meet the (grand)parents...

[theresalwayshope]

Allison felt a little like she was going insane.

She started out just planning to invite Aramis and Porthos over to meet Jason. Dinner and drinks, nothing big. Then she realized she didn't just feel obligated to invite Athos, she wanted to. So, if she did that, she obviously had to invite D'artagnan, and she really wanted to meet Constance...and she'd promised Grey a chance to help her bake a cake, so if she did something more than dinner, she could let him come over at some point...

The small family dinner became a small dinner party, and with a few more additions morphed into an impromptu potluck for the whole building...or anyone that wanted to show up. She told the family about it privately, asking Porthos and Aramis to make sure the others at least stopped by (with a subtle warning that Jason would be there), told everyone else she knew in the city, and for the rest of the building she posted a couple of handmade fliers: one in the elevator, and another in the laundry room announcing that, with either a main course or appetizer offering, an invitation to the holiday celebration taking place in apartment #39...dressy casual to formalwear welcome, bring your favorite Christmas CD as a bonus.

And, of course, she told Jason...and told him her family would be there.

By the night of the party, Allison was ready...she just felt a little like she was going insane.

She kept her outfit cute, but simple, and took care of dessert by baking some cupcakes, gingerbread cookies, and a two layer chocolate cake which she invited Grey over to help her bake. With a little careful scheduling, she also managed to contribute to the food on hand with her second ever attempt at beef bourguignon: rich, hearty, and sort of impressive under the right circumstances. By party time, she had her front door standing open, some Trans Siberian Orchestra carols playing on her stereo, and while she didn't yet have a tree, she'd gotten some cute plastic holly garland to hang around the apartment, and for fun had ringed her whole living room ceiling in multicolor Christmas lights for good measure.

The party was good to go. The place smelled good, the food came out okay with more to come...the evening was good to go.

And when Jason showed up, her family would show up...and they'd all meet each other...

While she waited for her guests, loved ones, and boyfriend to start arriving, Allison puttered around in her kitchen, swore to herself she was not hiding, and tried to pretend that she wasn't having visions of someone either drawing a sword or a knife by the end of the evening.

Tonight had to be perfect.

(HOLIDAY GATHERING POST! Treat it thusly. :P Front door's open, come and go as you please, anyone in the Bramford Building is welcome, and if you know Allison even remotely she told you about the party. Gather at will, and leave a call for Allison in your subject line if you want to play with her directly! Open eternally, will probably be linked near the end of the month. :D)

Comments

[plaguedrat]

Rat looks between Grey and the cake, smiling a little. "Your handiwork, is it?"

[silenttrainbaby]

It is! So, now, Grey can make a cake.

Mostly.

Kind of.

He takes Rat's wrist and guides his finger to swipe through the frosting.

[plaguedrat]

Rat smiles and turns their hands, pressing a hand on Grey's chest. "We'll make our own cake later."

And a lot more frosting.

[silenttrainbaby]

That sounds like a great plan. Grey turns from the cake to look at Rat. He draws their hands up, kissing Rat's knuckles.

[plaguedrat]

Rat smiles, cupping his cheek affectionately.

"So you're having a good time?"

[silenttrainbaby]

He is slowly getting used to such gatherings. But Grey is more used to having lots of people around. It's why he likes things being so quiet. But Allison is very cheerful. He shrugs a little. He'll be ready to be alone.

[plaguedrat]

Rat leans over and pulls Grey into his arms, as if he can protect him from any stress.

"There's music. Do you want to dance?"

[silenttrainbaby]

Dance?

Grey blinks at him before nuzzling his cheek. He doesn't know how to dance.

[plaguedrat]

"Take my hands, I'll show you," Rat says, pulling Grey to the middle of the floor.

[silenttrainbaby]

It isn't that Grey is self-conscious. He doesn't know that emotion. He keeps his hands in Rat's, his eyes on his boyfriend.

[plaguedrat]

He grins and leads Grey along into something like a waltz. It's not really the right dance for the music, but he doesn't particularly care. He just likes moving close to Grey.

[silenttrainbaby]

It's probably not surprising that they end up chest to chest, arms around each other, Grey's cheek to Rat's hair.

If this is dancing, Grey likes it. A lot.

[plaguedrat]

Eventually, it stops being a waltz and slows down to their embrace, the quiet moving back and forth with only the most nominal care for the music.

[silenttrainbaby]

Yes, Grey likes dancing, though he can't imagine dancing like this with anyone else.

[plaguedrat]

And Rat likes this, just leaning forward against him and feeling safe. Christmas really isn't so bad.