(I know I said I'd start this sooner but things came up.)

Tom set the table for two very carefully, handling the delicate china he'd reserved for the night with his most gentle touch. The breezy, fall night was perfect for a dinner outdoors, the fireflies fluttering peacefully as they glowed in the tall grass around the gazebo. A soft, sweet smelling breeze nudged the grass along, leading it to sway slowly to and fro. He lit the candle in the middle of the white table cloth, setting the shiny glass plates down on the opposite sides of the table. The velvet cushioned chairs Tom had rented for this evening were as spotless as the man's freshly dry cleaned suit. The Brit straightened the silverware to perfection and took a couple paces back until he stood on the stone path that lead to the the gazebo. The trimmed ivy hung in spirals around the wooden poles that held up the dome-shaped roof. It was a perfect view in Tom's eyes, a fancy dinner by the lake-side by candle light and the full moon just behind it. The starry night sky shone down on the peaceful river, not a ripple in sight.

Proud and satisfied, Tom called for his wife, Susan. "Susan, my love, you can come out now darling." He called to her softly, his sweet words coaxing her out onto the path in front of him. The tall woman wore a sparkling white dress, similar to the one she wore on her wedding day but less flashy. She had her eyes closed, for her husband had told her it was a surprise and she was not to peek.

"May I open my eyes now?" She asked, her voice soft as always but the tone behind it was slightly irked. Tom simply chuckled at his bride's slight annoyance and approached her, taking her hands in his.

"Not yet my dear, just wait a few more seconds," he pleaded her, pretending not to see the slight eye roll behind her eyelids. He walked backwards with her slowly until he came to a halt. "Right here, feel free to open them now." The Brit told her, letting go of her hands as he watched her eyelids lift followed by a hand over her mouth and her void-like eyes shimmering in awe. She stood there frozen in amazement and glee for a few moments before her quiet voice arose over the sound of the breeze.

"Oh Thomas, you did all of this for me?" She squealed in disbelief, her glowing expression and bright smile making the British man melt inside. "You've outdone yourself yet again, what did I do to get such royal treatment?" She lightly jested, turning to Tom and wrapping her arms around his broad shoulders warmly. His arms brought themselves to her curved waist, holding her body flush to his.

"Susie Q, you will always receive the very best, My Queen. I love you more than anyone in any Milky Way and I will stop at nothing to make that known to you. Happy Anniversary my love." He proclaimed, sliding his rough hands along the back of her dress sensually as he pulled her closer. The woman's eyes smiled with her lips as she stared into her husbands' as she stepped closer to him. Their black eyes reflecting each other beautifully.

"Thomas Rockwell, you make me feel like a Queen every day. You've already made it very well known to me~" she purred, clasping her hands together behind his neck as she began to sway with the tall grass. "Are you going to dance me to the table, my fine gentleman?" The British woman asked expectingly, drawing out a small chuckle from her husband.

"Well that depends. Your Majesty, may I have this dance?" He cooed, settling his chilled hands on either side of her hips. Susan eyed him softly, her pitch black eyes scanning over him a second time before her eyes met his again.

"Well, since you already so impatiently have your hands on me, I suppose I accept~" she teased, giving her husband a wink to which he playfully rolled his eyes. He mirrored her slight swaying, taking his time with the view of his wife and the scenery around them. His feet stepped as gracefully as she had taught him. Back, right, forward, left, then twirl, they'd done this every night together in the kitchen since their honeymoon. It helped for chores to go faster and eventually they hadn't even needed the music to dance. Though she wouldn't complain if Tom chose to sing to her while they danced. Now, here they stay, on a stone path by the lakeside, dancing to their heart's content.

The wind blew through the reeds and cat tails, making a new sort of music on its own, a whistling and buzzing sort of song. Tom's eyes on his stunning wife, her eyes on him, lost in their movements for what felt like hours, just the two of them. When they finally stepped away from one another, they caught their breath with little giggles and dazed eyes. "Shall we dine? I've made your favorite~" the Brit suggested, taking her by the hand and gently leading her up the few wooden steps of the gazebo to her chair.

