I was challenged on tumblr to write "a silly conversation on THAT bench." So this is for thatramblingmind. :)


"Darling… you do know it's been raining?"

Mary opened her eyes, startled, and blinked in the weak sunshine. "Yes," she murmured, "but not for a very long time!"

Her husband's eyes flickered down to the bench and back up. "Not quite long enough." He did not really want to sit down next to her.

A heavy drop of water from the tree above landed with a resounding plop on Mary's hat. She did not move but smiled beautifically. In fact, she was really extremely comfortable and lethargic and so what if it had been raining?

"You'll catch cold sitting on a damp bench," Matthew persisted.

"Then perhaps I shouldn't sit on it," she responded with implacable complacency.

"Perhaps you shouldn't." He glared at her.

For a moment or two they simply stared at each other, neither willing to back down. Then Mary tilted her head to one side. "You could always compromise."

They had been talking about compromises a lot recently. Matthew thought his wife still had quite a way to go in understanding the concept.

"Could we? How?"

"You could sit on the bench."

"How is that a compromise, darling?"

"I could sit on you. I have to sit somewhere, you know; I'm dreadfully tired after walking here." She gave a little elegant yawn to prove her point.

Matthew's eyes flickered down again. "I'm not sure that's a particularly good idea at the moment."

"I'm getting very cold!" She snapped and gave him a very hard look indeed.

He sat down gingerly on the bench, feeling the dampness creep immediately into his trousers. With a little more effort, he then pulled his wife onto his knees and managed to wrap his arms all the way around her.

"Better?" he asked, kissing her neck.

"Much," she replied smugly. "You?"

He suppressed a sigh. "I can't feel my legs."