When In Rome

by EndoratheWitchwriter

Bog is on vacation in the states and meets some odd people

When in Rome:

Bog made a face as he sat next to his mother in the cab, wondering for the millionth time how he had let his mother talk him into going on this trip with her. He did not like to travel a great deal and here he was with his mother, her best friend and his aunt, playing keep up with a bunch of crazy old Scottish ladies who were all trying to set him up at the same time with every available woman they encountered, every place they went. Now they were on the newest leg of this vacation from hell. Luckily, the ladies had plans to go do some sort of wine tasting tour and he had managed to talk himself out of going and thus, he had the day to himself.

It was a crispy, rainy day—just how he liked it. As Bog left the hotel, he zipped up his leather jacket before wrapping the scarf around himself with a grin and a spring in his step, happy just to have a day to himself. It would be great. His plan was to go to the city's art museum and spend some quiet time, maybe go out to lunch by himself, a book store, who knows, he had the whole day!

The museum wasn't too bad. There was an exhibit of some Scottish painters he decided to check out for the heck of it. He grabbed a brochure on the exhibit, paid his ticket price and stepped in. He had looked at several paintings of the countryside or some of the romanticized castle ruins when he finally stopped in front of one that showed a bagpiper in a kilt. While he stood there studying the painting under the muted, calm lighting, from his peripheral vision he saw three dark figures come to stand by the painting.

He moved over a bit and glanced sideways for a moment. Two tiny woman, very fey-like and a young man who was even shorter than they stood there. The tiny blonde and the short dark-skinned man—apparently her boyfriend by the way they were holding hands and making silly eyes—were smiling and chatting together.

The dark haired woman, who he noticed was wearing purple boots, was staring at the same painting as him, when she chuckled to herself. "Remember when we went to those highland games at the park?" The blonde woman tittered a bit. "Oh yeah, they showed off their rears! Remember!?"

The dark haired woman chuckled again. "Yeah, too bad most of them weren't all that nice." The young blonde smacked the dark haired woman in the arm. "Marianne!"

The young man laughed, but chose to stay out of the conversation.

"I really wonder about the skirts, though," the one called Marianne said as she turned back to the painting.

Bog corrected her loudly, "You mean kilt."

"Huh?" Marianne turned to look at him. Bog looked down his long, sharp nose at her. "It's not a skirt, it's called a kilt."

"What's the difference?"

Bog turned the full force of his blue eyed gazed on her. "A kilt is traditional clothing and the tartan or sett represents your clan, your family."

"Oh."

Dawn grinned. "That's cool. Are you Scottish? Your accent sounds Scottish. Do you have one? A kilt, I mean?"

Bog turned around to look at the quick speaking little blonde. "Aye, I have one."

Marianne chuckled and Bog gave her a narrowed eyed look. "Something funny?"

Marianne smiled. "Just figured it had to be a pretty long skirt, considering how tall you are."

Bog snarled, "It is not a skirt, it's a kilt."

He pointedly turned around from them and started to walk away, but a hand grabbed him. He turned to see the little blonde had grabbed his arm. "Sorry about Marianne, she has been snarky since she broke up with her fiance."

"I am not snarky!" Marianne snarled, purposely not looking at either of them but at the painting which had suddenly become even more interesting to her. She even bent over to study some detail, at least she was pretending to study a detail.

"It's fine." Bog did not want to upset the little blonde. She seemed nice enough with her tiny boyfriend. Bog glanced over to where Marianne, the dark haired girl, was staring pointedly at the painting pretending to ignore them.

"We are going out to lunch after this, would you like to join us?" She smiled up at him. Her little boyfriend looked a bit unsure, but he smiled too. "Yeah you should!"

Bog glanced toward Marianne as he made a face. "I don't know."

The little blonde took his hands in her delicate ones, which surprised him and made him jump backwards a bit. She hopped up and down as if she had so much energy she might take flight except for the fact that gravity kept her grounded. She continued to hold his hands. "Please, please! It will be fun, I promise! Maybe we can show you the city too? You're a tourist right?"

