78. Spending Time With Erik (Liona & Erik)

While Erik was downstairs, Liona got undressed. The zipper to her gown was conveniently located on the side of the dress, instead of the back, like a lot of formal evening gowns were designed. Her Great Aunt Raylina was always mindful of ease of wear and the comfort of the person wearing her designs. This wasn't the first time she had worn this dress, and it probably wouldn't be the last. 

After stepping out of her gown, Liona undid her bustier she had worn under her dress that lifted and supported her breasts for the best fit of her gown. She loved it, but never wore it often, since it was one of her favorites in her lingerie collection. She much preferred comfortable undergarments, so she rummaged in her wardrobe drawers for her most comfortable casual ones before changing. She loved bright colors and expressed herself that way for her satisfaction, when she wasn't forced to wear that drab uniform for school.

Thinking about her school uniform, she sighed again. This time it was a sigh of dread. She had school tomorrow, and the next break would signal the end of the year and hopefully graduation. It was only a few months away, but it felt like forever in terms of the number of days she would have to be in school and not see Erik every day. She would, of course, try her best to see him as regularly as she could, but she had already said she would rather not make a nuisance out of herself by always showing up at Erik's workplaces.

She couldn't just start eating fast food every day for dinner. Her parents would be upset that she wasn't eating with the family, and mealtimes were usually the only times she saw her parents lately. As much as she loved Erik, she loved her parents and siblings too, and wouldn't sacrifice family time for Erik, even if it meant only seeing him a couple of times a week.

Donning her most comfortable loungewear, a pair of yoga pants that fit like a glove, and a loose, wide-neck, yoga t-shirt. She headed downstairs to meet with Erik and ask him what he wanted to do for the next little while. Her curfew was at 10pm on school nights, so she had a couple of hours yet, before she needed to take him home. When she got to the bottom of the stairs, Liona peeked around the corner to see what Erik was up to without her observing him. She nearly laughed out loud at the fact that he was standing in the middle of the living room, right where she had left him. He had his hands in his pockets, like he was afraid to touch anything.

Taking pity on him, since he was probably thinking something along the lines of getting the furniture dirty or some ridiculous notion similar to that, she entered the living room fully while his back was turned. She approached him quietly, sneaking up on him, before hugging him from behind. She wanted to startle him a little, but it seemed he sensed it was her because she could hear the smile in his voice as he greeted her.

"Hi, that was quick." Erik commented when he felt Liona hug him from behind. He could sense her the moment she came down the stairs by the level of pink entering his vision. He was slowly growing accustomed to these colors at the edges of his vision and what they meant.

"Did you expect me to take a long time?" Liona asked as Erik turned around to hug her properly.

"Well, I have many sisters. Despite not having many things to wear, they all somehow manage to take forever to get ready to go anywhere. I've been told it's a fashion and beauty thing by Georgie, but I don't think I'll understand it completely."

"It doesn't have to take a long time for a beauty regime, but it depends on the person and the level of care they want to put into their appearance. As for me, since I was just getting comfortable clothes on, it really took no time at all. But getting ready for my family gathering earlier took probably four times as long to get dressed, do my hair, and apply my makeup. I wanted to look my best for my family, even if I hate the over the top deal they make about my birthday. It's done out of love for me, so I put up with these large celebrations with most of my family in attendance every milestone birthday. Usually, it's just the immediate family for my regular birthdays, but since this was for my 18th birthday, everyone was called in that could make it, to celebrate. This kind of thing would have been in my family's calendars forever ago." Liona explained as she stood in Erik's arms, savoring the feel of having her alpha close to her.

"Why don't you tell your family that you want smaller celebrations? Will they not listen?"

"Well, I could, but then I'd have to see my parent's crestfallen looks on their faces. They love putting together these gatherings, and it doesn't hurt to let them continue. Besides, this is the last one they'll throw me. I can put up with the occasional over-the-top party when it's my last big bash with them." Liona smiled. Despite her complaints, she did love that her parents cared about her enough to try to keep most of these celebrations a bit more modest than they could be. Her siblings' birthdays were evident enough of that more over-the-top party they could throw.

"You seem to really get along with your parents. I think that's really sweet that despite your distaste for these big celebrations, you let them throw you these parties." Erik hugged Liona, who was snuggling further into his embrace.

"I do. My parents are remarkable people, and despite their busy careers, they do make their best attempts at being there for all us. They've never missed an important event completely, no matter how busy they were."

"That's good. I can only remember my mother doing her best to celebrate each of my sibling's and my birthdays in a small way every year. Usually, it's only a small gift or at the very least a birthday wish for us, but we know it's full of her love."

Liona drew back and looked at Erik's face as he spoke about his mom. He seemed to be fond of his mom, which made her a bit curious about his dad. But she got the feeling that if she were to ask about him, Erik might just clam up. So instead of asking what was on her mind, she led him to the couch so that they could sit and cuddle together.

"Want to watch a movie?" Liona asked as she made herself comfortable next to Erik, who still seemed a bit uncomfortable and nervous.

"Are you sure you want me to sit on your couch? Won't it get dirty with my work clothes?" Erik was a bit thankful for the change in topic, away from his parents, but that didn't stop his worry about his greasy work clothes.

"It's fine. Believe it or not, this couch is probably older than I am. When my parents moved into this house, which is my mom's childhood home, I was just a little girl, not much younger than my mom was when my grandparents bought this place. So some of the furniture is from my grandparent's era. It's withstood all of my mom's and my dad's siblings over the years and countless guests, so it will survive you sitting on it, too." 

Liona wasn't entirely sure this was the same couch as her grandparent's had owned, but it was a similar color and style to one she remembered from her childhood. But that was beside the point, since she was sure that Erik would not get it dirty. Like her parents before her, she and her siblings had been wild and messy growing up; this couch had survived them without a hint of staining.

"Alight." Erik relaxed a little as Liona opened up a hidden compartment in the arm of the couch and brought out a remote for the TV before switching it on. He wasn't entirely sure what to expect in a fancy house such as this, it had been ages since he had been able to watch TV at all, so when it turned on, he was stunned. It was so crystal clear and bright and beautiful that he was sure this was nothing like he remembered a TV being.

"It's a special type of TV that is probably the only thing that my dad didn't skimp on. He's particular about the high-end electronics because they last longer and are better for our family game nights. At least when I was growing up, we haven't had a game night in ages now." Liona explained as she selected the movie service they subscribed to. "What kind of movie would you like to see? The latest blockbuster? A sci-fi like my mom likes? Or maybe a foreign drama that I like to watch with my parents? Any kind of movie is available to watch."