chlotelia (chlotelia) wrote in lazarustheic, @ 2017-12-25 12:00:00 |
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Entry tags: | !thread, character: arran higgs, character: chloe pucey |
who ? arran higgs and chloe pucey
when ? evening of christmas day, 25th december
where ? arran’s house
what ? too much christmas food
status ? complete
Chloe was sure she mostly consisted of Christmas food. All of her, everywhere. It was a good thing Arran’s parents had a floo, because Chloe was pretty sure she would’ve splinched herself if she had tried to apparate. She just about managed to stumble through Arran’s floo and put the bag of leftovers down before collapsing on Arran’s new sofa. “I am food,” she announced dramatically when Arran stepped through the floo, too. “All of me, everywhere, it’s just food. I should’ve said no to those last three mince pies.” And possibly also at least some of the yorkshire puddings and the beef, but all of it had been so deliciously nice, Chloe couldn’t have refused.
“Come, be food with me on your fancy new sofa,” Chloe said holding her hand out to Arran. “I will tell you about your Christmas present,” she promised. Chloe had given Arran a pile of DVDs, each individually wrapped, of course, that morning, but her ‘I’ll take you to a sex dungeon’ wasn’t really a present Chloe could wrap. “We need to come up with a better Christmas plan next year,” Chloe decided putting her feet in Arran’s lap when he came to join her on the sofa. “Maybe space it out somehow. Or well, eat less, I suppose, but that sounds less fun.” Even if right now it also seemed like an excellent idea.
--
Arran groaned as he stepped through the floo. His stomach hurt, and yet he didn't feel he had enough energy to move. He'd been sat on his mum's sofa for at least half an hour before they'd left, but he just wasn't used to this much food, as delicious as it had all been. "The chocolates were my mistake," he decided. He felt like he could still taste the sticky toffee-filled chocolates in the back of his throat. "But mum made them sound so nice. And they were. But so sticky." He dropped down on the sofa, swearing he could hear it creak under the weight of all their foodiness. He pushed Chloe's shoes off, then ran his thumbs along the undersides of her feet. "My present!" Arran had taken a risk, and bought Chloe shoes for Christmas - albeit, Christmas shoes, so he'd been pretty sure she'd like them. As a safer bet, he'd also given her some chocolate shoes. "Yes, tell me what it is, take my mind off how full I am. Unless it's food." Presumably it wasn't, because then Chloe would just have wrapped it.
He gave a small frown at Chloe's mention of needing a better system. Chloe wasn't wrong, but it saddened him slightly to think of them having to choose between their families. "I guess we could take turns," he suggested. "Your parents one year, my parents the next. I don't think we're ready to host Christmas." Not judging by how their dinner party had gone, anyway. Unless they wanted curry for Christmas, they were probably going to need to rely on someone else to do the cooking. "Or we could do the main meal at mine, then pudding at yours, then swap the year after." That, Arran thought, was better. At least they'd get to see both families, that way.
--
Chloe groaned at the mention of the sweets because she'd had too many of those, too. She'd had too many of literally everything, Chloe was pretty sure. Chloe reached out to pet Arran's arm as he took her shoes off, too full to really offer proper praise. "I've booked us a day in a B&B," Chloe told Arran. "Sort of. I'm not sure there's any breakfast, really, but there is a bed, amongst other things." It probably didn't count as a B&B if one of the Bs was missing. "It's like a sex dungeon! With... sex things." Chloe was too full, really, to list all the things that had been in the picture. "I'll even come with you if you'd like," Chloe teased.
"Do you think we can convince our parents to have Christmas together? They like each other, so that could be a thing." Both Chloe's parents and Arran's parents' houses were probably big enough to host two families. "Do you think Terence will be home for Christmas next year? And bring Max and Siobhan? Would Roger and Daphne have to come, too then?" As far as Chloe knew none of her siblings were dating anyone but that could very well change by next year. "Maybe splitting the mains and the puddings is a better plan, but I'd feel bad for not having mains. Maybe no sweets and only mains? Little portions!" They could probably manage that. It wasn't like their parents wanted to kill them with too much food.
--
Arran would have raised an eyebrow in surprise, except that he was too full, so he just made an interested noise. He hadn't thought Chloe liked B&Bs. She hadn't been very impressed when Adrian had gone to one. And then she rambled about how there was no breakfast, and Arran felt confused, which wasn't really the ideal reaction to a present - but he could hardly lie to Chloe. So when she explained it was like a sex dungeon, Arran gave a delighted, relieved laugh - and then moaned, because his stomach hurt. "I can't think about sex right now," he grumbled, which was definitely a lie. He leaned in, pressing a kiss behind Chloe's ear. "You got me a sex dungeon? That is an amazing present. And of course I want you to come with me. It's no fun to be alone in a sex dungeon. That would just be a wank dungeon." Which didn't sound at all like something anyone would want.
"We've got so many siblings," Arran pointed out. While he was sure they could convince their parents to have Christmas together, he wasn't sure they could necessarily convince Terence and Adrian and Raleigh and Tessa to all have Christmas together. "If they all bring their girlfriends and boyfriends, that's a lot of cooking. Maybe we could have a Christmas party? On Christmas Eve? And we could invite everyone, and then just do Christmas Day for us?" And learn to cook, but they had a year to practice! And they both could cook, they just got distracted when they tried to do it together. He gave Chloe a look. "No sweets?" he asked. "No mince pies? Or chocolates? Or brandy butter?" He couldn't imagine either of them actually sticking to that.