Bog let out a long suffering sigh of the continually put upon. "Fine. My name is Bog, Bog King." He extricated his hands from hers and tried to shake just one of her hands more formally.

"I'm Dawn, this is my boyfriend Sunny and that is my sister, Marianne over there!"

Dawn took Bog's hand and pulled him back over to Marianne.

"Hey, Marianne. This is Bog! We are going to show him around the city and he is going to have lunch with us!"

Marianne's eyes bugged for a moment. "Dawn, what?"

Dawn grinned. "He can tells us real Scottish stuff! It will be fun!"

Marianne twisted her lips into a frown, but then shrugged. "Fine. Bog? Is that short for something?"

Bog looked down at her with a neutral expression on his sharp features. "Yes."

They simply stared at one another until it became clear that Bog had no intention of elaborating. Dawn grabbed Bog by the arm and pulled him along. "You have really got to see some of the parks we have here..."

Surprisingly, Bog ended up having a good time, which he would be loathe to admit out loud. Marianne turned out to be funny and tough, which he liked, a lot. Her sister Dawn, and Dawn's boyfriend Sunny were a sweet couple, though Dawn's energy was very tiring.

Finally they were all at a little cafe sitting outdoors. He had let Marianne order for him when he had said he had never had onion rings and she looked liked this fact might kill her. Now Bog had the biggest burger that he had ever seen sitting in front of him along with huge onion rings and a vanilla shake. All very American.

"Okay, now the best way to eat onion rings is to dip them in the shake." Marianne demonstrated while Bog watched her with raised eyebrows. Dawn giggled, dipping her own onion ring in her chocolate shake while Sunny made pretend gagging noises until Dawn elbowed him in the side, laughing.

Bog picked up an onion ring, gave Marianne what she had started calling his Mr. Spock look over the course of the day, as he lifted one brow and dipped the fried onion into the vanilla mix. She motioned for him to put it into his mouth, which he did slowly. He tore off a bite and chewed slowly. To his complete surprise, it was excellent. Marianne's smile turned into a full on impish grin as she watched his facial expression gradually change from doubt to pleasure. "Told ya."

Bog laughed, picking up another onion ring. "Alright, you're right, it's good...surprisingly."

Marianne looked satisfied as she dipped her next onion ring, her brown eyes twinkled and she smiled more broadly.

Sunny took a sip of his shake as he glanced over at Bog. "So, how long are you in the city for? Said you were traveling with family?"

Bog nodded. "Aye, my mother, aunt and their best friend. It's actually the ladies' vacation, my mother just dragged me along. Not sure how long we are here for, maybe a week or so."

Dawn's smiled brightened. "A week! Oh, do you think you could hang out with us for a week? I mean, you said they were older ladies and I bet it's boring for you! We would love to show you all kinds of stuff here. Wouldn't we Marianne?" Dawn's eyes were huge as she stared pointedly at her sister. Marianne felt herself blush, which surprised her, but she smiled shyly. "Sure. I am sure we could find all sorts of things to do, if you like?"

She turned her gaze on Bog and he found himself suddenly unable to speak properly, but he finally stuttered out. "S-sure. I think I could do that."

Later that day, the three dropped him off at his hotel. Bog turned and waved at them as the cab took off, but he found his eyes meeting Marianne's as she looked out the back window of the cab and gave him a little wave.

As he walked into the hotel, his stride was noticeably lighter and when he arrived at his room he was humming to himself. His mother poked her head out of her door when she heard him open his. "There you are, Boggy honey. How was your day?"

He grinned. "It was unexpectedly grand."

His mother raised an eyebrow at him. "Oh?"

Bog's face was light with a bright smile. "Do you mind if I do a few of my own things this week, Mother? I met a group of Americans who offered to show me around."

His mother smiled cunningly, recognizing that look in her son's eyes. "Sure, darling. You have fun with your new friends. Hanging out with us old ladies has to have been a bit boring."

Bog laughed, but then waved at his mother. "Good night, mamm."

She waved back, excited to get to the other ladies and tell them what she suspected. "Good night, honey."

