To set the scene, a queen and a former demon of Hell are sitting at the bar that just so happens to belong to said former demon of Hell. The bar opened a while ago, there are a few regulars seated at the tables, and the queen fits right in with them (not even considering that she used to be a regular too) due to her wearing her standard blue shirt, brown leggings, and boots combo. With Bean having slept in today, only to then be immediately babied by Bunty, before being presented before Odval to continue the lesson she'd slept through the day before, it had been a long day. Bean would've come here earlier, but… being a queen sucked sometimes. She didn't know how her dad managed to do… well, nothing all the time. She felt she was doing at least the bare minimum of what a responsible ruler should be doing and it was proving to be a lot. True that having not slept for a few days really affected that, but that no longer looked to be an issue going forward.
Anyways, back to the story.
"I still can't believe that I actually slept through the night though-"
"Well, technically it was like half the day, the night, and some of the morning. I mean jeez, Bean! I knew that you were lazy, but damn-! Ow!"
Luci rubbed his cheek where Bean had flicked it.
"Give me a break! Do you know how damn amazing a full night's sleep is after you haven't had one in, like, ever? It's like… almost better than, I don't know, whiskey, I guess."
"And Pendergast was there alllll night, right?"
Bean frowned and didn't appreciate the smirk Luci directed at her, yet she did feel some heat in her cheeks that had nothing to do with the drink in her hand.
"If you must know… yeah, he did. Actually, I felt kind of bad. He stayed up, like, the entire night. He looked pretty beat this morning, but…"
"But?" Luci inquired, leaning closer as he continued to polish a shot glass.
Bean looked down at her glass.
"I don't know, we didn't talk long. I woke up, Pendergast was still there, then he got up… but then Bunty showed up not long after, and before I could even try to thank him, he was already gone."
"Just like that?"
"Yeah, just like that."
"Pfft, you probably scared him off with your morning breath- Eh!"
This time Luci was able to avoid Bean's smack, but he chuckled mischievously nonetheless.
Bean just scoffed and drank down her beer before pushing it forward with a scowl.
"FIll it! Your queen commands it…"
Luci just grumbled under his breath before taking the glass and filling it, earning a smug grin from Bean.
"Yeah, that's right. You and everyone else in this kingdom is totally my bitch, and I mean that with the deepest of affection."
"Yeah, yeah," Luci muttered as he slid the refilled glass back to her. Luci took a moment to eye Bean as she gulped down her drink before he put on a smooth tone. "So… is he, y'know… gunna be your watchman again tonight?"
Bean slammed down her mug and made a loud "Ah!" sound of satisfaction; Luci wasn't surprised to see that she had chugged the entire thing in one go. Classic Bean.
"Well..." she began, before belching, "After I was done with Odval's super-boring lesson, I, ah, hope- I mean, I guess so. I told a guard to tell Pendergast when he woke up that I'd be down here. Knowing the guy, he'll show up."
"Oh, I'm sure he will," Luci replied simply. "I mean, there's little, and I mean LITTLE, that the guy wouldn't do for you. So, you know, take advantage of that all you want. What does consent mean when someone is inherently loyal to your every word and command?"
Bean just scoffed, shaking her head, and pushed her mug back towards Luci again for a refill, though there was a small smile on her lips. Not about the consent thing, but just knowing that what Luci said was true: Pendergast really would do anything for her, and that made her feel sort of fuzzy inside. Then again, that could be because she already got a buzz on, so maybe don't read into that smile too much.
"Speaking of little guys, I checked in on how Elfo's doing," Bean stated as she watched her mug get refilled.
"And? Did the green shrimp kick the bucket again?"
"According to the Orb, no," Bean replied, frowning a bit. "He's still in Ogre Valley and still alive. I did try asking if the Trøgs would be able to save him, though."
Luci looked up at that as he pushed over Bean's refilled mug.
"That Orb really does have a twisted sense of humour," Bean admitted, clasping her hands around the sudsing mug.
Luci chuckled.
"Let me guess, it told you 'to wait' or some shit, hm?"
"Actually, yeah," Bean replied, looking at Luci with surprise.
Luci just shrugged smugly and continued cleaning glasses.
"How'd you-?"
"What? Do you think that I just went to the Trøgs without asking the super-convenient-magical-ball-that-we-have-on-hand first? Yeah, I asked if the Trøgs could save the little nutjob, and it told me to 'wait and see'. Pretty annoying, I admit, but whatever. Those crazy, digging dudes seem really eager with having an actual destination in mind with their digging, so we'll just have to wait and see."
"You checked in on them?"
"Yeah… earlier today. They're digging away. Though, it looks like they're also creating some sort of pulley system down the tunnel? I don't know, I didn't stay too long to ask. They looked like they knew what they were doing."
Bean nodded slowly before she smiled lazily.
"Look at you, you big softie. You miss Elfo."
