every little thing she does is magic | bianca

[cade owen woodward]

Do I have to tell the story

Of a thousand rainy days
since we first met

May 6, 2027
Bianca Alia Rivera

”You still haven’t told me what you would like for your birthday.” Cade reminded Bianca loudly from the kitchen. He could picture her dramatic eye roll in his mind even though she was in the living room. In the kitchen, he twisted off the top of a bottle of Dragon Scale. It was another night to themselves, another night where Cade had persuaded Bianca to forget about the massive pile of reports on her kitchen table that truly belonged on her desk at work. She didn’t fight back nearly as much anymore. He figured she fought him simply out of habit, or maybe just for fun.

Cade walked back into the living room and seated himself on the couch. If someone looked closely enough, you would find Cade’s things in her flat. A jacket near the front door. Books he had lent her, his clothes next to hers, and other little things here and there. More than a year ago, they’d gone from a place where Bianca would only look at him with a scowl to where they looked upon one another with respect. And then that shifted to a genuine friendship and then to much more. But after the slight hiccup a year ago, they had gotten on somewhat of the same page. But they’d also had a busy year, a major magical institution of learning burning to the ground would keep one busy as well as the aftermath of finding the culprits.

Which had led to another slight snag when the Ministry had let the most pompous pure-blood criminal walk free. Cade said ‘The Ministry’ because if he said Bianca had let him go, he’d just become angry. Rage had fueled him and his staff to print the story first. Though Witch TV and others also took notice. ”What are we watching tonight?” Another movie night that was part of his education into this entirely new world of made-up characters and stories that Muggles loved. Bianca’s eyes would light up when she would eagerly explain details to him, and sometimes he caught himself completely distracted by how beautiful she looked that he hadn’t caught a word she said. Which she found far less amusing.

Cade moved the bowl of popcorn and bag of chips so he could sit next to her. Almost a year. The timing had not been lost on him, but he hadn’t brought it up. He didn’t want Bianca to react as if she’d been hit in the face with a water charm. But Cade knew how he felt, and he was certain about his feelings. It had been made clear to him on one of those occasions when Bianca was explaining a story’s villain last winter. The Jokester or something like that? Truthfully he hadn’t been listening because his eyes had been transfixed at how she animatedly flipped through the pages of a comic book for reference as she wore a loose t-shirt with the matching symbol of the story’s hero. She had won him over with her fiery wit and engaging conversation and beauty, but this—this is where he had fallen entirely. ”I still don’t understand why the stories are never consistent when they find a new actor.” Cade questioned, placing his beer bottle on the side table. ”Imagine an adaptation of ‘The Fountain of Fair Fortune’ where The Knight doesn’t get lucky?” Cade pondered, it just didn’t make sense to him.

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[Bianca Alia Rivera]

6 May 2027

Enough time had passed that they weren’t in the ‘learning about the other person’ stage of the relationship anymore. Bianca knew exactly what kind of sense of humor Cade had, didn’t need to ask how he wanted his tea, and certainly didn’t need to second-guess her words and wonder how he might react. The dynamic was comfortable, familiar, and Bianca could almost map out two or three ways it might go depending on what she said and what he said and how much firewhisky they’d gotten through by that point. She couldn’t remember ever spending this much time at home, a year or two ago – not when she practically lived in the office, and spent all the rest of her time in the field. But Cade always took care to check that she wasn’t working herself to death, and she couldn’t deny that she’d been a lot…happier since she stopped fighting it. “Hm, no joke that you’re my gift this year?” Bianca called back after taking a moment to roll her eyes and smile to herself. She’d been expecting the question though, and picked up a magazine on her way to the kitchen. She leaned against the doorway for a moment, eyes travelling over his figure and the familiar sight of him rummaging around her kitchen. He probably knew where everything was better than she did at this point – it’d already been months since Cade had explained what the flow of a kitchen should be like and rearranged the contents of her cabinets. It was all the same to Bianca – she didn’t really care where her plates or pots were – but they’d done it together and it had been worth it for the satisfied look on Cade’s face at the end. Merlin, the things she did for this man.

“I want this,” Bianca said straightforwardly as she dropped the magazine on the counter and went back to her usual spot on the couch. Now look, a Batman toaster was never something she’d buy for herself, but if he was offering then she’d at least be honest about what she wanted. That way there was no chance he could get her something she would have to pretend to like (although Cade was perceptive enough that he’d see right through her…). Bianca was used to working through holidays -- which Cade knew very well from last Valentine's Day -- but this was part of her new campaign this year to take care of herself. Cade and Xiulan had insisted enough, and work had quieted enough that she was learning not to feel guilty about taking a night off. She scrolled through the DVD extras while she waited– because of course Bianca had the director’s cut with added commentary from the leads – and there was a small pile of comic books on the coffee table in case she needed to pause the movie to explain a plot point to him in detail.

