[scotland] enchanted. [tag; dorian]

Amazing!

She'd never been camping before. Eloise wasn't opposed to it, far from it. Her family just always preferred to holiday abroad when she was younger. Eloise wasn't at all high maintenance and she supposed this wasn't really classed as "camping". She and Dorian were going to be spending a few nights in a log cabin, generously loaned to her by one of her work colleagues.

She'd been there most of the day, stocking the fridge, making sure the heating was working and everything was tidy. She'd told Dorian to pack an overnight bag and told him nothing else. She liked surprising him. After his art exhibition had taken a horrible nosedive, she wanted to make him happy again and what could make a person more happier than getting back to nature? Inside was beautiful. Wooden and cosy, there were a few well worn but comfortable leather sofas and a roaring fire that kept the April chill from the room.

It was large and fully furnished, pretty much like a home from home. The bedroom was her favourite. Paul, the man she'd borrowed the cabin from, used to come here with his wife and kids but hadn't been here for ages so had no problem letting her use it. As much as she loved Dorian, he wasn't particularly interested in the fact that people were able to see the Northern Lights in Scotland tonight. It'd make for some lovely photos. The spot was isolated, quiet, leafy and beautiful. It was entirely too perfect and she couldn't wait to show him.

There was a large chicken casserole slowly cooking in the oven as she made her way through the forest. The sun had just set and the chill had set in which was why she'd dressed accordingly. "Keep your eyes shut!" She called to Dorian with a laugh, her glossy blonde curls bouncing happily as she tightly gripped his hand and lead him through the trees, leaves and twigs crunching beneath the soles of her over the knee boots. It was amazing. Dusk had settled and already, ribbons of bright lime green could be seen shimmering through the canopy. She hoped he'd brought his camera. He usually took it everywhere with him.

"Watch your head," Eloise cajoled her boyfriend, reaching out her free hand to brush away low- hanging branches. Absently, she slipped her fingers  between his, trusting that he hadn't peeked. Eloise thought it'd be nice to spend a day or two completely alone with a beautiful backdrop. This natural phenomena very rarely happened and she couldn't think of anyone she'd want to spend it with. Nearly, she skirted the placid lake, pulling him behind her slowly. "There are a few steps," she informed him as she began to climb, the wood creaking under her weight before she grinned. The smell of pine was overwhelming and delicious combined with the hearty stew.

She reached out to take both of the artist's hand and direct him carefully over to the cute little veranda, squeezing his hands. "Ta-dah!" Eloise exclaimed, dropping his hands and raising them in the air triumphantly as she grinned. "Surprise!" She called, looking up at the beautiful dancing lights ahead. They made her face glow in the dim light and the ribbons of green matched her eyes perfectly. "What do you think?" She asked Dorian eagerly, eyes wide as she chewed on her lower lip nervously. "It's ours for the weekend," she went on to say, hoping against hope that he was enamoured with her little weekend away as much as she was.

The lights from inside the cabin were soft, seeping out and casting the area in a romantic, cosy glow. If Eloise could move into a tree, she would. Without any sort of hesitation at all. Nature was showing her best tonight. The shimmering lights moved through a cloudless spring sky, changing from green to blue to yellow and back again, growing brighter by the second. "It's so beautiful," she breathed as she leaned over the balcony a little, awe clear on her pretty face. "I hope you like it," she told him gently. Hopefully, it'd spark some sort of inspiration and creativity. He needed it.

Dorian liked surprises. And he especially likes surprises from Eloise.

So when she told him she made plans for the weekend, told him to pack a bag, but gave no other hint as to what they were doing, he was intrigued. It was safe to say that he hadn't exactly been in the best of moods lately. His first real art exhibition had failed miserably, the papers had nothing good to say, and no one had bought any of his paintings. Something he found equally unbelievable and depressing. Not because he imagined himself to be the next Van Gogh, but because he truly believed that this was his calling in life and yet he had still failed at it. He was rudderless as of late and he hoped this little reprieve would help him settle.

Dori's eyes were closed as he clutched tightly to El's hand, stumbling and tripping his way through the trees. He nearly fell and landed on his face twice before laughing and saying, "you'll be lucky if I get there in one piece!" He was dressed casually in sneakers, corduroys, a loose tshirt, a zipped jacket and one of his favorite dark beanies with his curly brown hair peeking out from all sides. His bag bounced along behind him against his butt, his camera carefully wrapped up in one of his sweaters.

