#anne is kinda baffled. she thought they were all nodding along to not get in trouble! she never thought they actually believed in it!

[agalychnisspranneusroseus]

Ik Anne isn't actually catholic but what if Marcy and Sasha actually DID buy into the catholic school bullshit a bit too much and now have internalized homophobia of the religious kind

[rose-of-pollux]

Inktober for Writers, Day 30

Prompt: Catch Fandom: Perfect Strangers Title: One and Only Summary: [Post-series] In which the woes of a passenger help Jennifer realize how lucky she is.

Notes: this vignette takes place post-series.  One of the things I adore about the series is how Larry and Balki never even so much as glance at other women after they go steady with, and eventually marry, Jennifer and Mary Anne, and this vignette happened as a result.

Cross-posted to AO3 & FFN.

As head of the cabin crew, Jennifer had been coordinating the details of the meal and beverage services on the flight heading from Portland to Chicago. Things had been running surprisingly smoothly—until it stopped going smoothly.

“Jennifer?” Mary Anne asked, peeking her head in to the attendants’ private area, where Jennifer was going over their food inventory.  “We’ve got ourselves a situation up in 15 A.”

“Oh, no; what now?” Jennifer asked.

“They’re demanding I serve more alcohol, but I think they’ve had enough already, given the circumstances!  I told them that, and they said they wanted to see my manager—that’s you.”

Jennifer sighed; heading to row 15 with Mary Anne—and stopped as she saw that the passenger in 15 A was a woman.  The woman was clearly a little tipsy, and what concerned Jennifer was the one-year-old girl sitting on her lap, clearly upset that she wasn’t getting her mother’s attentions.

“How many…?” Jennifer silently mouthed.

Mary Anne held up three fingers in response.

Jennifer responded with a nod to assure her that she’d made the right call, and then addressed the woman.

“I’m the head of the flight crew; I understand that you wanted to see me?”

“Yes!” the woman exclaimed.  “It says here on the menu that you serve alcoholic drinks for $5 each, but she won’t take any more of my money!”  She glared pointedly at Mary Anne.

“Well, we reserve the right to withhold the service of alcohol if we think it’s necessary,” Jennifer explained.  “And I have to agree with my colleague; I think you’ve had enough.”

She had expected the woman to get even more belligerent, but, to their surprise, she suddenly burst into tears.  Jennifer and Mary Anne exchanged baffled glances, and Mary Anne shyly offered a packet of tissues to the woman.  After a moment, the woman accepted them.

“I’m sorry,” she sobbed.  “I know I probably shouldn’t be drinking, but I just…  I just want to forget everything!”

“It’s okay,” Jennifer said.  “You’re clearly having a very bad day—”

“The worst!” she wailed.  “My husband left me for another woman!  Threw us both out of the house—me, and his own child!  …Not that he ever put the slightest effort into raising her, of course…” She sobbed.  “My sister lives in Chicago; she’s taking me in, but…”  She shook her head.

Jennifer had gone slightly pale, but she was still trying to put on a comforting expression, as was Mary Anne.  But Jennifer had a deep-seeded fear of abandonment, born from years of disastrous dating, coupled with being teased for not being able to maintain a relationship. And even after she had found true love with Larry, every so often, that fear reared its ugly head and tore at her from the inside-out, even if she knew she had no reason to fear it.

Mary Anne stepped up now, sensing that Jennifer’s mind was going there again.

“I really hope things get better for you,” she said, sincerely.  “And that you’ll find someone else to spend your life with.”

“No! I’m not looking for that anymore!” the woman insisted.  “You can’t trust men!  They’re all the same—out for a conquest!  And when they’re bored, they’ll move on to the next one!”

Jennifer let out a quiet sigh, trying to suppress her own anxieties.

“Take it from me,” she said.  “Chicago is a great place to start over.”

The woman didn’t seem convinced, but she did seem calmer now, once again attending to her child.  They had to attend to other passengers, but both Jennifer and Mary Anne made frequent checks on her and her daughter for the remainder of the flight to make sure they were both alright.  And once the flight had landed in Chicago, Mary Anne insisted on staying with her until her sister arrived to pick her up; Jennifer stayed, too, and after they had seen her off, they headed for the parking lot, where they had kept Larry’s blue LTD—the eventual replacement for the Mustang he had sold years ago for his sister’s Julliard tuition.  Though it lacked the sentimental value of the Mustang, Larry was still almost as persnickety about the LTD as he had been for the Mustang, and after that incident with Jennifer denting the Mustang’s door years ago, she most certainly had asked to borrow the LTD this time, and, without hesitation, he’d handed over the keys.