On the cab ride home, Dawn was all over Marianne about the day's events. "You like him! I can tell! You never even tried to get Roland to try that onion ring thing! But you did with Bog! You like him!" They had already dropped Sunny off, so Marianne was forced to deal with her excitable sister on her own. "Ugh, Dawn. We only just met!"

Dawn was grinning so hard that Marianne was sure her head might explode. "Yeah, I know, but there is just something about him. That accent is to die for and did you notice his eyes! So blue! And he is sooo tall!"

Marianne laughed and playfully punched her sister in the shoulder "Better not let Sunny hear you." Dawn giggled. "Sunny knows I love him. He is such a tiny little package of cute! And no one can kiss like Sunny..."

Marianne pushed her. "Hey, too much information!"

Dawn giggled again. "Anyway. I like him—Bog. I think hanging out with him for the next week will be fun."

Marianne smiled softly. "Yeah. You might be right." She could feel the rush of blood to her cheeks and the speeding of her heart just thinking about Bog and she sighed, mentally muttering to herself. Oh, damn.

Part II

Bog was having breakfast downstairs with his mother, Aunt Plum and even though she was not a real relation, but his Aunt Lizzie, an old family friend. Bog sipped his coffee as the ladies talked about their plans for the day. Bog hoped that just maybe he might get away without his mother mentioning his plans, but no sooner had the thought entered his mind than his mother Griselda grinned. "Bog will not be joining us this time, ladies. He has plans!" The other two women, his Aunt Plum with her crazy head of hair and Aunt Lizzie with her too-much makeup both turned to him with a very loud "OooOo?!"

Bog rolled his eyes as he buttered a piece of toast. "I just met a small group of Americans, they invited me to lunch yesterday and to spend the week with them showing me around. Nothing special."

Griselda grinned pushing her unruly red hair back behind her ear.

"So are any of these Americans female?"

Aunt Plum bounced in her seat, making her head of curly hair bounce with her. "Oh, yes! Yes, Boggy dear, any single girls?"

Bog stuffed his toast in his mouth and around it mumbled. "Yeah two of them are women."

His Aunt Lizzie clapped while Bog tried to stuff something else into his mouth so he would not have to talk. Luckily, that was when his cell phone rang. He quickly picked it up, swallowed hard almost choking himself as he answered. "Yes? Oh, yes. Be right there." He shut the phone and looked up to see all three women staring at him expectantly.

"Ah...yes. I have to go. You have fun and be careful." Bog got up so quickly that he nearly knocked his chair over as he wiped his mouth and waved. "See ye tonight!" All three ladies watched him with grins.

He arrived out front to see Marianne looking up at the hotel, her arms crossed over her chest as she leaned backward. Bog stopped for a moment to just look at her. She was adorable in a short jacket with fake purple dyed fur lining the collar and sleeves. His eyes traveled down her slim form to see that she wore those purple boots from yesterday when her eyes came down to meet his. They both stood there for a moment as if at a loss for words, but then Marianne came over as she put her hands in her pockets.

"Hey, ah, we are suppose to meet Dawn and Sunny at the zoo."

Bog frowned for a moment. "The zoo?"

Marianne laughed, her eyes sparkling "Yeah, Dawn's idea. It's nice this time of year though. Not that many people."

Bog smiled at that. "Alright. Let's go." Marianne grinned, turning and hailed a cab for them.

Their day at the zoo was fun. The weather was a bit chillier than the day before, but they were right in that they nearly had the zoo to themselves. Dawn made them ride the train, which made everyone laugh as Bog had to fold himself in it and still ended up having to lay his legs across the seat. Marianne sat behind him leaning on the back of his seat, her arms folded over the top as she played with his scarf. At one point, she used her phone, leaned in and took a selfie of both of them laughing as they pressed their heads together. They ate at one of the zoo restaurants where Dawn told Bog stories of when the three of them would come to the zoo as kids and the amount of trouble they would get into, usually started by Marianne.

Then they went for a long walk through one of the large city parks. Dawn and Sunny walked ahead of them a ways, holding hands, while Marianne and Bog walked next to each other, both of them with their hands in their pockets.

"So, what's Scotland like?" Marianne glanced sideways at him. The crisp breeze blew long strands of her short hair around a little bit, making her look wild and fey-like to Bog.

