#nagrio

By Cap-the-Winged

**Starring Speros and Nagrio at ages 28 and 29**

Thanksgiving was just around the corner– the family was gathering in the north the enjoy the festivities and early winter weather, good food, and good company. But this year, sadly, the couple could not join them due to the amount of work that still had to be done at work. Nagrio, the husband, was still only halfway through writing the final novel in his series while Speros, the wife, was busy monitoring the environment at her job as an zoologist. Seeing that their crowded schedules might cause them to miss the family gathering this year, they instead made plans to have their own Thanksgiving dinner at home. With just the two of them, it could be fancy. Romantic for the fall holiday without any of their relatives teasing them for holding hands under the table. Just like a dinner date. Excited about the coming of this new plan, Speros got as much work as she could done at work and finished early while Nagrio rushed in his writing, constantly asking her whether or not to use this phrase or that across the room from his desk and red swivel chair. It got a bit stressful, each loading up on the huge amounts of work, getting it done, and starting to buy special groceries for the big dinner. But eventually the day finally came where they both got to a stopping point and could relax. She came home from work early, entering the small house silently so that when she snuck up on him, the tall, Filipino man jumped at her touch and spun around in his chair. Then a small laugh came from her and he relaxed, his eyes crinkling behind his reading glasses in his delight to see her again. She was so close to him. Nagrio pulled her closer in his enamored emotion and kissed her on those full lips. And she happily returned it, closing her eyes while running a hand through his hair. They did this for a while, until her husband’s phone rang. It turns out that his mom was calling to tell them how the trip up north was going and his nephews wanted to say hi to the couple. Though, by saying hello, he meant telling Speros and Nagrio all about the festivities that they were missing and how much fun he was having picking apples from his brother-in-law’s farm. “Leave it to her to have gotten married to a farmer.” He joked in a whisper to Speros, who rolled her gray-blue eyes at him and smiled. “Shhh, leave her and her fruit farmer alone!” She returned and caused him to giggle.

For the rest of the week off that they had until Thanksgiving came, the two went on outings to the park and farmer’s market; visited old libraries and coffee shops filled with the smell of pumpkin spice. The scent made Speros’s stomach rumble, so they each bought a pastry and a drink– iced coffee for him and Fizzie soda for her– and sat down in warm, comfy lounging chairs that made the atmosphere of the shop that much more enticing and relaxing during the cold seasons. The odd couple sat across from each other, absorbed in each other’s company; telling each other jokes and laughing while enjoying the warm light they sat eating their sweets under. God, Nagrio thought, I could listen to her voice for hours…It was certainly better than the jazz music that they had playing in the coffee shop by a long shot! He made a joke about it to his wife, and she laughed out loud, almost choking on her soda. Immediately he was alarmed and asked if she was okay but she only thumped her chest lightly, coughed, and gave him a bright thumbs up, reassuring him that she was alright. Just a little soda down her windpipe– nothing to worry about. “I’m always gonna worry about you Sper.” Nagrio reasoned seriously. Then her heart skipped a beat, causing her to cough one more time. Gracefully though, of course. Then finally, on a clear blue day in the chilled town in which the couple lived in, it was Thanksgiving. Nagrio had thankfully bought the turkey from the grocery store one the day before, right before they had gone out of stock. Early in the morning afterwards, he had snuck out. Speros hadn’t stirred yet from her rest, and he wanted to surprise her later that night when they had their dinner for two. When he came back to their humble abode, warming his hands by rubbing his nimble, brown-skinned fingers against the others, the scent of baking pie airily filled his nose. This made his eyes light up immediately and the writer jogged into the kitchen to find his dear still in her pajamas while sprinkling cinnamon on a large pumpkin pie.