chapters written together never fade [tag; memphis]

Her bottom lip was drawn between her straight white teeth as pale grey eyes washed over Memphis’s face. She traced the line of his jaw, the fullness of his lips and up the length of his nose. She locked his face in her mind, wishing to never forget it not even in her old age. “But are you sure…I mean are we ready..” Was she ready? It was a question that held more weight than the young Elemental thought it should have. It was different waking up next to Memphis now then it would be once they lived together. The things he found adorable now might bug him later. Seeing her all the time might dim the intensity of their relationship.  Ready, such a definite state of being as if once decided there was no going back.  It scared her and confused her all at the same time. What if this step changed the very course of their relationship?

“I mean I-I want to…” Her hand rose to push the long auburn locks from her face as her pale grey eyes locked on grey eyes just a few shades darker. Her heart calmed in the storm of his gaze. She felt safe and she knew she was loved. But to live together was to be responsible. It solidified their relationship more than most things from the past. Memphis had been there at her lowest and still he loved her. He loved her despite the small changes in who she was, the tiniest shift in her usually calm demeanor. “What if it changes too much of what makes us….us?” She was so afraid of losing what they had that she was missing sight of what they were planning to build.

Memphis was the first of everything for the former Ravenclaw. She wanted their memories to grow, to become the stories they told their grandchildren. Grandchildren, if they would ever exist. “Where would we stay?” Suddenly all the questions rose to the surface.  “Will we take Domino?” As she spoke she reluctantly broke his gaze to look at the sleeping Dalmatian on the kitchen floor. “Do we keep our furniture or buy new furniture?” In true Phridae fashion her mind took over because of her nerves and she listed off the questions as they popped into her head. "My piano?" She looked over at the piano and bench where they had shared their first 'I love you's' as she asked. As much as she wanted this, as happy as she was they were even talking about it there was still the doubt.

Not the doubt in him or their relationship but a doubt in herself. A doubt that nestled into her mind as all the things of her pass still sprung randomly to the surface. It hung there just as the pendant around her neck, as if it had always been a part of her.  “Are you sure…” Because in the end it would be all that mattered, ready or not they had to be sure.


@Memphis Gredel

"I am completely, totally sure." He told her with a straight face that eagerly broke into a soft smile. He wanted to move forward with her in a way he had never felt up to with anyone before. He wanted to start their lives 'together' and this seemed like a reasonable step toward that. He wanted to be able to open his eyes in the middle of the night and know she was there in the darkness beside him. He wanted to see her beautiful face each and every morning. And more than anything he wanted to be able to kiss her anytime. He could tell she was nervous about the idea but he did what he could not to pressure her into making a decision she might later regret.

Sure it would hurt him if she declined, but he would do his best to hide that from her. Her doubt was only slightly contagious as she continued to ask questions but he fought to keep himself from falling down the rabbit hole. "Of course we can take Domino." He chuckled a little, wanting nothing more than to nuzzle into her neck but instead he kept nodding along to her questions. "Well I suppose that will be on a case by case basis." He said softly about their furniture. Sure there were some things she'd probably want to take a long with her but Memphis wasn't entirely attached to any of his possessions. She was really the only thing he needed in their new place, everything else would be an after thought.

"We could find a place with a great big window for your piano to sit by." He sat up a little from where he was to paint her a verbal picture, an eagerness in his voice that was reserved only for her. "We can get special panes of glass so the suns light comes through but doesn't heat up the room by much." He wanted everything to be perfect for her and something told him having a special place for her piano would make it feel a little more like home.

"Dae." He scorned her playfully with another chuckle before he buried his face into her neck, embracing her warmly and whispering.

"I love you, I'm sure.

She hates that she’d become the person who doubted the choices she made but she supposed they were the small things that kept her human. That allowed the small bit of shyness to remain intact after all she had been through and seen over the course of her life. Why this scared her, she couldn’t be sure. Maybe because despite her calm demeanor beneath she was always a bundle of nerves around Memphis. He woke something deep within her that reminded her of how sheltered her life had been and the vows she made to never do the same to any children she might have. He was sure and that was all she cared about because she knew that her own doubt would fade with time, it had to. Since her time at the council she felt different, less of herself than she ever had and she wondered if he could sense the change too. Could he feel that the light that had once been there had been dimmed by lies and secrets? Could he see the frown that dashed across her face as a new memory surfaced? Could he tell that she was less of herself than she wanted to be or was she still the woman he had fallen in love with? Those were her doubts, the small voices in her head that made her question everything that lay ahead.

