Summary: Drake and Elizabeth have a very serious conversation about a very important subject.
‘Hey you.’
Drake looked up from his seat on the couch to see his fiancé approaching, slightly unstable from all the alcohol she’d consumed on this relaxing night in with their friends.
‘Hey yourself,’ he replied, smiling at her.
Now that Elizabeth had moved into her own duchy, games nights with their close friends were becoming a regular occurrence lately. Currently Hana was on the piano while Liam and Maxwell were squaring off in a game of pool. Elizabeth had almost made it to the couch where he was sitting when her foot caught on the edge of the plush carpet, pitching her forward towards him. Drake’s hands reflexively shot out to catch her falling body before it could hit the ground.
‘My hero,’ she teased as he settled her on his lap. She was obviously very tipsy and Drake was reminded of this when she pressed a sudden kiss to his lips, tasting the alcohol in her mouth before she pulled away.
‘You know what?’ Elizabeth asked abruptly.
‘What?’ He prompted, smiling slightly because she was always so adorable in her inebriated state. Conversations with her like this were far from boring, he quickly learnt that after the first few times.
‘We don’t have any nicknames for each other!’ She burst out too loudly, making him wince a little.
He raised his eyebrows. ’Nicknames?’
‘Yea y’know,’ Elizabeth slurring slightly, as she leaned back into him. ‘Like that scene from Pride and Prejudice.’
‘Guess this would be the time to say that I haven’t actually seen that movie..?’ Drake replied, thoroughly confused.’
She gasped, sitting upright in his lap. ‘You haven’t seen Pride and Prejudice??’
‘Umm… no?’
Elizabeth heaved an exaggerated sigh as she turned to face him. ‘Well at the end theres this suuuper cute scene where Elizabeth and Darcy are sitting together watching the lake. Like after they’re married and stuff, like we are going to be…’
She trailed off to give him a drunken but sweet smile and he couldn’t stop his own one from growing as the thought of spending the rest of his life with her came to mind. She continued to smile sappily at him until he cleared his throat.
‘Uh Richmond.. you were in the middle of saying something?’
She jerked upright again. ‘Oh right! Yeah anyways once they’re married, Lizzy tells him that she wants to be called Lizzy for every day, My Pearl on Sundays and Goddess Divine on special occasions.’
‘And you want me to call you Lizzy for every day, My Pearl on Sundays and Goddess Divine on special occasions?’ Drake asked in amused surprise, a smirk playing at the corners of his lips. He couldn’t wait to tease her mercilessly for this when she was sober.
‘Noooo,’ Elizabeth whined, swaying a little and Drake wound his arms around her waist to support her, eyebrows piquing at her next words. ‘Thats soo… extra. I mean like cute things like baby or darling or schmoopsie poo-‘
Drake snorted loudly, barely able to control himself from laughing uncontrollably, ‘Schmoopsie poo??’
Her face fell into a pout. ‘Draaake I’m being serious about this..’
‘Alright,’ he shifted into a more formal position, fighting to control his expression. ‘What do you want me to call you then?
Elizabeth screwed her face up in thought. ‘I do like the usual cliche names like baby, babe and stuff. Do you know any of those in Greek or something?’
‘You mean like αγάπη μου?’
Drake heard a sharp intake of breath from Elizabeth as soon as the words left his mouth.
‘What does that mean?’
He smiled, tugging her chin slightly to bring her closer before whispering against her lips. ‘It means my love.’
‘Guess you’ll be expecting me to call you that all the time then?’ he chuckled after she released him from a long passionate kiss.
‘You can call me Liz for everyday – actually if you stop calling me Richmond, its gonna feel weird. ’
‘You want me to keep calling you Richmond when we’re married?’ Drake queried.
‘Hmm I guess not,’ she responded after a moment of thought. ‘Though being called Walker will take a bit of getting used to. But I’m looking forward to that.’
Elizabeth was smiling at him so adorably that Drake couldn’t help but wind a hand around the back of her neck and pull her in for a deep kiss. God he couldn’t wait to marry this woman.
‘What do you want me to call you?’ She asked when they pulled apart for air. ‘Just Drake is fine.’
Her pout returned. ‘But I want to call you something cute too. How about sweet pea?’
Drake winced. ‘Ugh no. No sickly sweet names for me Richmond. I can easily live the rest of my life without them.’
Elizabeth didn’t seem to have heard him. ‘Sure thing Mr Marshmallow.’
His eyes widened. ‘Richmond…’
‘What’s wrong Mr Marshmallow Man?’ She asked with an innocent smile. ‘You don’t like your new nickname Grumpy pants?’
‘Liz..’ Drake’s voice held a warning now but she ignored it.
‘Don’t like those?’ Even tipsy, she couldn’t help egging him on just a little more as she counted off her fingers. ‘What about honey bunch or sweetie pie or cinnamon ro- AHH!’
At that moment, tired of her teasing Drake launched an assault of tickles on his fiance, curling his fingers against her sides until she was writhing, squealing with laughter and surprising all their friends.
‘Ahh Drake stop itttt,’ she choked out between giggles.
‘What was that?’ He asked smugly, unable to resist for just a minute more. ‘I don’t think I heard you… What’s my name?’
‘Marshmallow.’ Elizabeth grinned up at him before letting out another squeal when he continued to tickle her.
‘Alright fine fine,’ she gasped out, conceding. ‘Drake it is.’
‘Good,’ he punctuated with a quick kiss to her lips. ‘I’m glad we got this sorted out.’
‘Good morning,’ Drake murmured to the heap of blankets beside him.
It was 9 am the next day and he was already showered and dressed before heading to Elizabeth’s master bedroom to wake up his fiancee. Instead he’d found a massive mound of blankets in her place.
‘Mgnnn,’ it grunted back.
‘I thought you’d say that after the bender…’ He chuckled, stroking the top quilt before leaning in and lowering his voice. ‘Schmoopsie poo.’
Elizabeth ripped the blankets off her face abruptly, glaring at him through sleepy eyes. ‘What did you just call me?’
‘Nothing you didn’t ask me to..’ He replied giving her a devilish grin.
‘One night of drinking doesn’t count as a bender Mr Walker,’ She accused grumpily, sitting up in bed. ‘Surely you know that.’
‘Of course I do, Mrs Soon-To-Be-Walker.’ Drake watched Elizabeths eyes softened in a way he just couldn’t put into words and unbidden he leaned into her open arms and she immediately pulled him down to bed with her. He paused before they could begin.
‘Uhh Liz.. you might wanna brush before we do this.’
‘Oh yeah sorry,’ she agreed, rolling off him and heading towards the bathroom. ‘But be warned, husband-to-be, when I get back we’re not moving from that bed until it is absolutely necessary.’
He felt his lips curl into a smile before calling out after her. ‘Whatever you say Schmoopsie poo!’