[Scoarta] Good lives are gold [Mihaela]

It had been a long week. Lev was finally leaving Moscow, feeling excited and refreshed. He had been finalizing arrangements with the Metalmen and going to his first few practices. He had a lot left to do—finding a place to live high on his list. He didn’t want to stay with his mother any longer than he needed to, and his brothers were still in the house to boot. Even so, this weekend he was back in Scoarta, looking forward to finally telling his secret to his love. He had a hard time keeping this under-wraps, but also didn’t want to jinx it by speaking before the papers were signed. It was official now. He was a professional quidditch player. He could finally tell her, and hoped she wouldn’t be mad for keeping it a surprise.

He looked for her at the portkey drop-off. He knew she ought to be there waiting for him. He looked for a glimpse of her through the small crowd, and finally saw her. He could feel warmth rising in his chest just at the first glimpse of her. It had only been a week, but it felt like an eternity to be away from her. Lev knew he loved her. He knew she was the one. Even so, he had not yet begun to seriously consider marriage. He wanted to be stable first, able to financially support her as well as emotionally support her. He also wanted her father’s blessing. Her father liked him well enough—perhaps a bit less ever since he caught them fooling around—but he worried that the other would not think he was good enough.

“Mihaela!” He called out, trying to get her attention as he pushed through the crowd to get to her. When he finally reached her, he hugged her tightly, picking her up and spinning her. “I missed you.” He promised. “How’ve you been? Crying yourself to sleep every night in that empty bed of yours?” He teased.

@Mihaela Lupesco

Mihaela hated time away from Lev. Ever since they had begun dating they had spent very little time apart, she'd seen him every day during the term at Durmstrang, and it was a shock to be apart from him now. She didn't like the feeling, the separation, she wanted him around always. The Romanian had been a bit grumpy in the last week, barking orders to the young witches she had been teaching, and barely finishing her duties for the town. She'd been so distracted she'd almost gotten bitten when they went to relocate an injured dragon in the mountains two nights ago. It was obvious what had her out of sorts, her loneliness was almost palpable, but now Lev was coming back to Scoarta and Mihaela was excited to see him.

She dressed appropriately, plenty of skin of display for him but not so much that anyone else would see what belonged to him and him alone. Waiting alongside the other lovestruck witches a part of her, the independent warrior part, hated that she had been reduced to this but the rest of her fully leaned into it. She was in love with him, she'd sacrifice everything for him, even her independence, but she also knew he'd never ask, and that made her love him that much more. She wasn't desperate, she wasn't pathetic, she was stronger because of her love for him.

"Lev!" She called back, basically pushing one of the other women out of her way as she rushed to him. She giggled, nuzzling into his neck as he spun her around, tanned legs lifting off the ground. "Missed you too," she murmured as the rest of the town and the world disappeared around them. Merlin, she had missed him. "Not crying," she said, standing up straight and giving him a mischievously flirtly look, "Had ta' get a might creative in your absence, though." She teased.

While she knew he had been in Moscow he had been rather cryptic about why he was going there. At first she thought to ask, but the way he hadn't mentioned had put her off of prying. She trusted him to have a good reason, and she knew he'd tell her when it made sense, and besides she didn't want to ruin any surprise he might have planned. Of course the young witch (after quite a few girls nights with her cousins) had come to the conclusion that he had been away buying a ring for her.

Lev buried his face in Miahela’s neck, nuzzling her back as he spun her. Like for her, the world slowly disappeared around her. He forgot everything that had happened the past week, and was entirely focused on this moment with her. Why had he ever left? Would he leave again—no, he didn’t want to. He knew, in the back of his mind, he would need to be away from her, but maybe they could work this out. Weekends alternating between Scoarta and Moscow? She would certainly be excited for him, but he also knew she was needed there. He would rather have been there, but how could he pass up this opportunity for fame, money? He could work a few years and pay for the rest of their lives together. He just had to be careful.

“Oh, did you?” He teased about her creativity. “You’ll have to show me when we get back to yours. I’m curious.” He teased. He wasn’t curious, he was excited, and he was ready to have her right there. They didn’t need to sneak around anymore like that had at school. They could be openly in love now. It wasn’t like her dad didn’t know about them, though they did still have to be careful where they made that love, they didn’t have to worry about hugging and kissing, snuggling, holding hands. He was eager.

In a few months, after he got used to work and had saved up, a bit, he’d buy her a nice ring. He’d ask her dad for permission and he’d marry the hell out of her. He had this all planned out.

