gabby-welch

[gabby-welch]

lovers in quarantine // nick + gabby

One of the last things Gabrielle would’ve ever anticipated was to be in quarantine. Nothing had ever required her to really forcibly stay in one place for a long time. Except for that one time there was a torrential storm and she had to stay in a NYC library for a few hours, but that was nothing in comparison to this situation. At least it hadn’t been challenging for her to find something to do in the library. Or… someone, rather. Ha. And that someone just so happened to now be her husband. Astonishing how life works, huh? Gabby was grateful to be isolated with Nick. If it’d been anyone else (besides maybe her best friend), she’d probably lose her mind and wind up pulling her hair out after a couple of days. She couldn’t possibly imagine being quarantined with her siblings or her parents–regardless of the love she has for them. There are only certain people that can be dealt with for a long period of time. And well, she was already used to Nick, they saw each other on a day-to-day basis and lived together. Sure, there were those few things that grinded her gears every now and then, but she could confidently call him her favorite person in the world.

Gabrielle’s past battle with cancer had put her in a tough place. She was immunocompromised. It’s not something she liked talking about regularly, not even with Nick. That was her past, not her future, but the fact of the matter is that she had to be a little more vigilant than many. Her immune system was shot and catching anything could put her in danger. So, because of that, the pair fled from their home in Brooklyn to a less busy area in New York–Nick’s family cabin. Gabby had never been there before, but there was a first time for everything, and she was excited to see what the hype was all about. At first, Gabby didn’t think it was all too crucial to relocate, because it wouldn’t have been so hard to self-quarantine in their home, but Nick’s suggestion sounded inviting, and it was better to be safe than sorry. Perhaps the married couple could use this time to their advantage.

With all the commotion going on in the world, it was hard to tell when anyone would feel any sense of normalcy again. It was challenging for them both; Gabby having to close her cafe and Nick having to transition to online teaching only, with a few months left in the school year. It was a big adjustment, but it was attainable. This would give Gabby the opportunity to work on some writing, and maybe focus on some self-improvement simultaneously. Monetarily, she wasn’t concerned. Business had been thriving at the cafe before having to temporarily shut down, and Nick was wealthy. It’s not that she relied on Nick financially, and she never did for as long as she’s known him, seeing as how it was never something she focused on–however, they tended to have joint finances, and money never felt like an issue.

It’d been about three weeks since they’d formally started their quarantine adventure. This cabin was starting to feel like a third home (their home being #1, her cafe #2). It was beautiful, spacious, and cozy, which she considered idyllic. Though the two spent a lot of time together, they also spent some time on opposite sides of the same room or even in separate rooms in the cabin. Gabrielle very much so enjoyed seeing Nicholas in his element, speaking so fluently about history. He was so well-informed… and that was unquestionably sexy. Sometimes she’d sit on the couch and make faces at him whilst he was on Zoom, having to hold back her giggles so his students wouldn’t hear her. She couldn’t help herself; it was just the goofiness in her.

On a few occasions thus far, Gabby had thought that Nick’s knowledge and passion for his subject was tremendously hot, and when he was free from his teaching responsibilities, she’d have to take him all for herself and pull him away from his laptop for a little something… sometimes even midday. They had a very… healthy sex life. Now, even more so, since they had quite a bit more time with one another than they did before. On the couch, on the floor, in the kitchen, in the laundry room–needless to say, they always had a good time expanding their horizons.

“Babe,” Gabby cooed to her husband, a grin on her face upon hearing Nick end his Zoom session. “What would you like for dinner?” She said, glancing up from her laptop, which she then placed aside, on the arm of the couch. “Spicy basil chicken with rice and veggies, or homemade buffalo chicken pizza?” For a cafe owner and someone who adored cooking, these may not have sounded super extravagant, but her unique touch in the kitchen would greatly enhance these recipes. // @nicholasthompson​ 

[gabby-welch]

nicholasthompson·:

“Full sizes are where it’s at. You don’t have to buy containers that you lose the instant you get home,” Nick complained; he was organized, but travel containers were one of those things that always managed to slip out of his grasps. “You don’t have to waste the time, like you said. And,” he paused for dramatic effect. “You don’t end up running out of whatever you need and having to buy more.” His nose scrunched at her suggestion. "And touch nasty, cold, leftover shower water? No babe, just no.” If that was one pet peeve Nick had, it was the feeling of something cold and slimy - the same reason why dishes were always rinsed or washed completely the second they were ever put in his sink. Why let food get cold and disgusting only to have to touch it later? Maybe it was his own personal preference, maybe it was years of his mother training him to be neat in the kitchen when he was growing up. 

Nick smiled as he listened to Gabby ramble on and on. She had a habit of doing just that, the ability to talk about anything for as long as he would let her - and let her he would. Her voice was still as intoxicating to him as it was when he’d first caught feelings for her, and he could listen to her talk about anything until he fell asleep, from her book, their wedding, to what brand of toilet paper she preferred. If that wasn’t love he didn’t know what was. “I think I pick wedding planning,” Nick piped in, not that it would make their wedding date come any faster at all. It was simply enjoyable to think about. “I can take some of our planners in my bag to make sure you have room in yours. God knows that if you carried them all you’d have to check it too.” That organization, he thought to himself. Was it possible to write one too many memos to one’s self?

Being in his element…it was interesting how in his element Nick had come to be in teaching history. Granted, part of the reason why he’d taken that job specifically was for the coaching position that came along with it, fitting him into the category of social studies teachers who also coach sports. He was good at both, though, and passionate about his students whether they were in the classroom or on the field. Teaching brought a new joy to him that he’d never really felt before, the ability to shape a young person’s life quickly becoming one of the most fulfilling things Nick had ever experienced. “It’s going to be great. My parents and I talked about going there sometime. They would have enjoyed it, I’m sure. Mom would have loved the food. Hell, I’m talking like I’ve already been. I just want to make sure I can do everything they would have wanted to do, you know?” It wasn’t his responsibility by any means to check off things on his parents’ bucket lists, but somehow Nick felt closer to him by attempting to fill their shoes. “The first thing I want to do is get beignets at Cafe du Monde.” He could taste them already, or what he could imagine they tasted like by the beignets he’d tried in the past. He knew they’d be better, though.

“Maybe I have some plans for us, maybe I don’t.” The look on his face and the grip around her waist said otherwise, a familiar glimmer in his eyes when he thought of getting into their hotel bed. “Shame on me,” Nick whispered, then pressed a soft kiss to Gabby’s lips. “Don’t want to distract you with dirty thoughts while you’re packing.” One more kiss was followed by a smirk and Nick walked away, grabbing his completely dried shampoos and other bottles to pack away, zipping them into a plastic pouch just in case they leaked. “I think I might have everything I need,” Nick thought aloud, glancing at the razor by his sink and deciding that not shaving a couple of days would be easier than packing yet another thing. 

           "I'm glad we can agree on that," the dark-haired girl piped in, a grin taking over her mouth, especially once he made it so clear that touching 'nasty, cold, leftover shower water' would be way too gross for him. A playful roll of her eyes ensued and she had to laugh, nodding her head up and down slowly as if she understood where he was coming from. "You mean your nasty, cold, leftover shower water? Or my nasty, cold, leftover shower water? I never would've put it that way." It was funny, but hey, it was a quirk or something, and like any other quirk of Nick's, it was cute. Imagine anything involving Nicholas Jesse Thompson not being cute. Simply impossible. The woman had made substantial progress even within the last fifteen minutes, fitting things within her suitcase in a rather organized manner—her packing cubes, a couple of shoe bags, toiletry bags, flat iron and hair curler, etc. Her luggage was large, with more than enough room for all of the necessities. They each would have a checked bag and a carry-on, in addition to a personal item. With Gabrielle in charge, they needed all those bags... at least according to her extensive list.