He loved her.  And she knew he loved her.  It was foolish to think that Larry would leave her for any reason, let alone the ludicrous idea that he’d stray for another woman.

Even as she sat in the driver’s seat, all around her, there was evidence of his devotion—the car cover she’d knitted for him was folded on the back seat beside Tucker’s car seat, and stuck on the sun visor clip was a picture of her holding Tucker shortly after his birth, after they’d been rescued from that runaway hot-air-balloon and brought back to terra firma; given the situation they’d been in, Tucker had been swaddled in Larry’s jacket—it was a rather ridiculous sight, with Tucker in the jacket and Jennifer looking, in her opinion, like a mess, but Larry never failed to get emotional just thinking about that moment.

“What are you thinking about?” Mary Anne asked from the passenger seat, though she seemed to know the answer already.

“That Larry is quite a catch,” she said.  She looked over at her best friend and smiled.  “You’ve got quite a catch with Balki, too.”

“I sure do,” she agreed, with a smile.

“You know, I still can’t believe it,” Jennifer sighed.  “I’d just come off a bad relationship and was convinced that I was done with dating.  I take a side job at a health club, selling memberships, I walk into a discount store trying to get the signature of the Mediterranean guy who was so eager that he forgot to sign his form, and then I meet his cousin—my future husband.  Who knew?”

“I kinda did—when I saw you trying not to laugh when you saw him falling off of the bench press machine the next day.  …I don’t think any of your previous boyfriends ever made you smile like that.” Mary Anne smiled.  “And it was lucky for both of us that you went into the discount store that day—you met your future husband, and I met mine the next day!”

“It took us a few bumps in the road along the way, but the four of us got there eventually,” Jennifer agreed.  She sobered slightly.  “I don’t ever want it to end.”

“It won’t—for a long, long, long time,” Mary Anne assured her.

“…I’ll take it,” Jennifer admitted.  With a sigh, she started the car.  “Let’s go home.”

“Can’t wait.”

                                             ***************************

The lights in the house were warm and inviting as they pulled into the driveway. Gathering their things, they entered through the back door through the kitchen.  Balki was tending to some things on the stove as Robespierre sat nearby in a high chair, coloring with some crayons.

“Oh, hi, Mary Anne!  Cousin Jennifer!”

“Hi, Balki,” Jennifer smiled, as Mary Anne kissed him in greeting.  “How’s it going?”

“Oh, terrific,” Balki grinned.  “Robespierre is getting good at the whole walking thing; I think I’m going to start teaching him Boochi Tag one of these days.”  He turned to his son and tickled him on the chin.  “Yeah, you want to play Boochi Tag, don’ you?”  He trailed off into Myposian, and Robespierre giggled at him in response.

Mary Anne picked Robespierre up from the high chair and hugged him.

“Where are Larry and Tucker?” Jennifer asked.

“In the living room; Cousin Larry’s been trying to tempt little Tucker into walking, too…”  Balki gave an apologetic shrug.  “I think Cousin Larry might be a bit concerned that Robespierre has been walking for two weeks already, but Tucker hasn’t…”

The words were barely out of his mouth when, suddenly, they heard Larry exclaim from the living room—

“Yes!  YES!”

“Oh, no; I missed it!?” Jennifer exclaimed, running to the living room, followed by Balki, Mary Anne, and Robespierre.

Larry was just picking up Tucker in a triumphant hug when they walked in; Larry noticed them and gave them a huge grin.

“Mary Anne!  Jen! Welcome home!”  He kept one arm holding Tucker and drew his free arm around Jennifer, giving her an excited hug.  “Jen, guess what happened!  No, wait, don’t guess—let’s see if we can get an encore!”  He placed Tucker gently back on the ground.  “Okay, Tucker—once more, for Mommy…”

Tucker looked back at him with an amused expression, as though wondering what all the excitement was about.  Jennifer knelt down and extended her arms to him, gently calling his name.  Tucker turned his attention to her and, slowly, toddled towards her.  With a joyful squeal, Jennifer gathered him into a hug, and the warm feeling growing in her heart grew even more intense as Larry knelt beside the both of them, drawing them into a hug, as well.  And soon, they were joined on the floor by the three Bartokomouses.

“Cousin, this is so great!” Balki exclaimed.  “In a few weeks, they’ll be better and better at walking, and, someday, we can teach them the Dance of Joy!”

