Coming Home (Corpse Bride, M)

[Spoo]

I found this piece in my unfinished forum fics folder and decided to complete it (after a much-needed rewatch, of course!). This takes place about two years after the film ends, meaning Victor and Victoria have been married/settled down for a bit. And yes, I'm horrendously cheesy and threw in a VERY predictable "future element", but oH WELL. Totally not sorry.  

Enjoy!  

- - - 

 

Coming Home

by Spoo

 

 

The icy rain bit into Victor Van Dort's face as he exited the carriage and splashed into the muddy puddle below the steel mounting step. He gripped his coat tightly around his willowy frame and tried not to stumble forward when a gust of violent, stormy wind whipped at him from behind. Nearby, the coachman saw to the transport of his belongings through an alternative entrance while Victor, already drenched to his core, sprinted to the house. 

It took a mighty strength that well exceeded his thin arms, but he managed to shove the heavy door shut behind him with a loud and powerful THUD! Wide-eyed and exerted from both traveling and the blustery trek indoors, he set his back to the wood and panted breathily. Rainwater dripped from his hair and clothes and pooled messily below his shoes, yet there was little to be done about it. 

Just as there was little to be done about the tender soreness to his throat, the heaviness occupying his head, and the shivering that hadn't stopped since he'd departed from the docks that gray, foggy morning. His shoulders slumped dishearteningly. Even a fool could see that he had caught a chill in spite of his best efforts to remain in good health for his homecoming. 

As if to further illustrate that most unfortunate truth, a tickle overcame him and had the newly arrived young man hunching into his hands, for his handkerchief was just as wet and useless as he. "Hhk'tgschhih!" 

Gentle and hushed as his sneezes naturally were, the release carried a notable force that seemed to rob Victor of what precious energy he hadn't yet spent. 

Sniffling, he pushed himself away from the howling door and crossed the grand entrance hall. He hadn't made it more than three steps when his butler—well, inherited butler, Emil, glided into the room. A single glance was offered at Victor before the man swished away, his large nose snootily suspended in the air, to presumably inform his mistress that her husband had returned. 

In an attempt to simultaneously tame his dripping hair and make himself look more presentable, Victor ran a pale hand through his ebony locks and pushed them back. He and Victoria were well past the point of keeping appearances with one another, but it still seemed improper for her to witness him in such a shameful state of disarray. He could do little about his clothes, however, considering his trunk had been taken upstairs, where the rest of his wardrobe presently resided. 

And seeing as Victoria was presently being told of his arrival…oh dear. He supposed he would have to greet her just as he was and hope that she wouldn’t find his disheveled appearance utterly distasteful. 

Victor had yet to abandon the self-conscious process of sweeping his flopping forelock into submission when a hushed gasp captured his attention and had his large, dark eyes looking across the foyer, where his young wife, Victoria Van Dort, now stood; she was smiling at him so brightly that it chased away the fatigue which, like rainwater, soaked into Victor’s bones. Enraptured by her beauty and general loveliness, he nearly failed to notice that she had begun approaching him. 

He met her mousey taptaptap! steps with his own spiderish swishswishswish strides, and soon they were both standing beneath the antique chandelier, face to face, for the first time in two months. Victoria didn’t hesitate to reach out and preciously cradle one side of Victor’s pale cheek in her small, petite hand.

“Oh, Victor,” she breathed, delighted that her husband had finally, at long last, come back to her. “I’ve missed you, darling.” 

Had the gesture occurred during the first month or so of their marriage, Victor would have instantly shied away from it. He had been rather unused to physical contact - more specifically from a lady - and receiving it from Victoria of all people, especially in the beginning of their marital union, had often reduced him to a stuttering, bashful mess of incoherent babble. 

That was not the case now. 

Now Victor eagerly leaned into her touch with a blissful sigh. Now he raised one of his own hands to press against hers. Now he smiled as if he weren’t feeling ever so poorly. 

“Victoria,” he returned softly, eagerly. “I’ve missed you as well.” 

She drew in close for what he thought to be an embrace, though it ended prematurely when Victoria suddenly ejected herself from his arms. Nervously, Victor looked down and patted his torso to see if, perhaps, she’d found something offensive or horrific about it. “Wh-what is it?”

