Gwendoline and Nikolaj had been to lunch with his daughters. It had gone far better than Gwen was expecting, but still just as awkward. Gwen had started off nearly silent, just chiming in when she had a funny quip or a jest that got the girls to smile, most of them making fun of Nikolaj. But eventually, after some hours, the girls were having a full, in-depth conversation about the attractiveness of different actors and actresses - not even asking Nikolaj's opinion on any of them. He'd try to get a word in from time to time, but after a while just sat back and was amused by the sight of his three favorite girls in the world just enjoying each other's company.
Throughout the day they had walked for miles. Nik and Gwen kept to themselves to avoid being noticed, though that was incredibly hard since she was... well, her. Hard to ignore a 6'3" giantess with a cackle that traveled to the far reaches of the Scottish highlands and back. Of course Nikolaj was hard to ignore as well, handsome as he was, and clearly far more well-known than she.
But together... the attention they attracted was too much. They had been swarmed with fans and people with cameras. She could already see the horrible headlines that would get their friends and family talking. They were forced to get a cab back to his hotel, his poor daughters in tow. Nikolaj had made some calls on the way there, effectively paying off some of the paparazzi companies to keep those pictures at bay. They had gone their separate ways once they were on the right floor.
Nikolaj kissed each of their heads and hugged them tightly. "I promise that won't happen again. All I wanted was to have a little fun but... you know how these people are. They are crazy." They all shared a short laugh and the girls offered their thanks anyways.
Safina hesitantly walked over and wrapped her arms around Gwen. Gwen looked down at her, a confused look plastered on her face. The young girl lowered her voice so that only she could hear. "Thank you for keeping him so happy. I haven't seen him smile this much in years."
Gwen immediately pulled her in tighter and shut her eyes, letting her cheek rest on top of Safina's head. "Thank you for not being angry with me. I like him very...very much."
They pulled away from the embrace. Safina was smiling, almost shyly. "Like... That is a funny word to use." She turned on her heel and joined her sister in their room.
Nikolaj stepped into his hotel room, glancing around at his mess. Many of his clothes were thrown into a chair, there were various socks and shoes laying on the floor, his nightstand was a mess of sleep aids and electronics.
Gwen chuckled softly and sat on the edge of his bed. "If we ever live together, we're going to need to hire a maid. Giles does most of the cleaning in our house." She kicked off her shoes, adding to the clutter.
Nikolaj flopped face first onto the bed beside her. A muffled "good to know" came from him. He turned onto his side, his arm tucked under his head. "So, I suppose now would be a good time to start telling people."
Gwen sighed and nodded. "I suppose. " She laid back just as he stood, shedding off his jacket. "I'm really quite nervous. I know we haven't been all that cautious in keeping it a secret, but can we imagine some of their reactions? Are you sure that we can't just continue-"
"Niko!" A familiar voice rang out from his phone. Gwen quickly sat up to see Nik attempting to prop his phone up against something on the dresser. He stepped back and waved. "How are you doing? Are you still in London?" Oh shit, it's Lena.
Out of frame, Gwen quietly stood and got even further away from his phone. Through gritted teeth she muttered out, "What on earth are you doing?"
He looked over so casually and smiled like the dope he is. "I'm talking to Lena. Come say hi." He reached out and grabbed her elbow.