“You bet, Buddy,” Larry grinned, and he turned back to Jennifer.  “Well, Jen, you pretty much saw the highlight of our day. How was your day?”

Jennifer exchanged a glance with Mary Anne, and with just a glance, both of their thoughts turned to that unfortunate passenger, as well as to how lucky the two of them were to have such caring and loyal husbands who were heavily invested in the care of their children.  It seemed so basic, and yet… was it really that rare?

Mary Anne snuggled up to Balki, still holding Robespierre, and Jennifer leaned in further into Larry’s embrace.

“Jen…?  Is everything okay?”

“Everything is fine, Larry,” she assured him.  She glanced up, gently touching the side of his face as she kissed him.  “Thank you.”

“…For what?” Larry asked, slightly confused.

“For being you.”

“That goes for you, too, Balki,” Mary Anne said, kissing him again.

The cousins exchanged slightly confused glances, but shrugged, holding their wives and children close, glad to have their families all together again.  And Jennifer and Mary Anne held them as well, grateful to be loved—and grateful that Jennifer had walked into Ritz Discount that day years ago.

[tcswritings]

Fate and fortune.

When Mick can’t get Mina, the fortune teller, out of his head the day after he met her, he decides to get a little support from a friend.

***

“I still can’t believe I’m up at this time on a Sunday.” Daryl groaned as he and Mick slendered past the colourful booths and trailers, breathing in the smell of roasted almonds and cotton candy. “Have you ever heard of ‘sleeping in’, man?”

“Aye, but you were so pissed ‘cause you couldn’t come yesterday, so I thought you might wanna join me today.” Mick replied cheerfully as the two now made their way through a little crowd of excited children, careful to not step on any little feet.

“Yesterday was Saturday!” Daryl moaned. “I would’ve hit up some beer cart, get pissed and have a great time, knowing I wouldn’t have to be at work the next day.”

“You have a serious problem, man. Try and enjoy yerself for once without a drop of booze or whatever-the-fuck-you’re-on-at-the-time some day, aye?”

“Yeah, maybe just stick your holier-than-though attitude up your arse, ‘cause if I remember correctly, you were pretty into whatever-the-fuck-I’m-on when-”

“Not the point.” Mick smiled lazily.

“My life is hard, Mick.” Daryl sighed dramatically. “Damn kids at university make me realise that I’m gettin’ old.”

“Yer twenty-six, hardly older than all of them. And I’m takin’ a wild guess here, maybe, but I think it’s yer hangover that makes you feel old right now.”

“It’s not a hangover!” Daryl sounded appalled. “I was at work yesterday, mind you. Only had a few beers with colleagues afterwards. You just don’t understand what it feels like not to be healthy and in shape like you are.”

“You’re cranky. Stop that, it ruins my mood.” Mick smiled to himself, his friend’s whining amused him greatly.

“It’s Sunday morning, what else could I be but cranky?” Daryl moaned as he looked around the place. “Where are we heading at, anyway?”

“Ah, nowhere. Just lookin’ around, y’know.” Mick shrugged and put his hands into his pockets.

“Nah, you’re not, you’re looking for something.”

“What makes ya think so?”

“You’re not even really looking at anything? You seem awfully determined.” Daryl nagged.

“Okay, I’m lookin’ for somethin’ then. Better said, someone. Here, wait.” Mick stopped right next to a little coffee cart and reached into the pocket of his jeans for his wallet. He opened it and pulled out a piece of pale pink paper, handing it to Daryl who unfolded it, read it and drew his eyebrows together.

“What’s this? Who’s Mina?”

“A fortune teller at this fair.” Mick replied a little absent-mindedly, as his eyes now wandered around the fairground.

“That raises a lot more questions than it answers, man.”

“What? Oh, yeah.” Mick snatched the note out of Daryl’s fingers again. “Declan had a funny moment yesterday and he dragged me into this fortune teller’s trailer.”

“What the hell?” Daryl raised an eyebrow. Declan wasn’t exactly known for believing in the fine arts of divination.

“Aye, that’s what I thought. Anyway, kinda expected some wrinkled old eerie hag inside, yanno, but she was young and cute. We talked, she told me some really weird things about myself and when we went back out, I found that paper in my pocket.”

“You wooed a fortune teller? Okay, that’s kind of cool? What weird things did she tell you about yourself that you didn’t know yet?”

