the big question [Delilah]

[austinashleyrico]

I FEEL IT, YOU FEEL IT

that this was meant to be

Austin Rico took a long, slow look around his immediate surroundings. He'd spent pretty much the entire day getting things ready and he wanted to make certain that everything was perfect by the time Delilah arrived. It was a very special day and he meant to assure that nothing went wrong, that every detail, which had been carefully plan, was absolutely perfect. Honestly he'd been planning this day for months, detail by tiny detail. A week ago he'd traded days off with a co-worker so he would have the day to get ready. Not wanting to give Delilah any forewarning for what the evening would hold, he kept the change in schedule a secret. Austin got up like every morning, showered then got dressed like he was going to work. He even went as far as to leave the apartment building, walking down several blocks until he was out of site then crossing the street to a small coffee shop to wait. As expected, a short time later his long-time girlfriend, his high school sweetheart in fact, walked her usual route to the subway to attend classes before heading off to work. From the window of the coffee house he watched her stroll along the street with the ever-present smile upon her face.

Austin smiled then at the memory. He'd waited a few more minutes at the coffee shop then headed out to pick up a few things before heading back to the apartment. Even with all day to do what he wanted to do there wasn't much time to waste. He'd quickly changed clothes and performed a thorough cleaning of the place. That didn't take long because Lil always made sure that things were tended to but he did some cleaning regardless. Once that was finished he'd gone about strategically placing the items he'd purchased in the best possible places. Everything had been arranged then rearranged multiple times through out the day while Austin tended to other details. The last few times he'd looked over everything he hadn't made any changes but that didn't keep him from checking again. He chewed at the corner of his lower lip as his gaze swept over the living room once more. All seemed to be in its place and continually looking things over was starting to make him anxious, which was not a good thing.

Forcing his attention on something else, he headed down the hallway to the bathroom. Despite having already taken a shower that morning, Austin took another. It wasn't necessary, his activity for the day hadn't even made him break a sweat but it was an important night. Besides, he found showering to be a soothing endeavor and he could use as much of that as he could get. Following his shower he dealt with his hair. It could be a bit unruly and he often thought about cutting it short but knew that Delilah liked it the way it was. That alone was reason enough to put up with it. Once that was tended to Austin turned his attention to dressing. He had chosen muted tones, aside from his shirt. In that case he'd picked Lil's favorite, or at least what he thought was her favorite. It certainly fit the occasion and he hoped that she would approve. After that task was complete he made his way back to the living room. From there he could also see the dining room, which had been similarly decorated. Austin took another moment to study both rooms, this time chewing the nail of one thumb as he considered the placement of various objects.

The small tables on either side of the sofa each held a small decorative pot containing white orchids. Both tables, as well as the low coffee table in front of the couch, also had an arrangement of ivory candles, scented with vanilla. More candles stood tall in the center of the small dining table along with an arrangement of cut orchids. Austin continued chewing on his thumbnail as he finally managed to convince himself that the scene was about as perfect as he could provide, at least until Delilah returned home. He glanced at the clock and realized that it wouldn't be long now. A sudden wave of nervousness struck him and he quickly found the nearest place to sit. It wasn't that he was unsure about what he was going to do because that wasn't the case at all. What had him so worried was whether or not he could make it perfect.

Delilah had always been perfect in his eyes and Austin tried to make certain that everything he did for her lived up to the standard. Despite his efforts he wasn't sure that he ever truly succeeded. She always assured him that he did and to his knowledge she had never lied to him so he couldn't dispute anything. It wasn't that he didn't believe her. Austin had lived a very sheltered life and for that reason he'd always been somewhat insecure. Through the five plus years they had been together he became a lot more secure about a lot of things. Of course that wasn't to say that he didn't still struggle with insecurity. Especially in this instance when he wanted everything to be just so. Closing his eyes, Austin took a few slow, deep breaths to center himself. He didn't have much longer to get things ready now. Delilah would be walking through the door very shortly.

Pushing back to his feet, Austin's hand patted the right front pocket of his ivory trousers to assure the key detail for the night was where it should be. Though he could feel the object well enough through the fabric, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the small velvet pouch. That wasn't the important thing though, but rather the small trinket inside. After taking a second to assure that was still in place, he tucked the pouch back into his pocket and set himself to lighting candles. As he worked on that Austin continued his day long debate regarding just when was the right time to pop the question. It seems sort of like building the anticipation through the evening was the way to go, yet he honestly wasn't certain that his nerves could take that. Honestly he was leaning toward getting it out of the way early so they could both have an enjoyable evening as they started the next chapter in their lives together. Austin shook his head a bit. 'Getting it out of the way' made it sound like something dreaded rather than being a blessed event, as it should be. There wasn't much time to consider that however as in the next moment he heard the key turning in the lock. For a normal work day it was still early for him to be home and he couldn't help but wonder if Lil would notice the ambiance when she came in or if she would simply focus on the fact that he was home early, which would no doubt narrow her entire focus down to what was wrong with him to bring him home early.

tag:[/color] Delilah <3
words:[/color] 1232
clothes:[/color] right here
notes:[/color] Long and sucky
lyrics:[/color] Angel - Leona Lewis

[delilahadinabebinn]

The day went much like every other day did. Austin got up before she did, which she had never agreed with because she just wanted him next to her for as long as possible, curled at his side and listening to the steady sounds of his heartbeat. But that wasn’t going to happen so it didn’t take her long to get up as well after him because sleeping without him with her was just plain uncomfortable really. She was so used to having his much taller frame next to her that it felt unnatural to be in bed without him. Delilah never got much sleep when he wasn’t with her either. During the few nights that they had spend away from each other somewhere in their long relationship she had not been able to get to sleep because she missed having him next to her. As soon as Austin got up she sat up and watched him move around the apartment, taking her time to get breakfast. Sometimes she truly hated that she was still in college while he had a steady job, she would have much rather been in his class so that they could have gone to college together all the four years instead of just two. She missed him when he wasn’t there, that much should have been obvious. Delilah tried to make him linger as he left the apartment, but she let him go off to work eventually, she had to get ready for class anyway and with Austin still there it was difficult to focus on what she was doing, she found herself watching him doing his things more than really getting herself together. But that was love, or so she figured.

Once Austin was gone and no longer distracting her by just walking around she got ready pretty quickly. She took a shower, made sure that her hair was completely dry before even thinking about going outside. Going outside with wet hair in the middle of January was never a good idea and she was not in the mood to get sick. That would get in the way of everything. Though, getting sick did always mean that Austin would take care of her and that was never really a bad thing. It almost made her want to fake it just so that he would stay with her until she got better. But he was just as sweet without her being sick so really she had absolutely nothing to complain about. She wasn’t one to complain anyway, and especially not now when she truly felt that her life just couldn’t get any better. But Delilah was still an insecure person and she hated to think that something could happen to make it all fall apart.

The beautiful brunette shook the thoughts from her head and moved into the living room to grab her bag and slip her feet into her shoes. She tied the ribbon of her hooded cotton poncho around her waist and set the hood onto her head before heading out the door. The way to her college was printed into her mind so tightly that she was pretty sure that she could find her way there with her eyes closed, her feet would still know the way. She still missed the days that she would walk there with Austin. During those days it was really a good thing that her feet knew the way because she spend most of the time looking at the gorgeous man walking next to her instead of the way that she was going. But no one could blame her for getting distracted with someone with Austin next to her. At least she couldn’t blame herself for it. She tucked some loose strands of her dark hair behind her ears and skipped slightly as she crossed the street. It was really just another day but just that could make Delilah happy. She was never good with surprises or unexpected things, she liked knowing everything that was about to happen, she liked habits.

At college everything went as expected and from there on she went off to work. The only thing that she regretted was the fact that she had to go from college directly to work and she couldn’t go by the library to surprise Austin before going to work. She loved to go by his work, just watch him go about his things. Walk up and wrap her arms around him tightly from behind, distract him from what he was doing for just a few minutes before having to leave. Even after all these years that they had known each other, that they had been together, Delilah never got tired of him, she never got used to him either. His touch could still surprise her, his kiss would still make her heart flutter in a way that she had never experienced before. Every kiss still felt like that first one only Delilah wasn’t as nervous about it now. She loved that about him, that he could still make her feel as giddy and in love as she had always felt around him. The only thing that she hoped was that he felt the same way. Her relationship was really the only thing that she was confident about, but that didn’t mean that she didn’t have her moments where she feared that she would do something wrong. After all, there was something that she was still keeping from him.

