home, in their house, with their kids, and even their dogs.
Todd didn’t want to leave that spot, their little love nest that had been that hotel room for that day, but he also knew that what was upcoming for them was a lot better. It was so much better, that it was worth having to leave that small piece of paradise, just for a second.
“We should get up and get ready,” he said to Vixey after pressing a sweet kiss to her lips, knowing she was dreading having to already face reality as much as he did right now.
But he was the first one to get up, pressing one last kiss to her lips before he pushed himself from the bed, getting out to grab his clothes on the way.
“I’m going to head down now to get you a scarf, I wasn’t kidding about it, and,” said Todd as he moved closer to Vixey, planting a kiss to her lips.
“When we pick up the dogs, you’ll avoid some gazes with it,” he said teased with a chuckle, before he pinched her bottom on his way out of the room.
Vixey was positive that she could stay in this moment with him for the rest of her life, watching the sunset so close to him, so in love, everything would be absolutely perfect; everything was perfect. When Todd finally spoke she looked at him, eyeing him as she spoke about the view, comparing it to her.
She felt her cheeks flush a soft shade of pink as he complimented her beauty and she looked back at him with so much love, so much adoration for her husband. He wasn't the only one with the nice view. She smiled against his lips, a hand coming up to rest on the back of his neck.
"We do.." she said softly as his lips met her jawline and neck, she knew where he was going with this and she knew he wouldn't give her much of a chance to respond. Before she knew it he had her pinned beneath him, Vixey already craving his touch.
"Well we do have that incredibly nice and spacious laundry room and lord knows the kids never go in there.."
Vixey replied though her voice trailed off as she felt his hands work to undo the tie of the robe around her waist. She felt goosebumps as the palms of his hands roamed her body, Todd carefully tracing every curve. She caught his gaze and smiled back.
I'm so lucky.." she said as she looked back at her husband, studying his face, every line and wrinkle, and her hand reached for the knot on his own robe, tugging it free and pushing the robe down his shoulders.
Her hand fell from him when she felt him push into her, Vixey groaning softly as she reached for and clutched the sheets beneath her. Her body had relaxed more over the course of the last twenty-four hours than it had in years, the weight of the world falling from her shoulders, exhaling every last bit of negative energy, letting go of the pain she had been harboring for the last several months.
It was all melting away and all she could do was look back at Todd and thank every last star in the sky that he was home, that he came back to her. She was lucky, more than lucky, and very much so looking forward to this somewhat of a new start between the two. Things would be different, better.
Finally she looked at him again as he suggested they actually get up and she let out a laugh and groaned playfully.
"I guess we should.."
She leaned in to kiss him and watched as he got up from the bed to get dressed and she slowly followed suit, rolling over to the edge of the bed, She walked over to where she had eventually gotten up to hang her dress to avoid so many wrinkles and clutched it close as Todd turned to her and mentioned he'd actually go get a scarf.
"God, I haven't had to hide anything like that since we were like twenty-six," she laughed and kissed him back before he disappeared out of the room.
Vixey slipped into the dress and caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror, she really did have a few spots on her neck, nothing that she couldn't cover with makeup, but a scarf was definitely needed now seeing as she had nothing else with her.
As she waited for Todd to return she gathered what few things she had with her, checking her phone to find it almost dead but virtually no messages, Vixey assuming her mother had decided to lay off the contact for the day and in this case no news was good news. She stuffed her phone into her clutch and finished tidying up the room a bit and when Todd returned she secured the scarf around her neck, doing her best to let it look more casual and less intentional, and when she was finished she looked at him and nodded.
"Alright, let's go.."
It probably took him around 15 minutes for Todd to find a gift store around the hotel, finding a scarf, paying for it and then taking the elevator ride to their room. But he quickly made it back, himself than watching as Vixey adjusted the scarf around her neck while Todd just leaned against the wall and watched her. It was pretty ridiculous and funny, two grown adults having to hide the traces from their little rendezvous from any eyes that may drift their way as they exited the building. It was exciting, it was fun.
It was something they hadn’t done in a while, considering one of the main things they did when they were younger was sneak out when someone wasn’t looking, or paying attention Todd and Vixey would take the chance and find a little dark corner. He had forgotten just how fun it was to not care about a single thing and just focus on the other. Todd could only snicker at the sight of the scarf on her neck, before he reached out to her, taking her hand in his, intertwining their fingers before he brought it up to his lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles.
“You’ve never looked so attractive,” he said with a smirk before he opened the door for them both.
It took him a few minutes to pay for the service and the hotel room, Todd taking care of it before he joined Vixey once again, outside, right when their fancy car parked and the doors opened for them.
“You know, it is so easy to get used to all this fancy stuff,” he teased as he helped Vixey into the car, closing the door after he slipped inside.
The nightlife was vibrating around them as the car drove through the city, and it was a pretty nice view, but Todd’s eyes could only focus on Vixey right now. He probably looked like that time when they were having their first Valentine’s Day, and he picked her up at the theatre, and he couldn’t get his eyes off her.
Before it was because of the little aid of that dress, but now, it was because he was completely smitten with her all over again. Like he had been in their first date, or their first outing, or their first time. It was all fist all over again in his blue eyes.
The ride back to their house was quick, Todd getting out to open the door for her, himself then telling the driver to wait for him for a few minutes. He wasn’t ready to leave just yet. He walked with Vixey back to the house, hand in hand before he made the detour to their neighbor's house.
“We should get the dogs right away, I want to say goodnight to Roxie,” he said with a sweet smile before he chuckled.
“And to your dog too.”
It was little to say that their neighbor’s face lit up the second she saw Vixey and Todd, outside their door, hand in hand and with smiles all over them. If they had fans, she was definitely one of them, and Todd couldn’t help but chuckle at that fact as he opened the door for him and Vixey, watching the dogs walk in instantly.
“She was very happy,” he said with a smile, himself then kneeling to pet Roxie as she came back to lick Todd’s face, and wiggle her tail at him.
“I missed you too baby, I know,” he said with a chuckle before he eyes the small corgi pup right behind her, looking at him from the distance.
“Come here boy,” he said to Max, himself reaching out his hand so he could sniff him. It was funny, he decided to bring the dog to their home, and yet he was the stranger.
“Will I have to earn your trust?” he joked before Max eventually gave in and came closer with his little tail wiggling.
“That’s what I thought,” said Todd with a chuckle as he picked him up, bringing him closer to him as he stood up straight.
“We’re going to be good friends, I know,” he said as he scratched behind his ear before handing him to Vixey.
“Another mama’s boy, I’m calling it,” said Todd with a laugh as he watched her and the puppy, the dog instantly cuddling closer to her.
“Okay, you’re home safe and sound and with two puppies to take care of you,” said Todd as he stood near the door now.
“So Monday. I’ll come by Monday morning and I’ll bring a bag to stay, and start doing all the paperwork to end the whole rent for that apartment, and all the moving,”
He thought out-loud on what every single thing he’d have to do, let alone, that he would have to wait a whole day to even start since he had a shift the next morning. What a great way to spend a Sunday, at work.
“There’s so much to do,” he said in the end with a chuckle as he ran a hand through his hair, already a little overwhelmed by it but in the end, it was always going to be for a good cause. A really good one.
“I’ll text you when I get to the apartment,” he said as he leaned in closer to press a kiss to Vixey’s lips, definitely not the last one he’d give her after that whole day together.
“Tell the kids I’ll see them soon, and to not go so crazy over the puppy,” he said with a smile against her lips before he pressed one more kiss to finally pull away, his arm circling around her waist to pull her in for a hug.
“I love you, goodnight love,” he said, Todd finally taking a step back to open the door and walk out
He turned to look at Vixey watching him from the doorway, shooting her a wink only to step into the car again and drive away.
Vixey laughed, placing a hand on the scarf dramatically.
"Why thank you, kind sir." she said before throwing Todd a Wink and joining him as they left the hotel.
Vixey did smile as she looked around at the surroundings. The city was booming with life, everyone out to enjoy the last of the weekend nights, and while Vixey loved a good night out she was ready to go home. She'd be more ready if Todd were coming back with her tonight but she wasn't about to get ahead of herself.
It was more than enough that he would be coming back at all. She couldn't help but recall those times they spent out, with Copper, with Will and Peter, and even Maddie on occasion, of course her always checking on everyone throughout the night.
"It is nice, but I'll admit I do like sleeping in a bit of peace and quiet. and I'm so excited to see our babies, and of course the other ones tomorrow."
She beamed when she saw the two dogs make their way to the door of Mrs. Fox's house, and gave the woman a hug.
"Thank you so much for doing this. We truly appreciate it."
She couldn't help but notice the woman eyeing her scarf and all Vixey did was wink her way before glancing back towards Todd. Any coherent adult could see the need for that with that dress. She chuckled as Todd looked at Max, scooping him up before handing him to Vixey. He instantly cuddled closer to him and she kissed him on the top of his head.
"He'll love you eventually." she teased
“He clearly already loves me."
When they were back home and Vixey was settled with the dogs she stood across from Todd and listened as he went on about coming Monday and moving.
