who ? Arran and Gemma Higgs. when ? Thursday 15th June, late afternoon. where ? Gemma's house. what ? Big News for the Higgs siblings. warnings/rating ? SFW. status ? Completed in gdocs.
After being told that Chloe really, really didn't need Arran to 'help' her put through the paperwork for their marriage license - or whatever exactly it was - Arran decided to finish informing his family of recent events. Now that the decision had been made, Arran didn't feel the least bit nervous about it. Gemma and his parents might be surprised, but they liked Chloe and he had no doubt they would support his decision. His dad might want to make sure Arran really knew what he was getting himself into, but Arran was pretty sure simply saying he'd already talked to Terence about it would be enough to reassure Terry on that score.
Carrying a bag with all the souvenirs for the Higgs family in it, Arran decided to start with Gemma. Mostly, really, because he expected her to be home. His parents, who he felt he should tell together, wouldn't both be home from work until a little later whereas Gemma, with the quidditch season over, would probably be around. He had made his very best effort to be thoughtful about gifts, not just to buy things he would have wanted (except for Roger's, which was exactly what Arran would have wanted). For Gemma, he'd ended up selecting a bag (which, he insisted, was not orange) with a pattern that in some way reminded him of quidditch, or flight, or the Falcons, or something he thought Gemma would like in any case.
When she opened the door, Arran held the bag immediately out towards her. "Don't tell me I'm not the best younger brother," he said. "I come with presents! And news!" He was very excited about his news, and was sure Gemma would be thrilled - both for him and for Chloe.
--
It wasn't by much but Gemma was starting to feel a little better about the pregnancy... at least now and then she was. There were still plenty of moments where she found herself feeling overwhelmed that she'd have to distract herself from getting into a tizzy about it. Having told Terence and gotten his reassurances had done a lot to help for her peace of mind for sure. Now she just had to tell Arran, her parents, and her nan before she even got around to telling her friends.
Gemma had wanted to tell Arran before she went and told her parents; unfortunately, since he was away she had to wait until he was home since she didn't think it was right to just tell him over the journals or via owl. Lucky for her just as she was deciding to go visit him Arran had turned up on her doorstep. Gemma chuckled at his statement and happily accepted the gift, before ushering him inside. That he also had news to share was a little amusing but had her wondering just what his news was compared to her own. "Thank you. And definitely the best younger brother, because you've actually saved me a trip, and you've brought me a present," she said. "Oh? Good news I hope?"
--
"Do you like it?" Arran asked. When he'd asked how to tell whether people knew he cared, whether they appreciated his efforts and what they wanted as presents, Arran had been told to just ask - so he was taking that very literally. "I'm sorry I didn't wrap it." There wasn't really any reason Arran hadn't, except that if he'd wrapped Gemma's, he'd have had to wrap Terence's and his parents' and Roger's and that seemed like entirely too much work. "We had a great time, we did hot air ballooning and scuba diving and snorkeling and Chloe did her tightrope thing, which was amazing." Arran quite wanted to go back and give it a go himself, but they had many many other important things to do and fun places to go before they started on repeats.
When Gemma asked if it was good news, Arran grinned. His doubts about being a good husband hadn't vanished, but he knew he was going to try his best, and he knew that Chloe loved him exactly as he was, not some perfect-husband version of him he could never live up to, so he had faith it would all work out for the best. "Chloe and I are getting married," he announced, with obvious pleasure. "She asked when we were in Borneo, with a flower ring, and she asked me if I thought boy lizards were different from girl lizards, and something about juice." It wasn't a very good retelling of the story, but it was Arran's first attempt and he was excited to get it all out. Roger and Terence had only heard the bare bones, because Arran hadn't known what he was going to say.
--
Gemma nodded and smiled. "I do. Honest. I don't think it matters that you didn't wrap it, besides it's the thought that counts, right?" She really didn't mind that the present had been unwrapped, and was simply happy to have been thought of at all. "That does sound pretty amazing," she said happily. Though she couldn't stop her mind from thinking it wouldn't be long before she couldn't have such adventures for a while; if indeed she were to have any at all before she really started to show. "I'm glad to hear you and Chloe had such a good time," she added.