--
Chloe poked Arran with her toe when he complained that he couldn't think about sex right now, but she eased up when he also followed it up with a kiss. "I got you a day at the sex dungeon," Chloe corrected. "But I'll come with you since you've asked so nicely," she added with a small grin and then pressed her shoulder against the side of the sofa. "It's in January. Maybe we'll feel less full by then." Maybe.
"We do," Chloe agreed. "Oh, that might be nice. I like that. Though, wouldn't it be strange to not spend Christmas day with your family?" Chloe had had a few Christmases away, but she'd been in a different country then. "But I guess we're family," she hummed. "Can you cook a turkey, though? Or a beef? Or frankly, anything appropriately Christmassy?" Chloe asked suspiciously. "At least we have two kitchens." Which presumably would be helpful. "Ugh, stop, stop!" Chloe said shaking her head when Arran started to list sweets. "We still have leftovers."
--
"A day and a night?" Arran asked, hopefully. Though, even if it was just a day, that would still be excellent. He almost asked who was going to be prisoner in the dungeon, or whether they'd swap, but it seemed silly to prepare that in advance, when it would probably come down to their mood on the day. "Maybe," Arran agreed, kicking his own shoes off and then propping his feet on table, giving one of Chloe's feet a squeeze. "I hope so, I'm planning on having sex with you again before New Year." Though, possibly not tonight.
It would be strange not to spend Christmas day with his family, but Chloe was right that they were family, too. "Maybe we could have both our parents over for part of the day? Drinks, or mince pies? I bet nan can teach me to make them." Not many of their siblings spent all day with their parents, so they'd probably have time to come over. "I can do roast chicken," Arran said. He didn't do it often, but he definitely had in the past, and turkey couldn't be that different from chicken, surely? "We've got a year to decide all this. And to practice cooking." Which sounded unappealing right now, but when they wanted to eat again it might be quite nice to have an excuse to have roasts, or mince pies.
--
"Twenty-four hours," Chloe replied. She did assume they'd have to sleep for some of them and maybe have food. Maybe go out for food, eating in a sex dungeon seemed... weird. Chloe groaned when Arran informed he was planning to have sex with her before New Year. "I wouldn't hold your breath. I mean literally, you might explode." Chloe certainly felt like she was going to explode if she had to do anything more than ever so often poke Arran with her toe. "I might never be able to move again, Arran. This is it, this is the future of our marriage. Just lying on the sofa forever," Chloe proclaimed dramatically.
Chloe was sure she could do some Christmas food things and she nodded when Arran said they could practice. "Sunday lunches," Chloe commented. "That's basically like Christmas dinner, right? We can start practicing those." And then they could even invite people over, for as long as the food wasn't shit. "We'll experiment on Tessa and Raleigh, they'll eat anything," Chloe announced. "But you can do the mince pies, I don't think I can look at a mince pie again for ages." Though, realistically, Chloe suspected that would last about three days until she saw some mince pies in a shop and bought them.
--
"Excellent!" Arran grinned, leaning in to kiss Chloe again, though only briefly, because anything else made him feel he might burst. "Thank you." It was a great present, and definitely not something Arran would have thought of for himself. "I'm not going to hold my breath," Arran agreed, making a face. Any extra substance, even air, in him right now was not a good plan. "But when we feel better." Which would, he was sure, be before January. It had better be, he had training to get to. "Still a good marriage," Arran declared. He'd miss their adventures, and certainly the sex, but he couldn't think of anyone he'd want to not-move with more than with Chloe. "Roger'll have to visit." It was only across the road, Arran was sure he could manage. And his family, too, of course.
Arran nodded, certain everyone in his family would happily offer tips on Sunday lunches. Terence, his parents and his nan all did very nice ones. "It can be a project." Arran was sure there were other things he was supposed to be working on too, but he was too full of food to remember them. "We can save Terence for when we get good, he's always bringing me food." Granted, sometimes not food that looked like it was supposed to. "Enough talk of food now," Arran decided. "What do you want to do tomorrow? Apart from sleep." They could sleep late, that would be nice. Assuming they could make it to a bed.
--
Chloe gave a small noise when Arran kissed her but didn't attempt to stop him, she didn't move into the kiss either, though, because moving was just too much right now. "Good," Chloe informed Arran when he said he wouldn't hold his breath. "I wouldn't want you to explode. Then I'd just have to sit here with your bits everywhere." Which would be most upsetting, Chloe was sure. She much preferred Arran in one piece. "Best marriage," Chloe agreed. "I love you," she added poking Arran's leg with her toe again. "You're my favourite sofa husband." Amongst many other things husband. "Roger can visit," Chloe agreed. "And Tessa, but she's had a lot of food today, too." Probably not as much as Arran and Chloe had had because she'd only had one dinner, but she did have a lot of leftovers to make through.