“I’ll be damned if I know, didn‘t get half of it, to be honest, but the note says she wants to see me again and-”

“Wait. Are you saying that you’re taking me on a DATE with you?!” Daryl’s eyes went wide. “Mick, what the fuck?”

"It’s not a date!?”

“Oh god, do I really have to tell you how fucked up that is?!”

Mick rolled his eyes at his friend. “It’s not a date!”

“I wanna go back to bed!”

“It’s not a date, Daryl, just hear me out!”

“Do you need a chaperon for your first date? What the hell, why-”

“It’s not. a. date! ” Mick repeated impatiently. “I mean, there might be one, maybe but-”

“But you thought you’d take me first and... well, do what exactly?!”

“Do nothing. This is not a date and you’re not supposed to be a chaperon.”

“So you’re just taking me to randomly look at some hot woman or what?”

“You don’t even know what she looks like?”

“Oh c’mon, I know she’s hot. You always get the hot ones.” Daryl shrugged and crossed his arms, looking up and shooting his friend a challenging look.

“I didn’t get anyone. That's not what this is about.” 

“Is it that you saw her in twilight yesterday and now you wanna make sure she’s also hot during daylight before you ask her out?”

“What, Daryl-”

“ And when she’s not, you’re gonna introduce her to me?”

Squinting in disgust and also lost for words a little, Mick looked down at his friend. “You. are. sick."

“No, you. are. weird. Bringing me along to your dates now - yeah, yeah I know, it’s not a date. Just tell me already what I’m doing here, Michael!”

“Okay, alright!” Mick rolled his eyes. “Well, uhm. That’s a bit- well. Okay, I promise that it ain’t gonna be weird or so, just come an’ look at her for a bit, maybe?”

“Why?” Daryl shrugged. “You want a stamp of approval? I’m sure she’s smart and beautiful, they all are.”

“Exactly!”

At this point, Daryl was completely lost. “Okay, now you’re no longer making sense. Not that you ever do but-”

“That’s exactly the point, man! A smart and beautiful woman slips me a note, askin’ to see me again.”

“So...?”

“I can’t handle that. Y’ know my dating history is fucked up. It’s too much. I shut down, I need help.”

“Oh wow, so... basics, eh? Alright, when a girl and a boy like each other, they sometimes-”

“Daryl.” Mick sighed, closing his eyes in exasperation.

“Oh my god, sorry, I just can’t believe that you’re being so... I mean, are you trying to tell me that you’re...”

“Am what?”

“You’re insecure?! About a situation that’s so plain simple?”

“Hell yeah, of course I’m fuckin’ insecure!?”

“I don’t believe it.” Daryl let out a baffled laugh. “Elvenlike, six-foot-five pretty boy Mick O’Loughlin is insecure.”

“This ain’t about looks, man. It’s about...well, this.” Mick wiggled the note between his fingers. “When do things like that ever happen, eh? They certainly don’t happen to me? You know that. It’s a spoof, it must be. She’s a stunner and she was nice. What would she want with me? Huh? Maybe she was just takin’ a piss outta me yesterday!”

Daryl shot his friend a confused look. “Why would she? I mean, what reason could she even have?”

“I dunno! That’s the point, I don’t get women! Just come with me for five minutes, say hi and later tell me if ya think she looked genuinely interested or not. Can’t risk and judge the situation all by myself. I’m stupid. Ya know I’m stupid!”

“Well? You’re kinda giving off some really pathetic teenager vibes right now, I’ll give you that?”

“Aye, I know! How could I not? I can’t see any reason why any gal would do such a thing with me, okay?”

“Mick, what the fuck, that’s- that’s so sad, man.” Daryl sighed. “Maybe just think about it for a bit. She managed to slip a note into the pocket of your jeans without you noticing. That takes guts and some effort. Of course she’s interested!”

“Ya think?”

“Yeah! Besides, it’s usually you who’s good at reading body language. What’s wrong, are you broken or something?

“Somethin’ like that, aye?”

Mick let out a heavy breath, his eyes still wide in panic and Daryl realised that his friend was genuinely freaking out. There was a little pause and that’s when he understood.

To say he was truly broken was probably quite an overstatement but after all that happened to him in regards to dating matters, it was probably just a logical consequence that Mick felt as anxious as he did. Daryl still didn’t quite get behind the self-doubts but if it made his friend feel better, he would do him the favour, that was out of question.

“You like her, then?” he eventually asked.