Before Arran had even said anything she had an inkling it was good news by the way he was grinning. Of course, she hadn't been expecting the news to be that. "That is definitely something that counts as good news," she commented, her tone still a little surprised. Though she supposed it really shouldn't be all that surprising considering how well they liked each other. "I am happy for you though, really," she added, meaning every word. Gemma chuckled at the retelling Arran gave of how the proposal had come about, and her first thought was how very them it had sounded. "I think you might need to work on your storytelling skills a little," she teased. Gemma suddenly paused as the realisation came to her that sometime down the road he'd be telling stories to her baby.
A second or two later she took a quick breath as she collected herself. "I'm being awfully rude in not offering you anything to drink or eat," she announced rather suddenly. "Did you want something to drink or eat? I'm sure I'll be able to find you something."
--
Arran smiled when Gemma said it was the thought that counted. He'd heard it before, of course, but he hadn't really understood it, because he'd never put very much thought into gifts, beyond wanting them to be funny - and even then, he based that on his own sense of humour. "I thought about it a lot," Arran informed Gemma seriously. "And it's not orange. I know it's sort of browny-yellowish, and that's almost orange, but honestly, they were all like that. I think it's just the colour that the straw is." Arran wasn't sure 'straw' was the right word, but he was going with it. Afraid he was starting to sound desperate for Gemma to recognise his efforts, Arran moved on. "I'll show you all the pictures when I get them developed," he promised. "There's quite a lot of, like, branches that Chloe thought had lizards on." By the time they'd got the camera out, the lizards had either disappeared or they'd never been there in the first place. "We can skip those ones."
The surprise on Gemma's face, and in her tone, was not unexpected. "I know it's quick," Arran said, because he wasn't stupid. He knew most people did not get married after a handful of months, but he and Chloe weren't most people. "But we know what we want, so why wait?" At least, that was how Arran was looking at it. "We haven't set a date yet, but I think soon? We talked about doing it before the next quidditch season." He laughed when Gemma suggested he needed to work on his storytelling skills. "That was a great story," Arran insisted. "Full of romance. Drama. What more could you want?"
He shook his head at Gemma's offer of a drink. "I'm going to tell mum and dad next," he explained. "I'm sure they'll feed me. So just a drink, maybe? I don't have to rush over there. Not when I haven't seen you in two weeks. How are you? Enjoying your time off?"
--
Gemma couldn't help but laugh as he told her that it wasn't orange but was almost orange. "I think you'll find there's rather a difference between browny-yellow and orange, and that in this instance the bag is definitely not in any way orange," she said. "Though I do appreciate that you were considerate and didn't get me something that was actually properly orange." Not that she would've really disliked the gift if it had been orange. She might not have been as enthused perhaps but she would've still appreciated being thought of. "I'd like that," she responded happily to his promise of showing his and Chloe's their holiday photos. "That's a shame. Did you manage to get any of lizards at all?"
She nodded when Arran mentioned they knew what they wanted and didn't see any point in waiting. As quick as it seemed she had to admit he had a point, and knowing they enjoyed each other's company... well, as quick as it was, there really wasn't much reason to wait was there? "That's seems like a good idea actually," she told him. Not that she thought he would likely mind it, but it would be one less thing to be on his mind when he returned to playing. "One less thing to be on your mind once you're back in the air playing," she added. Though the mention of Quidditch was another reminder that there'd be one less Higgs playing next season. Gemma arched an eyebrow when Arran insisted it was a great story. "Uh huh, not at all short or perhaps missing a little more explanation?" she teased.
Gemma didn't know whether to be relieved or not that it appeared Arran didn't seem to notice her short bouts of unease at all. "No doubt they will," she said with a smile. "What do you want to drink?" she asked as she gestured for him to follow to the kitchen. Sure of the fact there was bound to be something in the fridge or cupboards that he wouldn't mind. "Well, I'm glad for the company, and..." she paused. It didn't seem as if it had been two weeks since Arran and Chloe had left for their trip, and it didn't feel as if so much time had passed since her discovery. It still felt as if it had been only the other day when really it hadn't.
