Hell Week
Author: Prospero Hibiki
Disclaimer: See first chapter
Rating: M (Because it makes things even funnier)
Author's Comments: Not as late as I'd thought.
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"Feelings"
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"As I go through all kinds of feelings and experiences in my journey through life - delight, surprise, chagrin, dismay - I hold this question as a guiding light: 'What do I really need right now to be happy?' What I come to over and over again is that only qualities as vast and deep as love, connection and kindness will really make me happy in any sort of enduring way." - Sharon Salzberg
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The small reception was held at the hotel. With so few people there was plenty of food to go around. Both Thomas and Susan as well as the justice of the peace were invited to remain. The justice of the peace was a local judge and politely begged off. He apparently had an appointment at a local golf course. Susan and Thomas accepted and if I was right were also dating themselves.
I guess there's just something about being happy in a relationship that makes you want the same for other people. In that respect I don't think I could have been happier. I don't think I've ever seen Greg as happy as he appeared right this moment. It's a look that I've always thought was incredibly attractive on him. I got my first real glimpse of it while we went on that non-date to the monster truck rally. Now I'm watching him sitting at the long table next to his best friend laughing. As if he can sense I'm looking he turns and smiles at me before leaning over and giving me a kiss that I'm only too happy to return much to the amusement of the rest of the party.
From his seat next to me my brother leans over and asks me if the best man is single and gay. I laugh out loud at the thought. It's a real shame that I need to dash his hopes but I tell him that the man in question is currently married to his third wife.
"Pity. No man that attractive should be straight. Oh well, at least there's a chance for the next generation of gay men."
I refuse to tell Greg and Wilson what was so funny that I snorted my ice water.
I was completely surprised and confused when Greg pushed away from the table and held his hand out to me.
"What?"
"I think it's time for our dance."
"But your leg."
"I'm tired of letting my life be defined by what I don't think I can do. Besides what man would refuse to dance with his wife on their wedding day?"
I can practically feel the goofy grin spread across my face when he refers to me as his wife. I get the feeling he's going to win a bunch of arguments that way in the future, but I doubt I'll care too much.
"But don't get your hopes up. The song is kind of short."
Nodding I wrap my arms around his neck as everyone turns their eyes to us as the music starts. And then I laugh with my head tilted back in pure humor. The song playing is the shortest Beatles song in existence. "Her Majesty" is a song that is all of twenty three seconds long and Greg grins down at me after it's done.
"Was that long enough or do you want something else for our song?"
"It's perfect, but what else have you got?"
He gives a nod at Thomas who has a cd player hooked up to the sound system in the room. It takes me a while to recognize the song but eventually I realize that it's a Tonic song that I've heard before. As we sway with our arms wrapped around each other I realize that while he might not flat out say it often, Greg will show me in other ways the way he feels about me. In that way "The Way She Loves Me" is very appropriate.
We go through the other post wedding rituals including the cake cutting and the bouquet and garter toss, which is somewhat amusing because the only single woman in the room is Susan. The other single men bow out so that Thomas wins by default.
We still have a couple of hours to kill before we have to leave for the airport and so Greg and I slip out the back while a mildly intoxicated Wilson is trying to convince everyone to revive the Macarena. We're not seen by anyone in the room but we get more than our fair share of knowing looks as we sneak into a nearby elevator. The elderly couple already inside chuckle and the husband is kind enough to press the button for our floor while we are otherwise occupied.
It's while we are stumbling into our bedroom that we discover the downsides of formal wear. Too many fasteners. But once that technical detail is out of the way we're too busy with other things to be thinking about much of anything.
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Wilson is more than slightly worse for wear when we board the plane. He's been grumbling about our public displays of affection the entire time and I'm just as glad that his seat isn't next to ours even if it's still in first class. To be fair several of those affectionate actions were taken a bit far, and others were actually started just to tweak his nose a bit and descended fast. What can I say? I'm a newlywed.
