Fic: like a line of gold thread (pink carnation; miles/henrietta)
Title: like a a line of gold thread
Disclaimer: Not mine in any way, shape, or form.
Fandom/Characters: Lauren Willig's Pink Carnation series; Miles/Henrietta, Richard
Word Count: 418
Request: For theepiccek, who asked for Miles and Richard finding out they're going to be father's. This is half of that. No real spoilers beyond The Masque of the Black Tulip, but vague ones for the entire series to be safe.
When Henrietta told Miles that he was going to be a father, Miles did something he wasn't proud of; he fell down.
In his defense, he had been in the process of bounding across their bedroom to instruct Stwyth to summon a physician for Henrietta since she was deathly pale and bending over a large bowl emptying her stomach for the third time that morning when she made the announcement. She'd raised her head and said, "I'm expecting, not dying, you daft fool." And then she promptly went back to vomiting.
As the import of her words sunk in, his mouth fell open in surprise and he tripped over a footstool. When he righted himself, Henrietta had raised her head once more and was laughing.
"A baby?" asked Miles, a foolish smile spreading across his face.
Henrietta nodded, still laughing. "A baby."
It was a very long time before either of them left the bedroom that morning.
***
Miles bounded into White's that afternoon, still wearing a foolish smile on his face. He hadn't been able to stop smiling since Henrietta told him the news -- hadn't really tried to stop smiling, for that matter. He was too happy.
He spotted Richard on the other side of the room and called out his name, raising a hand in greeting. "Richard!"
Richard waved him over and Miles went, dropping down into the chair on the other side of Richard's table.
"You're acting more Miles than usual," said Richard, who was studying him with wary eyes. "What is it?"
Miles felt his smile grow wider. "I'm going to be a father," he announced. "Isn't that wonderful news?"
Richard's jaw dropped. "What -- you -- Hen -- what?" he spluttered. "You're going to be a what?"
That wasn't quite the reaction that Miles had hoped for, but he wasn't going to let that deter him. "A father," he said. "You and Amy will have to be godparents, of course."
"Henrietta is having a baby," said Richard, rather dumbly. "A baby."
"Yes," said Miles patiently. "A baby."
Richard blinked, and the confusion on his face fell away. "I'm sorry," he said. "That's wonderful news. I just --" he shook his head. "Henrietta, a mother. You, a father. It's just -- a surprise." He held out his hand and Miles shook it, gladly. "Congratulations," said Richard.
"Thank you," said Miles. He grinned once more. "When Henrietta told me, I fell down," he confided, leaning over the table. "She laughed."
Richard laughed. Miles did, too.
Disclaimer: Not mine in any way, shape, or form.
Fandom/Characters: Lauren Willig's Pink Carnation series; Miles/Henrietta, Richard
Word Count: 418
Request: For theepiccek, who asked for Miles and Richard finding out they're going to be father's. This is half of that. No real spoilers beyond The Masque of the Black Tulip, but vague ones for the entire series to be safe.
When Henrietta told Miles that he was going to be a father, Miles did something he wasn't proud of; he fell down.
In his defense, he had been in the process of bounding across their bedroom to instruct Stwyth to summon a physician for Henrietta since she was deathly pale and bending over a large bowl emptying her stomach for the third time that morning when she made the announcement. She'd raised her head and said, "I'm expecting, not dying, you daft fool." And then she promptly went back to vomiting.
As the import of her words sunk in, his mouth fell open in surprise and he tripped over a footstool. When he righted himself, Henrietta had raised her head once more and was laughing.
"A baby?" asked Miles, a foolish smile spreading across his face.
Henrietta nodded, still laughing. "A baby."
It was a very long time before either of them left the bedroom that morning.
***
Miles bounded into White's that afternoon, still wearing a foolish smile on his face. He hadn't been able to stop smiling since Henrietta told him the news -- hadn't really tried to stop smiling, for that matter. He was too happy.
He spotted Richard on the other side of the room and called out his name, raising a hand in greeting. "Richard!"
Richard waved him over and Miles went, dropping down into the chair on the other side of Richard's table.
"You're acting more Miles than usual," said Richard, who was studying him with wary eyes. "What is it?"
Miles felt his smile grow wider. "I'm going to be a father," he announced. "Isn't that wonderful news?"
Richard's jaw dropped. "What -- you -- Hen -- what?" he spluttered. "You're going to be a what?"
That wasn't quite the reaction that Miles had hoped for, but he wasn't going to let that deter him. "A father," he said. "You and Amy will have to be godparents, of course."
"Henrietta is having a baby," said Richard, rather dumbly. "A baby."
"Yes," said Miles patiently. "A baby."
Richard blinked, and the confusion on his face fell away. "I'm sorry," he said. "That's wonderful news. I just --" he shook his head. "Henrietta, a mother. You, a father. It's just -- a surprise." He held out his hand and Miles shook it, gladly. "Congratulations," said Richard.
"Thank you," said Miles. He grinned once more. "When Henrietta told me, I fell down," he confided, leaning over the table. "She laughed."
Richard laughed. Miles did, too.