CUFFLINKS, FLUFFY TOWELS, PHOTOGRAPHS & DISCOURSE:
By Indigo Butterflyz
December 2001
Disclaimer: I don't own them. *sob*
Spoilers: Season Four.
Author's Note: This one-shot is a bit of random fluff from the mind of yours truly. It is supposed to be set somewhere in the future in an alternative universe of sorts. Sorry about the weird title, I was totally blank for ideas and I thought that this was better than leaving it 'untitled.' As always, comments and criticism is most welcome.
"Ally…Darling? Sweet pea? Shnookums?" Larry knocked against the bathroom door.
"Mmmm…go away…" The voice inside replied.
"You've been in there for over half an hour already," Larry continued, "I am beginning to think you're hiding your Latino toy boy lover in there and doing indecent things with him."
A smile formed on Ally's face upon hearing the remark. She leaned her head back against the edge of the bath, causing herself to sink deeper underneath the bubbles. "And why would I be doing that..." she responded "…when I have you, Mr. Larry, to do every single indecent thing I want to with?"
Larry paused for moment considering the comment. An idea formed inside his head. "Okay then, that's it. You leave me no choice, I'm coming in."
"Nooo!" Ally's voice could be heard coming loud and clear through the door. "You'll let all the cold air in!"
"Well, it's up to you. Either you come out, get dressed and ready to leave, or--"
"Alright, alright." Ally interrupted, sighing. 'So much for a relaxing bath after a long day's work,' she thought to herself.
*****
"Come on Ally," Larry called out as he walked into the bedroom to finish getting ready, "you know tonight is a big night." He opened the wardrobe door, picked out a white shirt and begun changing. "Everyone is going to be there … important people … Judge Rooney… the mayor… representatives from the Goldstein Foundation… reporters from the media…" Larry started rambling on, tensely trying to do up his buttons. Abruptly he spun around and frantically started looking on top of the dresser. "Have you seen my cufflinks?"
Ally had just stepped out from the bath and was enjoying the view that she was witnessing. It wasn't often at all that she, or anyone else for that matter, got to see Larry Paul in a state of panic or fretfulness -- It was usually her department to be like that.
He was acting totally out of character -- and looking cute as anything in the process. Searching high and low in the bedroom for a pair of cufflinks, worried about tonight, he was totally oblivious to Ally standing at the doorway. His hair was tousled and uncombed, still slightly wet from the shower he had taken earlier. His shirt was half unbuttoned, revealing his chest to Ally's admiring eyes.
He looked on the bedside table, his frustration beginning to increase. "Ally, have you seen--" Larry stopped as he turned and saw Ally standing in the doorway. She was gently biting her knuckle, staring at him intently, giving him a warm look. Her other arm was wrapped around her waist. Her hair was dripping wet, and all she was wearing was a small pink towel that stopped at her knee. He grinned as he spoke "Hey, that's my towel."
"Ah…would you like me to give it back?" She innocently asked. They stared at each for a second, caught up in each other's eyes. "Uh…huh…umm…cufflinks…" Ally broke the silence. "Have you tried looking in your pocket?" She slowly walked towards him and put her hand in his trouser pocket, neither breaking the gaze. "Found them." She whispered, their faces ever so close. She brought her hand up to show him, but the motion was lost on Larry who instead stepped forward, put one arm around Ally's waist and pulled their bodies closer together.
His other hand went to cradle the small of her neck. Ally closed her eyes, her lips awaiting the impending kiss…knowing that in a moment her feet would be lifting off from the floor in a matter of seconds.
"Oh my gosh!" Larry cried, seeing the time on his watch. "It's 7:05. We have to be out of here by 7:40."
Ally's eyes flashed open. "Wha-uh—huh?" She muttered, not understanding why the moment had been ruined.
"The banquet." Larry grabbed her by the shoulders. "Ally, can you be ready in less than an hour?"
"I…uh…yeah…um…sure of course…" Ally responded, slowly coming back down to earth.
"Great." Larry started heading for the living room. "I'll go call a cab while you get ready."
"Um Larry."
"Yes?" He replied, his head popping in from around the door.
"You forgot your cufflinks."
