Legend

Damian had very little work in London, actually, just three fairly brief meetings scheduled. He spent the rest of the time showing me the city. We hit tourist highlights like the London Eye and the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace, the V&A and the British Museum, but he also took me shopping and added to my wardrobe as much as I'd let him. He liked a strapless evening gown, but I was a little self-conscious; the surgery on my shoulder had left two scars, despite the tissue accelerator, and I'd become pretty notorious in New York as a result of the Joker thing and was self-conscious. Damian kissed one of them and told me never to be embarrassed by them, that they were tokens of my strength and skill. After that, I had to get the dress. London was wonderful, an equal mix of sun and rain. I enjoyed the rain, Damian did not.

"You won't melt, sweetheart," I said fondly as we strolled along.

Damian shuddered. "It's not so much the rain as it the clamminess," he said. But he was in a good mood. He'd had a last-minute meeting and come back with a big smile on his face. I'd been out on my own looking for a present for him and I'd found one at Graff. He met me just outside and he looked a little panicked when he saw where I'd come from.

"Relax, honey," I said as I took his arm. "I'm not going to be dragging you into any stores."

"You never do," he said, amused, relaxing. "I drag you." It was getting dark, and we returned to the hotel to get ready for dinner, which we had in the hotel, then retired back to the suite. The ceiling was glass, open to the sky, so we could see the stars or the storms, and we made the most of it, making love and talking as we watched the sky.

The next morning after breakfast, the hotel conveyed us to the airport, where we took off for Prague. A short flight in the luxurious jet was nothing, the trip through customs brief, and soon we were checking into the Hotel Paris, a delightful Gothic Revival/Art Nouveau place. Damian had reserved the Tower suite for us. It was fantastic. The bedroom was on one floor, and above, using a beautiful cast-iron spiral staircase, was a room that had a 360 degree view of Prague, including the castle and Old Town and New Town. The bedroom was very cozy, decorated in a soft red, cream, gold, and black. The bed faced a round window reminiscent of the suite Damian and I had had at the St Regis back in the city, but with an amazing view of the castle.

The weather was chilly but perfect, and on our first day, we went to Old Town and caught the famous Astronomical Clock on the hour, with its display of the twelve apostles, Tyn church, climbed the Hall Tower for a look around, Wenceslas Square, the Powder Tower, and the beautiful Municipal House. We walked Charles Bridge and climbed the towers for the view on each side. We had dinner out, then returned to the hotel for a nightcap up in the lounge. I felt decadent sprawled on the sumptuous sofa in the new silk robe Damian had bought me in London. We cuddled and talked about the day, what we'd liked the best, what we wanted to see the next day. Then I brought out a small box from my pocket and gave it to him. "This is such an amazing trip. I've loved having you mostly to myself, and I wanted you to have a reminder of it." He opened the box to find white gold cufflinks set with square-cut sapphires that sparkled just like his eyes.

"Sweet pea. These are fantastic," he said, watching the stones catch the light. "Thank you. Now I know what I'll be wearing to my business meeting."

"I hope more than cufflinks," I said, amused, then melted into his kiss. He chuckled.

"Yeah, there'll be a suit involved. Don't want to intimidate them too much with my manly physique," he said, and it was my turn to laugh. "So that's what you were doing in Graff. I thought you might have picked something up for yourself."

"I've got enough jewelry that you've given me," I said.

"Did you see anything you like?"

"Tons, it was all sparkly in there and you know how I am." He guffawed. "There was a pretty bracelet that looked like stylized flowers, but nothing I can't live without. And I don't want you going back and buying it. Or getting on the phone or the internet or having somebody buy it. It was pretty, but I prefer the bracelet you gave me for my birthday."

"You can have more than one bracelet," he said reasonably.

"What's the rush?" I asked, and grinned. "I have another birthday next year."

"I'll make a collector out of you yet," he vowed, then we finished our libations and went to bed.