Her warning to watch his head had him stooping, much lower than was actually needed if he had been able to see where he was going. But he couldn't keep the smile off his face. "Are we almost there?" he asked, the excitement sparking in his voice. He followed along behind her with unfailing faith, stepping up cautiously as his feet tried to find the steps she had mentioned. Her other hand found his and he squeezed back in response.

He was eagerly trying to figure out what it was, where they were. His sense of smell brought him pine and firewood and peace and something that smelled deliciously like chicken. His ears clued him in on gentle water nearby and birds. They had to be there right? "Can I open?" he said just before she ta-daed and he opened his eyes eagerly.

Wow! was all he could think!

Was this a house made around a tree? How amazing! Dori looked everywhere, couldn't get his fill of looking before he gazed down at his little blonde, his eyes shining brightly with love. "It's perfect," he said before leaning down and softly kissing her. He touched his forehead to hers before straightening and then with the excitement of a little boy asked, "can we look inside too? What's cooking!" And as if on cue, his stomach grumbled and he perked his brows as if to say 'see I'm hungry!'

Clasping her hand in his, he pulled her inside. Only to love the surprise that much more. The lights inside made it feel so warmy and cozy that Dorian wasn't sure if he was ever going to want to leave and go back to his sub-par apartment. "How did you find this place?" he asked as he turned to look at her with amazement.

He was so cute. He'd always been cute. The way that he hadn't once asked a question and followed her faithfully made her heart soar. Eloise was busy brushing branches out of her way but because she was half a foot shorter than her boyfriend, it tended to mean that Dorian was getting thwacked more often that she was. The path was fairly clear. During the summer, it must be some sort of beauty spot. It wasn't signposted. There was just a simple wooden arrow hanging from an oak tree, she thought the rustic touch was very sweet indeed.

Eloise laughed, startling a couple of roosting birds as he stooped too low through the woodland. She helped him climb the few stairs, slowly, taking one at a time as she guided him. Her bag was already in the cabin as she'd made it presentable with clean sheets and cutlery and she'd run around with various cleaning spells to shine the surfaces, clean the windows and get rid of any pesky cobwebs.

Letting go of his hands, Eloise watched him carefully as she chewed on her lower lip. Oh did he like it? She hoped he did. "Do you like it?" She asked cautiously, her green eyes impossibly wide. They were alone. Totally alone. Perhaps even for the first time. It was deathly quiet, except for a breeze rustling the leaves and one or two splashing ducks. It was a world away from busy London and bustling Paris. There were no neighbours, no rumbling trucks and cars, no shouting, no yelling. She hoped she hadn't unnerved him or rushed him. It wasn't exactly a "holiday" but it was the first time that they'd really been away from all of the stress of day-to-day living.

"Yeah?" Eloise asked, her pretty face breaking into a grin as she leaned up on her tiptoes, cupping his face to kiss him back. She let out a happy sigh as her eyes closed, enjoying the tender moment. "You've got a little --" trailing off, she giggled. A small hand reached up to gently pluck a leaf or two from the curls that had escaped his hat, letting them fall delicately to the decking with another smile. "Love you," she told him before he abruptly let her go, the cool wind swirling around her and causing her to shiver a little.

"Of course!" The petite blonde exclaimed, taking hold of the wrought iron handle and yanking it open. The smell of chicken, warm and hearty, mingled with pine and a scent of coconut that came from Eloise. Walking to the oven, she took off her hat and unzipped her cardigan, folding it neatly on one of the squishy leather sofas before opening the door and poking the thick stew with a fork. Not sure what he wanted to drink, Paul had left a bottle of wine, some beers and tea. He was just glad that someone wanted to use it. He'd told Eloise that he'd hate to see it go to waste but his wife hated nature and the kids were too big to all fit in the cabin now.

Blowing at her hair, she closed the door and turned to face him with a smile. "I borrowed it," Eloise said proudly, smiling brightly. "Paul, a man I work with, said we could use it. He doesn't come here any more and I thought you needed a bit of a time out." She didn't explain further. She assumed Dorian knew what she meant. Pausing, she kicked off her tall boots and wriggled her toes, covered in a bright fair isle knit patterned socks. The floor and the cabin was comfortably warm. "He said we could stay as long as we wanted but I figured a weekend was about enough in case you had things to do. Plus," she said with a smile. "Scotland's meant to be able to see the northern lights tonight."

