RP: Shopping

[shh_zach]

Date: 8 June 2005
Characters: Mandy Brocklehurst, Zacharias Smith
Location: The Market
Status: Private
Summary: Shopping sucks, but Mandy makes it bearable.
Completion: Incomplete

Comments

[shh_mandy]

Mandy frowned, looking at the package in her hand. There were two different brands, one you had to add eggs and water to, and one only water. She might need a couple of tries to get it right, so she should probably take two of each brand. Perhaps three, to make sure. They were Muggle groceries, of course, and she had a waffle iron for use with charms, and all kinds of things could go wrong in the encounter between batter and iron. Maybe best she tried them out on her own, first. She was determined to figure it out, but she was getting tired of public humiliation in the process. Well, it had only been Zach, and he hadn't teased her about it yet, but if she kept making funny waffles there must be limits to his self-control

[shh_zach]

"And what is wrong with beer and biscuits?" he asked, amused that she'd even attempted to hid the package she was looking at. "Those are staples, the main food groups in fact. All men know that."

"As to marketplace stalking, I fully admit it. I lurk in markets and wait for pretty girls who have an unnatural interest in waffle mix to come by. Then, when they are completely absorbed in the many pitfalls of waffle mix purchasing, I attack." He grinned at her and leaned closer, kissing her ear.

"So prepared for me, are you? With waffle mix... how... different." He winked at her, slipping an arm around her shoulder, and then letting his eyes move over her body before resting in the basket. "Six packages? Huh. You're very prepared." Then casually. "Are you wearing the knickers I bought you?"

He wondered if she'd hit him, or if she'd just burst into flames from blushing. Probably both.

[shh_mandy]

"What all men know, can be written on a fairly tiny piece of parchment," she said with the snottiest grin she was capable of. "I'll teach you about food groups, poor deluded male. Your pantry will be so grateful to me." She poked him in his flat, hard belly firmly enough to get a small 'oof' from him. "And your washboard stomach, too. Have you never heard what beer and biscuits do to you, you slob

[shh_zach]

Zach leaned against the shelves as she walked ahead of him, watching appreciatively. "I'm glad I have permission. Not that I need it. You do realize that I always look, yes?"

And that blush...

Her arse filled out those jeans nicely. Very nicely, and he felt his groin tighten and his stomach contract just watching her move. He watched avidly for a moment before following.

"Hey," he whispered in her ear, catching up. "I don't see any lines, but that means nothing. Denim is too thick." He reached around and tugged at a beltloop below her belly. "I'll have to have a closer look, I'm afraid." He grinned and hugged her back against him. "How are you? You're going to help me shop, yeah? Please? I'll stop teasing... unless you don't mind. I do like teasing you."

[shh_mandy]

Mandy wondered if it were possible for the gaze from two very interested eyes to actually generate heat. She could swear she could feel on her bum exactly where he was looking. And maybe it made her sway her hips just a little bit more than she'd otherwise have done, as she leaned and stretched to pick apples into a bag. Just maybe

[shh_zach]

Her lips brushed against his face and Zach squeezed her a bit closer, breathing in her soft, flowery scent. "Good. I'm good," he said, smiling down at her. It wasn't completely true, but they could get into all that later. "Especially now."

"You really going to help me shop? Fantastic. I've no idea what one buys when one lives alone. Do they sell self cooking meals here? How about house elves that will cook for you?" He pressed his face against her shoulder for a moment before letting go and stepping back just a bit.

"So show me what I need. I'm in your hands today." He batted his eyelashes. "Be gentle."

[shh_mandy]

"House elves?" She narrowed her eyes. "I've still got my S.P.E.W. badge lying around, and if you get yourself an house elf I'll take the badge and charm it stuck to that perfect pert nose of yours," she threatened, tapping the tip of his nose with a finger. "For shame."

She grinned up at him as he let her go, though, pretty sure he'd never force her hand that way since he'd tried to rile her up about it too many times before. And smiling back, he actually flirted with those eyelashes, in a ridiculously exaggerated way that perversely was both so sexy and so cute that Mandy had to restrain herself from kissing him and seeing what would happen. She pinched his cheek instead.

"Show you what you need? You need a firm hand, is what you need, Smith. Gentle, indeed," she scoffed, hooking her arm into his. "This is going to be such fun. First stop, dry goods. You need flour, rice, pasta, sugar..." She gave him a happy smirk. It felt rather satisfying, getting to play the know-it-all to someone who was an even worse cook than she was.

[shh_zach]

"All right, all right," he said, holding his hands up in front of him. "No house elves. How about a maid then?" He smiled as she tapped his nose and then scowled as she pinched his cheek. "Prat," he grumbled, albeit, good naturedly.