“You’re soaked!” Victoria exclaimed, alarmed. She reached for his hand before he could protest and tugged him towards the stairs. “You mustn’t remain in wet clothing. You’ll catch cold.” 

It must have been the irony of her wording that catalyzed Victor’s brewing illness and gave it fiendish purpose once more, for they weren’t halfway up the staircase when he abruptly stopped and tried to pull his hand away from hers. Her grip, delicate and dainty as it was, was sadly enough to keep his anxious, spasming fingers captive. 

A shivering breath fluttered into his lungs as he turned from her in full and brought his other hand up to his nose; the bridge of his cold knuckles pressed into the thin ellipticals of his nostrils to help suppress the quiet sneeze that followed.

“Hht’ngktschh!” 

Victor felt a touch of heat dance across the tips of his ears and angled slants of his cheekbones, if not for the improperness that came from sneezing so closely to someone else, then because he had done so only after Victoria had expressed concern for his wellbeing. How absolutely mortifying. 

“God bless you.”

He was far too embarrassed to meet her gaze or polite response, which was why he spent another minute or so pitifully sniffling into his knuckles. He eventually managed to recover enough dignity to speak, though even then he could not bear to look at her; his trembling voice was no louder than a whisper when the reply sheepishly came forth. 

“Th-thank you. Do excuse me…” 

Surely she would be unhappy with him. Surely. 

“Victor,” Victoria said, her tone so very warm in the midst of the cold and gloom. “Victor, please look at me?”

He was unable to disobey her request, even if he thought he didn’t quite deserve such kindness in that moment. He returned his body frontward from the sharp twist it had taken and looked at Victoria; he was much taller than she, but given that Victoria was a step or so higher than him along the stairs, he was able to establish eye contact without having to look down at her. 

Just as she had done before in the foyer, Victoria cupped his cheek. Endless adoration sept into her words. “You’ve had a long journey. You need rest. I can have Hildegard bring you tea if you’d like, and then we can go to bed.” 

Hot tea sounded heavenly in his present half-frozen state, but the thought of Victoria going out of her way to ensure his comfort was dreadfully worrying. Victor fidgeted with his wedding band. “I c-couldn’t possibly trouble you…” 

Victoria laughed. It was a musical sound, one that Victor had hopelessly missed during their separation, and it soothed him more than it did humiliate him. “You’re my husband, silly,” she replied. “There is never any ‘trouble’.” 

Her hand ascended across his cheek and was joined by her other. Together, the two hands settled along Victor’s skull and tipped it forward, so that her lips touched his hot brow. It was a featherlight kiss, but it lingered long enough to send echoes of love and validation throughout his being. 

Dear Victoria. Wonderful Victoria. 

“Now come,” she ushered, reestablishing her hold on his hand. “Before you get any worse.” 

They arrived upstairs shortly after and began for their bedroom when Victor paused again. Thankfully, it wasn’t to surrender to the whims of his impolite nose, but rather to glance just down the hall, where another bedroom existed. He looked at Victoria pleadingly, as if he needed her permission when he knew that he most certainly did not. To his delight, she smiled encouragingly. 

“She’s missed you as well. Would you like to see her?”

Victor wouldn’t get too close, but he couldn’t deny the burning desire to see the second inhabitant of his heart and soul. “Yes,” he confirmed with a small nod. “I should like that very much, please.” 

Victoria led them to the room in question, though only after she’d grabbed a candle from the hall. Using its illuminated guidance, she entered the room, the nursery, and quietly approached the cradle that sat at the very center of the space. There were paper butterflies of Victor’s own talented artistry strung high above the small bed; they were darling as they were sweet, just like the sleeping child they watched over. 

In that moment all of Victor’s doubts and hardships from his recent voyage vanished into nothingness, for he was fiercely reminded why he had expanded the Van Dort fishing business in the first place: To make a better life for his family. Victoria had stepped forward and reached into the cradle; she gently tucked their daughter’s blanket along her little body and glanced at Victor, who had yet to look away from the infant. 

Although she had not, thankfully, grown much in the time that he had been away, the baby was bigger than Victor remembered. Bigger and so beautiful, with her dark tuft of black hair and cherubic face, and the tiny hands that had clenched onto Victor’s slender digits shortly after her birth. 

“I’ve been telling Emily each day that you would come home to us,” Victoria said, her shy voice alight with honest enthusiasm. “And now you’re here. She’ll be so delighted to see you.” 