How romantic would it be if they could experience that together? She just wanted to make him happy. If that meant feeding him and distracting him then yeah, she would, without hesitation. Eloise just thought it was cute and romantic.

Taking the heavy dish from the oven, she sucked a spot of gravy from her thumb before spooning it into two bowls. The meat had been slow cooked so it was packed with flavour and just melted, falling apart when touched. She hoped he liked it. "Come on!" She called, taking a loaf of freshly baked bread out of the oven, giving it a moment or two before cutting into it, a delightful smelling steam escaping as she inhaled. She hoped he had his camera. She was rather pleased with how dinner turned out and wanted it immortalised somehow.

Setting the bowls down, she chewed on the edge of some still warm bread and nodded. "Wait until you see the bathroom," Eloise grinned, wondering if he'd be blown away by it like she was. By the time they were eating, darkness had fallen and Eloise turned to look out of one of the windows and she sighed wistfully. "Is that the most beautiful thing you've ever seen?"

Dorian found himself smiling back at her as she giggled and took some leaves from his hair. He shook his head, his brown curls swinging this way and that, as he tried to dislodge any other greenery that had gotten caught in his hair. He followed her lead and began unbuttoning his outercoat and slipping off his shoes in a hasty fashion. His breathed a sigh of relief when he was finally barefoot, a habit that Dori would never give up, and he smiled quietly, loving the way the smooth wood floorboards felt against his toes.

"Paul? Do I know Paul?" he tried to keep his voice light, but he couldn't help the pinch he felt at the thought that some other guy could give his girlfriend such a magnificent house for the weekend and he could barely sell a painting. He turned and spied a couple of beers, which he busied himself with opening so that he would have time to compose his expression and forget about Paul.

He was sliding the caps off the beers when she mentioned the northern lights and surprised, Dorian swung back around, his blue eyes bright and questioning. "The Northern lights? Really?" Dorian had no idea. He wasn't really one to pay attention to the news or the Daily Prophet (except when the art critics were writing horrible reviews of his work apparently) so this was definitely news to him. "How? When!" He had a boyish smile of excitement on his face and it was evident in his tone too.

As Eloise puttered about in the kitchen area, preparing the meal for dinner while Dori nearly drooled at the smell, he found himself watching her from across the room with a dippy smile on his face. He didn't know how he had been so lucky to be blessed with such a perfect person that for some amazing reason loved him back. And the fact that she wanted to cook him an amazing dinner in a beautiful treehouse cabin under a once in a lifetime event that would light up Scotland's skies? Dorian didn't even think about grabbing his camera. One minute he was just standing there, the next he had the lens pointing toward his little blonde, snapping candids silently.

A silhouette of her against the stove. A close up of her thumb against her lips as she licked at something on her finger. Her smiling as she called out to him. He walked closer and set the camera on the table as he wrapped his arms around her and kissed the corner of her mouth. "Have I ever told you how amazing you are?" he whispered to her, his blue eyes on her green ones. He didn't know someone could ever be this precious to him.

They moved in perfect rhythm about the kitchen for the next few moments, him helping her with the food and place settings. Chatting and crackings jokes and every now and then snapping another photo because he couldn't resist the temptation. He wanted to remember every single moment he had with Eloise and this was how he did it. Finally when they had sat down across from each other, Dorian had dug in to his food and was not quiet in his praise over her cooking. It was damn good and he made sure she knew it.

He had been so focused on the delicious food and the mesmerizing blonde across from him, that he completely forgot for a moment about the Northern Lights that were supposed to show themselves. When Eloise called his attention to it, nodding to a nearby window, Dori's blue eyes widened and he set his fork down slowly. He had never seen something like this in person and he needed to be closer to it. He grabbed his camera, smiled at Eloise, and then nodded at the door, as he headed outside, feet still barefoot.

Dorian needed to be under the sky without a roof over his head. He needed to be as close to this as possible. He needed an unfettered view so he could try to snap off a perfectly framed photo. But as soon as he was on the deck, the cool air swirling around him, chilling and refreshing all at the same time, he momentarily forgot about his camera. He felt Eloise at his side and he pulled her closer and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Amazing," he said on a whisper as he took in the lights above him.