Luckily the afternoon went fast, the sky was turning more and more dark as Delilah got a loving hug from the last child that was picked up by her mother and she turned to say goodbye to the others. They all took turns on who would stay behind to clean up and tonight wasn’t her turn, which was a good thing because she wanted to get home, get cleaned up and wait eagerly for Austin to come home. She had been away from him for way too long and she could feel her fingers just itching to touch him again, run her hands through his hair. Her mind was on him as she walked into the apartment building and as she opened the door, but something was different. Delilah blinked and stepped into the apartment looking around until her gaze fell on Austin. A wide smile hit her face, as always when she saw him, no matter how long it had been since she had seen him it could have been five minutes or five hours, her smile would always be as wide. “Baby, you’re home early,” she said cheerfully.

Delilah untied the ribbon from her waist as she walked towards him, instantly wrapping her arms around his neck as soon as she was close enough. “Is everything alright?” she asked him carefully. Ever since he had told her about his health issues she had worried about him and she just hoped that nothing was wrong. If anything ever happened to him she would never survive it, without him nothing would be worth it. It wasn’t until she pulled away from him slightly that she noticed that something was different about the apartment. Delilah raised her eyebrows slightly and looked up at Austin again, “What’s going on?”

tagged; the wizard <3
wearing; this smoking outfit
location; austin and delilah's apartment
word count; 1.208
notes; your post does not suck, it was cute <3
lyrics; I want you - Kelly Clarkson

[austinashleyrico]

I FEEL IT, YOU FEEL IT

that this was meant to be

[/color][/center]

As Austin waited for his long-time girlfriend to return to the apartment they shared his mind drifted back over the years they had been together. He'd been a junior when they met, her an incoming freshman who had only just moved to New Orleans from a much smaller town. After their little collision, which wasn't anything more than a light bump, they started talking. He had immediately recognized how nervous she was. That was completely understandable considering the fact that aside from starting high school, which was pretty major on its own, it was her first day at a school that was much, much larger than the ones she was used to. Austin had been all too happy to show her around the school, helped her plot the most efficient course from one class to the next. It was nice to have a new friend, one that he could help. That wasn't to say that he didn't have lots of friends because he did. Everyone seemed to like him and he liked everyone back. The only ones who didn't like him where those who were friends with Dallas. His twin brother had always made it clear to people that they could be friends with one of them or the other, not both. For years that had been a constant source of pain for Austin. He had always wanted to be close with his brother. To be one of those sets of twins that did everything together, that were practically joined at the hip. Over the years he'd come to accept that was never going to happen. If he let himself think about it too much it would only upset him and he wasn't going to let anything do that tonight.

Turning his focus back where it belonged a soft smile touched his lips. From that very first day that he'd met Delilah everything seemed to change. Though his health had been better for the three or four previous years meeting her seemed to be some magic cure. Austin could feel a difference in the way his heart beat when she was close. He felt so much stronger when she was with him. Over the first two weeks they got steadily closer. Though he had been quite popular he'd never really had a girlfriend. By that point in his life he was used to spending a lot of time on his own and he enjoyed the solitude. It gave him time to read, write and draw. Those had become his passions, the things he sort of lived for. That changed when Delilah came into the picture. Those first weeks when they were getting to know each other, spending their lunches together and so on, Austin had lost track of the number of times he'd heard comments about how cute they were together. There were also the continual suggestions that they should be dating. In fact many thought they were dating because the very first day they met he had driven her home from school and every day afterward he picked her up and drove her home again. The reason wasn't what people thought, of course. During lunch that first day they talked about a great many things. One of their conversations prompted a comment from her about how much she was dreading taking the bus home at the end of the day. All through his afternoon classes that had stuck with him so when the final bell rang he hurried to catch her, offering her a ride. The rest was sort of history.

They steadily got closer and closer. The first day he drove her home they quickly said goodbye and he was off again. The second day they talked for about five minutes before she thanked him and said goodbye. The third day they talked for ten minutes and each day thereafter their conversations continued to double. It was after the announcement of the first school dance, after repeatedly hearing all of the comments about how great they were together and spending more time with Delilah, that Austin struggled his way through an invitation. He could still see the beautiful smile that overtook her entire face when he asked her. The memory expanded his smile. There were so many good memories. In fact everything about them had been good. They always seemed to be on the same page about things. They never argued. Together they were in perfect tune. Austin always tried to make certain that remained true, not that it was difficult. They just naturally seemed to fit in every possible way. Sometimes his insecurity would get the better of him, making him wonder about things that he didn't need to think about. There were times when he felt like he was a burden. Ever since he'd told Delilah about his health issues she had been taking care of him. He knew that she often put her own needs and desires second to his. Austin had come to recognize that was just a part of who she was just as it was a part of his personality. He had always been giving and caring and it was extremely easy to be that way with her. That was just one of the many ways that they complimented each other. She took care of him and he took care of her. That was something he wanted to continue for the rest of their lives and there was no reason for him to think that it wouldn't. Still, he would feel better about that once the big question was out of the way and they could start planning the rest of their lives.

When Delilah finally came through the door, Austin's heart was pounding. As soon as the smile hit her face his expression shifted to match. He watched her fondly as she made her way towards him, immediately bending down to wrap his arms around her waist when hers looped around his neck. "Everything's fine, sweetheart,"

[/color] he assured her before pressing a soft loving kiss to her mouth. He licked his lips when he pulled back, his eyes still caressing her beautiful face. "Perfect now that you're home."[/color] Austin watched as she glanced around the apartment and noticed what he'd spent all day doing. His expression softened when she looked back at him with clear curiosity. Lifting a hand from her waist he gently tucked her long, flowing hair behind one ear. "I wanted to make a special night for you."[/color] A very large part of him wanted to simply get down on one knee that very moment and ask the burning question. Another more rational part thought it was probably best to wait until she was sitting down, just to be safe.[/size][/blockquote][/justify]tag:[/color] Delilah <3
words:[/color] 1141
clothes:[/color] right here
notes:[/color] So sweet.
lyrics:[/color] Angel - Leona Lewis

[delilahadinabebinn]

It had always been so easy to be with Austin, there was something so simple and gentle about him that from the first second that they met Delilah had been completely at ease with him. She had been so nervous and so completely out of her element that first day of high school. Going to high school for the first time was always a big thing for someone, but for Delilah it was just a bit worse than for normal kids. She had lived in this small town her entire life where everyone knew everyone and no one ever really got into a fight, no bad things were told about others. Life there had been so simple and already on her first day at the new school she had seen a fight in the parking lot, probably just playful but still it scared her. And she had heard several people whispering things about her because they were curious as to where the hell she came from. Running into Austin and finding herself lost in his eyes had made her entire day better and from that moment Delilah suddenly loved the school and the city. Even though they had only known each other for a few minutes she already felt so at ease with him, so comfortable. She felt like she could tell him anything and he wouldn't laugh at her for it. He was so sweet to her and even though she had heard stories about guys being sweet but only wanting one thing, she could never picture Austin as one of those guys. He seemed too perfect for such things, too sweet and too gentle. Or maybe Delilah was just naive, though he proved her right about him; he truly was just perfect.

After that first meeting Delilah found herself wanting to spend more and more time with him. Luckily, she had the excuse that she didn't know the city that well and having Austin show her around the town was perfect. That strange need to be around him grew stronger every single minute that she spend with him. It was difficult for her to say goodbye to him when he drove her home and so many times she had wanted to kiss him goodbye before leaving but whenever the thought entered her mind she started to blush and just excused herself. Every time she came up with something else to keep him there longer, to extend the time that they were in the car together. Some of her favorite memories were in that car just because they were completely alone there. No one else was watching them or judging them or whispering about them. She liked that privacy. Of course the privacy ended as soon as she walked into the house. Her parents were protective of her, especially because they were also very used to living in that little town where nothing ever happened.

