(1941-01-15) Spam and Chips
Details for Spam and Chips
Summary: Gavin comes home to his wife at their basement room in the barracks to sit down for some dinner and catch up.
Date: January 15th, 1941
Location: London - Knightsbridge Barracks
Related:
Characters
GavinKatie

Christmas has come and gone, and along with it Gavin's birthday. The newly wed Ferguson's stayed in for much of their celebrations, although Katie had worked with some of the other soldiers' wives to make up a small holiday party to distract from the constant threat of the daily bombings. It's become almost a routine, the sirens sounding, finding cover, waiting for the all clear. Some time was spent with the families, a day trip out to the Macdonald estate that saw everyone gathered to share good cheer, and after the first of the year it was back to business as usual for the citizens of London.

Katie and Gavin have been settling, adjusting to living with each other and their own little quirks and habits. She's got a nice tea preparing for Gavin to get off duty, using their rations with all the inventiveness she can muster, relying on the advice of others to try and make rather dull ingredients into something delicious for Gavin. Tonight the smell of frying spam fills the little flat, along with another, more rare, scent. Hot oil and frying chips.

Gavin comes into their concrete box of a home, though now it's quite nicely decorated and because of Katie (with help from The Ladies of each family) has the place about as homey as a concrete box can be. The perks of their home, it's a bomb shelter already. So there's no having to go anywhere when the common sirens sound. "Home." He calls and then he can be heard sniffing. Being led by his nose he comes into the kitchen and his eyes go wide. "Did someone knick a bit from the Chippy hmm?" He tsks playfully as he approaches to carefully scoop her back some to hug her from behind and kiss her neck.

Katie has rather embraced this new role as Gavin's wife, even down to the apron over her dress and a kerchief covering her hair from the danger of any splattering oil. The familiar greeting draws her attention from the kettle on the burner, head turning to take in Gavin's reaction to this little treat. She giggles at his accurate assessment, leaning back against him. "Well, there were a few things leftover today, so Da packed them up for me and sent me home to you. Mum sends her love," she adds, something she says every day she's been off to the chippy. She turns to face him, popping up on her toes for a warm but necessarily brief kiss. Must keep an eye on the chips.

Gavin chases after those lips a bit, but he doesn't press too much as he understands the necessity of the briefness. Must keep an eye on the chips. "Should plug up the gaps. Yew'll be havin the wolves bayin at the doors in no time. Once scent of this spreads." He might be joking but none the less he does go to kick and slide the entryway rug so that it butts right up under the door. Then it's off to the bed nook to get out of uniform. As the months have gone on since they married his comfort and ease has become more and more important than looking nice for his wife. So it is in his under shirt and a pair of tatty slacks and suspenders does he return. "Should ring them an' see about Sunday roast together? Miss'm too."

"Now that yer home," Katie calls after him playfully, "We can full on bar the door. Yer mine for th'night, soldier." As Gavin changes, Katie finishes up the last small batch of potatoes, putting them on paper to drain off the oil as she checks the spam in the other pan. She's tried some new seasoning on them, something one of the other wives gave her. It smells delicious, but Katie is understandably dubious of the ability of anything to make spam more palatable. But she'll try anything for Gavs. "If yeh can manage th'time away," she responds without yet turning from her task. When she does, her eyes light on him, smile returning as her gaze scans over his form. She's grown more comfortable as well, and likes taking the moment to appreciate the planes and angles.

Gavin is mad for spam. Being poor and then military service have given him an appreciation for the canned meat. "Aye, can manage a bit of leave for the night." Since he hasn't been taking a lot of leave since they got married. Coming home to her every day has lessened the need for hunks of time taken to get to see her. Though he did manage his birthday and Christmas day. Since it seems like there's a bit more time on the cooking he returns into the kitchen and hops up onto his little bit of corner space on the counter. A typical spot for him to sit while she cooks. Despite any and all protests from his wife, this is a bad habit that he likes too much to quit. Speaking off, out comes a fag and his trench lighter. "How was yewr day Ducks?"

A sizzle has Katie's attention torn away from her husband's entrancing bare arms, back to the task at hand as she turns the pieces to brown the other side as well. "That'll be lovely," she says agreeably. "I'll give Mum a bell after we eat, see that they're free." The little redhead glances over as Gavin hops up to his perch, pressing her lips together against scolding him. It's never done any good, never will, so she's resigned herself finally to his rear on her kitchen counter. "It was good. Spent some nice time with Mum after the mad rush died down." A look back to the spam, before she counters, "An' yers, Monkey?"

