ficpost: "Otherwise Very Romantic" Mary Anne/Mallory
Title: "Otherwise Very Romantic"
Fandom: Baby-Sitters Club
PairingMary Anne/Mallory
Rating: PG-13 for language and adult situations
Notes: For borrowedwings in the bsclove ficathon.
Disclaimer Ann M. Martin, not me.
Words: 1500
Summary: Christmastime is family time.
Otherwise Very Romantic
Christmas Eve: The Pikes' House
"Red," Claire said. "Red red RED!"
"You want a hand with that?" Mary Anne said, reaching for the tube of frosting. "We could make poinsettias on the cookies. Or --"
"Stop treating me like a baby. I'm old enough to be your sitter now."
"Eleven isn't quite old enough, Claire. Come on. The guys will be ready for a cookie break soon."
Something crashed in the next room. "There goes another ornament!" called a triplet.
"Mal's still winning with four broken glass balls," Vanessa said, wandering absently into the kitchen. "Can weary tree-deckers feast on cookies yet?"
"I'm just putting the frosting on," Mary Anne said.
"Can you PLEASE leave the cookies alone?" Claire put her hands on her hips. "It's bad enough you took Mallory away, but do you have to poke your nose into EVERYTHING we do?"
"Hey, sorry, sorry." Mary Anne stepped away from the cookies and was about to offer to help Vanessa when something occurred to her. "Claire, is there something you want to talk about?"
But Claire was giving her the silent treatment, so she followed Vanessa, not quite comfortably, looking for someone who could use assistance. Two of the triplets were tossing ornaments back and forth -- that would be Adam and Jordan -- while Margo attempted to untangle some tinsel. She finally found Mallory on the far side of the Christmas tree, a candy cane in each hand and some shattered glass by her side. Mary Anne sat down next to her gingerly.
"Sorry about, you know," Mallory waved her hand. "The chaos. Christmas kind of brings out the kid in everyone."
Mary Anne smiled and gave Mallory a quick kiss, which was interrupted by a loud exclamation from Nicky. "Ewww! So that's what lesbians do together!"
"Honestly," Vanessa said, rolling her eyes. "Not in front of the children, Mallory."
Mal grinned ruefully. "Like I said. We're all very mature during the holidays."
"It's okay, honestly."
Mallory pulled herself to her feet, accidentally knocking yet another ornament off the tree.
"And that's five for the dyke Pike!" Jordan shrieked with laughter. Mary Anne felt familiar queasiness creep into her stomach, but before she could put a hand on Mallory's shoulder to comfort her, Mrs. Pike had pulled Jordan aside and was giving him a very firm lecture.
"Guess they're too old for us to tell them what to do, huh?" Mary Anne asked, grateful that she'd managed to keep the tears out of her voice.
"It's okay," Mal said. "They're still growing up. In a few years, they'll forget we ever weren't together."
"Oh, by the way, I think maybe you should talk to Claire. She sounded --"
"Cookies!" Margo pounced on the tray Claire had brought out. "With flowers on them! Awesome. I'm going to take some and then go finish wrapping presents, okay Mom?"
"Sure," said Mrs. Pike, who found her way over to Mallory and Mary Anne. "You girls okay? Want to take a breather?"
Mary Anne nodded slowly. Eight kids -- seven, really, since Mal was hardly a kid -- were really too much, and the knot in her stomach over tomorrow morning was growing tighter.
Christmas Morning: The Spier-Schafer Residence
Sharon and Mallory sat on the floor, retrieving presents from beneath the artificial tree -- one for Mr. Spier, one for Mary Anne, two for Jeff. Sharon's excitement over Christmas was as enthusiastic as Claire's or the triplets'; it was bringing out the girl in her too. "Look, Richard! Another one from my parents. I think it might be kitchenware. Can I open it? Can I?"
"Go ahead," Mr. Spier said. "Should I take a picture of this?"
"Sure!" Sharon said, and started to rip the paper off her package. Mallory grinned, then her grin faded when she caught sight of Dawn. She hadn't seen Dawn since she'd been in town for Mary Anne's high school graduation, and that was ages ago. It was weird to see Dawn looking so out of place in her own home, wrapped in three blankets and still shivering and complaining about the cold as she sipped organic juice from a bottle.