"I don't think so?" Eloise replied breezily, easily not noticing Dorian's inflection in his question. She offered him a sunny smile when she saw him barefoot. She'd removed her shoes but she left her thickly knitted socks on. She felt the cold very easily. She blew at her hair absently, tying it at the base of her neck in a ponytail so she could start to cook. "We work together," she informed him. "His wife and kids don't really come here any more so it's sort of just been…left," she added with a soft frown and a sigh. "He offered. I told him you were a photographer and he said there were squirrels and birds and stuff you might like."

Dorian referred to himself as an artist but Eloise accidentally introduced him as a photographer. It annoyed her mildly when he put his hobby on the back burner. She'd seen the gorgeous shots he took when they were in Tintagel. The amazing one he'd taken of the stairs and the wooden rope and the wild blue sea below was hanging in her living room. She'd even had to coerce him into letting her do that.

Hearing popping caps, Eloise turned and held her hand out for a bottle. She didn't have champagne tastes. She much preferred beer and take out and she thought Dori did too so she felt like it took a bit of the pressure off their relationship. "You didn't know?" The petite blonde asked with a sparkling laugh as she sipped her drink. "Dunno!" She said cheerily. "Someone sort of atmospheric shift? I don't think you'd see them in Paris. Too smoky. So this is why I whisked you away here. Sorry for not telling you," she blushed as she pulled one more leaf out of his hair.

Eloise loved love. She liked grand gestures and dating and dinners and holding hands but she sometimes doubted if she was romantic. Dorian was. He knew her so well and she fell more in love with him every single day. Honestly? She was greedy. She wanted Dorian all to herself, even for a few hours. They were miles away from traffic and business and even if they just sat in silence, she'd be fine with that. "It was on my bucket list," she said with a smile.

She heard the clicks of his camera but she didn't protest. She liked that he wanted to waste film on her and she did think it was a waste; she wasn't that great. She had no idea why he wanted to take so many snaps of her. Eloise hummed as she wandered around the kitchen, filling the sink as she went as she drank her beer. "Hey!" She laughed, turning around, her hair flaring out around her like a golden halo.

His arms around her made her feel a rush of warmth and affection and she grinned at him, closing her eyes at the quasi-kiss he placed on her face. "You have," she said with a grin, biting her lower lip before she shrugged casually, waving her hand through the air playfully. "But you can tell me again if you really want to," she implored him, leaning in to place a kiss on his nose. Simply put, Dorian Delerue made her happy. She could be herself with him, even the bad parts of her that he oddly seemed to cherish. Gently, she interlinked her fingers at the base of his neck, his curls soft. Could they skip dinner and just cuddle?

She blushed at the praise. It was just stew after all but her mother raised her properly to accept a compliment and she did. When they were done, she collected the dishes and placed them in the sink, washing up and drying and smacking his hands away as he attempted to help like she knew he would. He was so lovely. And helpful! Feeling warm and content, she pouted but she knew they'd come all this way to go outside. With one longing look over her shoulder at the cozy bed, she followed him out, still in her socks.

Eloise didn't need any urging. She stepped into his side and snuggled up, her eyes wide as she watched the ribbon of lights dance above their heads. Suddenly, she didn't feel all that cold. "How cool this this?" She asked, eyes wide. They didn't need to say anything. Reaching into the back pocket of her jeans, she pulled out a very old, very crumpled bit of parchment. Taking a pen, she swiftly crossed out "see the Northern Lights" from the list. She'd written it when she was twelve and she always had it on her. After all, things happen all the time and she'd be daft not to seize an opportunity.

She didn't notice he'd left his camera, too. Too awestruck and feeling oddly peaceful, she turned a little and pressed the tip of her cold nose into the side of his neck. "Oh!" She gushed, getting her parchment back out of her pocket and crossing off "stay in a log cabin" as well. Tilting her head back up to the sky, she squeeze his hip affectionately and sighed a little. Swiftly, she looked right at him and tilted her head and smiled at him as she watched him intently. "Hey," she said quietly. "That blue matches your eyes," she told him, pointing up at the sky. "How fun."

