Homeplot: On a Jet Plane

[missingthekeep]

Sean's not sure what to think. Since waking up in their Washington hotel room yet again that morning, he's been in a perpetual state of unease that has nothing to do with the absolute reaming that is no doubt in store for him in London. He's half-tempted to suggest just going on the lam with Meredith for however much longer this lasts, but for now, he spends his time fidgeting in his cramped economy seat on the plane (maybe he'd been on something of a spending spree, but the tickets had been booked on their behalf), playing with a tiny, empty scotch bottle.

"Least all yer paperwork went through without a hitch," he says, looking over at Meredith with a cheerfulness that, vague unease aside, remains pretty genuine after the events of the last day. Maybe they should have gone back by now, maybe there's more to this than they initially thought, but whatever they're facing, they're still facing it together.

Comments

[missingthekeep.livejournal.com]

Sean lightly clucks his tongue at that, falsely contrite. "There I go again, draggin' ye down wi' me."

[drownondryland]

"Every time," Meredith sighs. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do with you. Although I guess the running off and sightseeing thing was me. But that doesn't count until we do it."

[missingthekeep.livejournal.com]

"Oh, so until ye see Big Ben, ye're a pure an' innocent flower, that it?" Sean asks, just barely keeping himself laughing.

[drownondryland]

Meredith nods, trying to school her expression into something more serious, but she can't quite manage it. It's been a long time since she saw Big Ben, longer still since she was anything like pure and innocent. "Uh huh," she says anyway, "yeah, that sounds like me."

[missingthekeep.livejournal.com]

Putting a hand up in preemptive apology, Sean suppresses a smirk. "Now, far be't be it from me ta say otherwise, but if'n that's the case, what was all that fuss 'bout a white dress for?"

[drownondryland]

Meredith makes a face at him, head tipping to the side. "I still don't get why it's a big deal to you," she says, almost laughing anyway. "You're not the one who has to wear the stupid thing."

[missingthekeep.livejournal.com]

"I ne'er said 'twas a big deal," Sean says, weirdly defensive, though he's not sure why. It's not enough to get him to stop smiling, at any rate. "Jus'... yer standard deal. It'll be nice."

[drownondryland]

"Standard deal," scoffs Meredith. "What about us is standard?" She doesn't really mind enough to try and talk her way out of it and there's nothing wrong with a traditional wedding, it just doesn't matter to her the way it seems to matter to him. She leans over and kisses him. "I didn't say it won't be nice."

[missingthekeep.livejournal.com]

"Then there ye go," Sean says in a satisfied sort of way, reaching up to play with a bit of her hair for a second. "Is it a crime ta be wantin' nice things fer us?" They get them so rarely.

[drownondryland]

"No," Meredith says, turning her head toward his hand, "of course not. I just don't see what makes white nicer than the other colors." It's not even the color, really, though, so much as the general size and shape of most dresses of that kind.

[missingthekeep.livejournal.com]

"It's nae a matter of nicer," Sean replies patiently, dropping his hand a bit to cradle her cheek. "It's a... situational sort o' thing."

[drownondryland]

"A traditional sort of thing," Meredith corrects, glancing back to him with a grin. It's old-fashioned, is what it is, but that's hardly news. "I don't look that good in white. Consider yourself forewarned."

[missingthekeep.livejournal.com]

"Nonsense," Sean says, dismissive yet fond. She can look good in anything, he's sure. "But fine, I've been warned. An' I still dinnae see the harm in hewin' to the odd tradition."

[drownondryland]

"There isn't any harm," Meredith says, shaking her head. "But there's no reason we have to do things just because they're tradition either. Does it really matter? I'll wear the white, I have the ring on, I am actually thinking about changing — or adjusting — my name. What have you done to me?" Even a year ago, the idea would have seemed crazy — even just one of those things — and now here she is.

[missingthekeep.livejournal.com]

"Nothin' bad, I hope," Sean says, bowing his head slightly but still smiling. He has to admit that, for her, those things are pretty big deals. Even for all the misfortune that seems to follow him, he still has plenty of reasons to call himself unbelievably lucky, and this right here counts for several. "What sort o' things d'ye want in a weddin', anyhow?"

[drownondryland]

It seems like such a silly question, Meredith almost laughs, even though it's not one she's given that much thought to. "To marry you," she says. "And a cake, I mean, I think we definitely at least get a cake out of the deal." What else is she supposed to want? All the frilly, girly nonsense about dresses and bridal showers and bouquets and being given away and having bridesmaids and the like has always seemed to go right over her head.

[missingthekeep.livejournal.com]

Sean finds himself at once both pleased and exasperated by that, and his smile reflects as much as he shifts himself a little closer, right to the edge of his seat. "Aye, those're me main priorities, too, but surely an' ye've got some preferences?"

[drownondryland]

Meredith shakes her head slightly, gaze drifting to the side as she considers it. "I don't know," she says. "Something small. I don't need a lot of people I only sort of know and half a dozen bridesmaids. I don't even know enough women for that anyway. And you know my conditions for the dress. I don't really know about the location, I'm not really much for churches but we barely have one anyway, so... That's pretty much it. As long as there's cake and we wind up married, I don't think I'm gonna complain."

[missingthekeep.livejournal.com]

Sean nods, glad for at least some input, though he gets a little hung up on part of it. "Have ta say, I'd prefer the chapel meself, but I dinnae e'en think there's a proper priest around either way. Somethin' small, though... I like that."

[drownondryland]

"Well, there's no reason we can't have someone from the Council do it there," Meredith says, shrugging. "I mean, it might not be my thing, no, but where else would we have it, the beach? We'll just get sand in everything."

[missingthekeep.livejournal.com]

"Right," Sean says, laughing quietly as he fervently ignores how the mention of the Council reminds him of Theresa and how she likely won't be present. It isn't right. "We c'n get it all fixed up f'r the occasion, sounds good ta me." He'd prefer a priest, of course, but short of hoping a suitable one drops out of the sky in the next few weeks, there's not much that they can do about that.

[drownondryland]

See?" Meredith grins, flourishing a hand. "That's half the thing planned right there. I don't know why anyone thinks they need a whole year for this." It's even harder to understand on the island, where people disappear with so little warning. There's no guarantee both halves of a couple will still be around in a week, let alone a year.

[missingthekeep.livejournal.com]

"Nor do I," Sean agrees, nodding. With his mind still on Theresa, the answer that immediately springs to mind is that maybe some people just know they shouldn't be wed, but hadn't Ellie and Devon waited? Meredith likely wouldn't agree with that assessment. "'Less ye want ta wait f'r winter an' get married in the snow," he adds with a grin.

[drownondryland]

Meredith makes a face. "What is that, nine months?" she asks, shaking her head. "When have I ever been that patient?" So she waited this long for anything to happen at all; that doesn't mean she was patient about it.

[missingthekeep.livejournal.com]

"I'm sure I c'n think of a few times," Sean says, huffing out a quiet laugh. Having her wait for him is nothing new to their relationship. "But seein' as I'm in no mood ta wait, either, I guess there's no harm done."