22nd January, 2015

"Are you sure this isn't crooked?" Adelaide questioned as she analyzed the painting on the living room wall.

Joseph chuckled softly in adoration as he walked up behind her and wrapped her into a hug, resting his head of her shoulder, looking up at the painting as well.

"My love, it's alright," he assured, "and I don't think anyone's going to be bothered if it's not. Just relax, okay?"

"I know," Adelaide sighed exhaustingly as she turned to face her lover and hugged him in need for comfort, "I just want to make sure everything's perfect today," she mumbled against his chest.

"It will be. I'll make sure it is, for you," Joseph promised as the two smiled softly at each other, just in time for the doorbell to go off.

"That must be Seb and Phoebe," Adelaide stated as Joseph nodded, unwillingly letting go of her as she walked to the front door and held it open to see William, Sebastian, Phoebe and Rachel stood on the porch with huge paper bags in all their hands.

"Think we brought the entire store," Sebastian huffed as he walked past Adelaide without waiting a second and placed all the bags by the living room couch.

"Yeah, think it's a bit unfair that you guys decide to get a house together and it's us running all our town for you," William fussed as the others followed behind and Adelaide rolled her eyes, shutting the front door and rejoining everyone.

"You're the one who offered to help, buddy," Joseph teased as William rolled his eyes.

"I did not," he denied, "I didn't. Mom made me do it because you said you needed help surprising Addy. You dragged me into this."

"Hey, shh," Phoebe interrupted, "that's no way to talk to your future brother-in-law, Will."

"Oh yeah, as if," William scoffed, "give it a little more time. Joseph's gonna run before he even thinks of getting a ring. Take it from me, I lived with her for 19 years and I'd be surprised if you survived 19 days under the same roof as-"

Adelaide cut off William by grabbing a pillow from the couch and throwing it towards him, knocking his head back as he mumbled an 'ouch' and everyone laughed in amusement.

"You're free to spend time here whenever you wish, you know," Joseph said seriously as Adelaide nodded her head in agreement.

"Yeah no, it's too far from me to drive from college and back but I did convince Addy to give me the key to her old house so, I'll probably crash there sometimes."

"I only agreed because you promised that there won't be any reckless parties," Adelaide reminded, "I'll be supervising through the monitor, remember?"

"Oh yeah, the baby monitor we set up all over the house for Little Will," Joseph teased as William glared at the couple.

"Told you not to call me that," he huffed in annoyance as the others laughed at him again.

"Come on, you used to love it when Grandma used to call you that," Adelaide joked as William rolled his eyes before walking away from the group in frustration.

"Okay so," Sebastian spoke up, "what's the plan?"

"Candice sent me a chart of everyone's arrival time," Rachel told the group.

"Of course, she did," Phoebe joked, "so, me and Addy handle the décor?"

"Yeah," Adelaide agreed, "Joseph and Seb handle the cooking."

"Oh thank god," Rachel sighed in relief, "I thought you were gonna feed us one of your experiment recipes again."

"She did offer to cook," Joseph chuckled, "but then, we decided not to kill our guests from food poisoning on our House-Warming Party, so you're all safe...ouch," he groaned in pain as Adelaide elbowed him with a glare, shutting him up.

"Rach, I need you and Will to drive back to my old place and get the last boxes there," Adelaide instructed as Rachel nodded in understanding.

"Come on, Little Will, we're leaving," Rachel called out as William walked back to the room with a grumpy face and walked past the group without even saying goodbye as Rachel followed behind.

"You should really not bully the poor lad so much," Joseph told Adelaide as she gave him an incredulous look.

"Me? I bully him?" she asked rhetorically, "it's you who started it."

"Yeah but you-"

"Hey guys," Sebastian interrupted, "as much as I love your cute couple's banter, which I do not at all, we have a lot to get done."

"I'll get the things out of the bag while you pick places to set them up," Phoebe offered as Adelaide nodded and the four began to do their own work, trying to get the house set up completely before the guests arrived in the evening.

•Joselaide House•

༆☼︎☾︎ꨄ︎☽︎☼︎༆
5 PM

It was nearly 8 hours later when all the decorations and furniture were in place, as well as the cooking was completed, just in time for the guests to arrive. Sebastian and Phoebe had driven back home to freshen up and change, leaving behind only the couple in their new suburban LA house- HOME, as they called it.

Adelaide had just gotten out of shower as she wrapped herself in a pink robe and walked out to their bedroom, heading towards the closet when something caught her eye. A big white box was placed on their bed, decorated with a delicate pink ribbon around it.