A project sounded fun, though Chloe agreed that they probably would do best by stopping to talk about food for now. "I told you all I am now is food, that's including my brain," Chloe defended but then did also sigh as if that would somehow help. "We should probably go for a walk tomorrow, attempt to walk off this food," Chloe decided, patting her belly. "Wanna climb Snowdon?" It seemed more interesting than just walking and whilst right now Chloe couldn't imagine ever moving again, she did realistically recognise that tomorrow might feel better.
--
"Ew." Arran did not like the idea of their being bits of anyone all over. "I just had the flat redone," he objected. "No one can explode in it for at least a month." Preferably longer, obviously. Fortunately, no one Arran knew ever had exploded, and it didn't seem likely they'd start now. He did laugh, though it was more a snort chuckle, because Arran's waistband felt too tight for laughing. "I love you too, sofa wife." He loved Chloe enormously, even when she was too full of food. "Who else would have two Christmas dinners with me?" He was sure most women, and most people really, would be sensible and insist they could only do one. "Tessa can visit, and Evan. And everyone has to see the house. Are we doing a New Year's Eve party?" If so, Arran should probably invite people.
A walk tomorrow was not going to do a great deal to work off the food, but Arran nodded anyway. It would be nice. They'd been on a lot of walks, because of the dogs, but it would be nice to walk just the two of them. "I feel too fat to jump off things," Arran said, realising it was true. Fortunately, it would be temporary. "Maybe even too fat to fly." That was just tragic. Almost as tragic as being too stuffed to have sex. "It was good, though," he said. "Did you enjoy it?" Arran had enjoyed both his family's meal and Chloe's family's. "We should go see nan while we're in Wales." She would probably try to feed them, but Arran wisely didn't think about that.
--
"I'm sure if we just stay very still the danger of exploding will diminish," Chloe assured before smiling widely at Arran when he told her he loved her, too. "What an excellent marriage this is," she decided. "Where's our fluffy child?" Chloe asked tilting her head like Rock might suddenly appear. He didn't. "Is the perma-floo open?" From the angle Chloe was at she couldn't see. "Throw my shoe at it," she instructed Arran, whose aim, even when he was full of food, would definitely be much better than Chloe's. "We should have a New Year's party," Chloe nodded. "I think I still have some wine left over from whatever we had last? Kip's birthday?" And she could buy more in and people would probably bring some as well. "And we can have balloons," she promised Arran with a grin.
Chloe, too, felt too fat to jump off things, but she felt she could probably tumble off things. "Noooooo," Chloe said eyes widening when Arran said he felt too fat to fly. "You're never too fat to fly," she promised. "Just beautifully round. Like the moon," Chloe assured. "I did enjoy it," she nodded. "I like our families and I like that our families like us and each other." Which they all did, Chloe just wished they didn't have to eat twice. "Yeah, we can do that. Unless she's busy, she's often busy." Gladys, Chloe was sure, had more of a social life than both Arran and Chloe combined.
--
Arran wasn't particularly good at staying very still, so he rubbed small circles into Chloe's feet. That, he felt, was unlikely to make either of them explode. "Off being not as full of food as we are," he answered. "Probably playing with Klutz and Kallie." The pets, despite Arran's fears, seemed to get on well together. Mostly Klutz and Rock. Kallie watched them, like an indulgent but superior teacher, Arran felt. He groaned as he reached for Chloe's shoe. "Stomach too big," he complained, but he did manage to reach it, aiming it carefully at the floo. Nothing immediately happened. "I hope I didn't hit him." A moment later, Rock squeaked through the door and rolled towards them, until he was under the sofa. Arran smiled. "At least we know he likes the new furniture." He grinned more broadly at the mention of balloons. "New Year balloons," he agreed, like that was a thing.
"I don't know if my broomstick would hold me up. I don't think the moon goes on a broom." Arran's broomstick probably would hold him up. A lot of the beaters were bigger and more heavily muscled than Arran was, and that tended to involve quite a lot of weight. "I'm glad you still think I'm beautiful," he teased, pursing his lips at Chloe in a kiss. "We'll owl to see if she's busy. Tomorrow." Everything tomorrow. The only thing Arran wanted to do today was move from the sofa to the bed, but not yet. "I'm glad you like my family." Arran wouldn't have known what to do with someone who didn't. He also liked the Puceys, so it all worked out very well.
--
"Oh yeah," Chloe said having forgotten about Max's fluffy children. Which, really, was quite impressive because Klutz seemed to have about as much boundless energy as Rock did. Kallie was perfectly well behaved, Chloe assumed she took after Max. "Rock!" Chloe cheered when the fluffy ball rolled towards them. "How are you?" Chloe asked letting one of her arms drop off the sofa so Rock could bounce against her hand, which he then did, right back under the sofa. "He does love under the sofa," Chloe nodded. "Yes, New Year balloons. Oh! Maybe we can get magical ones that pop at midnight! They don't bang," Chloe explained, quite sure that having a load of bangs go off at midnight would almost definitely guarantee that Arran's brother couldn't come. "My windows are pretty soundproof," she added. "But we can put a spell on anyway. And here," Chloe said waving her hand. "Ooh, maybe we can get fireworks to go off on your window!" Evan could probably tell them how.