"Please let me know if there's anything I need to help you with the move. I know you want to do it on your own but I am here for you," she reminded him, sweetly placing a hand on his cheek, her thumb stroking it.
She held him close as he kissed her but did allow her arms to release him as he pulled away.
"Drive safe, and I'll give the kids your love. They're going to be so excited for this pup." she grinned, bending down to give Max a scratch on the head, and Roxie too.
"I still love you baby." she said with a cheeky grin.
She wrapped her arms around Todd once more as he hugged her.
"I love you." she said in return before following him outside and leaning in the doorway, grabbing Max on the way so he wouldn't run off, and watched as Todd got in his car to head home.
"Goodnight, love.." she said quietly before taking the dogs out one last time and soon making her way back into the house.
It didn't take long for her to shed the dress and change into something more comfortable and less fitting for bed, and she set up Max's bed in their room and it wasn't long until she was fast asleep.
Part 4 - A chance to forgive and forget @rewritethestarsxx
It had been a month since that date -since the fort, the Chinese takeout, the lights above them. It had been the busiest month that Todd had ever dealt with at the firehouse. Emergency after emergency, fire after fire. The man felt like he was losing his mind when the day ended and everyone went to their bunks to catch some sleep, while he stayed cramming as much paperwork as he could before the next alarm rang. Todd hadn’t felt this tired since Josh was just born and he was juggling the firehouse, a newborn baby and helping Vixey as much as he could; it was little in comparison to how much he was working every single moment of his 24hour shifts. The bags under his eyes were visible, the yawning, the cup of coffee always on his desk; yet somehow he was always alert, working and helping when he was out in the scene of a fire. As much as life kicked Todd, he'd never put his men and women who worked hard in jeopardy because of him.
First / Prev / Next / All
But that didn’t mean he had stopped all contact with Vixey. It was the other way around. The harder things got, the more he talked with her, or texted. He tried to reach out to her after the kids were in bed but never took it so long that she wouldn’t be able to wake up come morning. Todd was showing up more at their house, to pick up and drop off the kids. But he stayed a little longer, talked a little more with her, said a joke here and there to bring a smile from her lips. He smiled more, laughed more; he was a lot more relaxed than he was three months ago and everyone at the firehouse noticed. Josh and Emilyn noticed, and they smiled at each other when they saw their dad ask more and more about mom. Oliver always got made drawings for him, sometimes of Roxie, sometimes about their whole family together, and more than others of just him and Vixey.
“I had mommy help me”
He saw the hope the lit up in their eyes whenever he asked about Vixey, or when he stayed just a little longer, or when they talked.
Things hadn’t been exactly immediate or quick between them, but that time apart -beginning to reach all over again was just what he needed. He needed Vixey so much, he started to realize it every day. Todd hated to come back after a shift to a lonely and cold apartment, the exact same feeling that he felt when he was in his 20’s and alone. He wanted warmth, wanted to feel welcomed. He wanted to go home.
But the man had yet to answer his own question at this point. Did he love her enough to forget, to forgive and put all that had happened past them? Todd wondered all of this as he took a coffee break outside his office, sat outside in front of the trucks with the engine Lieutenant, Jones. He had been such a good friend to Todd the past months. He was there when everything exploded and had the firehouse in order when he saw his Captain wasn’t capable at the moment.
“I owe her a date”
Jones could only eye him. They were both about the same age, and Jones had expected a promotion too, but he knew what kind of man was Todd, and he was happy to help him.
“Then do it,” he said back to him, knowing there was more to come.
“Will that be enough?”
“You won’t know until you do it. And it’s not like you don’t want to have that date, right? You’ve been extremely busy Summers, I’ve seen it”
“What if I still doubt after it?”
“About what, her being faithful?” asked Jones as he faced Todd, his Captain then sighing and looking down.
“Permission to speak freely Captain?”
“Go ahead”
“Listen. I know exactly what you’re going through. I divorced my wife, and that killed my kids. And she hurt me. She took my heart and ripped it apart and chew it and spit it out. And then she died,” he said as he took a breath.
“Is it worth all that resentment to miss something so good? Because I have an answer for you. It’s not. That hate, that pain, and that doubt? Good for nothing. There isn’t a day that I don’t think about her, that I wish I could change what happened, that I hadn’t lost all that time. You and I know better than anyone that today we're here. Tomorrow, we don’t know,” said Jones before he stood up to get more coffee.
“Don’t miss that chance.”
Todd let those words wander through his head as he sat outside his firehouse, the cup of coffee getting cold as he looked out. He had been fighting for her all this time already, he wasn’t about to give up now. He fished for his phone from his pocket to check the calendar; his shift ended on a Friday morning, which meant he had Friday and Saturday night free.
Hey
I think it’s about time I get you out on that date huh?
Look I’ve just had the worst timing, but I’m still willing to do it
Are you free tomorrow night?
Also. Maybe you should call your parents if they can babysit the kids, that way we won’t be worrying so much
I can’t wait to see you.
He didn’t exactly have to pick up the kids since they weren’t spending Friday with him and they weren’t stopping by the station because finals were over them and they had to study a lot. That didn’t mean he wasn’t going to make a surprise visit. With the heads up taken care of -knowing she would be wondering just why did he send that last text- Todd then opened Google to search for the adoption center. The man remembered clearly when they were 20-something and talked about how much they wanted to have all the dogs they could.
He parked his car that Friday morning in front of the house, a small bouquet of roses resting on the passenger seat. Todd carefully hid what he was bringing behind his back -not so hard considering the size before he knocked on the door. By that time everyone was up and getting ready for school. He’d get to send his kids off to the school, and maybe, just maybe have some alone time with Vixey. That was so much more than he could ask.
“Dad!”
He heard Josh once the door opened, Emilyn running right after him to hug him tight. He was hugging his kids tight when he felt a smaller pair of arms on his leg.
“Hi guys,” he said with a smile, scooping up Oliver in his arms.
“You guys ready for school?”
“Ugh, don’t remind me”
“I have a test today on chemistry and I think I can’t even stomach breakfast” Todd listened to his babies talk about tests before he looked up to see Vixey, a smile on his lips already.
“Hey, sorry for the uncalled visit,” he said with a chuckle before he set Oliver down, himself then bringing out the flowers he’d bought for her.
“I was hoping I could get these troublemakers to the bus today,” he said before he looked at their little faces, the kids then running to get their stuff with smiles on their faces after they heard dad would wait for the bus with them.
“And we have some discussing to do too,” he said to Vixey once they were alone.
“I hope you don’t have anything to do today,” he said as he stood next to her as they stood a couple of steps behind their kids
“I kind of need to take you somewhere today. It’s a little extra for the date. Hey, did you call your parents?”
Just about then the bus showed up, hugging each of their kids and watching them go away to school.
“So,” he said as he turned to face Vixey, with a smile on his face, his hand reaching for her already.
“Go get your things, I’ll wait for you in the car,” he said with a smile, always good to hide surprises for her, and never one to give out any possible hint.
The days that followed their date were easier than the days before but of course at the same time they were a little more difficult. She wanted so desperately for him to come home, to be with his family in a time when they needed each other more than ever before. But they also needed to be apart.
It was the time apart that was making everything so much sweeter when they were together, she longed for his touch, to hear the sound of his voice, to see him standing at the door waiting for the kids, to see his name pop up on her phone every night when they'd be up late texting. Sometimes she felt like they were twenty-six again, though they didn't waste much time then moving in together, having only been back together a few months. Truthfully they hadn't spent a whole lot of time apart. This year was proving to be incredibly challenging in more ways than one.
Over that month since their last date Vixey had gotten back to work in the studio, teaching some acting classes to kids, a musical theatre class for teens, and even an adult stage combat class, something she had picked up certification for a few years back so she could serve as a fight captain on shows. She had also gotten back into the gym, mostly to keep herself limber for classes, but also just because the release of endorphins made her feel so much better. She had more energy than she had had in years, honestly. She could keep up with the kids so much better, actually getting out onto the basketball court at the gym to attempt to play with Josh. She was still laughably bad but at least she could keep up. Between piano and basketball and work and various other extra curricular activities Vixey really didn't have a lot of time to stop and think about everything, not until at night when she was alone in their bed.
One night she got a call from a friend, someone she hadn't heard from in ages. Michelle Martinez. It had been ages since the two had seen each other, they were best friends in high school, two performing peas in a pod, and then they fell out of touch. It wasn't until several years after Todd and Vixey had gotten together that they had reconnected, working on a benefit concert nonetheless. She was so glad to have her back in her life. Though it was short lived, the face to face contact anyway, Michelle left on tour, going all over the country and eventually settling down, or settling down the best way Michelle could. Just before Vixey's Chicago tour Michelle had gotten in touch with her, asking for advice on auditions but it lead to consistent contact. Michelle was actually the first to know about Vixey's little disaster, she scolded her for doing so, especially because she had Todd, of all people. Despite her anger with her friend Michelle didn't turn her back on Vixey, she knew she needed a friend now more than ever.