"Of course I do," Luci admitted flatly. "I can only tease you and your crush on the one-eyed knight so much. I need more entertainment-"
"Woah, woah, woah!" Bean retorted, slamming down her mug and pointing a finger at Luci. "I do not have a crush on-"
"Riiiight," Luci interrupted, still as smug as ever. "You keep telling yourself that."
"Pfft!" Bean scoffed, frowning and blushing. "Just… shut up and drink. I want to forget how dry Odval's voice is."
"Amen to that!" Luci declared, before announcing, "Drinks are on the Queen tonight!" with a rousing applause to follow.
Hours passed and the liquor and drink never stopped flowing. Once word spread that Bean had returned from her prestigious throne to the drunkard realm of Luci's Inferno, the regulars flocked to the locale and a party began in full swing. The Queen of Dreamland was getting drunk? That meant that drinks were on her! Songs were sung, darts were thrown, one guy died but what else is new? It was a fantastic time that looked to last well into the night.
Except for when a certain one-eyed knight arrived before the establishment around midnight.
It was true that Pendergast had managed to stay awake all night, just as Bean had asked him. He was able to watch her bedroom steadily lighten as the sun rose above the horizon until sunbeams streamed through the coloured glass in the window. It had been so peaceful. Bean slept so soundly beside him the entire night and after she initially hugged his leg in her sleep, she did not move from that position until she woke. In a way, Pendergast hadn't wanted it to end. He had a lot to think about, especially after what Luci told him.
A living angel. A mortal angel. Could that be right? And even if it wasn't true, the fact that Pendergast's original body was gone and he had now a "new" body was true. There was something that Pendergast hadn't shared with Luci and it was that it seemed that only he and Bean could see the marks of death on his body: the line around his neck from the Arch-Druidess' axe and the twin holes on his chest and back from the dragon-whistle's shot. At first, the man had been careful that when he was in the knight's locker room that no one else was around, but that proved to be impossible. Others saw him and when they made no comment about the marks, Pendergast subtly asked Turbish if he could see anything on his neck.
The dimwitted-fool only smiled and replied with a simple "Pendergast! There's skin on your neck!"
Even though the response was moronic, Pendergast appreciated it nonetheless.
From outside the bar, Pendergast could hear the chorus of boisterous laughter and drunken revelry. Sounded like Bean was certainly here. He'd been told once he had woken up that Bean would be here, or, more specifically, she had specifically made sure that Pendergast would be told where she would be. That meant she wanted him to know. She, Bean, wanted Pendergast to come and find her. To be honest, just thinking about that caused the man's heart to soar.
A huge, goofy grin appeared on his face and he took the moment to relish in the feeling. He knew that she was probably just using him and his abilities to allow her to sleep safely, and honestly that's all he needed. He was just thankful for the chance to spend so much time with her.
Suddenly the bar's door was thrown open and the volume of the laughter and voices increased tenfold before a drunken regular stumbled out and fell down the stairs. The knight's features became indifferent and stern once more as he sidestepped the unconscious man and entered the bar. The smell of spilt ale, old sweat, and Dreamland Ditchweed hung in the brightly lit interior. Everyone inside seemed to be enjoying themselves, but the only person that Pendergast cared to look at was the white-haired woman sitting on the bar.
In one hand she held a foaming stein and in the other… well, unsurprisingly there was another stein. She was smiling, she was laughing at whatever Luci had just said, and she was clearly drunk. All in all: perfect.
Making his way towards the bar, Bean happened to look over and caught sight of the familiar one-eyed knight and her grin noticeably grew. Luci just smirked from behind the bar, before taking a shot and snickered to himself.
"Oh! Hey! Y-you came! Perfect timing!" she exclaimed, before offering one of her steins to Pendergast, which was a very sweet gesture, really.
"Oh! Umm…. thanks!" Pendergast replied awkwardly, taking the offered tankard but did not go to drink it.
He had a duty to do, after all, and as he had told Bean last night, he couldn't become intoxicated if he was going to stay awake all night. So, while Bean was chugging her drink down, Pendergast handed it to some random guy, who accepted it with intoxicated obliviousness.
Bean slammed her empty stein down and wiped her mouth, wavering a bit with a dorky, drunk smile still on her face. She tucked a bit of her hair behind her ear and turned her attention back to Pendergast.
"So! Y'got my message, huh?"
"Ah, yes! Of course! I made sure to rest well and eat fully so that I may properly assist you, ah, with your duties, my queen!"
Pendergast set his hands behind his back in a rather knightley stance and he did stand out from the jovian crowd. This was mainly due to the fact that he was wearing a knight's tunic and was notably not wearing any armored pieces. Considering how folks in the bar were casting him narrowed side-glances, the man really did stick out like a sore thumb.
Bean, even in her drunken state, must have noticed this too when she smirked.
"I'm guessing that y'not here to have a good time, huh?"
Pendergast half-smiled before he cleared his throat.