Chloe supposed that Arran was right, mostly because the moon didn't really fly. "You can be like a bumblebee," Chloe promised. "Breaking the rules of gravity in order to fly." She was sure she'd read that somewhere. "I do think you're beautiful," Chloe nodded. "Always," she promised and then, with a very loud groan moved so she could kiss Arran, before collapsing against his side. "That's it, that's all I can manage for at least the next hour," she informed him, resting her cheek against Arran's shoulder.
--
Arran smiled at the way Chloe asked Rock how he was, exactly the way Arran sometimes talked to pets as if they could really answer him. They really were very well suited. "He does. I'm glad we got a sofa with enough room for him." They hadn't really done it deliberately, but nonetheless. He gave Chloe an affectionate look at her efforts to sound-proof their houses. "I don't know if he'll come anyway," he said. The crowds might be a bit much. On the other hand, they might not if they used both their houses. "I'll invite him. And tell him all about how I have the most considerate wife." Terence would appreciate it, Arran knew. "I love you," he added again, more softly. "You're wonderful." He did give an ooh at the idea of fireworks on his window. "Can we get that anyway?" he asked. "Then Terence could watch them, even without a party. I think he'd like that."
With a smile, Arran nodded. "I shall be your bumblebee husband," he agreed. "Bumbling around, buzzing at you. When I can move." He did like the idea of breaking the rules of gravity. He'd always liked breaking rules, when he didn't get punished for it (and when the rules were stupid). He shifted to drape his arm around Chloe's shoulders. "Very nice," he said, happily. He didn't need Chloe to manage more.
--
Rock gave a squeak from under the sofa and Chloe nodded. "He sounds happy." Or well, Rock mostly sounded like how he normally did when he was under a sofa, but Chloe always assumed it was quite pleased. There was a crash of something toppling over near the floo and Chloe snorted. "I think Klutz has arrived, too." He was, fair play to Max, very aptly named. Chloe smiled at Arran when he said he'd invite Terence. If Arran's brother didn't feel comfortable with the idea, it wasn't like they'd push, but maybe if they did their best to accommodate he could come and that'd be nice. Chloe thought it'd probably be nice for Max and Siobhan, too, not just Arran. "I am wonderful," Chloe agreed before nodding. "Yeah, we can," she replied when Arran asked if they couldn't just have fireworks on the window anyway. "Ask Evan when you take him out on a date again," she told Arran.
"Buzzing at me," Chloe repeated. "I don't even know what that means, but I'll have it. Would I have to be a bumblebee, too?" Chloe asked. "Or I could just be a fat bee." Whatever the scientific distinction between the two was, Chloe didn't really know. "Are there even male bumblebees? I know very little about bumblebees. Ask Evan about those, too." Because Chloe was sure Evan would know whether there were male bumblebees.
--
"Of course he's happy. It's Christmas." It was a time to be happy, and lazy, and full of food. Glancing over at the floo, without moving to dislodge Chloe against his shoulder, Arran tried to see if he could spot what had fallen over. He couldn't, but Klutz did bound towards them, followed, far more primly, by Kallie. "The perma-floo is great," Arran observed. He liked that their pets could use it without either he or Chloe having to move to fetch them. "We should test if Kitkat is smart enough to use it." Arran's outing with Evan had been quite good, so Arran nodded his approval of the idea of doing it again. "After boxing day." Because Evan had already done quite enough work for him, really.
Arran proceeded to make a buzzing noise in Chloe's general direction. He sounded, he thought, more like a fly than a bee, so he soon stopped. "Of course there are male bumblebees," Arran answered, genuinely confused by the question. "If there weren't, how would they make more bumblebees?" Arran knew bees didn't have babies like mammals did, but he was sure males still had to be involved somehow. "You can be a queen bee." He didn't know if bumblebees had those, but Chloe could be one either way. "I will ask Evan," he promised. "It can be another of our alternate universes."
--
"If Klutz is managing, I'm sure Kitkat would too," Chloe said waving at Kallie as she jumped on the coffee table. "Rock seems to enjoy Kallie and Klutz's company," Chloe observed. They were very polite cats, she felt. Especially Kallie, but even Klutz, when he wasn't falling over things or running head first into door frames. "Do you think this is what Max's kids will be like too?" Chloe asked and then frowned. "Is Rock like what our kids are going to be like? Because we're going to have to get a higher sofa for them to fit under it." Chloe had no idea if kids wanted to go under the sofa, though. Rock, however, seemed to love it.
Chloe laughed at the buzzing noise Arran made and then swatted her hand against him. "No buzzing," she told him and then frowned. "I don't want to be the queen bee. All they do is eat and breed, I rather be the explorer bee or the gatherer bee. Worker bee!" Chloe nodded when Arran said he would ask Evan, she was sure he'd know. Whether Arran would remember was a different question. "So is there an alternative universe in which you're a flying cow?" Chloe asked smirking at Arran.