The next day we strolled through Prague Castle, the largest in the world. Since we were there out of tourist season, the crowd was thin. The fortress was an incredible array of buildings, including the marvelous St Vitus Cathedral, fortifications, viewing towers, state apartments, art galleries, a monastery, museums, and Golden Lane. We spent all day there. Our final day there, Damian had a meeting; while he got up early (dressed in a black suit with a blue tie that matched his new cufflinks) I slept in, had brunch downstairs, and in the afternoon walked through Vinohrad, with its wonderful architecture and parks. The next morning we followed the same pattern that we had in London, but this time we ended up in Budapest.

The weather in Budapest was not as cooperative as in Prague; it was cold and snow and rain alternated. I loved it and Damian said he didn't mind much. We checked into the Four Seasons and had a room that looked right down the Chain Bridge, quite a spectacular view. His meeting was that day and took all afternoon; I took the opportunity to go to Vaci Street, a famous pedestrian shopping street that dated from the Middle Ages. I had a chimney cake at Molnar's Kurtoskalacs Bakery before strolling down the street. The facades of the buildings were lovely and in the light, chilly rain, I didn't have much company, which made the greetings from the sales associates in the store that much brighter. I looked for some souvenirs to take home to friends and family and found some really good wine as well. The street is broken up by little squares here and there, charming and fun, often with statues. I went back to the hotel when it started to get too dark and took a hot bath to chase the chill away. When Damian came back, he was cheerful and said the meeting went well, contemplating me in the bathtub. He smiled, stripped, and joined me.

"That's it for business this trip," he said, sighing as he stepped into the steaming water. I opened the drain so that we wouldn't make a mess, adjusting the water level appropriately. "The rest of the time is just for you and me." He picked up my foot and started playing with my toes and we discussed our itinerary for the rest of our stay. We ordered room service for dinner, enjoyed the views while we talked about our afternoons, and then to bed.

The next few days were a whirlwind of activity, touring Gellert Hill, Buda Castle, Fisherman's Bastion, Mattias Church, Vajdahunyad Castle, and other spots all over the beautiful city. The afternoon of our fourth day, we went to the famous Szechenyi Thermal Baths in the middle of City Park where we tried out the pools and had a couples aromatherapy massage. Completely relaxed, we took a cab back to the hotel for a nap. That night we had tickets to a classical concert at St Stephen's Basilica, and after the beautiful music, went to a late dinner near Buda Castle. We talked about the concert and I took the opportunity to enjoy the sight of him. He was always handsome with an energy that drew me in, but in a fine suit he could have been a model. I could tell that others in the restaurant felt the same way.

I leaned forward and took his hand. "I want to thank you for bringing me on your business trip, Damian. This is the most amazing trip I've ever taken."

His thumb brushed my palm. "The pleasure's all mine, Petal."

"Is this a new nickname, then?" I asked him, smiling. He grinned back.

"I like it, although it implies fragility, and you're anything but that. Petals are the prettiest part of the flower."

"Does that mean I should call you Stamen then?" I teased, batting my lashes at him. He laughed, a big sound that drew more attention to him.

"Call me whatever you want, Sweet pea, just as long as you call me." The laughter faded and he looked at me intensely. "If I hadn't brought you with me, I'd have just done the meetings and come back home to you. This way I get to see the cities too. I've never spent much time exploring here or in Prague." The sumptuous dinner was served, cutting off the conversation, and afterward, replete, we went back to Fisherman's Bastion, my favorite part of the city.

"I ate too much. I can barely waddle," I said, also wishing that dress coats were warmer. Maybe some sort of thermal lining? The night view of the city lights and the river was stunning. We paused in one of the towers to look at it. We snuggled together and enjoyed it, even though it was getting damned cold. I was just about to suggest we get a cab and go back to the hotel when I felt Damian slide down to the floor. I whipped around, alarmed, to see him on his knees. He reached for my hand.

"Alex, you are the light of my world and I can't imagine having to go through life without you. Despite your irritating tendency to get kidnapped by psychopathic villains I wouldn't trade a minute of our precious time together for anything. I can't give you the world, but I can show it to you. You make me a far better man than I ever dreamed of being, although I admit it's a work in progress. I want to come home at night and trade stories about our days. I want to conceive children with you and have a family together. You make me believe that anything is possible. I love you with all my heart and soul. Will you marry me?"