"I'm afraid not, Your Majesty. I came to ensure that you receive efficient rest so that you're able to continue your… ah, promises that you've made to the Council and the kingdom. Just as you asked, my queen."
To Pendergast's credit, he was being pretty smart in taking care to not explicitly state why he was there and why Bean should leave as early as it was (a.k.a it's well before the bar's closing time). Still, the sentiment was noted by members of the bar that Pendergast was here to take away their free source of drinks. Thus, there was a baritone chorus of boos and grunts, not that Pendergast even batted his eye at this. No, he only had an eye for Bean.
Bean, on the other hand, groaned along with her drinking buddies, but slid off the bar regardless. Wobbling a bit before leaning back against the bar, Bean shushed and slurred some attempts to qualm the crowd. When that failed, Bean rolled around to whisper something to Luci, who then cleared his throat.
"All right you losers! Drink up! Next couple rounds are on the Queen then you gotta pay for your own shit you freeloaders!"
Cheers filled the bar's interior and people got to their feet to rush the bar to order their preferred poisons, forcing Bean to squeeze her way through the bodies towards Pendergast. Two particular buff guys got in her path, causing Bean to scoff and shove them out of the way. When that didn't work, because of just how beefy and belligerent the men were, Pendergast stepped in. The knight cleanly punched one of the men in the gut, causing him to grunt and double over, before grabbing Bean's hand to pull her through towards the door.
Behind them Luci paused with his pouring of drinks to watch the two leave and he only smirked.
"Dumbasses," he snickered, before pouring more ale.
Exiting the bar, Pendergast released Bean's hand and sidestepped the still unconscious man at the bottom of the steps while Bean blatantly stepped on his back. From within the bar, the patrons began to sing Bean looked back with a slight pout.
"Aw… I'm missing karaoke."
Pendergast glanced between Bean and the singing bar and frowned.
"I'm sorry, Bean, but in your message, you said-"
"I know," Bean interrupted somberly, before turning back to him and smiling.
Rather than saying anything more, Bean just wobbled a bit before stepping forward and passed Pendergast… away from the castle and downhill.
"Ah… Bean?" Pendergast uttered confused as to where she was going.
Bean just stumbled and half-turned, raising her hands expectedly, before turning back around to continue to stumble down the cobbled hill. Clearly letting him know to either follow her or stand there like a dumbass. The knight looked around awkwardly before rushing forward after her, surprised to find how fast the drunk queen could get. Years of stumbling around drunk had given Bean near superhuman drunk-walking abilities.
Curious and ever cautious, the knight followed the inebriated ruler to the docks. With it being after midnight, the docks were pretty quiet. Bean wobbled her way down the pier to come to the end, with Pendergast close behind hoping that she wouldn't wobble over the edge into the harbour. Fortunately she came to an unsteady stop at the end before half-falling back onto her butt to come to sit with her legs dangling over the edge. Pendergast hung back a few feet, still unsure what was happening, and not surprised when he heard the tell-tale sound of Bean uncapping one of her famous boot flasks.
"Are you gunna come and sit with me or what?"
The knight blinked, taken aback, before smiling sheepishly to hide his overjoy and coming to take a seat next to her. Not too close, but still beside her. Sure enough, Bean was taking a glug from her flask, before wordlessly offering some to Pendergast, who couldn't turn her down again and took it to take a small sip himself.
"It's funny. I'm… drunk, but, like… don't really feel drunk, y'know? I just feel…"
Bean trailed off and Pendergast glanced over to see her face better, earning him a smirk from her. The man just blinked, waiting for her to finish, but she never did. Instead she took back her flask and sighed as she looked out at the dark sky and ocean.
"Relaxed?" Pendergast offered, unsure what exactly was happening but enjoying it nonetheless.
"Mmm, yeah," Bean relented with a peaceful sigh.
"Mm, I'm glad," the knight replied, interlocking his hands to stare out at the dark horizon.
Swirling the liquor within her flask, Bean cocked her head to the side, nonchalantly pouting, as she trailed her finger along her knee. Side-eying Pendergast, she noted that he was not looking at her, like… at all, and one reason or another, that was severely annoying.
"You know… most guys would like totally have kissed me right now, y'know? Like, that's totally happened before, in these, like, situations, where, you know, two people are drunk, or at least one of them is, and I mean things, like things, would totally happen. So… yeah."
"I'm… sure they did," Pendergast replied, hesitating a moment, and only glanced at Bean when he said it.
Bean frowned at his disinterested, neutral response and her drunk mind thought that was even more irritating. What? He didn't care at all? Most guys would love to be in his position right now. You know, to be all alone with a very single queen of a magical kingdom, in this kind of romantic setting… what with the privacy and the moon being bright and the ocean and stuff.
"You know… Pendergast… you're- I mean, are you very dumb or just… that good of a guy?"
To this Pendergast did turn to Bean with haste, confusion, surprise, and slight panic in his expression before a blush coloured his cheeks. After his initial reaction, the knight took another moment to genuinely think about it.