She knew Cade didn’t find superheroes that interesting – nowhere near her level at least – but he was one of the few people she’d ever chosen to reveal her particular obsession. It only marked how far they had come. In the full decade they’d known each other, Bianca had been so careful to watch her words around him. He’d been a professional thorn in her side, and was just the right level of captivating that he could get whatever (or whoever) he wanted with one disarming smile -- which she'd never liked, even if she could never pinpoint the exact reason why. He’d had to try harder with her, but the way he knew what he wanted and the fact that he was willing to be patient and fight for it…it still sent butterflies shooting through her stomach. Last June had been a turning point for them, for her. It was more than just the fact that she’d stopped choosing her words around him. It was the growing realization that he was like a ray of sun that lit up every part of her life that he touched, and that he was becoming such a central part of her world. The thought didn’t scare her the same way it did a year ago.

“The heart of the story is the lessons he learns, not the plot,” Bianca said wisely, quoting her best friend from school as she showed him the DVD case so he could see Joaquin Phoenix on the cover as the Joker – a part of her had never quite forgiven Cade for calling him the Jokester, so today’s movie night was an important lesson. As Cade sat down, she automatically shuffled in closer and pulled his arm around her in one swift motion. She liked her space, but he valued the physical contact and she really was trying. Bianca failed to stifle a snort at his last wondering comment, and gazed fondly at him for a moment. He was cute, but never more so than when he wore a puzzled expression and furrowed his brow while thoroughly messing up Muggle slang. “If he doesn’t get lucky,” Bianca began playfully, “He can just take a go at his wand like most men do when they’re alone.” She poked him in the ribs – where he allegedly wasn’t ticklish – and then picked up the remote again.

cade owen woodward

[cade owen woodward]

Do I have to tell the story

Of a thousand rainy days
since we first met

May 6, 2027
Bianca Alia Rivera

Cade shook his head. Offering himself up as the present was far too obvious. Before he could answer, she strode into the kitchen. The sound of something hitting the counter caught his attention, and he saw an open magazine. As she left, he pulled the magazine closer. Ah, of course. An item with the symbol of her favorite character. ”A toaster?” Cade wanted verbal confirmation. It wasn’t a typical birthday gift, but they weren’t a typical couple. In public, they were careful. Speaking under the guise of two professionals whose jobs often crossed paths. They tried their best to control the glances or staring too long, trying not to smile in a way that would make her secretary suspicious.

On that note, Cade would have loved nothing more than to put Bianca’s desk to good use for something other than writing reports. But again, her staff was very perceptive. He already drew the Auror’s suspicious by existing. Though suspicious were easily thrown aside when Bianca would scold him like in the old days for his presence in distracting her Aurors and Hit Wizards. Why? A particularly attractive Auror, a woman, was asking Cade questions and he was politely answering them. No ulterior motive though the girl hadn’t gotten the hint. Bianca hadn’t been too happy then, and he’d excused himself to avoid a duel.

Now, if said Auror had known that Cade was happily taken and by her boss no less, he wouldn’t have doubted that approaching him would have been the last thing on her mind. Cade still had difficulty remembering all the names and things in these stories that Bianca liked. He didn’t dislike them by any means, and it made her happy to share something that was truly her own with him. Cade was happy they’d gotten to a place where she opened up to him. Cade took the DVD case she handed him. The man on the cover wasn’t anyone he recognized. ”Have I seen this one?” The bat symbol wasn’t on the cover nor the back, so a related movie in some way.

Flinching, he grunted to suppress any other noise that might escape him. Cade refused to admit he was ticklish, yet Bianca had been highly amused to find out otherwise. And she had a knack for catching him off guard. His size proved an advantage when he wanted to get her to stop. ”Very funny.” Relaxing again, he put his arm back around her. Cade wasn’t the only one in denial about how ticklish they actually were, but he’d bide his time and wait for his moment. She was far too on guard otherwise. The downside of dating a member of Law Enforcement. ”Alright, start it. Otherwise, it’ll be too late, and you’ll fall asleep at the end again.”

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[Bianca Alia Rivera]

Bianca shrugged at Cade’s question about the toaster, although his tone lacked the same note of surprise as the first time she’d let slip that she liked superheroes. It didn’t quite fit in with the image people seemed to have of her, the no-nonsense Auror that probably liked to spend her free time reading forensics reports and watching true crime documentaries. But then again, a lot of the surface-level assumptions about her – and their relationship – seemed to chip away the further one chose to dig down. They weren’t a typical couple, that could go on public date nights or be teased by their friends for PDA. And she’d always preferred practicality over cheesy romantic gestures, anyway. But that didn’t mean the feelings weren’t there, even if you’d barely be able to guess at how deep they went based on her casual nods in public or occasional glances whenever she saw Cade at work.

“It’s the new Bat Signal,” she responded in a serious tone, although she couldn’t help but stifle a smile at the first time she’d mentioned the Bat Signal to her boyfriend. Except back then they’d barely been on speaking terms, she’d been trying to enjoy her break, and he’d been a lot easier to fool. Bianca couldn’t blame him for fact-checking her Muggle facts after that. She was torn on how to respond to his question, because he hadn’t seen this movie yet but part of her was tempted to say he had – if only to watch his reaction. He’d always been good at bluffing, which was unsurprisingly helpful in his line of work, and she liked to watch him muddle his way through explaining a plotline he didn’t fully understand. Endearing, like watching the baby giraffe at the zoo take its first steps.

