Kit was lying on the couch, wide-awake, when Harry got home from a night shift (a favour for Cara, who was writing exams in her university courses). He closed and locked the door quietly, turned off the front light, and was at the bottom of the stairs before Kit spoke out of the darkness.
"I don't want it anymore."
Harry nearly jumped out of his skin, spinning around to find the source of her voice.
"I'm sorry that I don't want it," she continued as Harry moved towards her, "and if you want it I'll do it, but I'm too tired to make it happen without your input."
Harry sat on the coffee table near her head. "I thought I was giving input," he asked softly, leaning forward with his forearms on his knees.
"Oh, you are," Kit admitted. "But honestly, what kind of a wedding do you want?"
Harry shrugged. "As long as it's you by my side, I don't care."
"That would be really sweet if I wasn't so cynical," Kit sighed, and Harry laughed lightly. "If you could have any wedding you wanted, what would it be?"
"A barbecue," Harry replied, and Kit smiled at him in surprise. "And no church ceremony," he continued, his eyes closing as he pictured it in his mind's eye, "just something in a park, with only the people who have always cared and supported us. Nate could run around with the dog, there wouldn't really be any work to do, unlike Sasha's wedding." Kit laughed softly. "You could wear whatever you wanted, I would still wear a suit, and it would be semi-formal. But instead of champagne we could have margaritas, and instead of a cake there could be cupcakes. And we'd use paper plates so there would be no dishes to wash."
They fell into silence, and Harry opened his eyes when Paddy's nose touched the back of his hand. As he moved his hand to scratch behind the dog's ears, he looked at Kit.
"That sounds lovely," she said quietly, and Harry smiled. "Should we have it that way?"
"Only if you choose the menu," Harry grinned.
"Deal," Kit whispered, and Harry's hand moved from Paddy's head to Kit's side as he leant down to kiss her softly. Her hand moved up his arm as they deepened the kiss, coaxing him off the coffee table. As her fingers tangled in his hair, he shifted his body and knelt above her, slowly closing the space between them, until it was so small that Kit, with a small moan, raised her hips to him. He pressed himself into her and his free hand moved under her shirt, eliciting another moan.
But just as Kit reached for Harry's belt, letting out an impatient moan as Harry took his time under her shirt, Paddy whined from the hearth-rug. The couple froze and simultaneously looked to the dog.
Paddy laid on the rug, his eyes on his new family, his head resting on his paws. One ear had perked up, and he blinked innocently.
"Not when the dog is watching," Kit whispered, and Harry sighed.
"All right then," he said, pinching her once more before standing and helping her to her feet.
As they climbed the stairs, hand-in-hand, the dog behind them, Kit spoke softly.
"Do you have plans for next Tuesday afternoon?"
"No, I don't think so. Why?"
"I have a doctor's appointment."
"I'll be there."
Kit squeezed his hand, a small smile on her lips.
---
Kit stared up at the ceiling as Hermione slumped back into the cushions of the couch. They were both frustrated, tired, and, more so in Kit's case than Hermione's, hungry.
"Let's order in."
Hermione sighed heavily. "I can't believe it."
"I can't believe how hungry I am."
"She cancelled on us. What are we supposed to do?"
"Chinese or pizza?"
"She told me it was fine, and now she's gone out of the country. Honestly. Wedding planners these days."
"Chinese it is," Kit said, sitting up and reaching for the phone.
"She didn't even do what we asked!"
"So now I'll get to do it my way," Kit shrugged, and Hermione looked up at her in surprise. "What?"
"Your way?" Hermione asked. "You mean – you didn't want what we had discussed?"
"I did," Kit said, circling her choices from the menu, "but now I don't want the fairy tale thing."
Hermione stared at her as Kit handed her the menu. "Then what do you want now? Anything?"
"I was thinking of having it in the backyard," Kit replied calmly.
"What about the food? Flowers? Procession? Dress?"
Kit shrugged. "We could have a barbecue, I'll wear a dress, Nate can carry the rings or something, and I don't like flowers anyway."
Hermione stared at her in disbelief. "But the officials –?"
"I'll find someone, just circle your choices."
Finally, Hermione smiled as Kit dialled the number.
"Is it a good idea to order in on a Friday the thirteenth?" she asked slyly.
Kit shot her an amused look. "I've already lost my wedding planner, and I don't feel like burning down the house."
Hermione laughed.
---
"Ready to go dress shopping?" Carrie asked the next morning.
"About that," Kit began, her back to her friend as she washed the dishes, "I don't think a dress is necessary."
Silence followed her statement, and she closed her eyes waiting for the blow."
"What?" Carrie exploded, and Kit heard her push her chair back. "No dress?"
"Or church," Kit said quietly, and Carrie gasped.
"Are you getting married at all?" she asked, exasperation in her voice.
"Of course," Kit replied calmly. "We just changed our minds about how we're going to do it."
By this time, Carrie stood beside Kit, leaning on the counter.
"So how are you going to do it?" she asked, eyes narrowed.
"In the backyard –"
"But it's winter!"
"Only for the short ceremony," Kit continued. "Then the reception will be in here, and we'll have a barbecue."
"Seriously?"
"More than usual."
Carrie huffed and was silent for a minute. "All right then," she said finally.
Kit looked at her. "Really? No pushing? No pestering?"
"Are you still having a cake?"
"We were thinking cupcakes," Kit said warily.
"Can I still make them?" she asked.
Kit grinned. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
---
Jake knocked on the back door early Sunday morning, his arms full of cookbooks.
"If you're not hiring anyone," he pronounced, marching past Kit to drop the books onto the table, "then I'm cooking for free. And a couple glasses of wine," he added as an afterthought.
"Deal," Kit grinned.
"So what will you be having?" Jake asked promptly, sitting across from Nate.
"Chicken," Harry replied immediately, moving from the counter to sit beside Nate.
"I thought I was on menu duty?" Kit asked, her brows furrowing.
"Well you have to be quicker on the draw, my dear."
"Vegetable?" Jake prompted.
"Carrots!"
"Asparagus."
"Corn on the cob."
The threesome looked at each other.
Kit, who had claimed for the asparagus, looked at Jake. "All three?"
"Consider it done."
"And Carrie has the dessert handled," she added.
"Some of it," Jake said, flipping pages in a cookbook.
"Some of it?"
Jake looked at her, a spark in his eyes. "I have a surprise. Don't worry about it."
Kit sighed, smiling. "I won't."
"Me neither," Harry said. "Nate."
"Can I go play?"
I'm so sorry for the ridiculously long wait. I have started the chapter after this, with smut, and it will hopefully be up before the month is out. Read, review, and enjoy!