Gavin puffs at his cigarette to get it going and then exhales up towards the ceiling. "Fine enough. All quiet for once. So just patrol an' outreach. Some NED trew some fire crackers at us. To get a reaction. Boy rued the day when Weatherby got ahold of'm. I pulled night duty next week love. Just so yew know." Not their favorite time and requirement of his job. "How's Mum an Da? Any word from Jack?"

There's a soft sigh at news of the night duty, but no outward complaint. Katie knows Gavin's obligations, knew them even before they married, so she doesn't belabor the fact that every now and again they have to endure the schedule shift. She's adjusted enough to have started making him dinner for breakfast on those days, leaving him to sleep when she goes to the chippy and doing quiet things when she doesn't. "He's lucky he didn't get shot," she notes to the firecracker story. "It's not a time to be mucking about with such things, with everyone a bit on edge. Oh!" she exclaims softly, pointing toward the kitchen table with the spatula. "The post came, there's a letter for you from Jack. None for me again. I suppose he just has more to say to you," she says with a playful pout. But she's used to Jack writing to Gavin more. He does still send their post separately, her assumption that Jack spills more to Gavin in his missives than he wants his sister to know.

Gavin lights up, having a family again, more than just his mother and Lady Macdonald has really touched and affected him. He always has had a special place for Jack, but now they are legally and binding brothers! He hops down off of the counter and with the cigarette bobbing in the corner of his lips he goes to the pointed to spot to pick through the pile of letters to get to Jacks. Pocket knife pulled out of his trousers he slides a blade free and zips open the letter. The empty envelope is put down and he brings the letter back to the kitchen so he can read it from his spot on the counter.

With the spam nearly done, Katie gets them plates and silverware, cloth napkins and cups for their tea, setting the table for them. "Does he at least mention that he remembers he has a sister?" she asks with a grin. "An' is there anything yeh can read t'me, or is it all boys night out?"

Gavin smirks as he skims over the letter to search for some mention of remembering he has a sister. Playfully and dramatically he looks, re-looks, and looks again. "Course he does, he sends his love. I'm prolly nae supposed to tell yew, but there's a girl down the street that babysits his neighbor. So he sees her in the yard and through windows sometimes. Says she's from London too and is staying with some distant relatives." By the way he says it they've been doing some back and forth with advice about the girl. "Going to be sending him the book I bought on basic sign. So he can give it to her with a letter. Don't tell him I told yew, aye? He also thinks the cookin there is horrible. He really misses yew an Dan an Mary. But he won't write tha."

By the third dramatic look over the letter, Katie has dishrag in hand and takes a swat at Gavin. "Yeh big tease," she laughs. Her brows raise in interest when a girl is mentioned. "A bird, hm? Hopefully he'll remember everything he's been taught about how t'behave himself an' not listen t'yeh too much." She ducks away even before she's finished her thought, mindful of any swats to the behind that might be forthcoming from her cheekiness. "I think it's very nice of yeh t'send the book along. Will give him something t'talk to her about. I hope she's kind," comes last with a light frown, a bit of worry at the fact that not everyone is so understanding of those with a disability like Jack's deafness.

Gavin chuckles when he gets swatted. "Aye, well that's sort of the point. I'll also have yew remember that I did pretty well with the girls. One in particular. Who'd yew rather advise'm? Me or Dump an'is family?" He doesn't wait for an answer and immediately gives an 'I rest my case' nod at his wife. "He's goin ta wrap the book like a present an' in the letter introduce himself an' state that he's from London too, and that he would really like to communicate with her and they could have their own secret language they can talk about things together through the kitchen windows. Keep it fun an' exciting. Girls like that. Don' they?"

There's an adoring look for Gavin, as Katie allows, "Well, I do have't admit that yeh certainly charmed me. I think it's that angelic smile." She's grinning the while, starting to move things from the stove to the small table so they can sit down to eat. "I know I would find it very excitin', havin' a bloke t'tell secrets with, an' one so handsome as our Jack."

Gavin gives his best angelic smile as he's stubbing out his cigarette. Down he hops and he offers to bring the pitcher of water and his own plate to the table. Once his hands are free and he's settled down at the table he pssts at her and before dinner prayer he signs to her. "I love with the pretty girl of the big world." Then his hands reach out to take hers so he can bow his head and lead them in grace before enjoying their treat of a dinner. The spices are a big hit with the Private and he is signing her praises all through the meal.

Katie allows the silence to hold through dinner, using the chance to keep her own signing practiced, encouraging Gavin and offering gentle corrections. But those corrections are less and less frequent as he gets better with the second language. In the midst of all his praise for her, she has some in return, signing, "So proud of you."

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