--
Arran hummed doubtfully, watching Klutz. "Klutz isn't stupid, he's just clumsy." At least, as far as Arran could tell. He had no idea how you rated the intelligence of cats. Kitkat, certainly, was not very smart. Nonetheless, they should have him over to try the perma-floo. Worst that could happen would be that he couldn't figure it out and someone had to guide him through. "I don't know. Pushkin's definitely not polite, so I don't know if pets are a very good example of what children will be like." Terence's children, whether or not they were also Max's children, would be polite, Arran was sure. Unless they took after their uncle. Arran chuckled at that idea, but even then he knew Terence would be able to teach them, just like he'd taught Arran. "Do you think our kids will like your shoes as much as Rock does?" he asked, amused. It was, he suspected, quite likely. Especially if they had children who grew up to be women like Chloe who enjoyed wearing (and owning) pretty shoes.
"Explorer bee?" Arran asked, uncertain if that was a thing. If Chloe said it was, though, he was willing to believe that she knew more about bees than he did. He pouted at Chloe, then laughed. "I feel like a cow right now," he said, refraining from mooing, because Chloe had already swatted him from buzzing. "But I don't want to be a flying cow. Why are there universes of things I don't want to be?" It seemed very unfair. "Maybe I should make a universe where Terence is a -" He didn't really know what his brother would least like to be. "A fish?" Fish, Arran imagined, could not live very exciting lives. At least, not fish that weren't tropical.
--
"No, I suppose that's true," Chloe admitted glancing at Klutz where he was attempting to jump on the sofa. She did also nod when Arran pointed out that Terence's cat wasn't very nice. "Cats are probably harder to teach manners," she decided. "Rock's pretty good, though, he doesn't bite me anymore or anything." Chloe assumed it was because Rock now accepted that he could share Arran with Chloe. And Chloe liked to think that Rock enjoyed sharing her with Arran, too. "I don't think any child could ever like my shoes as much as Rock likes them," Chloe said shaking her head and then she gave a small cheer when Klutz finally successfully jumped up on the sofa.
Chloe frowned when Arran questioned 'explorer bee'. "Yeah, it goes out and explores, finds places for... food. Flowers?" Chloe didn't really know if there were such a thing as explorer bees, but there definitely were worker bees so maybe she could be that. She laughed when Arran said he felt like a cow, but then also groaned when the laughter made her tummy ache. "I think the idea of infinite universes means that there's a universe where you're everything," Chloe said and then gave Arran a mock pout. "Even a cow. But I'm sure you'd be a very lovable cow," she promised tilting her head up so she could press a kiss against Arran's chin. "A fish?" Chloe repeated. "You think your brother would be very offended at being a fish? Why not a sheep? Or a chicken? Or even a cow like you?"
--
Arran was genuinely pleased that Rock didn't bite Chloe anymore. Or Roger. "We've taught him well," he said, satisfied. "He can do obstacle courses and everything." Ish. Mostly Rock just played along to appease Arran, or that was the impression Arran had always had. Still, he had been trained to play along, and that counted, right? "Babies are stickier, too, you might not want them near your shoes." Rock only ever hummed and squeaked, which did no harm to the shoes in question. For now, Arran was content with his Chloe and his ball of fluff, and didn't need any other additions to their household.
"That sounds fun. For a bee. Not as much fun as being a human, or a dragon, but better than being a cow." Most things were better than being a cow. "That's a lot of universes," Arran observed. The thought of all of them was quite exhausting, at least when Arran was so full of food. "Would you love me in any shape?" Arran asked, reaching for Chloe's hand and lacing their fingers together. He frowned at Chloe's question. "Not offended. Just… bored. Being a fish can't be very interesting. Unless you were a shark." Granted, Terence wasn't as bothered by boredom as Arran was, but Arran wasn't feel very imaginative.
--
"We have," Chloe agreed with a nod, before laughing when Arran said that Rock could do obstacle courses. "Maybe we can set one up at the New Year's party and you can show people how good Rock is? Last year this time you didn't even have Rock!" He hadn't had Chloe either, but Chloe felt Arran did enough to show her off to people. "Babies are stickier," Chloe agreed scrunching her nose up. "We're sticky, too, though." Or well, Chloe felt sticky. She felt full and sleepy and sticky. "Can we nap on this sofa?" She asked looking around. "Klutz is managing," she commented nodding at where the cat had settled against one of the cushions.
Chloe snorted when Arran said that her type of bee-being sounded better than being a cow. "Why are you being so hard on cows? They walk around, eat grass, hang out with each other. I'm not sure a cow's life really is that boring." It probably wasn't as exciting as a dragon's but still. "I'd love you in most shapes," Chloe promised. "Maybe not if you were a triangle," she teased. "So don't be a triangle." Chloe shook her head when Arran said that being fish would be boring, too. "You just think that everything that isn't either flying or in some way dangerous is boring," she pointed out.
--
"Do you think Rock would like that?" Arran asked, peering at the couch as if he could see through it to where Rock was hiding - which he couldn't. "Performing in front of an audience?" They hadn't really given Rock a lot of audiences, and Arran wasn't sure how he'd react. "If he doesn't like it, he can always go hide in his room." That was one of the nice things about having a room for Rock. "Are we doing New Year's resolutions?" Arran asked. He felt he probably should, but he wasn't sure what they should be. Maybe something to do with being a good assistant captain, but that was a bit vague. "I am not sticky," Arran insisted. "Except inside my mouth, but that doesn't count." He definitely still had toffee stuck to a tooth, which he could deal with later. "Yes," Arran answered immediately. "Of course we can." What good would a sofa be if you couldn't nap on it?
