Mary Poppins is Practically Perfect in Every Way (prac_perfect) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2018-08-15 10:52:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, mary poppins, william laurence |
Who: Laurence & Mary
What: An inside picnic dinner
When: After the text message
Where: Laurence’s apartment
Rating: Low
Status: Complete!
After receiving Laurence’s rather strange text messages, Mary didn’t hesitate to offer her help and meet him at his apartment with a few things for him. Whatever the situation may have been, he seemed to be in such a delirium that extra assistance was needed. She figured it wouldn’t be any more difficult than a young child with a fever and she packed a surprise lunch, the picnic that should have been their evening out.
She followed the directions on her phone, stopping outside his apartment to verify the number one more time. Yes, this was the place. She had a picnic basket in one hand, her umbrella in the other. This summer was turning into such a hot one that she kept her umbrella with her most days to hide from the glare of the sun. But she pulled it down and made her way up to the front door, giving it a knock with the end of it. She hoped Laurence was in a disposition to answer the door.
It had been some time since Laurence had made it home, and while his mind was still foggy, the drugs, for the most part, had worn off. He’d reread the texts that he’d exchanged with Mary, and had, quite promptly, wished he could just sink into his mattress to never emerge. How utterly humiliating. And to Mary no less. The things that she must have thought of him.
When he heard the knock on the door, he braced himself. He was expecting Mary, it was true, but it didn’t mean he had any desire to see her. Not after so embarassing an exchange. It would, however, be rude to keep her waiting out the door, and with Spencer out, it fell to him to answer it. He emerged from his bed, and frowned down at his clothes. He was still in his pyjamas; it was hardly the attire that he wished he could see Mary in. But the length of time it would take to change into something presentable, especially with the cumbersome brace on his leg, wouldn’t just border on rudeness, it would be rudeness itself.
He had to use his crutch to make it to the door, but before he answered it he threw on a long jacket on over his broad shoulders to help cover at least some of his dignity, even if his pyjama pants showed underneath it, no thought paid to the fact that wearing a long jacket indoors on a hot day was far more foolish than just wearing his pyjamas.
Then, he braced himself and opened the door. “Mary, you’ll have to forgive my appearance,” he said hastily, suddenly concerned that his curly blond hair was also in disarray. He hadn’t had a chance to tame it yet that day. “And, of course, the messages I sent you earlier today. I wasn’t quite in my right mind. I hope that I haven’t offended you.”
As the door swung open, Mary only saw his face and smiled. She hadn’t realized how much she had been looking forward to seeing him. It wasn’t until a moment after that she realized what he was saying and she was ushered inside, away from the warmth of the day.
Once her eyes adjusted inside, she turned to greet him and finally noticed his appearance. It seemed that he had tried to make himself look presentable while still in his pyjamas. Mary couldn’t help but smile again, noting the concern on his face. “Don’t worry about it at all William! I was so shocked to hear that you had been injured! How have you been doing?” She glanced at his attire again, her smile warming. “Don’t you think it’s a bit hot for that? Here, let me help you with it off.” Mary set her basket down, leaning her umbrella against it. She held her hands out for him to lean against so he could carefully take the jacket off. She worried that even in an air conditioned flat, he would still overheat with it on.
“Have I disturbed your sleep? I apologize, we should have set up a more concrete time!”
Laurence flushed, a little embarrassed. It was one thing for Spencer to see him in his nightclothes, but it was something else entirely to let a woman who he wasn’t related to see them. Especially not a woman like Mary. “I’m quite comfortable,” he assured her, which wasn’t entirely the truth. It was getting rather warm under the coat. He wished he had thought to grab something a little lighter from the closet.
“You haven’t disturbed my sleep at all, though I’m sure that’s how it looks.” Dishevelled and slovenly, which were two traits Mary had been clear that she disapproved of. “Come, let me put on a pot of coffee. Unless you’d prefer tea?” He himself had always prefered coffee. He turned to lead her, limping, into the apartment. He kept it sparsely furnished and neatly decorated, though he had allowed Spencer to add what she’d like. It was her home as well, after all. And while he’d been unable to do any tidying on that particular day, he kept his place very tidy.
Mary couldn’t help but smile as he turned his back to her. He seemed to be rather stubborn at the moment, but she wasn’t about to scold him like she would her cares. If he wanted to try and wear something so ridiculous, she would let him. It seemed better to humor him at this point than to make a fuss. She did disapprove of him trying to host. “William, now I must protest.” She moved to step in front of him, placing her hand on his arm to stop him. “I don’t expect you to host in your current condition! I came over to help you, please allow me.” She gave him a gentle smile, not wanting to bruise his pride in any way. But she was worried he would only hurt himself further while on that crutch.
“Here.” She pulled a chair out for him to sit and set another across for him to put up his foot. “You can just tell me where everything is located. I’ll get everything right.” She smiled, happy to be able to help. “What sort of tea do you have?”
Laurence opened his mouth to protest, but with her hand on his arm, he found it quite impossible to find his tongue. By the time he had, she had already pulled up a chair for him to sit in, and so, obediently, he did so. As much as it chaffed him, he knew she was right. The doctor had stressed the need for him to take these next few days easy and to not overstrain his leg.
