A Winter Wedding

“It’s been over a year.”
His voice makes Prescott jump, turning to look at his fiancé, he didn’t expect the man too so suddenly appear, he was meant to be working late tonight, finishing up to make sure the lab was all safe to be left over Christmas; that Lab Lurker would be comfortable while everyone was gone. That she could care for any animals that also had to be left, though Sievert managed to take a bunch home with him alongside Vilan and Linora, but there were still arrangements to be made.
Prescott shifts around, legs tucked under his body and he nervously fiddles with some of his fur; racking his brain to think about what his partner could be referencing. His head cocks slightly, eyes a little wide. Islington lets go of the door frame, and walks towards his partner, carefully stepping over the piles of discarded children’s toys. They have toy boxes, and for the life of him Islington can’t work out why they end up just living it scattered everywhere instead. His heart melts slightly as he watches his fiancé try to process what he means, Prescott’s thinking face has to be one of Islington’s favourite emotions.
“How about, over Six months since I last brought it up? Does that help you better, love?” Islington smiles, as he gets to the sofa, he walks around the back of it, which confuses Prescott even more in a sense. Prescott’s tail twitches and flops off of the sofa, as he thinks even more, though he’s distracted slightly as Deli stretches out and places a soft nose boop onto Prescott’s jaw.
“Six months is so long-ago Islington, I don’t know what could have gotten you in all of a bother so suddenly? You did manage to get Lab Lurker settled comfortably, right?” Prescott asks, his ears twitching slightly, before he then relaxes, feeling a hand run through the back of his hair. This turns into a few moments of comfortable silence as Islington gently runs his hands through Prescott’s hair, combing it in a gentle manner and he can’t help but lean further back into his partner’s touch. Islington does spend longer at home and longer with them at that, but he still misses the other man when he goes out and is gone for so long. Prescott leans even further back and his eyes flicker close, Islington looks softly at Delilah and she nods back at him in a gentle manner. Islington can’t help but smile softly before leaning down, brushing Prescott’s fringe out of his eyes and pressing a kiss on his forehead.
“And you call me forgetful, love.” Islington chuckles, and Prescott’s eyes snap back open with a glare but is then distracted with Islington’s hands in front of his face, moving a ring. Prescott squints slightly, more confusion. “Have you broken one of the wines open again? Or has the Christmas spirit just overwhelmed you?” He asks gently, actually rather enjoying how confused his partner is seeming, to be fair it has been a very long day at this point.
“I have not, don’t be so mean to me. Just, tell me what’s going on Islington?” Prescott pleads and Islington caves, before then leaning forward, resting his chin on Prescott’s shoulder. A gentle smiles crests Islington’s face, you know he’s rather glad Prescott can’t recall what’s going on, it does feel nice to remind his fiancé of all of this, all over again. “It’s been over a year since you proposed to me, my love. Over six months since we started our plans, and I know this is a bit short notice, but you know the castle we booked, they’ve had an event fall through.” He pauses for a second and Prescott stiffens, his tail lifting and dropping gently, “And if we want to, we’re the next person in queue.” Islington adds before Prescott then cuts him off.
“How, how soon is it then? Do we, do we still have time to get our friends there, we can get any of them lifts that need them…” Prescott starts to ramble before Islington gently puts his finger to Prescott’s lips.
“The only people I’m worried about is how the kids might react, we were the plans for our friends that day anyway. It’s the 24^th, my love, we could get married that soon; all our catering is through them and it was another wedding that fell through so we don’t have to worry about a celebrant, they’ve already said that she can do ours.” Islington explains softly, and Prescott’s breathing hitches. A soft sobbing noise comes from his throat and Islington panics, why is Prescott sobbing.
“Hey love, it’s okay.” Islington’s brain is panicking slightly, this isn’t a good reaction, is it?
“No, Islington,” Prescott manages to choke out between tears, “These are happy tears I promise, I, we can…” He stammers and Islington sighs in relief, before clambering onto the sofa behind his partner, carefully scooting Prescott’s tail aside so he doesn’t sit on it, before then engulfing him in a hug.
“I’m so glad they’re happy tears. So does that mean this is a yes, will you be my husband in three days?” Islington asks gently and Prescott leans back into his chest.
“It is! Oh gosh no, we don’t have time to cuddle we need to start asking the others if that’s okay. I know they were all meant to head over to ours in the evening but this is an all-day thing, I know The Principality also has more people living with him now, so they’d all need invitations.” Prescott then shimmies himself out of Islington’s arms, making a laugh escape from Islington.
“Alright, we can write notes but I’m not phoning anyone at this hour, they’re probably kill me for that.” Islington clambers out of the sofa, thinking about his co-workers and friends’ reactions if he phoned so late, knowing him and knowing them, they’d probably think there was some sort of issue over at the lab that needs sorting.