           With an excited scrunch of her nose (a signature Gabby move or whatever), Gabby smiled wide at her fiancé. "I was hoping you'd say wedding planning, you know," her tone matter-of-fact. How could they pass up such a wonderful opportunity? Hours to just sit down and set some details in stone, time they didn't typically have very often at home unless worked into Gabrielle's planner. Why, of course, she's a planner person. In what world would she not be? Back in middle school, her first planner changed her world, and ever since, they've been a staple each year; a true game-changer. She even had cute stickers to use—even at the age of thirty. All for the visual, really. "Maybe I can even try to address some save-the-dates!!" The excitement was evident in her tone. That would mean packing the essentials for that task, but she was sure she'd have the room for some envelopes, a couple calligraphy pens, her little address book, some stamps, the save-the-dates themselves... because if they were being addressed, she could technically just send them from a post-office in New Orleans, right? Right. Knowing her, she'd get the job done with no problem. Maybe that was more of a late-night job. She'd figure it out, and she'd have the materials with her just in case. "We can look at potential cakes, schedule our cake tastings, schedule a time to look at flowers, begin planning our honeymoon, make sure we haven't missed booking anything..." Some of the things they could do on the plane, anyway. With their busy schedules, it was hard to find time to do everything on the usual wedding planning schedule, but they were managing just fine.

           "You'll have some pretty interesting stories to tell your students when you get back," Gabby noted aloud, fingertips subconsciously grazing over the back of Nick's neck. She'd already been hanging onto every word he spoke (as per usual), but when he mentioned his parents, she made sure to listen extra hard. It was always a sensitive topic, though the tone of his voice was light, upbeat, and it made her happy to hear that. "I absolutely understand. You're such a good son. I'm sure they would be incredibly happy you're taking this trip. We'll have to eat some more food and have a few extra drinks in their honor, yeah?" She said, teeth showing in a sweet grin. She, obviously, had never met his parents. But if they raised their son to be anything like them, well, they must've been some amazing people. And anything that ever meant so much to Nicholas, meant a lot to Gabrielle, one-hundred-percent.

           "Mm," she responded, eyebrows furrowing in response as she watched his face, cheeks flushing a tad bit. Leave it to Nicholas to get her going even whilst packing their luggage. Then again, he could surely get her going anywhere, at any time of any day. "Shame on you is right," Gabby hissed, words nothing but playful seconds before he kissed her lips. One hand moved to his cheek as she returned the sweet little kiss. And when he walked away, she just had to watch him for a couple of seconds. How could one person make her so breathless, and without even doing all too much at that moment? Must've simply been his existence. The woman cleared her throat and turned around to continue the task at hand. "Oh yeah? I think I'm almost there too. We'll be on the road in no time!" And by on the road, she meant everything completely packed, in the car, with a few hours to relax and sleep before they had to leave for the airport.

                                                          —

           "Boarding group C," reverberated through the large room, an excited Gabby shooting up from her seat. C, because both Gabrielle and Nicholas' last names started with letters towards the end of the alphabet. Soon, however, her last name wouldn't start with a W anymore—but they'd still be in the same boarding group. "You ready, babe?" She asked her handsome man, unable to hide her excitement. It's not like she was jumping up and down in the terminal, but if people wouldn't glare at her with judgmental expressions, she probably would. Not only did they deserve the fuck out of this trip, but doing this together, sharing some quality time, well, it was much, much needed. Less than ten minutes later, the pair had loaded their carry-on's into the overhead, personal items at their feet. With a little nudge in the shoulder, Gabby looked at Nick, eyes gleaming, "It's happening, we're going to New Orleans," she whispered, as she buckled herself in.

new orleans // summer 2019

[gabby-welch]

nicholasthompson·:

Gabby Welch could never cease to amaze Nick, the man walking into their shared bedroom in his Brooklyn home to find what he could only assume what was everything they could possibly need - maybe even more - spread on the bed and waiting to be packed away into luggage that they’d see again when they arrived in New Orleans. Nick always wanted to go there but never quite found the time while he was in control of the Thompson family marketing firm. The constant phone calls, conferences, and office hours kept him tied down to New York, and even though he’d slowly been letting go of his key responsibilities over the company for the past few years he’d always felt too unhappy to get himself to get on a plain and travel somewhere new. He didn’t deserve it, he thought to himself time and time again. Work was his life, a punishment for whatever he’d done to the universe to make it hate him.

All that changed with Gabby, with a little help from his new job as a teacher too. Nick was still the reigning president of his father’s company; he could never fully let it go, and he would always be the last in line for vital decision making. Still, since he got engaged he managed to loosen the reigns and give some of his most trusted team members more freedom to in turn give himself the same thing. That, and his new teaching job left summers wide open to take time to relax and enjoy time off. A lot of it, too. The end of his first summer vacation since college was drawing near, but he and his fiancee had been planning on ending it with a big bang. New Orleans was the biggest bang they could come up with. 

“I’m uh…you know, I think you’re handling it all pretty well.” Nick had already dropped Gus off with a close friend of the couple to keep him for the days to come, and had just walked through the door before making his way back to the bedroom where Gabby was packing. “I just have to pack my toiletries. You know how much I hate packing a wet shampoo bottle.” He stuck his tongue out and went into the bathroom where he’d left his shower essentials to dry overnight. He’d throw them in a checked bag rather than a carry on. Who wanted to waste time dumping soaps and gels into travel bottles when there was so much else to be done?

“I wish we could fast forward having to wait. I’m beyond ready for this trip.” He’d barely slept the night before, staring at the ceiling the majority of the night while he listened to Gabby sleeping next to him. Anxious jitters, he’d thought to himself. A good anxious, of course. “I wouldn’t mind fast forwarding through the flight too, but we can’t have everything we want, can we?” He gravitated to Gabby’s side of the room, sliding his arms around her waist once the gap between them was closed. “I’m ready for beignets,” He started, giving her a small squeeze. “I’m ready for the night life.” Another squeeze, then a kiss on the cheek. “The history!” That certainly excited him, getting to tour the historic buildings of the French Quarter. “Convincing our hotel neighbors that their rooms are haunted when they hear moaning coming from next door…” His smile morphed into a devious smirk, laughter residing in his throat. 

One thing that the pair would be able to count on is the fact that they wouldn't be short of anything on their trip. When it comes to packing... well, Gabby could be an over-packer. Not, like, a crazy over-packer, but she always wanted to make sure she thought of everything, even if they wouldn't necessarily need to use it. Would they need a lint roller? Probably not. But that small chance was still a chance... so it was in the pile. Would they need three packs of gum for their plane ride? Hell no... but there it was. Would she need ten dresses plus twelve full outfits? More than likely, no. But she always tried to think of all the possibilities. What if she wanted to change into a dress once the sun set? What if she wanted to put on a pair of workout pants and a casual t-shirt to walkaround with her man? There was a method to her madness, whether it seemed that way or not.

As she stood there with her clipboard, she felt this sense of satisfaction. Over the years, she had definitely grown as a leader, figuring out all the twists and turns of being in charge, and, well, kicking ass. And as weird as it may sound, she felt she was also kicking when it came to organizing their vacation essentials, too. "Toiletries are my least favorite part of packing," she spoke aloud, making a face at the idea. "I used to pack travel sizes of everything and it was such a pain. Now I just opt for full sizes," she said with a shrug, placing her clipboard down on the bed. "I realized over time that it's so much easier that way. I wasted so much time..." Laughter bubbles up from the back of her throat at the thought, head shaking back and forth. Ya live and ya learn. She'd begun rolling some blouses to place in her packing cubes, tapping her foot subconsciously to the beat of the song playing. Who packed without music playing in the background? She couldn't imagine. "You know," she started to say, amusedly. "There is such a thing as drying off the shampoo bottle..."

