just keep breathing ,

[damien apollo september]

If there was one thing Damien knew how to do best, it was fight with inanimate objects. He’d woken up that morning totally jazzed for absolutely no reason, reaching over to cuddle and possibly cop a feel with his fiance, only to find that she was missing. Sitting up with a winning pout, he looked around, calling out in that light Irish brogue, ”December?” After hearing no response, he exhaled with a defeated slump to his shoulders - no wake up sex for him. He glanced around, and his dancing hazel eyes found a piece of paper on the pillow beside him. Got up early to go get some stuff done. I’ll be back soon. I love you. Damien couldn’t help the smile turning up the corner’s of his lips. As long as she was coming back, then he didn’t mind so much. The silly twenty-one year old still had it in his head that she was going to go running away with cold feet and never come back. Little did she know, he would go to the ends of the earth to get her back, no matter where she went and under any circumstances. He collapsed back into the pillows, gazing at the ceiling, still smiling to himself. Pretty soon, they were going to get married. Damien knew the exact date, but even if he was excited he was still awful with numbers - just know that if he could have, he would have given you an exact count of days left until he was officially, legally, no longer a single man.

Damien rolled over, grabbing his cell phone and dialing his brother. When he heard his groggy voice answer, Dami spouted, ”Dude! How many days until the wedding?” He heard an exasperated groan over the phone, as Noah told him that he had no idea. Damien frowned, ”If you have no idea, then how come you told me yester…. OH. Minus one! Okay! Bye Noah!” With that, he promptly hung up the phone, the seconds the call elapsed flashing on the screen, an uncanny coincedence: forty seconds, forty seconds. Forty days until he married the love of his life. The smile now stretching from ear to ear, he rolled out of bed and skipped to the bathroom, turning on the shower and letting the water get steaming hot. Forty days! Damien could barely believe it! If you asked the young man whether or not he had ever honestly believed he was getting married, he would have told you no. He had thought, for the longest time, that he was doomed to be a bachelor. In his mind, however, things were much more entertaining than that. Bachelor with six cats, four dogs, and six gerbils. No man was complete until he had a gerbil, in Damien’s opinion. He reminisced about those good old ‘who knew?’ days as he showered, rinsing his body thoroughly and shampooing his newly cropped hair.

He got out of the shower, walking over to the mirror when his foot caught the edge of something. Soon enough, Damien was sprawled out on his back, gasping for the breath that had left him when he smacked on his back and banged his head on the tile. Groaning, he looked down at what had caught his foot, finding a lone heel of December’s to be the culprit. ”You are a bad, bad high heel, aren’t you, love?” He cooed lowly at the heel, sitting up slowly and blinking as he reached for it, ”I hate you, you know that? Unless you’re on Ember. Then you’re fine because you make her legs look more amazing than they already are.” He nodded his head at it, before going back to frowning, ”Still! I hate you! Rude, inconsiderate heel!” Cue the fighting with inanimate objects. Dami stumbled to his feet, walking to his boxers and pulling them on, discarding the towel and looking back at the high heel in question. He was about to toss more questions upon it when he heard a throat clear behind him. Dami wheeled around, hiding the heel behind his back and giving his best, wide innocent eyes; excuses and everything were right as his tongue, but every single word died as he took in the love of his life.

”December? Are you… wait… did I hit my head too hard?” He stuttered out, amazed at the sight before him. Either he was crazy… or December was now blonde. Blonde and fucking gorgeous.

MUSIC: don't bore us, get to the chorus - emery
TAGGED: december van buren
OUTFIT: what they're wearing and the rings
NOTES: new haircut like yeah.