"Well… I'm a bit of both, I guess," he answered honestly, not questioning the randomness from a drunk Bean. "I know I'm not very smart, so I must then be dumb, and even though everyone keeps telling me that I'm good, I could be better."
For a moment it looked as though Bean found sobriety again, as a blush brightened her cheeks with her surprised expression. This was quickly lost when her inebriation came back as strong as ever and she leaned in close, a smirk on her lips, and her nose briefly touched Pendergast's before the knight could react and lean back. The man's eye was wide and his stubbled cheeks burned bright red from the sudden close encounter.
"Most guys… would've made a move on me… why don't you?"
"Ahhhhhhhhhh…!?"
So, to be fair, in this particular situation Pendergast was tempted, quite in fact, he was a young guy after all. However, he was also a knight who had a duty and morality to uphold, but that didn't make this any easier. With a hard swallow, the man's initial shock slowly smoothed into a smirk as his pre-death charm and confidence slightly bled into his features.
"As much as I'd like to indulge in such pleasures with you, Bean, I fear that you have me at a disadvantage."
"Oh?" Bean perked as she leaned forward more until she practically collapsed against him, but quickly scrambled to lean against his shoulder like that's what she intended the entire time.
"Why, yes!" Pendergast continued, feeling rather warm against the ocean's cooling breeze. "You see, with you being in the state that you currently find yourself in, it'd be… unfair of me… to, umm, take any sort of advantage of you, while you are as you are… even though I am certain that the experience would be most enjoyable."
"You don't say, huh?" Bean whispered, her words slurring a bit.
The queen then closed her eyes and took a deep breath, but paused on the inhale before breathing in deeper.
"Ah… Bean?" Pendergast inquired, curious as to what she could possibly be up to now.
"Wow, Pendergast…" she cooed sleepily, a euphoric smile still playing around her famous teeth. "Has anyone told you that… umm… you smell really good? I mean, wow…"
Taken aback by this, Pendergast smiled a confused, touched smile as he thought about her strange declaration.
"Ah… no, I don't believe anyone has said that to me. Not that I usually smell bad, or anything! Normally, I mean. Ah… do I smell like anything in particular, by chance?"
Bean took in another deep breath and as she exhaled she leaned more against him and it certainly looked as if she could fall asleep at any moment. Yet she still replied to him.
"You smell… I don't know. It's like being up in the mountains with pine trees, yet also, like, the smell of a wood burning fire. It's-it's just nice."
"I smell like all that?" Pendergast asked, but when Bean gave no reply he seriously thought that she had fallen asleep.
That is, until she opened her eyes to meet his with a sultry look. A playful smile pulled at her lips and when she spoke, her whispered words brushed her hot breath against this neck and it sent tingles down his spine into his thigh.
"How come you haven't made a move, huh, Pendergast? You used to hit on me, like, all of the time."
Poor Pendergast. He's trying so hard to, you know, not be hard.
Red-faced and feeling rather tense, the knight cleared his throat, and really fixated on the dark oceanic horizon.
"W-well, yes, that is true… b-but now! Now… well, you're the queen, and I am here to, umm, help you with-"
"You know… Pendergast…"
"Y-yes… Bean?" the man replied in a low tone, holding his breath, as he turned to face his queen's alluring expression.
"I have an idea that I want you to help me with… It'll be fun, I promise."
Pendergast swallowed, but forced himself to maintain eye contact with his ruler.
"I'm yours to command," he replied softly as his imagination sank further into lewdness.
And oh boy… what an idea Bean had.
Not long after his queen whispered her idea to him, the knight found himself to be in a particular configurement with his liege that he did not think he'd ever have the pleasure of performing. It was unexpected, it was sweaty, and it would prove to be a worthwhile workout.
All of a sudden her body was pressed against this and the muscles of his arms tensed as he held her legs firmly, which were now wrapped against his waist. Oh, wow! This was really happening! He could feel her hot breath upon his neck and ears and her lips within his hair. Bean's hand came to his chest and grabbed the material there and he could smell the alcohol on her breath but also that her hair smelled like butterscotch. If he wasn't focusing on his breathing right now, he'd tell her that he thought that she smelt nice too, but now was not the time for idle chatter. Bean's eyes were closed; however, there was a smile upon her lips and she bit her lip with pure excitement as Pendergast worked harder. The man's strong legs continued on, a constant motion, and his heart was beating faster and faster. Bean could feel the thudding of his heart from within his chest and that only caused her to giggle. Sweat tickled the back of his neck and he could feet the curves of her breasts against him and… ugh! Keep focused, Pendergast! His breaths were coming out steadying as he continued to work hard, not wanting to pause nor slow.
Apparently Bean thought the same thing because she suddenly touched her lips to his ear and whispered:
"Faster!"
The obedient knight answered his queen's command with vigour and he powered on, faster now, and his breaths grew louder.