But she was admittedly distracted at the way he squirmed under her hands as she poked playfully at him, and Bianca bit her lip as she felt a flare of interest shoot through her. Merlin, it wasn’t fair how easily he could distract her – and it became particularly problematic whenever he came to visit at work and she couldn’t force her eyes back on her paperwork. “I didn’t fall asleep,” Bianca replied stubbornly, responding almost automatically. It was an outright lie, of course, but she’d stick to it until one of them died first. She’d only been practicing her Occlumency techniques, of course, and to an untrained eye it might seem like she was asleep. That was the official story, at least. But Bianca’s mind had already started down a different track, so she let herself lean into Cade’s warmth and trail her fingers lightly down his chest. “We might not finish the movie anyway,” she murmured, lingering for a moment and shooting a teasing glance up at him before pulling back, “…if you can point out Batman when you see him.” Satisfied, Bianca shifted her attention back to the remote and started the movie without further ado.

cade owen woodward

[cade owen woodward]

Do I have to tell the story

Of a thousand rainy days
since we first met

May 6, 2027
Bianca Alia Rivera

Cade’s eyebrows furrowed. He recalled Bianca explaining that the Bat Signal was a light shone in the sky to signal the superhero. Like sending sparks into the sky or some other kind of projection that everybody could see. ”Does it…signal?” Perhaps Muggles had figured out how to project a rather bat-like shaped signal in the sky with such a small device. There were simpler methods, but access to magic was required. But, Cade didn’t ask further. He knew how it amused her that she had this wealth of knowledge that he knew almost nothing about. If there was ever a way to humble a man, let alone a former Ravenclaw, it was like that.

He looked at her with a raised eyebrow, not bothering to hide the doubt in his expression. ”Right. And I’m actually the Minister for Magic.” It wasn’t odd to hear the Minister title in some kind of a joke now and then. Somewhere in the past, perhaps after Minister Granger passed, the job description had been updated to include ‘be invisible’. Such a role was not supposed to be enigmatic, but here they were. Not that Cade was currently thinking about all that. After all, he wasn’t at a work meeting with his journalists who tackled the political stories. Bianca leaned in, delivering a promise but followed by a challenge.

Was Cade surprised? No, but they both shared a fatal flaw—the inability to walk away when challenged. ”It’s a good thing I’ve been studying then.” His response was as casual as he could be, considering Batman was the last thing on his mind. Due to the nature of their relationship over the past year, both Cade and Bianca had learned to communicate without needing words all the time. Cade couldn’t very well so openly compliment his colleague, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement when visiting the building, but a well-timed look said it all. Now he looked ahead, focused since it shouldn’t take long for a story’s main character to appear, plus he didn’t want to give her time to turn this into a lengthy pop quiz.

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[Bianca Alia Rivera]

It was only a sign of how low the Ministry had sunk that disbelief and denial could be immediately associated with the Minister for Magic– and be completely justified in that comparison. There’d been a time when that position had meant something, a sign of respect and the power to lead the British magical community towards a much greater vision. Bianca wasn’t a politician, had never been truly interested in public office, but she had still respected that. Now they switched Ministers every year, and every single one failed to leave any impact on the office. Only a general feeling of dissatisfaction and the feeling that they could have done better. Bianca knew better than to try and defend the Minister – any Minister – even if she’d argued enough times that the Ministry could get things done even without a head. And hadn’t her department proved that, at least?

But he’d been half-joking (this time, anyway) so Bianca let herself relax a little and shoot him a warning glance. “Careful, or it might come true. And then I’d have to go to all the trouble of starting a new rivalry with your replacement at the Prophet.” Bianca let herself imagine it for a moment, then shrugged and reached across Cade to steal a handful of chips. She wouldn’t pretend she’d never wondered about being Minister before – it was well-known that future Ministers needed to start with a Department Head position first, and Law Enforcement was a popular launching point. But those idle fancies never lasted long because she knew she’d hate it. She was an Auror at heart, and police work was in her blood. That was all she’d ever wanted in life to feel complete, and reaching Department Head had seemed like a completion of her dreams and hopes.

Almost, Bianca let herself admit, But dreams can change. Her gaze caught on the man sitting next to her, and she took a moment to study him. She knew his profile intimately – how many press conferences had she been forced into over the years, as a new trainee and then a seasoned Auror, with his attentive face staring at her from the front row? And their work in the Order – how many times had she signaled at him in a dimly lit bar from across the way to move into action, and how many more had she stolen a glance when she was sure he wasn’t looking? But she supposed none of that compared to the first moment she’d let her guard down around him, and the last year that he’d given her. The life he’d shown her she could have. She sighed a little and shuffled closer to him, not bothering to smother the little smirk of satisfaction as she felt him stiffen and process the challenge she’d issued.