“I dun’ know her but I liked the way she talked to me? Little weird, sure, but sweet. And she read my palm and what she read wasn’t all to bad, apparently, ‘cause she didn’t throw me outta her house. Uh, trailer, I mean, I dunno if she actually lives in that thing?”

“Makes sense.” Daryl nodded, suppressing a laugh. “Just one more thing. Taking me on this expedition and not, let’s say, Orla or someone who actually knows something about women... you’re desperate, huh?”

“Orla is busy with that weirdo Pete, Jessie is spending the weekend with Ann and I’m kinda fuckin’ desperate, aye.”

“I’m the last resort.” Daryl closed his eyes and put his hand over his heart. “I’m swooning with friendship feelings.”

“Nah, I’d still prefer ya over Declan in those matters, if that’s any consolation?”

“Yeah, he’s the worst, I gotta give myself that credit.”

“And hey, I don’t plan to go on any date today so we can later see him and Ash in the hospital and maybe hit up Rosamund’s afterwards.”

“Now we’re talking.” Daryl nodded again and gave Mick a pat on his shoulder. “Okay, I’m in. Let’s go and look at your lady and pretend we’re just passing by.”

Mick closed his eyes and let out a relieved sigh, putting his hands together and bowing slightly. “Thanks.”

“Hey, if you blow this again, can I have her?”

“Not funny.”

“Too soon? Sorry. C’mon, let’s find her.”

***

Mina Malone sat in her rocking chair on the little front porch of her mother’s old trailer. It had just started raining, just a little, but the large and colourful parasol that was fitted to the porch’s railing served her as reliable rain protection and the slight breeze made the little windbells over the trailer’s entrance door chime and the lovely sound of it as well as the soothing bickering of the raindrops made Mina feel very content and peaceful. She had always liked the rain and it’s sound, and she could never quite comprehend why most people avoided going outside on a rainy day while it could be so refreshing.

Of all seasons, Mina had always loved autumn most and there was a chance that her favourite time of the year could even get a little more exciting this year than she had anticipated so far. Her mind wandered back to the handsome stranger who had visited her trailer yesterday, together with his friend. Smiling to herself, she turned the page of the magazine she was reading, wondering if he had already found her note. He must have; she had made sure to slip it into the pocket where he kept his cigarettes. (Unless he had made the decision to quit smoking the moment he left, but Mina highly doubted it.)

While his friend seemed to be of the loud and attention-seeking kind, the young man she had laid her eyes on striked her as unassuming, quiet and thoughtful, despite his impressive stature. He was very tall and lean and he had an unusual, handsome face and the colour of his eyes was out of this world. She wondered whether he was aware of his charisma. Probably not; he seemed generally confused when she addressed him; as if he was used to people going for his outspoken friend first, which she couldn’t comprehend at all. Not to say that the friend left a bad impression but it was certainly not him who had drawn her right in. 

A man’s husky voice interrupted Mina’s thoughts.

“Excuse me? Miss? Are you the hot fortune teller?”

“Daryl, what the fuck?” another man’s voice hissed. A slightly deeper, fuller voice which startled her - she had heard the voice and the accent not too long ago.

Frowning, Mina looked up from her magazine and turned her head. She spotted two tall figures standing several metres away from her trailer, huddling together under a black umbrella and expectantly looking up at her. One of the two had an unruly mane of bright red hair and he was all clad in black and when she eventually recognised the other man, her heart skipped a beat.

It was him. Her green-eyed stranger from yesterday.

Thank you, fate, I owe you big time!

Trying to hide her excitement, Mina put her magazine away and stood up from her chair. When she leaned on the porch’s reiling, she smiled down at the two. “Who wants to know?”

“I do! Oh, and I brought back your boyfriend!” the redhead pointed to his friend, who closed his eyes in what seemed to be embarrassment.

“Oh my god.” he groaned and Mina had to swallow down a laugh.

He looked just as adorable as she remembered him.

“Well, I am a fortune teller!” she eventually said. “Not sure about the ‘hot’, though.”

“Well, I was brought here to confirm that you are.” the redhead nodded, and he held up his hand, his thumb and index finger forming an ‘O’ which earned him a firm slap to the back of his head from his friend.

“Jesus fuckin’ Christ.” Handsome Stranger hissed.

“Ow, what? Isn’t that why you brought me here in first place-”

“You were supposed to look, not fuckin’ talk!”

“I always talk, what exactly made you think this would be an exception?”

Mina crossed her arms in amusement as she watched the two guys banter for a while until she decided to chime in again. She leaned forward on the reiling.