Bean moved her hands from his chest to wrap around his neck, her thighs clenching around him. Pendergast's hands adjusted their hold upon her strong legs, not letting go. Her legs were muscled and felt strong in his hands and around him. To feel them made him want to groan with delight. He could feel her warmth pressed against his growing heat and that thought alone could keep him going until the very end. He would not stop! He could not stop! His ego and his manhood depended on him not stopping, nevermind that he would feel the greatest shame if he did not satisfy his queen. Even though he'd never done this before with her, she certainly seemed to be enjoying herself, but boy! Pendergast knew that he was going to be sore and tired later! Still, this was so worth it and he'd gladly do this again and again with her.
A small boy just so happened to be awake at this hour after being woken up by a mouse running around his face. At that exact moment did the boy look out of his window to catch a glimpse of the most peculiar sight. At first, he wasn't sure exactly what he was witnessing, but after a moment he recognized that it was the Queen whom he was seeing and he gasped aloud.
"Wow! They're sure goin' fast," he commented, nodding in approval. "He makes it look so easy… and she certainly looks like she's having fun."
Sure enough, there was Queen Tiabeanie riding piggyback on the back of a one-eyed man, who was jogging up the road through town towards the castle. What an odd sight to see in the middle of the night amongst the deserted, dark streets. The pair ran out of view from the boy, who, now feeling sleepy again, returned to his little bed. Bean, on the other hand, was feeling very much awake as she chuckled and adjusted her arms around Pendergast's neck.
"Man! This is sooooo much easier than having to, like, walk the entire way up to the castle! You know- y'know how many times I've had to do that drunk? It's so harrrrrd! But this! This is so easy! Man, I should've ordered to be carried up this hill, like, years ago! I'm sure they have a name for this. You know, being carried around so you don't have to walk…"
"Horses, my queen?" Pendergast offered in between hard breaths.
"Oh my god! Yes! That's what I was thinking of… riding horses! That's a lot faster than walking, but since there's no horses and I have you! Well then I'm glad that we came to this conclusion together. This… this is nice."
Settling her chin upon his shoulder, Bean smiled wider and her hand fell loose from Pendergast's neck before she yawned. She was drunk, she was tired, and had already forgotten that she'd tried to solicit Pendergast of all people. When she had asked Pendergast to carry her all the way up to the castle and her room, it took a moment for him to process what she had asked exactly. Once they were on the same page, Pendergast simply shifted his position and offered his back for her to climb onboard. This was for the practicality of carrying her more easily, rather than killing his arms if he were to carry her princess style all the way up.
Pendergast also did this so that he could hide his expression from her, which was a mixture of relief, disappointment, and shame. The shame was born from the pressure in his pants, which was entirely his fault, to be fair, but Bean had also been acting like an old fashioned cocktease.
As Bean dozed and relaxed the entire journey up to the castle, Pendergast continued on with determination. His legs were burning, his lungs were burning, and holy shit why was there so much uphill?! Then, of course, there were all of the stairs just waiting for him once he actually got to the castle.
Oh man. Not sleeping tonight just got a lot more difficult.
Eventually the sweating knight arrived at the base of the drawbridge, which fortunately he'd been smart enough to request that it be left open. The guards atop the barbican looked over the wall in curiosity when they heard the footsteps and huffing and puffing of a single new arrival. Upon seeing that it was just Pendergast with Bean upon his back, they just continued to stare as the one-eyed knight made his determined way across the drawbridge and into the bailey. Glancing at one another, the men unanimously decided to not comment on such a peculiar sight and began to pull up the heavy drawbridge. Another pair of guards also watched Pendergast slowly make his way towards the keep and wordlessly opened the door for him and their queen, who looked to be asleep. The rumours had been making their rounds amongst the castle staff and guards that Pendergast had become Bean's "favourite", but seeing him now, dripping with sweat and looking like he wasn't having the best of times, let the men know that perhaps being the queen's favourite wasn't the best position to be in.
Entering the keep, Pendergast took a moment to catch his breath and to hike Bean back up into a more secure hold. This jostled Bean back awake and she grunted and mumbled, looking around sleepily, before yawning.
"Shall I continue, Bean? Or… did you want to walk to rest-?"
"No, no," Bean replied, a sleepy smile appearing on her lips before settling her chin on top of his head. "You got this, dude."
Pendergast puffed out his cheeks and smiled, before he nodded.
The finish line was in sight. Step by step the knight made his way down halls and up spiralling, stone stairways up towards where Bean's bedroom stairs in particular were killing his calves and by the time he finally climbed to the top of the tower where the queen's private quarters were, his legs were beginning to shake. Once again he was met by a pair of confused and surprised eyes from the guards who were currently stationed outside of Bean's door, who just stared at Pendergast as he gasped to catch his breath.
Pendergast managed to open his single eye to catch their gazes, and he just shook his head.