He shrugged. "Not sure how to answer really. I mean, it's home to me, so I suppose I see it differently than someone else would. It is beautiful, though."

Marianne nodded. "Yeah, I can understand that. Guess you never thought about moving, eh?"

Bog nodded. "No. I have a little house back home. My own business."

"Oh, what do you do?"

He grinned befofe he answered. "I restore classic cars."

Marianne lifted a brow at him. "Really?"

Bog chuckled. "Really. Makes good money, which was how I afforded this trip."

Marianne smiled softly as a thought occurred to her. "So you were planning on sending your mother and friends on this trip and you're paying for everything? Wow."

Bog shrugged, looking slightly embarrassed. "They deserved it. The three of them raised me."

She didn't say anything for a while as they walked. Then quietly, she asked.

"Want to go out to dinner?" She looked over at him as she asked. "I mean just you and me?"

Bog glanced ahead at Sunny and Dawn, then back at her and smiled. "Aye, I would enjoy that."

Marianne grinned, biting her bottom lip and nodded. "Okay." Her cheeks were rosy, though not just from the chill in the air.

Dawn became squeaky when Marianne got her aside to tell her that Bog and she were going out to dinner, just the two of them.

Finally, it was evening and she was sitting across from Bog at one of Marianne's favorite diners. The diner specialized in 1950's Americana, complete with the music, decorations and food. They took a booth against the window, sitting across from one another. They were eating burgers, onion rings and milkshakes again, laughing and talking about anything and everything.

Bog dipped his onion ring and leaned over to feed it to her. She laughed, taking a huge bite with a grin, her teeth just missing his fingers. He pretended to yelp, wagging his hand back and forth like she had nipped his finger, making them both laugh. As the evening passed, they stayed in their booth, ordered coffee and spoke even later until Marianne's cell phone went off. She frowned, pulling it out and looked at the text.

"It's Dawn. Whoa, it's after two in the morning!"

She quickly texted her sister back to let her know she was still with Bog. No sooner than she started texting than Bog's cell phone went off. He looked down and saw it was his mother. He glanced over at Marianne and muttered, "My Mamm."

He texted her back and immedately she texted him in return wanting details, until he had to text her that he would talk to her later and shut his phone off.

Marianne quickly finished texting Dawn, explaining to her she would talk to her tomorrow. Marianne looked up with an embarrassed smile. "Perhaps we should go."

Bog laughed. "Aye, I think we're both in trouble."

Bog dropped her off at her apartment. They didn't kiss, but he just took her hand before she stepped out of the cab and brushed his lips across her knuckles, saying something that sounded gallant in Gaelic until he told her that what he said was that her fingers smelled of onions and she playfully smacked him, both of them laughing.

That night, her knuckles seemed to burn with a remembered touch.

Bog lay in his bed that evening staring at the ceiling of the hotel room. He would occasionally touch his lips thinking of smooth skin and amber eyes.

The rest of the week they managed to spent nearly ever waking hour in each other's company. It was the best week of Bog's entire life as far as he was concerned. Marianne felt the same way, though neither of them said as much to the other. When the day finally came for Bog to return home, he was trying to hide how distraught he felt at the idea of leaving Marianne. He was surprised at how deeply he felt for her in such a short time. It was strange. He really had considered himself unlovable and unable to give love any more. But Marianne made him think and feel everything differently.

Bog's mother laid her hand on his arm, looking up at him as he packed.

"Bog, you should tell her how you feel."

Bog frowned. He stopped in the middle of folding a shirt and simply stared down at it in his hands.

"People don't fall in love over the course of a week, Mamm. She would probably laugh."

Griselda sighed.

"Are you sure about that? I saw how she looked at you when you brought her to dinner last night. That was not the look of someone who just saw you as a new friend. That was the look of a woman falling in love. Don't you tell me otherwise, son." Griselda used her stern gaze on her offspring.

Bog shrugged, not phased by his mother's stance. "Well, it doesn't matter, does it? She lives here and I live in Scotland."

Back at Marianne's apartment, she, Dawn, and Sunny were getting ready to leave to meet Bog at the airport to say their goodbyes.

