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?"

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From:

first_in_time

"Is that your secret ingredient?" Barbara asked.

"Her secret ingredient," Robert cut in, "is singing to the plants when she thinks no one is watching. Or listening."

Audrey rolled her eyes. "I sometimes sing when I work but if he catches me, he wants to stop everything and dance."

From:

splendid_roman

"And what's wrong with that?" Robert asked with a too-innocent expression.

"There's a time for gardening and a time for dancing. Now finish your lunch, dear." Audrey patted Robert's hand, who grinned at her, but concentrated on his food.

"Do you have any plans for the rest of the summer holidays?" Audrey asked Ian and Barbara.

Ian shook his head. "Not yet. But we do need to sort a few things out, like moving Barbara's things into my flat."

From:

first_in_time

"And how we're going to fit everything in," added Barbara, fork lifted halfway to her mouth. "We both lived in tiny flats, but two lots of tiny flats don't really fit into one."

Robert coughed. "Perhaps there's some kind of magic trick you could perform to make things fit in? Like a magician fitting a rabbit into his top hat."

From:

splendid_roman

"I'm sure there's some stuff you can get rid of to make more space," Audrey said.

There probably was, although Audrey's idea of junk that he didn't need was not quite the same as Ian's.

"It's all right," Ian said to Barbara, grinning, "my cupboards are bigger on the inside." Then he couldn't help laughing at that, much to his parents' confusion as to why it was so funny.

From:

first_in_time

Barbara giggled into Ian's shoulder until she felt the questioning eyes of Audrey and Robert on them both. She then sat up straight and wiped a tear from her eye.

Audrey and Robert exchanged looks.

"I don't understand what the joke," Robert told them both.

From:

splendid_roman

"A private joke," Ian assured them once he'd stopped laughing too. "It wouldn't be funny if we explained. You had to be there." Really had to be there.

"You're definitely married if you have private jokes already," Robert said.

From:

first_in_time

Barbara had her last mouthful and smiled up at Ian. She knew that they'd loved each other long before they had returned home and actually declared it to one another.

"Do you have many private jokes with each other?" she asked her new parents in-law once she'd finished her final mouthful.

From:

splendid_roman

Ian smiled back at Barbara.

"I don't think so," Robert said, frowning after a moment's thought.

Audrey gave him a look. "Yes, we do."

"Are you sure?" Robert was serious for a moment before he grinned.

Then Audrey rolled her eyes at him.

Ian smiled, watching them, and then the waiter came to take away their empty plates and ask if they wanted the dessert menu. Robert and Ian were quick to say that they did.

From:

first_in_time

Barbara didn't order anything, she felt as though she'd eaten enough but was willing to steal some if Ian's when it came out.

"The problems of marriage no one tells you about," Robert told Ian with a nod at Barbara, who was eating the first bite of Ian's dessert from his spoon.

From:

splendid_roman

"Oi." Ian reach out to try and get the spoon off Barbara. "If you wanted your own you should have ordered some."

While Robert wasn't paying attention Audrey stole some of his dessert too and grinned at him when he looked round.

From:

first_in_time

"Why would I order some when I can have a taste of yours," Barbara replied and handed back the spoon after licking it clean.

Robert went in to get his dessert back with a kiss.

"Public!" Audrey warned him and he backed off a little. "I can not take you anywhere."

From:

splendid_roman

"Because it's mine." Although Ian stroked her hand as he took the spoon, he still moved his dessert away from her and guarded it.

"I'm too much fun to take anywhere," Robert said grinning, and then tucked into his dessert so there wouldn't be any left for Audrey to take.

From:

first_in_time

Barbara fought off an urge to kiss Ian's cheek after he'd brushed his hand. She simply watched him eat for a moment instead.

"Not the words I would choose," Audrey told Robert.

"You don't have to choose them. I chose them for you."

From:

splendid_roman

"You're putting words in my mouth?" Audrey asked Robert.

He grinned at her. "Better than my dessert."

Ian meanwhile, since he hadn't been talking, had finished his and pushed the bowl away.

From:

first_in_time

"Your desert was delicious," Audrey flirted rather obviously, Barbara thought and she giggled, glancing up at Ian.

From:

splendid_roman

"We are still here," Ian pointed out, since his parents were acting like they weren't.

"And you expect us to act like adults, I suppose," Robert said with a sigh.

From:

first_in_time

"We know you're here," Audrey said to Ian, her voice laced with the tiniest bit of regret, "and we're not ignoring you."

Robert reached out to put an arm across Audrey's shoulders. "It's alright, Audrey, we can act like young people once they've left."

"Is that a sign for us to go?" Barbara said, smiling.

From:

splendid_roman

"Not until you've paid," Robert said.

Ian couldn't tell if his father was joking, given that he looked serious and asked for the bill when the waiter came to clear away their desserts. He didn't have enough money on him for all their lunches and to go food shopping on their way home.

But once he'd gone Robert grinned, possibly noting his son's worried expression. "Or we could each pay half."

From:

first_in_time

Audrey elbowed him. "Or we could cover the bill as a wedding present?" Robert seemed to be asking Audrey more than Barbara or Ian.

From:

splendid_roman

"I think that's a good idea," Audrey said, as if the idea had never occurred to her.

Robert dug into his pocket for his wallet just as the bill arrived.

"Thank you," Ian said, smiling at his parents as Robert sorted his money out. "We appreciate it." He took Barbara's hand again under the table and finished his glass of wine.

"I suppose you have saved us some money," Audrey said smiling.

"We would have saved more if you hadn't bought a hat," Robert added.

Edited Date: 2013-08-23 10:38 am (UTC)

From:

first_in_time

Audrey clicked her tongue at him but Robert wasn't swayed. He stood from the table and went to pay their bill. While he did that, Barbara rested her head against Ian's shoulder. She could just about do with a nap after that meal.

"Will you need help moving all of Barbara's things?" asked Audrey once she'd had the last of her wine.

From:

splendid_roman

"I think we should be all right." Ian rested their hands on Barbara's leg and looked over at her to see what she thought. She knew better than him how much stuff she had to move.

From:

first_in_time

Barbara lifted her head to properly talk to Audrey. "It might take a couple of trips, but everything should fit in Ian's car, or tie to his roof. And things like the bed and wardrobe came with the flat, so we're going to leave them there."

"I suppose you wouldn't need them anyway, since you're sharing." Audrey put her hands on the table, one on top of the other.

"There seems to be enough space in Ian's wardrobe for the moment, yes." Under the table, she squeezed his hand.

From:

splendid_roman

"I don't have that many clothes." They'd spread out to fill the space, but they could take up less space.

"Men don't need as many clothes as women," Audrey said, smiling. She grinned at Robert when he returned and he looked suspicious, which just made her grin more.

In the end he just finished his wine and asked, "Is everyone ready to go?"

From:

first_in_time

Barbara and Audrey nodded, and joined Robert in standing by the table. Robert put his hand in the small of Audrey's back and gently guided her out of the restaurant and to their car. Barbara wrapped her arm about Ian's and pulled him toward the door.

"Well, I can't pretend that I'm happy I missed the wedding, but at least we haven't missed anything else - have we?" Audrey remarked as they caught up.

Barbara let go of Ian and shrugged a little. "I don't think so."