"Don't… ask…" he muttered in between breaths, before forcing himself forward towards the door.
A guard hurriedly opened the door for him and Pendergast shuffled through with a dozing Bean clinging to his back. The guard then closed the door and met the equally confused expression of his companion. Nope, not going to ask.
A healthy fire burned within the bedroom's hearth and cast a warm light into the interior. To be honest, it felt much too warm within the room for the hardworking Pendergast, but he'd never complain out loud. Steeling himself for the final push, the knight walked towards Bean's bed and there was no real graceful way to do what had to be done. With his back to the bed, Pendergast paused and looked over his shoulder slightly to try and see Bean's face, but from what he saw it looked like she was asleep.
"Bean? Bean?!"
When she didn't stir, Pendergast wasn't going to keep trying. He was tired and he took a moment to decide whether he should stand or sit down to unwind Bean from around him. Oh… how long had Pendergast wished he could do that very thing? Of course, he always imagined it in another manner, but… moving on. He chose to sit simply because Bean's bed was so super comfortable and his legs were trembling. Oh… fuck this bed was comofrtable.
Sighing, Pendergast released his hold on Bean's legs, but they were still tightly wrapped around his waist. Sighing, the knight took a moment to better catch his breath, and yeah, maybe also to enjoy the fact that Bean was wrapped tightly around him. Slowly he reached up to her arms wrapped around to try and pull them away, only to pause when his fingers felt her soft hands. The trek up the hill and up through the castle was worth it, just for this moment.
He thought she was asleep and, perhaps at one point she had been, but not at that moment.
As Pendergast's fingers came to rest on Bean's arm, the woman inhaled slowly, smiling to herself, and moved so that her lips were near his ear.
"I can't believe that you actually carried me up the entire way. I'm impressed."
If the knight hadn't been so exhausted from his late-night exertion, he might have jumped a little when Bean suddenly spoke. Instead he just grinned and sighed before patting her arm.
"I will always do as you ask," he replied with another sigh, mentally shaking his head.
What a brat. He'd been played by a drunk woman, but it was still worth it.
Bean burst out laughing and finally unwound her limbs from around him and fell back onto her bed, still giggling. Well, she clearly was still drunk, but Bean with her high tolerance was coherent enough to get carried all the way home. Pendergast just half-chuckled and stood to head over to the wash basin. Bean continued to giggle while she rolled on her bed to half-fall off only to stumble to stand behind her wardrobe screen.
"So… are you staying here again tonight?"
Pendergast paused from wiping his face down with a wet cloth to stare at the screen. He watched Bean toss her shirt… then her pants to hang off the top of the screen, and suddenly it was very warm in the room again. With haste, Pendergast pulled off his knight's tunic to reveal a white shirt. Sorry, no topless Pendergast tonight. He tossed the tunic onto a nearby chair and took a deep breath. No pressure… It was just like the night before. He'd be there, beside her, and she'd sleep, and that was going to be it.
Right?
"Pendergast?"
"Oh! Yes,of course! I mean, it's really up to you..."
"Yeah, you can stay here again," Bean replied, stepping out from behind the screen to now be dressed in a nightgown.
Damn.
Pendergast saw Bean eye his change of shirt and Pendergast just shrugged.
"I was warm! It was a long walk to get here," he explained before clearing his throat.
Bean laughed and waved him off.
"I'm just playing with you, dude. I actually wasn't all that drunk tonight. Well, don't get me wrong I totally am, but like not drunk drunk, y'know."
"Ah, right! Of course," Pendergast replied, before going over to a water pitcher and pouring some to fill the pair of glasses left there on the tray.
Clearly Bunty, at least, anticipated that Pendergast would be staying there again.
Pendergast carried the glasses over to Bean and offered her one. She smiled and raised a brow at him before taking the offered cup, but didn't drink any right away. The white-haired woman instead took a moment to watch Pendergast drink his down, noting how a couple of droplets slid down his stubbled chin, and how the man made a sound of relief once he'd chugged down the entire thing. Only then did he realize that Bean was just standing there watching him with an amused smirk.
"What?" he asked, smiling bashfully.
"Thirsty?" Bean asked, clearly enjoying this, before she finally took a sip from her own glass.
"I am, actually," Pendergast replied, his tone light and amused, before he went over to refill his glass.
"Are you tired?" Bean asked, going over to sit on her bed and sliding up to lean against the headboard.
"A… bit," Pendergast admittedly slowly, taking another sip of his water, his other hand on his hip. "I'll be fine to stay up tonight, though," he added reassuringly, smiling over at her.
Bean smiled wider at him and patted the other side of her bed beside her, where he'd sat the night before. Pendergast swallowed his mouthful of water loudly as he stared between her and the empty space beside her. What happened at the dock was still very much present in his mind, even if it wasn't in here. He cleared his throat and came over to the other side of the bed. Bean just sat there, legs stretched out, one ankle resting upon the other, with one arm resting across her belly and the other holding the glass up to kiss her smirking lips. She watched him the entire time with a sort of half-lidded expression that he was trying to not read into.