"Long time no talk, stranger.." Vixey said as she picked up her phone, closing her book and letting it rest on the nightstand.
"Vixey, it's so good to hear from you. You sound, alright.. Dare I say happier?" Michelle laughed on the other end.
"I know you texted me about that date a while back, so you and Todd, are you..?"
Together. What a complicated thing to answer.
"Well, we're still working on it. It's been a month, the longest but also fastest one? It's just all a blur. We've talked a lot, he comes in now when he brings the kids by," Vixey looked down and shook her head, a soft laugh coming from her lips.
"It's almost like he's hesitant when he goes to leave. I guess that's good, or it's torturous for him, I can't figure it out." she admitted.
"Well, hey, at least that's something. I mean, things weren't so great, but god you know how much he loves you, Vix. I know this has killed him.. But at least he's there with you, something else will happen soon. Who knows, maybe Todd's just been planning some grand gesture to get his girl back, for good."
Vixey couldn't help but smile.
"Thank you, Michelle. I needed to hear that."
"I know you did, my Vixey senses were tingling so I figured I'd call. I'm about to go on stage for a late night show but please keep me updated! Love you, girl!"
"Break a leg, goodnight."
Vixey took another look down at her phone, thankful for a conversation, even if it were only for a minute. She turned it over and reached over to turn off the lamp. It was then she heard her phone buzz and she was glad she didn't let it go. She saw a string of messages from Todd, asking about tomorrow night and her calling her parents to watch the kids. She smiled down at the phone and typed out a quick reply.
I guess it is
I'll call them in the morning, I'm sure they'll be okay with it.
And another smile with the last reply.
I can't wait to see you.
And she couldn't, though thankfully it didn't stop her from drifting off to sleep soon after.
Morning came in no time and Vixey herself didn't waste any time calling her mom.
"Vixey, honey, it's early! Are you alright"
"Sorry mom, I didn't wake you, did I?"
"Of course not, your dad and I are having breakfast"
"Hey Vix!" she heard her dad call in the background.
"Hey dad," Vixey smiled.
"Uh mom, I had question. It's a little last minute, but would you guys mind taking the kids this weekend? Maybe pick them up from school, and I can come Sunday? I may come earlier, I'm not really sure.. If not it's ok-" Her mom cut her off.
"Oh we'd love to take them! We're actually heading out to the coast tomorrow for a few hours and I think your father would love if they come along, if you're okay with us taking them. You just let me know when you come for them and I can meet you. You need some time alone.."
She was thankful for how easy it was for her mom to say yes to something so last minute. Taking in three kids on less than 8 hours notice at this point wasn't an easy task but her parents were always up for it.
"That sounds perfect. I know they could use a mini vacation."
"It's not a problem at all dear. I'll come down and pick them up from school."
"Thank you mom, I really appreciate it. I love you!"
"And we love you all.."
Thank god..
Just as she put the phone down there was a knock at the door.
"Hey Josh can you get that? I'm almost finished packing your lunches. Oliver, is your backpack down here?"
"Yes mommy"
"And you guys are gonna stay with grandma and grandpa this weekend so she'll bring you here after school so you can get some things."
"Okay mom!"
"Dad!" she heard Josh call as the door opened.
She smiled, he was probably the only person who would show up this early, aside from her parents.
With three lunch boxes in her hand she made her way to the door, smiling as Todd put Oliver back down and the three ran to get their things.
"Hey, it's alright. You know they love for you to be here."
She took the flowers with a smile, placing them on the table inside the door and following the crew outside to wait on the bus, hanging back a bit with Todd.
"Oh, an extra to the date?" she repeated, giving him a curious eye.
"I did, I actually called mom this morning. Her and dad are heading out to the coast for a few hours tomorrow and said they'd love for the kids to tag along. She said she'd pick them up from school today, too, so they'll be able to get some things before they leave."
She was more than curious now.
What sort of discussing could he have meant?
Her train of thought was broken by the sound of the bus, and after giving a hug and a kiss to them she smiled.
"I'll see you guys Sunday at the latest. Have a good day at school and have fun this weekend! Josh, call me if you guys need anything." she said.
They all waved goodbye and within a minute the bus was gone.
So he said.
She turned to face him and smiled so wide as he reached for her hand.
"I'll be right back"
She put the flowers he had brought in a vase and left it on the windowsill in the kitchen before grabbing a jacket and her purse and phone from the kitchen counter.
"I'm not gonna lie, I'm a little nervous about all of this.." she admitted as she emerged from the house and met Todd again, leaning in to press a kiss to his cheek.
"But I trust you, so I guess I'm excited, too."
Todd had been leaning against his car as he waited for Vixey to walk out the door, hands in his pockets, in his head recalling the plan for the day. Now that he knew her parents were picking up the kids from school -and they could get their things by themselves- that single detail opened up a lot of possibilities for that da; and that night too. They would have all of Saturday for themselves, which made it even better. He smiled when he saw her coming close, an arm circling around her waist when Vixey’s lips touched his cheek, just to keep her close to him for a second. Just a little longer.
“I never disappoint with my surprises, isn’t it,” he said back to her with a smile, himself leaning in to press a kiss to her lips, only for a second before he pulled away from her and moved to open the door of his car for her.
“First thing though,” he said as he slipped in the driver’s seat, Todd looking at Vixey.
“Do you want a cup of coffee? Because I could use one, and breakfast too.”
He had gone straight from the firehouse, already a habit that the first thing he did when his shift ended was have breakfast with the kids. But that didn’t happen today.
Todd parked his car outside the diner he always went to with the kids, getting out to open the door for her, taking her hand in his instantly.
“This place has turned into the kids’ favorite. I’m pretty sure it’s because of the waffles, but that’s just a guess,” he said with a chuckle, as he opened it for Vixey to walk in first. The second they sat down, an old and sweet lady showed up with a pot of coffee, the waitress smiling at the both before serving them both coffee.
“Always early aren’t you Todd? Your three little peas aren’t here with you?”
“No Mrs.Harley. Not today, they’re in school right now. I came with my wife today. This is Vixey,” he said as he introduced Vixey.
He hadn’t said those words in so long really, but it wasn’t a lie.
“We hadn’t had a little time for ourselves, we work and all,” he said as he looked at Vixey, only to then look back at the lady.
“Well, that’s understandable. But it’s always nice to take some time off. It’s nice to meet you Vixey. I’ll come take your orders in a minute,” she said before she left.
Todd then looked back at Vixey, his hand now reaching for her, his fingers intertwining with her. He knew he felt her eyes on him the second he referred to her as his wife, the words were familiar and strange at the same time. But that hadn’t change. And it wasn’t going to change.
“You’re still my wife,” he said softly, his eyes looking down at their hands, his wedding band visible.
“That’s never changing,” said Todd finally, his blue eyes now locked with her gaze.
“Do you remember the last time we were alone like this?” he asked as he pushed his empty plate aside, sipping his second cup of coffee, his hand always reaching out for her.
It hadn’t been until all this time apart that they had spent together that he realized how much he loved to talk with Vixey. About anything and everything. Kids, work, the house, Roxie. Anything.
“I think it was right before we moved to the house,” said Todd, himself recalling that time of their lives.
Having a year behind them as a married couple, and with the prospect of their first child coming, having to look for a house, a definite home to start their family and watch it grow, and then finally finding it and doing some renovations. Which really was Todd doing it all, as he didn’t let Vixey do a thing while she was pregnant, and that repeated for the next two times it happened.
“I guess what I’m saying is that I just missed this,” he said with a smile as he looked at her.
“Just us two.”
“So”
The man opened the door for her to walk out of the diner, taking her hand in his.
“I’m not giving you a single detail of where we’re going,” he said with a smirk as he eyed her while walking to his car, opening the door for her before he once again took the driver’s seat.
“But”
A smirk on his lips. If there was one thing he loved to do was making a surprise for Vixey, and watch the expression on her face. He had done it from the very beginning they got together, and never stopped. He hadn’t stopped now either.
“Do you remember when we were at the firehouse? When I was just a firefighter?”
His eyes focused on the road, following the directions to the destination by memory, although he was sure she’d figure it out as they got closer, especially when the big adoption center sign came into view.
“I know we’ve had Roxie since forever,” said Todd as he turned the engine off once he was parked outside.
“I know the kids love her and I know you do too. But I’ve always said I’ve been her favorite,” he said with a chuckle, remembering all the times he had called it when they were younger and she was just a puppy.
“Come on”
He took one last look at Vixey before he got out of the car, moving to open the door for her, and take her hand in his.
“I’d rather show you than tell you”
The man walked them inside the building, himself instantly going to talk with a staff member and rather quickly, Todd followed her to where the dogs were, keeping Vixey close to him. And it wasn’t until they were standing in front of a cage with corgi puppies that Todd now smiled and turned to look at Vixey.
“I guess it’s about time you get your own dog,” he said with a chuckle.
“Go on. Pick one up, I know you’re dying to do so.”
"You have never disappointed me with your surprises, Todd Summers."
She said with a sweet smile against his lips. She got in the car as he opened the door for her and when he got in she smiled again.
