first_in_time | Zagreus Sits Inside Your Head (for Splendid

Barbara looked out at the view as Ian put the last of their things in the car. From the front door of the little Bed and Breakfast, she could see beautiful rolling hills for miles. The last of the morning was being chased away as the sun rose higher in the sky, thawing everything out. Even the cows seemed more active on one particular hill.

"I wish we could stay for a little longer," she sighed to Ian, turning her back on it all so that it might be easier to leave. Her arms folded, one hand still held on to the key they were yet to return. "I don't suppose your car has a secret time traveling device so we can spend an extra few weeks here?"

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

first_in_time

Barbara looked up as he cried out and frowned.

"Ian, what's wrong? she asked and hugged him back.

From:

splendid_roman

"Just a dream," he assured her, his breathing going back to normal. He buried his face against her shoulder. "Just a dream," he repeated.

From:

first_in_time

Barbara kept still, content just hug him while he was so distressed but once he'd calmed after a moment of lying still, she tried again.

"What was the dream about? It might help to talk about it."

From:

splendid_roman

"Wonderland." He lifted his head and opened his eyes to look at her. "People and things were chasing me and trying to cut something off, I can't remember what. Then the Doctor tried to get rid of me by pushing me down a hole."

From:

first_in_time

"Well it's alright now," she said and rubbed the back of his head. "No one wants to cut anything off and the Doctor certainly isn't around to push you down a hole. Maybe you're nervous about talking with your parents today."

From:

splendid_roman

"Maybe." Although he was nervous he wasn't one for analysing his dreams. He'd probably have forgotten it by breakfast time. Although for now he probably wasn't going to go back to sleep that quickly. "What time is it?"

From:

first_in_time

"Just after eight," she replied quietly. "Did you want some tea?"

From:

splendid_roman

"Maybe when I've woken up a bit." If they were going to see both their parents and buy food they couldn't laze around in bed all morning, but Ian was still sleepy, despite the nightmare.

He yawned and closed his eyes, lying back down. "Unless you're making yourself some," he added. If Barbara wasn't staying here in bed with him the prospect of staying in bed for a bit longer wasn't nearly as appealing.

From:

first_in_time

"I will eventually, I suppose." She watched him lay back down as though he hadn't just awoken, yelling. Her fingers slowly crept under the covers to poke at his side without him catch her beforehand.

From:

splendid_roman

"Oi." Without opening his eyes he tried to bat her hand away, although he missed.

From:

first_in_time

That only made Barbara try again. A lazy bat of his hand was hardly going to keep her away.

From:

splendid_roman

"I'm awake," he protested, putting more effort into it this time and ended up grabbing her hand.

From:

first_in_time

"How awake?" she asked, tugging at back her hand out of his grip.

From:

splendid_roman

He thought about it for a moment before he said, "Not so asleep that you poking me will wake me up more."

From:

first_in_time

She grinned. It always amused her that Ian wasn't a morning person. "Good morning." Kneeling by his side, Barbara leaned forward to kiss him good morning. "I love you."

From:

splendid_roman

For that he'd wake up. "I love you too." He kissed her again. "Morning's aren't nearly so bad with you in my bed. Our bed."

From:

first_in_time

"Our bed," she repeated, still grinning. "It's going to take us a while to get used to changing everything to 'our'. And this isn't the first time we've woken up here," Barbara began to climb out of bed so that she could fetch the tea, "but it is the first time we've woken up here as husband and wife."

That idea filled her with an inner glow, and she felt it spread down to her toes as she picked up Ian's shirt and shrugged it on. Each of the buttons were done up while she continued to watch him. "I'll make us some tea."

From:

splendid_roman

It wasn't the first time they'd woken up here, but it was different now they were married, and it felt different. He grinned at her while she dressed, lying back and enjoying the view. "It's different now we're married."

From:

first_in_time

"It is." With the last button done up, Barbara placed her hands on her hips and continued to watch her husband watch her. After a moment she gave in and crawled back across the covers to lean over him and offer up more sweet kisses. It wasn't until the heat began to rise in her again that she said: "I need to make tea or we'll never get out of bed. See you in the kitchen."

And with that, she left him to it.

From:

splendid_roman

He made a pathetic sort of noise as she left, quite happy to have stayed in bed kissing her. And at the realisation that he wasn't going to have his tea brought to him.

After Barbara had gone he got up with a groan and put his dressing gown on to head to the kitchen. Once there he came up behind her, put his hands on her hips and kissed the side of her neck.

From:

first_in_time

"You're impossible," she managed after a moment of being weak at the knees, "we can't honeymoon now. You have to call your parents and organise lunch with them. Or afternoon tea. Somewhere public. After that we'll see."

Barbara put a cup of tea in his hand and gave Ian a gentle nudge toward his telephone so that she could start on breakfast.

From:

splendid_roman

"But I like honeymooning," he protested, but he went anyway, knowing she was right.

He blew on his tea and called his parents. His mother was up and agreed to a nice restaurant for a lunch, although not without some suspicion, which he hoped he'd managed to allay a bit by agreeing it was to do with the wedding.

By the time he hung up his tea had cooled down enough to drink and he wandered back to the kitchen to see if there was anything to eat. "We're going to my parents for lunch. At a restaurant," he told Barbara. "If we can fit your mother in before, then we'll have time to shop afterwards."

From:

first_in_time

Barbara hasn't even bee thinking about her mother - what were they going to do there? She put a plate of toast for them to share in Ian's hand.

"I suppose I'll have to give her a call, too. The sooner the better." Barbara bit her lip a little before heading toward the telephone.

The call itself went alright. Her mother had had a good week in her various activities, so her suspicion levels were low when Barbara asked if the three of them could walk around the local gardens this morning. Hopefully that meant she wouldn't be easy to irritate, too.

"We're meeting her in about an hour and a half for a walk. That should give us enough time to tell her and put her mind at ease before seeing your parents."

From:

splendid_roman

Ian was looking forward to telling Barbara's mother even less than his, but at least they could get it out of the way. By the time Barbara returned from her phone call Ian had finished his tea and eaten a slice of toast.

"She can't say too much if we're out on a walk." And Ian could lag behind a bit, if necessary, so Joan couldn't see him easily. He pushed the plate of toast over towards Barbara and leaned back in his chair. "I think I'll be happier once we've got telling our parents over and done with."

From:

first_in_time

"Today is going to be a very long day indeed," Barbara sighed as she sat and forlornly picked up a piece of toast. "I hate the idea of our parents being upset with me but they just couldn't understand how much I didn't want what they were asking for."