In fact, she couldn’t help but give an unrestrained laugh at Cade’s casual declaration and the way he intently fixed his eyes on the screen. That was something they both shared – they could never say no to a challenge. She supposed it was the only reason they’d ever gotten together, because there was nothing easy about revising everything you’d accepted about the world and who your enemies should be. It would be a noble effort on his part, but Bianca was fairly certain she’d come out on top – in every sense. So she easily responded, “I love you, but you’ll never spot him. I’d bet galleons on it.” A beat passed and then another before Bianca stiffened as she finally began to process what she’d said, the incredibly casual way those words had just slipped out. She’d never said it before, had never taken a moment to second-guess the easy routine she and Cade had found. But Bianca didn’t need to look around her apartment to know she’d missed the signs again, that something had been changing slowly this whole time. His things were everywhere – his owl’s cage in the corner, ‘borrowed’ books lining her shelves and neatly pressed ties in her closet (their closet…). He was a constant presence in her life, and the rare night she slept alone felt emptier than it ever had before. And she gravitated to him in a way she’d thought was impossible – eager to recount the highlights of a girl’s night with Xiulan, seeking his opinion when she was unsure how to move forward, the easy way she pulled his arm around her the moment they found themselves alone.

Falling in love wasn’t a mad rush for her, it didn’t strike in a moment like lightning racing down her spine. No, it had been as slow and natural and unnoticeable as breathing, something that grew a little more every day -- until this moment, this breath where she felt it fill her lungs and knew it was supposed to be exactly that. And as she remembered the last time she’d begun to feel this creeping realization, and the miserable month that had followed when she’d pushed it away, when she’d been too cowardly to acknowledge it…Bianca slowly released the breath she was holding. It seemed impossible, but even she – in her quest to calm the chaos of the world and sort it all into neat and orderly categories – even she could be capable of surprises. “I love you,” she repeated, her voice cracking a little on the last word. It felt like she'd just walked to the edge of the cliff, glanced down and wondered what was waiting down there for her. If he was waiting. It was nerve-wracking, it was unknown, but she'd never wanted so badly to just...jump.

cade owen woodward

[cade owen woodward]

Do I have to tell the story

Of a thousand rainy days
since we first met

May 6, 2027
Bianca Alia Rivera

Cade raised an eyebrow at the vague threat of replacement. ”I don’t know.” The thought of being a Minister crossed every child’s mind but certainly not his now. ”People might become suspicious when you don’t actually listen to any of my orders.” Cade spoke matter of factly, though it was a little bit true. Bianca was stubborn and headstrong and did things in her own way. It was difficult to influence that at times, and Cade learned that often things had to be her idea. ”And then I’d get jealous since you clearly have a thing for newspaper editors.” Cade only managed half that sentence with a straight face. His body shaking slightly from laughing.

But Cade was still amazed at this journey—their journey. From first approaching those high and steely walls, and now she shared some of her most private thoughts with him. No, she entrusted him with that information. Cade would always see that fierce and fiery woman who easily commanded an entire legion of Law Enforcement personnel. Who didn’t merely demand respect from her subordinates but earned it from them.

A force to be reckoned with, and those who doubted learned quickly. But he had also gotten to know someone who sometimes doubted herself and questioned her own decisions. Who put herself in harm's way for the greater good. And someone who didn’t show her true self to the room of people, she commanded with a glare. Cade would be lying if he said he didn’t find that fiery and bossy side of her incredibly attractive, but he’d fallen for the woman behind that. His eyes locked on the screen as his brain focused on the challenge. Naturally, he had other motivations, but he also wanted to show that he had been paying some attention to all the content she shared with him.

However, he felt Bianca stiffen next to him. Well, he did after a beat as his brain replayed the last few seconds. Had he heard that correctly? Cade’s heart did a strange leap, but a good one. But he didn’t say anything, cautious of scaring her off at some pivotal moment. Those words carried weight, and he didn’t want to mess it up like before. And then she repeated it, and there was that cliché warm and fuzzy feeling in his chest. Cade shifted and looked down at Bianca, tipping her head up with a finger so he could look at her. Rather than respond immediately, he kissed her, the movie was all but forgotten now, but then he pulled back. Again, Cade knew this was a significant turning point for them, but Merlin, he knew he had an opportunity. And after a beat, he finally spoke. ”I know.” He tried his best to suppress a smirk, wondering if she would beat him with her bare hands or a pillow.

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[Bianca Alia Rivera]

“I listen sometimes!” The words escaped Bianca just a beat after he’d finished his sentence, and even she could hear the obvious way she’d just contradicted herself. Not that she would ever admit it, but they both knew that and it was her luck that she’d found someone who knew which battles he wanted to fight. It was true that she’d always been better suited to giving orders instead of following them. Most Aurors were like that, really, and her attention could grow so narrow once she saw her goal right in front of her. But she did listen sometimes – the fajita incident from earlier that year had taught her that Cade knew better when it came to the kitchen. And in the same way that he knew when to step down and let her have her victory, he also chose when to take control. She resented it sometimes, and it could be enough to start a fight. But then other times when he looked at her with intense concentration, sleeves rolled up and an obvious authority in his voice…Merlin, it made her weak in the knees.

