To Have and To Hold
Prompt 026: Linguini
They arrived home right as Veronica and Becky finished making dinner. Actually they had just boiled the pasta and prepared some shrimp and made something similar to linguine with shrimp scampi recipe. Both Balthazar and Dave lost no time, and literally attacked the plates that were served before them the china complaining every time the forks reached for more food, that was quickly diminishing within their plates. Veronica stared at the picture both their boyfriends made, from her side of the table, while Becky did the same but sipped some of the wine they had bought. Balthazar reached for a piece of bread, as Dave smeared his own with butter, and they both took a breath, before continuing their assault on the undeserving meal.
"I take it you did a lot of work at the wedding site?" Asked Veronica, growing amused at the show, while Becky laughed.
"What?" Asked Dave looking up at the girls and loosing a couple of shrimps to Balthazar's unforgiving fork. "Hey, that was mine!" he said, trying to get some of the noodle from his master's plate. Of course Balthazar complained and tried to stop him.
"Did you guys buy your suits?"
That got the two of them to stop their fighting and turn to Becky. "I bought new trousers." Said Balthazar, looking at Veronica.
"Good, because you'll need them." Commented Becky, pointing at each of them, while the boys continued to eat and just tried to act normal; something impossible for them. Veronica smiled and continued her own meal.
"What?"
"So were you able to clean the grounds?" Asked Veronica, to her fiancée, wishing to know if things were going as smoothly as she hoped.
"Yes, actually we did. We were able to clean a big deal of the grounds. Tomorrow we'll go back to finish."
"But I thought we've…" Balthazar continued to smile at his girlfriend, but kicked Dave's leg under the table. "We're going back tomorrow! Yeah."
"Can I have seconds?" Asked Balthazar, turning to look at the stove.
"I would like seconds too."
"Sorry boys, that's all there was." Balthazar turned slightly to Dave, who was nodding, and cleared his throat. Veronica tried to get up, saying she should probably make something else for both her growing boys but Balthazar stopped her.
"No, Veronica, is alright. It was so good I just wanted some more. Besides I can't keep eating if I want to fit my trousers, right?" He kissed her hand, told her to finish her meal, and picked after himself. "I have to fix some shelves downstairs, I'll be back soon." Dave finished his own meal, and pushed his chair back with his body.
"Wait up Balthazar, I'll help." He set the plates over the sink and hurried after Balthazar. Veronica continued her meal, as Becky followed the two men with her eyes.
"I thought everything downstairs was ready for merchandise."
"It is."
"What are those two up to?"
"Balthazar, why am I still hungry?" Asked Dave hurrying after his master, Balthazar was walking down the street towards the sandwich cart that usually stood there until late hours.
"Two, please." Said Balthazar, ordering as Dave was finally able to catch up with him, the man making sandwiches already knew Balthazar and so he started to fill the order as the others spoke. "We both used too much energy cleaning the gardens, that's all."
"So I'll be hungry after using a lot of magic?"
"Usually, you get used to it and your body starts to store up for long uses. Or if you get trapped for long times in magical artifacts."
"Like an urn for ten years?"
"Exactly." He handed Dave one of the large sandwiches and asked for a coke. Dave devoured his second meal, and literally absorbed the coke. But Balthazar was right behind him, and cleaning his chin when Dave threw the can to the trash. "You'll be fine." They had walked back to the front of the soon to be new Arcana Cabana. "You could be in worse condition, but Merlin's original circle does focus your energy faster and more forward than any other carved circle."
"Even yours?" Balthazar nodded. "But you are his apprentice!"
"I had to break my back for years to learn things you've learn in two weeks." Balthazar finished his coke and threw the can to the nearest trashcan. Suddenly his coat landed over him as did Dave's sweater over the apprentice. They pulled off the items and looked up.
"Since you went out and didn't bring us anything to eat, it's your turn to fetch desert, beloved." Called Veronica from the window, leaning on her arms while smiling.
"Veronica knew where we were going?"
"I forgot about the telepathic connection." And again, they moved down the street, but this time to the nearest bakery.
They continued talking as they went. "Take the fire spells for a second, I was supposedly born during a water circle, so they came hard for me to master. You were born during a wind circle, the opposite of fire, and mastered them alone, with just reading the Encantus."
"Yeah."
"And may I remind you, without a ring."
"That's another thing; are we going after Horvath? I would like to have my ring back."
"After the wedding we can figure something out. I'm sure he's too weak, you gave him quiet a jolt."
They entered the bakery and soon Dave was looking around the glass counters, seeing what particular sweets to bring. Balthazar stood in line, the tallest of the men there, and took a deep breath. "We could take a whole cheesecake and some donuts for tomorrow's breakfast." Said Dave; nearing Balthazar as if a child to his father. The master nodded and soon they were making their order.
"And a chocolate éclair, please." Added Balthazar to the order while looking around.
On a corner of the bakery a young woman sat, staring at him. When their eyes met, Balthazar just turned away, Dave picking the two boxes of sweets, while the cashier handed Balthazar his change. The sorcerer turned to look at the woman but she had vanished.
Balthazar didn't tell Dave, but he did tell Veronica, who turned to look at him with a quizzical eyebrow lifted.
"So you were staring at a young woman?" Asked Veronica, with a little smile. "Should I be jealous beloved?"
"It wasn't like that, my love, and she was staring at me."
"Then I should be proud of my soon to be husband been so handsome?"
"Only if it makes your jealousy subside." He had just finished taking a shower, and was drying off his hair while Veronica inspected several of the books she'd decided to keep from their first shipment for Arcana Cabana. "Veronica?"
"Yes beloved?"
"I'm serious. I don't know why I can't seem to wipe her face off my mind." Veronica finally looked up, eyes questioning. "I don't know why. I feel like I know her."
"Wasn't she one of the helpers? Maybe you'll remember her from…"
"No, I would have already remembered." Balthazar sat on his recliner. "There was something that struck me as odd about her that goes without mentioning she had a blue and a black eye."
"Really?" she slammed the book closed, and stood. "A blue eye and a black eye." Veronica moved her hand over her makeshift desk and pulled the Encantus towards her. "That is interesting." She browsed the pages of the Encantus and found whatever it was she searched, reading carefully. "There are rare cases of twins who share eye colors."
"A twin? So what if she was a twin? The question is why was she staring at me?" Veronica smiled at Balthazar.
"Maybe I should get jealous."