#followed by stuttering that included only one inteligable word

[themalhambird]

@skeleton-richard so you know the Planning Kate and Harry’s wedding is how Ned and Richard sort out their feeling au we discussed.....

The reception was winding down.

The guests had been gradually slipping away over the last two hours, the reduction so subtle that one barely noticed, until they glanced round and realised it was only family and close friends left. It had been Richard’s idea: a compromise between the small, intimate ceremony Kate and Harry had wanted and the large, Society Affair their families had demanded. This last hour or so before they needed to leave for their honeymoon- it was for them. Their day, their time. It had worked wonderfully. 

The evening was drawing in. It was getting a little chilly, standing around in the marquee, but it was a good, calm, summer sort of chilly. Besides: it gave Harry an excuse to get out of his jacket- generously loaning it to her. “D-do you want the w-waistcoat as w-well-- Mrs Percy?” he asked, eyes lighting up and a grin spreading across his face as he called her that.

“Nah, I’m good thanks,” she said, and he groaned. 

“D-dance?” he asked. She went to take his hand, then something caught her eye and she hesitated. 

“Gimme a minute, I just need to go and talk to Ned a sec. Say thanks for all his help.”

“I thought we did that already,” Harry frowned, and Kate smiled.

“Okay, I’ll rephrase. I just need to go and talk to Ned a sec because he’s sitting on his own looking like a forlorn puppy dog and it’s bumming me out.”

“Oh. Okay,” Harry kissed her cheek. “but dance later?”

“We’ll see,” she kissed him back, “It depends on how easily I can fix the moping.” She walked over to her cousin, hand trailing along Harry’s arm for as long as possible before their fingers had to part, and took a seat next to her cousin. He was using a carrot stick to draw in a splodge of coleslaw left seeping in to a fancy cardboard plate; he dropped it quickly as he noticed her, flushing. “Hi,” she said.

“Hi. I was just, um,” he glanced up at the bar.

“Pining?” Kate asked.

“No, it’s- he has confetti in his hair, it’s been bothering me all afternoon. Evening...”

“Why don’t you go up and ask him to dance?” Kate suggested. Ned chuckled humourlessly. 

“Richard doesn’t dance. Not since Uncle Thomas paid his last dance partner a quarter of a million to go away.”

“He tell you that?” Kate asked.

“...no.”

“Then go ask him.2

“I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“Because!” Ned hissed. “Because it’s Richard, he’s,,,Richard. He’s...”

“Lonely.” Kate said softly. Ned snorted. “He is!” she insisted. “You’ve been watching him all day. When was he happiest? Going through all the last minute little catastrophes and sorting them with you, or sitting by himself staring in to a champagne glass at a party he organised and hasn’t spoken to anyone for more than three minutes at a time at. Except for you again.” Ned looked at her, worrying his lower lip.

“What do I say?” he asked, and Kate rolled her eyes.

“I’m hopelessly in love with you please take me to bed and fuck me,” she said. “you say: ‘would you like to dance’, doofus.”

“Would you like to dance,” Ned repeated. “Would you like to dance? Would you like to dance-ow!” he complained, as Kate kicked him under the table. “How can you be wearing a wedding dress and still do that? Okay, okay,” he took a deep breath and stood, straightening his cuffs and making his way across the marquee to the bar. Kate watched Richard turn as he approached. Ned gestured- cringed, she could practically feel him fumbling the words- he glanced at her-

Richard offered him a hand. Kate felt a warm glow of satisfaction fill her as Ned took it, and led Richard on to the dance floor. The gap between their silhouettes closed as their hands moved to each other’s, and each other’s waists, and they began to move with the music. 

“Moping fixed?” said a voice in her ear. 

“Here’s hoping.” Kate said, turning and letting Harry pull her out of the chair, and close to him. She wrapped her arms around her neck. “but if this doesn’t do it, I’m locking them in a cupboard together till they finally give in and actually talk about their feelings. What?” she asked, as Harry laughed. 

“Nothing. I just love you, that’s all. Mrs Kate Percy.” 

“Mrs Kate Percy,” Kate agreed, as they danced together. “I love you too.”

#katespur #aumerlexrichard #newlyweds #getting together #sort of #implied #(in case you're wondering Ned's word fumbling was repeating /exactly/ what Kate said to him- aka 'would you like to dance doofus'- #followed by stuttering that included only one inteligable word #fortunately that word was Kate and Richard got the general picture of what was going on #as well as a lot of thoughts about how sweet Ned is) #Also: in the interests of not fridging Anne she and Richard haven't met so the bug dramatic love-loss of Richard's life de vere #Henry oh so helpfully let his father and uncles know that cousin Richard was seeing a ~man~ and Thomas paid de Vere money to leave #and the gleefully told Richard #(he neglected to mention that he also told de Vere if he didn't take the money and go he would devote all his energy in to ruining Richard #so that he was left destitute and broken and in no way a figure anyone even thought to connect to the Plantagenet Group #so Richard was left with the impression Robert was only ever interested in his money when in actual fact de Vere left to save him #and hasn't touched the cash)