Pendergast paused before coming to sit on the bed, thinking if it was the best idea to take off his boots this time, because he definitely did not want to potentially stink up the room if he had stinky feet. The knight flinched when Bean impatiently patted the bed again and Pendergast gently took his seat to come and sit back against the headboard like she was. His right foot was still on the ground while he crossed his left ankle to rest on his right knee. There! He kept his boots on, but wouldn't make the bed sheets dirty.
Now seated, Pendergast slowly looked over to meet Bean's amused expression and he smiled awkwardly.
"Tell me, Pendergast…"
Oh boy, here we go.
"... why didn't you kiss me earlier at the dock? You totally could have."
If Pendergast had been drinking at the moment, he might have spit out the water in surprise and embarrassment. Fortunately he wasn't, so all the awkward knight could do was stare down into his water cup as he felt his cheeks burn. Damn, she really wasn't that drunk that she had forgotten about what just happened.
"Well, I sort of answered that already, Bean-"
"You mean that I'm the queen now?"
"Yes, exactly that."
Pendergast lifted his head once more to meet Bean's expression and his heart sank to see that the amusement had faded from her features and now she looked unimpressed or annoyed. Probably both.
Bean scoffed before turning away to sip her water.
"Didn't stop you before," she pointed out, speaking into her cup and not looking at him. "You know, courting me and asking me on dates and stuff. You would've jumped at the opportunity to kiss me."
Only an intoxicated Bean would bring up this subject, Pendergast realized. So she was drunk enough to talk about it but not enough to forget about it and leave it alone. Damn.
"Well, that is also true, yes," he admitted, "but before, you were a princess, and-"
"The hell does that have to do with anything?"
Pendergast flinched at the spike in Bean's tone and like a pouting puppy did he meet Bean's now very annoyed eyes, frown and all. Just keep calm and stick to your guns, Pendergast! She was only the Queen of Dreamland, after all, and, oh! Right, the love of your life.
"Everything, actually, because before… before you were not directly in line for the throne and you really were against acting like a princess, so… I thought it was okay, back then of course, to try my hand. B-but things are different now. We've both changed-"
"I haven't changed," Bean replied stubbornly before she drank the last of her water and threw the cup across the room, smashing it against the opposite wall.
"No. No you haven't," Pendergast admitted with a small smile, "but you also have. You're the queen now, and I can't just… you know, do what I did before. I'm also different now… I'm not the same Pendergast that I was before-"
"If you're talking about being dead and all, then I don't buy it. Being dead didn't stop you from kissing me after you and Luci saved me from Hell."
Bean's even and unimpressed eyes held Pendergast's slightly frantic one and the pair stared at one another for a long moment. Just long enough for Pendergast's heart to start beating again after the mini-cardiac arrest Bean initiated.
"Th-that's also true…" Pendergast replied slowly, feeling sweat once again forming on the back of his neck. "But that had been a really unique situation! You see… and-and-and I thought that I wouldn't have another chance, and I was supposed to have disappeared forever, and I was just caught up in the moment, and I wasn't really thinking, and you were there, and I was there, and you were looking so beautiful in your dress, and, you know, my adrenaline was running, and-!"
"Pen-Pendergast! Calm down!" Bean interrupted his ramble of rushed words, but at least their message caused her to smile a bit again.
Pendergast did indeed shut up and he drummed his fingers nervously on the sides of his forgotten water cup. At that moment, all the man was really worried about, or rather what he was hoping, was that Bean wouldn't bring up what happened after he had kissed her in the elevator. You know, the whole declaration of love, thing?
"Forgive me," he muttered quietly before drinking down the rest of his water.
Bean just perked a brow at him, seeming to think for a moment, before shifting to get herself under the covers until she was laying down with the blankets pulled up to her chest. Pendergast just continued to stare ahead at the fire in the hearth and was feeling pretty foolish.
"It's fine, man," Bean relented with a sigh that morphed into a yawn. "Let's just… go to sleep, hm?"
"Ah-?" Pendergast began, pausing to think and frown, before looking down at Bean. "Well, you will go to sleep."
"Mm, right," Bean mumbled, turning over on her side away from him.
Pendergast felt his heart sink. They'd been having such a good conversation, but then it just turned so… awkward. Sighing softly, the knight dutifully reached out to rest his hand once more upon Bean's shoulder. However, just as his fingers barely touched her, Bean kind of flinched and instantly Pendergast withdrew his hand. Hurt and shame briefly filled his entire being. That is, until Bean continued to move to roll over back towards him. She paused to raise up to reposition her pillow to rest more against his hip, before plopping back down. Pendergast just watched in growing disbelief as Bean grunted sleepily and reached over to rest her hand upon his thigh.
