OOM: Pre-Dinner

[the_gene_genie]

At this time every year, Gene makes himself scarce from other people. As it used to be him, his mam and his missus this means, basically, he left them in the kitchen and parked himself in front of the TV with a can of beer and a bottle of whiskey.

This year? No different. Especially with the size of this particular hangover. His mum takes him a cup of tea and then returns to the kitchen, where Alex had volunteered to help prepare the veg.

'You really don' 'ave t'do that, luv. I don' mind, it's not often I get t'cook for 'im anymore.'

Comments

[the_gene_genie]

He beams and looks smug as all hell.

'See, mam? Defy explanation. You've got a magic son.'

[manclioness.livejournal.com]

She rolls her eyes and shoves the bowl of half-whipped cream at him.

'I've go' a son tha's gettin' pissed again and is abou' to go finish whippin' that fer me, 'cos my arm's knackered.'

He stares at it and sighs.

'Alrigh', mam.'

'No' too stiff, mind. It's f'the trifle. Go on, shoo.'

He shoos. He knows better than to get underfoot when his mum's cooking a big dinner. He does cast a look at Alex though, to see whether she's laughing at him getting bossed around by an old woman.

[lady_bols]

Alex is not laughing at him, no. She doesn't want to walk back to London. She just smiles, eyebrows high, grinning at him.

When he's gone, she leans out to see that he's ended up back in front of the telly. "I bought him a little gift, on the way up. In addition to the bottle I left on his desk at work. Can you keep an eye on him for a moment?"

She fishes in her pocket and comes up with the tie pin to show Betty.

[manclioness.livejournal.com]

Her face...she's smiling but she looks sad too, all in the instant she sees the gift. Her finger touches it briefly, eyes far away.

'He always wanted t'be a Sheriff. Ever since he were a lad.'

A beat of silence, then she looks up at Alex, snaps out of it.

'He'll love it, pet. s'very thoughtful of you. I 'ope the big lummox got you somethin' an' all.'

[lady_bols]

"He got me out of the flat for awhile. That's gift enough for me."

Alex knows. Seeing the confirmation in his mum's eyes, though, makes her heart swell.

"I'm just going to go put it in his tie, and we can see if he even notices."

She gives Betty an impish little smile and steals off to see if Gene left his clothes hanging in the bathroom.

[the_gene_genie]

He did - a good suit and tie, all newly dry-cleaned and pressed, his good cowboy boots polished to a shine. Christmas is something you make an effort for.

And he sees her head up the stairs and takes the opportunity to wander back into the kitchen, flexing the ache out of his hand from some vigourous whipping.

'Here ya go, mam. What're you two talkin' abou'?'

'You, of course.'

He gives her a Look, which she steadfastly ignores.

'She's a good 'un, Gene. Don' let her ge' away.'

'S'not that simple, mam. I'm 'er boss.'

He speaks in a wearied tone, as though he knew this was coming - which he did, after their conversation this morning. And there are a thousand other reasons, of course, none of which he can articulate clearly.

'An' all she talks abou' is goin' 'ome.'

Betty looks away, takes a breath and sighs. She knows why that'd be a problem for him. He adds nothing else, just takes another beer from the fridge and cracks it open, then helps himself to another sausage roll.

'You'll ruin yer dinner.'

'Nah, I won'. Not wi' your cookin'.'

He gives her a quick peck on the cheek and wanders back out to the TV. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is on, as it is every year. He'll pretend to doze off in front of it in case Alex comes in and catches him but he's watching it really. An old family favourite. He remembers his brother loving it, when it came out, which is why he always watches it.

[lady_bols]

Alex pauses in the door, watching him without saying a word. She stands there for a long time, until she hears Betty moving in the kitchen, and then there's work to be done. Table to be set, napkins to be folded, she busies her hands, humming a bit of Winter Wonderland under her breath.

[lady_bols]

[ cont'd here ]