Arran raised an eyebrow at Chloe. "Yes. Walking around, eating grass, hanging out with cows. Sounds thrilling." He shook his head. "You made being a bee sound more interesting than that. Are there explorer cows?" Arran was certain that there weren't. "They don't even have to look for food. People just bring it. Farmers or whatever." He laughed. "I will try not to be triangular. Right now, I am very round." But Chloe had already said he was beautiful, like the moon. Or something. "I don't. I think being a dog would be alright. Or a cat. Just not a cow. Or a fish."
--
"I don't know," Chloe answered honestly. "He does seem to like being the centre of attention," she offered. "You can always give it a go," Chloe said before nodding when Arran said how if Rock didn't like it he could always just go hide out in his room. "What would we resolute to?" Chloe asked. "I'm happy, you're happy, why change things?" Or well, if there were things that Arran wanted to change, Chloe would, of course, support him, but personally she didn't really think she had any resolutions to make. "Oh, good," Chloe said and then nudged Arran's shoulder. "Lie down then, I can't nap like this." But she could cuddle up against Arran and then they could be full of food together but horizontally.
Chloe snorted at Arran's description of why a life of a cow would be boring. "Don't you think that if you are a cow, all those things wouldn't seem that boring? And hanging out with other cows would just be hanging out with your friends, no?" Chloe did think that perhaps Arran was a little unfair on cows. "There are definitely explorer cows," Chloe lied. "And you would make an excellent explorer cow, especially with your wings for flying," she added reaching to run her hand over Arran's back where the wings would be. "And there are wild cows. You could be a wild, explorer cow. A flying one." Chloe also thought that fish were plenty of interesting, but she felt one animal was currently enough to defend.
--
Arran smiled. Chloe had been supportive of him trying to be better with people, but he liked that she didn't think he needed to change. "I don't know. We could resolve to have more adventures and more excellent sex," he teased. That wouldn't be changing anything, more promising to maintain things as they were. "I'm sure there are things I was supposed to do after I'd finished doing the house. Volunteering?" And, Arran was certain, something else. He frowned. "I'll remember before New Year," he promised. "Or ask Terence." Tiggs might remember for him, that would be handy. With a groan, Arran rearranged himself to lie down, carefully avoiding kicking Klutz. "I do such a lot for you," he teased. Moving right now actually did feel like an effort.
"But I'd still be me," Arran pointed out. "Otherwise I'd just be a cow, rather than an Arran cow." He didn't think he was making a great deal of sense. Of course, he was talking about alternate universes, so it probably didn't matter. "And I'd miss doing things, rather than just hanging out. And beer. I'd miss beer." Once Chloe had cuddled against him, Arran rested a hand on her hip, careful not to press on her stomach. He hummed softly as Chloe rubbed his back. "Are there wild cows anymore? Can we go see some?" Arran didn't know how you found wild cows, but the internet would tell him. "I suppose I could be a flying explorer cow." Mostly, he didn't want to argue, even over cows. "Only if you'll be an explorer cow with me."
--
"More adventures and more excellent sex," Chloe repeated. "Yeah, okay, I could settle for that," she said teasingly and laughed when Arran proclaimed he did a lot for her. "But you love me, that's part of loving someone," she informed Arran seriously and then pressed a kiss against his cheek before cuddling against him, hand against Arran's chest so she wouldn't accidentally make them both explode. "Where would you want to volunteer? Have we talked about this? Do you want to coach little kids how to play quidditch?" Chloe was sure that was a thing that existed. "Like after school activities." Obviously not for kids in Hogwarts but the kids younger than that.
Arran's unhappiness with being a cow was still quite funny and Chloe could see why Terence had enjoyed teasing him about it. She wasn't as mean, though, so instead she just petted Arran's chest gently. "You'd be the best explorer cow, I'm sure you could even find beer," Chloe promised. "Yeah," Chloe nodded. "Highland cows are wild, no? Wild and fluffy. I think maybe Andrew told me about them? They're in Scotland, we can go see them." They might need to ask Andrew and Evan exactly where to find them but then they could go see them. "Of course I'd be an explorer cow with you," Chloe nodded, resting her chin against Arran's shoulder. "We can be adventurous explorer cows together. That's our New Year's resolution."
--
"I do love you," Arran agreed. "Enough to move just because you ask me to, when I feel like I'm going to burst." He hadn't thought much about where he'd like to volunteer. "Terence says there's places you can volunteer where they tell you what to do and you just have to do it. Like, conservation, I think? Tessa might know." Tessa, Arran knew, did lots of volunteering, so it seemed likely she might be able to point him in the right direction. "I don't know if I'd be very good at teaching quidditch." Or, honestly, whether he was even allowed to, with his contract. He could look into it. "I taught you, but you did fall into a lake. I think parents might disapprove of that."
