Love Her:
Harry turned to him with a knowing look the moment Katherine and disappeared from sight. "See, I told you! She's a nightmare, isn't she? A complete trout."
"I think I love her," Petruchio said dazedly.
"I- what?" Harry said, looking shocked and a little horrified. Love Katherine? Katherine Minola, the crazed bitch of politician hell? He knew Petruchio was a little crazy but he never thought he was completely out of this world bonkers.
"I think I love her," Petruchio repeated, "she's fantastic, sexy, feisty, filled with so much life and I wanted to shag her right there and then in the lift."
"Mate, that isn't love, that's lust," Harry said patiently.
Petruchio gave him a warning glare that made him swallow. Harry knew his friend well enough to know when that glare is shot at you; you should just shut the hell up.
"It isn't just that, I want to spend the rest of my life with her. Take care of her, because despite all of her temper and the bitchy mask she puts on, she's so little and I think she needs someone to look after her."
Now, either Petruchio's mother abandonment issues are coming through again or Australia has really messed with his head.
"I'll give you, your fifty quid if you get her to marry you," Harry said avoiding all emotional and messy situations.
Saying Yes:
She wasn't sure how he convinced her to order and pay for the Chinese takeout nor was she sure how he was convincing her to marry him as they kept talking. He told a fair bit about himself, briefly skipping the family history and his childhood and going right in how he met Harry, his adventures in Australia, his favourite colour and food and so on. And then he got to her to talk about herself, never before has anyone asked her, her favourite colour (green and she can't help but notice that's his eye colour) they always assumed she liked black.
It was getting dark and they were sitting very close (for body heat, he said, because he's a pervert came her quick retort) and she couldn't help but admire him. He was handsome, a little weird, confident and temperamental as she was. He didn't lie either about the hitting, he insulted her during dinner and when she slapped him he hit her back on her shoulder rather hard. It still stung. So she could say he was honest and kept promises (or threats).
"So," he said after a moment of silence, "will you marry me?"
He had a title, no money so she had something he'd want, he had many qualities that made her stay this long and she could, for some strange weird unnatural reason, see herself spend the rest of her life with him.
"Yes," she said softly, "I'll marry you."
He laughed joyfully, his whole face lighting up and he suddenly grabbed her head and hauled her in for a kiss. It was fast, furious and passionate. He caused some sort of reaction in her that numbed her brain and made her just react. Before she knew it she was in his lap and trying to tug of his ridiculous fur coat.
He pulled away from her and she moaned – well growled really – at the loss of his lips. "I want to wait till our wedding night," he declared, "just so I know you'll be there."
She got off, composed herself and left with her head held upright, it wasn't until she was outside that she let out a furious growl and kicked the metal guardrail.
Stupid self-righteous wanker!
He Does Love Her:
He took her hand and gave it a squeeze without a second thought. Spending twelve years comforting Bianca, you tend to do things on automatic. Right now Bianca was too busy sucking some twelve year old's face to bother comforting her own mother while her sister has been dragged off by a madman (sure Petruchio is his best friend but that doesn't stop him from being a cross-dressing madman with a temper).
"Don't worry, Kate will be fine," he said reassuringly to the Mrs Minola.
"When did everyone start calling her Kate?" Mrs Minola asked, confused. Harry knew how she felt; her small daughter never gave anyone to call such a nickname. Terrified everyone. "She hates it."
"Petruchio calls her that; it's his...pet name I guess. Hearing him talk about Kate this, and Kate that and Kate did this...sort of rubs onto you," Harry shrugged.
Mrs Minola went back to looking concerned and worried. "He isn't..."
"He's not gay or violent...well no more violent than Kate- I mean Katherine," Harry said hastily correcting himself. He had a horrible feeling that within a week Petruchio and Katherine would kill each other, or just shagged like bunnies depends which comes out top – hate or love. Such a thin line as the saying goes... "He does love her, you know. Said so himself. He's very attached and thinks everything she does is adorable. Rather sickening, really. I mean apparently she slapped him over a comment and he acted like it was a token of affection. Wouldn't shut up for days about it. They'll be fine."
Mrs Minola gave him a grateful smile, "Thank you Harry. Would you like a drink?"
After:
Once he finally caught his breathe he stole her pillow and made himself comfortable. Pulling her towards him and holding onto her tightly. There had been a lot of whispered confessions and loving words mixed with swearing and insults, soft touches and tender caresses with hard grips and sloppy gropes. Slow and then fast, soft and then hard. It had been everything and now they were practically glowing.