Larry smiled as he came back in and kissed her on the cheek, collecting his cufflinks from her hand in the process. "What would I ever do without you?"
*****
"Yes, that's right." Larry nodded his head as he booked a cab over the phone. "To the Convention Centre. Uh huh. Not 7:45. Not 7:41. Not even a second past 7:40. 7:40 sharp. Yes. And if we're not down there by then, get your driver to honk or something to let us know okay? Thank you very much." During the length of his conversation he had not only been able to finish doing up the rest of his buttons, but also managed to fasten his red tie around his collar.
"Larry…" Ally walked into the living room having listened in on the conversation.
"Ally! You're not even dressed yet." Larry looked in horror as he saw that she was only in her bathrobe. "We have to be out of here in twenty five minutes and the only progress you seemed to have made so far is from wearing a pink fluffy towel to blue fuzzy bathrobe."
"Don't worry." She stated plainly. "My dress is all laid out on the bed. I just wanted to come and check on you."
"Check on me?" Larry mockingly asked.
"Yes Larry you, do you see anyone else in the room?" Ally snapped. "I just want to make sure that you aren't getting a bit too worked up about tonight. I mean at first I thought it was all sort of cute -- in a lost boy receiving his first acknowledgement of success kind of way -- and of course the fact that considering I am usually the neurotic one in this relationship it was a refreshing change to have you--"
"--Now what did we say about talking in run on sentences and letting other people get a word in?" Larry teasingly asked, noticing that Ally was beginning to go off the point. He stared at her for a moment, as he slowly unfolded his arms from chest before continuing. "And it isn't just any award, Ally." His face had changed from joking to serious in a split second. "They only present it to one person in this whole country every year. The award is for Prestigious Endeavor Stature and Talent--"
"P-E-S-T." It was Ally's turn to interject while crossly spelling out the anagram. "And you know what, that is exactly what is has become -- a PEST. What I am really worried is that you are over obsessing about this silly award, adding more worth to than it really has, and you've said so yourself that you don't even like attending these types of things, not to mention these people--"
"--These people," Larry interrupted again, running his fingers through his hair, " are important, esteemed and respected members of the community, who have chosen *me* to receive *their* award."
Ally rolled her eyes. "These people," she began again, ignoring Larry's remark, "are a bunch of boring, old, upper class--"
"--You just can't go around calling the mayor old and boring, Ally." Larry retorted in his usual manner, sitting down on the couch. As always, he was trying to focus on the humour in order to change a serious or sometimes uncomfortable conversation into a joke.
Ally stared back at him, a huge scowl upon her face. "Well, you know what Lar-ry?" She asked, placing specific emphasis on his name, "I *just* did, so there! And another thing, will you quit interrupting me?" She brought her hand to forehead and sighed in attempt to regain the momentum she had had. "I…uh…where was…right…old, boring, rich people with nothing better to do than hand out frivolous awards and hold huge dinner parties to improve and improve their own social circles."
The momentary flash of hurt in Larry's eyes was not lost on Ally. One look at him and her expression softened. She sat on the couch next to him, taking his hand in hers. "Look, Larry, I'm sorry." Gently with her other hand, she traced her index finger against the knuckles of his hand that she was holding. "I didn't mean…it's just that ever since you were nominated and then won this award you have been acting so strange. I can't understand how something that that you never cared about before suddenly means so much to you." She looked at her lap, mentally realizing just how neglected she had felt over the past few weeks. "And I don't know if it's pride related, or an…early…mid life crisis… thing" She struggled with the words, not really sure what she was saying. "But it isn't like you to let your vanity…"
At the word vanity, Larry abruptly stood up, snatching his hand away from hers. "Whoa, hold on a moment, vanity??" Larry started pacing about the room. "Vanity? You think this is about vanity?"
Ally looked up at Larry, still sitting on the couch. Her expression was one that might have been associated with a child who had just accidentally confessed to breaking her mother's favourite vase. "Umm…no?" Ally weakly replied, realizing she might have hit a nerve and rather too candidly at that.
"Vanity?" He still could not get over the use of the word. "Isn't that a bit rich coming from you?"
"Uh…da…wa…what?" Ally stuttered. She was bewildered by Larry's sudden turn of temper.