When she noticed Nicholas coming to her side of the room, she stopped what she was doing to give him all of her attention, turning to look at him with a sweet smile. "And no one deserves this trip more than you, my love," Gabby started to say. "I might deserve it a little bit too, but you, well—don't even get me started on how hardworking you are. I feel so bad we couldn't take a trip any earlier than this, but it's finally here. Some much needed quality time..." She paused for a second as she watched his face. "I kinda wish we could too. You know, just transport there with the snap of a finger. But thank goodness we were able to find a nonstop flight. Once we're on, we'll be there in a little over three hours. But I can guarantee I won't be able to fall asleep..."Gabby laughed, shrugging her shoulders. "I'm always too excited or too nervous to sleep on planes. Unless it's a long ass flight, then maybe that'd be different, but for three hours? Maybe I can get some writing done... or maybe we could play some cards? Listen to some music? Or maybe watch a movie. Ooh ooh, we can wedding plan?" Then she realized she was going on and on, her smile turning slightly sheepish. "Don't mind me. I just can't wait."Gabrielle laughed, her arms wrapping around Nicholas' neck loosely.  

The excitement in Nick's voice warmed Gabby's heart as she watched his face, corners of her lips turning up yet again in her pretty smile. "So basically, everything," she chimed in, nose scrunching in excitement of her own. "Oh, you'll drink all that history stuff up. I look forward to seeing you in your element..." She wouldn't mind hearing him talk about all the little historical things he liked about the area. Quite honestly, she could listen to him talk about anything and not be bored, even if it wasn't something she, herself, was passionate about. Hearing someone whom she is totally in love with talk about anything he was passionate about was music to her ears. Hell, he could talk about combing his hair or about doing laundry and she'd sit there with her chin in the palm of her hand. Weird, right? Another wave of laughter escaped her upon his last comment, brows wiggling in response. "Moaning, huh? You have some plans for us?" The dark-haired girl winked in his direction, giving him a squeeze as she peppered his cheek with light kisses. "You know I'm up for it."

new orleans // summer 2019

[gabby-welch]

new orleans // summer 2019

           It was still new to her. The idea of being engaged, that is. Which, in a way, is kinda crazy. It’d been almost eight months since Nick proposed to Gabby. Shouldn’t that be enough time to come down from such a high? One would think. But every time she looked down at her hand and saw that beautiful ring, every time she so much as looked in his direction, every time she would get lost in her thoughts—she remembered that she was engaged to the best man she ever could’ve possibly scored. It wasn’t the kind of thing where she got so excited she had to scream it from the rooftops whenever it came to mind (because that’d get annoying real quick), but it was on her mind quite frequently. Often times she just couldn’t wrap her mind around how she got so lucky. 

           And well, this was her first vacation as an engaged woman. Gabby usually tried to take a few trips throughout the year, but even since shortly after meeting Nick, her life had gotten a lot busier. With the cafe picking up and Nick getting a teaching slash coaching job, trips weren’t their first priority. Technically, this was their first official vacation as a couple, besides the few trips they’d taken to her visit her family. They were going to New Orleans—the home of delicious cuisine, beautiful music, and wonderful culture. Neither of them had ever been there, so it seemed fitting, different. Everything at the cafe was covered, and Nick had been working diligently to get ready for the upcoming school year. And they were more than looking forward to this two-week vacation.

           It’s no surprise that Gabrielle is a planner and an organized one at that. She’d created a packing checklist for them to go by, consisting of everything they’d need from undergarments and toothbrushes to IDs and plane tickets. A clipboard in hand and a pen tapping away at it, eyes scanned down the list, taking note of the checkmarks along the way. “Socks, underwear, dresses, swimsuits, vitamins, chargers...” She mumbled under her breath, taking a little glance over at their bed, which was filled with countless items. Her stuff on one side, Nick’s on the other, just so it was easier to make sure they had what they needed. “Babe, how you doing over there?” Gabby asked, brows raised with a cute grin. “12 hours ‘til our flight, 10 ‘til we get to the airport.” She reminded excitedly, as she’d been doing throughout the day, just to keep a countdown. ////////// @nicholasthompson

[gabby-welch]

❝  Happy Thanksgiving from Santa Monica.  - - -  ( @gabby-welch )  ❞

[gabby-welch]

               Brows furrowed in confusion at the woman. “So let me get this straight. They gave you a dirty look for donating? For being a good human being and helping out... like they asked for? That makes no sense to me. Sounds like a real bitch if you ask me. I’ll have to take a stop by to give a donation.” 

                           “Have you heard about the Thanksgiving donations? I went to the PD department the other day with some canned food for the families and the manager gave me the shadiest look. Like, chill the fuck down, I’m trying to do something good for once. Maybe the fucking universe will give me a break then.” 

[gabby-welch]

               On occasion, Gabby could be a liiiiiittle in her head. Even when walking through town, which, admittedly, probably isn’t the best thing, considering how important it is to be alert and all... but it was so easy for her to fall into deep thought. “Oh, shit,” she mumbled, sheepish grin making way onto her face. “No no, I’m sorry---I didn’t mean to make it into your shot. That was just me not thinking of where I was walking. I hope I didn’t ruin it too much.” 

As the shutter went on his camera, Aidan realised a second too late that someone had stepped right into the frame and a gentle laugh escaped him as he noticed. He lowered the camera once more, a smile now crossing his features. “I promise I wasn’t trying to get you in shot,” he told them with a casual shrug of his shoulders.

[gabby-welch]

seventeen hours . self

→                    thursday, november 22     //     where: santa monica, california

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[gabby-welch]

srosenstock‌:

“We have, I do have to admit. It’s always so… pleasantly surprising to be reminded of that.” He returned the grin. He was caught so off guard by her enthusiasm, that he almost found himself at a loss for words. “It’s not that I’m surprised, just not…” Sam let out a sigh, unsure of what to say. “It doesn’t matter, I appreciate your interest. Now, let me tell you about the Dutch. Lesson one —  Dutch Still Life paintings are very… dramatic.” Sam had to bring herself to a stop for a second, letting a soft chuckle leave his being. “Gabby, I hope you know what you just got yourself into. I’ll try to control myself, I promise. Uh, still life is supposed to be a composition of shapes, you know? A combination of organic and inorganic subjects, but the Dutch made it… weird? During the late Baroque period they started making their still life scenes about death. It’s ironic, in a way. They’d blatantly just throw a skull there, or flowers next to dead flowers, or flowers next to raw meat… Things like that. you know? They wanted their scenes to be deep, I guess. The ridiculousness of it is what makes it so fascinating to me.” A long exhale made him finally relax his core. “Let me stop myself there.” Again, the sound of her laugh brought a grin to his features. “You have a beautiful laugh, you knew that? I’m sure you’ve heard it before, at least from me, you have.” He gave her a soulful nod. “You know, I could never get into the whole Adele craze. Trust me, I tried — I actually tried. I mostly listen to mostly irrelevant eighties music at this point. I used to have a more varied taste when I was younger, but as I aged I kind of… just… got stuck in the eighties? I know you haven’t listened to my playlist, and for that, I have to tell you — You’re welcome.”