"Okay, Mallory, find one for your girlfriend now! See that one with the peppermint paper? I think she'll like that -- it's from her dad and me." As Mallory crawled under the tree, needles against her palms, she thought about the best way to describe this scene in a novel. How best to describe the icy look on Mr. Spier's face when Sharon said "girlfriend" or the way Dawn seemed to slouch even further into the couch whenever her mom laughed? She handed Mary Anne the present without a word, but their fingers touched and she patted Mary Anne's hand softly. Mary Anne blushed the blush that Mal loved especially to kiss.
Mary Anne unwrapped presents carefully, like her father. Mal was more in the Schafer school -- in her house, if you didn't open presents quickly, you lost your turn. But Mary Anne was meticulous, slitting the Scotch tape with her father's penknife, then unfolding the striped paper carefully, so it could be used again.
"A book," said Jeff. "Boring. Can I have another turn?" Jeff and the triplets existed in the same tiny world where other people's presents were insignificant and books belonged at school.
"Look, Mal, it's love poems."
Mallory took the book from Mary Anne and glanced at it. When she opened it, she saw that it was inscribed on the title page to both of them, with love from Sharon and Richard.
"Richard's idea," Sharon beamed, and Mr. Spier shifted uncomfortably. He didn't catch Mallory's eye, but Sharon said, "Here. This one's from Richard to you, sweetie. Why don't you open it now?"
Mallory could have kissed Richard Spier, but he was still avoiding her eyes, and he definitely wasn't the hugging type, not with anyone except his family. Only -- and she opened the thin package. A set of pens -- really nice ones, perfect for sketching -- and a card. "You should read it now," Mr. Spier said, and so, curious, Mal opened it.
When she finished reading, she felt tiny prickles in her eyes. Mary Anne's father was -- was totally impossible to understand, and he couldn't understand her and Mary Anne, not by a long shot, but he loved his daughter almost as much as she did, and that was -- Mary Anne handed her a tissue sympathetically, and even Dawn seemed to be smiling a little.
Christmas Dinner: Mary Anne's flat
"Hello, home!" Mallory spun around Mary Anne's tiny flat. "I'm dead."
"Family is exhausting," Mary Anne agreed. "I feel like taking a long bath and just soaking. I definitely don't want to cook."
"You never want to cook," Mallory reminded her, and Mary Anne grinned, then took her in her arms and gave her a long kiss, the kind that made her know she could never write romances, because she'd never be able to capture the exact feeling that spun around her head and dropped down to her toes when Mary Anne kissed her. "On the other hand, not everyone's born to cook. Some of us have other talents."
"Oh?" Mary Anne grinned. "You want a demonstration?"
Mal sighed. "Normally, I'd say yes, but right now, you're right. I'm far too exhausted to do anything but curl up with a book of Christmas love poems and a mug of cider."
"How'd wine do? There's some in the fridge."
"Sure. Wine and your father's book of poems."
"I know. Wasn't that sweet of him? And didn't I tell you he'd warm up to you eventually?"
Mal reached around leftovers from their holiday party to retrieve the fresh bottle of wine. "It was sweet," she said, coming back into the main room of the apartment. "Oddly sweet."
Mallory handed Mary Anne the bottle and two wine glasses, then sunk into a recliner. "It was good to see your sister. She seemed..."
"Like she didn't really want to be there?"
"Yeah."
"I know," said Mary Anne softly. "It makes Sharon mad, but she's an adult now, and at least she does come back for the holidays. Not like --"
"Stacey," they said in unison, and then laughed. Mal was glad that Mary Anne knew how to laugh about Stacey now.
"Here," said Mal, stretching her long legs out and patting her lap. Mary Anne crawled into her lap, and was surprisingly light and very dear. "Poems?"
"A loaf of bread, a jug of wine, and thou," Mary Anne said with a contented sigh, and Mallory touched her cheek as gently as she could, then, careful not to disturb anything, took a slow, careful sip of the wine she was still too young to drink.