Bianca was able to keep a blank expression on her face just a little longer than Cade, although the façade began to crack as his silent laughter continued. She bit her lip until she was unable to hide her smile any longer and heard the laughter laced into her tone as she agreed, “I can’t resist a man with a quill. It’s the only thing I noticed about you.” She ran her fingers teasingly over his shoulder, letting the silence settle around them comfortably as she fought to keep all this smiling under control. This relationship would absolutely ruin her image one day of the no-nonsense Auror that never smiled, if anyone ever found out that she actually laughed at the jokes of the Prophet’s Senior Editor.

If. She couldn’t deny that was a complicated topic. At the very beginning, when it hadn’t been much more than a casual ‘oh it’s not a relationship’ relationship, they’d agreed to keep quiet about it. Their positions were at odds with each other more often than not, and the majority of the British magical community didn’t know about their shared involvement in the Order. It would have raised eyebrows at the Ministry for her to publicly consort with a senior Prophet reporter, and she hadn’t been ready to make her life complicated for somebody she liked but didn’t want to commit to. Things had changed. Sometimes she felt the forcible restraint it took not to give herself away when he visited the Ministry, or when they met at a public event. Sometimes she needed to bite her tongue when someone asked if she had plans for the weekend, or wondered why she hadn’t brought anyone to the last Ministry Christmas party.

But most of all, she hated the fact that as far as the rest of the world was concerned – Cade was nothing more than a professional nuisance for her. It didn’t begin to capture the ways he’d changed her life, the depth of his character that she’d seen intimately over the last year. It didn’t come anywhere close to the fact that even if they were extraordinary separate – they were a force of nature when they were together. And it didn’t acknowledge the simple fact that he made her so happy. He wasn’t perfect, of course not, there was no such thing. Sometimes his intent pursuit of truth and justice grated at her when it interfered with a Ministry investigation. Sometimes she found herself so angry with him when she noticed the way her Aurors and trainees would fawn over him and flirt, even if it wasn’t really his fault. But there was such a thing as perfect for her, and she’d moved past the point of denying it anymore.

She felt her breath catch as he silently shifted to look at her. There was a moment of fear, a moment of doubt, but Bianca sighed as he moved to kiss her. She pulled him closer, wrapping one arm around his neck at the natural way they moved together. She couldn’t hear the sounds of the TV in the background anymore, or notice the shadows shifting as the sun slowly set. His answer was in his kiss, but Bianca still pulled away expectantly so he could make it official. Because the beautiful words were always his thing, and she was the woman of action in their relationship. But her mouth dropped open at the two single words he spoke, the self-assured smirk on his face as he glanced down at her. She knew what she would do, he knew what she would do, but a startled laugh still escaped her even as it accompanied an expression of shocked outrage on her face. She reached behind her blindly, one hand finding the pillow easily so she could smack him in the face and punctuate each hit with, “You. Are. Such. An. Idiot!” But her heart still felt so full that she’d shared something important with him and he’d remembered. And that this was so much better than anything else he could have said or done. She dropped the pillow and moved to kiss him again deeply, pressing herself closer as she completely forgot about Batman or Star Wars or anything else. “Tell me you love me,” she murmured between kisses, fingers tugging at his hair. She felt a bowl shift and fall to the floor as she moved, but she didn’t pause for a beat. They’d just crossed a threshold in their relationship, the first time she’d ever dared to try. And for the moment – there wasn’t anything else in the world to her except Cade.

cade owen woodward

[cade owen woodward]

Do I have to tell the story

Of a thousand rainy days
since we first met

May 6, 2027
Bianca Alia Rivera

It was worth it. All of it. Some might think his push for truth and justice made Cade an idealist and an idealist believed in fairy tales and love stories. But that wasn’t Cade, not entirely. He always pushed for the truth, but there was a fine line to walk because pushing too hard had consequences. It was one of the contentious topics between them, sparking Bianca’s temper in the blink of an eye and his stubbornness. There was always a bigger picture to see, but they both viewed it differently at times. Cade put his hands up, though not doing a very good job of defending himself as he laughed. Merlin, if that moment wasn’t a representation of them together, then he didn’t know what was.

Bianca wasn’t one to mince her words. A positive and a negative, while Cade could skillfully navigate a conversation quickly and easily. His charm had always been his advantage, and he knew his way around words. Cade remembered distinctly when she sat him down to watch that film. While he struggled to remember all the characters or plot points, there were still pivotal moments in the film he remembered that stuck with him. Two fiery and stubborn personalities somehow found peace in one another. It was poetic. But it also reminded him of the times Bianca’s temper got the better of her, and she insisted that she didn’t like Cade at all, and he would simply shrug it off with a ‘sure, ok’.

