"Near the chocolate chips somewhere. I haven't bought any in awhile, but they should be around there somewhere," Emelaide rambled to herself as she looked through the shelves. "Ah-hah! Here were are, chocolate fudge," Emelaide said with a grin as she found a bag in behind the chocolate chips.

"Now we just need olive oil." Marreck said as he spotted it on the top shelf in the next aisle. "Here we are." He said happily before leading Emelaide to the counter. "Now we can put my cooking skills to the test." He joked, ignoring the curious stare he recieved from an elderly elf beside them.

Emelaide laughed as she paid for the items and put them in her bag, which was getting pretty heavy, "Only after we go to the grain store. After ther we can see just how good of a cook you really are," she teased as she placed a tender kiss upon his cheek and led him out of the store, not even noticing the stared they were receiving.

"Right grain store." Marreck smiled, his arm wrapped almost protectively around Emelaide's waist as the Winter Elves continued to stare. "Which would be where, love?" He asked.

"This way," Emelaide said as she took his free hand in hers and linked their fingers as they headed down a few stores before going into the store to their left.

Walking down the isles, Emelaide grabbed the last few things they needed and brought them to the counter. Paying for them, Emelaide put the items into her bag and looked into her coin bag, "Good thing they're coming home soon. These bought, I've only got a little bit of money left, probably only enough for a few days."

Heading out of the shop, Emelaide led Marreck out of the market and headed for home, "Ready to start cooking?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." Marreck joked as they walked back to Emelaide's home.

Opening her door for her, Marreck allowed Emelaide to go first before taking the bag which was considerably heavy and setting it on the counter. "What else do we need?" He asked as he laid out the ingredients they'd bought.

"A pot to boil the macaroni, a bowl to mix the salad, a dish to put the macaroni and cheese in, a pot to make the cheese sauce, milk, a bowl to make the dough for the rolls in, muffin tins for the rolls, and a dish to put the cheese cake in. Oh! And a small bowl to make the graham cracker crust in," Emelaide rambled as she got out the ingredients to make the rolls.

"Right." Marreck said as he ran the list of what she'd just said through his head once so he'd remember before hurrying about the kitchen and finding the different dishes and the milk. Putting the water onto boil, Marreck went about making the graham cracker crust for the cheesecake.

Putting the dough into the buttered tins, Emelaide used a butter knife to put small designs into the tops of the rolls. Setting them aside and covering them up with a paper towel, Emelaide went about making the cheese sauce for the macaroni and cheese.

Marreck poured the macaroni into the boiling water and stirred one before putting the crust into the oven to bake so it'd have time to cool before they added the cheesecake. Turning his attention back to the groceries, Marreck washed the romaine and tore into bite sized pieces.

Giving the cheese sauce a stir, Emelaide got out another pot and filled it with fudge to melt so it could be put into the cheese cake.

Looking over at Marreck, Emelaide couldn't help but smile at him. 'I wonder if this is what it's like for Ariala and Dimitrius,' she mused to herself, not realizing she was staring at Marreck with a glazed expression.

Marreck drained the macaroni and put it into a small dish to wait for the cheese sauce. "Do I have something on my face?" He joked, noticing Emelaide's expression, as he brought out the crust to cool off.

"N-no, not at all!" Emelaide blushed as stirred the cheese sauce a few times before bringing it over to the dish and mixing it into the macaroni. Popping it into the oven, Emelaide went about cutting the vegetables to add to the salad, "I.. I was just thinking, is all."

"Thinking what, love?" Marreck asked with a smile as he whipped the olive oil and lemon juice for a dressing, relieved that there was nothing on his face.

"N-nothing... it's silly," said Emelaide with a blush as she put the vegetables into a bowl and began making the cheesecake.

"Come on, Em." Marreck encouraged, putting down the dressing to walk over to Emelaide. "Tell me." He said softly as he put his arms around her waist and kissed her neck gently. "Its fustrating when you don't tell me what you're thinking." He teased. "I'm always left guessing what you're thinking." He smiled as he rested his chin on her shoulder.

