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[mathemagier]

[Screened calls go straight to voicemail, where an impatient recording answers]

You've reached Dr. Hermann Gottlieb. Leave your name, number, and business if you expect a return call. Thank you.

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[mathemagier]

[It's so sudden that Hermann feels compelled to bargain for more time. But what does he really need time to think about? They've been engaged for five months, dating for very nearly a year, and known each other for much longer than that.

He wants to give Newton a fitting ceremony in the flashy showy way he deserves, with all the spotlight he could ever want. Wants his own first and only marriage to be significant and celebrated.

But holding Newton's gaze, none of that justified refusing to soothe the edge of fear there. It was all right if he married twice, so long as it was to the same person and not as a circumstance of divorce]

I'm ready to marry you, Newton.

[driftsintobuffetline]

[Newt is prepared to argue his case, so it takes him by surprise and renders him speechless when Hermann agrees without a fight. He pulls Hermann in for a kiss, and when he backs up just a fraction, arms draped over Hermann's shoulders and their foreheads pressed together, Newt's eyes shine with tears.]

...I'm sorry I ruin all your plans. Well, I'm not sorry, but I'm trying to be.

Thank you, though, for doing this for me. [His voice was soft, a whisper between them, and he gently scratched his fingernails through the soft undercut along Hermann's neck. ] I promise I'll make sure you have the best damn wedding in March.

[mathemagier]

[Hermann breathes an shaky sigh between them. This isn't what he'd expected of the day when they'd awoke this morning. They're getting married, just as quickly as they can manage it.

Of course there are a few practical considerations before their new plan becomes a reality- and one of them hits him with a touch of alarm.]

We haven't gotten our rings yet.

[They've been looking at different ones, tossing around ideas for a pair he might make, but haven't committed to a set quite yet]

We'll also need to make an appointment for all this, and require some form of a witness..

[driftsintobuffetline]

[Practical considerations are not something a very impulsive Newt is inclined to make, so he finds himself at a loss when Hermann starts talking about the logistics. If this were an experiment or a machine to make, Newt would have had his own mental list of requirements, but he hadn't even considered deadlines, necessary documents, or appointments. Eloping seemed so easy in the movies. Apparently, it was not.

He takes Hermann by the arm and steers him down a pathway into the park.]

How much planning will this take? A week?

[He wasn't getting cold feet, per se, but now...what. How long would this take? It killed some of his momentum to be told he had to wait, and if they had to wait anyway, should they wait and see if Qubit came back? Could he wait that long? How long should they give to wait? How long before the Porter decided Happily Ever After was too close and it nabbed Hermann? Why couldn't he just march into a county courthouse and marry this asshole? Maybe they should go to Vegas--it could be done overnight in Vegas, right?...But they didn't have Qubit to open a portal and...]

I thought this was going to be easier to do, Hermann. It always sounded easy. How hard is it to say "I pronounce you husbands. You're married. Now kiss." Really? How hard is it?

[mathemagier]

[Wrapped up in the logistics of planning an expedient wedding, it takes his cane a moment to catch up to the fact they're walking and nearly unbalances him. He stumbles into Newton a bit then rights himself with a shake of his head]

Well, I don't know for certain.. Not terribly long, I imagine. We just need to apply for our license and find someone to marry us. And ask someone to be our witness. ..Within a week sounds reasonable? We'll have to look it up when there's a moment..

Do we want to buy simple bands for now? Perhaps we should visit a physical store and look at our options.

[driftsintobuffetline]

[Newt steadies him instinctively.]

How can we even pick witnesses? I mean, it was basically going to be Qubit and someone, and now I don't know. You think he'll be back in a week? Because I'd really like it to be Qubit, but I really don't want to wait forever and just...hope he comes back before I misplace you, too.

[He rubs his thumb over Hermann's ring finger.]

But...a basic band is all we need. For rings, I mean. Something that says MARRIED without any sort of fanciness or complication. You know, complicated weddings never seem to result in lasting marriages. Maybe it's better we do it the unfancy way after all. Maybe get it engraved later.

[mathemagier]

[Lacing their fingers together, Hermann attempts a reassuring squeeze]

I don't think selecting witnesses is terribly complex. And of course, I can't say when Qubit may return..