"I could definitely use a cup of coffee, or three."
She eyed the diner as he pulled up and let her out. She drove past it all of the time but never found the time to go in, mostly because she was always with the kids, or they were all too busy to get out and go in. She followed him in.
"It's probably definitely the waffles, especially if they're half as good as the ones you make." she said, giving his hand a squeeze before taking a seat in the booth across from him.
Vixey smiled at the woman as she poured their coffee and spoke to Todd, asking about the kids.
Wife.
That word echoed, and she immediately eyed him from the side, still smiling and stealing another glance at the woman.
"It's nice to meet you," she said sweetly.
And when she walked away she watched their hands for a moment before looking back at Todd, still smiling. She could have cried in that moment, just from the way he was looking at her.
"I'm still your wife.." she repeated the word, stealing yet another glance at their hands; his wedding band, her wedding band, and her engagement ring.
She sat back and brought the mug of coffee to her lips as she watched Todd and he questioned her.
"Yeah, I guess I have to say it's been thirteen years." she chuckled.
Those thirteen years had been full of everything, the good, the bad, the best time of their lives, admittedly the worst time. Todd knew absolutely everything about Vixey, and her about him. Really you could say there was a time when they were like one, though they were all but one. They were five. She never thought she'd see the day where she'd have three kids. She used to joke about having six but that was all it was. But here she was with half of that. They had built such a life together and there was never a dull moment. But he was right, they hadn't had much alone time.
"I've missed this, too," she said.
"You know I'm not sure why we haven't asked my parents to take the kids more, I feel like I've robbed them of time." she teased him about it.
They had spent as much time with their kids as they could and she wouldn't have wanted it any other way.
There it was again.
So.
"Ha! Of course you're not. I'd honestly be surprised if you did reveal anything anytime you were surprising me."
She watched their surroundings as he drove, wondering all along where he was taking her.
"Mhmm" she replied at his question about the firehouse, eyeing the sign in the distance.
And then he brought up Roxie and things started to click. She smiled at the memory of when he brought Roxie home. Vixey was so excited and she loved her so hard, but at the end of the day she was indeed Todd's baby. She actually laughed as she recalled a time when Roxie had run off with one of Vixey's shoes when they were in the apartment and Vixey was literally in a standoff with the young dog when Todd walked through the door from a shift a few moments later. Of course Roxie immediately dropped the shoe at the sight of Todd. Had it not been for him she was sure she would have lost that pair of shoes.
When they stopped at the adoption center she followed him and when he took her hand she felt butterflies. Clearly there was an animal involved in this, so she knew what was coming but at the same time she had absolutely no idea. She looked around the room as he spoke with the woman and followed him through the center. He really was keeping her on her toes. She was not prepared for what came next.
"Oh my god.." she said when she saw the puppies.
"Todd!" she looked at him with a doe-eyed look before looking back at the puppies.
She probably looked like a teenager looking at her parents after they've told her she could get a dog. She was kind of speechless, how he managed to find a shelter with corgi puppies seemed like some sort of miracle. She started to ask, but instead got on her tiptoes to press her lips against his without even thinking and a split second later looked back at the babies in front of them. With the help of the staff member there she reached in and picked up one of the puppies, a little boy with a white belly and chest, a little white on his face, and black on his back and tail and just a little bit of tan fur on his legs, around his ears, and face.
"Oh my goodness.." she said, holding the little pup up to her and he immediately began to lick her face as she looked at Todd.
"Todd. this is.." words were hard in that moment.
"The best thing.." she finally managed to get out.
That look on her face, of being completely taken aback by an unexpected surprise was clear and all over Vixey’s face; it was the one look Todd always wished to bring out. It was the look that he worked day and night for, that he planned gigantic romantic gestures for, that he stood awake at night thinking of.
From the very first time he saw Vixey at the hallways of Wishing Well, he vowed to do anything to bring a smile on her face. He vowed again to do so in their wedding day, and he vowed to do it, yet one more time, at that moment when he saw the look on her face with that puppy in her arms.
He could only smile at her, a sweet, warm smile, his gaze looking at her as she was overjoyed by the little bundle of joy. Todd knew she wanted a corgi, she had told him and that had probably been a joke at the time, but he always listened closely to what she wanted, and he knew she would have wanted a puppy sooner or later. It was about time.
For him, or maybe anyone really would think getting someone a puppy was lovable but not that much of a gesture. People adopted pets every day. The thing that made this different was that Todd had spent the whole day at the firehouse after that talk with Jones, searching for animal shelters and adoption centers that had corgi puppies. Any dog would have worked and he knew that. But Vixey didn’t want any dog. She wanted that one specifically. And that was the one he was going to get her.
“I know” he said back with a smile as he looked at her.
The man brought his hand close to the pup for him to smell, although it wasn’t long for the little boy to lick his hand and accept him. It didn’t take much with Vixey.
“Well,” he said as he looked at her.
“What are you going to name this baby?”
The man took the paperwork handed from by the staff member before she left them to have a moment. Todd busied himself with filling up the information while letting Vixey enjoy those minutes with her puppy, stopping just at the name gap.
“The kids are going to be over the moon when they get back home,” he said as he opened the door for Vixey.
Letting her walk out with the new member of the family in her arms, and him carrying a small bag with a few things for the puppy. Just like they had done when they first got Roxie. He could only imagine the kids’ faces when they saw a small puppy in the house, let alone, telling them it was theirs. Well, it was really Vixey’s dog, but he knew that puppy was going to receive more love than he ever imagined.
“So” he said as he smiled.
“I’m going to drop you off now so you can settle up that boy,” he said to her, Todd’s hand then scratching the corgi’s head, getting a lot of licks from him in response.
“This is just a part of the surprise but we can’t do much with a puppy, and I’m also hungry too,” he said with a chuckle, driving into the street, all the way home.
Vixey couldn't believe it. She had always wanted a corgi puppy, it all started as a little obsession via instagram and it blossomed into something more. She knew she'd eventually find one, though it hadn't really crossed her mind that Todd would surprise her with one.
"He's so cute, Todd.."
She smiled, her gaze moving between the pup in her arms and Todd. She was still taking it all in.
"A name?" she asked, looking back at the baby.
"I like Max." she said, it was one of the most basic dog names but at the same time she loved it.
"Yeah, I'm gonna name him Max." she told him as he was filling out the paperwork.
She let out a chuckle when he talked about the kids and how excited they would be.
"They're going to be so excited they won't know what to do." she followed him out to the car with the new pup in her arms.
She was recalling that day Todd brought Roxie home, it felt like it was ages ago. So much life had happened since, Roxie had seen so much, new life, new changes, happiness, heartbreak, so much.
When Todd said he would drop her off she looked over at him, breaking away from her thoughts.
"Drop me off?" she repeated.
"Well, unless you have to leave as a part of the rest of the surprise you can stay while I get him settled. And I can make something for us at home, we could make something together.." she suggested as the house came into view.
"But if you need to leave as a part of the surprise I understand. I just want you to know you're more than welcome to stay."
Todd couldn’t help but smirk as he eyed her once the engine was off and the car parked outside the house.
“Is that an order,” he teased her after hearing an unless in between her words.
Like he wasn’t allowed to leave, but only if it was important. He looked down for a second before he opened his door, grabbing the bags from the backseat before he made his way to Vixey’s side and open the door for her.
“I guess I can stay for a little.”
“It’s a good thing that you eventually learned how to cook,” he said teasingly to Vixey with a smirk.
His playful eyes following her around as he closed the door behind them, himself then setting the bags next to the chair where she always laid out her jacket and purse. He could remember the many times she had tried to cook for him and it ended up in dinner getting burnt yet Todd insisted in eating it all because she had cooked for him and he had nothing but appreciation towards her. He had stomach aches the first two times. With a little more practice and his help, those deemed and her dishes got better. But for the most part of their beginning, he was the one in the kitchen, every time. His blue eyes looked at her and followed her as she settled the puppy, himself them turning around when he heard a heavier pitter-patter of paws coming closer, Roxie appearing in between his legs and Todd could only smile.
“Hi baby, missed me?” he asked his dog as he crouched to pet her.
“There’s a little one here now, and no. It’s not another baby,” he said to her as he looked at Roxie before her eyes settled on the corgi.
For a dog with her old age, she moved towards the pup, only to smell him a little. She was harmless, that he knew, but that corgi was going to grow up and become a little pain with time. And he could only smile.
“Three kids and two dogs, that’s a record”
He eyed Roxie laid out on her bed under the kitchen table, baby Max already cuddled next to her and chewing on a brand new toy. And then a thought struck him.
“Hey, we’ll need someone to look after these two tonight too. We can’t leave a puppy alone, this house might be down by the time we or the kids are back”
He could recall the times when Roxie was still a puppy and left alone. And the disaster they both had found when they made it to the apartment was something worthy of a comedy show.
“And they won’t allow us where we're going with two dogs,” said Todd with a laugh.