"Oh," Dori grumbled as Eloise spoke about Paul. A little v formed between his brows as he imagined Paul and his Eloise working together, but her gentle, light voice distracted him. Wife? Kids? Dori was slightly mollified by knowing that this Paul had his own girl and maybe he was just trying to be nice. And why shouldn't he? Dori was sure his El was an absolute angel to work with. His eyes caught on her hands as they put her hair up, distracted by her even in her most mundane tasks. He titled his head as he finally decided to let the whole Paul thing go. "Maybe we could go for a walk tomorrow. Bring my camera, see if we can catch any squirrels or birds or stuff?"

Dori smiled indulgently as he repeated her words and gazed at her with bright blue eyes. "This is why I keep you around," he teased with a shake of his head. He really would have missed the whole thing if not for Eloise. He would miss a lot of things without her and in that moment, he truly appreciated just how lucky he was. "I like your surprises," he told her with a goofy smile.

The lights, shifting and fading into one another like a technicolor rainbow alive in itself, was mesmerizing to him. Dorian shifted so that he was directly behind Eloise, folding her into his arms and loving the way she fit just right against him. It was easy as breathing being with her and knowing that something like this had been on her bucket list made it all that much better. He glanced down as she literally pulled out a list and crossed it off and he chuckled softly, kissing the top of her head.

Her hands on his hip made his heart squeeze in his chest and he met her gaze, falling into those green, green eyes of hers. "Yours are the sky too," he said just as quietly. And for a few long moments, Dorian just breathed, just lived in the moment. It seemed a very intimate thing for him, to gaze directly into someone else's eyes. But with Eloise, he craved that closeness. He was open to her in a way that he couldn't be with anyone else and it scared him sometimes, but he was always ready to fall into her headfirst. So when he leaned down to her, his lips seeking hers, it was gentle and sweet but full of passion and unsaid emotion and a keening sense longing.

"Right," Eloise responded with a grin. Only then did she realised that Dorian may have been feeling jealous. He was the good kind of jealous. The type that pouted and sulked and needed cuddling. Not the horrible type of jealous who got angry and hurt people. "I love squirrels!" The petite blonde gushed, bouncing on the spot and clapping her hands enthusiastically as she smiled up at him. She was going to suggest an early morning jaunt but she knew her love preferred a sleep in. From the quick look at the bedroom, she could see why. It was so quaint and so cosy, she doubted she'd be able to wake up without a struggle herself.

The familiar rush of warmth from his body made her smile softly, eyes closing as she crossed her arms over her chest so her palms were against his forearms. She wiggled her bum to snuggle up, tilting her head all the way back to grin up at him. This was nice. She felt safe. Sometimes, all she needed was a cuddle. Eloise wasn't the type of girl who needed fancy dinners and champagne and thankfully, Dorian seemed to realise that. There were better things for him to spend his money on. Like adventures.

"Yeah?" she asked with a dimpled grin, wrinkling her nose cutely. She was glad he didn't think her list was weird and that instead, he likened her eyes to the ribbons of colours over head. Feeling warm and fed, she leant her back against his chest. The only reason she wasn't asleep on her feet was because the air was fresh and cold.

She reacted instantly to his kiss. Eloise slowly turned, still keeping his arms around her but now rather, they were facing one another. Since she'd removed her boots, she was forced to stand on her tippy-toes to prevent him from hurting his back too much. She loved his kisses, his touches. Dorian's kisses were so leisurely and delicious, it was like he wasn't in a rush. It made her feel like she was the only woman in the world at that moment. Her toes curled in pleasure as she kissed him back, not giving two hoots about the light show over head. Instead, she smiled against his lips and manipulated his hands.

Placing them on the small of her back, her lithe fingers moved them so his fingers were curled, forcing him to take a handful of her black jumper. Breathless and breaking the kiss, she took a step back and coaxed him into raising them, pulling her jumper up and over her head, leaving her just in her jeans and her tailored white button down shirt. Delicately taking the jumper from him, she dropped it to the decking carelessly as she kissed him again, her hand searching for the cabin's door handle.

Tripping in, she laughed before closing it behind her. There was a skylight above the bed, they could see the lights from there…if they weren't already occupied. Cupping his face, she backed up, avoiding various dropped things with her bunny-senses before closing the bedroom door with a giggle.