Dawn pulled her sister into a tight hug as Marianne reached for her coat.

"Marianne, you should tell him!"

Marianne sighed, shrugging her coat on.

"Why? He's leaving."

"Well, maybe you guys can stay in touch?" Dawn gave her sister a pleading look.

Marianne smiled a bit sadly.

"Maybe."

Marianne, Dawn and Sunny met Bog and his group at the airport. Everyone said their goodbyes, but Bog and Marianne lingered as the others walked away to board or wait outside, giving the two of them some time without an audience. Griselda turned to look over her shoulder at her son and Marianne, hoping that they might both stop being so stubborn and try to make whatever this was turning into work.

Marianne looked up at Bog, her smile both shy and sad.

"I had a great time," she whispered as she reached out and took one of his hands in hers. Bog squeezed her fingers gently with his longer ones. "Aye, so did I."

They stood there awkwardly with each other.

"Can I call ye sometime?" Bog looked so awkward and shy asking, but there was something in his eyes that made her want to beg him to stay with her.

"Ah, yes I would like that." Marianne blushed squeezing his fingers tighter.

"I better go," Bog muttered. He started to let her hand go when Marianne pulled him close. He stumbled a bit, but she got on her tiptoes and quickly kissed him. Then she let him go, turning and hurried away. Bog stood there as if frozen, his eyes wide. He finally looked up to watch her leave, his lips tingled as he placed the tips of his fingers to his mouth.

Part III:

He was in his garage, days later, working under the hood of a car he was restoring for a client. He wiped a film of sweat from his forehead, smearing grease without even realizing it. His thoughts were wandering to Marianne when his phone beeped. He wiped his hands on his shirt before he reached over to take it. When he looked at the screen, his heart sped up as he saw it was Marianne. "Hi!" He tried not to sound too excited, but he couldn't help it.

"Hi yourself!" Marianne sounded happy.

Bog moved around to lean against the garage wall and slid down to sit with his arms on his knees. "How are you doing?"

He could almost see her smile as she told him about her day. He talked about coming home and the car he was working on. They eneded up talking for a few hours until Marianne asked Bog if he would want to skype. Soon they were skyping on a regular basis. Bog found himself rushing home or in from the garage to clean up and be ready to talk to her.

A week later Bog was over at his mother's house for dinner one evening. She was watching him as she poured some tea. "So you talked to Marianne today?"

Bog looked up with his spoon midway to his mouth. "Yeah."

"So how is she?" Griselda took a sip of her tea as she looked over the rim of the cup at her son.

"She seems fine. She just took a new job she was telling me about. You know she works in interior design. I think she said she starts in a few weeks."

Griselda nodded. "Oh, well that's good. You miss her?"

Bog stared down at his plate for a moment. Griselda didn't say anything; she could tell by the shift in his shoulders and the stillness in him, that he indeed missed her.

"It's fine. We talk." He shrugged, going back to eating as if nothing was wrong, but his mother could see that clearly he missed her and his feelings had grown deeper. Mothers always know these things.

Back in the states, Marianne held the fabric sample up in the light, tilting her head back and forth as Dawn sat cross-legged on her sister's couch watching her.

"You should just go to Scotland," Dawn blurted out.

Marianne jumped at her sister's sudden outburst, turning to stare at her. "What?"

"You. Should. Go. To. Scotland." Dawn gave her an earnest look as she pressed her palms against her legs, leaning forward on the couch.

Marianne blushed, turning back to the fabric samples. "I can't just go to Scotland."

Dawn twisted her lips. "Why not? It's clear you love him—have you told him?"

Marianne sighed. "I haven't told him anything."

Dawn threw herself sideways on the couch with a loud groan. "Oh my God, Marianne!"

She laid there glaring at her sister. "I understand that your ex-boyfriend was a jerk, but Bog is clearly not a jerk! You guys had a great week together and you skype and text him ALL the time. What's it been now? Over a month? Almost two? You love him. Admit it!"

Marianne sighed putting the fabric samples down. "I just don't know, Dawn. What if..."