               “Pleasantly surprising,” Gabrielle repeated, corners of her lips turning up into a grin. Really, it was. The pair had been through a good bit with each other since they met a little while back, and the relationship they’d pursued had, surely, been a good one---but some things just don’t work out, and that’s something she had to remind herself of for a little while when their conscious uncoupling took place. Sam was a good man, probably one of the greatest she’d ever had the pleasure to get to know. He’d been through a lot, and Gabby couldn’t stress enough how he deserved all the good things this life had to offer him. She’d found herself in deep thought, but snapped out of it as soon as he started about something that interested him immensely---Dutch still life paintings. 

               It was interesting, hearing him talk so highly of these paintings, and she found herself leaning forward towards the table a little bit more, resting her chin in the palm of her hand as she listened. The way he talked so passionately about this interest of his was, indeed, heartwarming. “I actually didn’t know that,” she reassured him, about the fact that still life is simply just a composition of shapes. Truthfully, she didn’t know much about art and paintings, only what he’d explained to her previously. Maybe that’s something she should’ve known just by looking at one, though, right? “That’s pretty incredible, though. Do you paint still-life often? For some reason I’m seeing in my head something involving a wine glass full of dead flowers. Maybe a candle on the side, a vintage looking key...” Random, maybe. But she was able to picture it pretty well. “If only I could actually paint I’d try to give it a shot,” she admitted, laughing to herself.  

               Cheeks turned a bit red at his compliment. And yeah, he had told her that before, but no matter who it came from, her cheeks were going to turn red and she’d more than likely get a little shy in the process. “You have,” she responded, teeth showing in her little smile. “Thank you, Sam.” Again, she couldn’t help but to laugh, mostly because she couldn’t relate to not being into Adele. Truthfully, Gabby felt she was the epitome of perfection when it came to her beautiful voice and her beautiful persona. “I cannot say the same,” Gabrielle admitted, sheepish grin present. “I’m that chick who sits in her car and sobs as she sings along to Adele songs, to be honest.” This was a joke... sorta. But she’d definitely done that before. “Listen, eighties music is really good, so I can’t blame you for that. If you ever feel like you wanna let me hear some songs off of that playlist of yours, I can’t say I’d be opposed. I’m always open to hearing the music that other people like.” Music was therapeutic. So therapeutic, and she’d be lying if she said she didn’t spend an incredible amount of her time listening. 

[gabby-welch]

nicholasthompson‌:

Nick was never one to think highly of himself. At thirty-seven years old he was probably war more successful than most of the people he graduated from high school were, perhaps even his peers from his time at Stanford University. He was the head of a successful advertising firm, not by his own choice, but he’d managed to maintain its business and bring in new clients on top of keeping the old satisfied. He was doing a pretty damn good job as a teacher to those observing from an outsider’s perspective. Nick lived in a nice apartment - yes, he missed living in a home, and yes, he could afford to be living in a spacious house in Bellevue right now. He chose to live below his means, though, showing how humble he was and just as grateful for everything that he had. Nick was kind to those around him, never taking a passing moment for granted, always wanting to leave a lasting impression on everyone he met and doing his best to make more friends than enemies. Nicholas Thompson was a great man, a pleasure to be known by anyone, but he still couldn’t wrap his mind around just why a woman like Gabby could find him to be so amazing.

“Maybe the answer is more simple than either of us can imagine. Maybe in the grand scheme of life, with everything that is happening in the world now, in the past, and what will happen in the future, something took the time to look at you, and look at me, and decided to make us perfect for each other. Every puzzle piece has another that compliments its crooked edges. We fit together in every place that we need to, every way that we need to. We can’t really help but wonder why it is that we found each other or how the hell happiness like this really exists, and it’s too unbelievable to exist at times. I’m just happy for whatever it was that decided that we’re us.” He paused after such a poetic moment, Nick’s wisdom from every joyful moment and every ounce of turmoil pouring out of his lips, now set in a soft smile on his face. “I’m just happy I have you. I love you.” A hand made its way to her knee, thumb rubbing soft circles through the denim that covered her leg.

That happiness carried on throughout the car ride to the store and even as the two walked inside, Gabby taking charge of the cart while Nick took the liberty of plucking the list she’d made before out of her pocket and unfolding it to examine the ingredients they’d need for their perfect, yet simple, romantic evening in. Nick’s smile reflected Gabby’s, both of them excited for these small moments together. One wouldn’t think grocery shopping could be a task to be so elated to carry out, but when one was with the one they cared most about in the world it was hard to not get giddy over even the smallest things.

“Let’s start out with the base of it all and then work our way down the list. Once we have everything you can pick out the wine and we can figure out dessert.” Gabby drank wine more often than Nick did, the man often finding her popping open a bottle at the end of a long day to simmer down before lounging on the couch or even nestling herself into a pile of soft blankets to dive into a book or her own writing before bed. He’d pour himself a glass to have alongside her from time to time, or with whatever meal they deemed worthy enough to have some on the side. Tonight had been dubbed a special, romantic night though, so wine was highly called for. “We need chicken broth, and acini de pepe,” Nick said, his cheeks flushing lightly as he plodded slowly through the name of the tiny pasta balls needed to put in their soup, hoping he did the pronunciation justice. He was bilingual, after all, thanks to his mother making sure that he could speak and read Greek when they would visit with or call their relatives in her home country. Italian was certainly different from Camilla Thompson’s native tongue, though, and he could only try his best like any other person out there. 

His method was obvious, Nick directing Gabby towards the aisle of the market where the basics of pasta and soup were all kept. The broth should be near the pasta itself, making their trip easier by being able to gather several things at once. “You know, I don’t think I’ve ever bought this stuff before,” Nick thought aloud as he reached for a box of the appropriate pasta, happy to have easily found it amongst all the other boxes of varieties of pasta available at the store. “Then again, I’ve never maid Italian wedding soup either. I think the broth’s over there.” He pointed down the aisle a ways, Gabby much closer to reaching to grab a cardboard carton of chicken broth to soak all of the scrumptious ingredients of their soup in. “You know, it took me a while to get used to the weather here when we first moved. I hated the rain. But the soup? God, I’d never eaten soup so much before we came to Bellevue. I love it now. Fuck,” the man chuckled, glancing back down towards the list. “Produce section next?”

The produce section of the store was certainly a little more crowded than the previous aisle, not that it was packed, but the couple had to navigate around a few more shopping carts to get to the exact veggies that they’d need. They were familiar ingredients to Nick, the onions and herbs, the greens and carrots that would help add color and flavor to their little brew. Vegetables were some of his favorite things to eat, even over meats, the man often times opting for a good vegetarian option in restaurants when going out for meals. As they navigated their way towards the herbs Nick caught sight of a familiar face, one of his students with their mother, helping out with selecting a few fruits and veggies of their own. “Don’t look now, but one of my kids is in here,” he murmured to Gabby, still watching from a distance. “You know, I haven’t run into one in public yet?” As if they could sense that they were being spoken about, the teenager spotted Nick as well and gave a sheepish wave in his direction. 

“Hey Mr. Thompson,” they said, eyes flickering between Nick and Gabby before smirking at their teacher. The students had all seen pictures of Nick and Gabby together on his desk when they’d come to get help with their reading or an assignment, and Nick could tell that the girl from his class was connecting the dots between the photos and the woman now standing beside him in person. “Hey, Alexis,” he replies, offering a wave of his hand as well. “You’re gonna behave this weekend, right?” It was a joke, the girl being one of his best students. Her mother caught wind of the comments, smiling and shaking her head as she went back to business of gathering groceries, Alexis laughing and nodding. “Only if you do too, Mr. Thompson,” she jabbed back, earning a light nudge of an elbow from her mother, the girl’s look still shifting between Nick and Gabby. Nick’s cheeks were turning a light shade of red now, the man dismissing his student for the second time today as he turned to look at his girlfriend. “Jesus,” he whispered through an airy laugh, the man shaking his head at the interaction. “I wonder how the rest of them will be at the dance…”

               It was always nice, hearing someone sorta... pour their heart out. The little speech that'd come from Nick had all of Gabby's attention. Well, even if he hadn't just given a little speech he still would've had all of her attention, bearing in mind it was pretty much impossible not to. There wasn't a thing in the world that could alter the fact that she was all in. And she knew that from the start. Corners of her lips turned up into a grin, eyes gleaming as they watched his face, and it almost felt like she was in a daze for a second, head nodding up and down in what seemed like slow motion. "For whatever reason the universe decided to push us together... I don't think I'll ever be able to explain just how happy I am that it actually happened," she told him, tone sincere, words soft. Nothing---no one could measure up to Nicholas. It wasn't even a consideration.

