Peculiar B2: Two of a Kind (Part 1)
“Honestly, Piq.”
Piquant couldn’t help grinning at Vidcund’s outburst.
“It’s not cute, Piq. Her hair is flying all over the place.” Vidcund waved his hand dramatically. “I’m trying to COOK here.”
“Aww, it daddy all uptight. Say, relax, daddy. Give me some eggs.”
Vidcund gave a snort and began his omelet preparation.
“Crabby old daddy,” Piquant giggled and kissed Sandy on her nose before lowering her to the floor.
“I’m not crabby,” Vidcund countered.
“Could have fooled us. Come on, give her a little bit?”
“No.”
“Aww,” Piquant whined, pitching her voice higher than normal. “Pleeeeease?”
Vidcund arched an eyebrow and stepped toward the stove.
“Not a chance in hell.”
Piquant laughed and slapped Vidcund’s rear as she quickly retreated from the kitchen.
“Do you REALLY want to go there?,” he smiled, gently prodding his slowly cooking breakfast. He could feel Sandy staring at him from the floor.
“Stare until your eyes fall out, you’re not getting any.”
“That wasn’t meant as a challenge,” Vidcund couldn’t help but laugh. “Get down.”
After eating, doing the dishes and fully scrubbing all of the counters, Vidcund was ready to move to the next phase of his morning ritual.
“Who you getting all prettied up for?”
Vidcund smiled into the mirror.
“Hopefully, some new financial backers,” he replied. It was only then, looking at her reflection, that Vidcund noticed.
“I like your new do.”
Piquant smiled.
“Really? I was worried it was kind of still too long and. . .”
“Well,” Vidcund dipped his head to peek under the fall of Piquant’s hair. “Wait. . .wait, yeah, there it is.”
“What are you. . .”
“It’s still hiding your pretty face but if I stand like this, I can see it all. Not the best for my posture but. . .”
Piquant slapped at him playfully.
“What? Look at you? Those big beautiful eyes and. . .”
“Stop it, Vid.”
“. . .sweet smile. And the skin?,” Vidcund kissed her cheek, “Smooth as silk.”
“Shouldn’t you be getting ready to wow your new backers?”
“Oh, yeah, them,” Vid kissed her again then stepped toward the shower, shedding his pajama shirt as he went. “I’m sure if I told them I was in the shower with my hot, soon-to-be wife, they’d understand.” He yanked down his pajama bottoms and gave her a smirk.
“Well,” she stepped closer, “I’m sure if you told them all about it, they’d write you a check on the spot.” She slapped his bare ass and laughed as she jumped away from him. “NOT.”
“Oh, that’s it. I’m so going to get you. Get you GOOD.” Piquant darted from the bathroom with a squeal. “Yeah,” Vidcund called from inside, “that’s right, you’d better run. But when I get home. . .oooh, I’m so going to get you.”
With Vidcund finally off for the day, Piquant could set about her own business.
“Come on, waddly-acha. I need a running companion and you could use to slim down that cat fat you have swinging there.”
A nice jog, before it got too warm, was the perfect way to clear the mind. But only half way through their normal route, Valentino was noticeably uneasy and unwilling to move at faster than a walk.
“Oh, nice. . .phew. . .so that’s why you couldn’t run? Feel better now? You better hope that stink goes away before our company gets here.”
“Miss Piquant! It’s been quite a spell since we last met.”
“Too long, Augustus, too long. Come inside. Can I get you something to drink?”
Auggie politely declined. He’d never admit it, but this visit had had him on edge for more than a few nights.
“Come, sit.”
“Augustus. . .Auggie,” Piquant began, “first I want to thank you. Thank you for everything you’ve done. I. . .we. . .wouldn’t be in the place we are now if it wasn’t for you.”
Auggie gave a small smile and nodded.
“Modesty?,” Piquant laughed. Auggie joined her.
“It’s not just that you’re good, Auggie,” Piquant sighed. “You. . .we. . .have a connection. . .something I can’t get with anyone else.”
They sat in silence for a moment as Piquant collected her thoughts.
“I just get so pissed off, when I think about it. The things that were asked of us. . .the sacrifices we made. . .for HER.”
“The Pollinators?”
Piquant nodded.
“Not just the Pollinators, Auggie. We ALL gave, sometimes quite literally, pieces of ourselves for Her.”
“Those days are over now,” Auggie offered. “We’ve all moved on.”
“Yeah,” Piquant sighed and stared into the distance, “but there’s still all this fallout, Auggie.”
“I didn’t have. . .,” Piquant’s voice cracked and she swallowed hard before continuing. “I didn’t have a choice, then. I never even questioned. . .never resisted.”
“Would it have done any good?” The question was out before Auggie could stop himself.
Piquant sighed again and wiped at her cheek.
“No.”
Piquant’s low sniffle and uneasy laugh triggered something in Auggie.
“Then,” Auggie slapped his hands on his thighs, voice booming, “we move forward. Tell me what you need, Miss Piquant.”
Piquant cleared her throat and sat up straight.
