Back In The Saddle Again

Walk This Way
Talk This Way
@lyall
The Outfit

The odd concert here and there was keeping them sitting comfortably now that The Eponykiums hadn't been on tour for months now, and the time she had had to spend with her family had been anything but taken from granted. Getting to wake up to her gorgeous husband- when he wasn't seeing to the pack- was a feeling she doubted she'd ever get used to and it was a far cry better than waking up to her snoring bandmates. Not that she'd tell him in case he decided to lord it over her when she 'got above her station', but still. Sometimes it was fun to push her luck just to get a rise out of Lyall (he reacted in the best ways most of the time) and if she pushed it too far... well there was always someway to make it up to him.

Anyways, it was date night. She had decided just a few hours before they were going out as the pack had been monopolising him again and she had spent most if the day with a few if them. That merited time off. She was getting antsy with being in the house a lot again. She didn't like being cooped up for more than a few hours at a time, but it wasn't as easy as it sounded to round up a few people to go out for a jaunt somewhere. Hell, she would take a walk from one end of Diagon and back again over nothing. Maybe a little slip into London for another tattoo...

She'd been organised enough to reserve them a table for the night, close to the door but also nearer the back so they had more privacy. She didn't want to be recognised, nor did she want anyone else's eyes stuck to her husband for the night. He had a demanding air about him that had originally drawn her eye that day at the festival, and now that he was hers... well she was still learning how to master ignoring it. No one else she had ever met was able to pin a person in place with a glance or a single word quite like him... and she was usually the bearer of said looks when she conveniently forgot she wasn't the Alpha, she was his second.

Going on tour again would hurt like a bitch. Worse, even. She'd miss him too much. And the pack. She'd be alone again...

"...You really do brush up nicely, Lyall. It's taking all of the willpower I possess to sit here looking at you, and leave your hair alone."

Lyall always missed her when she was gone, he missed her more than anything, really. Even when it was just a few days or when it was a tour, it hurt, it felt empty and like he was lacking in something. It was him and Rhia, always, it shouldn't have been anything else, really. They were always together, constantly together... He couldn't fathom a world without her, not at all. There were things that he believed in, and they were one of those things. He knew that he and Rhia were going to last through anything; they really already had. She had been there when he and Roland had been caught by the Werewolf Capture Unit, she had taken over the pack for him and had been there when they had got back, bruised and battered. They had survived that and they were still strong, so there was no doubt that they could handle everything after that as well. Merlin, if they could handle Roland at his grumpiest they were doing well. They had their pack together, they had their lives... And he was going to miss her when she went back on tour, he was going to be miserable. There was no way he could convince her not to go, he knew that... But at least they had portkeys and they had apparition, so he could see her, sometimes. He could see her when she had breaks and when it was doable, because his job was far easier to get nights off for.

He didn't want to think about that, though. He wanted to pretend like they were different, sometimes. Lyall had already made his peace with being a wolf, he had gone and accepted it ages before. There were times where it stung, of course, but he had moved past it. There were times, though... There were times where he just thought about them being normal, about them being a regular magical couple, one that didn't have to keep secrets. But they weren't like that. They were leaders of the pack, they were in charge... They had a group of kids that they needed to take care of, they had wolves that they were in charge of. He knew that he had to stand up and take responsibility, that he had to remember who they were and where they were. And that was fine and dandy, most of the time. Lyall never got a chance to pretend, not really. From the moment that they left the house he was still thinking of the pack, hoping that they had managed to get dinner ready for themselves (but knowing that they hadn't bothered to do it at all). He should have put Sammy in charge... Not Roland. Roland was likely taking advantage of it all and doing something really ridiculous. 

"There'll be plenty of time for that after dinner," he said, letting out a laugh. "I promise. And you look lovely as well, since I didn't get to say that before."

Soon, however, they were going to have to launch another tour. There was only so much money in the last album and already the sales were beginning to slow, and her greatest fear was being unable to provide for her and her's. Lyall deserved the world, as did the rest of their pack, and unfortunately the others just didn't have the kind of jobs to pool the resources they needed. She did. And she loved her career and all that came with it... it was just the part of having to leave the others behind that had kept her here for so long. But Rhia had never been able to stay in one place too long, even before she was bitten. Staying still made her anxious and tended to bring out the worst in her which was a side she had managed to keep hidden from her husband and the others pretty well. It was what she vented on stage when she became Avarice instead of Rhiannon Maccon, when the anger and the aggression riled the crowds and sent the music where it needed to go. Now... now she knew it was only a matter of time. They had their album ready, but the band were waiting on her hitting the launch button. Once she hit that... they would have a few months before the masses were screaming for the show.