But after that first dance, after they officially became a couple Delilah brought Austin home with her and her parents had just fallen completely in love with him. It just all seemed to fit so perfectly and there was never a doubt in her mind that this wasn't exactly what she wanted and needed in her life. After Austin told her about his health problems she grew worried, at first she was scared to do anything that required any kind of strain on his body. But after he kept assuring her that he was fine she started to calm down a little. She just couldn't imagine that something would ever happen to him, that was something that she couldn't live with. Austin quickly grew into the most important thing in her life and ever seeing him hurt, even just thinking about it broke her heart into pieces. She could never let anything happen to him. That was when she started to ignore her own needs and focus on his alone.

The only thing that she ever hated about their relationship was the fact that she was two years younger and with that, two grades below him. Meaning they didn't get to spend that much time together during school. Only lunches and the short moments they had in between classes. That was always amusing to her though. For some reason they would always find each other and just that one quick kiss was enough to last her till the next time that she got to see him again. That one quick kiss was actually all they ever did while they were in public. That was something that they both agreed on; some things were supposed to be private. Just another thing that she loved about him, and that list of things was pretty much endless. Whenever Delilah looked at Austin she found something new to love and adore. She could stare at him for hours at a time and find something new and amazing about him every single minute. Delilah was just completely in love with him, in case that wasn't obvious enough just yet. Life without him wasn't life, she had decided that very early on in their relationship. He made her feel unlike anything that she had ever felt and that never stopped. Even now, years after their first meeting, she still felt completely enchanted by him.

His lips against hers made her eyes flutter closed and she let out a soft hum in contentment when he pulled away again, running her tongue over her bottom lip just to get another taste of him. She smiled softly at his words, agreeing completely, things were better when they were together. It was as simple as that. She closed her eyes for a moment when he tucked her hair behind her ear, tilting her head slightly so that she could brush her lips against the inside of his wrist. When she looked back at him confusion was obvious in her expression, her eyes slightly narrowed. "Why?" she asked him softly. "Not that I'm objecting because Austin, it's … perfect but," she bit her lower lip for a moment and then raised her hand slightly to run it through his hair, smiling softly. "Every night with you is special."

tagged; the wizard <3
wearing; this smoking outfit
location; austin and delilah's apartment
word count; 1.033
notes; <3
lyrics; I want you - Kelly Clarkson

[austinashleyrico]

I FEEL IT, YOU FEEL IT

that this was meant to be

After having been sick for basically his whole life, Austin had sort of accepted the notion that he couldn't do a lot of things that other people could. For the majority of his life he'd been held apart from everyone else. Some of that was necessary but not all of it had been. He didn't blame his parents for wanting to protect him. Even now it was difficult for his mother to talk about what it had been like in the early days. She had been a very young woman when he and Dallas had been born. What should have been the most blessed event in his parents' lives had been tainted by this dark, ominous shadow of uncertainty. His mother's eyes still filled with tears when she tried to talk about the early days, weeks and months. The doctors had tried to prepare them for the possibility that he wouldn't survive. Austin was of the mind that his mother's will alone gave him the strength to survive. Still, his entire life had been a struggle; pain, weakness, loneliness. Up to one particular point.

This was something that had been studied and plotted repeatedly over the years. The point when Austin felt like he was actually living rather than simply going through the motions of life. There was no question in his mind that the moment he started to live was the moment he met Delilah. Looking at her he could literally feel the difference in the beat of his heart. If gazing into her eyes hadn't been so calming, so mesmerizing, he was sure he would have had a panic attack. The sensation was so unlike anything he had ever felt before, or since. After meeting Lil, every facet of Austin's health began to improve. Part of that could have been the fact that with her he actually got out of his room and did stuff. With the excuse of showing her all around the city he was able to spend a lot of time with her. Those early days are incredibly fond memories. Additionally every moment Austin had spend with Delilah since their first meeting was just that much better than the last.

Because his condition was something that his parents had done their best to keep private, at least part of it, talking about it had always been difficult. Filling Lil in on his condition had been one of the hardest things he'd ever had to do. Austin had been afraid how she would take the news that he was so damaged. At least that had, and sometimes still was, his perception of his health. While his heart told him that she would understand, his head wasn't so certain. The thing that he feared the most was revealing the physical evidence of his condition. He had figured she would be okay with the fact that he had been sick, she was always so caring, nurturing. What Austin hadn't been able to figure was how she would react to seeing the scar that ran down the middle of his chest. Honestly it wasn't that big of a thing except in his head. His mother hadn't wanted to draw undo attention to him as a child so she'd always made certain that he stayed cover, almost obsessively so. For that reason Austin became very self-conscious about the surgical scar. It wasn't something that he talked about, much less showed off. He quickly learned that he had nothing to worry about with Delilah, something he knew deep down all along.

In fact, he was all too aware of the fact that she put his needs far and above her own. There were times that made him feel incredibly guilty, yet at the same time he knew how much she loved taking care of him. Besides, while she was taking care of him, Austin did his best to take care of her in return. Their relationship had always been like that, a good balance of give and take. At least that was what he strove for. More often than not he harbored inner doubts that he was taking advantage of her, that she could have done better. Sometimes he thought that he held Delilah back from finding someone who could truly take care of her in every possible way. Thankfully he knew in his heart that she was more than content with him. He could practically feel her love continue to grow for him all the time, just as his grew for her. Honestly, Austin truly believed that she was his heart, or rather she gave his heart life and strength. He didn't even want to imagine what his life would be like without her. If there would even be life without her. That was very much in doubt as far as he was concerned. That, of course, was what had led them to this night.

Austin could see that Lil was on to him, she knew something was up. He started to smile softly at her when she said she thought it was perfect but his expression smoothed in response to the blissful feeling of her fingers in his hair. His lids lowered slightly as he leaned just a little into her touch. Delilah's words caused him to open his eyes, the smile returning to his face while he gazed lovingly into her eyes. "I couldn't agree more that every night with you is special and I want this one to be even more special than usual."

[/color] Suddenly his throat felt a little dry and the rhythm of his heart a little erratic. The anticipation was really starting to get to him now. "Bebe, why don't you come on over here and sit down,"[/color] Austin suggested gently, shifting to wrap his arm around her waist then turning her toward the couch and urging her along.[/size][/blockquote][/justify]tag:[/color] Delilah <3
words:[/color] 995
clothes:[/color] right here
notes:[/color]
lyrics:[/color] Angel - Leona Lewis

[delilahadinabebinn]

There would never be anyone else for her but Austin, that was something that Delilah had decided long ago, right after they had officially become a couple. Mostly she was seen as a very hopeless romantic kind of girl, someone that loved anything and everything that had to do with romance or love. She could spend days reading her Jane Austen novels, reading the old books that her mother used to read when she was younger. Because of this she had gotten a certain view on love, on relationships. Ever since she was little she had been waiting for that one big love, the one that would make her knees buckle, her breath catch in her throat. It would make the world stop for just an instant and there would an instant attraction between her and the man in question. This was exactly what had happened with Austin. From the moment that they met he was all that the still very young Delilah could think about. When they met her vision blurred out everything but his face, all she could see was him and she found herself having to focus on what he was saying because his voice just made her brain shut down. It was an amazing feeling and Delilah knew that that was what all her books had been talking about all this time. To her it was love at first sight and it took her only a few weeks to truly love him, to change from being in love to truly loving Austin for everything that he was. Not that that was difficult because in her eyes he was the most amazing person that she had ever laid her eyes on.

Delilah smiled as his eyes fluttered closed at her touch, brushing his hair away from his face so that she could see his face all the better. She loved his long hair and she loved running her fingers through it, but she didn’t want it to cover his face, his face was too beautiful to be covered. “Nothing’s wrong, right, Austin?” she asked him softly, getting a bit nervous with everything that was going on. But her fingers traced through his hair was as calming to her as it was to him. From the first second that her eyes met his she had been so in love and whenever she looked at him now she still felt the same way. Some said that love, or being in love, faded within a year and that the infatuation was over. But that had never been the case for Delilah, she had always been in love with him and as the years past by them that never changed, in fact it had only grown. The more time she spend with him the more she wanted to be with him. She highly doubted that it would ever change no matter how many days or nights they spent together, Delilah would always feel as amazing as she did that first time that she saw him.