Victor smiled at that, though his expression quickly turned to one of deep concern. He took a wide step back. “I-I shouldn’t be near her.” Granted, he had barely taken two steps into the room, but even that seemed tremendously too close to their young, fragile daughter. 

Victoria retracted her hand with a final mothering touch and then returned to Victor, whose shivering, she noticed, had worsened. The poor dear. She reestablished a hold on his cold hand and took him across the hall to their bedroom. They’d barely crossed the threshold when she felt him twist away for the second time that evening. 

Again, his knuckles were desperately utilized: “Hhp’tkschh!—hh'nghschhtt!”

"Bless you, darling." 

An exhausted sigh carried Victor's response: "Thank you..." 

It took longer than what was probably necessary to dry off and exchange his damp clothing for warm pyjamas—honestly, Victoria was far too good to him with her patience and willingness to assist—but soon Victor found himself tucked away in bed. 

Victoria kept vigil at the bedside, stroking his hair affectionately while he, sniffling, watched her through swiftly shutting eyes. 

"I'm so happy you've come home," she murmured.

"I'm happy to be home," Victor agreed, slipping into sleep. "Though I really must apologize for causing you—"

"Shhh," Victoria hushed him, pressing the tip of her index finger to his lips. She then bent towards him, kissed his forehead, and readjusted the blanket along his gently rising and falling chest. "Rest now, darling. You can tell me all of your journey in the morning."

 

END.

[bangbang]

Spoo, you've done it again! I audibly squeaked when I opened the forum and saw that you had posted this fic, and I'm pretty sure by the end of it I was making noises that only dogs could hear. You're honestly one of my favourite fic writers - fetish or otherwise - and reading your pieces always brings a smile to my face. This one was so wonderfully atmospheric and adorable and asfjsjsk. I'm going to switch to bullet points because it's too much to try and format my thoughts into paragraphs.

• The opening scene was so evocative and accurate to the mood of the film. It was like watching the animation - I could see poor, soaked Victor straining with the door against the howling wind. You always set the scenery of your fics so beautifully and it makes for a truly immersive experience.
   
• On that note - poor, soaked Victor.  Your description of his sodden misery was just great. I particularly like the phrasing of "his handkerchief was just as wet and useless as he." 
   
• Snooty-ass Emil makes me laugh. I love that you included him. 
   
• Victoooooria. She's so lovely and tender throughout, and I adore how gently she treats anxious, unwell Victor, brushing off his needless apologies. (On that note - Victor, you've been married to this chick for like, two years. You fathered her child. I think she's cool with you.) I love that she's such a ray of sunshine that even her smile can brighten his misery. I love that she's so physically affectionate to him and that he doesn't shy away from her touch.
   
• "He met her mousey taptaptap! steps with his own spiderish swishswishswish strides, and soon they were both standing beneath the antique chandelier, face to face, for the first time in two months." Again, I can totally picture this. You're so talented at imbuing meaning and characterisation through tiny gestures and it gives your work such a depth.
   

• "A shivering breath fluttered into his lungs as he turned from her in full and brought his other hand up to his nose; the bridge of his cold knuckles pressed into the thin ellipticals of his nostrils to help suppress the quiet sneeze that followed." Hnnnngh yes very good. I love everything about this description and about the sound of his miserable, congested little stifles. 
   

• THE BABY. They have a baby! The little detail about the butterfly mobile made by Victor was such a sweet touch. He would be such a doting father. 
   

• Oh, the baby is called Emily? It's cool, Spoo, I didn't need my heart to be whole and intact anyway. Nbd. 
   
• Have I mentioned how great your characterisation of the relationship between Victor and Victoria is? Because it really is. It's so touching and a perfectly realistic way for their relationship to have developed; watching her take care of him is lovely. (As is that rushed, desperate double. Victor's cold is getting sneezier by the minute and I am down for it.)

I just, asjskdk. I'm SO happy you decided to go into your unfinished fic folder and then to post this. It's wonderfully written, your details of his burgeoning cold are lovely, and the relationship between them is so tender and sweet. Plus your setting is appropriately atmospheric and spooky - it's the perfect pre-Halloween treat! Thank you for posting more of your exceptional writing. 