Honestly, she felt guilty that on top of everything else that he had going on, that she had tied Lyall to the life she had chosen to lead. The secrecy. The stress. The distance and lack of communication. She was a bag of crazy excitement, and she tended to be all over him like a rash even after being home for close on to a year. She just couldn't seem to find the easy middle with things- it was go hard or go home with absolutely everything. So far it didn't seem to phase him all that much but then... he let so much run off him like water that she couldn't be sure if it did bother him or not. Hence, the sudden date night. Yes, she was feeling slightly needy- he was her's and she hadn't been seeing much of him. But it also enforced a situation where both of them could breathe without a whirlwind of activity or many, many people to keep an eye on. Here she could appreciate him in calm manner where he could be pampered with food and attention, and they had no time limit. Unless Roland phoned. Or Sammy. Really she was just praying that nothing went wrong while they were away.

Finally slipping her poncho over her head, she rested it on the back of her chair and removed her floppy hat so she could see him a little better. She had put in all of her effort tonight for him just like always. With, perhaps, a slightly more provacative dress. Hey, she was no saint. What fun would she be if she dressed as conservatively as the rest of the patrons in the Chutne?

"I'll hold you to that promise, babe." She wet her lip then reached for her glass, eyeing him over the rim with a happy smile. How had she gotten so lucky. She had went from having nothing to having everything... and she was fighting as fiercely as ever to keep it. "Thank you; it's new. The dress that is. And I distinctly remember you liking me in these boots, so as I am such a lovely person, I indulged for tonight." Keeping her expression innocent, she ran her boot up the inside of his leg and sighed contentedly. "Don't you just love suede?"

He missed Rhia when she was gone, almost more than anything. It always took him a few days to adjust to the sudden silence, or, rather, the lack of her voice. It was never silent in their home, not really, but as soon as Rhia left there was a gap between the words. Everyone could feel it, he was certain of that. They all ended up floating by as they tried to figure out how to push through the little emptiness that followed, and Lyall ended up singing more and more of her music in order to push away the longing. It wasn't like they didn't get to see each other at all when she was on tour; he would go out and see a few shoes, and magic did tend to make it a bit easier. But it wasn't the same as having Rhia there all the time, it wasn't anywhere close to the feeling of waking up with her at his side and being able to go along his day knowing that she was near. It was different, an adjustment, and he wondered if she ever felt that as well when she was gone. He was sure she felt something of the sort, and as his eyes fell on the witch across the table Lyall did his best to drink in everything about her: her fierce stance, the way that her hair fell, the exact position of the glint in her eye. 

Maybe, if he refused to blink, she would stay that way. Ingrained in his mind forever would be nice as well, and Lyall frowned as he recalled how he had never bothered to invest in a penseive. Maybe then he would be able to miss her less when she went, but even then it wasn't enough. It was a good thing that they could Floo and see each other for little moments, or that they could use the furnace to fire call one another. And, of course, technology. "You really know how to dress," he remarked, a bit disappointed as she got rid of a bit of the ensemble. Of course, that did let him see a bit more of her dress, which was just as lovely. But he did like the hat. 

"You went all out tonight, didn't you?" Lyall laughed, smiling proudly. He tried not to blush when the suede touched his leg; he wasn't an easily embarrassed man, not in his experience. "Definitely a fan of the boots, yes."

Arguably the hardest part, as hilarious as it would probably sound if she ever mentioned it to him, was the lack of his smell. The distinctive smell that she had only ever known to come from him which permeated everything and made her feel safe and balanced. When she went, she'd borrow something for the trip; an old tshirt or something he wouldn't miss too much. It was odd, really, constantly warring with herself. But that was because she'd had to separate the destructive side of her from the rest so she could lead a semblance of a normal life at home. The alternative... well she'd already lived that and already decided it wasn't something she wanted to let out of the box she had squashed it into. It didn't always stay there, of course. If someone tried to mess with them over the mortgage for instance, her other persona came to the phone to take the call and the person never tried it again. Or at least, not in a hurry. But those were rare occurrences and definitely times she'd prefer to keep under wraps.

A faint blush started on her cheeks, even after all these years, as Lyall sat and studied her. She had no illusions; the soft, vulnerable expression on his face gave him away. Not that it was immediately obvious, but then she knew him, and after a moment she reached her hand out over the table to squeeze his lightly as she smiled. She didn't say anything. She didn't need to. Neither of them did. As cliche as it was, Rhia would be the first to say she'd found her soulmate in life, and spending this kind of time with him was about as essential as breathing. "What can I say? I've had a lot of practice. It takes skill to look good in not only this kind of clothes, but your t shirts and boxers when I can't be bothered to get dressed." She caught his expression and rolled her eyes, catching back up her hat and slipping it back into place; slightly jauntier, so the brim didn't obscure her eyes again. Oh the things she did for him.