With a skeptic look, Adelaide walked over to the bed and slowly undid the ribbon to lift the box's lid and reveal a beautiful red silk dress with a plunging neckline. Along with the dress was a small note- a handwriting Adelaide knew all too well.

"Think this is the kind of dress you said you needed an excuse to buy someday. Well, here's your excuse- the perfect occasion. And even if it wasn't a special occasion, you're still a special person. The special person I cannot wait to spend all of my life with- you're my special person. Hope this brightens your day, my love!"

"Like the gift?" she heard a voice from behind her, causing her to turn to face her lover with a bright smile plastered on her face.

"When did you-"

"I got it the same day you told me about it," Joseph answered before she could even ask.

"I...I don't know what to say."

"Maybe tell me if I did a good job picking the dress," Joseph suggested sheepishly, "who knew there can be so many different types of silk dresses."

"I love it," Adelaide answered immediately, "it's beautiful. Thank you."

"You're beautiful," Joseph smiled as he softly pecked her lips, "anything for you, love. You don't have to thank me. I just thought this could help you feel less worried about today. 'It's all about feeling confident in what you're wearing', right?" he repeated Adelaide's saying as the girl nodded in agreement.

"I can't wait to see you in it. Guess I'll take a shower by the time you get ready," he then said before heading off as Adelaide began to get ready for the party, a big smile still gracing her face.

༆☼︎☾︎ꨄ︎☽︎☼︎༆
15 minutes later

Adelaide was done with her makeup as she went for a soft, peachy makeup look to contrast the bold red dress when she moved to the closet to change into her outfit for the night.

Easily slipping into the dress, Adelaide admired the dress in the mirror as she tried to reach for the low-back zipper holding the dress together. Due to its plunging neckline, however, the zipper was beyond her reach. As Adelaide struggled to get the zipper done, a pair of hands reached out to help.

"Let me," Joseph whispered softly as Adelaide looked into the mirror to see Joseph's reflection already staring at her, an intense gaze as her sight fell to his perfectly-toned body wrapped in a single towel and his drenched hair that fell perfectly over his sculpted face.

Her breath hitched as he felt his cold fingers trail across her back, playing with the zipper, his face so close that his warm breath fanned her neck- arousing her even more.

"You look ravishing, love," he said in a whisper as his face inched closer. She felt his lips against her shoulder, soft and scorching and tender, so gentle that it almost seemed like the world was fading away for a second.

*mature theme*

He traced the outline of her curves, feeling her softness and her warmth. Adelaide moaned softly, her body arching towards his touch.

Joseph turned her around and leaned in, kissing her deeply, his tongue exploring her mouth. Their lips were locked in a passionate embrace, and their bodies were pressed tightly against each other. He could feel the heat emanating from her body, and he knew that he wanted her more than anything.

Adelaide's hands ran through his hair, pulling him closer to her. She was lost in the moment, completely consumed by the passion that was flowing between them. She wanted him just as much as he wanted her. Joseph's hands moved down to her hips, pulling her closer to him.

"Are you okay with this?" Joseph asked, breaking the silence between them. "I don't want to do anything that makes you uncomfortable."

Adelaide looked up at him, a small smile on her lips. "I trust you," she said softly. This was all the assurance he needed to move further.

He lifted her up, carrying her to the bed, and gently laid her down. Adelaide looked up at him, her eyes shining with desire. She lifted herself up on her elbows, watching as he undressed himself. His body was strong and muscular, and she couldn't wait to feel his skin against hers.

Pulling him closer to her, she kissed him desperately, like he was the oxygen she needed to keep breathing.

He took his time exploring her body, making sure that every touch was pleasurable. He felt her body relaxing under his touch, and he knew that she was completely comfortable with him. When he finally positioned himself at her entrance, he looked down at her. "Are you sure you're ready for this?" he asked softly. Adelaide nodded, her eyes locked with his. "Yes," she said, her voice filled with desire. Joseph pushed slowly at first, wanting to make sure that she was comfortable with everything.

He took his time, making sure that she was completely comfortable before picking up the pace. As they moved together, their bodies becoming one, Joseph felt a sense of completeness wash over him. He knew that he had found the person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, and he was grateful for every moment he got to spend with her.

When they finally reached their climax, they collapsed onto the bed, their bodies entwined. They were both breathing heavily, completely spent from the intensity of their passion.

Joseph looked down at her, a soft smile on his lips. "You were amazing," he whispered.

Adelaide smiled back at him, her eyes shining with happiness. "You were too," she said softly.

*end of mature theme*

As they lay there, wrapped in each other's arms, they both knew that their lives had been forever changed. They had found something special in each other, and they were determined to hold on to it.