               "And I love you," the dark-haired woman told him, grin broadening. She knew she'd never be able to tell him that with a straight face. But why would she want to? Love, and well, their love particularly? Such a beautiful thing. And you can't say that kind of thing dispassionately.

               Their drive to the grocery store was much like the rest of their drives together. Calm, collected, comfortable. Gabby always enjoyed being in the car with Nick. Sometimes they talked and sometimes they didn't. Conversation isn't required at all times to be comfortable around someone, right? Certainly not for them. Sometimes the company of another person is all you really need. That was the case for Gabby. Nicholas' company was all she needed. Just knowing he was there, and she was fortunate enough to be gifted by the beautiful presence of such an extraordinary human being... sometimes she hadn't any idea how she got so blessed.

               She realized, however, she'd stopped short near the entrance of the grocery store, gaze, like, locked on her boyfriend's face as she took a few moments to take in just how lucky she really was. Uh, Gabby. Snap the hell out of it, will you? Her brain echoed those words, and she quietly gasped, humiliation immediately taking over her features as she moved out of the way, hands on the handle of the cart all the while. "I uh," she started to say, clearing her throat in attempt to get herself together, hands clenching onto the handle. What, is this your first time meeting him or something? Get! it! together! "I'm sorry. You know me, it's hard for me not to get lost looking at you..." Words came out sheepish, cheeks tinted crimson, laughter flowing past those pink lips of hers. "Who could blame me, though? It's easy to get a little overwhelmed looking at you," Gabby complimented. A little overwhelmed would be an understatement. Perhaps she should have said something like completely inundated... but something about that just wouldn't have sounded right coming from her out loud. Taking no hesitation in leaning over a little bit to give him a gentle peck on the cheek, lips as soft as a feather against his skin, she couldn't help but to giggle. The only reason she hadn't gone all in with a full kiss is because she really didn't know how he really felt about public displays of affection... and well, they were at the entrance of a grocery store. Maybe if they'd been in an aisle all alone...

               "Okay, boss," Gabrielle told him, nose scrunching up adorably as she began pushing the cart, wheels rolling against the floor. "Acini de pepe," she repeated, almost in a sing-song tone. "That pasta is so cute. Have you seen it? It even tastes cute. Does that make sense? Because, I mean, it does to me, but maybe not to others..." And then she realized that she was somehow ranting about how cute that particular pasta was. "Fuck," she mumbled quietly, laughing as she stopped before the different pastas. "Tell me why I'm making such a fool of myself in front of you this evening." This was a joke, but at the same time, she was genuinely confused as to why. Perhaps he just sometimes made her nervous. She was all over the place---in a good way.  Seconds later, she was pushing the cart forward again, after Nick had placed a box in the cart. "There's a first time for everything, hmm?" She told him, that sweet grin of hers in attendance yet again. Man. Next up: chicken broth. Eyes scanned the shelf for low-sodium chicken broth. The stuff with too much salt just wasn't going to work. Perhaps it's because she was so used to cooking most things without salt. And it still tasted just fine. Other spices often helped make up for it. "I had no idea you liked soup so much," Gabby mused, smiling over at her man. And well, there was something about hearing him use the word fuck in public. "We'll have to make soup more often. I'd definitely be okay with it. Gotta tell you, though, Italian Wedding soup is my favorite one. That and a traditional lentil and chicken soup. Do you have a favorite?"

               The pair had immediately, after navigating around other customers and carts, headed over towards the produce section, the shelf of onions having been their first stop in the department. She'd gone to reach for an onion after opening a produce bag, but stopped short when he'd mentioned that one of his students were near. Gabrielle got a little excited, and even though he'd said don't look now, she stole a little glance, right as Nick's student had waved at him. Whoops. "How does it feel? Bizarre?" Gabby questioned in a whisper, unable to contain her smile.

               The smirk on his student's face had Gabby pursing her lips in slight amusement. Maybe they were smirking because they'd perhaps... seen a picture of Gabby? She took it upon herself to lift a hand in a wave, wanting to be well-mannered rather than not even bothering to greet her boyfriend's student. That would make her a bitch---and she wasn't. The little exchange between Nick and his student had Gabby snort quietly, and uncontrollably at that. If she'd been able to help herself, she would've kept quiet, but she just couldn't. Only if you do too, Mr. Thompson truly must have been an underlying implication, especially considering the look she'd been giving the both of them. "Trust me, I'm sure it'll be fun. You're gonna get a lot of teasing remarks..." She whispered, teeth grazing over her bottom lip as she smiled. And well, her own comment might have had a little underlying gist, too, because she herself couldn't resist teasing her boyfriend from time to time---in multiple ways. However, she'd waited until his student Alexis and her mother had been out of earshot for that comment to pass her lips.

               “Next on our list...” Gabby started to say, glancing at the list held between Nick’s fingertips. “Ground beef.” It wasn’t long before she started navigating their cart towards the meat department of the store, after they’d grabbed their onions, carrots, escarole, and basil. “You know, just thinking about the soup we’re gonna concoct tonight has my stomach grumbling. And it’s so chilly outside, it’s going to be perfect.” And she wasn’t even just referring to the soup---but everything. The entire situation. Just some Nick and Gabby time... which she was sure they could both use. “Hot soup, some wine, some good company...” It was hard for Gabby to contain her smiles around Nick. Genuinely hard. So anyone who may have seen them throughout this shopping trip would know, just by looking at them from a distance, how goddamn happy he made her.

[gabby-welch]

               “You’re not allowed? What, are you on probation or something?” Gabby joked, brows raising through her laugh. But then she stopped for a second, realizing that it was indeed a possibility. Which was, you know, nothing to laugh about, exactly. But she nodded her head, swiftly grabbing the darts from the man, clearing her throat in the process. “Rematch,” she repeated, corners of her lips twisting upwards into a grin. “Not to toot my own horn, but I’m really good at darts.” Certainly not a lie, but maybe a sliiiiight stretch of the truth. She’d played darts maybe all of four times in her lifetime, but she didn’t have terrible aim, so she considered herself alright. The woman was precise with her movements, and seconds later, she snapped her wrist, hoping for the best. Luckily for her, she’d made a good throw, and a few seconds later, the dart nearly hit the bulls-eye. She’d take it.

                 “You know, technically I’m not allowed to be handling anything sharp enough to be considered a weapon,” Braxton announced as he plucked three darts from the board, voice carrying to his opponent behind him, a crooked sweep of a smile adorning the apex of his jaw, “––but that’s a risk I’m willing to take, if it means going best two out of three with you. Come on,” He urged with an extend of his arm, blunt darts lain in the flat of his palm for them to take, the specifics of his probation the last thing on his mind, “Rematch?”