“What are you hungry for? I’m a little rusty, I haven’t cooked for months”
The truth was Todd had stayed away from a kitchen ever since he moved out, relying on takeouts or prepared meals the wives of his co-workers sent him when he was off shift, knowing good and well he wouldn’t be in any mood to cook anything. He had only cooked for his family, and cooking for just himself only sounded depressing.
Todd helped out Vixey as they moved around the kitchen, and for a moment, it seemed like nothing had changed. Like they had jumped back in time to a better place, to a moment where their life was as good as ever, both of them cooking a meal while the kids played outside, or watched TV. When there had been no breakup or fight or hurting or pain, or betrayal. And he smiled at the memory, but it felt a lot more real now that he was indeed standing in their kitchen and helping her out.
For a second he sat at the table already set as he waited for Vixey to come by and sit down to eat, himself just observing her a little, his eyes taking her every detail and he smiled. He was smiling a lot more now that he was around Vixey again. He had seen her many faces, her many angles, her many sides throughout the years. He’d seen her in her highest, and lowest, and yet, his favorite vision would always be the domestic one. She had always felt like home, never getting enough of that -even more now that he felt like he was lacking the warmth of a home, after a long, long time feeling cold. She did the slightest, smallest thing and he could feel his heart skip a beat, his eyes showing nothing but adoration now.
He could remember the question his friend asked that morning. Did he love her enough to push all that had happened past them? And Todd only had one answer as he watched Vixey place a plate in front of him and take a seat across him. He did.
He had loved her so much. He loved her at that moment, and he would continue to do so for as long as he lived, until his very last breath and even then he believed his presence would still be around to watch over her.
Todd reached out for her hand for a second after pushing the empty plate aside, having finished his meal, scooting his chair a little closer to her. He caught both of her hands in his, and his blue eyes looked at her just for a longer second, his eyes warm, his love exuding from him with every move and breath he took. He brought her hands to his lips as he kissed her knuckles.
“You really have had me hooked for so long,” he said with a smile against her skin.
His eyes then looked up to her, before he leaned in to capture her lips with his, his hand then resting against her neck.
“Even after everything, I still am so in love with you,” he said against her lips once he had pulled away a little.
His eyes caught the time on the kitchen clock and he could only sigh, himself then pulling away with a smile.
“I really don’t want to go, but I have to. This isn’t the end of the day after all,” he said with a chuckle before he pressed another kiss to her hands.
Any date and grand gesture he did for her would be considered the best part of their relationship or their lives. But for Todd, almost a complete day alone with her was really more than he could have ever asked for. Something so simple, but something he had learned he couldn’t take for granted.
“I’ll come and pick you up at 8,” he said with a smile as he turned to the door.
“You should probably be ready for anything,” he added with a smirk before he disappeared through the door.
Vixey just shook her head and laughed as Todd made a crack about her finally learning how to cook things. It was pretty laughable at times, and she still wasn't super great at it, but she was good enough to feed her family decent and healthy meals and that was what was most important. She smiled watching Todd with Roxie and watching Roxie meet Max. It was going to be an adventure with those two, for a while, anyway. Her heart still hurt when she looked at Roxie sometimes. She was so old and Vixey was still terrified of having to let her go, but she quickly pushed the thought away, burying it away.
"Three kids and two dogs.." she chuckled.
"Hey, I've almost reached my six kids goal."
She hadn't even realized that she had just gotten a puppy and they were about to go off on whatever adventure Todd had planned for them.
"I can ask Mrs. Fox. She's always kept Roxie, and I'm sure she wouldn't mind a puppy.. She does get lonely over there.." Vixey said.
"I'll ask her after we eat. And maybe a salad or something? I know it's not much but it's something light that'll hold me over until later."
She moved around the kitchen with Todd and felt his eyes on her occasionally and truthfully she had missed that, Todd stealing glances of her in the kitchen, the kids running in an out through the doors in the kitchen, sometimes stopping to steal a snack of whatever their parents were making, Josh even wanting to help sometimes, and Oliver too, though his idea of helping was sitting on the counter and munching on veggies and watching mom and dad.
She smiled over at him at one point as she was setting the table for them, and throughout their meal. She really couldn't stop smiling when she was around Todd, she never could, even in some of their worst moments they always found a way to help each other and try to make the other smile. The last few months had been dark and cold without him there to pick her back up, and she vowed things would be different now. They deserved their happy little life, Todd deserved to be happy.
When he reached for her hands and held his gaze on her she looked back at him with a soft look in her eyes, a look of longing, full of love for her husband. The two of them hadn't been alone like this in so long, it felt like an eternity. She was so thankful for this moment, and his comment was enough to make her feel like she was going to cry. She just smiled back at him as he brought her hand to his lips.
"I love you so much, Todd Summers." she said before leaning in and placing a kiss to his lips.
She got up and followed him to the door as he talked of leaving.
"Well, I guess if the reason for your leaving means you'll come back for me later then I guess I'm okay with it," she said with another sweet smile.
She was incredibly anxious to see what Todd had planned for them but she couldn't wait. She knew it'd be exactly what they needed. She couldn't help but eye him as he made the comment about expecting anything, wondering what he meant but trusting him with her life.
"I'll see you at 8," she told him as she shut the door behind him and proceeded to spend the next few hours preparing for their date.
Todd had planned that date out from the first time he mentioned it to Vixey, putting that out that they could go out together. Just the two of them. But it wouldn’t be a simple dinner somewhere fancy. He was known after all for making quite big gestures to show affection, and with Vixey? It was always crazy. She had even come up with a word for it.
Todd Summers-ing someone.
Like she had described it when she surprised him once, the act of sweeping someone off their feet. And he was. But that was his thing, and who else to plan something that she would never forget that the one who started it all.
He drove back to his apartment to shower quickly, shave and dress in a black suit and tie, getting a nice pair of shoes as well. If this date didn’t make her remember every single one they had had, then Todd wasn’t sure what would. He was on the current mission of fighting for her, for his wife, for his family, to rekindle the light that had started all the way when they were literally teenagers. Todd stood out of the fancy car that was parked in front of the house before he walked to the door and knocked.
The usual image of him picking her up as it had been the theme would be Todd with flowers, but he wasn’t bringing any this time. He hadn’t forgotten. That would be taken care of later. His eyes lit up when he saw Vixey once again, dressed up, beautiful as ever. He had seen her in many dresses, many outfits, one of his favorite views being the one when she was walking down the aisle to him, in her wedding dress. The memory kept safe in his mind, the look in her eyes is one he would always remember.
“You look so beautiful” he said with a sweet smile as Todd took in the sight of her.
His eyes looking at every detail of her, his heart skips a beat like it used to, the sight of her making him forget whatever doubt there was still remaining, his thoughts instantly going silent with the touch of her hand. There was nothing but love as he looked at her, his eyes warm before his hand reached out to her, intertwining their fingers.
“Ready?”
To this day, Todd had never wondered or thought about the possibilities or the guarantees of having friends in good places, or with a little influence. He had never taken advantage of it and had always refused any help or any attempt to make things easy for him. Because that was who Todd Summers was, one who worked for what he wanted.
This time though, even if he had all the will in the world, there were still things he couldn’t exactly do. But with a little talking, and really not much explaining, Will had been more than happy to help Todd with the logistics of his date planning, taking care of small details he had thought out. And every time Todd tried to stop him from reserve something because it was too expensive and he wouldn’t be physically able to pay him back, Will only smiled and told him not to worry. It was all for a good cause after all.
So here he was, with Vixey’s hand in his forearm, helping her inside the car that was theirs for the night, before Todd closed his own door and watched the driver take off to the street.
“You know,” said Todd as he looked at Vixey, his hand taking her as the house was lost already behind them.
“I always wanted to do something fancy for you. But I never had the means to do so,” he said as he smiled at her.
“And there was also never enough time to plan something like that,” the city came into view quickly, and Todd looks out to the street for a second.
Memories flood to him instantly, of so many things he had done there.
“But I guess there is always a first time for everything.”
But he never regretted a second of him leaving the city to get their house outside of it. They never really left it either way, both always going back for their jobs of the kids’ school.
The driver parked outside a hotel, one of the fanciest in New York City, obviously Todd wouldn’t even dream of spending even the slightest bit of money on something like that. He wasn’t able to either, but there he was, opening the door for Vixey before he placed her hand in his forearm and guided them both to the main doors, greeted by a staff member who recognized him, having planned the whole thing beforehand already.
Everything was luxurious around them, the color gold and silver anywhere they looked, but all Todd could see was the look on Vixey’s face. God, he lived for that look.
“Okay, I’m going to need you close your eyes,” said Todd with a smirk as he turned to look at Vixey while they waited for the elevator to come down.
“And no peeking,” he said with a chuckle before he took her hands in his, guiding them both inside the elevator.
“You can open them when I tell you, okay?”
It had been a couple of good days lately, with some nice weather, not hot like a summer night, but not cold like winter. It was the perfect weather to be on a roof.
“Okay, open your eyes,” he said Todd as he stood next to Vixey, his eyes watching her reaction as she took in the view.