I stood there, dazed, but managed to nod until my brain caught up. "Of course!"

He sagged a little in relief. "I thought you'd say yes, but there was always a fear that you'd come to your senses and run away." He got up and we kissed. It felt like a promise and a confirmation. Then he ended the kiss. "Fuck." He started to pat his pockets. "There's supposed to be a ring in here for you." I laughed. He didn't, but after several seconds of patting, he found the thing in his inner suit jacket pocket. "Thank god, I thought I blew it," he said, relieved, then waited patiently for me to tug off my glove before he slid it on my finger. The metal was warm, and his hand clutched mine tightly. We kissed again before I even looked at it.

I grinned. It was very familiar; I'd seen a bracelet with the same motif. "This wouldn't be why I ran into you outside of Graff's, would it?" I asked as I admired the beauty of the ring, a beautifully flashing round center diamond set in a stylized flower. The little diamond set into the flower and the band sent out tiny sparks of light.

"It was," He acknowledged. "I was having the ring sized and I worried that you had figured it all out." He hugged me tight and dropped a kiss on my hair.

"No, I was totally oblivious," I said with some chagrin, and he laughed.

"The jeweler said that you liked the motif, when he called the next day to follow up, but I wasn't sure. I had it couriered to the hotel. Is the diamond big enough? It's only a half carat, but I figured you wouldn't want something huge." His voice got smug. "And I'm not the kind of guy who needs to mark his territory, anyway. I'm secure in my manhood and my net worth." I couldn't help laughing at that, and, concerned at the chill, he suggested going back to the hotel. Just as well; the ring was pretty good sized and I couldn't fit my glove over it. Beautiful fat flakes of snow began to fall as we left the Bastion.

Back in the room, we drank champagne to celebrate before we undressed each other and made love. It felt like sealing a promise. Later, we finished the mostly-flat champagne and cuddled. "Do you want to call people to tell them?" he asked.

"I don't even know what time it is there," I said. "Besides, it'll be much more fun to get to see how they react. Did you tell anybody what you were planning?"

"Nope," he said with satisfaction. "It won't be a complete surprise, I think everybody's kind of expecting us to announce our engagement at some point, but having actually done it will be a surprise anyway. Although Dad told me to get off my ass and ask soon. He said he'd like to be a grandpa, so no pressure there." I laughed.

"Well, you know the doctors have been running some tests since my pregnancy scare and the concerns that I had about my mutations," I said. He nodded.

"You said they said you were fertile and shouldn't have trouble conceiving--" he placed his hand low on my abdomen "but they just weren't sure how pregnancy would progress."

"Right. So there's a chance I might not be able to carry a pregnancy to term."

"I figured." He looked at me steadily. "Alex, nobody is guaranteed or entitled to have children. When the time is right, we'll give it our best shot, and if it doesn't work out, we'll move on. If we want kids but can't have them ourselves, we can adopt. Whatever happens, it doesn't change the fact that we'll face it together." He put his arms around me and cuddled me to his chest. "So I'm thinking that maybe we should stop off in Paris on the way home. City of love and all that, take a day or two, see the Eiffel Tower. We can hit the lingerie stores and get started on your trousseau. You know I love to take little wisps of lace and silk off your magnificent body, it's like unwrapping a present." Then I found myself on my back, Damian easing between my legs, then inside me. "I'm becoming increasingly taken by the idea of getting married over here. You've said yes. You're mine and I belong to you. Why wait? Let's elope." I moaned as he did some very excellent things to my body, then focused.

"Um, because everybody will want to see us get married. My mom will be crushed if she misses out on my wedding." He stilled, then sighed.

"Oh. I guess you're right." He sounded disappointed and I smiled. "Well, I guess I'd hate to miss out on the sight of you in a white dress walking toward me. Yeah, I need as many witnesses I can get to attest to my extraordinary fortune."