"I would like that very much, all this dancing has given me a sudden appetite." She hummed to her husband with a soft smile. Tom grinned and pulled out her chair to which she kissed his cheek in thanks and sat down as he pushed in her chair once more. She awaited her meal patiently as she looked at her reflection in the silver lid. It really did feel like a fancy dinner, the silver domes having kept the food hidden from view and the chilling breeze.

"I give to you, Boeuf en Daube." The Brit said in his best mimicked French accent, making the woman giggle in admiration for her husband's efforts. She watched him carefully lift the silver lid off the plate and reveal the gorgeous meal. Tom had been slaving away over the stove in order to perfect it, he'd worked and studied nearly every recipe for months before he'd finally gotten it right. Soon after he perfected it, the dish had become her favorite and thereby was made for every anniversary since.

The wine-broth puddled around the beef, mushrooms and carrots to ensure the moisture in a seemingly perfectionist way, just the way she liked it. The gloss of the broth on the beef took her breath away every time, only for the mouth watering scent to bring it right back, even faster than it had been taken from her.

"It looks perfect as always, I'd expect nothing less from my unbeatable chef." She told him, practically beaming with joy before saying a silent grace. Every meal she would do this, Tom having grown accustomed to it although he wasn't one to practice. Occasionally he'd do a prayer with her before a meal.

Tom watched respectfully, as he was not a religious man. However, due to this, he didn't mind what religion his wife or son decided to practice and luckily, Susan upheld her promise to let him do such. He truly was a lucky man.

After her prayer, the woman dug in to her meal, her husband watching her as she took the first bite. As the food melted on her tongue, she hummed with a soft smile and creased eyes. "I take it the food is to your liking," the Brit murmured softly, watching her as if she were the most beautiful sunrise. She giggled and nodded to him as she swallowed, a soft sigh of satisfaction leaving her soft, plump lips.

"It's delicious my dear~" She cooed to him, taking another bite and letting it once again melt on her tongue. This time though, Tom snuck out his camera and snapped a picture of the moment. The click had gotten his lover's attention but Tom simply smiled as the camera spit out a Polaroid photo. Susan playfully rolled her eyes as she leaned on her hand. "Again? How many of those are you going to take?" She teased, never having been a fan of having her picture taken. Although that didn't matter much once she started dating Thomas. No matter where they were, he'd always find a way to snap a picture of her. Though his pictures, she didn't mind, since they always seemed to capture her beauty in a way no one else's pictures could have.

"As many times as it takes until I get the perfect picture of you. I want to feel the same happiness I felt in this moment when I look at this picture years later. And until then, I just have to keep taking them, so, smile~" he cooed to her, making the woman laugh, offering him a genuinely bright smile for him to capture.

After dinner, the couple sat in the grass in front of the lake, listening to the crickets chirp and cicadas whir. Her head rested on his shoulder as they watched the stars twinkle, shining down on the water in reflection. "This is perfect, Tom." She sighed in satisfaction, closing her eyes happily. The Brit placed a kiss on the top of her head in return, followed by a warm nuzzle.

"You're perfect, Susie Q. Nothing in this world could make me a luckier man than what I am today, and it's all thanks to you." He whispered against the top of her head, leading the woman to chuckle softly.

"You're such a hopeless romantic," she cooed, turning her head up and pecking Tom's cheek. "But, that's what I love about you." She said honestly, standing up and brushing off her dress and stretching her arms. "Cmon, it's late and it's getting chilly. Let's go inside- wait!" She shouted abruptly, causing the other to stop dead in his tracks. Her eyes were as big as saucers as she looked up towards the sky in awe. Not even the click of her husband's camera phased her this time. "It's a shooting star! I've never seen one before!" She exclaimed ecstatically while Tom shook the polaroid, looking up to the sky as well.

"When you see a shooting star you're supposed to make a wish love, go on and try it. But don't say it aloud, it may not come true." He explained softly, standing up with her. His hands covered her eyes softly as he looked to the sky. "Just imagine your wish in your mind, that way it'll be guaranteed to come true." The Brit whispered gently, his fingers caressing her closed lids until she giggled.

"Alright, I did it. Hopefully it'll come true." She said a little melancholy, removing his hands from her eyes. Instead she turned to him and smiled, kissing him lovingly on the lips with a warm smile. Her husband had returned the kiss, even for the short time it lasted and given her the same smile back as he tucked her hair behind her ear.