Not wanting to dance around the issue like she had the two times before, and knowing she couldn't keep worrying what everyone thought since it wouldn't do anyone any good, least of all herself. She had to trust that Terence was right and that no matter what her family would still support her. "Uh... well, that um kind of ties into why I was relieved at being saved the trip over to your place. I have my own bit of news you see," she explained, before taking a calming breath. "Almost two weeks ago I went to see a healer since I hadn't been feeling well, and it was then that I found out it wasn't because I was actually sick, even though I had been feeling sick, but um... well, it turned out that I'm pregnant." Gemma nervously watched for her brother's reaction.
--
Arran was pleased to be called considerate, because it meant all his efforts were actually paying off, so he pressed a swift kiss against Gemma’s cheek. “Best sister,” he informed her. The whole reason he was trying to be more considerate was because his family deserved a better brother, so it always meant a lot when they noticed and appreciated it. “You don’t have to pretend to like holiday photos,” Arran teased. “No one really likes holiday photos if there’s more than one or two. I’ll pick the best ones, and you can see those.” He shrugged at her question of whether they’d actually managed to get any pictures of lizards. “We won’t know until we develop them,” he explained. “We were using a magical camera, so there’s no preview.” Arran didn’t really understand why you wouldn’t use a magical camera, if you had the option, because then the photographs moved, and that was great.
“We’re not really going to have a wedding,” Arran explained, because the reason they were doing it so quickly wasn’t so much so that it wouldn’t be on Arran’s mind. He was sure Chloe would be as much on his mind as she was now, he wasn’t going to think about her more or less just because she was his wife. “So there’s not that much to plan. Just a party.” And Arran was quite good at planning parties – which usually involved little more than deciding to have one, inviting people, and pushing all his furniture out of the way. “And we’re not living together, so we don’t have to move.” For which Arran was quite grateful, because packing and unpacking were both horrible, even with magic. “There was plenty of explanation,” Arran insisted, but he was laughing. “Oh, ask Chloe, I’m sure she’ll tell it better. And she can tell you how I didn’t even answer right away, because I am trying to be less stupid.” Arran didn’t think marrying Chloe was stupid, but he did realise that answering without thinking it through at all would have been.
For all his improved attempts at consideration, Arran still wasn’t very observant of other people. It wasn’t something he even knew he needed to work on, because no one had pointed out to him that he wasn’t. He was completely oblivious to any unease Gemma might be feeling, too preoccupied with his own news and his own happiness. “Juice?” he asked. Chloe’s obsession with juice seemed to be rubbing off on Arran. Not to mention juice was tasty. “And?” Arran prompted, but Gemma was already continuing, talking about how she’d been to see a healer. Arran frowned, about to ask if she was sick, or injured, until she answered the question and Arran closed his mouth on the words he’d been going to say. For a long moment, Arran just watched Gemma, waiting for the words to start making some kind of sense.
“Pregnant,” he echoed, quietly. He didn’t know how to react. Gemma getting pregnant was not something Arran had ever needed to consider. Before Adrian, she hadn’t even had boyfriends to get pregnant with, and with a nan like Gladys Arran had simply assumed Gemma had birth control sorted. In the space in his brain where the right thing to say should have been – or anything to say – there was just nothing. “Have you told Tiggs?” Arran asked at last. His instinct when something was too much for him was always to direct it towards someone else, someone who could actually help, who wouldn’t make things worse. Thinking about his brother made Arran realise he was doing it again – being selfish, letting his own shit get in the way of being supportive. Except, even when he forced himself to stop and think about it Arran didn’t know how to be supportive. He didn’t have the least idea what Gemma would be thinking or feeling, so how was he supposed to help? “Are you-“ He stopped. “Do you want me to-“ His throat was starting to ache. “Is everything okay?”
--
Gemma smiled at the quick affection and the words that followed. "Only sister," she teasingly pointed out. She laughed when Arran told her she didn't have to pretend to like the holiday photos. "I think it's more that most people don't like seeing 20 shots of practically the same thing, or something like that," she commented. "Besides I have to live vicariously through your photos until I go on my own tropical adventure." Gemma nodded, and definitely understood. Although nice enough still photos were nothing compared to the movement and personality of wizarding photos.