"That...was the best," he declared.
She nodded, barely able to make a whimper as she tried to get her brain to work again. She was too distracted with the very recent memories and the very nice chest beneath her cheek.
"Again?"
Part of her couldn't believe it. She was wiped out enough after this time and he wanted to go again? Probably had loads of practice the sex fiend, playboy pillock, irresistibly gorgeous git that's giving her that look...
She was straddling him before he even got a chance to repeat himself.
In the room next door Harry wished he brought his I-pod so he didn't have to listen to this.
Airport:
"They're either going to come back all loved up or one of them dead."
"Bianca!"
"What? it's the truth! I just hope it's the first one, it might actually lighten Katherine up and make her more enjoyable to be with."
"Oh, look it's Harry. Harry, dear!"
"He looks a bit gloomy; I hope he's still not pining over me. It's a bit off putting on the whole friendship thing."
"Be nice Bianca, he's a lovely young man."
"Whatever, all right, Harry? Where are my sister and her husband?"
"Back there,"
"Oh, they're not arguing, are they?"
"I wish, it's worse. I had a week in hell putting up with them lot."
"Oh my..."
"I didn't think Katherine had it in her!"
"But we're in public!"
"They've been at it the whole time. Even on the plane, three times! The air hostess had her head bitten off by both of them when she refused to let them use the bathroom for round four."
"Oh, that's disgusting."
"They're celebrating."
"Oh yes, Katherine won the Leadership thing but do they have to be so..."
"Public?"
"I think it's the whole honeymoon/newly wed thing too."
"Let's stop them before he literally rips her knickers off and does there in front of everyone. They don't need this sort of publicity for the Opposition."
"Well, according to your sister she doesn't wear knickers on holiday."
"I really don't want to know how you know that."
Birth:
"I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU! RIP YOUR BALLS OFF AND FEED THEM TO THE BLOODY LABOUR PARTY AND THEN, THEN-"
The door slammed shut, silencing Katherine's screaming as Petruchio grabs Harry into a hug beaming brilliantly. "We got two boys! And one more coming! Three can you believe it? I'm so lucky!"
Harry and Tim exchanged sceptical looks. By the sounds of it Petruchio had a doomed future lying ahead of him. One that involved never having sex again by the sounds of things.
Petruchio opened the door. "Kate, my sweet! Don't snarl, just one more to go!"
"I'M NEVER LETTING YOU TOUCH ME AGAIN, YOU BASTARD!"
Ten Weeks Later:
"What was that about Katherine never letting Petruchio touch her again?"
Harry snorted as he shifted one of the babies in his arms. "They barely last the week when she's on, it was a stupid threat."
"I think it's the fishnets, I have to admit his legs are sexy as hell."
"Don't let Kate hear you say that. Sister or no sister, she'll still rip you to pieces if she thought you were making a play for her husband," Harry warned.
Mrs Minola shuddered. "That poor heiress, not only was she humiliated by Petruchio's lack of reaction to her advances but Katherine just had to pour the whole punch bowl on her."
"Served her right I think," Tim said loyally. "And that was very tame of Katherine. The time before that she literally ripped the girl's hair out and pushed her out of the party."
"Can't say that Petruchio ever complains though," Harry said, "in fact he rewards her by well...doing what they do."
"He's just as bad. For the first two weeks I had him glaring at me and threatening me! I'm her secretary not whatever he thought I was! And I'm married!" Tim looked down at the baby he was holding and turned rather pale. "I think this one has inherited their tempers, he keeps giving me that scary glare she has."
"No, that just means he needs his nappy changing. Katherine had that same look on her face when she was a baby, Bianca too."
"Mother!"
"Nappy bag is with the two oversexed rabbits, who wants to interrupt?" Harry asked, making it clear that he wasn't going to be the one interrupting. He barely survived Italy when he walked in on them numerous occasions. "I say Tim."
"Tim!" the others said quickly.
Taking shaky breathes and gathering all of his courage, Tim banged on the door and yelled. "You're not making another set of triplets, are you? Because the first set need their nappy changing!"
The door flung open as Katherine shoved the bag in his face. "Yes, we're aiming for girls this time round," Petruchio's voice could be heard.
"Screw you!" Katherine snapped.
"Isn't that why we're in here?" Petruchio said coyly.
"I'm not getting pregnant again!"
"Oh but Kate..."
The door slammed shut and everyone was silent for a moment. "He managed to get her to marry him," Harry spoke up, "I say fifty pounds that he'll get her pregnant by the time the triplets are school age."