“Can I help you two with something, maybe?” she beamed. “Some palm reading? Tarot cards? Meditation? I’m not so good with crystal balls, but they’re not reliable anyway. Too foggy.”

The ginger man laughed at the remark but Handsome Stranger still seemed reluctant.

“I dunno, I just kinda-” He paused, apparently at a loss of how to go on.

“You just kinda came by to say hello?” Mina suggested with a warm, inviting smile, leaning a little further over the reiling.

He smiled back. “Aye, I guess?”

“You could’ve called? I left you my number. In a really old-school manner that I’m very proud of, by the way.”

“Aye, I know. It’s just that...” Handsome Stranger bit his lip and looked over to his friend, then back up at her. “Uhm. Don’t- please don‘t make me explain that.” 

How cute can someone even be? “Don’t worry, I won’t. I’m happy you’re here! You two want a drink? I just made some tea!”

“Actually,” the redhead said, “I still have a few things to do.” He turned to his friend. “How about I go and see Declan and we meet in the bar later this evening?”

“I dunno, I said I would join you-”

“Mick, I am being your best friend in the world right now. Don’t be stupid.” The ginger friend smiled and reached up to give her stranger - Mick - an encouraging pat on the back. “Later then! ‘t was a pleasure, Miss Mina!” he called up at her before he snatched the umbrella out of Mick’s hand, waved the two goodbye and took off.

Mina and Mick looked after him for a few moments and when he eventually turned around again, Mick let out an apologetic sigh.

“I’m sorry, he’s a bit of a, uh... a bit of a weirdo.”

“He seems kind of eccentric, yeah?” Mina laughed and nodded. “I like that.”

“Well, good for me, I guess?”

“So. Mick. That’s really your name?”

“Michael, actually. Everyone calls me Mick, though. Please- please do. Any time someone calls me Michael, it feels like my mother calls me out for some shit I did.”

Mina let out a hearty laugh. “Okay? It’s cute, I like it. So, you wanna stay down there and get soaked or do you wanna come up and keep me company?”

“That depends.” Mick bit his lip as he eventually approached the porch and casually put his arms up on the reiling. “Uhm. Seems like you got cozy on yer porch but, I dunno, would y’ join me out there? At the fair, I mean?” He pointed back into the direction he came from.

“So, you don’t wanna talk to me?”

“Nah, yeah, I do, it’s just that I’m much better at these things when I don’t have to sit still and focus.” Seeing Mina’s slightly confused expression, he quickly added: “Okay, well, uh, that came out wrong, it’s not that I don’t wanna listen to you, it’s, uh, well...” He eventually let out a little sigh. “Okay, let’s just say I’m eccentric, too.”

“Funny, I had a feeling right away.” Mina replied with a little smirk. “Well, I think I can close the trailer for an hour or so? It’s almost lunch after all and it doesn’t take a whole lot to foretell that I’m gonna be hungry soon... alright, I’d love to join you for a little stroll!”

“You have an umbrella?”

“Won’t need one.”

“But it’s raining and Daryl - I mean, my weird friend - just took mine.”

“It’ll stop in a bit, I’m sure. And I have a hood, see?” Mina turned her back at Mick for a moment, showing off her purple hoodie.

“Well, that should do it.” he smiled, secretly admiring her shape. “You come down here?”

“Of course.”

Mick held out his hand to her. Being smitten with his little gesture of chivalry, she placed hers in it and lightly hopped down the few stairs.

“Take me away, stranger!”

***

The Dirty Deed was about half full at six thirty in the evening. Busy murmur as well as the cheerful clinking of glasses filled the air and Daryl had been half-listening to his fast-rambling friend for a good while now. Orla was pouring her heart out to him about her current... he couldn’t quite remember as what exactly she referred to him, probably ‘boyfriend’, but he couldn’t be sure. It was hardly a real conversation anyway, Orla did most of the talking, while he just nodded and “Hmm!”ed in the what he hoped to be right moments and while Daryl usually enjoyed Orla’s views on men and, above all, her insight into the female mind a lot, his mind just kept drifting off today. 

“... and well, I guess Peter and I are kind of official now?”

“Hmm.” Daryl nodded.

“I mean, I dunno. Would you say we are?!”

“What? Uhm, isn’t that something you’re supposed to know?”

“Yeah, sure, it’s just-“ Orla stopped and made a face when Daryl picked up his phone for the umpteenth time today and she had to admit that she was a little irritated by his lack of attention by now. 