“Earl Grey and Tetley,” Laurence answered. He was sure there were a few other varieties in the cupboard, but those were the ones he most often chose when he decided on tea instead of coffee. “They’re in that cupboard there,” he said, gesturing to one of them. “The kettle is in the cupboard below.”
Mary moved through the kitchen as if it were her own, opening and closing cabinets as directed and she soon had the kettle on the stove. “There, we’ll be set in no time.” She came to sit across from William. “Do you have a preference of tea?” She would let the sick choose their choice of beverage. “I hope you don’t mind, but I brought the picnic lunch we should of had. Are you hungry?”
For his own part, Laurence had no appetite, which he was willing to attribute to the painkillers. He had not yet eaten that day, and he knew in the normal course of things he would have worked up a ravenous appetite by now. Besides, it seemed very rude to refuse, especially when Mary had gone through all the trouble of preparing and bringing it. “Yes, very,” he lied. “I haven’t eaten yet today, and could certainly use some food.” That, at least, was closer to the truth. “I’m very sorry that I had to cancel our outing. I had been looking forward to seeing the fireworks with you.”
A wide smile spread across Mary’s face at his acceptance and she started to unpack her picnic basket. She had a little bit of everything and it may have seemed like her basket was never ending. Various salads, cheese plates, fruits, veggies, sandwiches, and sides were placed on the table, each within their own tupperware container which she opened and placed the lid underneath.
“I may have gone a bit overboard,” she said, unwrapping and opening the very last of it. “But I wasn’t quite sure what it was you might like, so I decided to make a bit of everything!” She looked at him, blushing a bit at feeling a bit foolish. Did she look too desperate for his approval?
She smiled at his comment however, picking up a plate and putting a little bit of everything on it. “I was looking forward to it as well,” she said, a warmth in her voice that was usually lacking with most people. “Perhaps we’ll be able to see them next year.”
Laurence looked at the spread before him and tried not to let the dismay cross his face. As much as he could force himself to eat, he didn’t think there was any way that he could help Mary finish all of this off.
“It looks truly wonderful,” he said with sincerity. If Mary had gone through all the trouble of preparing this, the least he could do would be to do his best to eat it, even if it meant filling his stomach to the point of bursting.
“Perhaps even before that,” he said, picking up one of the finger sandwiches. “I should hope that there would be another occasion for fireworks before next July.” He took a bite.
Mary noticed a slight change in his face, but didn’t comment on it. If he truly did not want the food, she wouldn’t be too hurt if he turned it down. She couldn’t help but still feel a bit pleased at his praise as she had put a lot of effort into their picnic. Whenever ideal situations turned sour, she always tried to turn it around and work through it. She was quite happy to just be able to spend the time with William.
“Are fireworks quite common here?” Mary sat across from him, putting together a plate for herself. She took a little bit of everything as well, choosing more sweet than savory things to eat.
“I’m led to believe they happen quite often in Disneyland,” Laurence said, though he’d never been to Disney himself so he couldn’t attest to that with full confidence. He didn’t think he would want to watch the fireworks with Mary in a place like that either. “But I believe for many special occasions they have it. I’ve been told to expect them during the upcoming Fleet Week.”
“Ah yes, Disneyland.” Mary couldn’t help but smile, very familiar with the place. “The children always ask if we can go there, but I just can’t justify the expense! Especially when there are far better places to take them for free.” Mary wasn’t completely against Disneyland, but she felt it was a very overly hyped place to go, not to mention overwhelming. The crowds she had heard that gathered there, especially during the summer! Why someone would spend their hard earned money to walk shoulder to shoulder with strangers was beyond her.
“Fleet Week? I’m afraid I’m not familiar with it.”
“You have children?” Laurence asked, a little surprised. He had thought that Mary was unattached, both in the realm of having a husband and having children. He had no qualms with unmarried or single mothers, but the thought hadn’t even crossed his mind that Mary could be one.
“It’s a tradition of the Americans. Some of the ships which have been abroad come home and dock in the major cities. The crew can enjoy the local sights, and the public can take a tour of the ships. I’m given to understand that it is quite the spectacle, though this will be my first one.”
Mary blinked in confusion before she realized what he was talking about. She supposed it wasn’t a strange thing to consider as she spoke about her wards as if they were her own. She knew she certainly looked after them as if they were. “Oh no, I apologize. I nanny for a couple of families! Those are the children I was speaking of.” She shook her head, a small smile on her face. “No, I have no children of my own.” There wasn’t necessarily any sadness to that statement, although she felt a sort of social standard that she should be married and with children of her own. Still, she was quite happy with where she was now and tried not to think about her personal life too much.
“Sounds exciting,” she said, although she thought about all the other people who would find it an excuse to get drunk and act inappropriately. Still, there seemed to be very little that needed celebrating for people to do that, so she couldn’t fault them for this particular event. “I’ll have to look into it!”