“Well, I tried to talk him out of it but when my. . .when Vidcund gets it into his mind to do something there’s really no stopping him.”
Auggie, reminded of his brother, laughed.
“Long story short. . .and this goes no further than this room. . .”
Auggie nodded.
“. . .since I can’t do it, Vidcund’s going to carry our baby.”
Piquant snickered then burst into full gales of laughter at Auggie’s reaction.
“I apologize for that,” Auggie chuckled. “But you do know I was only a Mechanic. . .back then. . .right?”
Piquant laughed harder.
“I’m not. . .oh, Auggie, your face. . .I’m not asking you to do anything like THAT.” Piquant wiped tears of laughter from her eyes and took a deep breath. “Vidcund has all of that worked out. . .sort of. What he. . .what WE need from you is a little support.”
“Financial?”
“Yes. But don’t worry. I’m not asking you to give up any of your take. All funds will be mine. I just need you to make Vidcund and his little band of researchers believe you are an interested backer. But not YOU directly, you know, get someone else or. . .well, you get it.”
“Oh, I shouldn’t have any problems rounding up someone to be the face for this operation. Do you have some details on. . .”
“On the desk. . .there’s a folder with all the key bits and pieces.
“Excellent,” Auggie nodded. “I hate to be rude, Miss Piquant, but I have another appointment this afternoon and. . .”
“What’s her name?”
Auggie laughed.
“Thank you, Augustus.”
“Anything for family,” Auggie returned Piquant’s hug with equal enthusiasm.
“You and Vidcund are going to make wonderful parents,” he added.
Piquant smiled and showed Auggie to the door.
Piquant already felt, on some level, like a parent, like the head of a strong and close knit family. And if Vidcund insisted on righting the wrongs set upon her so long ago by Mother XYZ, he was going to get all the help, and protection, Piquant and her other family could offer.
There was just one thing Piquant couldn’t control, one thing that gnawed at her brain like a mean lab rat. For help on that issue, she had to search other avenues.
Shortly after she saw Auggie off, a knock at the door presented her with the perfect opportunity to do just that.
“Hey, Valley boy, what’s been up with you?”
Piquant wasn’t surprised to see Angus wasn’t at the lab. He spent very little time there, choosing instead to conduct his work from home, or more specifically, from the shed next to his home. Piquant was especially fond of Angus. He was a lot like Vidcund, but differed where it was important.
“Damnit.”
“Ok,” Angus laughed, “I get it. That move,” he gestured to the board, “that one right there? There’s no way you did that on accident.”
“Let me see. . .whatever could have Piquant Pollinator. . .soon to be Curious?. . .playing like she left her brain in the jar this morning?”
Piquant smiled.
“I don’t know what you’re. . .”
“Save it, Missy. Rocky does this all the time. And if I might say, she’s a bit better at it than you. What’s up?”
Piquant laughed.
“What’s going on, Angus. . .with the project?”
It was Angus’s turn to laugh.
“No, didn’t need a crystal ball to tell me THAT was what was up. You’re still worried, huh?”
“Well, he’s been going on and on about trials but then he’s meeting with investors and. . .it just doesn’t add up, Angus. I don’t want him rushing. . .I don’t want something to go wrong. . .I can’t lose him.”
“Oh, as long as I’m around there’s not going to be any rushing. We have just about wrapped up the preliminary investigation. But we need some serious capital to get the supplies. Even if that one backer, the one he’s meeting today, coughs up we’ll still need more. And the equipment? Well some of that’s going to take a bit of time and. . .,” Angus smirked at her, “. . .shall we say finesse?. . .to acquire.”
“Finesse,” Piquant chuckled. “I wish I’d known about that issue sooner. I was just talking to a very suave fellow a bit ago. I suppose I could schedule another meeting with him, I do have to pay a few calls tonight.”
Angus laughed.
“Just don’t drop it all into his lap at once, Piq, or it’s going to be mighty hard to keep him on the safe path.”
“Noted. Can you get me a list of things you’ll need?”
“I’ll send you the spreadsheet.”
Vidcund arrived home late and wasn’t surprised to find Piquant was out. He quickly showered and changed, eager to make the most of the time alone.
There were still so many details to work out.
“It’s about time you responded.” Vidcund clicked the email and smiled. “Yeah, that’s damn right you’re coming.” He scanned the message and chuckled. “Oh, shame she won’t be able to attend.”
“Can’t leave work at work?”
“Huh. . .,” Vidcund jumped at Piquant’s sudden intrusion. “What the hell? Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"”
“Is that what it would take to get you to STOP with the work already?”
“For your information, little miss know it all, it’s not WORK.” Vidcund closed the browser and snapped off the monitor.
“Woah? So what was it? Por-no?”
Vidcund laughed as he grabbed Piquant.
“Now why would I need por-no when I have YOU?”
“Oh, that’s just so. . .,” she wiped away a mock tear, “I’m your smut. That’s the sweetest thing anyone has ever. . .”
Vidcund kissed her.
“So. . .what. . .was. . .it. . .then?,” she asked, accentuating each word with a quick peck.
“An RSVP.” Piquant arched her eyebrows. “From one Loki Beaker.”