"Well, I'm not the one," he pointed to himself, "who stands in front of the mirror every single morning, à la Snow White's evil stepmother I might add, wishing she was younger, blonder, taller, prettier and planning her first face lift."
The words hit Ally like a knife. She was speechless. Larry let out breath, and covered his mouth with his hand, automatically feeling regretful for what he had irrationally said out of anger.
For a moment, neither said a word or moved an inch. Then, slowly Ally stood up. "Well…Larry, I guess I know how you really feel…"
"Ally…" Larry began as he walked towards her, trying to apologize.
"Uh Aa!" Ally raised her hand, silencing Larry, bringing him to a halt. "This wicked witch is going to leave now," she stated bluntly, heading towards their bedroom. "And you, Larry Paul," she turned back and pointed to him, "can go to your big FANCY party, receive that big VALUABLE award and talk to all those IMPORTANT people ALL BY YOURSELF!" And with that sarcastic note, Ally slammed the door shut.
*****
Larry slumped on the couch, knowing that his previous actions would result in more than him sleeping on the couch tonight. "Good one Larry" he muttered to himself.
After removing his glasses and rubbing his forehead, he simply sat thinking with his hand covering his closed eyelids. When he opened his eyes again, a photograph on the table next to the sofa caught his attention. It was taken the night of the twisting contest at the bar nearly three years ago. Miraculously, Chubby Checker had been hired to sing at the event. The whole gang from Cage & Fish, as well as Larry and Chubby Checker had taken the photograph soon after it had been announced that Elaine and Mark had won.
A small smile formed on Larry's lips as he found Ally and himself amongst the others in the corner of photograph. They were wrapped in each other's arms and posing with large grins on their faces. Gently he brushed his fingers against Ally's image. His eyes shifted towards the centre of the photograph, where in the middle Elaine sat proudly, showing off her trophy.
Larry's smile faded as he remembered the advice that he had given to Elaine later that evening at Cage & Fish. Elaine Vassal had been so determined to win that night that no one was going to stand in her way. Whether her intentions had been selfish or simply a lonely attempt to increase her self-esteem, Larry believed that he should remind her to stay true to herself.
"It's where you display it, that's the key," he had stated simply. "See, if you put it on the mantel piece then it says to the world this is who or what you are and, you're way more than this. If you stick it in a drawer…then it says, this is something you've done…accomplished and in a drawer it…it doesn't…doesn't tarnish so easily. Dammit keep it Elaine, it's yours, you won it, just…don't hold yourself up to it." The truth was cold and Elaine wasn't exactly willing to hear what he had to say then. Yet judging from her expression, he knew that she understood. These words were now left echoing in his head. "…Don't hold yourself up to it."
A sudden rush of foolishness struck him as he realized that the award he was going receive tonight was no better than the trophy Elaine had won years ago. Hers was a trophy, made of metal and covered in gold. His was a piece of paper and a plaque. Both were nothing more than that. Sure, it was flattering to have won it. But it held no value except for what those at the party believed it to have. Those who were waiting for him at the Convention Centre were not his friends, nor people he even really knew or cared about. The one person whose opinion meant the most to him had just locked herself in her room, refusing to even be in the same room as him.
*****
"Ally?" Larry lightly tapped against their bedroom door. No response. He sighed, leaning his head against the doorframe. "Ally, I'm sorry." Still no response. "You were right. This award it…it has absolutely gone to my head and for all the wrong reasons." He hesitated, trying to put his feelings into words. "It's just…it's just that all my life I have been a failure…not just in love but in the decisions I have made, the cases I shouldn't have lost… and the people I have become involved with and hurt. And when someone phones you up and tells you that you have been won an award for attributes you didn't even think you had or were capable of… it's hard not to be just a little bit flattered." He shook his head, not liking to let his emotions overwhelm him. "I wish I could explain myself better, but…" He trailed off, hoping that she would open the door and forgive him.