"Of course! I'm spending it with you; why wouldn't I?" She asked, acting shocked at the comment before flashing him a grin. She wiggled her foot a little then let it slide slowly back so the back of her knee met her other leg again. "I can't remember where I got them... a shame really. What'll I do when these get old? Got to keep you on your toes somehow..."

Lyall was certain that he was a simple enough man to understand. He knew what he wanted, he was sure that he understood what he needed, and everything seemed to line up in the end. He knew that Rhia could just look at him and know exactly what he was thinking, too. They were just that close, that well suited for one another. He didn't think that anyone else could do that, not even Milo. Sure, they were really good friends, but Rhia knew him. Rhia understood him. It was nice to be in that sort of relationship. They predicted each other's needs before anything happened, they understood what was going on and reacted the right way. He got nervous whenever she left, not because he didn't know what would happen, but because he dreaded being without her. He missed Rhia whenever she was gone. He didn't know what to do with himself, he ended up looking pitifully at the door sometimes to see when she would get home. It was pathetic, most of the time. He knew that he needed to get over the separation, really, that he needed to act more mature, but it was hard to see her go so often. 

He liked her job, though, he really did. He loved that they were both so invested in music, he loved how they were creative and inspiring people. He liked how much attention she paid to things, how she reacted around people that she didn't know. Rhia was always surprising him, which was nice. She was always doing things that shocked him, she was always proving how much she grew as a person. He didn't think that there was anyone out there that was better for him. "You look beautiful in everything, love," he said, smiling down at her. Whatever she did, she looked gorgeous. Lyall thought that he had never seen anyone pull off boxers and t-shirts as well as she did. She could wear anything and he was sure that it would be the best thing that he had ever seen. 

She put the hat back on, and he grinned, admiring the slight tilt of her head. "Anything you do keeps me on my toes."

IT was the trust as much as the love that made Rhia feel so secure when she came home. She knew that while he worried when she went out or was on tour, that he wasn't ever going to suspect her of straying. And likewise, the thought had never crossed her mind that he'd pull another woman into their bed just because she was momentarily absent. They fought at times just like every couple did... but it was resolved before it went to far. For their sakes and for the pack. And making it up to each other was always that much sweeter for it. When she had been younger she had never pictured herself settling down with a singular person for the rest of her life; mostly because she had been told she was high maintenance, too much to handle and wasn't wife material. But that had changed with Lyall. She felt like the woman she was always meant to be and she wished for nothing more,

The bond that had been forged via music and understanding? It was a better symphony than she had ever found elsewhere. Nowadays her music was shaped by it as he was her muse, and so were the others who had come into her life through him and through settling here. It had a beter purpose than general rebellion.  It was still as passionate, at times it was angry, but it now had depth. It had a reason to be made other than because she was angry at the world alongside her bandmates. She was sure her husband had come to realise it considering how often she was caught either watching him or randomly asking him things. His smile still shot through her like a loving knife like it had on the day they'd met and she doubted those nerves of excitement would ever lessen. They hadn't after all this time. "You too... though I generally prefer you without. A shame the kids wouldn't appreciate it as much."

She rolled her tongue in her mouth, her lips twisting a little as she watched him. Somehow, like a beautiful painting, she mever got tired of watching him. Never tired of noticing the details. Blowing him a kiss, she grinned. "I'd hate for you to grow bored or complacent, is all."

It was well known that Lyall didn't simply throw his trust around easily. There were people that he trusted, like Rhia and Cass, and then there were others. It made sense. After all, when you got close to people, you would notice them suspiciously disappearing for a few days a month. And he knew, he knew that there were people who would notice. There were others who wouldn't, but you couldn't tell that all at once. So he trusted mainly other wolves, he trusted the people that he had known for years upon years. It was rare that he would really trust other people, it was rare that he would bother to even interact with strangers. Lyall wasn't as paranoid as some of his friends, not by any means, but he didn't like risking things. No, that was wrong. He hated risking things. He hated being in a situation where it was a possibility that he would get his family hurt. They were the most important things to him. 

He never once thought that he would find someone as great as Rhia. She kept him on his toes, she kept him from being too boring... There wasn't anything that she couldn't do. She was happy, she was loyal, she was beautiful. She sang, too. They were a very artistic couple. She played her music, he had his art and his not as good opera voice. They were a good fit, and their kids-- albeit adopted-- did reflect that. "I think I would scandalize them," he said, letting out a little laugh. "Even Roland, and he can't see." Roland would know, though. He somehow knew everything even when they didn't want him to. 

"I don't think I could ever be when I'm around you."