[december celia van buren]

As December Van Buren came into consciousness, the first thing she noticed was that there was a certain emptiness to her surroundings. As she opened her eyes, she realized that it was because this happened to be one of the mornings that she'd not woken up in the arms of her fiancé. As she blinked away her sleep, she couldn't help a smile spreading across her face. He was sleeping on his back, mouth open slightly. It was adorable, she had to admit. Ember caught herself staring just a little too long when she realized that she had something to do today. Normally, she was slightly disappointed when she woke up like this. Damien September's arms were the only place she felt truly safe, or truly loved. However, the night before, December had made a pretty big decision, a decision that Dami wasn't a part of. This decision involved the young woman getting up rather early to leave without him knowing. And not being tangled up in him made it much easier to slip out from the sheets and sneak into the bathroom to start her morning routine. Closing the door quietly, Ember turned to the mirror, taking a piece of her dark locks and twirling it in her finger. It was time for a change. A major change. Her mind went to the sleeping figure of her fiance and she wondered just how he would take this change. Part of the reason she hadn't told him what she was doing was simply because she was afraid of what he might think. She didn't want him stopping her, even if it wasn't intentional.

Quickly, December showered, dressing plainly (well, plainly for her) and throwing her wet tresses into a damp bun. There was no need for her to style it this morning. Not yet, anyway. With one last look at Damien, she moved outside and began her mini adventure. The first stop was the hair dresser. Stepping inside, December immediately found Teresa, the woman who'd been her stylist ever since she'd moved in with Damien and decided to dye her hair black. Ember had learned a lot on how to keep up with her hair from Teresa. Not to mention, she was a complete sweetheart. So, as Ember described what she wanted done, miss Teresa knew just how to make it work. The young woman would be lying if she said that her heart wasn't pounding the entire hour she was getting her new look. When the finished product was finally revealed to December, she surveyed it closely. "Do you think he'll like it?" She found herself asking out loud. Something she hadn't meant to do. Teresa's words of comfort helped slightly, though. And before she knew it she was one her way to destination number two.

The mall was pretty much a home away from home for miss Van Buren. A place she often found solace when she needed it. Even now, as she absently switched back and forth between playing with her new hair and the gorgeous silver ring on her finger, she felt a kind of calm wash over her that only came with familiarity. Her purpose for coming here was to help along her new look just a bit. She'd need a new wardrobe to go with her new hair. At the moment, she'd settle for a couple of new outfits. One of which she donned in the dressing rooms of the various stores she visited. By the time she was finished, even she had to admit that she liked what she saw. Hopefully Damien would, too. At the thought of her fiancé's name, her heartbeat began to pick up once more. She wasn't sure he'd exactly understand why she was doing this when he saw it. It wasn't just because she was bored with the black hair that she'd been surprisingly fond of. It was also about starting over, becoming someone new. Someone who was worthy of the man she'd managed to snag. This person wasn't going to be the sad, helpless little girl that he'd found and eventually healed. She would be better, a young woman that Dami would be proud of having on his arm.

All too soon, however, she was back home. Here was the moment. He would finally see what she'd done to herself. Grabbing the few shopping bags that she'd acquired, December made her way into their home, climbing the staircase and pausing just before the bedroom. She then took a deep breath and moved forward, stopping once more as her eyes rested on Damien's figure. He was, as she was pleasantly surprised to see, wearing only his boxers. And he also seemed to be arguing... with her shoe. Anyone else may have found this strange, but Ember knew her fiancé pretty well. This was not as odd as one would think. Before she let her amusement get the best of her, she cleared her throat to announce her presence. When he turned, she gave him a small smile. Yet, his words took a moment to register in her brain. Setting down the bags, she walked forward towards him. Worry found its way on her pretty face as she did so. "What? You hit your head? Damien September, you are the most accident prone person I've ever known." Her voice was softly chiding, yet the affection was plain for anyone to hear. Even though her eyes were surveying his head for any protruding bumps or blood dripping, she could feel his gaze on her. Finally, she forced herself to look him in the eye. "Surprise?" She spoke in a low tone, trying to cover up her nervousness. "I know I didn't tell you I was going to. But, I just really wanted to. If you hate it, I can change it. I just... really wanted to."

MUSIC: fall - jonas brothers
TAGGED: damien september
OUTFIT: don't have a heart attack dami, boo.
NOTES: oooooohhhhhhhhhh.