[gabby-welch]

               “Uh,” Gabrielle started, lips pursing through a faint laugh. “To be honest with you, I’d totally pay to see you throw your drink in his face. I’d just need some buttery popcorn and I’d call it a good time,” she joked. Better than cable, she’d assume it’d be. Feet kicked back, bowl of popcorn on her lap, snacking away---she could see it. “But you’re absolutely right. Tinder is pretty useless, unless you’re down for a fuck and nothing more. A few years back I used it for a little while, but it’s been off my phone for quite a bit now. It just wasn’t for me.” Besides, her one-night-stand days ended back in college.

“…and then he had the fucking nerve to tell me that ‘nice, young ladies shouldn’t swear’ before proceeding to try and take my pack of cigarettes out of my hand because it wasn’t ‘healthy’,” Veronica rolled her eyes, blowing the smoke above her head. “Suffice to say, Tinder sucks and the dude’s lucky I didn’t toss my drink in his face.”

[gabby-welch]

srosenstock‌:

“Glad that we agree on something.” He grinned and gave her an approving nod. Her laughter was contagious, and it was impossible to contain himself. His eyes widened and his eyebrows rose as he heard the next phrase that came out of her mouth, quite shocked, and slightly at a loss for words. Sam wasn’t very used to people expressing interest in his interests, with the exception of some students at Bellevue College. “Wait, really?” Sam inquired. “I’m sorry, this is just new.” He chuckled. He listened to the brunette’s list, nodding, as if he knew exactly as she was speaking about. “Ah, okay. That’s a wonderful list you have there…” A pause. “I have to admit though, I only know about three of the names you mentioned. Maybe four… Five, if we’re push it.” He did recall his late wife singing and making him listen to Rihanna on long car rides. The memory brought a small smile to his face. “I think I need a serious update.”

               "We've always been pretty good on agreeing with things, haven't we?" Gabrielle questioned, quiet laughter escaping seconds after those words left her mouth. Her head tilted to the side a little bit with an inquisitive expression present, chin resting in the palm of her hand. "Yes, really," she responded, tone full of amusement. "Are you surprised? I enjoy listening, trust me. I feel like hearing another's voice can be somewhat... I dunno, therapeutic?" And this was true. There weren't many occasions where Gabby wasn't willing to listen to someone speak---and especially someone she's known for a good bit. "Hey, five... four, even three of those names is a bit impressive, considering I don't think I could see you as the Adele and Celine Dion type..." Uncontrollable laughter followed suit at her joke, but it wasn't a complete joke either, bearing in mind it was probably true. In the time she'd known Sam, truthfully, they hadn't discussed music all too much, so for all she knew, she could've been wrong. "I mean, unless of course you're secretly a die-hard Adele fan. Come on, admit it, how many times have you jammed out to Rolling In The Deep?" She paused momentarily, grinning at the man across from her. She couldn't help but to joke with him. "You do need an update. What kind of music do you like, anyway? You know, I cannot believe we haven't really been through this before, Sam."

[gabby-welch]

nicholasthompson‌:

Nicholas Thompson was an emotional individual, outwardly at that. He’d never spared a moment to hide how he felt whether it was good or bad. His happy days his face lit up like a ray of sunshine, cheeks dimpling from his wide, pearly white smile. Unfortunately it was all too hard for him to hide each negative emotion too, though he’d learn to disguise them the older he got and with each unfortunate experience he had. One thing he had no control over was the dreamy look in his eyes every time he focused on his girlfriend’s face, and how overwhelmingly taken he was by every thing he did. She was dizzying, and that was putting it lightly, so there was no surprise when she’d caught him tripping over the pleasant thoughts she filled his mind with - especially when he’d vocalized it without even realizing it. 

“How do you keep making me fall harder for you?” Had she done anything remarkable in the past few moments of sitting together on the couch? No, not really - but that was subject to opinion. Everything the woman did was remarkable and even beyond to Nick, from the way her eyelashes fluttered every time she blinked to the way her hair swished around her shoulders when she walked. He could recall watching the girl stand on tip-toe in his kitchen the first time she’d come over, reaching high in his cabinets, and the joy that spread across her face when she’d helped him mix the ingredients for his mother’s famous meatball recipe. Nick couldn’t remember ever being this way over anyone or anything, only solidifying the fact that there was no one better in the world for him. He took note of her tone, the loving gaze in her eyes, and though he knew it already, it was so easy to realize she loved him just as much as he did her. 

“Why would I ever take another woman with me to the school dance? I couldn’t think of a single one I’d even want to ask. There’s not a single person in this world that holds a flame to you, Gabrielle Welch,” he said with a grin, the man’s hand moving to rest on top of his girlfriend’s thigh. “They haven’t seen a smile like yours, baby.” Nick kissed her back, knowing they could go back and forth on who had the best smile, who was the sweetest, even when they knew they were both number one to each other. “I’m gonna have the hottest date in the whole dance.”

As if on cue, Nick’s stomach began to gurgle quietly, or, what was quiet for him. When the man was hungry it was well known, and he swore that sometimes his stomach could growl on command just by mentioning food. Soup sounded amazing at that moment, and fun to make, though any chance he got to cook with Gabby always ended in the two having a grand time. Sure, they cooked for each other all the time, but being able to prepare a meal in full together was a treat. Having the next day off left this to be the perfect time to do so, to take their time preparing the perfect, delicious meal together, then to relax while they ate and spent the rest of their Friday night together. Nick examined the list of ingredients and realized quickly what it was Gabby was craving - Italian wedding soup - and nodded his head. “It looks like you’ve got it covered, baby. We can go get that, maybe pick up something to have for dessert too?” There was no questioning dessert for Nicholas, but he’d leave it up to Gabby to decide what would go best with their perfect cold-weather meal. All ready to go, having slipped into a comfy shirt and pair of jeans when he’d gotten off work, Nick grabbed his keys and walked to the foyer to slip his shoes on his socked feet. “Maybe we can pop open a little wine to go with our food?” he mentioned, looking over his shoulder to see if she was coming. “Light a few candles?” Brows wriggled playfully at her, a romantic dinner for two sounding very appetizing to Nick at the moment. 

              Showing emotion, in Gabrielle's personal opinion, was quite the turn-on. Never in her life had she ever been even somewhat attracted to anyone who didn't know how to show any emotion whatsoever. No offense, but how was sitting there with a stone-cold expression, completely unwilling to show feelings, attractive? She just couldn't understand. Gabrielle wasn't a vulgar person, so she'd probably never say that out loud. But she was grateful that Nicholas Thompson was alright with showing emotions... because what a shame it would've been if not, right? She admired how he so candidly spoke about things to her. Not to mention, the way he allowed himself to get lost while looking at her was something she couldn't grumble about either. She'd be crazy to dislike his beautiful brown eyes on her, and the sensation that ran through her body when she caught his gaze.

              Honestly, she couldn't have expected to meet her soul-mate, the love of her life, the apple of her eye, her true love, her sweetheart---in the place she visited almost every day. Café Bellissimo, her own café that she'd poured her heart and soul into. And you can bet she's a believer in that particular cliché phrase: everything happens for a reason. That night, that phrase proved itself. She'd really considered closing up early, because business hadn't been poppin' all too much that day. But if she'd closed early then it's safe to say she wouldn't be in her current situation.