Arran laughed, leaning back into the sofa to make more room for his stomach. "Alright," he said. "If I can be an explorer cow with you, and we can go find beer, then I'll be okay with it. But don't tell Terence." As far as his brother was concerned, Arran was still offended to have been compared to a cow. It was important for brotherly relations, he was sure. "Are they?" Arran asked. "I have no idea. I suppose some of them are?" But some, presumably, were farmed for… whatever highland cows were farmed for. Aberdeen Angus beef? "We're not telling Terence that's our New Year's resolution, either," he added, but it was quite funny, so he wouldn't really mind if Chloe told him.
--
It was very nice of Arran to have moved and Chloe was now very comfortable and content, especially once she pulled a cushion down to rest her head on. "Oh, yeah, conservation," Chloe nodded. That was actually probably a pretty good suggestion for Arran, which shouldn't have been surprising since Arran's brother did know him well. "Tessa will make you a list," Chloe promised. "She'll probably even do a star rating for you from best to worst place to volunteer." Tessa had done a lot of volunteering, so she would be well placed to advise Arran. "I chose to fall into a lake," Chloe pointed out. "I doubt little kids will make such foolish choices." Of course, Chloe as a kid probably would've but that was besides the point.
"I shan't tell Terence," Chloe promised. "He'd only be jealous, I don't know if Max would be an explorer cow with him." Probably, Max did seem very, very fond of Arran's brother. Siobhan, Chloe knew a great deal less, so she couldn't pass much of a comment on how she'd feel about being a cow. "Surely some cows are wild? They ought to have been wild at some point? Like wild... sheep and horses. Why are there no wild sheep? Or are there?" There were definitely wild horses, Chloe had heard about those, but she had no idea where they lived. "There's wild camels in Australia," she informed Arran.
--
A list sounded great, so Arran smiled. "Such a useful family to have married into," he said, happily. It was nice that Chloe's family were so welcoming and willing to make themselves helpful. Arran knew his family were equally welcoming, because they were great, and he liked how easily Chloe got on with them. "Even if they don't choose to fall in a lake, they might do it accidentally. I accidentally fell off a lot of things." Which meant Arran did have experience with how to be calm in that situation, so perhaps he'd be alright. "I'll put that on a list for later," he decided. "One quidditch thing at a time." That seemed sensible.
Arran snorted at the mental image of Max as an explorer cow. "I don't think Terence would want him to be a cow." Arran had no idea whether his brother teased Max, but even if he did it probably wasn't the same way he teased Arran. "At some point," Arran agreed. "I just don't know if there are still wild cows. Or sheep." Maybe there were. "We can look it up," he promised. "I bet wild sheep are scary. With those curvy horns, and fur all over the place." He ran a hand over Chloe's side, gently. "I'll be a wild camel with you, too," he promised.
--
"We are!" Chloe agreed happily because her family were excellent and she loved them dearly. "Your family's great, too," she added since the Higgses were. Chloe didn't know what she'd do if she had married in an unfriendly family, but then she wasn't sure an unfriendly family could've raised Arran and Chloe had no desire to be married to anyone who wasn't Arran. "Kids love falling off things, though," Chloe informed Arran confidently, she had certainly enjoyed it and she was sure so had most of her siblings. "Yes! Lists! I hear they're helpful," Chloe teased.
Chloe assumed that if Terence would be a cow, he'd quite like for Max to be a cow with him. "We shall look it up," Chloe agreed and then gave a small laugh at Arran's description of what wild sheep looked like. "Now I want to see a wild sheep," Chloe informed him. "Maybe we can google that, too." If at least one of them remembered it, but Arran was usually pretty good at remembering things for both of them. Chloe smiled and pressed another kiss against Arran's cheek when he said he'd be a wild camel with her, too. "But the best universe is still the one in which you're a dragon and I'm a pomeranian," she teased and then paused slightly. "And this one, I'm a fan of this universe, too."
--
"We have excellent families. And excellently compatible." Their families got along very well, which made many things much easier. "Do your mums do things for New Year? I think my parents are having a dinner. For their grown-up friends that aren't us." Arran had asked, teasingly, why he wasn't considered adult enough to come, but he knew his parents just expected him to have plans of his own. "Lists are very helpful," Arran agreed. "Your idea, weren't they?" At least, Arran's list of things he had done, to prove to himself he wasn't being hopeless, had been Chloe's idea, and it had been a very effective one. "You've been an excellent wife this year," he said, pressing a kiss against Chloe's shoulder. He had full faith that Chloe would continue to be brilliant, without even necessarily needing to try.
With a smile, Arran suggested, "We can go on a wild animal safari! See a wild cow, see a wild sheep, see a wild horse." It would be exciting. A bit different from their usual adventures, but still enjoyable, especially if they did it together. He laughed, brushing Chloe's hair back off her face. "Yes, the best universes are where you are pomeranian," he agreed. "And this one," he agreed, more seriously. "You're lovely in this one."
--
Chloe laughed when Arran said their families were excellently compatible and that his parents were having a dinner. "I think my mums are going to that dinner," she answered. It was sweet how friendly their parents had become, they'd even gone on a holiday together and genuinely got on, not just because their kids were now married. "I do have some excellent ideas," Chloe agreed and then snorted when Arran said she'd been an excellent wife this year. "Yeah, well, don't let that fool you for next year, don't get your expectations up," she advised.