When we get settled into our seats and Greg immerses himself in his gameboy I pull out my laptop once more. I'm not a particularly great flier and like to keep myself busy if I can. There's an article that I've been writing off and on as something of a follow up to my last paper. Since I have some free time at the moment I decide to type up my mental notes from the discussions I had with the other doctors on the Immunology panel on Saturday. Several of the things that we'd talked about sparked ideas for new directions for my article.
My new draft for the article comes together much faster than my earlier version did even if I discount the spaces I'm leaving for consulting the other doctors once I get back to Princeton. I blink as I find that I'm using phrasing that I'd expect Greg to say in one of his articles. I have to make a quick check through some of his own articles to make sure that I'm not stealing from them.
Eventually I think I've gotten a decent amount typed up and much more scribbled down onto a legal pad I'd had in my carry on bag. Looking up I stretch out and blink when I find that Greg is staring at me.
"What?" I blush lightly because I sound somewhat defensive and there's no way he could avoid noticing that.
"Looks good." At my confused expression he clarifies. "The article. It looks good. You're challenging some accepted practices in the field and pointing out that some of the newer drugs are only newer and not better without stepping on too many toes by calling people stupid."
"I'd never call someone-"
"I know. It's good. Just what I'd expect from something you wrote." He grabs onto my hand and squeezes it. "Speaking of which you need to put yourself out there more. From this point on my articles go directly to you so that you can work on them. But instead of just editing them, add in your own thoughts. Make it a better article. Work on the science. Form your own opinions. And then come to me and share your ideas so that I know what you think. And we'll turn them in together." He traces his thumb over my ring. "We're a team now so people should find out just how much of the work you've been doing."
I can only nod dumbly and try to blink the tears out of my eyes. Shutting everything down I put the laptop under the seat before undoing my seatbelt and lunging for my husband. It's one thing to see hints and indications that he respects me as a doctor and another thing entirely to hear it.
After kissing him for a few minutes I steal his gameboy and start playing with it. He looks very put out for a little while before he starts looking over my shoulder and kibitzing. Not a bad way to spend some time.
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It probably should have occurred to us before this but it definitely didn't occur to me until we had piled everything into Wilson's SUV.
"Where to?"
I blink at the simple question and look at Greg who is looking back at me from the front seat. He smirks slightly at having me off balance and flustered. It's like he knows that I don't want to make decisions for him that I now officially have some right to make. Damn him for being so sexily infuriating.
"Home James."
"Very good sir. And where might that be?"
"Baker Street."
I nod to myself. It makes sense. Greg's place is larger than mine even if it's not by much and most of that difference is taken up by a piano. I make some mental notes about things that have to be taken care of. I need to either do some laundry tonight or make a quick run back to my old apartment for some clothes.
My old apartment. I just now found out where we're going to be staying and I'm already thinking of the place I've lived for over a year as my old apartment. Wow.
I go back to planning what I'm going to wear tomorrow. The mental inventory of my luggage gets sorted through and mixed and matched until I come to the conclusion that I'll definitely be making a quick run to pick up some clothes. Once that's decided I try to figure out what else I absolutely must throw into my car for the trip back home. Because it is home. It's where my husband will be after all.
Wilson drops us off out front before driving away. We're all going to be hurting tomorrow morning but I suspect that he's going to be worst off due to both of his flights today or rather yesterday now.
Greg's almost dead on his feet as he carries his bags inside and opens the door. I'm not far behind him. After tossing my bags in the door I grab his keys so that I can drive his car over to the other apartment. He still has the cherry corvette that the Arnello brothers gave him so they'll both be able to go in to the hospital in the morning at their usual times.
The trip there and back only takes a total of thirty minutes since I'd already planned out everything I was going to grab. Unlocking the door for the first time with the keys feels pretty damned good.
But then stripping down and curling up in the bed where my husband is already asleep feels even better.
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End "Feelings"
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Chapter Notes: Okay people. Expect the unexpected. The deal is over and our heroes are returning to the hospital. Muuuuahahahahahahahaaa!