Cade knew he had to say it, and there was no hesitation in his mind. But surely she had felt it all this time. She had to know already. It was a point Cade knew he had reached much earlier than her. The only weight he carried was the bigger picture of them. The future was foggy as their public roles and careers prevented them from seeing more than three feet in from of them. The realist in Cade knew it could only last so long, but his selfish side only wanted more. Bianca shifted closer to him, and Cade wrapped his arm around her waist. ”Is that an order?” Always so bossy. Cade knew what he was doing, and Bianca knew him well enough to know he didn’t play games. ”You know I love it when you do that.” Cade teased as he kissed her back.

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[Bianca Alia Rivera]

The more that Bianca began to look around her, the more she began to realize exactly all the ways her life had changed without her being aware of it. That was likely a blessing in disguise – despite her habit of rushing into a situation and considering the dangers of it later, that attitude tended to stay confined to her job. Because Bianca was a classic overthinker when it came to her relationships, and most of them had crashed and burned once she’d reached the point of realizing she was starting to catch feelings. That was always when she would hastily rush to create distance, a sturdy set of walls that would protect her from the inevitable pain of showing your vulnerabilities to someone else.

Cade had gone about it differently, and that was what made him so different from most everyone else. He was slow, and patient, and knew how to find and respect her boundaries. The changes had come slowly and the realization had come after – what it meant to have his clothes in her closet or spend two straight weeks at his place. What it meant to actively seek him out instead of enjoying the odd chance encounter outside of work. Bianca had never imagined that a life like this could be for her – leaving work at a decent hour, coming home to something more than an empty apartment and cold takeout. She still couldn’t help but marvel that she could deserve something like this, someone warm and loving who could care about her too. The feeling didn’t scare her as much as it did some months ago, when all she’d wanted was to run from it and find that familiar cold distance. No, she couldn’t imagine ever going back to that.

She dropped the pillow once she thought Cade had suffered enough hits for his cheeky response, letting him pull her in closer as he smiled down at her. “Would it change anything if I said yes?” Bianca murmured at his question, one hand curling around the back of his neck while the other tugged at his t-shirt to keep him close. She doubted it. Bianca’s natural tendency was to bark out orders, and most of her Aurors didn’t dare to challenge her. Cade seemed to enjoy the challenge of finding the line and testing how far she would bend for him. She’d found it intriguing at the very beginning – and now her stupid feelings seemed to let him get away with more things than most people – but she still had her limits too. She narrowed her eyes at his clever little wordplay and moved her fingers to press against his lips and stop the kiss. “You’re cute, but my wand is a meter away and I know all the best places in the city to hide a body,” she warned him sternly. She was joking, of course. Mostly.

cade owen woodward

[cade owen woodward]

Do I have to tell the story

Of a thousand rainy days
since we first met

May 6, 2027
Bianca Alia Rivera

Cade had never been afraid to feel and express how he felt. Relationships had come and gone, and most ended amicably as they went their separate ways. There wasn’t anything that had gone wrong per se, but some things just fizzled out when they were past their time. They had failed to find that chemistry after a while, the flame's heat barely noticeable, and in the end, Cade hadn’t been captivated in the same way he had with Bianca. It was like she had taken over his thoughts, and that initial rejection had certainly thrown him for a loop because he’d been so confident she felt the same.

In the end, he was right. Not that he told Bianca that, at least not so directly. Her brash and forward style in her career was balanced by her caution elsewhere. A guard constantly up in such a way that Cade wondered who had hurt her and spurned her so severely that she looked at every person with such wariness. There were conversations they hadn’t gotten into at depth, and he was still figuring out how far he could push in that area. In the current situation, he knew he could push rather far before he ended up missing and on the front page of his own publication.

Behind her fingers, he smirked, his eyes never leaving hers. Dark and intense as always. He would keep it simple and to the point, as she usually preferred but also because he wasn’t sure what words could accurately express how he felt, how he had felt almost the entire time. But he was not afraid of trying. ”Bianca, do you remember when you were explaining The Killing Joke to me?” Sometime around New Year’s, he believed. But she’d gone into depth on a short graphic novel, but Cade only remembered the cover and Bianca that day. ”You wore a Batman shirt and were talking a million miles per hour.” Cade moved Bianca’s hands into his own softly. ”I didn’t hear a word you said because that…that is when I knew.”

It wasn’t his intention to say he’d been waiting this entire time because he had not minded. Cade had not wanted to push her if she was not ready, but the signs were always there. Clothes at each other’s places and items of importance. The routine of their weeks as they balanced their work and kept it all under wraps. And the best part? Looking forward to it. ”I love you.” A simple declaration, and Cade moved in to kiss her. It was an exciting thing to share and to feel. But after a moment, he pulled back, letting his forehead rest with hers. ”And I still love you even though that was basically blackmail.” Again, he smirked. Honestly, he couldn’t help himself, and it would be the death of him one day. ”Or is that extortion? Maybe the Head of Law Enforcement could clarify that for me.” Cade kissed her before she could respond, determined to distract her.