There was most definitely something going on and she was curious to find out what it was, she wasn’t exactly good with surprises because she got really nervous around it, especially when someone had gone through so much trouble. A soft smile curved her full lips when he called her bebe, something that he had only ever called her and in fact she couldn’t even remember just how it had started, but she loved it about him. She looked at him for a moment before following his lead and turning towards the couch. Her hands moved from his neck to his arms, holding onto his hands as she sat down and watched him carefully. He was making her incredibly nervous and she barely even understood what was going on. She managed to tear her eyes away from him to look around again. It was almost scary how well this man knew her. The orchids that were around the apartment were her favorite, even the color was one of her favorites. White was perfect, clean, pure, it was something that she could most definitely see herself wearing one day even if the traditional meaning behind it was kind of lost that didn’t matter. Her eyes went back to him and she tilted her head slightly. Even that was her favorite, she loved that deep red color on him. Though she knew that she would like it even more on the floor.

That thought sent an instant rush of blood to her face but that was quite normal for Delilah. She was always very shy when it came to such things even though she enjoyed it as much as the next person. She loved to wake and catch him as he was in the shower, or just coming out of it, and she could just watch him. He might not like his appearance but it had never bothered her. Whenever she could she would trace her gentle fingers down his scar, pressing her lips against his softly, thanking God that they had managed to save him. Without him her life wouldn’t have been nearly as good as it was now.

tagged; the wizard <3
wearing; this smoking outfit
location; austin and delilah's apartment
word count; 862
notes; eek, too short, sorry baby <3
lyrics; I want you - Kelly Clarkson

[austinashleyrico]

I FEEL IT, YOU FEEL IT

that this was meant to be

Delilah's touch had always been the most soothing thing in the world to Austin. Even from the very beginning. Just after they collided he'd offered her his hand upon introducing himself. That time the first thing he felt was this unexplained spark that started in his right hand, ran up his arm, across his chest and straight to his heart. Something happened in the second, it was like the shock of her touch was what his heart had needed all along. Of course at that time any change in the organ was a cause for concern but that didn't last as Lil's hand had lingered in his. Then again he hadn't exactly let go either. As a young man he had never been much of a romantic, at least not until he met her. The stories that Austin read, or wrote for that matter, in that time were about adventure, about doing all the things that he had never really been strong enough to do. Sure he'd noticed girls before but hadn't ever approached them. Meeting Delilah on that day, at that moment, had been fate, he had come to believe that by the time they were officially a couple. There were just too many things about each of them that was complimented in the other.

Austin had worried a little bit early on that her parents wouldn't approve. Delilah was fifteen and he was seventeen. His parents didn't have any issues with their relationship. The Rico's had started dating when she was fifteen and he was sixteen. To them it was natural and they were so pleased that Austin had found someone. Plus they loved Delilah almost as much as he did. At that time he didn't know her parents' history so it had been a concern that they would think her too young or even him too old. Thankfully that turned out to be something he never needed to worry about. Lil's parents liked him just as much as his liked her. And he'd always liked her little brother, too. Steven was one of the few boys who would roughhouse with Austin a bit. He'd been thirteen at the time but was always a strong kid. Of course that sort of behavior didn't happen when Delilah was around. She had always been so concerned about his health, not obsessively so, just enough to show how very much she cared. Besides, Austin and Steve's play had always just been that. The family didn't have secrets so her parents and brother all knew of his condition. Steven was always very conscious of what was going on so nothing really got out of hand, that was an amazing thing for a young man.

As Delilah continued to run her fingers through his hair Austin forced his eyes to open and look at her. "No, sweetheart, nothing's wrong,"

[/color] he assured her softly, giving her another loving smile. Every time he looked at her he was slightly overcome by how incredibly beautiful she was. It didn't matter if she was all dolled up for a date or if she had a more natural look, she was simply stunning no matter what. In fact first thing in the morning just after she opened her eyes and met his gaze was one time that he thought she was the most beautiful. As far as he was concerned she didn't need anything to enhance her looks and he was pleased that she wasn't one of the those girls who was obsessed with their looks and had to spend hours completely making themselves over every morning until they looked like someone else.

Guiding her along to the couch he was glad for her recent touch, the feeling of her fingers moving through his hair. That was something that always put him at ease, made him feel at peace. Austin had long ago gotten the impression that it did the same for her. That was part of the reason he thought she was against him cutting his hair and also why he refrained from doing so. Even though he didn't really do anything to settle her, the fact that she could find something soothing from him was something he was grateful for. He took her hands as she sat down, hovering slightly in a stoop as he suddenly wondered just what he should do. If he started out on one knee it might further tip her off to what his plan was and he still wanted it to be a surprise. Austin knew she wasn't terribly fond of surprises but this was one that he wanted her to love and to remember for the rest of her life, the rest of their life together. As he settled himself on the couch beside her he noticed the enhanced pink hue to her cheeks and, as always, that brought a wide, full smile to his face. After all the years they had been together, all the many, many things they had done and the number of times they had done them, Delilah could still blush at nothing more than a thought or a memory.

Reluctantly releasing one of her hands he reached up to brush the back of his hand along one cheek. "You're so beautiful, Bebe,"[/color] he whispered tenderly, leaning in to press his life lightly to hers before pulling back far too soon for his liking. There would be plenty of time later for more kissing and hopefully much more. Right now Austin wanted to forge ahead with his plan before the anxiety returned. "Lil, do you know how very much I love you? How grateful I am to have you in my life?"[/color] He hoped that she did. As often as possible he tried to tell her those things, slip them into a comfortable silence between them. "I didn't start to truly live until I met you and I want you to know how much I cherish your presence in my world. You are my world, Delilah. You're my heart."[/color] That was something Austin told her all the time and it was something that he truly believed. The organ in his chest was not what kept him alive, she was what kept him alive.[/size][/blockquote][/justify]tag:[/color] Delilah <3
words:[/color] 1065
clothes:[/color] right here
notes:[/color]
lyrics:[/color] Angel - Leona Lewis

[delilahadinabebinn]

Delilah believed him when he said that nothing was wrong but that didn't mean that she felt anymore at ease. Though, she did feel at ease because it was impossible to not feel that way when she was with Austin, but she just didn't like not knowing what would come next. It made her nervous and anxious and those were two things that she should never feel. Delilah wasn't really a confident person and to some how balance that she made sure that she always had a lot of things planned out. That way she knew what would be thrown at her and she would already have it completely planned out, there were no surprise, nothing to catch her off guard and that made her feel a lot more secure with what she was doing. Of course, that never really went the way she wanted it to when she was at work because kids were unpredictable and energetic, they never really listened and they never really wanted to go along with that she wanted. But Delilah had this magic touch, or at least that was what her co-workers called it. For some reason kids just like her and they calm down when she's holding them. But that doesn't make her job any easier and at work is the only place that she can feel comfortable and secure without having a lot of things planned out. Austin liked to surprise her at times and she had grown accustomed to that by now. She had never felt safer with anyone and she knew that she could trust him, when it was Austin that was surprising her she could take it, anyone else would just make her nervous.

Her eyes never left his face as she sat down on the couch and he lingered for a moment. This had to be something big because she wasn't the only one that was nervous, there was something going on and her curious nature was starting to take over. She wanted to look around again, maybe try to find some kind of hint in her surroundings. But before she could even turn her eyes away from him he was sitting down besides her and he caught her full attention again. It was difficult to look away from him at any time, but especially when he was this close to her. Whenever Austin was this close she just wanted to get closer, she wanted to scoot closer to him and rest her head on his shoulder. His smile just made it even more difficult to look away from him so she stopped even trying to look away from him, just enjoyed his presence while he was that close to her. They had been away from each other the entire day, she just wanted to be with him now.

She never realized how much she missed him until she got to see him again, got to touch and kiss him again. Her eyes fluttered closed when he brushed the back of his hand against her cheek, tilting her head more into to touch and scooting closer to him without even noticing it. His words made her already slightly pink cheeks worse and she could feel the heat rushing along her throat towards her face. Along with a bright smile that took over her face along with the pink blush. She knew how he saw her, and though she might not always agree with him she couldn't help but blush anyway and smile at the same time. She liked to have him call her beautiful, she might not always believe him but it made her feel better nonetheless. Delilah wanted to say something but whatever she had planned to say was cut short by lips against hers and instead a soft hum sounded from her throat. If there was anything that she was completely addicted to besides his touch it was the feel of his lips so gently against hers.

