Wedding Bell Blues - Chapter 1
Title: Wedding Bell Blues - Chapter 1
Author: afrakaday
Word Count: 1150
Rating: T
A/N: Chapter 1 of the final installation of the Astral Planes series. Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
Thanks to nixmom for the beta. I believe this satisfies the "celebration" prompt.
Laura paced around the bedroom anxiously. Sunlight streaming in through the blinds cast abstract patterns for her feet to follow along the plush carpet.
“You are my partner in life and in love,” she muttered, tapping the stack of index cards against her hand as she recited the words written on the top card. Satisfied that she’d committed the line to memory, she tore the card in half and tossed it to the carpet with a flourish. She sipped lukewarm coffee before starting on the next one. “From a most inauspicious beginning, we soon came to a mutual admiration and understanding...”
After another half hour of pacing, reciting, and tearing, the floor was covered with her wedding vows, and Laura was confident that she’d be able to get through them later that afternoon without stumbling. She laughed to herself, imagining Bill in the room down the hall she’d relegated him to for wedding preparation purposes and wondering if the floor of his hobby room was now covered in broken pencils.
They’d woken up early and made slow, lazy love as the sun rose, both amazed that this day had finally come for them. They drank coffee and ate fruit and toast on the back patio, looking out over the already-set up backyard. Then, after they cleaned up breakfast, she’d marched him upstairs and temporarily kicked him out of the master suite, helping him move his freshly laundered dress grays and toiletries down the hall. “I don’t care if we see each other before the ceremony,” she explained, “but I do want you out of my way while I get ready to be a bride, all right?” He’d just given her an indulgent smile and kissed her before turning on his heel and heading into the guest bathroom to shower and shave.
Now it was time for her to get ready. She’d briefly considered making an appointment to get her hair blown out at a salon, but ultimately decided that her shoulder-length cut would look best styled as she always did it, fluffy and loose. She had turned on the tap to let the water warm up and started unbelting her robe when the doorbell rang.
“You have got to be kidding me,” she grumbled. She turned off the shower and listened for a moment. It sounded like Bill was still running the shower in the other bathroom. The doorbell chimed again.
“Frak.” With a sigh, she wrapped the short, silky robe tightly around her and padded down the stairs. She glanced through the side light and saw a young man with brown hair and familiar blue eyes. He wore jeans and a Fleet-issue sweatshirt, and carried a garment bag across his shoulder. It had to be Lee.
Fixing a smile on her face, she opened the door. “Hello?”
Lee looked taken aback. “Um...hi. I’m looking for my father?”
Laura opened the door wider and held out her hand. “Hi, Lee. I’m Laura Roslin. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
He shook her hand limply and crossed the threshold into the house, closing the door behind him. “Is he around?” he asked, looking her up and down with barely veiled curiosity. Laura couldn’t help but be pleased to note that he seemed somewhat impressed in his evaluation.
“Well, Lee, he’s in the shower right now.” She gestured to her attire. “I’d been planning on taking one, myself. It’s kind of a big day for us.”
He at least had the decency to look slightly ashamed. “I’m sorry I didn’t respond to your invitation. It has nothing to do with you.”
Laura softened; the young man looked fairly miserable. “I’m sure Bill will be pleased you decided to come.” Her eyes narrowed. “You are here to attend the wedding, yes?”
Lee flushed. “If you’ll have me.”
She gave him a sympathetic smile. “Why don’t you set down your bag and make yourself comfortable here in the living room, all right? Feel free to read the paper or watch the vid. I’ll run upstairs and let him know you’re here.”
He nodded slowly and looked around the airy room. “Thanks.” He moved to the couch and gingerly sat down on the edge of the cushion.
She shook her head to herself as she went to go inform Bill that his estranged son had shown up after all. Reaching the top of the stairs, she observed that the shower had stopped running. She knocked on the door to the guest bathroom. “Honey?”
The door opened, and Bill grinned at her as he wiped off the last traces of shaving cream from his face with a hand towel. “Missed me already?” he asked, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her into the bathroom with him.
She nuzzled her cheek against his now-smooth one and perched against the edge of the vanity, placing a hand against his bare chest when he leaned in to kiss her neck. “Your son is downstairs.”
“I thought Zak and Kara weren’t going to come until right before the ceremony.”
“Not that son. Lee.” She drew out the single syllable. “He just showed up on the doorstep. Says he wants to be here for the wedding. He apologized for not letting us know he was coming.”
Bill’s face had cracked into the smile she’d hoped this news would engender. “Wow. I have to admit I’m surprised.” He cocked an eyebrow as he considered her attire. “Sorry you had to meet your stepson for the first time wearing a bathrobe, Laura.”
“It’s all right. I seem to recall that I was wearing pajamas the first time I met Zak, too. At least my introduction to Lee took place at our house and not a hospital.” She slid her hands along his flanks, fingers toying with the towel slung low around his waist. “Why don’t you get dressed and go downstairs and talk with him? I really do need to get ready. The caterers will be here in an hour, and the priestess an hour after that...”
He leaned in for a lingering kiss. “And an hour after that, you and I will finally be married.”
Laura was breathless. “Mmm-hmm.”
“Go. Get ready.” He gave her a gentle push toward the door.
“Yes, sir.” She grinned at him over her shoulder as she took her leave.
Bill’s eyes followed the sway of Laura’s hips down the hall to the master suite until she shut the door behind her. He straightened up the guest bathroom to make it suitable for the guests who would inevitably end up using it later in the day and went to go put on some clothes. He hurriedly slid on his gray uniform pants and a set of tanks, leaving his feet bare and his tunic on its hanger for now, and made his way downstairs. It was time to talk to his son.