Usually, the roof of the hotel would be buzzing with people, considering it was a Friday night, but the whole place was rented for them both. Only them. Where there would be lounging chairs and tables, there were huge bouquets of pink and red roses, candles around lit up to light up the place and made a road for them to follow, the light lighting helping set the mood and in the middle, a table set for two was waiting. The view of the city was out for them, the last bit of the oranges from the sun mixing with the purples and blues from the night, reflecting on the windows of the skyscrapers, and for Todd, that view was always beautiful.
But at the moment, nothing compared to his own view, the light reflecting on the blue of Vixey’s eyes beating any sunset or any sunrise he could ever see.
“So,” he said as he now stood in front of her.
“What do you think?”
Vixey wasted no time getting ready once Todd himself had left to do the same. She promptly called Mrs. Fox to make arrangements for her to spend the night with the dogs. Shortly after the call she went over to their neighbor's house with Roxie and Max in tow. Roxie greeted the older woman with a smile and wagging tail as she had spent a good amount of time with the woman, her having taken care of her while the family went on vacations and short trips, not to mention just coming over to see and help with the kids and other various occasions. The woman was elated to be taking care of a puppy for the night, recalling when she and her late husband adopted one many years ago. After a short conversation with her, Mrs. Fox sent Vixey back on her way to ready herself for her date, excited to hear how things would go later.
Her stomach was filled with butterflies the whole time she spent getting ready, playing some music to calm her nerves. She wasn't sure why she was so nervous about it all, though it was definitely a nervous excited. Todd always planned something grand for them when it was just the two of them celebrating something or having a real, out on the town, date night. She had no idea what to expect. She showered, fixed her hair and makeup, and searched her closet for the perfect dress. It didn't take long for her to decide on one, one she had never worn, she had planned to wear it for a Broadway benefit concert last year, but after the accident in rehearsal that left her hospitalized for a week and then bedridden for several weeks after, not to mention a follow up surgery, Vixey had to ask someone else to step in. The dress lived for weeks in her dressing room at the theatre before she brought it home and quickly hid it away, not really wanting to look at it as it served as a memory of all of that, but it was a beautiful dress and she figured she was finally ready to wear it.
When Todd arrived she made her way out of the house and her eyes lit up at the sight of him there, leaning against a very nice car, how he managed to land that for them for the night was beyond her but she'd ask questions later. Right now, she just wanted to enjoy the moment. She smiled at Todd as she approached him and her cheeks flushed a soft shade of pink as he complimented her.
"Thank you," she said.
"And you look very handsome." she said, eyeing him. That suit certainly looked incredible on him. She nodded as he took her hand.
"I am."
She smiled as he spoke in the car, of wanting to do something big and fancy for her, but it was quite the understatement to say that finding time and resources was their biggest roadblock. Not to say the reason for the roadblocks were bad, they did have a good life and three wonderful children, and though that all admittedly got in the way of fancy nights like this, Vixey wouldn't trade any of it for anything.
"Well, there's never a bad time for a first time, either. I know you've always wanted to do something like this, but I can't exactly complain about what's gotten in the way of it all," she said, smiling at the thought of the little life the two of them had built together, and this was an adventure she never wanted to end.
She was going to do whatever she had to to prove that to him, too. She'd never turn her back on him, or do anything to get in the way of that again.
As the car parked outside of the hotel, one Vixey had recognized from photographs of friends attending parties and charity balls, her eyes lit up, the reflection of the sight around her reflecting in her bright blue eyes.
"Wow, Todd, this is.. unexpected." she admitted with a soft laugh but turned to him with a smile.
"It's beautiful."
And as he went on and told her to closer her eyes she let out another soft chuckle.
"Close my eyes?" she repeated.
This was going to be a surprise for sure.
"If you insist.." she said, promptly closing her eyes as they got onto the elevator.
"Okay.." she said in return, she placed her free hand over her eyes for safe measure when she heard the ding of the elevator, not wanting anything to give it away.
She followed closely as he led her off the elevator and shortly after feeling the air of the night around them. The feeling of a warm spring night embracing them and sending a smile across Vixey's lips. She opened her eyes and when she did she was amazed.
This was definitely unexpected, but in the best way. She took in the view around her, of the sunset, the city, the candles and roses, and the path leading to a table set for the two of them, all of it was so beautiful. She stood there for a moment, mouth probably a bit agape as she took in the surroundings. After, she turned to Todd as he questioned her thoughts on all of it.
"Todd, this is.." she started, reaching for words that she couldn't quite grasp in the moment.
"It's incredible." she finally managed to find one that remotely described what she thought.
"So this is, for us? For the night?"
Todd’s smile couldn’t be hidden at this point when he saw the look in her eyes, how Vixey was talking all in, all that he had planned. Truth was that he had planned the whole thing weeks ago, literally after the date with the fort had happened, but time had done its part too and work as well, swallowing Todd into a turmoil of paperwork that never stopped. He was more than glad that reservations managed to last for a month. And that Will was very good convincing people.
“It is,” he said back to Vixey as she was facing him now.
Todd’s hands moving to take each in his, fingers intertwining, his thumbs brushing the knuckles of her hands.
“All this is just for us tonight.”
He moved to pull out her chair so she could sit down before Todd moved to take his place across from her, his hand instantly reaching out to her. His eyes couldn’t take enough of her in that red dress, Todd more than happily surprised with her choice for an outfit for the night. He had never seen that dress before, after seeing her in so many already. She looked incredibly beautiful, his eyes having taken every single detail of how it hugged her figure so well, the color red always being one that suited her so well.
“I have never seen that dress before,” he said with a smile as his chin was propped up by his hand, elbow resting on the table.
He could have looked at her the whole night and not complain. He felt like he was 25 again and he was seeing her dressed up like this for the first time during that Valentine’s night after picking her up from a show. But even if she wore a nice dress, or something casual, or even his own shirt, he had always found her to be the most beautiful woman ever, and his eyes were not contradicting him right now -his blue eyes looking at her and only her right now.
Something told him that after that night things were going to definitely change between them. One good night to make up for a disaster one. One to heal up any wound left and make amends with them both. His fingers caressed her hand gently, having forgotten how soft they always had been, in comparison to his own that were calloused even, and looked touch from years of work and age itself. But Todd was always careful with Vixey, in any and every way.
“I would have had wine now, but you said you don’t drink,” he said as he watched as a waiter showed up with a cup of glass with sparkling water before he left the couple alone again.
“Obviously for you, I still don’t like that thing,” he said with a chuckle as he grabbed his own glass.
For as long as they had lived together, Todd had always made sure there was a bottle of her favorite wine at home, small details like those being constantly important for him to remember. And now, it added that he had to remember a favorite type of ice cream, or a favorite brand of cereal, or the best syrup to use on pancakes. There were always a lot of favorite little things and details to remember with three kids as well, and one very different from the other. Todd had always been the one to remember details like those.
And now he very well remembered she said she didn’t drink now, so now he was on a quest to figure out what she liked more than wine.
“Also, this place probably doesn’t serve what we’re going to eat tonight usually, but I guess there is always a first time for everything,” he said with a smirk on his face when he spotted the waiter.
He had been in that place before, having recognized the hotel from a call he had taken once when he was still a Lieutenant, all from a kitchen fire, let alone a work accident with the head chef himself. Todd had always remembered his training as an EMT in the Academy, more than once having to step into the ambulance when there was a forced opening, and he never thought it twice about helping someone, no matter what he was doing or what position he was taking, but he would always jump back on squad when someone came to take the place. The experience was always helpful, having helped the man enough by the time the ambulance arrived, and the man had been forever thankful to Todd for saving his life and asked for anything back.
Surely, Todd hadn’t given that much thought and just smiled at the man that was now healthy and still working. Never would he have thought that a favor could be so useful. The people around them served their plates and placed them in front of Todd and Vixey, his hands resting on his lap as he watched her face. He knew she would recognize the food instantly, after all, not every day did she ate meals that were her favorites from her mom.
“Just in case you were wondering, I made sure all these taste exactly like the originals. I know you would be disappointed if they didn’t,” he said with a smile as the waiters moved again to give the couple space for them both.
“I may also have brought your mom here too, for consulting,” he added with a laugh.
He had obviously gone to her parents for help and advice on small details on what to do. Even after the whole night that things went downhill with them, Todd had still kept communication with his parents-in-law, after all, there had been so many years with them as a part of his life already, it wouldn’t have felt right to just cut them out so quickly. After all, they had no fault.
“Your dad would never stop teasing me that I looked exactly like I did when I went to them to ask for their blessing when I told them I wanted to marry you. I guess the nervous and anxious look is a common one with me,” he said with a chuckle.
He had driven for hours that night, having asked a huge favor to his Chief, to grant him a few hours during one shift night to drive all the way to Connecticut, having called them beforehand that he needed to talk to them both, face to face. All while Vixey didn’t know a thing and she was just assuming he was working, like any normal shift. He remembered clearly the nervous tone of their voices through the phone, and the instant questions asking if Vixey was okay. She was.
It was Todd the one who was probably holding his heart out at that moment. The whole thing took less than an hour, and he was back at the firehouse after a two-hour drive from the Addison’s home, and Todd had gone back to work with a smile on his face. And a little sore if he could add, her dad still had more strength than he thought and with two of them, hugs hurt sometimes.