When he started to talk again this nervous feeling caught her in its trap. Why was he telling her all of this now? It almost felt like he was trying to say goodbye, like he was leaving and he wanted her to know just how much she meant to him before that happened. But she couldn't think like that, he had told her that nothing was wrong and she had to believe that. She nodded slowly and wasn't really able to say anything with this feeling of anxiety that was stuck in her throat. Not that she was really sure what she would say to him other than she knew that he loved her and that she felt the exact same way, but she couldn't exactly get herself to talk right now. Maybe he didn't see it as something that could be wrong, maybe he was leaving but he saw it as a good thing. This was exactly why she hated not knowing things, the worst case scenerios all started to play around in her head and it just made things worse. She tried to hide it from Austin, tried to keep her expression as neutral as possible and just listen to what he had to say. She didn't want to interrupt him and besides, his words were so sweet that she could feel her heart soar at everything that he said.

Delilah looked up at him and smiled softly, resting one of her small, gentle hands against his cheek and leaning closer to press her lips gently against his. With her other hand she found his hand, bringing it to her chest and pressing it against her heart, "And you have mine," she told him softly. Her eyes were still closed as she kissed his lips lightly one more time before pulling away. "I love you so much, Austin," her eyes focused on his as she whispered to him, still holding his hand pressed to her chest and her other hand resting against the side of his face. She was better now, for some reason touching him always calmed her down, kissing him did even more than that, though, sometimes it did the exact opposite but she tried not to think of that because it would make her cheeks fire up red again.

tagged; the wizard <3
wearing; this smoking outfit
location; austin and delilah's apartment
word count; 1.045
notes; they are so cute x] <3
lyrics; I want you - Kelly Clarkson

[austinashleyrico]

I FEEL IT, YOU FEEL IT

that this was meant to be

Austin could spend hours just looking at his beautiful girlfriend, hopefully soon to be so much more. He loved the girl more than anything in the universe. Delilah had honestly been his world for many years now. She became important to him the first moment they met, the very second that they collided, even before he saw her. Then, the moment he looked into her eyes, it was like looking into some magical mirror and seeing this piece of himself miraculously reattach itself. It was a piece that he'd never known was missing yet there was never any question that it belonged with him when he'd found it. That was something that had never changed. The longer he was with Delilah the more right it felt to be with her. Austin grew to love her just a little bit more every single day they had been together. He honestly didn't understand how people ever fell out of love. It was his belief that any relationship that could change from love to hate in any period of time had never been love to begin with. Everyone was human and made mistakes. To be unable to forgive someone you love for any transgression just told him that there wasn't enough love in the relationship. Maybe that was an unrealistic and overly simplistic view but that was what he believed.

That wasn't something that he ever had to deal with in his relationship with Delilah. From the moment that Austin had worked up the courage to tell her about his heath issues and was able to show her his scar there had been no secrets between them. Lil was a good girl, just as he was a gentle, caring man. Neither of them ever noticed others of the opposite gender and even if they did nothing would ever come of that. They had been together for seven years and they were more in love now than ever. Almost since he'd graduated from high school Austin have been wanting to ask Delilah to marry him. The only reason he'd waited this long was because he wanted her to be able to finish college, to complete her degree. She had just over a year left now and that year should give her plenty of time to plan the wedding so they could get married the following summer, or whenever she wanted. Every time he'd thought about proposing before he thought about his mother, who married right out of high school and promptly got pregnant.

Her plans for college had then been put even further on the back burner thanks to his health problems. Austin knew that his mother didn't blame him. She had told him repeatedly that she wouldn't trade him for anything in the world and he believed her. Still, he did feel guilty for changing the course of her life. Maybe that was the wrong view. Maybe the life she had was the one she was meant to have. Just like Austin had been meant to run into Delilah in the high school hallway. That thought brought a soft smile to his lips. Yes, it was a romantic notion but he believed they were destined to be together. He also believe that nothing could ever tear them apart.

Over the years they had both gotten very good at reading each other. Like at that moment Austin could tell that he was making Delilah nervous, which in turn made him more nervous. Just because he thought they belonged together and were destined to always be that way, it didn't stop that tiny little part of his brain that still felt the insecurities he'd developed as a child. Something of that sort was incredibly difficult to get over. It certainly wasn't as bad as it once had been but it wasn't completely gone either. The voice was currently whispering in the back of his head that she was probably nervous because she knew what was coming and she didn't want him to ask, probably because she would have to say no, that she wasn't ready or whatever other reason there might be. Austin knew though that Delilah wasn't terribly fond of surprises and her anxiety was likely over the fact that she knew something was coming, whether she knew what or not.

When Lil lifted his hand to her chest, he gazed at her lovingly, pressing his hand a little more firmly to feel the beat of her heart through her chest. A warm, tender smile light his entire face. "I love you too, Bebe,"

[/color] Austin whispered tenderly. The pet name was something he came up with a long time ago. It was a play on her last name along with the endearment "baby". Most people who heard him call her that just assumed that he was calling her baby but his way made it more personal and he liked it that way. Watching her now he could see that she had settled down and decided that the time had come. As he leaned over to kiss her lips he moved from the couch onto one knee in front of her. In the same action, covered by the kiss, he slipped his free hand into the pocket of his trousers for the velvet pouch. Austin rested the small bag on the table created by his bent knee and fished the ring out with his index finger before reluctantly breaking the kiss. As he pulled back to look at her suddenly all of his anxiety melted away, all doubt fled from his mind. "Delilah Adina BéBinn,"[/color] he began tenderly, "would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"[/color] As he spoke he lifted his hand, holding the ring between his thumb and index finger for her to see.[/size][/blockquote][/justify]tag:[/color] Delilah <3
words:[/color] 981
clothes:[/color] right here
notes:[/color] d'aww…
lyrics:[/color] Angel - Leona Lewis

[delilahadinabebinn]

It was probably a good thing that Delilah didn't know what he was up to, because if she had known then she would have fainted by now and the entire night would have been ruined and she didn't want that to happen. It was a good thing that she didn't even consider what he was about to do as an option, ignorance was bliss in this case. Austin wasn't the only one in this relationship that often felt insecure about everything. There were so many times, especially when they were younger and only just starting to really like each other, that Delilah looked around and saw at least five girls that were prettier than her and that would fit better with him than her. Not that she wanted to lose him, not at all, but she sometimes felt like he was too good for her, like she didn't deserve someone as amazing as him. After a while this feeling faded and she just realized that this was it, this was the real thing. Then of course came that one night where she had nearly ruined everything. Not a day went by that she didn't hate herself for ever letting that happen and to this day she was still keeping it from Austin. It made her sick to her stomach to think of it and the feeling she got when she thougth about what would happen if she ever told him was even worse. Losing him would kill her, there was no doubt about that. She couldn't take such a chance. But naturally everything that had happened just made what she felt before even more true; that she really wasn't good enough for him. Even since then she tried to be better for him, but she could still never forgive herself.

But she couldn't let herself think of such a thing now, not when Austin was there. Delilah never thought of it when Austin was there, as if she was afraid that somehow it would be readable on her face or something. But actually, she didn't let herself think about it with him there because it just made her feel even more stupid and sick to her stomach. Lil tried to focus on something else, anything else and naturally her focus went to him. The more she looked at him the more she started to believe that this really couldn't be a bad thing. There was a kind of peace in his expression and that was enough to calm her down. No matter what happened she could always count on him to calm her down. He was all that she needed to realize that whatever she was stressing about really wasn't that bad because she still had him. Without him everything would be different, without him everything would be horrible. Before him she hadn't been truly alive, that came after and there was no way that she wanted to give that up.

His smile calmed her down, same as his touch. It truly didn't matter about what she was stressing out or how badly she felt about something that had happened; Austin would always, no doubt about it, be able to make her feel better about what was going on. Whether it was a bad grade at college, her parents not agreeing about something, her brother being in trouble or even just something simple as being spat up on at work. It didn't matter. As soon as Delilah would come home and wrap her arms around his neck, burying her face in his chest everything would be better. She belonged there, that was something that she had always firmly believed in. It was like that part of his chest was made so that she would fit against it perfectly, but then again she had always felt that with everything. Even with holding his hand or when she sat closely against his side. In her mind, they were both designed to fit together perfectly, one to the other and no one else would ever fit as perfectly.