[damien apollo september]

Damien could really go on and on for hours about exactly why it was he fell for December Van Buren. Why he asked her to marry him. God only knew that things were running on the looks only when they first met; she was simply stubborn and infuriating, completely unpursuable. Damien, being the complete and total idiot that he was, let himself get easily frustrated by her know-it-all statements and elusive nature, but something in him just wouldn’t let her go. It was good thing he hadn’t, too. Ember was the love of his life, the reason why he was the man he was in the moment. Thinking of her never failed to put a smile on his handsome face, and God only knew that Noah thanked the heavens for her – Damien was much more tolerable now that he was no longer a bachelor. But of course, he was still Damien which meant he was his normal accident prone, prankster self. Dami liked to put off that nothing worried him. Things were much better when he acted unaffected, but there were a few things in his life that really got to him. One of them was the nightmares that December would still have from time to time about her father. Just thinking about him for a second got Damien’s blood boiling. He would never, not for a single second, forgive the man for what he did to Ember. That was part of the reason why he was so protective over her; she’d been through so much pain already, pain that still haunted her to this very day… how could he allow her to ever possibly be put through anymore?

The only other thing that angered him as much as that was his parents, and the troubles they had put he and his brother through. He loved Noah with every single fiber of his being; having raised him from when he was just a baby, and being only a child himself, and created bonds between the two brothers that were entirely unshakable. On many counts, Damien was not just his brother, but his father, as well. Father, brother, and best friend. He hoped that never changed, and that was also why he was so sensitive about the idea of any hurt ever coming to Noah, emotional or physical. It was why he hated his parents, because they had, on countless occasions, made him feel so unloved. So really, the things that made him maddest were thinking of his and other’s pained pasts, and any other hurts that may befall his loved ones. Damien was everyone’s knight in shining armor, with a great hero complex that more often than not, got him into loads of trouble. But he wouldn’t change it for a thing, because look where he was now? Engaged to a woman who trusted him with everything, to a woman he would die for in a heartbeat.

He felt a pang of longing spread through his chest, as he pouted at the empty room. Where was she? He wanted his Ember. Days were not good ones when he didn’t get his morning cuddle. And of course, things only got worse with that incident with her high heel. Damien probably would have thrown it across the room and broken something had he not heard that beautiful voice behind him. Upon hearing her scold him for hitting his head, an impish grin crossed his features as he shrugged, ”Sorry, love. You know that my feet control me, and not the other way around.” But then he was dragged right back to the task at hand. Easily distracted as he was, he could not simply forget this drastic change in December’s appearance. His heavy gaze roved her cheekbones, her chin, her eyes and lips, and finally her hair. Her words fell on silence as Damien continued his steady perusal of her new look. The man was nothing if not thorough. His warm fingers went to brush a strand away from her face, before capturing it slowly. He studied it, before saying in a low voice, ”December… you.. you look like a goddess.” He managed to get out, lifting his eyes to gaze into hers. ”I.. wow. I was definitely unprepared for this. Like, really… but wow… this is a good surprise. A very, very good surprise.” He bit his lip, shifting a little to try and dissuade the sudden heat searing through his legs from getting him happy. ”You look so… sexy. Like… really, really, really, really, really, REALLY sexy…” He nodded his head in earnest, his eyes still taking in her hair and her face in careful, approving appraisal.

MUSIC: for your entertainment, adam lambert
TAGGED: december van buren
OUTFIT: what he WILL be wearing... after the sex.
NOTES: lawwwwlz

[december celia van buren]

Damien would never really understand December's feeling for him. Hell, even December would never understand her feelings for him. Damien had found the girl in a time when, even though she didn't know it then, she needed him the most. At first, he'd merely been the intriguing young Irish boy who was ridiculously good-looking. Yet, she'd known that nothing could happen. Nothing could ever happen. Not for her. She hadn't meant for him to find out what her father would do to her. Her best and worst kept secret. But, he had. And when he'd found out, he'd dragged Ember kicking and screaming to safety. When people learned of what had happened to her back then, they would never understand why she just didn't go to the police. Why she'd let herself endure so much pain. The answer was simple. It was slightly embarrassing and shameful, but it was simple. Fear. December's father had instilled that little emotion inside of her long ago. Where it had blossomed and grown into something akin to a hideous beast, keeping her locked away like a prisoner. But, Damien had broken into her prison and had stolen her away into the night. He really would never know how grateful she was to him for doing just that.