Todd smiled after one first bite, the whole meal tasting just like what he remembered from the Christmas dinner at her parents. It was a good thing he had chosen to bring her mom over just to check everything was in order, and with a chef doing it all and making sure every single was taken care of, he was more than happy with the result. Everything so his friend could win his wife back.
“So,” his blue eyes looking at her eagerly for an answer about the date so far. It was fancy and extravagant, and over the top for sure.
But as long as Vixey liked it, then everything would have been worth it.
“Do you like it?”
All of this just for the two of them. Vixey couldn't believe it, of course a part of her could because Todd could pull off anything. She'd still be surprised. She took his arm as he lead them down to the table, seating herself across from him before looking across the table at him. Todd himself looked incredibly handsome, he could pull off anything but she was always particularly smitten by the sight of him in a suit. He had aged so well, they both had, but she'd always think he had in particularly. When he noted that he hadn't seen the dress before she looked down at it, somewhat surprised it had still fit considering she had gotten it over a year ago.
"Ah, it's been hidden in the closet.." she explained.
"I was supposed to wear it for the Broadway benefit gala last year before my accident in rehearsal. But, well, you know. And I couldn't bare to look at it so I buried it in the back of the closet in it's garment bag. I finally found it again a few weeks ago and remembered about it tonight, I figured it was about time to put it on because I'm not sure of when my next opportunity would be."
She watched as the waiter came over with glasses and sparkling water. She had indeed given up drinking since the end of that tour. She thought it may be something she try again when she was ready, but she still couldn't stomach the thought of a glass of wine, or a glass of anything because it was only a painful reminder of her incredibly regretful actions. She wasn't ready to lose that control, or risk losing that control again. Some day she'd try again, but it wasn't anything she was ready to do soon.
She smiled as she took her own glass and took a sip, nodding at him when he said he remembered that, that small, minute detail in comparison to the rest of what she had revealed in those nights of confrontation, but really an important minute detail. She pushed away those thoughts, though, and looked back at Todd for a moment, her eyes full of love. Love for her husband, love for their relationship, and for the life they had built together. For a moment she felt twenty-six again, so smitten by him that she didn't know what to do with herself.
Vixey looked back at him with a quirked brow when he made the remark about their dinner, it being something the restaurant there doesn't normally serve.
"Why am I not surprised by that?" she asked him with a teasing smirk across her lips as she brought the glass of sparkling water back to the table in front of her, watching as the staff came out with a cart of dishes and plates for the two of them.
She was immediately greeted by familiar smells, smells of food that reminded her of home, memories of Christmas past flooding back, Thanksgiving and her birthday, too. And really any time they were with her family and her mom cooked, it all of the sudden smelled exactly like home. She looked at Todd again before looking back at the dishes before them.
The redhead was speechless at first over it all, and all she could do was shake her head in amazement when he had mentioned that her mother had been a part of this process, a process that had clearly been in the making for quite some time. She couldn't imagine her mother having to keep this from her, she knew it was hard enough for her to keep it from her after Todd had asked for their blessing to marry their daughter - her mother had specifically told her, on her wedding day as they were getting ready, how the first thing she wanted to do after he visited them was call her and tell her all about it but it was also the exact opposite of what she could do in a situation like that.
The thought made her chuckle, though her mom had pestered her a bit for the last few months over the whole ordeal, she still considered her to be her best friend and not to mention guidance counselor through the whole process of motherhood. She wasn't sure what she would do without the late night phone calls when one of the kids were sick, or reminders of when she needed to get things done for them. She had done so much, so much for the both of them.
She was still amazed as she looked down at her plate full of bits of some of her favorite recipes, and after finally taking a bite she looked across the table at Todd, who was clearly anxiously awaiting her reply to it all, and smiled.
"Todd, I have to say, this is.." there she was again, reaching for words that just weren't coming.
She was a bit overwhelmed, but of course it was all good, great even.
"This is amazing, honestly. You've truly outdone yourself, I think."
She couldn't help but wonder if they'd be staying in the hotel for the night, too. She wouldn't be surprised given the level of it all, Todd clearly wanting to do something very special for the two of them. After a moment she took another bite of the food, this one being just as good and if not better than the last bite.
"I can't believe you managed to pull this off without me knowing, and my mother.. I'm sure she can't wait. No wonder they were so quick to say yes to taking the kids for the weekend.."
He knew he had hit the spot when words began to fail her, the one woman he knew good and well always had a detail to say about someone or something. But when she was lost for words, Todd knew it was because she was shocked. And how good that it was because of what he had planned so far, everything worked like clockwork as nothing had gotten out of the order.
“Well, your mom is quite a good sidekick if I can add,” he said with a chuckle.
Knowing she would over them the second she had the chance of calling or talking to them both. She had asked for the millionth time for Todd to tell her all the details and tell her if the date was successful in the end, although she never doubted it would. Todd knew that he had earned a spot in their heart, his parents-in-law always happy whenever he showed up at their house, the smiles only growing from the very first time he took a step into the Addison’s household, then walking with Vixey as a married couple. And when the kids came, they took their role as grandparents very seriously.
Todd knew they were rooting for them unlike anyone else, and it felt nice. It felt nice to have people like them as a family, after being alone for so long, and finding out he had an aunt when he was 25. His world was upside down, but only for good things. Alice had turned out to be the mother he never knew he needed, even though he would always love his grandmother, having his aunt Alice around felt like a missing puzzle piece from himself that went back into place.
None of that could compare though to being finally able to call something, someone his own, and be a part of someone, of something. A half of a whole. His mind going back to their wedding day, his heart skipping a beat when he heard Vixey say I do to him. He had never felt happier.
He had loved her so much from the very first time he had seen her, and he still did. More than ever. And he knew he wouldn’t love anyone else like he loved her for as long as he lived. Todd could only smile as he watched Vixey enjoy all the different meals in front of them, himself eating as well while recalling the many memories those dishes brought back. He loved when they spent their birthdays, or holidays by themselves, but Todd would be lying if he said that he never looked forward to spending some with her parents. It made it all a little more homelike.
Todd pushed his empty plate aside as he looked over at Vixey before he reached out to her and brought her hand to his lips, pressing a kiss near her rings.
“There is one thing left to do that I have saved for the last,” he said with a smile as he stood up and circled the table before he stood next to Vixey, his hand out for her.
“Will you dance with me?” he asked with a sweet smile before he walked them both out to the center of the candle trail, forming a circle around them both. Music was heard next from the speakers around them, the same song they had danced to at the park when they were spending their first Valentine’s Day together.
Todd kept Vixey close to him, his hand on her lower back, his other hand keeping hers right one pressed against his chest, against his beating heart.
“I promise I won’t do any crazy steps,” he teased with a chuckle as he looked at her warmly.
After her accident, they had stopped their dancing -they rarely did now. Mostly saving it up for a wedding or a gala or something where they could do it because Todd was completely scared, terrified of hurting her and causing her any pain or even bump her bad knee.
But a little slow dancing hurt nobody, himself just keeping her close to him and swaying them gently to the rhythm of the song. Todd just wanted to keep her close to him. They hadn’t been this close to each other in so long. Even before the disaster that happened, with work, the kids and just running around being a parent 24/7, Todd and Vixey rarely had time for them both.
Whatever happened that night, he would find more time for things like these. Moments like those. More memories to create together. He pressed his forehead against hers before he hugged her closer to him, his cheek pressed against her cheek.
“Do you still love me?” he asked as he kept swaying them both gently.
“After all these years, do you still want me?”
Todd kept Vixey close to him, his thumb caressing the knuckles of her hand as he kept her against his chest.
“Will you hurt me again?” he asked, his face pulling away to look at her when he felt her eyes on him.
His blue eyes looked at her, and there was no malice, no intention of making her feel guilty or bad about what she did. His blue eyes just looked at her warmly, no sign of resentment or hurt in them as he took in his wife’s eyes. There was nothing that he wanted more than to move on, and leave all that dark and grey episode that had happened past them.
He wanted nothing more than to love her with no reservations, no doubt, not fear. Like he had been doing all these years, but he needed to hear her words saying it. Todd needed that confirmation from her, from his wife to know he could move on and walk back to her without any warning of him getting hurt again like that. He longed to wake up to her sleeping face next to him, and not some cold and empty side of the bed, longed for her to greet him when he came back home, for her touch, for her love. He wanted to forgive, and he was ready. And if even if he had to remind her every day, he would.
"I've always said you're my mom's favorite, your skills in the kitchen earned you the bonus points, so I'm really not surprised." she said, glancing down at her plate again before taking another bite.
Vixey's parents had liked Todd from the moment she had described him as one of her best friends all the way back at Wishing Well. They liked anyone who took care of Vixey and supported her in her passion for performing. Todd had earned a top spot in their hearts a long time ago and even the darkest of times between the two of them wasn't going to change that.