“Why are you checking your phone every five minutes?” Orla nudged Daryl’s side, trying to get a glimpse at his phone’s screen.

“Waiting for a message.” Daryl replied, holding the phone out of Orla’s reach as she tried to snatch it away.

“Yeah, d’uh, I figured? A message from whom?”

“Mick.”

“Why are you wating for a message from Mick?”

Daryl looked over to Orla now. “Why are you asking stupid questions? he’s my friend, he’s allowed to message me?”

“Yeah, I know, I’m friends with him, too, but I’m not waiting for him to randomly message me on a Sunday while I’m talking about stuff to another friend?!”

“Who said it’s random? I just wanna know how his date went, that’s all.”

“What? What date?” Orla frowned.

“Did someone say date? Who’s on a date?” Rosamund called as she hurried over from the other side of the bar, where she had just handed a few other guests their drinks. She leaned on the counter, very eager to absorb every bit of gossip from her favourite young guests.

“Holy shit, her hearing ability is insane.” Daryl muttered but Orla wasn’t going to drop the subject.

“No one’s on a date?” she said to Rosamund. “I mean, I’d know if Mick was dating, wouldn’t I?”

“Not if he only met her yesterday, after you took off!”

“Mick is dating?” Rosamund exclaimed cheerfully, clapping her hands in excitement.

“He’s not dating!” Orla insisted. “He’d tell me first!”

“Yeah well, maybe he didn’t want to disturb you while you were busy fucking Pizza Pete last night.”

“Daryl, that’s-”

“Oh my god. I need to know everything!” Rosamund blatantly interrupted Orla. “Who is she? How did they meet? Was it love at first sight? Oh wait, you guys have been to the fair yesterday, right? He didn’t even tell me that he met someone while he was here last night!”

“Because he hasn’t!” Orla interfered firmly but Rosamund didn’t pay attention to her.

“Oh my god, did they just bump into each other in front of a balloon cart? Did their eyes meet? Oh damn, it would take a really tall girl to meet Mick’s eyes just like that. Is she tall?”

Daryl made a face at the barkeeper. “You seem particularly interested in Mick’s love life. No offense, Rose, but that’s extremely weird.”

“Ah, no, come on, lad, you’re weird.” Rosamund snapped. “All I’m sayin’ is that he deserves being happy for once. Don’t you think? He’s too precious to die alone.”

“Like he can’t be happy on his own!?” Orla grumbled. “Alright, enough of this nonsense. Daryl, once and for all, if Mick was really dating, I’d be the first to know! He’s my best friend, mind you.”

“And I’m telling you that, for once, I happen to know more than you do!” Daryl grinned at his friend, speaking slowly, savouring every moment of the - admittedly - rather unusual circumstance.

Just when Orla tried to come up with a clever comeback, Daryl’s phone buzzed. All three simultaneously turned their heads and stared at the device on the counter. Daryl picked the phone up and unlocked it and when he saw that the two women were still curiously staring at him, he frowned.

“Some privacy, please?!” He turned around on his bar stool, away from Orla and Rosamund. “You two are worse than my mother, Jesus Christ.” he muttered, only to let out a pretty un-daryl-esque squeal of joy in the next moment. “Hah! It’s him. He’ll be here in a minute. Ask him yourself when he gets here, I already said too much anyway.”

“Yeah, and once he gets here, we’ll all see that you’ve been trying to wind us up with this whole ‘Mick is dating’ crap.” Orla snorted, picking up her empty glass and holding it out to the barkeeper.

Rosamund took the glass and dug out the bottle of ginger ale from under the bar.

“Orla dear,” she began as she poured her guest a new drink, “you’re not suggesting that our boy can’t find himself a lady, eh? ‘Cause that would be kinda cruel, considering that the two of you are oh-so-best friends and supposed to see the best in each other?”

“Ah, come on, that’s not what I meant?” Orla replied. “It’s just... I know he doesn’t open up just like that. Not right after he met someone. It took Leila weeks to win him over!”

“Yeah, that was because Leila is Leila.” Daryl said. “You know better, Orla, and you know it just takes the right person sometimes and, I dunno, correct me if I’m wrong but I’m kinda getting a feeling here that you merely... well, how am I supposed to say this - “ he made a dramatic pause, “- hate the thought that he might open up to a lady who is not you?”

Rosamund snorted as she handed Orla back her freshly filled glass.

“Whoa, that’s bullshit?” Orla snapped back and also shot the barkeeper an offended look. “If he found someone like that, well... I’d be happy for him, of course!”