The feel of his lips against hers made everything else just disappeared, the room was no longer there, the nervousness was no longer there. All that mattered was his lips against hers, the kiss that they shared. She kept one hand against his on her chest, able to feel her heart beating loudly even without her hand being there, she could hear the loud beat in her ears. Her other hand moved and she rested it against his face, keeping him close to her and not ready to let him go when he pulled away from her. She leaned closer a bit, letting her lips linger longer against his but finally she pulled away and looked at him. It wasn't until then that she noticed that he had moved and was now sitting in front of the couch on one knee. She was still keeping his hand to her chest and her heart picked up speed as she looked down at him, her breathing a bit more rapid and shallow as he spoke. "Oh my god," she breathed out, barely audible as her eyes moved to find the ring that was in his hand. She tried to say something, she tried to make sense of what was going on but her mind was just one big mess. Delilah was a hopeless romantic and she had pictured this moment so many times already, dreamt about it, daydreamt about it, she had thought about it over and over again. But none of them compared to this moment, this absolutely perfect moment.

Between everything that was in her mind one thing stood out, one word stood out and Delilah could feel tears burning in her eyes and her lips turning into such a wide smile that she thought her face would break as she looked at Austin again. "Yes," she finally released a breath that she had been holding this entire time, "Yes, god, yes, Austin of course, yes," she just wanted to repeat it over and over again, tell him yes over and over again. Delilah laughed softly and rested both her hands on either side of his face, leaning in to firmly press her lips against his.

tagged; the wizard <3
wearing; this smoking outfit
location; austin and delilah's apartment
word count; 1.041
notes; -squee- so effing adorable
lyrics; I want you - Kelly Clarkson

[austinashleyrico]

I FEEL IT, YOU FEEL IT

that this was meant to be

One of Austin's favorite things in the world was when he reluctantly had to break a kiss with Delilah and she leaned closer as he started to pull away, trying to prolong the moment. The reluctant part happened every time that he had to break a kiss with her. If it were possible he would be kissing her twenty-four/seven. Austin loved kissing Lil, the feel of their lips pressed tenderly together, the way her touch felt different when their lips were fused. The rest, Delilah moving towards him as he tried to pull away, made him feel very wanted, very loved. It was in those moments that he knew without question or doubt that she loved him as much as he loved her. There was no insecurity when that happened. Something that Austin found interesting was the fact that every time he needed such a boost Delilah seemed to know and she would do just want he needed. Of course that was true in many, many ways. Whatever the situation, whatever he needed, Lil always seemed to just instinctively know and be ready to provide whatever it was. Austin liked to think that he managed to provide the things she needed too, though maybe not quite to the same degree that she provided for him. A lot of that was his own insecurity. If he were to ask Delilah about that she would probably say that he had it backwards, that he provided her more of what she need than he did. That was just the way that Lil was though. She loved taking care of people. That was all well and good but now it was time for him to take care of her.

Staring into Delilah's eyes, waiting for her response, her reaction, Austin noticed the beginning of her tears before anything else. Immediately his heart began to pick up speed. He had never been able to take seeing her cry, not for any reason. That was certainly true now. A frown settled onto his face, his forehead wrinkling as well. When she lifted her head though, her gaze rising from the ring back to his face, he quickly noticed the smile she wore and his heart began to settle again. By the time Lil said yes for the third time Austin was grinning like a loon. He couldn't remember a time when he'd been happier. Aside from his wide, toothy smile, he mimicked her laugh. That was one of his favorite sounds in the world, the echo of Delilah's laugh. As she leaned forward to kiss him, he shifted too, resuming the position he'd had before he'd pulled away a moment ago. The hand still held the ring before her while the other rose to rest against the side of her neck, his fingers curved along the back of her neck as he cradled her head.

This kiss lasted much longer than the last, still warm and tender but also building with passion. They had never been a wild or flamboyant couple. First of all neither of them were that way in life so there was no way they would be that way as a couple. They liked their privacy. Public displays of affection consisted of holding hands or small kisses to the cheek or the briefest brush of their lips. Even at that though, when they were home alone, their intimacy was passionate but very gentle. Gentleness was a trait that both Austin and Delilah shared. They both had a gentle manner and a gentle touch. When their relationship began to turn physical, Lil had been concerned about him getting too excited. It was a valid concern but not something that she needed to worry about as much as she did. The longer they were together the more at ease she felt, which pleased Austin to no end. Even as they tested his limits and discovered what he could handle it still hadn't been in their nature to get too crazy. For them, sex was about the intimacy, not the thrill, it was about being as close they could possibly be, about physically becoming the single soul they both believed them to be.

As much as Austin wanted to just continue kissing his new fiancée, there was still something that needed to be done in order to make it truly official. Very reluctantly he started to pull back, peppering a long series of kisses against Delilah's lips before finally breaking off and pulling back. He shifted the ring from his right hand to his left then reached for her left hand that still rested at the side of his face. Austin gazed at her with an impossibly wide smile. "Bebe, you've just made me the happiest man on the planet."

[/color] While he spoke those words he slowly slide the ring on the appropriate finger, smiling even wider once it was finally in place, fitting perfectly around her finger. "I love you so much, sweetheart,"[/color] he whispered lovingly.

Austin could hardly believe how amazing he felt, how alive he felt. Lil had always made him feel that way but now, more than ever before, he knew that she truly was tied to his heart, that she was some physical manifestation of the organ living outside his body. A very strange notion but one he believe nonetheless. Suddenly he felt a little silly for having ever been worried about what she might have said in response to his question. None of that matter now though because Delilah had accepted his proposal, had agreed to marry him. After a moment of just looking at her, memorizing every line of her face in that perfect moment, Austin leaned forward again and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. "Thank you, Lil,"[/color] he whispered, almost too low for her to hear even though his mouth was right there near her ear. He kissed the silky hair at her temple then dropped to her cheek before once again finding her lips.[/size][/blockquote][/justify]
tag:[/color] Delilah <3
words:[/color] 1013
clothes:[/color] right here
notes:[/color] I just LOVE these two!!
lyrics:[/color] Angel - Leona Lewis

[delilahadinabebinn]

Ever since Delilah was a little girl she had been dreaming of this very moment, she had been dreaming of her wedding, about getting married and starting a family of her own. Ever since she laid eyes on her baby brother she knew that one day she wanted one of her own and she knew that she wanted to be a mother. She was a very romantic person and she knew that she would want to get married one day, have a big white wedding and have everyone stare at her like she was the most beautiful creature to ever walk the planet. She never thought that way about herself but she figured that one her wedding day she could be that way. Delilah could picture herself walking towards the end of the aisle, her father at her side wearing a proud smile and trying to hide his tears. Her mother sitting at the end of the aisle with the same tears only she didn’t even bother to hide it, she just let it go. Her brother Steven standing beside her groom and grinning like an idiot. Everyone watching her as she slowly made her way to the end of the aisle and her husband to be. But the husband to be never had a face because Delilah never knew what kind of man that she wanted, she never knew if a guy would have her. But then, after meeting Austin and getting closer and closer to him, the man that she had pictured at the end of the aisle began to clear out more and more. The man got Austin’s long hair, his amazing green eyes and he got his stunning smile. She was the one that he pictured from that moment on.

To say that Delilah hadn’t been waiting for him to propose for about the last two years would be a great lie and at times she even played with the thought of asking him. She never thought about getting married young and frankly she didn’t care about that either, she just wanted to be married to him. She wanted to have his last name and introduce him to new people as her husband. Just thinking about it made a wide smile appear on her fair face and she wanted it all to come true. But she was also just a bit old fashioned and she wanted him to ask her. So, she waited patiently and in time it actually managed to slip her mind as time went by. She figured that his reasoning for not asking her was right and she figured that it would happen at one point or another and she could wait for that. Delilah would wait for an eternity for him, that was something that she knew for sure, even if it never happened that was fine too; at least she would be with him.