Dinner was splendid, better than anything else she could have asked for. It was the perfect mix of her home growing up and also the home she had grown to know now and she really couldn't have asked for more. She never doubted Todd's capabilities to take care of her and surprise her, and this was no exception. He had done incredibly well this time around.
When he got up and offered his hand to her she looked up at him through her eyelashes and reached out to take his hand with a smile.
"I'll always dance with you." she said.
Of course they had to dance, after all it was their thing, it had always been their thing. She'd never forget that first night of rehearsal when the two were paired to dance together. Todd caught on to the dance steps much faster than Vixey, but it only pushed her to get them sooner and resulted in her deciding, at sixteen nonetheless, that her dance partner for all future productions the two were in together would be Todd. She was a favorite of the director so convincing her of the pairing of the two really wasn't so difficult.
In the end Vixey would absolutely say it had worked out in her favor. And she'd always commend Todd for sticking around for her. Or, she'd at least thank the gods for him being single when she bumped into him that day on the street after all those years. It was fate, if you asked her.
She kept close to him as they danced, the memories swirling around in her head. Todd truly was her favorite dancing partner. She was incredibly thankful for this moment for many reasons, for giving them the opportunity to dance together again, for allowing them to be alone together again, for allowing them to be so close, Vixey felt as though she could go on and on.
Her eyes met his as he pressed his forehead to hers and he brought her just a bit closer. When he asked her if she still loved him she caught her breath for a moment, but just the most brief of moments. She wasn't surprised by the question, just caught off guard. As he went on and asked if she'd hurt him again she wanted to fall to the ground in his arms, that question took everything out of her.
She immediately felt weak, but she didn't flinch, she kept her composure as she swayed with him in his arms, moving with the rhythm of the very song they danced to together on their first Valentine's Day as a couple. She took a moment to calm herself and focus on her breathing before finally responding, her blue eyes shining back at him.
"Todd," she began, moving one of her hands to his cheek, locking her gaze on him, a gaze that was full of love and warmth, and truth.
She could look back into his eyes for a lifetime without averting her gaze. Todd Summers was the only one for Vixey Addison, and though she may have had a moment of weakness, a moment where her loneliness and perhaps even hint of depression, though not severe, had taken over, she'd never stray from him again. Though she had found a resemblance of comfort with her costar for an incredibly small handful of nights of a tour, she never felt complete. She had never felt anything remotely close to love or support or even admiration from that man.
Truthfully she wasn't even sure what it was. It was someone there willing to wrap their arms around her in a time of need, a time when really all she needed was her husband and children, but they were hundreds of miles away. She should have called them then. She should have called them because Todd would have been there in a heartbeat in her time of need. But she didn't. And she'd forever regret it. But that was behind them and Vixey was more than ready to take that jump, to push it all away, bury it with the hatchet.
Her blue eyes were locked on him as she spoke, her thumb caressing his cheek.
"I love you, with my whole heart. I never stopped loving you. I lost my way, but I never stopped loving you." she said.
"I want you. I want you, and all of you, for the rest of my life, every day, every night. You are my home, and I want to be home."
As she spoke a single tear fell from her eye, normally she would have tried to blink it away but she knew there wasn't any use.
"I vow to never hurt you again, for as long as I live. I live with that regret every waking moment. I tear myself down because of that. I couldn't live with myself if I ever were to hurt you again - I've barely hung on now. Todd, I'll be honest, if it weren't for those kids-"
A few more tears fell now, but she didn't break her gaze, she couldn't finish that sentence.
"I love you, so much."
His blue eyes had locked with her gaze for as long as she was speaking, as she opened her heart out to him, and spoke her truth but spoke about what their future would hold for them. For as long as they were together, whenever she was hurting, he was too. He felt her pain and carried it along with him, because he wanted to take it away from her, to stop the source of that ache that she was feeling. He had been feeling that open would along with her all those months they were apart.
But what she said felt like the last piece that he needed. Todd knew that for him to come back to her, for him to step back into their house he needed to trust her again. And that would take time. But he had slowly built it back again, with her aid, with her touch, and her presence. Todd knew that as long as he was with Vixey, he would be okay. They would okay.
His arms pulled her closer to him, wrapping around her small frame the second she said that she loved him, hugging her close and tight, before his hands moved to each side of her face. Todd’s lips kissed her face, kissing away all the tears that had managed to slip from her eyes. He loved that woman so much, he loved Vixey so completely, with every fiber of his being, with every ounce of strength that he had. He was convinced that he would show her that and remind her that she still had him.
After everything. After all those years. He was going to remind her that he was there everyday so she would never stray away again.
“I forgive you,” he said as his forehead pressed against Vixey’s.
His blue eyes looked at her, taking in the reflect of every light around them on her blue of her eyes, his own gaze sincere, letting her know that he wasn’t saying that just to make her feel better or to close that wound between them. But because he really felt it. Todd would have done it in a heartbeat months ago but the pain had been so strong that he couldn’t think straight. And now, after there had been time, enough time to settle down all those emotions, he was able to see clearly again.
And he was not willing to lose Vixey. No matter what.
“I love you, I love you so much” he said as he looked at her, his thumbs caressing her cheek, before he leaned to capture her lips with his.
That kiss felt like a drink of water after being thirsty for so long, the kiss sweet and soft, until his lips ghosted over hers, before his lips moved to press various pecks on her cheek before he brought her closer to her in an embrace once again, letting his lips rest against her bare shoulder.
“I want to come back home, back to you,” he said against her shoulder as he kept Vixey close to him, almost he needed her warmth, her presence and her touch to breathe and to live.
“I want to be your husband once again,” he said as he pulled his face away just a little to press a kiss to her temple.
Todd felt the urgent need to keep her close to him, the lack of touch and contact between them turning into something harder for him than he had expected or wished to admit. But now that he was holding her, the touch of her lips, the faint brush of the skin of her hands against his face, it felt like he was coming back to life once again. Coming out for air after holding his breath for far too long.
The music, the candles, the light, the city around them and their noises had died already for Todd as his only focus right now was Vixey. She had all of his attention, all of him in that moment, his eyes only looking at her like she was the only woman in the world right now. And to him she was, she was the only woman for him, the one person he’d spend the rest of his life with, his blue eyes locking on her before he smiled warmly at her, a smile that he only had when she was around. His thumbs caressed her cheeks gently before he leaned in to press his lips against hers in a kiss.
The look in his eyes said it all, his eyes always held truth behind his words. She fought back more tears as he said he forgave her, simply letting out a single quiet sob before looking back at him, her eyes full of love and thankfulness.
She wrapped her arms tighter around him as he pulled her closer and planted kisses on her cheeks. Her walls were coming back down at the sound of him expressing that he wanted to come back home to his wife, his family, he wanted them to be a family again. She had waited for so long to hear him say that and was more than relieved and more than ready, and she knew the kids would be too.
"I want you to come back home to me," she whispered.
She brought her hands to his face again, looking back into his eyes, she couldn't look away. She didn't want to. It felt like the two of them had lifted the biggest weight off their shoulders, off their relationship. The dark cloud that had been lingering over them had disappeared, they had weathered the storm together, and there was still some trust to build back and Vixey was going to do everything she could to earn that trust back.
She couldn't bare the thought of doing anything to hurt him or betray his trust again. She wouldn't. That smile was one she longed for, the look on Todd's face when he saw Vixey had always been one of such warmth and love and she was more than thankful for that love now.
It was like the world had stopped just for the two of them in that moment, that moment when her hands fell from his face and he took hers in his own and pressed his lips against hers. The feelings she was experiencing were those similar to those she felt at their wedding, like she was giving herself to him all over again, all of her, recommitting herself to him. This was her vow renewal to him, a promise that they would be okay.
"You are the only man I want to spend the rest of my life with," she said softly, breaking the kiss only long enough to tell him that before pressing her lips back against his.
Her hand came up and rest against the back of his neck while the other rest on his shoulder, keeping herself as close to him as she could. She didn't want this moment to end.
Vixey could only imagine how good it felt for Todd, having left the redhead speechless. It wasn’t common, Vixey Addison always had something to say, she was a last word kind of gal, she always had been and always would be. So Todd, now having left her pretty speechless after that, would go down in history. And to put the cherry on top, he was teasing her more. “I only hope to be,” she said in reply, a stupid smile stuck across her face as she looked back at Todd playfully. It wasn’t like her to be so playful in broad daylight in a coffee shop, Vixey was more of an after sunset kind of going out with people person, usually late after shows, but something about this felt really good.
The man’s smirk was huge at this point, getting comfortable with his cup of coffee as he watched the redhead let it all sink in; the man even laughed a bit at the situation as his eyes drifted down to the table for a second. Who would have thought -a commoner like him with nothing special to anyone’s eye- getting this high profile lady without a word to say or joke for that matter. Out through the window were whatever jokes were left about his kissing abilities -of that he was sure. And it wasn’t like Todd wouldn’t repeat this move in the future. The most efficient way to get the woman to stop talking. “Well, since you never told me who was the worst kiss ever during a show, how’s your day been? Anything interesting from the glitter and glamour world?” he was teasing again, making her come back to earth from whatever train of thought she was in.
