A Valentine's Day Special, Part 1

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Author's Note: 

In celebration of Valentine's Day, I've prepared a special treat - a standalone short story set in an alternate universe (AU) featuring our beloved characters. In this AU, you'll find familiar faces and dynamics from the main story, but in a modern, non-magical setting!

Elly and Katra (Elua/Qatrand) are a young couple navigating some of the challenges of everyday life and love. Elly is a diligent college student, while the (still) three year older Katra is graduated and a dedicated employee at her family's security firm.

They face the relatable ups and downs of a Valentine's Day that doesn't quite go according to plan… but as a reminder that even when things don't work out the way we imagined, the love and support of our beloved partner can make everything worthwhile.

(*Pat-pat* for single dogs, just eat the dog food I'm putting out and think of nice things~ Don't poison yourself with self chocolate medication!)

Ahem. Anyway, enjoy this cut of a world where El and Qat's love story takes a slightly different path. Whether you're a longtime fan of the original work here or a newcomer to their tale that managed to spot this first when looking at my Q&A…

I hope this AU adventure brings a 'sweet' smile to your face and pulses warmth to whatever fragments of others you store in your heart.

[Seraphelki]

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Katra rubbed her eyes after trying to focus on the security report in front of her. She'd read the same paragraph five times and still couldn't repeat it in her head. The words seemed to blur together due to the long hours she'd spent poring over incident logs and threat assessments.

A glance at her watch sent a jolt of panic through her - 8:45 PM.

'How has it gotten so late?'

The blonde leaned back in her chair while rolling her shoulders to ease the tension. Her suit jacket wrinkled on the backrest behind her after being discarded hours ago in favor of comfort. She was glad that her superiors had no complaints about her wearing clothes that weren't 'aligned' to her gender. 

The male style cut had the straighter, boxy lines she liked to wear - unlike the female uniform that accentuated her waist too much. A dress suit skirt was too far for even *family* to request or order her to wear out in public after twenty three years of life.

The Yasune Group demanded a lot of 'appearance' from their employees - and Katra's muscular frame often felt constrained by the professional attire, especially the tie. Of course, Elly quite liked the figure she cut.

Despite telling Kat that she should wear whatever made her happiest, her girlfriend got a fun look on her face when helping her make the knot. Or… when playfully removing it. And that was plenty strong enough motivation to get used to it.

Being attractive to her girlfriend after five years was worth minor discomfort!

A knock at the door startled her from her drifting thoughts. Her cousin - and colleague - poked his head in before his eyebrows raised high in surprise. Nigel couldn't believe which 'overachiever' was inside this late.

"Really? I saw the light on, but what are you still doing here?"

Katra Yasune sighed while gesturing to the stack of papers on her desk.

"Just trying to finish up these reports. The account I'm on had some security breaches that needed addressing."

The dark haired cousin frowned while stepping into the office.

"Isn't it Valentine's Day? I thought you and your little house goblin had plans."

Katra's heart stopped. The holiday she'd been looking forward to for weeks, a chance to spend quality time with her girlfriend amidst the chaos of work lately and the other's coursework. And she'd forgotten!

Worse, she'd overlooked the time to pick up the gift she'd ordered weeks ago. The custom-made leather journal with Elly's initials embossed on the cover. The shop closed early today and she should have made it during lunch… she groaned and dropped her head into her hands.

"Oh no. I'm the worst girlfriend."

Nigel placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. It was a little awkward, as empathy wasn't really his thing, but he always tried his best for family.

"Hey, it's not too late. You can still salvage this, right?"

The young woman shook her head despondently while reaching for her phone. Her heart sank as she saw the missed texts from Elly. The most recent one was received almost three hours ago!

"She's been texting me all day and I've barely responded like usual. She must be so upset."

Katra's heart sank as she scrolled through the messages. She could see how the tone of each one became a little less enthusiastic than the last. It was easy to see what that meant. Elly had been so excited for their night that she was scared to mention her plans. And now…

The blonde stood up suddenly and grabbed for her jacket.

"I have to go. Salvage or not, I have to make this right."

He looked at the serious cut of her blue eyes and chuckled. The young were always so dramatic. The fact that he could feel this way at only thirty made him a little sad.

"Go. I'll cover for you here. I'm sure you left excellent notes."

Katra managed a grateful smile before dashing out of the office. Stopping for a replacement gift of some kind would only slow her down. What mattered was getting home to Elly, holding her close, and apologizing for being the most neglectful girlfriend in the world on a day of love.

'Even if it is a commercial holiday… people want to buy things for a reason!'

As she raced down the stairs, her mind whirled with thoughts of Red Tuesday and other anecdotes about relationships ending around this period. Over money, general dissatisfaction, or any number of reasons. Her confidence in their relationship was usually high.

