We Fell In Love In October - Wintumn Flufftober

Picnic

Over the last month Autumn and Winter had been spending more and more time together. After their Halloween hookup they decided to take things slowly. Winter had only been out of a very serious relationship for a few months and Autumn wasn't looking for anything long-term; but they'd had such an incredible night together that neither one wanted to call it off entirely. So they decided to see where it went. What started off as quiet coffee meet ups and the occasional quickie over their lunch break became nights filled with deep conversations and kisses more passionate that they'd ever shared with anyone before.

Just a month later their "casual relationship" was anything but. As Winter laid in bed after one of their longer nights, he realized he was falling for Autumn. Falling fast. After that night he spent all of his free time dreaming about the day when he could walk up to the bar and order a glass of red "for my girlfriend." He wanted to be able to call his parents and tell them all about the amazing memories he was making with his "girlfriend." To introduce her to everyone important in his life as his girlfriend.. He'd had girlfriends before but he had never cared so much about the title; it was just a word. But when he thought about the fact that he could use the word to mean Autumn, he cared so much.

Winter had been agonizing over plans for weeks. He wanted everything to be perfect, he needed it to be perfect. No matter how much he tried to convince himself it wasn't a big deal in the back of his mind he knew that this was a question that could potentially change the rest of his life. Even after such a short time he knew that he wanted Autumn in his life for a long time, he needed her in his life. There was no way he was going to screw it up. He finally settled on a day celebrating them. They'd visit all the important places in their relationship before ending with a picnic where they would, hopefully, solidify their relationship.

The morning of the date, Winter was a nervous wreck. He hadn't slept at all the night before; his mind kept racing through the plan, making sure every detail was perfect. When he finally convinced himself that he was prepared his thoughts turned to her response. What if she said no; what if she didn't feel the same; what if it was too soon? All he could think about throughout the day was the night ahead. It wasn't until lunch that he finally felt like he could breathe again. He was eating with Sorscha, Carly and Charlotte and the conversation turned, as it often did, to nursery gossip. Normally he would just tune the discussion out, but today he was incredibly interested because today the gossip was Autumn. Charlotte had caught her doing a secret skin care routine in the office that morning and Sorscha noticed her checking her hair and makeup in a compact mirror three different times that day before leaving the office. Carly and Sorscha theorized that she was after the single dad whose daughter had just started in the baby room but Charlotte saw the hope in Winter's eyes as they talked.

He insisted on picking Autumn up in the office, not from her house, as they both had to wait to lock up the nursery and he didn't want to waste a single second of the night. Once he was sure the rest of the staff had left for the night he rushed to the staff restroom to change from his usual hoodie and jeans into a white button up and black trousers. After taking one last look in the mirror, straightening out his hair and checking that his mustache was laying perfectly, he took a deep breath and headed to the office. He hesitated for just a second before finally knocking on the door. The second Autumn opened the door Winter felt his breath catch; he'd never seen a more stunning sight. She wore a simple black wrap dress with a deep v neckline and a long slit up the side. Her hair and makeup were perfect even after a whole day of work.

"Autumn you look simply..." his eyes scanned her body as he tried to come up with an adjective that meant enough. He didn't think there was a word in the entire English language to describe the beauty that stood before him. "Breathtaking."

"Thank you." Autumn gave Winter the half smile that he loved so much. "I could have done more but someone insisted I get ready in the office."

"My darling, if you had done any more you may have actually killed me."