Gideon runs up on rival gang leaders cribs. (abcdefgideon) wrote in throwingstones, @ 2009-12-23 16:27:00 |
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Entry tags: | ! complete, [december 1978], gideon prewett, greta prewett |
Who: Gideon and Greta
When: 23 December, 1978
Where: Their Flat
What: Ideas
Rating: A for Adorable
Status: Completed log
Even though Christmas was only two days away, Greta couldn't get excited. Not today. Today was the 5th year anniversary of her mother's death, and no matter what she did, she couldn't cheer up. She missed her mother more than anything in the world, and it was hard to be bright on a day like today. So she'd taken the day off of work, and Gideon had just come home from work and they were spending the rest of the day together, but neither seemed to be talking much. They were currently in their new living room, sitting on their plush new carpet by the roaring fire and the Christmas tree. Greta leaned against Gideon as she flipped through a bridal magazine, with Lily's to-do list right next to her, and even though there were a billion things she needed to check off, she couldn't concentrate on any of them. Her eyes went to the top of the tree instead where the fairycake topper she and her mum had made when she was seven stood and sparkled happily. Greta vividly remembered the day she and her mother had made the tree topper. After the angel that had sat atop the tree for so long had fallen and broken, Heidi Catchlove had declared it was high time for a new topper anyway. She and Greta had gone to an arts and crafts store, and spent the rest of the making a new one: a glittering, lit up, fairy cake. The topper was one of the few things that Greta had kept of her mother’s. most of Heidi’s things had been donated to the homeless as per her mother’s request, but a few certain things, the toper, her apron, and some jewelry, Greta had kept for herself. It was something she planned on keeping forever and passing on to her children. She exhaled a nostalgic sigh, but broke her concentration on the topper when she felt their puppy's, Butterscotch's, cold nose on her ankle. "Hiya Butterscotch." But even that greeting wasn't as happy as it usually was, and she scratched her puppy's head more out of habit then anything else, leaning more into Gideon for the support and love that she needed on a day like today. Normally Gideon was very attentive and did his best to help Greta through this day but his own unhappiness seemed to be impeding his ability to be uplifting. He loved Christmas and December was easily his favourite month of the year (August falling a close second), but instead of focusing on all the joy of the holiday he could only think about how he would lose his brother just over a week. What was he supposed to do without Fabian there? He knew that Greta would be his saving grace, but even she couldn't fill the void completely. Caradoc and the Longbottoms would offer their help, but it wouldn't do any good. A piece of Gideon was leaving to become a Death Eater and he'd let it happen. Gideon snapped out of his train of depressing thoughts at the sound of Greta's voice. It killed him to think about the things that Fabian would say to her over the course of the operation. Gideon couldn't tell her, so he would just have to comfort her when she cried while he pretended that his brother was a monster. He gave his fiancée a half smile when she leaned into him and he snaked an arm around her so that he could give Butterscotch a quick pat. "You all right, cupcake?" He knew the answer but he asked anyway, just in case she had something she wanted to say. "Yeaaaah." Greta replied with an exhale of breath, really not sure how she was supposed to answer the question. She was okay okay, she wasn't going to run off and do anything stupid, but she wasn't herself, and she knew it, and not even the wedding was enough to distract her from today. "I just miss her a lot." She said quietly and fingered the pearl pendant on her necklace. Like the topper, it had been her mother's, and Greta almost never took it off. "Five years doesn't seem as long as it is." But she hated being down; it wasn't her. She liked being happy, bringing everyone around her happiness by osmosis or something, so maybe if she changed the subject, things would get better. "Do you think Fabian will look nice in a vest?" She looked down to the advertisement in the magazine and tried to picture Fabian in it. Gideon glanced down at the picture and he tilted his head, also trying to imagine his brother in a vest. He held back the sigh building in his chest. Fabian wasn't even going to be at the wedding, let alone in it and Gideon couldn't believe that he was going to have to prepare for one of the biggest moments in his life without his best friend. It was possible that Fabian would be back in a year, but Gideon couldn't be sure. There were a lot of people that would be missing the wedding, he realised. Neither of them would have real family there. Molly and Arthur and the kids would come, but Greta's parents were dead and Gideon's would never dream of attending. Fabian would be a Death Eater. All the planning seemed to be pointless all of a sudden. And then it hit him. They'd wanted a Christmas Eve wedding since the first began planning the whole thing but what was stopping them from getting married this Christmas Eve. It would be be tricky and stressful and there would be a million things that would go wrong, but Fabian would be there and Gideon wouldn't have to wait a year to marry Greta. They could cut the stress of one year into one day. They could be married by Christmas morning. "I just had a funny idea, Gret." He moved so he was back to the fire, staring at her like a little kid on Christmas morning. "Let's get married tomorrow. We could tell everybody to show up sort of dressed alike. We wouldn't have to deal with all this stress. Merlin, the wedding is a year away and already we've talked about how tired we are. We could do it in the garden!" He bounced a little. "What do you think?" Greta watched Gideon carefully, noticed his bouncing and his