Dawn made a face, her tongue hanging out of her mouth like she had died. "Marianne, if he didn't feel the same way why would he talk to you every single day! You two haven't missed a day! Stop being stubborn."

Marianne turned fully around in her chair to look at her sister, her brown eyes full of fear. "I'm scared, Dawn."

Back in Scotland in the living room of Bog's little house, Bog sat by the computer fiddling around with his fingers. His mother had talked him into asking Marianne to come visit. He didn't want her to visit, he wanted her to stay, but he was terrified of asking her to come just to have her laugh at him. His computer beeped and he hit the button so fast it was a surprise that he had not broken the keyboard, to have his screen filled with the image of Marianne.

She waved. "Hi!"

Bog could not keep the smile from his face when he saw her. "Hey."

They talked about their work, how things were at home, but Bog was so nervous he was having trouble following the conversation. He kep thinking of asking her to come visit, but he just couldn't do it. He couldn't ask her to come here. He couldn't stand the idea that she would say no. He didn't want his heart broken, not by Marianne who he was afraid to even admit to himself that he loved. So they said their goodbyes and that they would talk tomorrow.

The following week Marianne tried to keep busy, though she felt something was wrong with Bog. He didn't say anything was wrong, but he seemed distant. Dawn was over while Marianne put fabric and paint swatches together for a client. Dawn lay on the floor of her sister's apartment on her stomach, flipping through a magazine when she very causally said, "Oh, I bought you a birthday present."

Marianne glanced down at her sister. "What? My birthday isn't for months."

Dawn didn't look up as she said, "I know, but you need this one now."

Marianne turned to fully face her sister as Dawn sat up and grabbed her purse from where it lay on the couch. She pulled out an envelope and leaned over to hand it to Marianne. Marianne took it and turned it over slowly before she opened it. She pulled out an airplane ticket.

"What's this?" Marianne looked more closely. It was a one way ticket to Scotland.

Dawn gave her sister a stern glare. "You are going to listen to me. I know something about love and I know that you are in love and I know he is in love with you. So you are going to go to Scotland and you are going to tell him how you feel."

Marianne started to open her mouth, but Dawn held up a finger "Nope, no arguing. Your flight is in two weeks and I don't expect you to come back anytime soon."

Marianne got up and launched herself at her sister, hugging her tightly. "Thank you, Dawn."

Bog was bent over the motor of a 1967 Porche 911 covered in grease and sweat when his cellphone started to ring. He had not heard from Marianne for over a week and his heart felt heavy in his chest. So he was a bit slow to pick up his phone. It was a text. He scrolled over it; it was from his mother, she needed him to pick something up at the airport. Bog groaned. It was not unusual for his mother to want him to do last minute errands. The airport was a bit odd, but whatever. It was not like he had anything else to look forward to. So he texted back, asking for the information of where to go and such, then he threw on a clean shirt, washed up his hands and face and headed into the city.

Marianne got off the plane and walked into the airport, stopping to look for Griselda. Dawn had contacted Bog's mother and set up to have her pick Marianne up. Not talking to Bog had nearly killed her, but Dawn and Griselda convinced her that the surprise would be worth it. As she stood there looking around, her eyes slowly landed on Bog. Bog seemed to sense something and turned. His blue eyes went wide as he saw her standing there. Neither of them moved for a long moment and then Marianne dropped her carry on bags and ran at him. Bog turned fully and grabbed her as she hit him, wrapping his arms around her.

He lifted her up off her feet and they kissed, with no hesitation and no embarrassment. She opened her mouth, demanding his tongue with her own. Bog held her close returning her kiss just as passionately. When they finally parted lips in order to breathe, he didn't let go; he kept his arms locked around her as did she around his neck. She smiled up into his face, her amber eyes full of light. "I love you, Bog! I love you."

Bog held her tightly against him, his own eyes glittered with happiness and unshed tears as he smiled. "I love ye too, Marianne. I love you too." They kissed again heatedly until someone in the airport yelled at them to get a room. Marianne pulled back enough, her forehead against his, her voice husky as she whispered. "Take me home with you." Bog gave her a lopsided grin. "Aye, I can do that."