Laurence felt an immediate sense of relief, followed by a pang of guilt. Whether Mary had children or not was of no concern of his, truly. “My apologies for misinterpreting,” Laurence said. “I hope I have not caused any offense.” She didn’t seem offended by the question, which he was grateful for, but then, his brain was addled enough by these blasted painkillers that he was wearing a coat overtop his pyjamas while sitting in his own apartment. It suddenly occurred to him just how he must have looked, and he coloured slightly.
“I’m sure it will be. I must confess, I am very much looking forward to experiencing it myself,” he said, grateful to change the topic, while wondering if it would be better or worse to slip off his coat now.
“No need for apologies,” she said, shaking her head and batting away the idea of any sort of offense. While it may have been a delicate subject, she knew that he did not intend it in that way. She had a feeling that Laurence was one of the few gentlemen left in the world, those that didn’t speak of inappropriate things for the sake of speaking about them! “There was no offense taken.” She smiled over at him before taking another bite from her plate.
“Since this seems to be an American celebration, I’m guessing you don’t actually need to work it then? Do you think you’ll still attend in any sort of uniform?”
“I’m not sure what my duties will be just yet, though I’m sure there will be some,” Laurence said. It seemed like a big deal, just to have him off-duty for the whole thing. “But yes, if there’s any ceremony to be had, I’ll most certainly be attending in uniform.”
Mary didn’t know much about what type of uniform Laurence actually wore, but she couldn’t help the picture of him in a uniform, a smile playing on her lips.
“How are you feeling? Can I do anything else to make you more comfortable?” Mary was perhaps overstaying her welcome, but she was loathe to leave him alone to fend for himself.
Laurence hesitated for just another moment, before shrugging his shoulders out of his jacket. “It is a little warm,” he said, pulling it the rest of the way off. “I’d hate to impose, but perhaps you would hang it back up in the closet near the entrance.”
“It’s not an imposition at all.” Mary smiled her reassurance, folding his jacket over her arm and taking it to the closet. It seemed to be fairly full, but she was able to find an empty hanger to put his jacket onto. She couldn’t help but pause when she saw a good assortment of women’s jacket’s hanging in his closet. She suddenly worried if she had the wrong idea with William and his intentions. But he was such a gentleman, he surely wouldn’t have lead her on if he was currently in a relationship!
Or perhaps she had misunderstood the situation. She frowned, upset as she didn’t usually misread people. It was something she prided herself in, but she may have missed the mark in this case. She realized she had been standing with the closet door open, her hand clenched around the doorknob. She made herself let go of it, the frown gone but the faintest trace of disappointment on her face.
“I fear I’ve overstayed my welcome,” she said, coming back to the table and taking plates to empty and clean. “It won’t be a moment until I can clean this up.” She finally brought herself to look William in the eye. “You should lie down for a bit. I did not intend to keep you up for so long!”
Laurence’s brow knitted together, more than a little confused at Mary’s sudden about-face. “You’ve not overstayed in the least,” he said, slowly, wondering if and how he had offended her. “I was hoping that you would stay for at least a cup of tea, though if you have other pressing matters to attend…” Well, it would be a disappointment, to be sure. He should have known better than to have allowed her to come. He was hardly fit company at the moment as it was, his mind thick with the painkillers.
And then he would go and say something like that! He seemed to truly enjoy her company, as she had enjoyed his, and it seemed like he wished to spend more time with her! Perhaps she was thinking about this irregularly. She glanced at him, wondering if she would be able to come to an answer without being so forthright in her questioning.
“Of course,” she said after some hesitation. “Perhaps I could stay for one cup.” She had completely forgotten about the kettle she had placed on the stove earlier. As if on cue, it began to whistle and she hurried over to take it off the heat, setting it on one of the cold stovetop coils as she prepared a teapot for them.
“Since you are on your own, please don’t hesitate to call if you need anything.” She poured the water into the teapot, placing a few teabags into the steaming water.
“I wouldn’t want you to try and do everything on your own in your current condition!”
Laurence smiled, relieved that she had decided to stay. “I won’t need to inconvenience you quite as much as all that,” he said. “My cousin lives here as well, and so I’m sure if I require any assistance, I can call on her as well. But she’s still young, and a student, so I hope you won’t mind if I still call on you once in a while.”
More for the pleasure of her company than him imagining he would need her to provide him with any form of care. He was sure that he would manage quite well on his own in only a day or two.
Mary suddenly felt very ridiculous as he explained his living situation and busied herself stacking some cups and biscuits on a tray to carry over. She knew they had just eaten, but it was always nice to have something to nibble on with tea.
When she turned around, she had composed herself enough with a smile and set the tray in the center of the table, moving a few of her dishes to the side.
“How do you like your tea?” she asked, placing lids on some of the containers. “But you needn’t worry on troubling me. Please call on me whenever you so wish. Even if it’s to while away the hours.” Perhaps that had been a bit too forward of her, but she had decided to take a gamble. Perhaps the painkillers were prevalent enough that he wouldn’t think anything too out of turn.
“Cream, please,” Laurence responded, taking one of the biscuits for politeness’ sake more than any desire to actually eat it. He couldn’t help but smile at her response though. “If you’re quite certain. There is nothing that would delight me more.”