“Well, here’s your chance to tell him just that!” Daryl said as he stretched a little to look over Orla’s head through the hallway to the pub’s entrance. He waved over to Mick who had just stepped inside, shaking off the rain and taking off his jacket, hanging it up on one of the little hooks in the hallway.

“Fuckin’ rain, man.” Mick grumbled as he hurried inside, leaning over the counter to Rosamund who greeted him with a kiss to his cheek that he returned.

“Ugh, you’re soaked.” the barkeeper shuddered but eventually smiled warmly at him. “Why, hello handsome. The usual?”

“Nah, I’ll have a coke.” Mick answered as he also gave his friends some heartfelt hugs and he took the seat on the right next to Daryl.

“Sorry I took your umbrella earlier.” Daryl said sheepishly as he looked at Mick whose hair was really dripping wet.

“Aye, that was a bit of an arsehole move.” Mick nodded and he thanked Rosamund as she handed him his drink, raising the glass and taking a large sip. The glass still at his mouth, he looked around and noticed that the three of them were staring at him expectantly for some weird reason. He frowned and lowered his glass a little.

“Why are y'all lookin’ at me like that?”

“Nothing? Drink up, laddie.” Rosamund said.

“Yeah, it’s nothing!” Orla shook her head, trying to sound as casual as possible. “Just happy to see you.”

“Ugh, no, come on.” Mick groaned, rolling his eyes at Daryl. “You told them.”

“I, uh, kind of did, yeah.”

“Why would you do that?!”

“They made me do it!” Daryl shrugged, and both Rosamund and Orla gasped.

“OY, don’t blame this on us, y’ nasty little fucker?!” Rosamund protested.

“Yeah, you could’ve thought of an excuse when I asked you what you were doing with your phone earlier? Instead you just-” She paused, looking like she just got hit by a truck. “Wait. Does that mean- wait, so you actually met someone?” she asked Mick.

“Can we not talk about this right now?” Mick groaned, lighting himself a cigarette. “I just got here, lemme have my drink in peace.”

“Please tell me you two screwed your brains out, ‘cause she totally looked like she was up for that!” Daryl said.

“What is wrong with you?!” Mick shot back, sounding exhausted and looking like he was battling a giant headache. Daryl could have that effect on people at times.

“It’s why I left you guys alone, man, she was looking at you like she was ready to-”

“Please, for fuck’s sake. leave me alone. All of you.”

There was silence for a few moments and, surprisingly, it was Mick himself who broke it again.

“Okay. Y’all listen. Aye, I met someone. Yesterday. No, we did not screw our brains out and yes, I’m gonna meet ‘er again. On Tuesday, to be exact. She seems really great and I don’t wanna blow it before it even started and that’s all I have t' say for now.”

Rosamund clapped her hands again, looking more than statisfied. “That’s some good news, laddie. I’ll drink to that later. Oi, I can’t wait to tell Elias-”

“Nah, yer not gonna tell anyone, especially not Father Moore. Any time I date, or try to date someone, happens seldom anyway, he always looks at me like I’m gonna pull a Declan and get meself some illegitimate hellspawn, just because it’s cool.” Mick paused and bit his lip again. “... and that sounded really horrible, y’know, given the circumstances. Dammit.”

“It’s alright, lad. We know you didn’t mean it like that.” Rosamund assured him.  “The wee one will be back on his lil’ feet in no time, we all know it.” she insisted, her voice firm, as she poured all three of them as well as herself new drinks. “Hey, you’re awfully quiet, dear!” she eventually said to Orla.

“Huh? Oh. Yeah, I just... sorry, I was lost in thoughts.” Orla smiled and raised her glass. “To Ash, eh?”

“To Ash.” the other three nodded in agreement, clinking their glasses together.

There was another moment of silence until Rosamund decided to approach the lighter subject again.

“Alright, just one more thing!” she looked back at Mick who already prepped himself up to utter some more heartfelt protest. “No, don’t roll your eyes at me, this is important. Did you at least kiss her, laddie? ‘Cause, if you ask me, that’s a must in the early stage of dating. You can’t date someone without knowing if you click in that area?!”

Caught off guard by the question, Mick let out a surprised laugh. When Rosamund and also Daryl kept looking at him expectantly, he merely gave a little shrug and smiled down into his glass.

(... to be edited/polished/continued! Just had to get this off my chest now ‘cause I was in a mood. :3)