It would maybe seem unusual to some but she thought she could understand the merit of only having something very small but a party to celebrate afterwards. "Well, so long as I'm invited to the party," she teased. Gemma might've thought the not living together rather odd but rather than thinking of what the situation meant for Arran and Chloe she couldn't help but think of her own situation, and the realisation that living arrangements was something she and Adrian needed to discuss - preferably before the baby arrived. "Oh yes, because 'something about juice' explains much," she said with a chuckle. "I'll do that then. Well, the trying seems to be going well for you so far."
Gemma blinked in confusion. While far from being at all a bad reaction (it certainly went better then the worst scenario she'd pictured) she didn't quite know how to take his response of whether she'd asked Tens yet. "Um... yeah, last weekend," she quietly replied. Gemma worriedly bit her bottom lip at how stilted Arran's half-asked questions sounded before he finished. "If you mean if I'm healthy and well? Then yeah, I'm okay," she replied. She felt fine, although there was still the nausea, and truthfully she wouldn't know absolutely for sure until her next appointment with the healer - which wasn't for a while. "Still feeling kind of overwhelmed at times, but... no, I'm doing okay as much as I can be okay."
--
The details of the wedding, not to mention the conversation about holiday photographs, seemed pretty unimportant when compared to the fact that Gemma was pregnant, so Arran shook his head to dismiss them. "Okay," he said, nodding slightly. It was good that Gemma had told Terence, because that meant she actually had someone who would know what the right thing to say was, rather than Arran who still couldn't seem to feel anything about Gemma's news. Except awkward, he felt plenty of that, because he knew he wasn't being a good brother, and he wanted to be, but that thought just chased its tail around in Arran's chest without anywhere to go. He didn't know how to be a good brother about this, and that didn't really seem to be something he could say to Gemma, because surely she had better things to be thinking about than how shit her brother was?
He winced when Gemma had to clarify what he meant. "Yeah," he said, nodding again. That had been what he meant - that Gemma was healthy and there weren't any complications (physically) that he should know about. When she carried on that she was feeling overwhelmed, it at least gave Arran something to try to respond to. He didn't really have any bright ideas for making her feel less overwhelmed, but he tried to focus on his sister, rather than himself. "Have you decided what to do?" Arran frowned, afraid he might be putting more pressure on Gemma and making things more overwhelming. "Not that you have to have," he said. "You've got time, yeah?" Arran honestly wasn't sure how these things worked, because he'd never needed to know.
--
Gemma knew full well that the news of her pregnancy was a lot to take in; after all, she still found moments where she felt the crush of it. Still she honestly didn't think Arran was being at all a terrible brother about, and she could understand that it wasn't something he'd be instantly understanding about, or knowing what to say or do for that matter. Gemma believed it could've gone a lot worse than the current awkward feeling that was hanging in the air between them.
"Adrian and I already decided we're going to keep the baby," she replied. Though she wasn't sure how much time it'd take to get used to the idea, and she only hoped it was at least sometime before the baby arrived. "Well, that is properly keeping it and not um adopting out or anything," she clarified. "Though we haven't really decided on anything else yet." Partly because she just wasn't sure yet but mostly she figured it had a little more to do with Adrian being considerate and not wanting to pressure her into any quick decisions. "Though there's still time for other decisions since I'm uh only about a month or so along," she told him. "Still kind of have to work up the nerve to go to my team to let them know..."
--
"Oh," Arran said again. Knowing that Gemma was actually planning to have the baby just seemed to make Arran feel more at sea. He felt like he should have more of a definite reaction, and without one it was hard to know what he was supposed to do or say. Focusing on Gemma didn't really seem to help, because he couldn't predict or relate to how she might be feeling. "Well, good," he said, referring more to the fact that she'd made a decision than what the decision actually was. "What else is there to decide?" he asked. Arran couldn't think of much, but his mind had gone so blank he didn't really trust that.