              How do you keep making me fall harder for you? One wouldn't think that a simple ten word question would make someone nearly swoon... but it was possible, alright. For a moment, she became shy. Shy. Who the hell would'a thought Gabrielle Welch would get shy within the presence of her honey? Certainly not her. But there was something about his question that just had her thinking. She hadn't a clue what she was doing to make him fell even harder for her, and yet it was happening. He, too, seemed to be real damn good at making her fall for him even further, and yet it wasn't like either of them even tried. They already knew how they felt for each other, and she wasn't quite sure what else they could possibly due to prove it. She was his, he was hers. And that was a beautiful concept. For another few moments, she could only stare at him, cheeks slightly flushed, heart racing loud enough for her to hear, denim jeans brushing against his own. The man... well, he looked so good in his casual attire, good enough for her to literally pounce on him at any given second. But she could honestly say he'd look that good with a trash bag wrapped around his sculpted frame. She swallowed hard, releasing the tiniest of breaths she really hadn't a clue she was holding. "I think you and I both know I've no idea what I'm doing. Could it be that I'm just that amazing?" She laughed, nose scrunching up at her own, cute joke.

              And yet again, moments later, he nearly had her at a loss for words. It was a constant, an ongoing theme, something that he was so very good at. Saying There's not a single person in this world that holds a flame to you, Gabrielle Welch, was enough to make her stomach turn and her lips purse and her heart skip a few beats. "I just really wanna know..." She started to say, "How did I score you? I'll never quite understand. You're really the most incredible human being I've ever known. And I have you." Corners of her lips turned up into a soft, sweet smile. She had him.

              "You had me at dessert," Gabrielle cooed, laughing along with her words as she stood up from the couch, immediately padding along back towards the door where she'd kicked off her shoes only a little bit ago. The black flats fit her feet perfectly, and even though it was getting a little chillier now that it was evening time, she felt she'd be okay in 'em, at least for the time it would take them to get to and from the grocery store. Eyebrows wiggled at the mention of wine as she pulled her jacket around her body, taking no time to button it all up, scarf loosely around her neck. "Dessert, wine, and candles? It's my lucky night," she winked playfully at him, as she folded the list once more, sliding it right back into her back pocket where she'd retrieved it from. Who could say no to a little romance to go with their meal? "Sounds amazing to me." A gentle peck was placed upon his cheek, and she threw little kisses at Gus before walking out the door.

              A good fifteen minutes later, Gabrielle pulled into a parking spot of their nearest grocery store. This was their first time shopping together, and even the simple task seemed appealing now that she was doing it with Nick. It's not like she disliked grocery shopping before... but now there was a new feeling of excitement that came along with it, because she was shopping with him for their apartment to cook something with him, and it all sounded a bit perfect to her. Perhaps that's an exaggeration, but she couldn't possibly deny how excited she felt. There was just no way. The dark-haired woman grabbed for a shopping cart, hands clenching the large handle excitedly. "Okay, where shall we start, my love?" She asked him, big grin ever-so-present.

[gabby-welch]

andrewsjamie·:

“Strong opinions.” She remembered. It didn’t matter: Jamie didn’t even like Beyoncé that much. “To be fair, I saw her live a few weeks ago and all the theatrics were far more entertaining which of course, is props to the design team and probably sound engineers or something. Who knows? I don’t know how concerts are run. Point being, I had a better time watching all the big screens.” Taking a few french fries, she popped them in her mouth. “I don’t remember you listening to a ton of music when we lived together. Though, I guess headphones are ideal with roommates. Maybe I never noticed.”

               "Is that a surprise to you?” Gabrielle questioned, brows raising, simultaneously cackling. She’d always been one to have strong opinions, something that she guessed ran in her family, considering all six (Gabby, her three siblings, and her parents) in the Welch clan were strongly opinionated. Often times she avoided voicing opinions that some would get severely angry at her for, but sometimes it was simply unavoidable. “You saw her in concert and you’re not screaming and crying over her now that you’ve seen her live? I’m impressed. She really must not be as amazing as her fan-girls are making her out to be.” Her hand wrapped around her coffee cup. “I actually did use headphones all of the time,” Gabby admitted, openly amused. “You can bet Bey wasn’t blasting through ‘em, though.” Can’t go wrong with a joke to end conversation over a certain topic, right?

[gabby-welch]

taylorchristenscn‌:

“ Not appreciated, but probably well deserved. “, he commented with a deadpan expression yet slid out of his seat at the same time, leaving behind his phone on the table – now completely ignored and forgotten about – and meeting her halfway in the embrace. It was one of the least seen gestures of Taylor’s that should feel foreign but didn’t here; few people whom he knew were so completely detached from business and his own family, where hugs had never been the appropriate measure, as Gabby that he felt comfortable enough shifting away from his stealth and perfectly distanced persona. “ I promise, I will not bail on you this time. “ Letting go of her, a smile stole itself onto his lips and an honest one by that (though most wouldn't be able to tell the difference with him).  “ But it does feel like it's been forever. “, Taylor retorted, slightly lost in the sheer mass of thought of why that came to his mind. The last few months had been probably the messiest of his entire life, though he never liked to share any details on it much less involve innocent bystanders in it, there was a degree of it that was completely out of his hands and in the public ones instead. It had always been that way and Taylor had grown accustomed to being known about and largely talking about himself and still, it was not what stayed on his mind for long whenever the two met. Like an escape from his harsh reality, he sat down again with the mild smile still there. “ So, any big events or novels that you secretly published and haven't told me about yet? “ 

               Despite having been ditched by Taylor in the past, Gabrielle held no hard feelings. At this point in her life, she couldn't quite imagine holding a grudge against Taylor, of all people. Within the past two years, he'd been a constant in her life, someone who---even though they didn't get to see each other all of the time due to their interfering schedules---she could rely on, someone she could tell anything to. It was cool, the fact that she'd walked onto a plane one day, sort of dreading the nearly three hour plane right ahead of her, but debarked quite content. Surely, three hours on a plane wasn't all that much, but she remembered, quite colorfully at that, boarding her plane in an already somewhat annoyed state of mind due to an earlier occurrence. Being upgraded to first class out of nowhere only ten minutes later had put a little pep in her step, however. Within two minutes she had a glass of wine in hand, which, admittedly, had to have helped ease her stress. And being sat next to Taylor? At first she found herself rolling her eyes because he didn't seem like the kind of person she wanted to sit beside---but within no time, they got to talking. How could they not when the plane took forever to take off? It's true when they (whoever they is, anyway) say you should never judge a book by its cover, because Taylor had turned out to be one of the most important people to hold a place in her life.

               Moments after sharing a hug, she took a seat across from him, having taken her jacket off and hanging it on the back of the chair, hands rubbing together as if to create more heat between the two palms. It was getting chillier outside, so much so that she'd briefly considered a pair of gloves and a scarf before leaving to meet him, but she'd decided against it. Laughter fell past her lips, chin resting in the palm of her hand, now, head tilting to the side a tiny fraction as her lips parted to speak. "Actually, I feel like a bit has happened since we've last spoken. I visited my family back in Santa Monica again, moved in with my boyfriend, gotten some more café recognition, published one hell of a book, and let me tell you, it has been a hit..." Gabrielle paused, doing her very best to mask some laughter, but nonetheless, she failed. Gabby had definitely not published a book, but joking around was in her veins. Corners of her lips turned up seconds later after popping her joke. "I haven't quite gotten that far yet, but I've been doing a lot of brainstorming, and sometimes it feels never-ending." She paused for a moment, as a waiter dropped by to take a drink order. "Ooh, I'll take a glass of Sauvignon Blanc, please." Needless to say, wine was a favorite of Gabby's. The waiter proceeded to take Taylor's drink order before padding away to grab their drinks. "How about you, Taylor Christensen? Any new business deals? Any of your lectures make it into the paper yet?"

