Cupid Never Looked So Good

[Kira & Lee Norris]

February the 14th: Valentine's Day...
A melody of music, money and masses at the market.
The loved day of lovers, be they young or old.
The cherished highlight of a cherub's life.
The day a diapered baby was raised like a beacon of hope to the lonely.
It was the ultimate cornucopia of commercialism, chocolate and cheesiness.
February the 14th: Valentine's Day.
... Oh good God.
Lee groaned loudly, sitting down on a bench in the gardens, turning his eyes skyward. A damp chill clung to the air; and he was forced to shrink back into his jacket, which- typical- wasn't warm enough for him. He realised he would have to replace it eventually- thank God he was a Conjurer, or he would have died of hypothermia long before now. He kept having to replace his jacket; it was like the weather was in constant competition with him, dropping several degrees every time he changed coat, and forcing him to change again and again and... argh.
Right now, Lee didn't feel remotely Valentine-y. He'd never been remotely... Valentine-y. He'd always sort of resented it. Even this year- this year, when he had Maddie to be his Valentine- it only made the holiday slightly better.
So... Lee had decided he would just treat this like any other date. It'd been something he'd been thinking about for a while now... something he'd thought about for Maddie's sake. There were only so many ways to be romantic; but according to Ellie, if he found a way to vary them around, he would be the ultimate Romeo- without the stabbing bit.
So, he'd told Maddie to meet him here, and here he sat, waiting, and watching.
Hopefully... hopefully she'd like this.
Hopefully this would mean more to her than just a stupid over-commericialized holiday.

[Madeleine Baudelaire&Russ Ford]

Today, Madeleine had received an unexpected piece of post.
A simple Valentine's card, cream, with a heart torn out of red paper, and the words "Happy Valentine's Day" underneath... except, the sender of the card had drawn a line through the word 'Valentine's' and scrawled underneath, in a thick black pen, the word 'gay' had been written.
It had taken less than a glance to realise who this was from.
Jace.
And on the inside, there was one sentence written:
"Just so you don't forget..."
She'd had to laugh. Jace Sorley, her gay best friend with the crazy sense of humour. Gay day was one of their inside jokes - the two of them at one point had had a vendetta against Valentine's Day, with its commercialism and tackiness and just overall annoyance - and they'd rechristened it "Gay Day".
Gay of course not referring to homosexuality, obviously.
Madeleine guessed that Jace had heard about the engagement, and she was slightly tickled as to the fact that he felt he needed to remind her about Gay Day.
As if. It was still grossly commercial and tacky - just as it always had been. The difference was that this year, she had someone that she actually wanted to spend a nice day with. This year, she was mainly indifferent towards it - not disgusted by it. It was Valentine's, not Gay today.
And she had a funny feeling that their day wasn't going to be cheap and irritating. Her gift wasn't exactly fantastic, but it was personal, and she hoped that he'd like it. And then there was the "semi-formal" at the hotel that night, which she was looking forward to, considering that neither of the two formals she and Lee had been to together had gone exactly smoothly.
But today, Lee had asked her to meet him outside, in the gardens, without elaborating why - which obviously aroused Madeleine's curiosity. And of course, she was automatically looking forward to it, just because she was meeting him.
Of course, the weather had decided to be typically February, but she couldn't do anything about that.
Spotting him across the gardens, she headed, an envelope and flat box in hand, towards the bench where he was sitting. "Hey," she smiled, sliding down beside him. "Happy Valentine's Day."

[Kira & Lee Norris]

As she slid down beside him, Lee's arm slipped around her waist, hugging her close. Good. She was warm. He sighed, leaning in a little closer in what he hoped would appear an affectionate gesture.
"Happy Valentine's Day," he returned lightly, kissing her lips. "And... you got me a present."
Aah. Fantastic. Just... really... bleugh...
As long as it wasn't a tie, he'd be happy.

[Madeleine Baudelaire&Russ Ford]

Madeleine returned his kiss, before replying.
"No, I made you a present," she said, placing the card and red tissue-paper wrapped box on his lap. "Entirely different thing."
It was more personal... but as far as Valentine's presents went, she wasn't sure how appropriate it was. But she was fairly sure that he'd like it. In the tissue paper was a clear jewel case containing a CD. After hijacking his iPod and going through his most played list, she'd complied a playlist of songs by artists that he had heard of, and others that he hadn't but she was sure he would like anyway...
And of course, the last song on it was Look After You.
And on the card... well, instead of writing the overused childhood rhymes, she'd done a little variation on it which she was sure he'd appreciate...