Her hand gripped tight on her locker in the lobby floor. Knowing you just did something bad… brought out the worst fears. A moment of dread about seeing the picture taped inside struck her before she powered through and grabbed her motorcycle backpack quickly.

She burst out of the office building and into the chilly air, the weather from a final winter cold front making the night one that promoted cuddling. Her hot breath clouded white in front of her as her eyes darted left and right. The streets were quiet at this hour, with most couples already out - or in - enjoying their romantic evenings.

Katra's heart twisted with deepening guilt. She should be with Elly *now*. Not rushing home hours late. She just hoped Elly could forgive her, again. The thought of disappointing her girlfriend on the 'most romantic day of the year' made the blonde woman's stomach churn.

She'd been so focused on work these last months. On proving herself to the Yasune Group. She'd silently let the most important thing in her life slip. Cherishing the one that believed in her more than anyone else.

'Never again.'

She vowed as she stomped toward the parking structure to get on her bike. The helmet went on like the armor of a knight heading to fight for her lady as she mounted her steed. From now on, Elly would always come first. No matter what.

⟠ ⟠ ⟠

~Hours Earlier~

Eleanor Goldborn stirred the pot of chocolate while humming. The rich aroma filled the small kitchen that she'd been cooking and baking in since rushing home from her early morning cybersecurity class. Part of her had thought to skip it entirely to focus on preparations, but as fun as it was to be lectured by Katra…

In either case, she was determined to make this Valentine's Day perfect for her hardworking girlfriend!

As she reached for her phone to check the timers, a video call from her sister Olivia popped up on the screen. She'd been waiting for it, so the brunette quickly swiped to answer before propping the phone up on her stand so that they could see each other while she worked.

"Hey, sis! Happy Valentine's Day!"

The voice on the line was bright and the wave near her smiling face showed she was happy to be talking. Her strawberry blonde hair had been styled with orange low-lights since they last met up - though of course pictures of that salon trip had been sent directly to Elly first thing.

"Happy Valentine's Day. Thanks for agreeing to help me with dinner, Ollie."

The teenager shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal. Though a mischievous smirk appeared a second later..

"Anything for you… and your hunky girlfriend. Speaking of which, how is Katra? Still working herself to the bone at that fancy security firm?"

The college student rolled her eyes.

"She's just dedicated to her job. You know that."

"Oh, I know. Dedicated, loyal, hardworking... and abs built like a Spartan. You really lucked out, sis."

The brunette paused her stirring while narrowing her eyes at the screen.

"Careful, Ollie. That's *my* girlfriend you're drooling over."

The girl playfully held up her hands in mock surrender while backing away from the camera. But, the glint of teasing in her eye remained.

"Can't blame a girl for appreciating art when she sees it. But don't worry, I know she's all yours... even if you two do hog each other all to yourselves."

Elly sighed as she looked away and started circling the spurtle in the pot again. She knew Ollie looked up to Katra since she started visiting when they began dating. Maybe even had a bit of a crush on her…

But Katra was *hers*. She couldn't help the possessive surge in her chest at the thought of anyone else vying for her girlfriend's attention. Even her favorite sister… that was her only sister.

"Tell you what."

Elly said slowly as a grin started to spread across her face. It didn't really reach her eyes as she turned back toward the phone, but the sibling was used to getting on the older's nerves.

"If you help me get this beef wellington just right, then I won't send Katra that adorable photo I have of you cuddling with your teddy bear when you were five."

The teen's eyes widened.

"You wouldn't."

Elly tapped the screen a few times to drop the forbidden photo into their chat. A five-year-old Olivia was curled up asleep on a tween aged Eleanor dressed in a bear kigurumi. The younger sister sputtered, her face turning a deep shade of red.

"W-why do you still have that? Like… like *ready*!"

The brunette smirked at her with a flood of memories washing over her.

Those simple times when it was just her and Ollie against the world. Before the middle-school attending Elly Goldborn saw Katra Yasune transfer in as a freshman into the conjoined highschool. Before the all-consuming love at first sight ended up being returned when she confessed years later when she was a freshman herself.

All of that sometimes left Ollie on the outside looking in.

"Sure, show it to her."

The brown eyed girl pretended to grumble. The act didn't last long when clear smug mischief crept into her voice.

"It just proves who loved you the most first, right? I bet showing off how popular you are with younger women is a great way to keep your girlfriend attracted. Plus you're making me a homewrecker on a day like this? That's hilarious."

Elly snorted at her while shaking her head.

"Younger woman? All I hear yapping is a little brat that reads too much social media. A helpful one I really can't finish this on time without - so don't hang up on me - but still~"

Ollie huffed at being called a brat, but there was a smile at the corners of her mouth over being begged.

"...I'm not gonna end the call. Unlike some people."

The quiet jab hung in the air between them. It was another reminder of the distance that had grown since Elly started college and moved out. Since Katra became not just the center of her world, but almost all of it. The young woman felt a pang of guilt, wondering if she'd been neglecting her little sister too much in the ecstasy of love.