But first let's find a jewelry store then, and see about setting all that in motion. I can modify the rings later if we decide we'd like some sort of specific design.

[driftsintobuffetline]

[Newt nods and exhales softly, sadly, and gently bumps his arm into Hermann's as they walk.]

Sometimes I wish you could lie to me and I could accept that insult to my intelligence, you know? Just kiss me, tell me everything will be find, that Qubit will be back in a week and you won't disappear, that you KNOW that, and I just...believe. Like kids believe in Santa or believe that the dog didn't die, he just went on vacation. You know?

[mathemagier]

[His heart breaks a little, unable to promise Newton any of those things. Doesn't even have data enough to give the likelihood of either. Really, what has he been doing all this time? He should have started this sort of projects ages ago because he has nothing to show for it now.

Hermann stops them in their walk and turns, leaning in to press the softest kiss to Newton's lips]

I love you, Newton. That's all I can promise you in this moment. I'll do everything within my power to remain here with you.

[driftsintobuffetline]

[Newt closes his eyes and a tear runs down his cheek, catches on the rim of his glasses and...damnit, Hermann.

He buries his face against Hermann's chest and wraps him up in a hug, disguising his tears in the snuffling and a nod against the fabric. Is their ignorance bliss this time? Are they better off not knowing the writing on the wall? It had been so stressful to know WHEN the termination date for humanity could potentially be, but he at least KNEW. And he and Hermann had worked to prevent that from becoming the reality and COULD do it--for all the hell it was--because they knew their timeframe. They had known when it was getting desperate and Newt had known he had to make his hail-Mary pass. But now. They know nothing. Are they better off leaving well-enough alone? (Never!) But could they accidentally increase their timeline, put themselves earlier in the disappearance queue and ruin their happiness. Was there a pattern or was it all just random and could they ever know??

But he has Hermann. He has Hermann's love and friendship and affection and he has Hermann's brains to help him puzzle things out. As much as it has distracted him from the task at hand--discovering everything about this world without apology--this is pretty much everything Newt has ever wanted.

Well, and a baby Kaiju, but he kind of has that, even if HE IS the baby Kaiju. Oh, and to be a world-reknowned rockstar and scientist and on the cover of Rolling Stone but....

I love you.]

Maybe you should file some complaints about me, huh? [A soggy hiccup muffled by Hermann's chest and the layers of clothing. He squeezes Hermann tight.] Surest way to never get transferred, Hermann. Make enemies in HR. You'll never be rid of me.

[mathemagier]

[He soothes a hand up and down Newton's back, doing his best to impart comfort. It's distressing, to think their time together could end at any moment. But that was part of why he'd set their date into the new year, to test time. Now it seems like it may be chasing them instead. Much as he'd rather not give into the pressure, they'd regret it if they let the opportunity pass them by on a dare.

Hermann swallows and attempts to keep his own tears at bay. They'll both be useless then. Maybe if they were at home, curled up on the couch or in bed, safe.. As it is, he has no idea how to cheer Newton up.]

Perhaps I'll mention it to a government official. After an hour of detailing every way in which you're a nuisance, I'm sure they'll be tired of me.

[driftsintobuffetline]

[Newt is all for sticking it to the man...Porter, whatever. But he didn't want to risk this on his hubris. He had already waited a long time just to consider them friends. There is no way he is screwing it up now.]

I think you'll need a day--talk yourself hoarse, man, or you'll never detail my nuisancy ways. Where's your sense of thoroughness?

[He inhales-exhales deeply into Hermann's jacket a few times before he feels brave enough to let him go. While straightening Hermann's rumpled clothes, he feels the need to make the truth of this matter absolutely clear, fighting down the warble of emotions and tightening in his throat:]

You ditch me, and I'll come find you. Understand? I don't care if I have to...to portal hop across dimensions or tear open a Breach of my own--I WILL harass the heck out of the space-time continuum until I figure it out. D-don't think I won't. And I'll totally do it without your fancy equations, dude. I'll rock it. Okay?

[A shaky breath and a brave, lopsided smile.]

I feel better. You feel better?

[mathemagier]

Yes, of course.