big eyes, but she was having trouble processing what he was actually saying. A wedding? Tomorrow? "What?" She laughed in utter disbelief. This had to be a joke. He couldn't be serious. "We couldn't, Gideon." She shook her head and picked up Lily's list, shaking it in his face teasingly. "There are so many things we have to do, we couldn't do it in less than 24 hours! We have no flowers, or food, or music, and it's going to snow tomorrow! No one wants to sit outside in our garden while it snows." He looked so cute like that, it made her want to give in, but she just couldn't. It would be impossible. He shook his head as if to dispute each word. He'd already planned it all out in his mind and this could work, Lily's list be damned. "It's fine, it'll all be fine. I know charms well enough to set up the porch and garden to be covered in warming charms. We can make little snowflakes fall and then evaporate before they touch the guests. Lights will be easy, music is not even an issue! Just leave the decorations and flowers and those little things to me. I'll get up early and take care of the running around. You can call the girls into work early and they can do your daily projects while you do food. It doesn't have to be fancy, just something quick and easy. Hell, we can do a pot luck if that would be easier." He sat back on his legs and stared at her, sitting so perfectly underneath the tree. "I just can't wait a whole year to marry you, Greta Catchlove. You know how I am when I get something in my head and this would be the best Christmas gift ever." And suddenly, as she listened to Gideon with all of his plans and ideas, things began to make sense to Greta too. They could do this. They could have their wedding, and she wouldn't have to wait more than 24 hours until she was Mrs Gideon Prewett. He was right. This all could be done. She just needed the girls from work, and Lily, and Charity, and Dorcas, and they could do this. They could be married tomorrow. She could throw that silly organiser away and never have to think about linens or place settings or anything again. Because it wouldn't matter. Because they'd be married. On Christmas Eve. TOMORROW. "Okay!" She laughed and covered her face in her hands as she shook her head in disbelief. She knew that even though some part of her brain was telling her this was a bad idea, that she might kill herself trying to get this together, she could never resist that look on Gideon's face in a million years. Her hands fell from her face and she beamed at her future husband. "Okay, let's do it. Let's get married tomorrow." Gideon's face lit up when he realised that she was agreeing and he practically tipped her backward into the tree with a hug and a quick kiss. It was going to be amazing. Picking out vests by the fire one day, getting married the very next. He couldn't believe that he was actually going to get to marry this girl. It seemed almost unreal to him. "We'll ward to everyone tonight, tell them that we're impatient crazy people, and then we'll have a really small nighttime wedding tomorrow." He sighed and moved back so that he was snuggling Greta, Butterscotch lazing through their flailing. "I can't believe we're going to do this. It's crazy!" He smiled at her. "I love you." She really couldn't believe she'd told him yes. She couldn't believe it, but here it was. They were going to get married tomorrow. Tomorrow. To-Mor-Row. Her mind reeled with all the things she had to do, all the food she had to cook, goodness it was a lot, but then she knew it didn't matter, because she had Gideon and that was all that mattered, that she was marrying him. "I love you too." She snuggled into him, burrowing her nose in his jumper, and laughing in disbelief. "We're insane." She giggled, but it didn't stop her from still going along with this. For a moment, she wished her parents could be here, but it was Christmas Eve if there was going to be any time they would be here for her in spirit, it was then. As she snuggled with Gideon, her mind raced through all the things she had to do tonight. She'd have to ward the girls, get anyone's help she could, and she'd have to start cooking. If there was one thing she wanted at her wedding to be perfect, it was that cake, and she already had ideas, and then she realised. "Goodness!" Greta jumped up, an incredibly scared look on her face. "Gideon, you have to go! You can't see me on our wedding day or the night before or something like that." She looked to the clock on her mantle and noticed it was still early, they had time before it was bad luck, but still she had work to do. Gideon stared at her with a half shocked smile. "Wait, you're kicking me out? I don't think chucking your future husband onto the streets is actually a tradition, Gret." He rose to his feet slowly and he grabbed her by the waist and smiled down at her. Mrs. Gideon Prewett. It was absolutely insane. He was the happiest he'd ever been, at least until tomorrow. He leaned down and gave her a quick kiss on the nose as he chuckled. "I'll head over to the flat and give Fabian the news. I'm sure he'll roll his eyes and tell me we're bonkers, but I don't care. This is so exciting." "And you'll stay the night there buster." Greta bopped him on the nose, grinning from ear to ear. "Tradition or not, I have so much work to do, and I won't get any of it done if you're dipping your fingers in things and distracting me with your soon-to-be-husbandness." Husband. Husband. Goodness gracious! "We're getting married!" She giggled and jumped up and down, clapping her hands with sheer joy. "By this time tomorrow, we'll be Mr and Mrs Gideon Prewett and then a few hours later it'll be Christmas and everyone we love will be here and we're getting married!!!!!!" He had no idea what Fabian would do. Normally he would tell Gideon that he was crazy, insane, or some variation of those things, but things were different now. Fabian would know that Gideon was changing the date so he could be there. This was almost completely because of him. Well, not completely. Gideon honestly couldn't wait to marry Greta. This spur of the moment