Fandom: Baby-Sitters Club
PairingMary Anne/Mallory
Rating: PG-13 for language and adult situations
Notes: For borrowedwings in the bsclove ficathon.
Disclaimer Ann M. Martin, not me.
Words: 1500
Summary: Christmastime is family time.
Otherwise Very Romantic
Christmas Eve: The Pikes' House
"Red," Claire said. "Red red RED!"
"You want a hand with that?" Mary Anne said, reaching for the tube of frosting. "We could make poinsettias on the cookies. Or --"
"Stop treating me like a baby. I'm old enough to be your sitter now."
"Eleven isn't quite old enough, Claire. Come on. The guys will be ready for a cookie break soon."
Something crashed in the next room. "There goes another ornament!" called a triplet.
"Mal's still winning with four broken glass balls," Vanessa said, wandering absently into the kitchen. "Can weary tree-deckers feast on cookies yet?"
"I'm just putting the frosting on," Mary Anne said.
"Can you PLEASE leave the cookies alone?" Claire put her hands on her hips. "It's bad enough you took Mallory away, but do you have to poke your nose into EVERYTHING we do?"
"Hey, sorry, sorry." Mary Anne stepped away from the cookies and was about to offer to help Vanessa when something occurred to her. "Claire, is there something you want to talk about?"
But Claire was giving her the silent treatment, so she followed Vanessa, not quite comfortably, looking for someone who could use assistance. Two of the triplets were tossing ornaments back and forth -- that would be Adam and Jordan -- while Margo attempted to untangle some tinsel. She finally found Mallory on the far side of the Christmas tree, a candy cane in each hand and some shattered glass by her side. Mary Anne sat down next to her gingerly.
"Sorry about, you know," Mallory waved her hand. "The chaos. Christmas kind of brings out the kid in everyone."
Mary Anne smiled and gave Mallory a quick kiss, which was interrupted by a loud exclamation from Nicky. "Ewww! So that's what lesbians do together!"
"Honestly," Vanessa said, rolling her eyes. "Not in front of the children, Mallory."
Mal grinned ruefully. "Like I said. We're all very mature during the holidays."
"It's okay, honestly."
Mallory pulled herself to her feet, accidentally knocking yet another ornament off the tree.
"And that's five for the dyke Pike!" Jordan shrieked with laughter. Mary Anne felt familiar queasiness creep into her stomach, but before she could put a hand on Mallory's shoulder to comfort her, Mrs. Pike had pulled Jordan aside and was giving him a very firm lecture.
"Guess they're too old for us to tell them what to do, huh?" Mary Anne asked, grateful that she'd managed to keep the tears out of her voice.
"It's okay," Mal said. "They're still growing up. In a few years, they'll forget we ever weren't together."
"Oh, by the way, I think maybe you should talk to Claire. She sounded --"
"Cookies!" Margo pounced on the tray Claire had brought out. "With flowers on them! Awesome. I'm going to take some and then go finish wrapping presents, okay Mom?"
"Sure," said Mrs. Pike, who found her way over to Mallory and Mary Anne. "You girls okay? Want to take a breather?"
Mary Anne nodded slowly. Eight kids -- seven, really, since Mal was hardly a kid -- were really too much, and the knot in her stomach over tomorrow morning was growing tighter.
Christmas Morning: The Spier-Schafer Residence
Sharon and Mallory sat on the floor, retrieving presents from beneath the artificial tree -- one for Mr. Spier, one for Mary Anne, two for Jeff. Sharon's excitement over Christmas was as enthusiastic as Claire's or the triplets'; it was bringing out the girl in her too. "Look, Richard! Another one from my parents. I think it might be kitchenware. Can I open it? Can I?"
"Go ahead," Mr. Spier said. "Should I take a picture of this?"
"Sure!" Sharon said, and started to rip the paper off her package. Mallory grinned, then her grin faded when she caught sight of Dawn. She hadn't seen Dawn since she'd been in town for Mary Anne's high school graduation, and that was ages ago. It was weird to see Dawn looking so out of place in her own home, wrapped in three blankets and still shivering and complaining about the cold as she sipped organic juice from a bottle.