It was only when Gemma mentioned her team that Arran realised she wasn't going to be able to play quidditch - at least for a little while. "Shit," he said. "Yeah." He paused, once again trying to think of what Gemma might want to hear. "They'll be alright though," he told her. "I mean, they have to be, there's laws and stuff." Arran couldn't have told Gemma what the laws were, but he was certain he'd heard that they existent, that pregnant women couldn't be discriminated against or chucked off their teams.
--
Gemma gave a small smile. "Quite a bit, surprisingly," she replied. "At least... well, I assume there's still a lot to decide. I'm not too sure actually." Honestly though she really wasn't entirely sure just how many decisions there were to be made - only that it felt like there was. "I suppose it's just as well that I've some to make them at least," she added.
"Don't worry I know," she said, with a nod of her head. Whether there were laws or not though, it would still be many months before she could even attempt a return to Quidditch. "I just don't know if I could go back to playing though," she admitted. "I mean, it'll be another eight months before the baby arrives and I wouldn't... I couldn't just leave him or her at home to go off and play Quidditch." As much as she loved and enjoyed the sport Gemma just somehow knew she couldn't leave the care of the baby to someone else while she played. It, the baby, was going to be her responsibility after all. Gemma sighed and frowned slightly. "Something I'll have to get used to I suppose."
--
If Gemma wasn't sure what there was to decide, Arran had absolutely no idea. He also didn't really want to think about it. Fortunately, none of them were decisions he had to make. "Yeah," he agreed, with a nod. "You've got plenty of time, Gem." That, at least, Arran felt he could say to be reassuring. He was sure nothing that needed to be decided was immediate, not when Gemma had already been to see the healers, and told Adrian.
He did frown when Gemma said she didn't know if she could go back to playing. "Of course you could," Arran said decisively. "It's quidditch." He knew how much quidditch meant to Gemma, because it meant the same amount to him. "Mum didn't leave us at home to work," he pointed out. "She left us with dad, and dad left us with mum." His frown deepened. "Isn't Adrian going to help?" It was, after all, Adrian's child too, and as long as there were two parents Arran didn't see why they both shouldn't be able to work. His parents had managed it, and at least two of their children had turned out brilliantly. "You don't have to get used to it," he insisted, then frowned. "You do while you're pregnant, I guess," he conceded. Adrian couldn't really help with that bit. "But not after."
--
Living arrangements was one of the bigger worries. Gemma didn't want to give up the home she'd worked so hard for any more than she was sure Adrian didn't want to give up his. Maybe that was the next thing she should discuss with Adrian, unless something else popped up first.
Gemma smiled a little. She liked that Arran thought she could still play afterwards. However, there was a difference though between wanting to and actually being able to play though. She just wasn't sure she could do the same as what her parents had done (never mind the fact that they were actually married) when she already felt as if she might not manage. "Of course he is," she replied, frowning slightly. It was probably the only area where she didn't have any kind of doubts at all; even if she was still a little worried that Adrian might only be staying because of the baby. "It's just... just..." She closed her eyes and let out a frustrated sigh. "I don't know. I'd love to keep playing Quidditch if I could - you know I would," she said. "But it's not just being able to get back to playing though - there's the press to think about. They've already torn me down about my age; how do you think they'd be about this if I go back to playing after the baby?"
--
Arran was relieved when Gemma said Adrian was going to help, because he hadn't been able to think of any other reason why she would necessarily have to be the one to give up her job. Not to mention, Gemma having more people who actually knew the right thing to say was definitely something Arran was grateful for, and he trusted Adrian to be someone who did know the right things to say. "I know," Arran agreed, moving closer to run a hand over Gemma's shoulder. He did know that she'd love to keep playing, because they'd both always loved quidditch. He still thought that that she could, though. "Fuck the press, Gem," he said. "Why would you care what they think? They're wrong about your age and they'll be wrong about this, too." Arran really saw no reason at all why what the press wrote should affect what Gemma chose to do with her career, anymore than he'd stopped playing when the press basically called him a Death Eater.