"A wild animal safari with sheep and horses?" Chloe asked. "I've only heard of ones with giraffes and lions, but we can go on that, too. In Africa! Shall we go to Africa to see wild animals?" It seemed like the sort of thing that they'd enjoy, especially if they found some climbing or parachuting or something to also do in Africa. Chloe smiled when Arran agreed that the best universe was the one where she'd be a pomeranian, Chloe rather agreed. "You're lovely in this one, too," she told Arran. "Much easier to cuddle than if you were a dragon." Especially if Chloe would be a pomeranian in it.
--
Arran laughed. He'd been going to ask if Chloe's mums wanted to come to theirs for new year, but it seemed appropriate that they already had plans with his own parents. "My expectations are already up," he said, pretending to be apologetic about it. "I expect you to continue to be a lovely wife." He really did. "And I will keep trying to be the best husband I can." This, after all, was the promise Arran had made when he'd agreed to get married. He thought he'd done alright so far. "Our first Christmas together was great, don't you think?" he asked. "And in January, it'll be our anniversary and then we'll get to do things for the second time. Are you looking forward to that?"
Smiling, Arran nodded. "Me too," he agreed. "But we could do our own wild animal safari of sheep and horses and cows. We want to see them, so why not make it an event? It could be fun." And it was hardly likely to take very long. The idea of doing a real safari, in Africa, made Arran 'ooh' excitedly. "We should definitely do that. More tents!" And wild animals, actually exciting ones! "In summer? After the Euros?" Even if Arran didn't get picked for the Euros, he'd still want to watch them. "You could cuddle me if I was a dragon. I'd be all warm." And scaly, but Arran disregarded that.
--
"I will try to be the best wife I can be," Chloe corrected. She didn't think it was particularly fair for Arran to expect her to be lovely, but Chloe could promise to try, the same way Arran did. "It's been a good Christmas!" Chloe nodded. "Apart from the excessive food consumption, I think we've done well?" She really did. Chloe smiled at the mention of their anniversary and how they then got to do all the things again. "I look forward to having all my Christmases with you," Chloe told Arran honestly. "Me, you, Rock, random cats," she listed poking Klutz with her toe, he didn't appear very bothered.
Chloe wasn't sure she understood what Arran meant by safari if they were going to organise it themselves and just go see some cows, but she nodded anyway. "Okay," Chloe agreed and then grinned at the 'ooh' Arran gave, a smile which widened at the excitement offered to tents. "Tents have treated us well!" Chloe commented. "Yeah, after Euros," she agreed, before frowning. "Aren't dragons cold blooded? Like lizards?" Chloe knew they made fire but she wasn't sure they were actually warm themselves. "If I was a dragon sized pomeranian, I could warm you up," Chloe informed Arran, quite excited at the idea of being a massive pomeranian.
--
Arran nodded at the correction, pressing a kiss to Chloe's forehead. "You are a lovely wife," he assured her. "I'm very glad we got married." He grinned at Chloe's looking forward to all of the Christmases. He, too, looked forward to that. "I'm sure we can have random dogs a few years, too," he added. "If either my parents or Terence go away again." Presumably, if Terence stayed with Max and Siobhan, he was going to continue going away. Or perhaps one year, someone could host something with Max and Siobhan and Terence and Arran and Chloe and Roger and Daphne. Terence and the Davies both had big enough houses, and it would be quite nice to spend Christmas with Chloe, Roger and his brother. "We've done very well. Especially me, because my present is amazing."
Tents really had treated them well, so Arran looked forward to exploring new tent possibilities. "You can do some quite glam safaris, I think," he offered. "We can look up what kind we want to go on online. Or do you want to go on a magical safari with -" he waved a hand about where Chloe could see it, unable to recall the names of any magical animals that lived in Africa. He was sure there were some. "If they've got fire inside them all the time, I assume they're warm," Arran said. "I've never been close enough to tell." He snuggled Chloe a little closer. "You can warm me up always," he promised. "But especially on those days you're being a giant pomeranian blanket."
--
"I am glad we got married, too. What an excellent decision that was!" Chloe did truly believe it, too. They might've gotten married only after knowing each other for six months, but they were definitely doing well out of it. It didn't feel like only a year but also did and Chloe enjoyed that a lot. There were so many more things to look forward to, all sorts of exciting falling yet to happen. "We are very good petsitters," Chloe nodded. Certainly both Klutz and Kallie seemed to be enjoying themselves, even if it was sometimes hard to tell with Kallie. Chloe laughed when Arran said he'd done the best out of everyone because his present was amazing. "Tessa and I agreed that the best sort of presents are ones you get to enjoy, too, so your present definitely is great because I'll enjoy it, too," Chloe told Arran. It was true, they'd have fun sharing Arran's presents (including the DVDs, she was sure).
Glam safaris sounded fun and then Arran mentioned magical safaris and Chloe nodded energetically. "Yes! That sounds awesome! We should definitely do that." They could go to a travel agents in the new year and ask about whether there were magical safaris, Chloe assumed there ought to be. She hummed at Arran's reasoning but did also snort when he called her a pomeranian blanket. "I feel like a giant pomeranian now, with all the food, just less fluffy." Which was sad but at least she had Arran there and that topped being a giant pomeranian. "Nap now," Chloe decided yawning.