[Poor Newton looks such a mess. Hermann retrieves his handkerchief and tenderly works at cleaning up his nose and tears. While he can't help but doubt Newton's ability to puzzle out space and time himself, he's sure the man will harass other physicists and the porter itself until something is achieved.]

Naturally, I feel a bit better.

[It's the way their drift operates; a constant and intensive emotional exchange that influences their moods. And that little island of determination is enough to keep despair at bay for now.

Hermann tucks his handkerchief away]

Now do you want to look at rings or go home and relax a bit?

[driftsintobuffetline]

[Newt leans up and presses a simple kiss to Hermann's lips. Brave, steady Hermann. Hermann, always taking such good care of him, looking out for him, cleaning up his messes. What would he do if he ever had to do this without Hermann by his side?

That was a life not worth considering--though he knows he's more than capable of such a life.]

Come on. Do I really look that bad? I'm game for ring shopping if you are. Or we could go park somewhere and make out in the backseat like a couple of teenagers. I'm game for that, too. But if I go home, it's going to be just more quiet thinking and that's... Not really good.

[mathemagier]

[Well he can understand that. Hermann turns them around to start back toward the car.]

We'll go look at rings then. I need to get my ring size sorted out anyway. Perhaps afterward I'll take you up on your other suggestion.

[driftsintobuffetline]

[He laughs and waggles his brows at Hermann.]

Hey. Speaking of ring size, how DID you know mine? Are there some kind of "Newt's ring size" calculations sitting in a drawer back home somewhere?

[mathemagier]

Well, do you recall losing your pinky ring for a day?

[He smiles a bit] Of course that wasn't the right size, but I took it to a jeweler and we made a few estimates.

[driftsintobuffetline]

YOU SNEAKY SHIT.

[He fusses with that ring and the engagement ring, turning them on his fingers, straightening them.]

Ah, well, I GUESS I can forgive you. But I'm going to make you try on a million rings. I mean, if you're going to be limited to The One Ring by the end of this, I want to be SURE.

[mathemagier]

This may take awhile then.

[He's sure the jewelers won't appreciate Newton's insistence on trying on every ring in the store alongside their bickering, but it'll be worth it in the end.

Car in view, Hermann fishes out his keys and hits the remote start-up]

May as well look up local law process while we're on our way.

[driftsintobuffetline]

Did you ever think it WOULDN'T take a while? This is important. Plus, this is like hand porn, ok.

[Newt slides into the passenger seat when the car unlocks for them and keys up the Virginia marriage license information on his phone.]

It's so many levels of dumb that we need a lisence to get married. How antiquated is that?

[mathemagier]

[Ah yes, Newton's obsession with his hands. Well once he's wearing a wedding band, he imagines that particular fascination will only worsen to his benefit.

Hermann settles into the driver's side and tucks his cane away, then pulls them from the curb and into the street]

It's a legal process- of course there's paperwork. Now I believe we've agreed on hyphenating our names?

[driftsintobuffetline]

Gottlieb-Geiszler, with a line down the middle like always.

[He selects a link. Scrolls a bit.]

Huh. Virginia technically doesn't require witnesses.

[mathemagier]

Really?

[Everything he's looked at has insisted- but then that had been Alaska.]

Well that's a bit easier then. Don't have to worry about finding volunteers..

[driftsintobuffetline]

Well, Virginia IS for lovers, Hermann. Says so on all their signs.

[He pats Hermann's knee and tucks the phone away.]

They're just making it easy on us, saving us from playing faves. They also have no wait time. Once we've bought and paid for our right to marry--only a $30 fee!--I just have 60 days to put a ring on it in.

Then you're mine. FOREVER! [He laughs a comically evil muahaha and looks smugly satisfied at the thought]

...Do you want to tell anyone? Or just let them find out?

[mathemagier]

[That's all fairly surprising. Hermann smiles, though the nerves that flutter through his stomach at the thought of potentially being married today catch up to him. Inhaling a steadying breath, he switches on his turn signal and stops at the light]

Well, I don't think Sophie should be left out. Should likely ask if she wants to come along.

[She seems oddly set on staying with them, but he's not going to argue. It's pleasant to have her around]