A soft groan sounded from her throat when she felt him pulling away from her kiss again, she didn’t want him to pull away, especially not now. Delilah just wanted to get closer, wrap her arms tightly around him and keep herself against him for the rest of the night, the week, hell for the rest of eternity wasn’t even enough. Finally she let his lips move away from hers and she raised one of her hands to brush away a tear that she felt running down her cheek. Austin took hold of her other hand and she watched closely as the ring moved over her finger, hearing his words made her smile even wider and she moved the back of her hand over her cheeks as she felt more tears falling down her cheeks. But it was just pure happiness that she had to express in one way or another and this was the only way that she knew how. “And I am the luckiest girl alive,” she told him, smiling widely as her gazed dropped to the ring for a moment. It fitted so perfectly on her finger that it was almost scary.

Her arms moved around his neck when he pulled her closer, his arms wrapped around her. She looked at him, her hands, fingers playing with the ends of his hair resting on his neck. If she could have stayed in that moment for the rest of forever she would. Delilah couldn’t remember a moment that she had been happier. “I love you,” she whispered softly, still not able to take the smile away from her face and she was pretty sure that she would never be able to take it away from her face away again. He made her too happy. She rested her head against his when he moved closer and her eyes fluttered closed when he was this close to her, something that always happened. Something he said made her eyes open again though, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly as his lips moved against her hair, cheek and found her lips again. Her hands moved to either side of his face again and she pressed her lips firmly against his, scooting more towards the edge of the couch in an attempt to get closer to him. But what he said was still on her mind and she knew that she was going to have to ask him or she was going to wonder for the rest of the night. Delilah pulled away slowly, moving her hand to his jaw and resting her thumb over his lips to keep herself from just leaning in and kissing him again.

The brunette tilted her head slightly and looked into his eyes, “For what?” she asked him softly. Nothing she had done was really worth a thank you because this was what she wanted so maybe she was even being a bit selfish. All she had ever done was love him and that was something that she had done because she had wanted to, because she longed for him with every fiber of her being. Not really something that he had to thank her for.

tagged; the wizard <3
wearing; this smoking outfit
location; austin and delilah's apartment
word count; 1.012
notes; i love the contrast x]
lyrics; I want you - Kelly Clarkson

[austinashleyrico]

I FEEL IT, YOU FEEL IT

that this was meant to be

Austin had to grin a little bit when Lil groaned as he pulled reluctantly back from their kiss. He loved that she enjoyed kissing him so much. He felt exactly that same way, which was why it was always with reluctance that he broke a kiss. When he looked up after placing the ring on her finger he noticed the tear just before she wiped it away. Seeing her cry was something that he didn't like at all, it was one thing that caused his chest to ache. Even though Austin was certain that the tears were happy ones, it was difficult to see them in her bright eyes or dampen her gorgeous face. The amazing smile on her face helped to distract him but the fact there were tears involved was still in the back of his head. Delilah's words brought a broad smile to his face. "Sweetheart, I'm the lucky one,"

[/color] he told her, pressing his lips again to her lightly. Kissing her was something that he couldn't ever resist for long. Her lips were just so soft, warm and inviting. It was so difficult not to let himself just get carried away every time their lips touched. That would be impossibly easy but it would also making getting anything else done impossible because they would always be in bed.

Bed was actually sounding like a good idea to him. Not necessarily for the standard bedroom activity though. Austin loved to just lay with Delilah, to have her body molded along his side, her head and one hand on his chest, her leg wrapped around his. There was something so beautiful in the peaceful nature of being together in that way that he loved almost more than anything else. That wasn't to say that he didn't enjoy their other bedroom activities because he most certainly did. Being with Lil in every way was good. From walking down the street holding hands to sitting with his arm around her on the couch to making love or just laying in bed together. "I love you,"[/color] Austin repeated her words. Now that he had finally asked her to marry him, he found himself wondering why he'd waited so long. In his head he knew the answer but his heart was questioning that. Suddenly he wondered if Delilah had ever wondered. Had she ever worried that he didn't love her enough to marry her. He hoped that wasn't the case. "I love you more every day, Lil,"[/color] he told her sincerely, hoping that would ease any doubt.

When she pulled back from their kiss it was Austin's turn to audibly mark his disapproval with a small noise. The feel of her hand on his jaw, her thumb against his lips, helped to ease the ache he felt at the loss of her lips. He was quick to meet her gaze when she looked up at his quizzically. Delilah's question took him a little off guard. One eyebrow arched slightly as he attempted to make sense of what she was asking. It took a moment for Austin to realize what she wanted to know. Lifting his hands he thread one into her hair as he pressed it gently to the side of her face while the other tucked her long tresses behind her ear. With his eyes locked on her, a tender smile on his face, he responded. "For everything, love. For finding something in me that first day that made you want to get to know me. For wanting to spend time with me, for loving me, for being the most important thing in my life. For brightening and enriching every single day of the last seven years. For agreeing to be my wife,"[/color] Austin continued with a smile. Lil still had tears lingering and he shifted a hand, wiping the moisture away with a gentle brush of his thumb.

He looked at her for a long moment, his expression softening. "I've wanted to ask you for so long, Delilah,"[/color] he admitted ruefully. "Waiting this long has been the hardest thing I've ever done but I want so much for you. I want you to have everything you want and I know what your education means to you. I was going to wait until after you graduated because I know how much you've dreamed of a big wedding."[/color] His mother, at least, had gotten her big wedding and it wasn't a quiet, shotgun marriage either. She got the big, elaborate ceremony and the lively reception that she had wanted. Austin's mother had also had dreams of going to college, which only last one semester due to her pregnancy. Kids was something that he and Delilah had talked about. It was entirely possibly that his heart issues could be passed on to their children. He'd tried to make that clear to her early on. She loved kids and wanted several and while Austin did too he was also very worried that a sick child might waylay some of Lil's dreams. This wasn't something he was going to bring up again now, the occasion was too happy for such talk, but it was something they would need to discuss again before any plans for children were finalized. Austin knew that his mother loved him, they were very close still and always would be. He knew that she didn't resent having to change her life around to care for him. She told him all the time that was what mothers did. If something like that should happen to one of their children he knew that Delilah would have the same outlook as his mother, Austin just wanted more for her.

He looked down briefly, trying to put all unhappy thoughts out of his head. This was a beautiful, momentous occasion and he didn't want anything to get in the way of that. "I just couldn't wait any longer, Lil,"[/color] he went on after his momentary distraction. "It's okay if you want to wait until after you graduate to start planning the wedding or whatever you want, darlin'."[/color] Austin truly was happy with whatever plans she wanted to make. Actually he hoped to be involved some in the planning, he would be happy to help in any way he could. No doubt Delilah had a very good idea of what she wanted already and while it was their day, it really was for her. Austin couldn't deny that he was looking forward to standing up before his family and friends, in the sight of God, and taking Delilah as his wife, until death do they part. He didn't believe in falling out of love and he didn't believe in divorce. Neither of those things were something that they needed to be concerned about though.[/size][/blockquote][/justify]
tag:[/color] Delilah <3
words:[/color] 1154
clothes:[/color] right here
notes:[/color] I just LOVE these two!!
lyrics:[/color] Angel - Leona Lewis

[delilahadinabebinn]

This was a back and forth that she was used to, hated and yet loved at the same time. One would never accept that the other might be better than the other. Delilah saw Austin as the most perfect man to ever exist and she thanked God on her bare knees every single day that he was in her life. Austin was the only thing that kept her from sinking into a depression most of the time and she loved him for having that effect on her. Without him her life wasn't worth much and no matter how many times she told him that she doubted that he ever believed her. Mostly because he told her the same thing and she found it very difficult to believe him. Not because she suspected him of lying to her, but because she still felt that he was just settling with her and that he could have done better. He felt the same way about her and that was why they were stuck in this eternal back and forth of who deserved the other more and who loved the other more. Delilah called herself the lucky one and Austin immediately felt the need to contradict that and tell her that he was the lucky one. She would have told him that it wasn't true, that she was the lucky one and that she didn't deserve him and that he had just made her the happiest girl to ever walk the planet. But his lips were against hers before she could say anything and it just erased whatever she had been thinking about. He always did that to her, all it took was one soft press of his lips against hers and her mind just went blank.