He watched her for a moment, wondering if she was serious. "You really think I need a firm hand?" Cause that was just... way to close to what he was afraid of. He was sure she was just saying it to be funny, but he'd feel better after she admitted it.

"Why do I need that stuff," he asked, following her obediently. "I mean, rice and pasta I can see... but flour and sugar... that sounds like you expect me to actually make something. You know I'm pants at doing anything in the kitchen. It'll be wasted, yeah?"

[shh_mandy]

"You're thinking of one of those French maids in tarty little dresses, aren't you?" Mandy asked, putting her hands on her hips as she met his gaze with a sceptical grin. "But you know you'd manage to exasperate her within one afternoon and be left just as hungry and helpless. You can't eat a short skirt ... pratHis next question puzzled her, not so much the words but the way he watched her as he said it. As if he really wondered, and she thought they'd joked around so much over the years that it was odd he'd ask in that serious tone. She reached up and rubbed at her arm in distraction, uncertain because it seemed he needed some kind of reassurance and she really wanted to give it, but didn't know what it was

[shh_zach]

"I was not," Zach said defiantly. "Least not til you said it," he added, muttering sullenly before giving her a crooked smile. "Think I'm exasperating, do you? I can behave when I put my mind to it, you know? I just don't normally have the right incentive to behave." He leaned in a bit closer. "And the skirt itself is not what I'm interested in eating

[shh_mandy]

"Oh, right, incentive. It's not so bloody hard, you could find it if you were actually looking for it. Maybe you need glasses," she muttered with a doubtful look at him, but the corners of her mouth were twitching again. That crooked smile was awfully cute

[shh_zach]

The blush this time surpassed all of the one's he'd seen thus far and he grinned wickedly as he eyes darted toward his lips. He'd definitely have to remember to bring that topic up again. He loved the reaction that he got.

"I don't own slippers. Or a pipe. And I'll have you know that I never wear flannel. As if." He gave a very exagerated shudder. "You should know me well enough to know I have better taste than that." He grinned and popped her on her arse as she tugged him toward the outside stalls. "Fresh goods? That sounds like something that will have to be used or tossed within the week. I'll suck at that." Rows of cabbage and potatoes and carrots and turnips filled the area. He followed her until she came to a stop at the potatoes, wrapping a few for him and tossing them into his bag.

"Can't I just move into the local pub? Or you could just come feed me all my meals. I'll spring for the french maid skirt," he added with a leer.

[shh_mandy]

"You're a bachelor who doesn't own slippers or a pipe or flannel? All right, that's just wrong, but I know what to get you for your next lonely bachelor birthday then -- ow," she broke off with a frown as he smacked her bum, possibly to shut her up. Childishly, she smacked his arse right back with the flat of her free hand, and gave him a grin matching his own as she stuck her tongue out at him

[shh_zach]

"Don't stick that tongue out if you don't plan to use it, Brocklehurst," Zach said, grinning at her and slipping an arm around her waist. He pulled her flush against him, too close, his eyes on her still damp lips, and he smiled gently at her

[shh_mandy]

Mandy swayed a little on her feet after they'd arrived, stumbling a step before she felt Zach tighten his hold around her waist to steady them. She tilted her head up to mutter a thanks, found him staring down at her with a dazed, half-lidded focus, and suddenly her heart was in her throat. He just ... didn't let go, either with his arm or that gaze. Both her arms were weighed down by the groceries and she was leaning flush against him and feeling so strange -- heavy, helpless. His breath fanned over her temple when he whispered, and then he stepped away. Running his hand through his long hair, looking flustered and sweet and ... Mandy felt like she'd been doused by the proverbial bucket of cold water as her train of thought stopped right there

[shh_zach]

Zach tensed as Mandy placed the bags on the floor and he held her eyes as she moved toward him. His heart seemed to be beating violently against his chest and he wondered just where this was going and found the anticipation almost overwhelming.

But things did not turn out the way he'd hoped.

At all.

Mandy's sweet, soft fingers went to his throat and he tensed further, seeing her eyes drop to what he bloody well knew was still a fucking mark on his throat that he'd forgotten to heal. She made a sound in her throat, one that made his chest hurt, and when she looked up at him again, what he saw in her eyes made him wish she'd simply hit him with a blunt object.

FuckUnable to hold her gaze, he dropped his eyes, reaching up to cover her hand with his, holding it there for a moment. He closed his eyes, pulling their joined hands from his throat and kissing her fingertips gently. Squeezing her hand one last time he let go and went to retrieve the bags and take them into the kitchen. Once they were piled on the table he ran a hand