[Kira & Lee Norris]

Lee let out a sigh of relief as he saw the CD, which quickly turned into an appreciative whistle as he took a look at the songs on it. And there... the last track...
"Practical," he laughed, hugging Maddie and kissing her cheek, "and let's see the card..."
That stopped him for a couple of seconds...
"... the sun is out, the sky is blue, it's beautiful and so are you..."
"And cheesy," he said softly, folding it up carefully. "Thanks, Maddie. I really appreciate it."

[Madeleine Baudelaire&Russ Ford]

Madeleine smiled warmly. "It's not exactly a usual sort of Valentine's Day present, but I've never really been a huge fan of the day."
She was relieved to see that he hadn't got her a present - because that would just make her feel awkward at giving him such a stupid gift.
And besides, Valentine's gifts were usually always a giant cliché. Thank goodness that Lee had enough sense not to do the obvious.

[Kira & Lee Norris]

"That means I have to give you your gift then," Lee said softly, glancing skywards again. It was still quite light, but the darking horizon was beginning to encroach upon them.
It'd be soon.
Soon...
... soon...
... gee he hated waiting.
He looked back at Maddie. "Alright. Guess first."

[Madeleine Baudelaire&Russ Ford]

Madeleine automatically followed his gaze to the sky, lips pursed in the smallest of frowns.
Confusion...
"I've really no idea," she said honestly.

[Kira & Lee Norris]

A soft smile crossed Lee's lips. Shrugging, he stood up, taking off his jacket, and doing his best to ignore the cold. As he shook it off, he kept looking upwards; kept checking the sky, wondering what she'd think...
"I think I should say some stupid, cheesy line, you know," he told her, folding up the jacket and tossing it onto the bench beside her. "You know- just embrace the whole Valentine's Day thing... but..." he laughed sheepishly. "I've never been much of a fan of Valentine's Day..."
She couldn't see... but Lee had come prepared. Knowing just how cold it would be, Lee had had the sense to cut slits in his T-shirt. From the back, there were two gaping holes... probably looked a bit stupid, too. But, still. It wouldn't, whenever...
"I don't think I'll embarrass myself by attempting to be any more romantic than I'm hoping this will be," he said, looking down and her, and smiling.
And then, his wings split forth.

[Madeleine Baudelaire&Russ Ford]

Madeleine watched as his wings burst from his skin, a thoughtful smile spreading.
So they were going somewhere...
And her heart couldn't help but leap, as she remembered the last time that he'd taken her flying. That had been romantic - and he hadn't even been trying.
"Where are you taking me?"

[Kira & Lee Norris]

He laughed, shaking his head, and stepping forward, one arm outstretched.
An invitation. All she had to do was take his hand, and they'd be away.
Where was he taking her? Well, she'd just have to wait and see.
So he nodded, willing her forward, into his arms. Lee had the power to sweep her off her feet- literally. That power didn't feel half bad either. It was like when he made her smile.
She was smiling now...

[Madeleine Baudelaire&Russ Ford]

He reached his hand out to her, and after a second's pause, Madeleine grinned and took it, stepping closer to him.
"It's a bit of shame you're not half-naked this time," she teased. "But I guess you look a lot better when you're not blue."
This close to him, Madeleine could feel the warmth from him, smell the familiar scent of him, and feel the oh-so brilliant sensation of his touch creeping up her arm...

[Kira & Lee Norris]

Not close enough.
He laughed, and with a slight kick upwards of the heel, the earth moved slightly beneath her feet, and she literally fell into his arms.
He didn't give her a chance to breathe.
Lee's right arm held her waist close, and his left arm swooped under her, catching her legs. He lifted her, holding her close, and then, he kicked off, his wings beating back, and thrusting them forward... high... high... and up, into the air. And there, he turned, and swooped...
And just like that, they were flying.

[Madeleine Baudelaire&Russ Ford]

For not the first time, Madeleine found herself wondering whether the rapid beating of her heart was owed to being in flight, or to being held.
The wind rushed past her ears again, sending her curls flying out behind her as they flew through the air, Lee holding her securely to him.
She loved this... and she really wouldn't mind if they didn't stop, if they just kept flying for hours on end, though the sunset, over the school and into the night, just staying airborne in his arms...
Because it felt pretty good.

[Kira & Lee Norris]

Now... the next great bit...
Figuring out where he would land.
So, Lee, clutching her closer still (and hoping she'd have the sense to hang on just as tightly) climbed higher, and higher still; miles seemed to pass with every powerful sweep of his wings and then...
The roof of Orchid Hill came into view; its roofs, rather, as tower after tower rose up before them. He froze, in mid-air, torn...
Where to now?