Blackwood Grove, Wednesday Evening

[witchoftheflesh]

The sauce was simmering on the stove, filling the whole cabin with the scent of roasted garlic, spices, and tomatoes. There was also a freshly baked loaf of bread cooling under a dishtowel, and Adrian hummed as he washed up the dishes from dinner prep in advance of Rey's arrival. Bran was also hard at work, sweeping up the floor of the entire cabin - and sometimes bedeviling Boston as it followed Adrian's familiar from spot to spot, cleaning up any cat hair before it had a chance to settle. The fire was already burning merrily in the hearth, chasing away what little autumnal chill Baltimore had managed to accumulate as the sun headed towards setting.

"All right you two, enough playing," he called, ignoring Boston's indignant squawk. "Rey will be over any minute. Bran, do you want to give the greenhouse another quick once over to make sure everything is still clear?"

The broom performed a small circle and disappeared towards the back of the cabin.

"And Boston--"

"Don't worry about me, Adrian," Boston declared with regal dignity. "I have plans of my own this evening."

Adrian was pretty sure that wasn't true, but Forest forbid Boston should be seen as less in demand than his witch. "Of course," he said.

"I'll go keep an eye out on the porch," Boston continued, sauntering out the door with his tail high.

"Thanks!" Adrian called after him. Dinner, cabin, broom, and cat all accounted for, now all he needed was his date!

[For the lady mentioned and for SP as I deal with enjoy guests!]

Comments

[thatwaslucky]

"So what kinds of secrets do you have?"

They were secrets, but it was worth a shot.

[witchoftheflesh]

"The Witch of the Flesh kind," Adrian said with a smile. "Of course."

[thatwaslucky]

"Of course. Very silly of me," she said.

[witchoftheflesh]

He gave Rey an apologetic smile. "Anything else, though, I'm an open book," he promised. "Even if I don't want to answer, or don't like the answer, I still will. Because honesty is how we grow."

[thatwaslucky]

"I'm teasing," she assured him. "Though that's a really good take on honesty."

Was there a limit on green flags? Honestly.

[witchoftheflesh]

"You can thank my mom next time you see her," he said with a laugh.

Yeah. Agatha was definitely big on honesty. Which was why Adrian knew who his dad was and also what his mother and aunts were, too, definitely.

[thatwaslucky]

Rey smiled, but told him, "Seriously. I appreciate that."

It'd been kind of lacking in her last relationship, which was what made the end of it so tough.

[witchoftheflesh]

One of the (very few) benefits of the agreement his coven had with the warlocks: no men meant no chance to learn toxic masculinity!

Her shifted, turning them around to head back to the house. "I like that conversation much more than the continued embarrassing adventures of Tiny Adrian."

[thatwaslucky]

Rey shook her head, letting herself be led. "We're going to have to agree to disagree there."

[witchoftheflesh]

"Or you could believe me," Adrian suggested. "I feel like that's also an option."

[thatwaslucky]

"I do," Rey said. "I just like hearing about that sort of thing."

[witchoftheflesh]

Adrian gave her a soft smile, thinking about her own childhood. "I'm going to keep grumbling about it, because it's funny, but you're welcome to keep asking for stories. Your curiosity is one of my favorite things about you. You're in love with the whole universe, and it shows."

[thatwaslucky]

Rey stopped walking, taking a moment to really consider him.

"I'm pretty sure there's no one else who sees me the way you do," she realized.

[witchoftheflesh]

"Really?" Adrian asked, looking at her curiously. "I don't see how they can't. It's so obvious in everything you do."

[thatwaslucky]

"Maybe they're not saying it," she allowed, though she really didn't think that was the case. "But I'm glad you do."