Of course, even back then she had had feelings for him. Before he'd rode in on his white horse and freed her from her terror. Even though she had played hard to get, and made it clear to him that she had no interest, she'd always seen something in him. He was different. That much she was certain of. Different from every other person on the planet. To put it simply, he was good. And everything that that word stood for. Why he'd chosen her out of so many other people in the world, she would never know. December knew that he had it in that ridiculous head of his that she was too good for him, and that he thought she might leave him at one point. No matter how many times she assured him that she wouldn't be going anywhere, he always had that look. It was frustrating to no extent, yet she really wasn't one to talk. In her mind, it was simple fact that he was far too good for her. Why should he settle for damaged goods when he could have someone who was whole and loving and sweet and gentle?

It was just one of the reasons that she was so nervous about what his opinion on her new look would be. What if he hated it and suddenly realized that he didn't want to be with someone who made such rash decisions on their own? As much as she tried to pretend otherwise, December was a very insecure individual. Years of abuse and of being told that she wasn't good enough had taken affect on her. No matter how hard she tried to hide it. And she simply couldn't lose him. Damien was her rock. He kept her strong. She didn't know how she'd face the world all alone. What would be there to keep her demons at bay if Damien was nowhere in sight? So, as he eyed her, she couldn't keep her heartbeat from speeding up. Finding his gaze, she didn't look away as he raise a hand to her face and took a strand of her hair in his fingers. Finally, his voice broke the silence between them. Her lips twitched at the words, a flush rising gently on her cheeks. "I... do?" She asked in a whisper. She was pretty sure that goddess was stretching things, but at least he didn't hate it.

It was then that his eyes met hers and a small smile formed on her face at the approval she found there. He spoke again and it caused her to shake her head, exhaling in a soft laugh. "You're just ridiculous. And exaggerating. I do not look that sexy." She looked down, smirking at what she saw and pushed he gaze back to his once again. "You really think I look sexy?" She asked, moving closer to him and wrapping her arms around his neck. "I hope you're not mad that I didn't tell you." She said in a low, deliberately husky voice. "I wanted to surprise you. And get your honest reaction. So far, I like what I'm seeing." She pushed herself harder against him. "And what I'm feeling." A certain glint was in her eye as she spoke again. The girl really was happy and relieved that he seemed to approve. However, there were other emotions running through her that only Dami managed to bring out of her. All in all, she knew that changing her hair had been a very good idea, indeed.

MUSIC: so happy i could die - lady gaga
TAGGED: damien september
OUTFIT: don't have a heart attack dami, boo.
NOTES: oooooohhhhhhhhhh. ooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

[damien apollo september]

Damien could probably list on one hand all of the girlfriends he’d had who he ever truly gave a damn about. He could give one finger and tell you the only woman who he truly had ever fallen in love with, and it was the same woman he was going to marry in the present. Before he’d met December, he’d been searching. It wasn’t so much an active search; hell, Dami hadn’t even realized he was looking for something until he met Ember. It was then he realized just how incomplete he really was. He was happy, sure. He had his brother, he had his music, his had a roof over his head and clothes on his back. But he had never experienced joy like this. Joy, and a feeling of belonging. For all their silly fights and all their stupid comments towards each other, Damien belonged to December just like she belonged to him. They were truly like two pieces of a puzzle, fit together perfectly. Damien couldn’t recall ever having that kind of chemistry with anyone else, physically, emotionally, or mentally. December was his equal on every account, and that had been just the type of woman he had needed in the first place.

Though, for a while there, Damien was pretty sure he was going to swear off women all together. If you ever got him alone and in a particularly jolly mood, he would be happy to share with you all of his horror stories from his last year in Ireland. Noah, in particular, enjoyed this hilarious (and often times embarrassing as hell) recollections more than anything, mostly because he still found joy in telling Damien ‘I told you so’. And it was true, his baby brother had told him so. But really, he was Damien freaking September. Since when had he ever been a listener? No, Damien thought then jumped. He said then recognized the consequences later. That was part of the reason why people loved him so much - he had absolutely no brain-to-mouth filter. It was a good thing he was a fairly clean boy, too. Or at least, he saved all of his dirty talk for December in the bed room. And God only knew that if you got that boy really going, he could talk you out of every single strip of clothing you were wearing in about three seconds flat. He was extremely interested in possibly trying out that theory in this moment, however.