Blushing an even deeper scarlet, Emelaide finished mixing the cheesecake, adding chocolate chips to the mixture, and poured it into the crust as she stammered, "I-I.. I was just.. I was thinking.. Well.. If this is what it's like for Ariala and Trius.. Being married and cooking dinner together.. I couldn't help but think that perhaps this is what it's like for them.. and my mind couldn't help but start dreaming of us being married.. and dreaming about perfect moments like these would occur all the time," she added as she finished smoot and slipped out of Marreck's arms out of embarrassment.

Taking the fudge off the stove, it having melted enough to pour, and taking a knife from the drawer, Emelaide began to drizzle the fudge into the cheesecake, "I told you it was silly and embarrassing.. That's probably the last thing you wanted to hear," she added with a soft laugh, "But don't worry, I'm not expecting anything. It's just a dream, after all. Besides, it's not like you're even thinking about marriage."

Finishing the cheesecake and smoothing the top, Emelaide brought the cheesecake to the icebox and laid it flat.

Turning back to Marreck with a small smile, the blush still in her cheeks, Emelaide clasped her hands behind her back as she added softly, "Let's just drop the subject, alright? I already know how silly I sound and how childish I'm being. Let's just finish getting dinner ready and then relax in front of the fireplace, okay?"

Marreck smiled at Emelaide's confession, feeling a new surge of confidence wash through him. "Em." He smiled as he walked towards her and put his arms around her waist. "You're wrong when you say its the last thing I want to hear. Do you honestly think that I haven't put any thought into our future?" He asked as he rested his forehead against her's. "I love you, Em." He soothed.

"I know you love me.. now.. and I love you too, always will.. I just.. I don't think you'll feel the same way about me six months, a year, two years, what-have-you, down to the road.. Marreck, I kill plants. I cause things to freeze and die. You make things grow and live.. Surely you'll get sick of me.. Especially now that Spring's here and you're seeing just what I spend my season doing.. You're not going to be able to look pass it for long," Emelaide finished with a sigh.

"I'm sorry.. I'm being silly again," Emelaide added quickly before finishing what was left to prepare for dinner and making sure everything was cooking properly.

Putting the salad in the icebox along with the dressing to keep cool, Emelaide headed over to the fireplace and began making a fire.

"Emelaide." Marreck sighed, his brow furrowed. "How could you think for a minute that I don't love you?" He whispered as he kneeled beside her, carressing her cheek with his palm. "You kill plants because that's what you do. That's your magic. Autumn Elves kill plants as well however I don't hate them because of it. Please don't think that I don't love you." Marreck said, his fingers locked around the small box in his pocket as he warred with the idea of proposing sooner then he'd originally planned.

"You hate Dimitrius because he killed your plants," muttered Emelaide softly as she lit the fire. Once it was blazing, Emelaide sighed as she stood up and walked over to the couch and curled up against the arm of the couch, "Marreck, I know you love me.. it was a silly fear.. I told you it wasn't worth talking about.. Let's just forget about it, okay? I'd much rather just sit here with you and wait for my parents to return.. Please?"

"I don't want you to hide your fears from me." Marreck confessed as he sat beside Emelaide, afraid to scare her if he reached for her hand. "I don't hate Dimitrius. I was angry and I said horrible things because Dimitrius hurt you." He soothed.

"I do tell you my fears, dearest.. I just feel silly saying them," Emelaide sighed as she shifted so that she was curled up beside him and snuggled close, wrapping her arms around his waist as she rested her head upon his chest, "And I know you don't hate Dimitrius.. You were his Best Man, surely that means you two are on decent terms now.. but still, one of your reasons before for why Ariala shouldn't be with him was because he killed plants.. If that's the case with Ariala, then what's stopping it from being the case with you?"

Marreck smiled as he wrapped his arms around Emelaide, kissing her hair gently. "I said things I didn't mean, love. I'm sorry it hurt you. That was never my intention." He said softly, resting his face against Emelaide's hair. "Forgive me?" He asked as he looked down at Emelaide.

"I know.. and I'm sorry I made you think I doubted you.. I promise you, I don't doubt you for a moment.. The future is simply what I fear.. However, as long as I'm with you now, whatever the future may bring will be worth having spent precious moments like these with you," Emelaide murmured softly as she stifled a yawn.