Edited October 6, 2016 by fangfang

[SneezyHolmes]

Fantastic writing! I've always adored that movie and it's morbidly beautiful musical compositions but this fic is beautiful all its own! I love Victor's gentle sneezes and his concern for being too close to the baby. Ahh, simply wonderful~!

Edited October 6, 2016 by 2spooky4u

[Yuurei]

This was such a good read! The characterization was wonderful-- it played out in my head like one of Tim Burton's works. I look forward to reading more from you. I'll admit I'm very fond of Victor (and the Corpse Bride in general), it was nice to see! The gentleness between Victor and Victoria warmed my heart~

[Shamaël]

Star Trek AND Corpse bride ?!? My God... This was incredible ! I can picture the whole scene just as if it was part of the movie... Thank you so much, and if you have other "unfinished" stories, please feel free to share it here !

This in particular just melted me (I'm pretty sure this is not the correct way to express it, but you see what I mean) :

10 hours ago, Count Spoocula said:

Had the gesture occurred during the first month or so of their marriage, Victor would have instantly shied away from it. He had been rather unused to physical contact - more specifically from a lady - and receiving it from Victoria of all people, especially in the beginning of their marital union, had often reduced him to a stuttering, bashful mess of incoherent babble.

And, of course, when I read this, it was even worse :

10 hours ago, Count Spoocula said:

It must have been the irony of her wording that catalyzed Victor’s brewing illness and gave it fiendish purpose once more, for they weren’t halfway up the staircase when he abruptly stopped and tried to pull his hand away from hers. Her grip, delicate and dainty as it was, was sadly enough to keep his anxious, spasming fingers captive. 

A shivering breath fluttered into his lungs as he turned from her in full and brought his other hand up to his nose; the bridge of his cold knuckles pressed into the thin ellipticals of his nostrils to help suppress the quiet sneeze that followed.

So you can imagine how I was feeling at the end of my reading... Your writing is just amazing.

[Alabaster]

This is absolutely beautiful. 

[bazzpop00]

oooooh!! this was one of my favorite movies ^^ so glad to see it getting some love on this forum, especially during Halloween, its perfect!

[queenie]

This is SO CUTE

[Akahana]

This was so lovely!!  I always love your writing Spoo, it's such a treat when you post something   I haven't watched Corpse Bride in so long, but this little snippet brought everything back to me and it's so accurate and in character, and so amazingly heartwarming I feel all fuzzy inside <3

Victor is such a doll with his quiet sneezes and his struggle to remain polite even to his wife.  And Victoria- is there anything better than a doting wife?  If I ever have a wife I hope she's as kind and understanding as Victoria. (Also an actual tiny baby are you trying to kill me with feels??? lol)

Thank you for the story Spoo, and Happy Halloween~

[groundcontrol]

I've never seen this movie, but my God do I have to! Does anyone know where I can find it? I love these characters already and your writing makes them so real, so three-dimensional that I feel like I've seen the movie a thousand times! But to speak of your writing: In short, it's a thing of beauty. This was such a well balanced piece: good description, good dialogue, good character development, and just the write amount of something special  I don't know how to quote things on here but I especially loved the "swish-swish meeting" part. It was just right; sweet but not overdone. Aw, this story made me so happy. 

[Arty]

This was nice to read! I love this movie and Victor. Victoria, I love her too!!! Oh gosh....Emil, hahah! Who they need is an Alfred Pennyworth! THEIR PARENTS!!!!!!!!  Omg!!!!! I can see Victor making all kinds of things for his baby girl and for Victoria too!!

[MaiMai]

This is such a beautiful piece! This is one of my favourite films ever, and the fact that someone has written a fic for it now...!

It reads so much like the tone of the film itself, too, and I really admire how that's done! I could hear the character's voices perfectly in all of the lines, and Victoria being so warm and caring towards Victor...this is so beautiful. My heart hurts in the best way.  (And the baby's name being Emily just about broke my heart... ) This is so absolutely gorgeous!

[Spoo]

I love each and every one of you to bits and pieces (omg, bangbang, your essay made me cRYYYY). Thank you so much for the kind words and compliments!  

On 10/8/2016 at 0:15 AM, groundcontrol said:

I've never seen this movie, but my God do I have to! Does anyone know where I can find it?

It was on Netflix last I checked, but I'm sure you can also find a copy somewhere online!