Her smile was bright as her light eyes searched his face.  Having thugs that she cared for around her would make the transition smooth. Memphis was the reason she wanted the change but losing the small bits of her life to have this with him would bother her. She had to hold tight to the things she felt defined her, even if it had four legs and a wagging tail. “I’m glad, he’s becomes quite important to me.” She admitted softly, once more brushing the long locks of her hair back from her face.  “Maybe the couches and the bed? Their fairly new and it would save on having to find something else?” her nervousness had lessened as they spoke about the things that bothered her. She was now thinking of what she would and wouldn’t take, of what was and wasn’t important. She had so much and she assumed that having it stored with her parents seemed smartest. Her father would not be pleased with this choice, though he had never really be fond of Memphis.  He feared the elemental would take from him the only legacy he’d been privileged to have though Phridae was sure it was more his ego than anything.

“if we can’t find a place that will fit my piano…” she looked at it again, the only gift from her father that had ever mattered, and decided change was okay. “…I could get a keyboard.” As s said it her neat brows pulled together. She would rather not lose this part of her life but for Memphis she was sure a lot would be changed and she would be okay with it. There had been a time when she’d stopped writing music and the absence of it had nearly destroyed her soul. Music was a part of who she was, engrained into her at such a young age that to live without it would be to live a lie. “but I love the idea you have for the windows.” She'd grown quite sensitive to heat and she wondered if it had to do with her memory coming back or if it was just something that Garth’s had to live with. She hated change more than she hated deceitfulness. It meant she was forced to adjust and that meant she herself was forced to change. Her thoughts were stilled by his warmth, by his closeness that she sighed softly as her arms slide around him, shifting her body closer.

“I love you too.” Her lips found his neck where the gentlest kiss was left. “I know I’ve been doubting so much lately but I promise it is more me than you. I have so many questions that don’t have answers and I think that has spilled over into everything else. I want this, to wake up next to you, I do.” She kissed along his jaw, “Where would you like to move?” Ireland had been home for so long she was afraid no other place would do. “or should we talk about that next?”

Her nervousness about moving in together was endearing and adorable all at the same time but most of all Memphis was trying to not let it worry him. He had to reassure himself that she was worried about the change, about the new chapter, not about them. They were happy. He felt happy anyway and she seemed happy and things seemed to just be right. It was a strange feeling, especially for Memphis, like things were the way they were supposed to be. He always felt like he had to keep moving, like if he stopped for a minute the world would pass him by and he'd be left with nothing. But when he spent time with Dae he found himself wishing time would just slow down if not stop all together. The world could whiz by him and he couldn't care less as long as she was sitting next to him. Nodding along as she mentioned keeping the couches and her bed he agreed. He was pretty flexible when it came to things like this. Memphis was by nature a bit transient so he didn't have many things to bring with him. His books, all of his books if she would allow it, but other than that he really didn't have much to contribute to their new home.

Their new home.

It had a good ring to it and the thought made him smile at her until it was replaced with a firm set jaw and the shaking of his head. "Absolutely not." He replied quickly, polite but firm. This was nonnegotiable. He knew how important the piano was to her and there was no way they were going to leave it behind. Especially not for akeyboard. Honestly the Elemental knew next to nothing about music but he felt like if a Keyboard was comparable to a real piano she would already have one. "Even if we have to put the keyboard in the bedroom and the mattress in the kitchen we will bring the piano." He winked at her now, playfulness falling back onto his face with an ease and comfort he reserved just for her. When she kissed his neck his heart sped up and the cooled skin tingled underneath. She had the power to drive him wild regardless of how gentle and brief the small kiss had been. There was something about her that was intoxicating to him even as they were talking about things that would of typically at the flighty young wizard running for the hills. "I know, I believe you.." He responded softly, trying to assuage her fears even as she was trying to do the same for him. Memphis began to move out of where they were sitting, a smirk falling on his sharp features.

"How about," he began, holding his hand out to her to join him as he did, "We go upstairs, I think I saw a map up there we could start working on the details." But honestly Memphis had no inclinations to talk about the details anymore. There were however some highly detailed things he wanted to do up stairs and the smile on his face more than likely gave that away.


Moving forward about one week after the two have decided on a general location and have begun the search for an apartment.


