Wedding planning

Posted on Sun 31st Jul, 2022 @ 10:38pm by Maiek s'Ethien & Mary Elizabeth Gregory

1,431 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: The Hunted
Location: Maiek's quarters
Timeline: MD 2: 0500

Maiek pushed himself up on one elbow, tucking a pillow under his arm on the side where he was lying beside Mary Elizabeth. The words she'd used to defend him, to protect him and his family's honor had kindled a fire in him that he'd been only too pleased to quench. He kissed her softly on the forehead and whispered, "Did you truly want me to design your wedding dress?"

Mary Elizabeth gave a soft, contented moan as she awoke, fluttered her eyelids open, and smiled up at Maiek. She rolled onto her side and draped an arm over him. "I'd be thrilled if you would," she said. "It would give the dress a deep significance that a store-bought wedding dress doesn't have. Also, I want the dress to incorporate elements from both our cultures, and I know almost nothing of Romulan fashion. Ever since we became a serious couple and I saw that costume you made for yourself to wear at the masquerade last year, I knew I wanted you to design whatever I would wear when we married."

"I have been sketching garments to suit you since the moment I laid eyes upon you," he admitted, face coloring faintly green. His arms slid around her shoulders, drawing her closer. "I have several ideas already, but is there anything you wish to have in your wedding dress?"

"A traditional Earth wedding dress is floor length. It's also white, but that's boring, to me. I'd like perhaps some gold lace trim on it, placed wherever suits you. Anyway, basically white with gold trim or similar to that idea. It needs to be a dress I can move freely in but without a lot of excessive, unnecessary material. I don't want a slit skirt, and I don't want a hobble skirt or a long train. Sleeves would be nice. I'm not a fan of strapless dresses." Mary Elizabeth looked at Maiek and burst out laughing. "Is that Bridezilla enough for you?"

"I am unfamiliar with the term Bridezilla," he answered after a brief embarrassed silence. His fingertips stroked through her short hair, twisting a curl on his fingers idly.

Mary Elizabeth grinned and brushed a kiss against the tip of Maiek's nose. "A Bridezilla is a bride who turns into a monster while preparing for her wedding. Some women become so stressed by wedding preparations that they try to control every aspect of their wedding--even things that they have no right to control--like their bridesmaids' weight or hair styles. Some weddings have been canceled when smarter grooms have realized what horrible people their fiancées can become. Do Romulans have such a thing, too?"

"Not exactly." He paused to consider his words "Normally if someone is going to behave badly it isn't the bride but instead one of the matriarchs. Traditional weddings are the groom's responsibility, as we tend the traditional household. It's refreshing to have a bride who is interested in the preparation.".

Mary Elizabeth snickered. "Not half as refreshing as it is to have a man who is interested in helping with the preparations. On Earth, weddings are second only to baby showers in events that no bloke wants to have anything to do with! It really is good to have your help, Maiek, because I would be completely lost, trying to plan our wedding, with all the diplomatic considerations involved, as well as just the family ones."

"Baby showers?". He asked picturing a shower for an infant and his brow furrowed "That seems both impractical and messy....as well as dangerous for a child. Human infants can't stand or hold their heads up in a shower. My Romulan blood would not give a baby a significant strength increase in this...."

"Not that kind of shower," Mary Elizabeth said, laughing. "It's a party where the new mother's family and friends gift her with things the baby will need, especially for a first child. Everything is baby-themed, and they play all sorts of silly games. I remember, after the first one my sister Eleanor and I were allowed to go to, we swore we would never go to another one. Worst baby shower games ever. We had to feed each other baby food while blindfolded. Not fun!"

A look of embarrassment crossed his face and he hid it under the covers. "Human syntax is so complicated " he muttered darkly from under the covers. 'This shower does not sound fun, however. Will we have one for our children?"

"Yes, but the ones for our children will not include stupid games," Mary Elizabeth declared. Her good humor reasserted itself after a moment. "Don't worry about the syntax, dear; it's not a big deal." She slid her arms around his neck and kissed him. "How do Romulans prepare for a new baby?"

"Each clan has varying traditions. My clan is more traditional in its celebrations. When you bear our first child". He paused a moment to kiss her indulgently. "If you were on Romulus you would have a week of cleansing and preparation prior to the due date. Traditional herbal baths and the like befitting a matriarch. They're not all safe for your physiology, but I will find an equivalent if you want me to pamper you. There's also a naming ceremony done at the child's first solstice celebration. I was born on the height of summer on the longest day, so I was Named on my first day of life."

"I'm glad your parents did their job and had your name already selected!" Mary Elizabeth said. She rubbed his shin with one of her feet. "Normally, I don't expect to be waited on hand and foot, but I will admit that advanced pregnancy might very well change my mind." She smiled at him and delighted in the feel of his beard stubble as she traced a finger along Maiek's jawline. "Right now, cooling herbal baths sound delightful. Not sure I'm up for a whole week of them, but we'll see how I feel when the time comes. At any rate, they sound much more soothing than a baby shower."

"I admit I was concerned about that, I don't know how pregnancy affects a human." his fingers traced down her body to rest on her flat belly. "I think that I might prefer to discover at your side, rather than reading it. I've read some things about human traditions that are not precisely accurate, and I far prefer your sentiments on most things."

"Oh? What have you been reading about?" Mary Elizabeth asked, her curiosity piqued.

"When I was planning to propose, I read about human customs regarding the practice. Every region on Earth tends to have differing procedures in regards to propriety." He kissed her fingertips to distract him from the information that he was telling her. "In Japan, one needs a disgusting creature called a cuttlefish to make a proposal complete. I read that I was supposed to ask your father for your hand, but that seemed less than adequate in reality to my true desires."

Mary Elizabeth chuckled. "My father is the sort who would look at you and say, "All you want to marry is her hand? Are you sure you wouldn't like the rest of her, too?"

"You do have a lovely hand, but I follow your father's thought line rather too precisely for my own comfort" Grinning at her, showing pristine white teeth and a boyishness that she didn't often get to see.

Mary Elizabeth burst out laughing. "The rest of me would be rather cross at losing a hand to marriage. It's so much easier to mix scones with both of them!"

"Mixing scones is all the woman is worried about." he emoted, his eyes dancing with amusement as instead of kissing her again, as he leaned down to do, he began to tickle her instead.

"Aagh!" Mary Elizabeth shrieked and tickled him back, laughing helplessly. "Oh, what am I going to do with you?!"

"Oh, I can think of a great many things ar'hea." he teased gently, his fingers stilling from their movement on her body.

"Mm....I can't wait to find out," Mary Elizabeth murmured and nibbled at Maiek's earlobe.

"Allow me to enumerate" Maiek's eyes danced with delight at her, and they would find the rest of the morning to pass in a most pleasant fashion indeed.

 

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