“No fucking way,” Piquant gasped.
“Looks like you owe me five simoleons.”
“Oh no, the bet was. . .”
“The bet was would he come,” Vidcund interrupted. “And he is. Nice try, cheater.”
Piquant scowled.
“BUT, this might ease the pain of your sad, sad loss. Take a guess how many Beakers will be in attendance?”
“None,” Piquant laughed. “They’re not Beakers. Technically, they’re Sunseri’s so. . .”
“Yeah, yeah, smart ass. Guess how many Beaker-Sunseri’s. . .happy?. . .are going to be in attendance?”
“Two. Loki and his little boy.”
“Ding, ding, ding, give the lady a prize.”
“I’ll take my five simoleons. . .”
“No, you won’t,” Vidcund kissed her again.
“Then I’ll take YOU. . .”
“Oooh, everyone’s a winner tonight.”
“. . .out to the pool!”
“Oh, come on Piq,” Vidcund whined as Piquant pulled away and darted for the bedroom and her swimsuit. “You know I don’t like night swimming. It’s too cold and. . .”
“Then bring a book and keep me company.”
Vidcund selected a book while Piquant changed. Soon they were both outside, Piquant plunging into the pool while Vidcund sat in their newly acquired deck furniture.
“Oh, bad news,” Vidcund looked up from the book he had only casually browsing. “I don’t think that backer, the one I met with today, is going to get on board.”
“What? Ahh. . .” Piquant lost her footing on the diving board and toppled ass over end into the water. Vidcund raced to the side of the pool and, after seeing she was none the worse for wear, began laughing.
“I think you’re more shocked than I was.” He thought about extending his arm to help her out but knew he’d probably just end up soaking wet for his trouble. “Come on, let’s go inside. I don’t know how you can stand that freezing water.”
“It’s not that bad,” she offered, a shiver giving her away.
Vidcund gathered his book and watched Piquant race to the house. Once inside, he found her, still in her wet bikini and giggling, on their bed.
“Warm me up, Vid.”
After their vigorous warm up Piquant was surprised to find she was far from tired. Donning her nightgown, she left the bedroom and began prowling the house, unsure exactly what she felt like doing but not wanting to sit still.
She was surprised when Vidcund joined her.
“Not sleepy?”
“What’s that look. . .oh no. . .”
“I told you I was going to get you. . .get you GOOD.”
Piquant squealed and slapped at Vidcund. They laughed, pinching at and playing with one another.
“Let’s do it right now, Piq.”
Piquant furrowed her brow.
“You know, make it official.”
Piquant stared at the ring then laughed.
“Where. . .”
“What? You think you’re the only one that can hide a ring?”
“Are you sure, Vid. . .I mean, we could do it at the party with everyone watching if you want. . .”
“I want to do it now, Piq, right here,” he smiled at her, his eyes trailing from her face down to the hand clasped at her throat and the diamond twinkling on her finger. “You’re just like that diamond, Piquant. So many different facets, working together to make something that’s so precious and beautiful.”
“I love you Piquant. . .”
“Vid. . .you’re going to make me cry. . .”
Vidcund smiled at her as he took her hand and continued.
“. . .this ring isn’t as flashy as the diamond, but it’s solid and strong, just like us. . .together.”
Piquant watched as Vidcund slid the gold band over her finger.
“Vid. . .what about. . .”
Vidcund slipped a separate ring into her hand with a smile.
“See, that’s just like you. . .thinking of everything ahead of time.” Vidcund chuckled, his smile growing even wider as Piquant held his ring up to the light. “First it was the house and now the party and the ring and,” she took a breath and looked into Vidcund’s face, “. . .and that smile. . .,” Piquant sighed.
“Most people only see serious Vid,” she nodded to the painting on the wall. “Except me. . .I get to see it all, including that smile. I’d do anything for that smile.”
“You know what I hope?,” Piquant slowly slid the ring over Vid’s finger, not waiting for a reply. “I hope our baby has your smile.” Piquant’s voice cracked.
It was the first time since he’d decided to undertake the new research that Piquant had mentioned anything besides her worry.
“You’re really. . .,” Vidcund’s combined surprise and happiness were quelled as he watched Piquant swipe her arm across her eyes, “. . .aww, don’t cry, I told you I’m going to be careful. . .”
“I know, Vid. It’s not just that. . .,” she gave a low laugh, took a deep breath and continued “. . .it’s everything. This was just perfect, you always know exactly what I’ll like and this was just so perfect just like the house was perfect and Valentino was perfect and the party’s going to be perfect and. . .even though I’m still worried but I’m really trying not to be too worried. . .” Vidcund took her hand and smiled as she took another gulping breath, “. . .I know our baby will be perfect too. I just really want. . .well, I want it all, Vid. And you. . .I know you can give it to me and I’m just so happy and nervous and. . .”
“I love you so much, Vidcund.”
It was Vidcund’s turn to gasp for breath.
“Well,. . .there you go.”
Piquant swiped at her eyes and snorted laughter as Vidcund took her hand and led them both to bed.