"It's not as if the press get to decide whether you get to play," Arran pointed out. "They can write whatever they like, but as long as you're good, teams will still hire you and put you into games." That Gemma might lose the fitness she needed while pregnant, or be unable to get back into shape after, was not something Arran had stopped to consider. As far as Arran was concerned, if Gemma want to play then there shouldn't be anything that stopped her. "If you need me to, I'll go and glitterbomb more reporters' houses," he teased. He probably wouldn't really do that. Probably. "Or we can do what Max suggested and arrange a boycott. Whatever it takes, yeah?" Arran would absolutely be willing to fight anyone who tried to stop Gemma from playing before she was ready to stop for her own reasons.
--
Gemma was thankful for that small bit of comfort - as she was for any bit of comfort of late. "I know I shouldn't, and logically I know what they print is a load of shit, but..." She paused with a sigh before continuing. "A baby is going to be stressful enough as it is. I don't want or need to have the press giving me crap on top of that. I don't want them to ruin my love of the game." Gemma was aware that she and Adrian would be sharing the care and responsibility of the baby, and taking it in turn so that neither of them had to give up their respective careers could work but such a plan would work a lot better if they both worked worked better scheduled jobs.
Gemma nodded in agreement that Arran had a point, and the Falcons had always been good to and supportive of her; whether it was dealing with crap from the press or after-care from the few Quidditch accidents she'd had over the years. Though she was equally aware it would be hard work getting back to the level of fitness and ability that she was currently at after having had the baby. She chuckled when he teased he could always glitterbomb more reporters' houses if need be. "I don't think we need that," she said with a smile. "Joking or not, I appreciate the offer." Unsure if she wanted it to go quite so far as that, Gemma nonetheless appreciated that in this she'd have Arran supporting her if she chose that path. "Yeah," she replied. "Though I hope you won't be upset or anything if I decide not to play?"
Gemma wanted to move the conversation back to something easy that wouldn't have her worrying about decisions yet to be made. "So that I don't go from best to worst sister, I should probably get you that juice I asked you about," she commented. "If you still want it?"
--
"Can't you just… ignore them?" Arran asked, puzzled. He didn't really see how being stressed would necessarily mean Gemma had to let the press ruin anything. He knew that avoiding the press entirely wasn't really possible, not unless you stopped reading the journal network completely. He didn't like the idea of Gemma letting idiotic reporters decide her future for her. If she wanted to play quidditch, Arran thought that Gemma shouldn't let anything stop her, because he just wanted her to be happy, doing the things she loved.
Arran shrugged when Gemma said she didn't need him to glitterbomb anything. "We can do something fun, instead," he offered, because despite the headache it had caused, glitterbombing had been great fun. "Something pregnancy-appropriate." Arran didn't even know what that might include, but he could always google it next time he went to his nan's. When Gemma asked how he'd feel if she decided not to play, Arran frowned. He honestly hadn't thought about it, and the idea of Gemma not playing, not sharing the league with him, did wrench something inside him. He pushed that away. "I just don't want you to stop because you feel like you have to," he explained. "If you want to, that's different." Arran wasn't sure he'd understand that decision, but then he didn't really think he needed to, either.
"You could never be the worst sister," he assured her, smiling. "But yes, I will have that juice."
--
"I know I can do that, but for how long?" she asked, even though she wasn't really looking for an answer. Gemma knew she could just ignore them but it wasn't something she wanted to be doing forever. Besides reporters weren't the only factor she had to consider when it came to deciding whether she continued playing Quidditch or not. At least time was on her side for making that decision even if she knew she couldn't put off telling her coach and the rest of the team management about the pregnancy.
"That sounds like an excellent plan," she said with a smile. With all the thoughts swimming about her head Gemma was of the opinion she definitely needed to have some fun lest she get too down or stressed about the pregnancy. She also knew she could do with reminding that just because she was pregnant for the next eight months didn't mean she couldn't not have any fun at all. Gemma nodded at Arran's explanation. "Well, I'll properly think about it before deciding anything, promise," she told him.
"One juice coming up," she announced with a grin. Then she headed to a nearby cupboard, retrieved two glasses and set them on the bench before grabbing the juice from the fridge. After pouring, and shifting one of the glasses over to Arran, she clinked hers against his in a mock toast. "Here's to us and our exciting life changes," she said. Even if she wasn't quite at the stage of being genuinely happy or excited about being pregnant. However, she was excited for Arran's news and that, she thought, was the main thing.