After, he pulled me on top of him and stroked my back gently. "Ok, so is Paris a go or no? I was also thinking, if your grandma can be trusted to keep quiet, we could stop by her place on the way home so you can tell her yourself. Also, there were earrings that match your ring. Would you like them? How soon do you think we can plan a wedding? Where would you like to go on our honeymoon? Personally, I'm thinking of a private island where I can make love to you on the beach whenever we want, but on the other hand you sunburn so easily that maybe that's out. And the sand might be a problem. Do you want to take the Orient Express? I remember once when we were in high school you'd just read the Agatha Christie mystery and wanted to take it from London to Istanbul. Do you want a big wedding or a small one? I don't think we'll be able to get away with a small wedding, so I hope you're ok with a big one. Where do you want to have it? We could have it at the house, but it might not be big enough. What about the St Regis? They have plenty of room, then we could maybe get our old suite for the night before embarking on our big adventure." I laughed and put my hand over his mouth before he could go on.

"You've been so amazing that if you want to stop in Paris I'm ready to have some fun. Maybe we could arrange for a photographer and get a picture we could use for our engagement announcement? Also, I would love to see my grandma and introduce you to her. You're so sweet and thoughtful. No earrings. Let's not rush getting married because I'm really liking being engaged to you and would like to enjoy that for awhile longer. I can't believe you remembered the Orient Express. I would love that, but it's negotiable, it's your honeymoon too and you should enjoy it. Big wedding is ok if we can't avoid it. I like the idea of the St Regis. It's where we ran into each other again, starting our adult lives, the beginning of all this." He removed my hand from his mouth and gave me a nice long kiss.

"The engagement photo is a great idea, but let's do it here. I'm sure the concierge knows a good photographer and we can go back to the Bastion. Maybe we stick around here another day and do it at twilight? That would be gorgeous. Then Paris for a day--the tower and the lingerie, then to England and your grandma, then home. Are you sure about the earrings? We'll be right there, we can just pick them up on the way. I think a romantic train journey across Europe would be perfect for our honeymoon. The St. Regis it is, then. I love that you like being engaged to me, but that also makes me kind of nervous and I would like to make you legally mine before you come to your senses, Petal."

"I love the idea of going to the Bastion, you're so clever. Then Paris and England and home, maybe get the announcements made and hand deliver them? No earrings. The St. Regis, Orient Express, and you also have to come up with a prenup before I'll marry you, so get cracking, Stamen."

He roared with laughter. "I can't believe you're going to insist on some ridiculous prenup," he said, wiping his eyes after he was reduced to chuckling.

"I am. I can't imagine circumstances that would make me want to divorce you, but if the unthinkable happens, you're going to be plenty grateful. But just get it done, we sign, stick it in a drawer, and we forget about it for the rest of our lives," I said. He rolled me off him carefully and got up.

"Where are you going?"

"Just a sec, then maybe you can show Robin how happy you are to have him at your beck and call."

I chortled. "I still can't believe you named your penis Robin."

"Someday I'll be Batman, so I'll actually be Batman and Robin, but only you'll know that." He smirked at me, winking one of his beautiful blue eyes, and strolled to the phone. After a remarkably short conversation, the concierge said that there shouldn't be any problem lining up a photographer and they extended our stay for an extra day.

Eventually, we slept.

The next day, we had a long and leisurely morning in bed, then we spent some time arranging things to accommodate our new plans, then we showered and went for a late lunch before shopping for new gloves to go over my new ring, and Damian found me a warmer winter coat. It was a rich purple cashmere with a creamy white satin thermal lining (yay!), double breasted with a cinched in waist and full skirt that came to just above my ankles. It was beautiful and fun, but we had to race to meet the photographer. The photographer the concierge had found was very good and shortly produced some amazingly romantic images of us at various places in the Bastion. It didn't take long, and he promised to email the digital images and FedEx prints of our favorites. We ate dinner in the hotel, spent the night in much the same manner as we had the previous night, then got up early the next morning and headed to Paris.