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[Bianca Alia Rivera]

His question caught her off-guard, and Bianca narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the seemingly innocent segue paired with the very wicked curve of his smirk that she could feel under her fingers. Cade didn’t have a wandering mind, and he certainly never forgot what he’d been talking about either. No, whether at work or at home he had a very precise way of saying exactly what he wanted to in order to reach the conclusion he wanted. And Merlin’s beard, he’d always been unnaturally talented at sweet-talking his way out of (or into) any number of fantastical situations. And it was unfair, really, because Bianca could already see what would happen. She could never stay angry after he began to talk, or once he found the exact right moment to close the distance and kiss her softly. It always took longer than a moment to remember what she’d been annoyed about.

Still, she lowered her fingers anyway because – well, it was a simple because. There were a lot of things she liked – wasting away hours at a gallery with a critical eye, the shot of adrenaline as she tore after a fleeing suspect – but kissing her ridiculously attractive boyfriend still topped the list. There were times when the air still crackled with tension between them, begging for a release – even in public, even at work – and Bianca counted down the seconds with anticipation until the door slammed shut and she could pull him in for a hungry kiss like it was their first time again. And then there were other times that felt comfortable, felt easy, like they’d done it for a lifetime already and she could almost feel the anticipation of giving him the rest of this one too. Either way, he might have an agenda when he decided to act cute, but she’d begun to like it. Anticipate it, even, because these conversations always felt the deepest and most genuine.

She exhaled slowly and ignored the funny little dance her heart was doing in her chest as Cade took her hands into his. He had always been open about who he was and how he felt, but she’d learned to value the opportunities he gave her to see deeper. It wasn’t easy for her to reciprocate, not when she’d trained herself to hide that vulnerability and avoid naming the emotions that swirled in her chest, but his openness pushed her to try harder. To hear his love language and match it, because he deserved a partner who could meet him on his level. “That was a clever confession,” Bianca observed as she played with their intertwined hands, “Wrapping it up romantically like that.” She laughed a little under her breath as she gazed up at him through her lashes. The thought that he’d known for months made her squirm in delight, but she still couldn’t ignore the crime. “I wonder how the Ravenclaw would feel if I added pop quizzes from now on?”

And then he said it, three short words that captured months of sweet intimacy and simple pleasures, and Bianca knew that she’d need to hear it again. And again and again until she could truly believe that his love was a commitment and not just a passing fancy. “Sorry, didn’t quite catch that,” she sighed, “You love who?” Bianca trailed her fingers up his chest until they brushed the back of his neck and felt her eyes flutter closed as he leaned forward to rest his forehead against hers. He had a way of transporting her outside herself and she felt something that could almost be called a giggle escape at the shop talk. She couldn’t deny the fire that flickered to life inside her at the deadly combination of his teasing comments and deep blue eyes as he murmured the question against her lips. “Well, the sentencing guideli—mmph!” Bianca gladly threw away the subject – because who cared – as she accepted his kiss and eagerly deepened it. She barely waited another moment to move to straddle him and dip down so she could press her lips to his throat and drag teeth across skin. “Looks like you caught me...” Bianca paused to let her hands wander over his shoulders, her eyes an open invitation as she felt her toes curl at the thought, “Are you going to cuff me, Mr. Woodward?”

cade owen woodward

[cade owen woodward]

Do I have to tell the story

Of a thousand rainy days
since we first met

May 6, 2027
Bianca Alia Rivera

Cade was accustomed to her looks. How long she would glare or stare without blinking. But it was all in the eyes, he’d learned. They burned dark when she was angry as if to will them to burn holes in whatever target lay before her. And sometimes they were soft and curious, genuine. This look was definitely neither, Cade had not angered her quite yet but he supposed he should stop heading down that path. Fortunately, Cade had learned very quickly that he could not only get under Bianca’s skin but past some of those walls easily. In a way, her suspicion was to his advantage because she waited to see what he would all he had to do was talk.

At the end of the day he was a writer, so throwing in what he wanted to say as a story felt natural. They were so different in that way. Bianca was very to the point. A sentence had exactly what it needed to qualify as a sentence. With Cade, he had not only that but whatever flowery language he decided to inject but they both succeeded in getting their points across. Well, depending on the subject. Not even Bianca’s very direct statements about Batman and that entire fandom and universe could still leave Cade very lost. In all honesty, he wanted tell her how distracted he’d get when she’d begin rambling about a specific story but she was wearing his shirt. Merlin forbid she stop so he’d pay attention to her summary on something specific.

His eyebrows raised at the suggestion. Pop quizzes? It wasn’t as though he couldn’t handle it, but it was a lot to keep track of. ”I might need some tutoring on the subject. Know anybody?” It mattered because it mattered to Bianca. And considering that frosty conversation all that time ago to where they were now, he’d never have guessed this was something that was a significant part of her life. He supposed he’d always owe the Order for helping this happen. Cade grinned, she was messing with him in return. ”I…” His voice was breathy, and he kept his gaze on hers as she moved closer. ”Love…” But he did pause theat extra moment, he could find some quote to fill in place of the world ‘you’ or something clever like that. But he supposed he’d teased her long enough. ”You.”