December had always been beautiful to Damien. Always. It didn’t matter what she was wearing, if she didn’t have any make-up on, if a particularly fitful slumber left her hair looking like a rat’s nest. She was beautiful, breathtakingly so, and he was not just saying that. December claimed bias, Damien claimed that he had eyes… eyes that could distinguish December’s backside from any other female behind in about five seconds flat. It didn’t matter to him at all what she did to her hair or what her style was, because at the end of the day she was still just Ember. His beautiful, insecure, and amazing Ember. He would never understand why she was so afraid that he would end up leaving her. He’d told her countless times that there wasn’t a thing in the world that she could do to ever make him leave; he loved her more than he loved the air he breathed, and that was saying something consider when you do that shit, it’s unconsciously. But then again, loving December was, too. Eating, sleeping, breathing… each and everything breath he took was bathed in his shining, everlasting love for his beloved. Okay, now that shit was cheesy, but that didn’t make it any less true. Not in Damien’s eyes, anyway.

And you know what he especially loved? He especially loved when Ember took control. Their bodies pressed together caused his erection to grow further, and he swallowed hard. Still, however, he was unable to keep his eyes away from Ember’s gloriously beautiful face. He blinked, ”Oh, you do now, huh? That’s interesting…” He slowly moved to kiss her forehead, down her temple and jaw, then up to her ear. He lingered there, his breath hot on her lobe, before whispering softly, ”I think I’d like what I’m seeing even more if there was a little less clothing involved. Who knows? Maybe it’ll give me a whole new perspective on this whole haircut thing… though I’ll be hard pressed to do anything but love it on you.” He’d confess, kissing her ear softly, before nibbling lightly on her lobe. His hands found their way to her hips, and he pressed them together so she could feel how much he needed her. His hands went up to tangle in her hair, and he moaned. ”You are so beautiful.” He whispered, pulling back and gazing into her eyes slowly, intensely. ”I love you.” He whispered gently, needing to get the words out because they were strongly on his heart. ”I love you.” He murmured again, leaning forward to claim her lips with his own hungry ones.

MUSIC: for your entertainment, adam lambert
TAGGED: december van buren
OUTFIT: what he WILL be wearing... after the sex.
NOTES: oic december. oic.

[december celia van buren]

In all honesty, if you'd asked December a couple years ago if she thought that she would be getting married at the tender age of nineteen, she would have told you that you were crazy. The only thing she would be doing at nineteen would be working towards her goal of superstardom. If she hadn't achieved it already. Ember's dreams had always been big. She'd known what she wanted since she was six years old. The one thing that had gotten her through her not-so-pleasant childhood was the simple thought that she would be getting away. She would be able to get herself out and she was going to be so much better. She'd never thought that it would be a boy who would take her away. Truthfully, she was a little disappointed in herself that she hadn't been her own white knight. Damsel in distress was not a title she wore proudly. In fact, she hated it with everything in her. December was an independent young woman. Something that Damien had had to learn the hard way. Even though she would always be thankful to him, he'd had to learn that he couldn't do everything for her. No matter how much he wanted to. She needed some sort of dignity, after all.

Still, being with Damien was not disappointing at all. Sure, they bickered every once in a while. But, what couple didn't? Besides, she had to admit that the make up sex was well worth it. As she was sure that most other couples would agree. And really, she never wanted to be anything less than she was to Damien September. The day he'd asked her to marry him had been one of the best days she could ever remember having. The ring that she wore very proudly on her finger was the most beautiful piece of jewelry she'd ever seen. Almost as if it had been made exactly for her finger. If you asked Damien, he would tell you that that was exactly what it was made for. Just as December was made exactly for him. She'd never argue with this logic, of course. Because, as often as Dami could be wrong, this was one of the things that he was oh so right about. Even so, she couldn't help but be insecure about his feelings for her. Though, she had to admit that the love she saw in his eyes every day did help her confidence level a bit.