He grabbed her hand after putting her down. He didn’t have much, just one suitcase he hoisted up. “Lead the way, Lupesco.” He smiled, imagining her with his surname. He loved her so much. “I got some news for you… let’s get out of this crowd. I don’t want the whole world hearing.”

Everything was better now that she was in his arms again. Mihaela had gotten lonelier than she'd like to admit in his absence but now none of that mattered anymore. Her crankiness, her longing, all of it washed away as his hands ran down her back and her feet fell back to the ground. "Oh, I'll show you," She winked at him without bothering to whisper or keep the other witches from knowing just what she was talking about. They weren't kids anymore, they weren't a proper married couple, but no one not even her father could keep them from being so openly in love it would probably make the other villagers sick in no time at all. Never one to shy away from public displays Mihaela gave him a kiss before they turned to head away from the landing area.

"Big news?" She asked, curiosity piqued and eyebrows raised.l Not that she needed a man to swoop in, claim her, and save the day but it would be a lie to think she hadn't thought about marrying Lev. She'd thought about it so many times, about the life they could have together, about how fun it would be. She loved him with everything she had and it was easy to think about those sorts of things,k about the future, it didn't scare the witch one bit. Of course, Mihaela thought about it, but she wasn't the sort of witch who sat in her room all day making collages out of cut out magazines planning a wedding. She wasn't thinking about the details, about where they might live, how they would make money, would they have a family, she was just thinking about spending every waking and sleeping moment with the love of her life.

Their hands intertwined she led him down a dirt path away from the center of the village. Headed toward one of the training sheds they had practiced fighting in during one of the first summers Lev had worked in Scoarta. It felt like a lifetime ago and yesterday all at once, but it always felt like that with him. Like she'd known him her whole life but there were still so many new and interesting things to learn and explore. "You 'member this place?" She asked him, pointing toward the wooden building she knew would be empty this time of day and smiling at him a little before she broke out in a run toward it. She wanted to know his news right now, no time to wait, and certainly no patience.

Did he remember this place? How could he possibly have forgotten. This place was one of his fondest memories, the thing that stated it all. He remembered many nights reliving the situation that happened between these walls, and was happy to go back there. He lugged his suitcase behind him as he struggled to keep up with his beautiful future wife. He grinned and put his stuff down as soon as they were inside.

He looked up at her, eager and excited. He was ready for a congratulations and wow he had missed this. It felt nice to see her again, even if he would have to continue to sneak around for a little bit until she got her own place. “So, I went to Moscow this past week. Got myself settled in a place, got a job—“ He smiled wider. “You’re looking at the newest player on the Moscow Metalmen.”

He let it sit in the air for a minute before he continued. “I know it’s going to suck having to come back and forth between here and there all the time, but I think we can make it work. Besides, you’re always welcome to stay with me.” He smiled. “One day, very very soon, we’re going to have ourselves our own place and I’m going to make love to you slowly, for hours and hours… and you can be as loud as you want.” He smiled. “No Delchev to catch us.” He teased, having been caught by their former Survival professor more times than he could count.

"Well hot damn," Mihaela said almost as soon as he'd told her the news and immediately she felt an enormous amount of happiness for him. She'd always known he was good enough to play professionally but hearing he'd been signed by a team, and Moscow to boot! was just icing on the cake. She smiled brightly at him and rushed closer for a quick hug. "So proud of you," she murmored into his neck before pulling back away and his words coaxed the reality of it. As it settled in she pulled a little face and then shrugged her shoulders, absolutely one hundred percent on board with doing the long distance thing.

Mihaela wasn't the most intelligent witch, not even emotionally, but she knew this was something Lev had wanted for longer than she'd even known him. And there was no way she'd ask him not to do it, even if the thought crossed her mind, which it hadn't. In this moment she was just amazed and excited for him, and while travelling wouldn't be a lot of fun, she had faith they would make it work. Just as much as she'd never ask him not to play, she knew he'd never expect her to upend the future she'd been moving toward her entire life either.

"You have no idea how nice that sounds," She winked at him as she said it, the idea of having a space of their own, privacy, and the ability to do whatever they wanted (as loudly as they liked) was certainly enticing. She wanted to do all of those things right here, right now, but she resisted a little while longer. "Tell me everythin', what was the try-out like? See anybody famous? Betcha you impressed the hell out of em' eh?" Wiggling her eyebrows at him she twisted a strand of chesnut brown hair in her finger and waited for the details.