Still, just as he had to do many times, Cade kissed her so she’d stop talking. Otherwise it would be a verbatim recitation of magical legal code that might take five minutes or perhaps an hour. Cade wasn’t willing to see how long. But Merlin, an excited chill traveled up his spine. His patience had been worth it. Learning who Bianca was and gaining that genuine trust, and he really enjoyed her company and that connection they had. Plus, the notion that he’d get her in cuffs all that time ago would have somehow landed him in St. Mungo’s. ”Mmm…even the Head of Law Enforcement has to follow the rules.”

[ moving on because there are children present ]

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[Bianca Alia Rivera]

[*cough* after…]

Bianca’s eyes stayed locked on the screen as the car pulled up to Wayne Manor, but her head dropped to Cade’s shoulder as she resisted the urge to yawn. It was her own fault that he had so many gaps in his superhero movie knowledge – she didn’t really expect him to keep watching after she nodded off, even if she was willing to testify in court that she didn’t fall asleep. But that was just the occupational hazard of having a hectic schedule like hers, the need to rest her eyes for a second while the movie played. And that didn’t even include all the movies Cade had never seen the end of because she had trouble keeping her hands to herself. She didn’t expect this time to be much different – even if they were technically watching, Bianca was still completely tangled up in Cade with her legs on his lap and attention split between Bat-baby and replaying their conversation from earlier – so there wouldn’t be a sudden pop quiz about the Joker’s origin story. This time.

Even if those three words were etched into her mind forever now, her mind had gone somewhere else. It was these sorts of everyday moments that Bianca had never imagined she could have. Her big life plan had never included anything more than the highlights of an action sequence – a montage of Azkaban arrests, the flashbulbs of cameras as the Prophet documented her meteoric rise to department head, maybe a retirement if she was lucky enough and at least an epic story if she had to go before her time. The Aurors had certainly talked about it enough times late at night, how they’d choose to go and how many Dark wizards they’d take with them. But Cade had changed absolutely everything. Not like an ultra-powered Blasting Charm, dropping into her life with a flashy bang and a completely different way of doing things. No. By being patient, by matching her where it was needed and challenging her in new ways, by showing Bianca what she could have and then waiting for her to choose it.

He was transparent, to a point. He never left her guessing about how he felt, and his sincerity was one of the reasons why you couldn’t help but like the damn guy (even if she’d tried so hard not to). But Cade was clever too, and her first impression of him as a professional nuisance had changed slowly. Hadn’t he shown her how capable he was in their shared Order missions, the way he could quickly adapt and charm anyone into opening up to him? And he hadn’t fought the dynamic change when their gazes started to linger and the late-night missions turned into late-night drinks (among other things…). After that it hadn’t taken long for Bianca to notice his good heart, his quiet determination, the sense of justice that rivaled her own. Her fingers traced idle patterns on his chest and she sighed slightly into his shoulder at the thought that she might’ve missed out on all of this.

“I need you to tell me what you think, how you feel.” It was a sudden return to their earlier conversation, but Bianca hadn’t been able to banish the thought from her mind that he’d known months ago that he loved her. And after the display she’d put on last year at a simple invitation to dinner, she didn’t blame him for sitting on it. But the thought still bothered her that he’d felt a need to wait – and she knew she had to meet him halfway on this. It seemed impossible that they’d ended up together, in light of their tensely opposite careers and having known each other for so long in a vaguely professional capacity, but that just meant that she’d have to fight to keep this. To keep him in her life. “Even if you don’t know how I’ll react.” Her head was turned into his shoulder, but she tilted her gaze up to lock eyes with Cade – to show how intently serious she was about every word. “I’m not going anywhere. There’ll be other milestones…I don’t want to miss them because I was afraid.”

cade owen woodward

[cade owen woodward]

Do I have to tell the story

Of a thousand rainy days
since we first met

May 6, 2027
Bianca Alia Rivera

They sat in a comfortable silence as Cade concentrated on the screen before them. Honestly, he wondered how she kept all these details straight. Going from his magical upbringing to taking in muggle stories and facts was difficult. It made him mindful of what it might have been like for her. Raised a muggle and entering an entirely different world, you had to hide if you went home. The struggle Cade never had, never thought about if he was honest. But sitting here as he watched an old car pull up to a gothic-looking mansion, this felt like home too.

And in the middle of an older butler’s sentence, she spoke. He looked down, a response on the tip of his tongue, but she continued. Cade had admitted he’d fallen head over heels for her far sooner than she had. Or at least it had clicked for Cade much faster than Bianca. After a thoughtful pause, he spoke. ”You know I always do.” Cade grinned and kissed her forehead before looking back at the movie, his arm moving to bring her closer. Now more people were on the scene. His eyebrows furrowed—hopefully, it was just some kind of filler conversation and not something central to the plot that she’d ask him about later. Cade was never shy with his opinion, but his delivery differed vastly from Bianca’s cannonball-to-the-face style. He knew what she meant. Did it make him a bit nervous? Of course, but he’d push through.

[ end cade ]

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