Work Text:
Colonel Bevan has no clue what to get Hester for Valentine’s Day. He has never been very good with romance and he needs to get her a very romantic gift for the holiday. So he goes to the people who know Hester best for advice, the girls in the typing pool.
“Good morning Colonel, what do you need from us?” Bella asks, not looking up from where she’s filing her nails.
“Is Hester around?” He asks.
Italia turns over to him from her typewriter. “No, she’s in a meeting.”
“Why do you ask?” Prezzo sips her tea, interested in whatever the Colonel has to say.
Colonel Bevan sighs. “I need your help, girls.”
Prezzo gasps dramatically. “What did you do, Colonel?”
“Nothing! I just… I need to get Hester something for Valentine’s Day.”
“What about chocolates?” Bella suggests.
“Or roses!” Italia chimes in.
“No, those are too basic. I want to give her something thoughtful, something brilliant!” Bevan says.
“Something as amazing as she is.” Bella finishes his sentence.
“Exactly! Any ideas, girls?”
“Well if you want to give her a thoughtful present, you have to think first, sir.” Prezzo says.
“Think about what Hester likes.” Italia comments.
“And then get her a present that appeals to her interests.” Bella says.
Bevan sits down at one of the desks attempting to think about what could make a nice, romantic gift for Hester. “Ummm… Okay. Hester likes Bridge. She likes piano. She likes baking! I could get her a new set of oven mitts! She’s been complaining about how worn out those old ones are.”
The typing pool girls all make faces at that suggestion.
“Oven mitts…” Prezzo says.
“That’s not very romantic.” Bella says.
“Anything else?” Italia asks.
“She…” Bevan thinks it over for a moment. “She’s been interested in poetry as of late. She’s been reading this little book of poetry that she keeps on her nightstand.”
Prezzo gasps. “Poetry! That’s perfect!”
“You could write her a love poem!” Italia says.
Bevan shudders. “No, girls, I am quite the awful writer. I have a… distaste for figurative language.”
“You could try, Colonel! I think Ms. Leggatt really would appreciate the effort.” Bella says.
All three of the girls look at him with puppy eyes.
“Fine, girls. I’ll give it a try.”
The typing pool girls squeal as he exits.
___
Bevan is quite horrible at writing poetry. He has been writing for the past hour and each attempt is worse than the last.
His first attempt was straightforward but he had forgotten to rhyme.
His second attempt was in Monty’s words “about as romantic as a cat leaving a dead bird on your doorstep.”
He is now on his maybe 37th attempt, it’s far too late in the office and he really wants to throw in the towel.
“Sir, what are you doing at the office so late?” Jean asks.
“I could ask you the same thing, Miss Leslie.” Bevan asks.
“Well, I was doing work. But you seem to be doing something else.” Jean says, gesturing to the many crumpled up pieces of paper around his desk.
Bevan sighs. “I’m trying to write a poem.”
“A poem? Why? I thought you hated figurative language?” Jean asks.
“I’m trying to do something romantic for Hester for Valentine's Day!”
“So you’re trying to write a romantic poem for Hester?” Jean giggles.
“Yes! I want to do something nice for her!”
Jean swipes his current draft from the table. “Roses are red, violets are violet?”
Bevan swipes it back from her. “I know! It’s terrible!”
Jean laughs. “Quite right.” She sits down across from Bevan. “I could help you with the poem, ya know?”
“Really? It’s quite late, Miss Leslie.”
“It’s alright, I wanna help you give Hester a happy Valentine’s Day.” Jean says.
“Alright then, let’s get to it, so we can get to sleep before tomorrow.”
“It already is tomorrow.”
___
Bevan fidgets with the poem in his hands. He is dressed up in a suit and stands in front of the dinner he made for Hester.
Hester walks into the dining room. She looks beautiful. “Oh John, this looks lovely!” Hester sweeps him up into a hug.
John clears his throat and she backs up. “I have a gift for you! I um… I wrote you a poem.”
Hester sits down at the table and turns the chair to face him, anticipating his poem.
“Um… My love for you is deeper than the sea… I would like to thank you very much for making my tea. You are quite as pretty as a rose, I love your eyes, your ears, and nose. Just seeing you makes me quite giddy and gay, so I wish you a very happy Valentine’s Day.”
He averts his eyes from Hester, unable to look her in the eyes. But then he feels her arms around him and melts into her embrace.
He hears her soft giggling.
“It was awful, wasn’t it.” Bevan says.
“I am not engaged to you because of your poetry.” Hester says. “But thank you so much, love. I can tell you put so much effort into it and it really is so very sweet” She pulls him into a kiss, before moving back to their soft embrace.
“Was it at least romantic?” Bevan murmurs into Herster’s shoulder.
“Yes, yes it was. Now let's eat before the food gets cold. I did propose to you for your culinary skills.”
They sit and start eating dinner. “I also bought you a new pair of oven mitts, your girls tried to sway me against it but I do know that you enjoy practical things.”
Hester smiles. “Thank you, John. That’s lovely. My girls are not great places to go for love advice.”
Bevan blushes. “Oh… well Jean helped me with the poem.”
Hester laughs. “Neither you nor her are poets.”
Bevan laughs. “But you still love us.”
“That I do.”