"How about this one Dae? It's got high ceilings." He pointed at the picture on the large piece of parchment they had folded out across her dining table. It was a magical brochure that updated nightly with new listings in the area and had pictures of the available spaces. So far they'd been to see a few small apartments in the north end of the city but nothing had really caught their eye yet. Memphis didn't have many qualifications for what he wanted in their place but there were a few things. For one it had to have running water and there had been one flat that didn't yet. He knew a lot of wizarding communities didn't have physical plumbing in the same way that muggle ones did but that was what magic was for. The idea that they'd have to run outside and into a small shack to use the facilities was just absurd to the young man. The second place was backed up to a meat factory and it didn't exactly smell too wonderful and that was in the dead of winter. He could barely imagine what it might smell like in the hot humid summer. The idea made him queasy. "It's a studio but maybe that's okay?" He wasn't sure if she was okay with something wide open or if she would prefer something a bit more traditional with rooms and privacy. Memphis liked open spaces but honestly he liked whatever space she was in.

Petting the dog that was waiting for scraps of their take out Chinese food from under the table he smiled at her. This was a good life they had carved out and it was barely just beginning. The furher they got toward finding a place that was their very own the more he could see the two of them spending the rest of their unnaturally long lives together. They had all the time in the world, or at least it felt that way, it was like floating on air. He loosened the tie that was hanging around his neck, having forgotten to take it off after coming home from working at the shop in Neroli and then the thought occurred to him. "Would you be open to moving to Neroli? Or do you want to stay on this side?" He didn't mind the commute, after all air elementals could basically whisk themselves anywhere so he had deferred to her when it came to location. As her wand magic started to fade he knew it would be harder and harder if not impossible for her to aparate which meant she would need to use other means of transportation. He wanted to make her life as easily as he could but maybe she would enjoy living in Italy. He had heard it was quite an inspiring place to be. "I don't mind staying around here though, not at all..."

She couldn’t help the smile that crossed her face, pale eyes closing for a moment. As willing as she was to change and leave things behind she had hoped most that her piano hadn’t been one of them. The Garth had owned the piano all her life, well, for as long as she could play.  Her laugh was light as her hair swayed with the shake of her head, “Hopefully we won’t, though it would be far easier during meals. Breakfast in bed would have a whole new meaning.” Her eyes sparkled as she looked at Memphis, her gaze tracing over the sharp features of his face. She could still remember meeting him that day at the ice rink as if it were just happening all over again. The butterflies in her stomach whose wings matched the rapid beating of her heart. The calmness that befell her in his presence, it was all so fresh in her mind, it always was.

Her gaze followed him as he stood and she blushed as he gave a smirk. Phridae could feel the heat in her cheeks and she wanted to reach up and cover them, instead she reached out to take her boyfriend’s hand, standing. “The details, huh?” Her lips twitch as she rose up to kiss him, shifting as a hand rested on his chest to whisper, “I’ve been thinking about the details all day.” A delicate hand ran along his chest as she moved to walk up the stairs, glancing back over her shoulder at him as she disappeared into the bedroom.



“Hmm?” She walked over, taking her seat as the glasses were placed on the table. Her leg moved to rest under her body as Phridae leaned to look where Memphis was pointing. “That’s nice.” As had been what she thought of the place they had visited with no water. She could still smell the second place on the clothes she’d worn there. Her lips pursed as her expression became thoughtful, “I think it is okay, if you don’t mind the lack of muffling for my playing..” Her gaze shifted to the piano as she said this. She didn’t play in the middle of the night anymore; she found she was sleeping far better. Out of habit the elemental played first thing in the morning each day and just before bed each night.

She reached up to pull her hair over the side of one shoulder before grabbing an egg roll, her gaze shifting to rest on him instead of the apartment listings. Italy, it was beautiful she had to admit. Could she leave was the ultimate question. She knew that anyplace Memphis was she wanted to be, “That I would be open to.” Here she smiled, taking a small bite of the food in her hand. “If you would like a studio let’s see if we can find one there, “ Her brows knitted, “maybe we can find one with the wall from the place behind that awful meat place.” Her nose wrinkled up as if she could smell the odor. She had liked how the walls had been converted into shelves; it was the perfect place for all his books. The Ravenclaw smiled a bit as she remembered going to his apartment and her life changing forever.

“I think Neroli is just the place for us.” She was learning to travel without apparition and it proved hard at times but she was getting used to it. She was sure she could convince her father to expand the piano shop so she wasn’t traveling every day. As she thought of it she was qualified to work in a music shop that was already in Neroli that was a comforting thought.