"Really… don't you have homework to do? I don't want to keep you from your studies."

The teen shook her head while waving a hand dismissively, but Elly could see the pile of note-tab filled textbooks laying on the desk behind her in the video frame. The sister was trying hard to follow in her steps. Trying to make it in advanced classes so that comparisons to Eleanor were always *positive*.

"Please. Helping my hopeless sister not ruin the most romantic day of the year by burning down her apartment is way more important than some dumb trig math problems."

The tension broke after a few seconds. Giggles bubbled up in both of their throats. For the next hour, they worked together on the details of their father's recipe while trading barbs and laughter in equal measure.

'Ollie might be a little imp sometimes, but she's still *my* imp.'

⟠ ⟠ ⟠

As the afternoon slipped into evening, the brunette found herself putting the final touches on the Valentine's Day dinner. The beef wellington that their mother *married* their father after tasting was resting, the chocolate truffles she made were chilling in the fridge, and the meticulously cleaned small apartment was filled with the warm glow of flickering… electric candles.

'Even unscented ones still smell!'

Elly stepped back and admired her handiwork. The table was set with their best dishes. A single red rose she splurged on to be dropped off by courier stood in a slender glass vase at the center. Soft music played in the background - the playlist of all her girlfriend's favorite songs!

It only took minutes of finding the right, unobtrusive volume by pacing around the room and straining her ears. With a satisfied nod, the young woman pulled out her phone and snapped a few quick hundred photos of the setup. She opened her group chat with Nora and Fulgencio…

El: / Check out my hard work! /

She typed in the box after attaching the best images. The two foster kids she'd met in middle school and stayed close with over the years were *basically* her only age-close friends… that weren't current coursemates. Their responses came almost immediately. Emojis and stickers and enthusiastic well-wishes.

No: / Girl, that looks amazing! Katra is one lucky lady. /

Fu: / Seriously, El. If she doesn't propose on the spot like your mom did, I will. /

She laughed out loud, knowing the jerk was probably trying to make the other woman annoyed. A warm feeling surged in her chest. She knew her pair of friends were half-joking, but their support and expectation meant the world to her.

'It doesn't… really look like I'm hoping she… I mean, I do hope but…'

Small fingers squirmed on the sides of her phone as she took slow breaths.

El: / Thanks, guys. It's not about *that*. I just want a perfect night to give her, you know? /

Fu: / It will be, by the looks of it. /

No: / She bugged me about the gift she ordered for you. Until it was… perfect. You two are 'perfect' for each other. /

Elly smiled at the following exasperated GIFs, but decided not to rub it in any that Katra would also go the extra mile. Besides, while Fulgencio was a little lax in his romance… he texted and confided in the brunette a *lot* about the green eyed girl he grew up with.

'Ah, you two should just get married already, also!'

She kicked her feet on the chair while looking up at the clock. 7:00 PM. Katra should be home any minute! As the number of 'any' minutes ticked by with no sign of her girlfriend… Elly felt a flicker of unease in her heart. She fought the urge to grab her phone and bombard Katra with worried texts and calls.

"Clingy when she's *here* is fine. She's just running late. A work thing… or something. It happens."

The young woman muttered to herself while pacing again in the small living room. She turned off the music that started being more noisesome than entertaining. As 7:20 turned into 7:40, the knot in Elly's gut only tightened.

Katra had never been this late without calling. What if something bad had happened? An accident on the road… or a security emergency at one of the Yasune Group's client sites that went *bad*?

Elly shook her head to dislodge the catastrophic thoughts. The other woman had made her an emergency contact when they moved in together. Showed her the forms and everything. If something serious *had* happened, she would know by now.

'Right?'

Unable to stay in the same section of the home any longer, Elly wandered into their bedroom. Her eyes fell like lasers on the laundry hamper in the corner. Peeking out from the top was Katra's spare black blazer, the one she'd worn to work a few days ago when it was warmer.

The brunette reached and pulled the professional looking top from the bin. She held it up to her face before inhaling deeply. Katra's scent still clung to the fabric… the mix of her 'ocean' scented shower gel and some spice uniquely her. The latter part was what she needed.

Silly tears pricked at the corners of her eyes as Elly slipped the item over her clothes. It wrapped around herself like a hug from her absent girlfriend. The sleeves were too long, the shoulders too broad, and the hem hung down like a short dress on the small woman.

But it felt like home, safety, and love that was somehow beyond all that she already received from her birth family. Elly curled up on their bed and closed her moist eyes. She tried to steady her unreasonably panicked breathing with a mantra.

'Katra will be here soon.'

Elly whispered the phrase into her head over and over in the empty room. That inner voice felt small and fragile... and she never understood *why* she could get so anxious about things like this. It didn't make sense - and it made her feel like a handful.

"Please, just come home to me."