"I'm positive it will darling, and if that star doesn't bring you your wish, then I'll hand deliver to you myself." He flirted, getting a flustered giggle from his partner, the same reaction every time he said something as cheesy as this.

"Well alright Romeo, I believe you~" she teased him playfully, her body relaxing against Tom's and practically melting into his warm hold. The Brit's sturdy hands held her around her waist but slowly started to wander down to her thighs. He leaned down a bit and began to softly kiss her neck. She allowed him, naturally and smiled from the affections. He traced her body through the dress, kissing her neck a bit harder until it came to a stop.

"It's been a long time, hasn't it?" He murmured against his wife's neck, lightly pulling at the zipper on the back of her dress. He only got about an inch down before she slipped out of his grasp.

"I'm still not sure I want another child yet, I mean, just the three of us. Plus Theo is only 10, he still needs our attention and I don't know how he would feel about a baby in the house." She excused, holding her stomach and rubbing it gently as if there were a baby already inside.

"That's a fair point, but I wasn't suggesting we have another baby. I just wanted to spend the night with you, we haven't done so since Theo." He explained softly, though Susan's expression didn't change much. It never had during this conversation, not over the last decade and probably not over the decade to come. A sour frown rose onto her face, her usual annoyed look whenever Tom brought this kind of thing up.

"Thomas, the Bible says sex with the intention of not having children is a sin. We can't, not until we want another child. Now come back to the house, it's late." She explained, giving her husband a peck on the cheek before she departed up the hill and inside. Tom sighed and sat back down in the grass, looking up at the sky for what felt like an hour.

'Why do I keep asking? The answer is never going to change. Nearly 11 years now, stop being selfish and be grateful that you have a family.' He scolded himself in his head, although it was halfhearted. Finally, he stood up and walked up the hill as well to the back balcony and into the house. He locked the back door and checked the windows to make sure they were locked as well as the front door before carrying on. He stopped at Theo's room door and peeked inside to see him fast asleep. A smile etched onto his face as he pushed the door open and crouched down by the small bed. "Sleep well, Theo." He whispered, tucking him back in so his arms and legs wouldn't dangle off the sides of the bed.

With that, he left the room and joined his wife in their bedroom. She was already tucked into bed, sleeping soundly. The Brit smiled softly and got changed into his own bed clothes, a simple t-shirt and sweatpants. He climbed into bed, slipped under the covers and pulled Susan closer so he could hold her. She hummed in her sleep and even woke up for a moment to give him a kiss and say a soft 'goodnight, I love you' before falling asleep again. Tom smiled a little and kissed her head again, whispered into her hair. "I love you too, Susie Q. Sweet dreams." This caused her to smile in her sleep.

As Tom drifted off, Susan dreamt about her wish and the shooting star, a quite simple wish of nothing extravagant or impossible. She had simply wished for Tom to find the greatest happiest he could experience. Though this was a nice thought, she doubted her wish on a star would do much good. However, it had proven to be more effective than she ever would've thought.

In fact, that very night, her wish had just begun to come true, as a certain Norwegian man stepped off a plane. He took a deep breath of the Britain air and let it out, his silver eyes tired and dull. "This sucks." He muttered, looking back to his former general who had escorted him.

"Thank you for your service, we look forward to working with you again, Mr. Highsmith." The man told him in a friendlier way than usual, leading the other to roll his eyes and flip him off.

"Yeah right, there's no way I'd ever work for you again. And if you're going to act friendly, at least do it properly, call me Tord once in awhile." He snapped tiredly, his speech slowly turning more loopy as he went on. The general didn't say anything to that though, he simply waited until Tord was at the door of the apartment they'd given him and left after. "Cheap asshole, couldn't even come in for a cup of tea? I see how it is." The Norwegian spoke to himself, chuckling tiredly at his own joke as he unlocked the door and threw himself inside. He didn't even bother locking the door. He simply wandered to the nearest couch and threw himself down on it for a long awaited 12 hours of sleep.

It's pretty shitty but hey, I made the deadline. 12 pm sharp MST time on Dec 22nd, I did it.

I'll try to be less bad about this but you know how that goes.