Islington follows Prescott into the kitchen as he opens their wedding stuff drawer, before pulling out all of the notebooks and files they had ready for when everything was perfect. The date they had planned was mid-January, but that was the earliest empty spot they could get that didn’t clash with all of their friends, but this, Christmas Eve is perfect. They’ll be married for Christmas; they’ll be legally together as the new year clicks over. Any other year, Islington wouldn’t have said yes to such a short notice date, especially without going to Prescott or even their friends first to make sure the date is right with all of them as well, but this year, it was their turn to host the Christmas Eve party and they all new that Islington was itching to get married as soon as possible now, so all were ready to drop events for them.
“Wait, what about the cake?” Prescott stammers, two notepads in hands and a pen in the corner of his mouth, so the words come out rather mumbled, but clear enough that Islington gets what he’s trying to say.
“I’m sure they’ll be fine with a tighter date, love, we didn’t want anything too fancy. And to hell, does it really matter if we don’t get a cake, we could even get a cake from a store if we really want one. Prescott, what I care about is you, I wouldn’t care if we got married in a muddy field, I made you wait so long and kept putting it off, I was scared of attachment but now I don’t want to lose any of our family.” Islington explains, while gently pulling the pen from Prescott’s mouth and pushing the notebooks to the table, Prescott looks over at him.
“For the man who’s normally obsessed with perfection, I never expected that to come out of your mouth.” He laughs softly and Islington pouts.
“Science is a different matter, a slight off reading or level and everything’s ruined, I’ve learnt you can’t hold life to that high a level, because if you do, what is the point of really living?” Islington smiles, before sneaking a kiss in while Prescott was caught unguarded.
“Well, that is true, I wonder which wise people taught that to you, hu? Remember how much of an ass you were when we first met, could even breath out of line, hu Deli.” Prescott laughs softly, putting down the notebooks and wrapping his arms around his fiancé, gently backing him up into the edge of the table, though mindful of Deli who nods in great enthusiasm.
“You can’t team up against me Deli, you are part of my body, this is a mutiny that I would stand for.” He complains but is then silence by another kiss. “I would call that cheating, but hmm, I do like it.” Which earns him a gentle whack in the chest by Prescott.
“I hate you.”
“No, you don’t.”
“No, no I do.”
“Fine, we won’t get married then…”
“Hey no, wait.” Prescott stammers out softly.
“But you said you hate me, no point in getting married if you hate me, hu.” Islington responds with an eyebrow wiggle, which makes Prescott pout.
“That’s not what I mean and you know it!”
“True, and anyway good luck getting out of being married to me now, I’ve built up my confidence and decided that I want this, but yeah no, not changing my mind again.” He laughs softly, before then planting another kiss onto Prescott’s forehead, before then curling his fingers around his hair. Prescott leans into Islington’s chest, scrunching up his shirt and lab coat, honestly the cake and getting their friends to arrive is their biggest issues, and their friends really shouldn’t be an issue, most don’t plan a morning event if they’ve got an afternoon one planned. One thing he does like about Islington coming home from the lab, well other then Islington being home, is the lab coat always smells nice, normally of a mixture of smoke and cleaning products, which is something Prescott rather enjoys, as well as whichever cologne Islington chose that morning, and considering that these are now starting to all be ones that Prescott brought for him, they all smell nice. 

“Father, you’re home!!” A voice calls from the hallway, attracting both men’s attention before Fleur then comes bounding into the kitchen at full speed, her flame getting dangerously close to dragging on the floor, at least the most that does is leave a slightly uncomfortably warm trail and not cause an actual fire. Prescott lets Islington go, so he can crouch down and wrap his arms around their daughter as she squiggles in excitement. She nuzzles into her head into her father’s shoulder and Deli moves around and gently presses herself into Fleur’s side, both showing affection to the little girl. “Oh, and before you complain, Daddy, I woke up because I’d dropped my cuddly and heard Father, Jaques is still asleep, I did not wake him up.” Fleur says as Islington lets her go and she shuffles back to sit down in front of her parents. Islington glances back up at Prescott, trying to work out if she should tell Fleur now, before her younger brother; Prescott nods, there isn’t really any harm telling her early.
“Fleur, so you know how me and Daddy were going to get married in the new year, well things have happened and it’s going to happen on the 24^th, that ruins our Christmas Eve party, but we thought this would be even better.” Islington explains and Fleur looks like she’s vibrating.
“You mean you and Daddy are getting married really soon!?” She asks and Islington and Prescott both nod their heads, and she leaps to her paws, tail wagging so hard she can barely stand. “That’s so cool! I still get to be a flower girl, right? And give you the rings? All our friends are coming too right, right?” She starts to ramble, and Islington gently shushes her by putting a hand on her head.
“Yes Fleur, all our other plans should still be in place, it’s just happening even earlier then we hoped. Though you and Jaques will have a special job, I’ve got most of the lab sorted for the reception, but I need you two, the wonderful decorators that you are, to finish it off for us.” Islington explains softly, his voice always takes on an even softer tone when talking to their children. Fleur nods rather enthusiastically,
“You can trust me father, I’ll make sure me and Jaques make the prettiest of rooms.” She promises.
“Good, now you should head to bed now little one, me and your father need to make sure that we have everything planned as tomorrow will be an early start to make sure all-out friends can come.” Prescott butts in from above. Fleur nods again before scooting off out of the room, calling behind her shoulder,
“I shall make sure I go to bed then, see you in the morning!!” She shouts back, before both men call back their love and good night wishes to her, before just like how she appeared, she is gone again, up off to bed, though neither of her parents are sure how long she’ll actually sleep form nor how long it may take her to actually fall asleep at that.

Getting back up off of the floor, Islington looks over at Prescott, he’s feeling incredibly soft right now.
“You know, we know who are friends are, we don’t really need to do anymore planning tonight, why don’t we just head up to bed so that we can defiantly get an early start in the morning, I think we’ll need it.” Islington says, while placing his hands on Prescott’s waist. Prescott goes to protest, that surly they need a game plan and not just randomly wonder to their friends houses and tell them that surprise, the wedding can happen far earlier then expected; but stops as another kiss is pressed onto his head. “I’ve had a real long day after all, and it’s getting quite cold.”
“Fine, but if it means we forget to tell anyone, well then I’m blaming it all on you.”