"Okay, Mallory, find one for your girlfriend now! See that one with the peppermint paper? I think she'll like that -- it's from her dad and me." As Mallory crawled under the tree, needles against her palms, she thought about the best way to describe this scene in a novel. How best to describe the icy look on Mr. Spier's face when Sharon said "girlfriend" or the way Dawn seemed to slouch even further into the couch whenever her mom laughed? She handed Mary Anne the present without a word, but their fingers touched and she patted Mary Anne's hand softly. Mary Anne blushed the blush that Mal loved especially to kiss.
Mary Anne unwrapped presents carefully, like her father. Mal was more in the Schafer school -- in her house, if you didn't open presents quickly, you lost your turn. But Mary Anne was meticulous, slitting the Scotch tape with her father's penknife, then unfolding the striped paper carefully, so it could be used again.
"A book," said Jeff. "Boring. Can I have another turn?" Jeff and the triplets existed in the same tiny world where other people's presents were insignificant and books belonged at school.
"Look, Mal, it's love poems."
Mallory took the book from Mary Anne and glanced at it. When she opened it, she saw that it was inscribed on the title page to both of them, with love from Sharon and Richard.
"Richard's idea," Sharon beamed, and Mr. Spier shifted uncomfortably. He didn't catch Mallory's eye, but Sharon said, "Here. This one's from Richard to you, sweetie. Why don't you open it now?"
Mallory could have kissed Richard Spier, but he was still avoiding her eyes, and he definitely wasn't the hugging type, not with anyone except his family. Only -- and she opened the thin package. A set of pens -- really nice ones, perfect for sketching -- and a card. "You should read it now," Mr. Spier said, and so, curious, Mal opened it.
When she finished reading, she felt tiny prickles in her eyes. Mary Anne's father was -- was totally impossible to understand, and he couldn't understand her and Mary Anne, not by a long shot, but he loved his daughter almost as much as she did, and that was -- Mary Anne handed her a tissue sympathetically, and even Dawn seemed to be smiling a little.
Christmas Dinner: Mary Anne's flat
"Hello, home!" Mallory spun around Mary Anne's tiny flat. "I'm dead."
"Family is exhausting," Mary Anne agreed. "I feel like taking a long bath and just soaking. I definitely don't want to cook."
"You never want to cook," Mallory reminded her, and Mary Anne grinned, then took her in her arms and gave her a long kiss, the kind that made her know she could never write romances, because she'd never be able to capture the exact feeling that spun around her head and dropped down to her toes when Mary Anne kissed her. "On the other hand, not everyone's born to cook. Some of us have other talents."
"Oh?" Mary Anne grinned. "You want a demonstration?"
Mal sighed. "Normally, I'd say yes, but right now, you're right. I'm far too exhausted to do anything but curl up with a book of Christmas love poems and a mug of cider."
"How'd wine do? There's some in the fridge."
"Sure. Wine and your father's book of poems."
"I know. Wasn't that sweet of him? And didn't I tell you he'd warm up to you eventually?"
Mal reached around leftovers from their holiday party to retrieve the fresh bottle of wine. "It was sweet," she said, coming back into the main room of the apartment. "Oddly sweet."
Mallory handed Mary Anne the bottle and two wine glasses, then sunk into a recliner. "It was good to see your sister. She seemed..."
"Like she didn't really want to be there?"
"Yeah."
"I know," said Mary Anne softly. "It makes Sharon mad, but she's an adult now, and at least she does come back for the holidays. Not like --"
"Stacey," they said in unison, and then laughed. Mal was glad that Mary Anne knew how to laugh about Stacey now.
"Here," said Mal, stretching her long legs out and patting her lap. Mary Anne crawled into her lap, and was surprisingly light and very dear. "Poems?"
"A loaf of bread, a jug of wine, and thou," Mary Anne said with a contented sigh, and Mallory touched her cheek as gently as she could, then, careful not to disturb anything, took a slow, careful sip of the wine she was still too young to drink.