She smiled widely when he said that he loved her, her eyes fluttering closed for just a minute just because of the sound of his voice. There was no one else in the world that had this kind of an effect on her, no one else could make her head swoon just because of something that they might say to her. But Austin was able to. When they just started to get to know each other Delilah often found herself missing what he said to her entirely because she was just listening to the sound of his voice and not paying attention to what he was actually saying to her. She could get completely lost in his voice and she loved falling asleep while he was just talking to her or waking up to the same thing. "I love you," she murmured again, though it didn't sound right. For some reason, love didn't feel like the right word anymore.

It felt like she was going to have to come up with something else because the word love couldn't grasp the intense adoration that she felt for him. They were going to have to come up something new, something bigger, something even more meaningful because love wasn't going to cut it anymore. But for now her mind was just completely blank and if she could get a straight thought in it was about Austin and the wedding and how her parents would react once they found out. How his parents would react, how her brother was going to react. How Austin would look in a suit, now that was something that she wanted to think about, how handsome he would look on their wedding day. And her dress and flowers and suddenly everything was just running through her mind and she couldn't get herself to stop her mind for a moment anymore. She was going to marry him, she was going to be Mrs Austin Rico and it was all that she had ever wanted from the moment that she met him.

As he spoke she listened carefully, not wanting to miss a word this time and she locked her eyes with his as the words fell from his mouth. Her smile grew with nearly every single thing that he spoke and she closed her eyes for a moment when he fell silent. Her hands rested on either side of his face and she pulled him closer to press her lips against his again. "Austin, I love you," she told him gently, opening her eyes again and smiling softly at him. "You don't have to thank me for any of that because there is nothing that I've wanted more than to get to know you and stay with you." Delilah wasn't sure how to tell him everything that she was feeling but she was trying her best as she spoke. "Nothing would make be happier than being your wife, being a part of you in every single way possible, starting a family with you," her voice grew very hushed at the last part and she brushed his hair away from his face. It was a bit of a soar spot, the family talk because of his health issues but Delilah had never cared for it, she wanted children, she wanted his children. Health issues weren't going to stop her from wanting or getting that.

Delilah laughed softly when he said that he had wanted to ask her for so long and she smiled at him again, "I've been wanting you to ask me for so long," she replied cheerfully. It was nice to know that she hadn't been the only one waiting for it to finally happen. "I have everything I want," she told him softly, "I have you," she smiled widely, brushing his hair from his face again and brushing her lips along his forehead. Though she thought about it for a moment longer and decided that she didn't really have everything that she wanted just yet. But the only other thing that she wanted would come later, once they were married and settled in completely. Because the only other thing that she wanted besides Austin was Austin's child.

"If you had waited any longer I would have asked you," she told him teasingly, though she was pretty sure that that would never happen because she was a bit old fashioned when it came to these things. She wanted him to ask her, that much she knew. Delilah smiled when he told her that she could wait with planning till after she was graduated but it was a little late for that, she was already planning it as she sat there. A part of her wanted to say something but she decided to just keep quiet for a moment and she just leaned closer to him, brushing her lips along his jaw before pressing her lips against his again. "I love you, Austin," she murmured against his lips before wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him closer and tilting her head slightly to deepen the kiss between them.

tagged; the wizard <3
wearing; this smoking outfit
location; austin and delilah's apartment
word count; 1.141
notes; -sigh- i want one
lyrics; I want you - Kelly Clarkson

[austinashleyrico]

I FEEL IT, YOU FEEL IT

that this was meant to be

It was times like these that helped Austin get past his insecurities. All of that was his issues. Delilah had never given him reason to doubt her love, to doubt any part of their relationship. The problem was his perception, mostly of himself. While his parents had certainly meant well in everything they had ever done for him, their actions had left Austin believing that he was damaged. The scar on his chest for instance, his mother was more than a little anal about him not showing that to anyone. Even in the middle of a sweltering hot summer as a young child he was to be covered while all the other boys, and a good number of the girls, were running around shirtless. Then again, during those days Austin was usually inside in the air conditioning with a notebook or sketch pad. He certainly hadn't been out running around in the sprinklers and all the other things that the rest of the neighborhood kids were doing. At first it had been fairly heartbreaking to be stuck inside, watching all of the fun from a window. Eventually though he turned his attention elsewhere, first to reading and then creating his own stories. He often wondered how his life might have been different if he hadn't been sick or if his parents had given him a bit more slack. That was something that he thought about fairly often, usually when the good things happened in his life. Austin would look at the event, such as having his book published, and wonder if that ever would have happened if it hadn't been for his health issues.

Being with Delilah was something else he wondered about. Would they have ever struck it off the way they had if he'd grown up differently? If, for instance, he was more like Dallas. Austin liked to think that regardless of his upbringing he still wouldn't have turned out like his twin. Honestly he didn't understand how Dallas had turned out like he did while he was more or less the exact opposite. It must have been the friends that his brother hung around with that influenced his abhorrent behavior. Austin quickly shifted his line of thought. Now was certainly not the time to be thinking about his brother. He smiled at his new fiancée when she said again that she loved him. "I love you, Lil."

[/color] Reaching out he tucked her long hair behind her ear again, stroking his fingers along her jaw as he leaned in to kiss her once more. Austin could just spend forever kissing her. Delilah had the most perfect lips. Actually, as far as he was concerned, everything about her was perfect. She was sweet and kind and without question the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. That had been true the first moment he saw her, in the hallway of the high school just after they collided, and that was even truer now. Every year that passed, every day, Austin thought she got more and more beautiful.

The amazing thing about Delilah's beauty was the fact that it was all natural. She didn't have to spend hours in the bathroom completely altering her look with makeup. Of course she had a beauty routine but it wasn't any sort of transformation like other women would do. Austin was grateful for that. He truly loved the natural look that Delilah pulled off so wonderfully. His eyelids lowered slightly as her hands came to rest on either side of his face. That was one of the most soothing things in the world to him, the sensation of her touch. Quickly though he opened his eyes again to hold her gaze with a loving expression as she spoke, explaining why it wasn't necessary for him to thank her. His smile grew and grew with each sentence she spoke. Austin couldn't wait for her to be his wife, to be legally bound together until death do they part. They had, of course, bonded themselves together years ago but this would make it official. Nothing had ever come between them so it really wasn't a concern but for some reason Austin felt that once they were married nothing could ever come between them. Perhaps that was an old-fashioned, overly romantic thought but it was what he believed. He knew how seriously both of them took the sanctity of marriage and was certain to the bottom of his heart that neither would ever break the vows they would make on their wedding day.

When Delilah mentioned wanting to start a family, Austin did his best not to show his concern. He didn't want anything to dampen this moment. They had talked about children, both wanted children and someday they would try. The fact that he could possibly pass his health issues onto their children was, without a doubt, Austin's biggest fear. He knew that if it were to happen they would get through it, just like his parents had. Still, it was a terrifying prospect. Thankfully Lil's gentle laugh drew his attention and the broad smile that had started to wane was quickly fortified. "I'm sorry I waited so long, Bebe,"[/color] he told her softly. "I know how important your education is and I wanted to make sure that I didn't interrupt that dream. I don't ever want to stand in the way of something you want, love."[/color] Austin doubted that she would think their being married would stand in the way of anything but in some ways it would. He knew that Delilah wanted children and would likely want to start their family as soon as they were married. He also knew that she would want to be married before that happened. Both of them believed that there should be an order to things and marriage definitely needed to come before baby.

A soft chuckle bubbled up from his chest when she told him that if he hadn't asked her soon she was going to ask him. Austin was sure that was something that she never would have done. They were both a little old-fashioned about things. Sometimes it amazed him that they lived together. He was incredibly glad that they did because he couldn't stand to be away from her for long. The few nights they had spent apart, for whatever reason, since they started sleeping together were always bad nights. Austin just couldn't sleep without her snuggled against his side. Thankfully nights where they had to be apart were few and very far between. A soft hum sounded in his throat at the brush of Lil's lips against his jaw and he immediately turned his head to meet her kiss. He would have repeated his love for her but his mouth was otherwise occupied and he figured he could show her as much as tell her.[/size][/blockquote][/justify]
tag:[/color] Delilah <3
words:[/color] 1172
clothes:[/color] right here
notes:[/color] Me too!
lyrics:[/color] Angel - Leona Lewis