[gabby-welch]

nicholasthompson‌:

There was nothing that delighted Nicholas more than to watch the way Gabby naturally fit into his and his dog’s life so well after officially moving in. Hell, even before things were official it felt like she had belonged there all along, and that it would be wrong to think that she could be anywhere else. It wasn’t the apartment though, or the city, the country, or any location that they could possibly live. Nick would be happy to live anywhere with the woman, seeing as she was more of a home to Nick than any place that he’d resided in could be. Anytime she was near the man felt warm, safe, welcome, and loved. He could only recall that feeling once more from a time in his past, years ago before he’d made the permanent move out of his parents’ home. Since then he’d been restless, moving about, traveling from apartment to apartment, house to house, feeling empty no matter how hard he tried to make himself comfortable. He’d never understood why until now. Home wasn’t a place, home was love. Home right now, and for what he prayed would be the rest of his life, was Gabrielle Welch.

“Yes, you’ll be the most important woman in the city,” Nick grinned, still going along with their little ruse. “Not that you aren’t that already.” The smile on his face didn’t falter - rather, it softened, a look of love filling Nick’s eyes while he looked at who was for a fact the most important woman in the city. No, the most important woman in the world. God, he kicked himself for how corny he got within his own mind at times. “Jesus,” he whispered to himself, a soft sigh escaping his lips. “How do you do that?” There wasn’t anything she’d done in particular other than just exist, but that was enough to make Nick dizzy altogether.

Nick watched momentarily as Gabby scratched at the small dog’s ear when he curled up between them, his pet having as strong of a bond with Gabby as Nick did now. He missed her when she was at work - Nick could tell by the way Gus watched the door anytime he heard the smallest noise, making sure that it wasn’t his Gabby coming home, or sometimes even sniffing out some of her belongings to catch a whiff of her while she was gone. Gabby had connected with him too, the small dog becoming her pet as much as he was Nick’s. He would have zoned out watching them if it weren’t for the sweet tone of Gabrielle’s voice chiming into his invitation to the dance. He’d sounded like a kid in high school asking his crush to be his date, and he felt like it too, a small bundle of nerves tangling in his gut while he waited for an answer from his girl.

“You would?” Was it really a surprise, though? “It’ll be in November, the week before the students get out of school for Thanksgiving. Kind of a random time, but the proceeds from the tickets are going towards a good cause, helping feed families over the holidays, if I’m not mistaken.” He was proud of the fact that his school wanted to come together to allow the kids to have fun while wanting to help the community at the same time. “We’re adults, we can grind on each other all we want. In private, of course.” The idea piqued his interest, eyes growing noticeably wider at the though of her body pressing into his to the beat of a song. Pleasant, very pleasant. “We’ll make sure we get you a pretty dress before. Maybe we can be one of those matching couples, too.” He liked the idea, showing the world in any way that he was Gabby’s man and proud to be. “You might break a few hearts, showing up. Word on the street is I’m the hot teacher in town.”

               The very moment Gabrielle had stepped into Nicholas’ residence back on her twenty-ninth birthday, the sixth of June of this year, she somehow knew that this man wasn’t going to be just a friend. Truthfully, they’d passed that stage the moment he’d closed the distance between them in between two shelves in the library, planting his lips upon hers and turning her life completely upside down only a few days before she first visited him on the opposite side of town. In a good way, of course. Who knew a kiss would make her feel so many things all at once? Who knew a kiss would lead them into the dark, private conference room in the very back of the building, a chair perched against the door and their clothes being thrown to the floor in the matter of minutes? Meeting at the library had turned out to be a big coincidence, but the universe seemed to have had other plans in mind---the idea of the two plastered together, unable to keep their hands off of one another. And the universe’ plans? They panned out perfectly.

               She remembered crystal clear, all the things that had lead up to Nicholas and Gabrielle becoming an official couple. Their initial meeting in her cafe, the way he’d seemed so down, so not himself, how she’d done everything she could’ve possibly done to put a smile on his face. How he’d asked to buy her a drink simply for the fact that he wanted to do something nice for her, how they didn’t actually go out for that drink and how he’d walked her home instead, conversation thriving, sparks flying. Their second meeting in that library, the over-shirt he’d offered her so she could get out of her damp one, the kiss they shared between the shelves, the much more intimate time they shared in the dark room. Her first visit to his home, meeting his dog. Their first dates. The glances they exchanged, every kiss they shared, every brush of skin. Their journey thus far was nothing short of beautiful. And she couldn’t imagine things changing negatively. God, if things had gone south? She wouldn’t know what to do with herself. Her life had now been transformed. And there was no going back. Not now... not ever.

               Gabrielle had parted her lips to speak, but she stopped short when the smile on her handsome boyfriend’s face had changed, had softened, and now, well, now he was looking at her in a different way. Cheeks flushed a little bit. See, at this point, you’d think she’d be entirely used to the way he looked at her with such longing in his eyes… but it still sometimes felt too good to be true. How the hell could someone so… so incredible, have that look in their eyes when looking at her? More times than not she thought of herself as just little old Gabby, and it was hard to believe someone felt so strongly for her. But Nicholas Thompson made her believe in herself more, and it’s at this point in her life when she couldn’t imagine feeling like she was unloveable. Not with this one around. The way he whispered provided her with goosebumps, and she briefly bit down on her bottom lip, gaze falling to his face. Jesus. He’d paused. How do you do that? The look he gave her, paired with the words that fell from his mouth, the way he whispered so softly. Gabby’s hand moved to rest upon his, the touch of her fingertips gentle.

               “How do I do what?” She asked, tone just as soft, velvety. Man, was she in love. Anyone could tell.

               Quiet snorts of laughter resonated from the woman, brows furrowing at his surprise. “Why the hell would I say no? If you think for a second I’d be cool with you taking some other woman to be your date, you’d be outta your mind,” Gabby joked, teeth showing in a playful grin. While this was a joke, it, at the same time, wasn’t. Not that he would dare ask anyone else, but she wouldn’t dream of turning down time with her man, no matter the setting. “Right before Thanksgiving. That sounds great to me. And you know, that’s an absolutely beautiful cause.” She loved the fact that Nick was a part of a school community now, working a wonderful job, enjoying himself while he was at it. That’s what he deserved, and nothing less. Once more, her cheeks flushed. The mention of grinding against each other would surely make her hot and bothered if they proceeded to talk about the idea. She took a deep breath, unable to hold back another grin. “In private. Of course, of course.” It would more than likely be a challenge, getting herself not to dance super close to him, but she’d do what was necessary. They’d be around high school kids, after all. “Ooooh, you know, I think we could definitely pull off matching. And before we go looking for anything else, I do have quite a few pretty dresses I don’t get to wear too often.” It was true. She didn’t get dressed up in actual dresses too much, so she was definitely looking forward to the idea. “You know, I’ve actually heard that. It’s going all around Bellevue.” Gabrielle winked. “And I’m not surprised at all. Who could resist…” The tiniest pause took place as she leaned closer to him, taking no hesitation in then kissing his smile. “...that smile?” For a couple moments, she stayed right where she was, eyes locked onto his. But then she wound up sitting back again, that same grin lingering.

               It was silent for a few seconds, before she thought of something, lips parting to speak. “You know, I made a little grocery list today,” she said, as she reached into the back pocket of her dark-wash denim jeans, pulling out a folded piece of paper seconds later. “And I was thinking, maybe we could cook something together tonight. I feel like it’s been a little while since we have, and now…” Excitement was present in her  voice. “Now it’d be kinda like our first official meal living together.” Even saying it out loud was still exciting for her, and she doubted she’d come down from that high anytime soon. “I was thinking maybe we could make a soup or something. There are endless options.” She handed him the paper, then. “Is there anything else you can think of that we may need?” All day long she’d been thinking about how it could be the perfect occasion, perhaps, to get a little cooking tradition started with them. A Friday evening, neither of them having work the next day---which didn’t always happen, by the way.

               And hell, even the idea of grocery shopping with Nicholas was exciting.