wedding was exactly what they needed, especially after what had happened at the Ministry. Maybe they didn't have a year, and that was not a risk that Gideon was willing to take. He leaned in and kissed her. It didn't last long, and he smiled when he pulled back as his entire face lit up at her last words. They were getting married. "Okay, Cupcake. Let me go throw some things in a bag and then I'll leave you to it. But you have to promise me that you won't burn yourself out trying to get ready for this. All right?" All those kisses and all this excitement, goodness! This was just the most wonderful thing that ever could have happened to them wasn't it? She hoped against hope that all their friends that were at Mungo's were healed enough by now so that they could be there tomorrow, but she couldn't think too long on that, there was still so much to do! She gave Gideon a dubious look at his warning and tried to avoid the promise as cutely as possible. "Mmmm I can't promise but I'll try my best. But there's just so much, Gideon! We need food, and a cake! And I still need my something old, new, borrowed, and blue. Well, I think I have old and blue, and I guess I can always ask Dorcas for borrowed, and maybe I'll make her go buy something, because she's not allowed to help cook...and you're going to do the music and the flowers and Lily is aces with charms so she can help ready the house, ooooh maybe she'll clean..." and then she caught herself on her tangent and blushed furiously, "Sorry. Okay, go get your bag. I should see what we have that I could make that could feed mass people." Gideon gave her one more kiss and then nearly sprinted down the hallway with the dog at his heels, barking with all the excitement. In moments he had his bag on the bed and he was throwing things into it, grinning like a madman the entire time. He was going to be a husband. It was amazing. Not once that day had he ever stopped to think about what it would be like to get married and now he could not think of anything else. He zipped up his bag and was back in the living room in no time. He didn't really want to leave her, but he knew it was the rule. They did have the rest of their lives, after all. "Okay, I'm going. Don't burn out and don't do anything crazy. I love you, Greta." This time it was Greta's turn to be the one giving kisses, and so she pulled Gideon down to meet her lips, keeping them there a bit longer than innocent. But they were getting married tomorrow and he was leaving her for the night, she needed something to last until the officiator said 'I now proclaim you bonded for life.' "I love you too, Giddybear." She smiled and rubbed her nose against his. "Thank you for making this day as wonderful as it could possibly be. Only you could do that." This was softer, sweeter, gentler, because she knew he'd understand she was talking about her depression concerning her mum and not just any random day. It was at that moment that his brain had another thought, and he literally jumped back and away from her. He quickly ran to the Christmas tree and rummaged around all the gifts that were down there. He hadn't really noticed how many gifts they'd bought for people until he needed to find one specific box. After a moment he resurfaced, perfectly wrapped box in hand, and he turned back to face his fiancée. "I bought this for you as a Christmas gift, but I want you to open it now. This will count as your something new, so it's not cheating. I think today is the perfect day to give this to you anyway, all things considered." He gave her a smile and then held out the box for her. "Happy Christmas." Greta looked at the box for a moment, almost tempted to tell Gideon no, but he looked so excited, and if it was going to be her something new, she couldn't really push it away. So instead, she took the box, a little too excited, and unwrapped it carefully. The wrapping paper fell to the floor, and her eyes fell upon a tiny velvet box. Jewelry. "Gideon..." Her voice was almost fearful, he'd just tendered his resignation, he didn't need to buy her jewelry, but all fear in her voice disappeared when she opened the box itself. Nuzzled into the velvet lining was a pair of pearl studs with little diamonds, ones that looked just like the pendant on her mother's necklace, ones that Greta had always sworn her mother had worn to match, but had been unable to find at the time of her death. Her eyes grew large with excitement, and in fact, tears of surprise and joy and sheer touchedness began to well up. "Gideon! They're beautiful and perfect and where did you--" But she cut herself off by wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him again, almost jumping on him, but stopping herself at the last second. She was the luckiest girl in the whole wide world. The look on her face when she saw the earrings was exactly what he'd been going for. They'd been custom made and had cost him a very pretty sickle, but it was worth it. Her reaction was worth every bit of money spent. He nearly toppled over when she threw herself up to kiss him, but he didn't mind. Tomorrow was going to be the best day of their lives. "I'm glad you like them, Gret. I knew you needed something special for Christmas and this was the only thing I could think of. So now you just have something old and something new. I think we can round up the rest without a problem." "Oh they're perfect and you're perfect!" Greta was truly about to cry she was so happy. Only Gideon would know how much something like those earrings would mean to her, and to think, they'd be her something new; it was like her mum was actually going to be at the wedding. She loved him so much. "Thank you." She realised she hadn't said it. "I love you so so so so so so so so so so so much, and I know that tomorrow will be perfect, it can't not be." One last time, she kissed him, lingering there as she debated not kicking him out, but finally deciding to because of all her work. "Okay, go." She gave his bum a playful smack. "Or we'll be foodless at our wedding." She giggled, but pulled him back for one final kiss. "Okay, now you can go for real." |