Log [Alison, Haroun] ~ A quiet walk...

[x-dazzler.livejournal.com]

Set Monday, late morning. The small things that make up life aren't so small - in fact, sometimes one can realize how important they are. It does tend to put things in perspective...Also? Foot in mouth disease is proven to be an equal opportunity thing.

Haroun grinned at the blonde holding onto his good arm. It was a beautiful morning - a celebration of life on nature's part. He was still a little sore and more than a little jetlagged from the Greece trip, but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle. "So - you up for getting some food?" he asked Alison with an easy smile. "I'm in the mood for a little taste of home. They do fantastic lunches - no show, unfortunately, but the food's always good."

Holding on was good, Alison thought distantly, drifting in the simple feeling of being out and about with someone she loved. The weather wasn't exactly lost on her, her skin registering the sunlight, which wasn't nearly as strong as it had been on Youra - the train of thought was nicely stopped and set aside, Alison wanting to concentrate on now and not anything else. "That could be nice." She smiled up at him a bit, drawn into his mood. "I'd rather no show for now, though, anyway. I... something quiet would be nice."

"I know the guy who runs the place." he said with an easy laugh. "Shouldn't be a problem to get a quiet room to ourselves. I'll need you to pick up the tab, though." he said worriedly. He kept having to do that, dammit, and it was an irritant that wouldn't go away. "Might want to pick up something to cover your head with, though." he said, since apparently today was Deal With Your Irritants Day. Probably not the best timing, but done was done.

The weather was good and her head was fine, Alison absently shaking her head just a bit at that. "That's okay." The comment was oblique, she belatedly realized. "I know it's not the same for you but to me it's
only money and it's... it's fine. I don't mind, you know - never do, never will and if I'm sticking my foot in my mouth, please let me know?" she finished lowly. From the tension of the arm she was holding, there was foot in mouthness, she figured.

Haroun took a deep breath, and then let it go. Took another, and let that go. "It's OK, Alison. You can stop chewing on your toes now, I got the message." he replied a bit stiffly.  "You want to drive, or should I?"

It wasn't okay, and her head fell to his shoulder slowly as they walked, Alison trying to find a way to set things right somehow. "I... I'm sorry," she finally settled on, voice low and quiet. She didn't know what to say that would make it right and soothe his pride, and at least apologizing seemed to be fair enough. "Probably best you drive."

Haroun squeezed her arm and then steered them towards the garage. "Don't be. It has nothing to do with me that you are a successful woman and have a great deal of money." he said quietly. "In my country..." he said, and then sighed. "Where I came from, the way I was raised - there were many things wrong with it. But one thing that has always stuck with me is that a man should be able to provide for his beloved." he elaborated. "If he cannot, then he has no business involving himself with her. Now, I realize that things are different here - that's obvious. And I am trying."

Tugging on him arm gently, Alison brought him to a stop, arms sliding around his waist as she leaned against him. "You... give me something far more precious than monetary support could ever be, Haroun." She bit her lip, wanting to be sure to use the right words. "You're there for me.  You. Emotionally and physically and no amount of money in the world can ever..." she trailed off, not finding an expression clear enough to explain how important he was.

Haroun smiled as tenderly as he could at Alison. "I know." he said, and then kissed her forehead. "I know, but you never really can ever shake the programming of your childhood, can you?" he said with a wistful smile. "But look at it from my side, please? And if we're going to go you're going to need to put something on your head. I like you indecent like this, but it would make things easier for me if ... " he trailed off.

Indecent like this... Alison blinked up at him, comprehension settling in for a visit and leaving her feeling rather blank. Moreso than before, at any rate. The gut reflex to clearly state that she wasn't about to start wearing a head scarf was lost in the surprised look she turned on him, though. "Indecent?"

Haroun winced. He should have seen this one coming a mile off. "Look. The people we're going to go visit - the folks who run the restaurant - they're good people, but they're simple. Traditional. If you've ever noticed, none of the women who work there save for the dancers ever go out with their heads exposed. Even if it is just something gauzy that you can see through anyway, it's the gesture that counts. Me? I don't mind all that much. But they do." he explained. "Besides, it's kinda sexy."

Blink. Process. "Oh." She snuggled a bit closer, by reflex, head tilting to the side as she thought back to the visits to the restaurant. "Ooooh." Courtesy, doing as one would wish others would do while in their own domain - that she could work with. Without a doubt. "I can do gauzy." My, that hadn't quite come out the way she'd meant it to, had it? The sexy remark was noted and set aside for later consideration, and Alison found herself smiling a bit, wistfully. Life went on. "Gauzy can be nice," she continued innocently, adding fuel to the fire.

Haroun took another deep breath. She was definitely on to him. "Good. Make me feel better, make them feel better, and it's one less ignorant asshole American in the world." he said just before his brain engaged.

Shit!

"Not that I think that of you! No way! I misspoke, was speaking of the general, not the specific." he blabbed, trying to cover for his mistake.

There was a repeat of the blink and stare pattern, complete with head tilt, before Alison slowly let her forehead fall to rest against him. Soon afterwards, her shoulders started to shake, wild laughter trying to break through even as Alison desperately tried to keep it at bay. "Love you," she finally managed, looking up once more with bright eyes. And then kissed him, repeating her words to him in other ways, fervently so.

Haroun kissed back and, once he came up for air, grinned. "Well then. Lunch?" he asked, bowing to her as best he could and waiting for her response before escorting her like the queen she was to the garage. "Our chariot awaits. Preferably the one with over 200 horses under the hood and the sports suspension."

She smiled at him through the tears as they walked towards the garage, wiping away at her cheeks while taking a slow, deep breath. "I guess going at ultrasonic speeds on the highway is one way of keeping things calm." The words were light and teasing, and Alison swayed close to him with each step, pondering the virtues of diaphanous scarves and precious little else.

Haroun grinned at Alison. "Do you think I could really break the sound barrier in one of the Mansion's cars? Could be a good exercise for the Mechanicals or the Automotives, if we have any of those. Give their slug-like brains something to do." he said with a smirk. And now he had this mental image of Alison wearing not much more than a smile and a gauzy piece of silk.

It was going to be a very distracting lunch.