"But all of this is no excuse for what I said to you. It was mean and rude and not even true and I didn't mean it, because you know what?" He contemplated himself standing there talking to the door. A small chuckle left his throat, as he realized the absurdity of what it was that he was doing. "Because I am so utterly, entirely and completely in love with you." He stepped back from the door and waved his arms in the air while bellowing, "I'm talking to a door and I don't even know if you are listening." Slowly he walked back towards the door and whispered, "Ally, if you are listening, I want you to know that I am going to phone the Convention Centre and tell them I'm not coming. I don't care about that stupid award anymore. All that I care about is who's behind this door and reminding her that she is the one that I care about."
With a final sigh, he walked away towards the living room telephone. He reached into his pocket for his wallet, looking for the card with the number of the Convention Centre on it. Searching his wallet, he came upon a photograph taken of him and Ally at the bar on her birthday. She didn't know that he kept it with him wherever he went. He smiled and continued rummaging through all the pieces of paper for the card. Finally finding it, he picked up the receiver and begun to dial. Suddenly, he heard the bedroom door open.
Spinning around, Larry was stopped in dead his tracks. Ally was wearing a black strappy satin dress, which reached down to about mid thigh in length. The dress hugged her skin, showing off the gentle curves of her body. Her hair was tied back so only soft wisps of hair fell across her cheeks and neck. Timidly, Ally walked out from her room, staring at her feet all the while. She looked amazing. "Ally…" Larry exclaimed, releasing a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding.
"Hello? Hello?" A squeaky male voice called out from the receiver.
"I'll call you back…" Larry replied, not pausing to listen to the man respond as he hung up the phone. He continued to stare at Ally, simply spellbound. "Ally…"
He was greeted with her cinnamon eyes, shyly looking back at him. "Larry…"
He walked over to her, a large smile forming on his lips as he saw her smirk. "Forgive me?" He coyly asked.
Ally rolled her eyes, staring at the ceiling as if she was pretending to consider his proposal, when already in her mind it was obvious what her answer was going to be. It didn't fool him for a moment. "Good." He said, seeing her nod her head in agreement. He leant over and kissed her softly on the lips.
"Mmm…" Ally sighed. "I'm sorry for being such a…a jealous…a jealous witch."
Larry placed his forehead against hers, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Did I say witch?" He innocently asked. "I meant princess." Both of them smiled, as he tenderly kissed her. "And I…I am but a lowly toad that has been mesmerized and completely enchanted by you Ally Paul."
They kissed again, but this time the kiss was more intimate, more passionate. Ally could feel her feet magically flying off from the floor. It was an effect that only Larry Paul could achieve so convincingly. A smile was upon her lips as she kissed him back with as just as much enthusiasm.
It was when Larry started to slowly mark a trail of kisses down to her neck that they heard a loud honking sound coming from outside downstairs.
"Lar—ry…" Ally breathlessly remarked.
"Mm Hm?" Larry replied, continued his nibbling on Ally's earlobe.
"That's the cab waiting downstairs for us."
"Mm hmm…" Larry answered, not really paying attention.
Ally giggled. "Larry, come on. The cab's here…that means it's already 7:40."
Larry stopped what he was doing looked at her. Ally instantly regretted having reminded him, as she felt herself missing the warmth of his lips upon her neck. "Ally, do you really want to go?" He mimicked her words from before, "I mean there's just going to be a bunch of boring, old, upper class--"
"---people who are presenting you this prestigious, not to mention important, award." Ally finished of his sentenced. "Yes, I think you should go. And I want to be there with you to share in your moment of glory."
"I don't need to go, Ally." He stated simply, pulling her closer. "I have what is important, right here, in my arms." Ally looked at him, flattered, but was still not convinced that he shouldn't go. She gave him a serious look as he watched her intently. "Alright, alright." Larry responded, putting his hands up in defeat. "I'll go," a wide lopsided grin was on his face, "BUT, only because YOU want to go."
"Fine." Ally gladly replied, fetching her coat.
"Ally…" Larry said, as he opened the front door for them to leave.
"Yes?" Ally asked as she walked over, doing up her buttons.
"Thank you," he simply said.
"For what?" Ally tilted her head, looking at her husband in wonder.
"For everything," Larry, half smiled, slowly reaching out to caress her cheek. "I love you."
Larry leaned in again to kiss her, but was interrupted by the persistent honking of the cab. "We're coming." Larry and Ally angrily said in unison, causing both to laugh.
*****
THE END