Just like the look he was giving her at the moment. Somehow, Damien always knew what to say or do to make her feel better. No matter what the problem was. As he spoke, she smirked wider, nodding. "Yes, I do." When his lips touched her skin, her eyes closed as she let herself enjoy every second of it. When he spoke again, she laughed lowly before opening her eyes and giving him what she hoped was a seductive pout. "But, Dami. I just put these clothes on for you. I only think it's fair if you take them off." She smirked again, letting the words sink in. Soon enough, though, her eyes were closing again as she shivered from the simple contact. It was always so easy for Damien to send her body into a frenzy at even the lightest touch. She'd never understand it, but she'd never want it to stop. When he called her beautiful, her dark chocolate eyes found his bright hazel ones and she gave him a soft smile. Every time he said it, she couldn't help but believe it. "I love you, too, Dami. More than anything." She whispered before his lips were on hers. It was then that her hands went up to tangle in his still damp hair. And she pressed herself so close to him that she was surprised that they didn't merge into one person. After a moment, she pulled away from his lips for air and spoke in a breathless voice. "What happened to the whole 'less clothes' thing? I'm still waiting, mister September. Just don't rip anything." She teased him lightly, her eyes dancing with playfulness and love. A look that only he would ever see.

MUSIC: no air - jordin sparks & chris brown
TAGGED: damien september
OUTFIT: don't have a heart attack dami, boo.
NOTES: t33 h33 h33

[damien apollo september]

One thing that had worried him at first about his and Ember’s relationship was how physical it was. He’d never tell a single person, but he was constantly absolutely terrified of not being good enough. That all he was wanted for was what he could do, what his name was, and not who he really was. He was afraid that Ember just wanted to be with him for what he could offer her, or that it’d be some kind of reverse version of Stockholm syndrome. She only loved him for the fact that he saved her, or something like that. He knew that December would never be like that deep down, but his mind just wasn’t translating that. However, after enough time elapsed, he soon came to realize exactly what she intended, that she was around for good. It did Dami’s heart good, and let him realize that maybe, for once in his life, he could be good enough for someone who wasn’t just Noah. Someone needing him as much as he needed them, and not because they had to, like Noah had, was almost refreshing. And to love someone like he loved December, only to have her love him just as much back, was like his saving grace.

Damien couldn’t describe properly how heavenly each touch, each kiss that went between them felt. It was… amazing and breathtaking and if Damien wasn’t such a romantic already he’d probably gross himself out. Seeing her with a new hair style did nothing to dampen the insane urges he had to just take her right then and there; it didn’t matter what she looked like, or the time of day. If anything, this was making him go even more insane because my God, did she look drop dead gorgeous. He was surprised that he hadn’t fallen over dead by that point, in all honesty. Their lips meshed together in a deep, passionate kiss, and Damien broke it to lift her shirt over her head, his breath catching as he gazed at her beautiful body. He kissed his way to her neck, unclasping her bra and making work of her chest, until she was moaning beneath him. He was fully hard by that point, and December wasted no time in letting Damien know that she knew it, too. His breath caught and low moans escaped his lips as Ember did her handiwork, and soon Damien was growing impatient. He backed her up against the wall gently, before hooking a finger in her panties and sliding them down as she slid his boxers down. He lifted one of her legs to loop around his waist, and after that they were one.

The love making was slow and deep and passionate, like it always was, and it turned Damien’s blood into molten lava. Her name was the only thing that fell from his lips as her teeth sank into his skin. His mouth formed love bites all over her chest, and soon they were both plummeting down from delicious climax. Damien didn’t move them from their position as he inhaled deeply, struggling to regain his breath. Finally, he straightened, scooping her shakily into his arms, and walking towards their bedroom, depositing her in their bed as he sank in beside her. Damien pulled her close, running his fingers through her hair gently and kissing her temple, closing his eyes, ”You are so beautiful… I really do love your hair.” He told her softly, kissing her neck again before nuzzling his nose into her skin.

MUSIC: i'll run, the cab
TAGGED: december van buren
OUTFIT: what he WILL be wearing... after the sex.
NOTES: s-s-sexy