Chapter 2
Author: afrakaday
Word Count: 1150
Rating: T
A/N: Chapter 1 of the final installation of the Astral Planes series. Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
Thanks to nixmom for the beta. I believe this satisfies the "celebration" prompt.
Laura paced around the bedroom anxiously. Sunlight streaming in through the blinds cast abstract patterns for her feet to follow along the plush carpet.
“You are my partner in life and in love,” she muttered, tapping the stack of index cards against her hand as she recited the words written on the top card. Satisfied that she’d committed the line to memory, she tore the card in half and tossed it to the carpet with a flourish. She sipped lukewarm coffee before starting on the next one. “From a most inauspicious beginning, we soon came to a mutual admiration and understanding...”
After another half hour of pacing, reciting, and tearing, the floor was covered with her wedding vows, and Laura was confident that she’d be able to get through them later that afternoon without stumbling. She laughed to herself, imagining Bill in the room down the hall she’d relegated him to for wedding preparation purposes and wondering if the floor of his hobby room was now covered in broken pencils.
They’d woken up early and made slow, lazy love as the sun rose, both amazed that this day had finally come for them. They drank coffee and ate fruit and toast on the back patio, looking out over the already-set up backyard. Then, after they cleaned up breakfast, she’d marched him upstairs and temporarily kicked him out of the master suite, helping him move his freshly laundered dress grays and toiletries down the hall. “I don’t care if we see each other before the ceremony,” she explained, “but I do want you out of my way while I get ready to be a bride, all right?” He’d just given her an indulgent smile and kissed her before turning on his heel and heading into the guest bathroom to shower and shave.
Now it was time for her to get ready. She’d briefly considered making an appointment to get her hair blown out at a salon, but ultimately decided that her shoulder-length cut would look best styled as she always did it, fluffy and loose. She had turned on the tap to let the water warm up and started unbelting her robe when the doorbell rang.
“You have got to be kidding me,” she grumbled. She turned off the shower and listened for a moment. It sounded like Bill was still running the shower in the other bathroom. The doorbell chimed again.
“Frak.” With a sigh, she wrapped the short, silky robe tightly around her and padded down the stairs. She glanced through the side light and saw a young man with brown hair and familiar blue eyes. He wore jeans and a Fleet-issue sweatshirt, and carried a garment bag across his shoulder. It had to be Lee.
Fixing a smile on her face, she opened the door. “Hello?”
Lee looked taken aback. “Um...hi. I’m looking for my father?”
Laura opened the door wider and held out her hand. “Hi, Lee. I’m Laura Roslin. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
He shook her hand limply and crossed the threshold into the house, closing the door behind him. “Is he around?” he asked, looking her up and down with barely veiled curiosity. Laura couldn’t help but be pleased to note that he seemed somewhat impressed in his evaluation.
“Well, Lee, he’s in the shower right now.” She gestured to her attire. “I’d been planning on taking one, myself. It’s kind of a big day for us.”
He at least had the decency to look slightly ashamed. “I’m sorry I didn’t respond to your invitation. It has nothing to do with you.”
Laura softened; the young man looked fairly miserable. “I’m sure Bill will be pleased you decided to come.” Her eyes narrowed. “You are here to attend the wedding, yes?”
Lee flushed. “If you’ll have me.”
She gave him a sympathetic smile. “Why don’t you set down your bag and make yourself comfortable here in the living room, all right? Feel free to read the paper or watch the vid. I’ll run upstairs and let him know you’re here.”
He nodded slowly and looked around the airy room. “Thanks.” He moved to the couch and gingerly sat down on the edge of the cushion.
She shook her head to herself as she went to go inform Bill that his estranged son had shown up after all. Reaching the top of the stairs, she observed that the shower had stopped running. She knocked on the door to the guest bathroom. “Honey?”
The door opened, and Bill grinned at her as he wiped off the last traces of shaving cream from his face with a hand towel. “Missed me already?” he asked, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her into the bathroom with him.
She nuzzled her cheek against his now-smooth one and perched against the edge of the vanity, placing a hand against his bare chest when he leaned in to kiss her neck. “Your son is downstairs.”
“I thought Zak and Kara weren’t going to come until right before the ceremony.”
“Not that son. Lee.” She drew out the single syllable. “He just showed up on the doorstep. Says he wants to be here for the wedding. He apologized for not letting us know he was coming.”
Bill’s face had cracked into the smile she’d hoped this news would engender. “Wow. I have to admit I’m surprised.” He cocked an eyebrow as he considered her attire. “Sorry you had to meet your stepson for the first time wearing a bathrobe, Laura.”
“It’s all right. I seem to recall that I was wearing pajamas the first time I met Zak, too. At least my introduction to Lee took place at our house and not a hospital.” She slid her hands along his flanks, fingers toying with the towel slung low around his waist. “Why don’t you get dressed and go downstairs and talk with him? I really do need to get ready. The caterers will be here in an hour, and the priestess an hour after that...”
He leaned in for a lingering kiss. “And an hour after that, you and I will finally be married.”
Laura was breathless. “Mmm-hmm.”
“Go. Get ready.” He gave her a gentle push toward the door.
“Yes, sir.” She grinned at him over her shoulder as she took her leave.
Bill’s eyes followed the sway of Laura’s hips down the hall to the master suite until she shut the door behind her. He straightened up the guest bathroom to make it suitable for the guests who would inevitably end up using it later in the day and went to go put on some clothes. He hurriedly slid on his gray uniform pants and a set of tanks, leaving his feet bare and his tunic on its hanger for now, and made his way downstairs. It was time to talk to his son.
Chapter 2