Holy shit… she was doing the thing she did last night in her sleep, except now she wasn't really sleeping, although she was drunk and sleepy, but still! Bean was actually half-hugging his leg… again! For a moment, Pendergast just sat there completely frozen, until slowly his tight muscles loosened and he began to relax.
Of course, he instantly tensed up again when Bean suddenly spoke though she kept her eyes closed.
"Hey, Pendergast?"
"Yes, Bean?"
"You know… I've been thinking about my dad a lot and how he must be doing."
"Understandable," the knight replied, feeling a knot form in his stomach at the thought of the former King of Dreamland.
"It got me thinking that I should go visit him."
"When would you like to do this, Your Majesty?"
Bean slowly opened her eyes halfway to stare into her pillow and Pendergast could see the concerned frown on her lips.
"Tomorrow. I mean, might as well, right? I need a break from the castle, I think."
"If that's what you wish," Pendergast replied dutifully.
Half-turning her head to now look up at Pendergast, Bean nodded before sighing and closing her eyes once more.
"It takes a good day and a half to get to Twinkletown. So, unless I travel through the night without sleeping, which I don't particularly feel like doing, you're going to have to come with me, Pendergast."
The man had also been thinking about how far the duchy was from Dreamland Castle, but hearing Bean actually say that she wants him there specifically for her set his sunken heart a flutter once more and he couldn't help but smile.
"You know that I would follow you anywhere, Bean."
A smile appeared on the face of the sleepy queen and she even snuggled a bit more into a ball and, therefore, more against Pendergast.
"I know," she admitted softly. "Night, Pendergast. Get some sleep."
The knight blinked in surprise but his smile softened regardless.
"Good night, Bean."
Still smiling, Pendergast leaned his head back against the headboard and felt so peaceful. What a rollercoaster of emotions this night has been. His thoughts went over the events of the night and even after reviewing everything a couple of times, he was having trouble believing it to be true. Not only had Bean seemed like she actually wanted him to kiss her (though he racked that up as a side-effect of the alcohol), but she also wanted him to join her in travelling to Twinkletown Insane Asylum, where Zøg was currently undergoing treatment. Thinking about the mad ex-king caused a wave of confused, anxious, and shamed emotions to wave over Pendergast, but he pushed those aside to focus on Bean and what she told him.
And, of course, there was the sight of her now.
All cozied up against him, breathing softly with sleep, and her hand resting upon his thigh, Bean looked as beautiful as ever to the one-eyed knight. Looking between her face and her hand, Pendergast reasoned that this qualified with her being in contact with him. Therefore, he shouldn't have to touch her shoulder like last night. Always the obedient knight, Pendergast interlocked his hands upon his stomach and closed his eye to sleep.
Bean had, after all, told him to get some sleep and he wasn't about to disobey a direct command. With a smile on his face, the knight slowly fell asleep next to his sleeping queen.
It was all pretty sweet, blissful, and romantic… until morning rolled around and Bunty burst into the room with her usual insane happiness and unrealistic energy.
Then it was a bit of chaos.
Pendergast shot awake, jumping to his feet and drawing a knife from his belt: ready for a fight. Bunty screamed and dropped the tray of the known remedies to help ease Bean's notorious hangovers. This caused Bean to shoot awake too and yell out in surprise, causing her to fall out of bed, which summoned the guards from outside to rush in with halberds at the ready. This caused Bunty to yell again and then Bean screamed for everyone to shut up and to get out her room. The guards then hurried out and Pendergast excused himself also, mumbling that he'd get preparations ready for their departure, before retreating.
Everyone knew that a hungover-Bean was a beast to avoid and only Bunty and Zøg had the balls to face this cranky creature without flinching.
Skipping ahead a couple hours, to set the scene we're not out in the bailey (the courtyard in the castle outside the front door to the castle for those who don't know that). There were knights at the ready with their steeds, the royal horse-drawn carriage with its door open and waiting,and then there was Pendergast in his knightly armor holding the reins of his stallion, with Luci upon his shoulder. Then there was Odval, who was facing Bean, and Bean, who was dressed up in a dress and looking more like a queen, and was frowning disapprovingly at Odval.
This situation has been going on for a couple of minutes now.
"Odval. For the last time! I don't need, or want, to ride in the carriage."
"And trust me, Your Majesty, I understand this, but since you insist on traveling to Twinkletown, then I must insist that you ride in the royal carriage."
"We would travel a whole heck of a lot faster if I just rode my horse," Bean pointed out stubbornly, crossing her arms.
"True," Odval admitted as solemnly as ever, "but may I remind you, again, that as the ruling monarch of Dreamland who will be visiting, unannounced, to our Duchy of Twinkletown, that it's imperative that you look your best! A Queen of Dreamland rides in a carriage and looks proper and regal, not riding a horse like a man."
"That is so sexist," Bean retorted, frowning more.
"While that may be your opinion, it is the way things are. But, after all, it is your call in the end."
Bean frowned more and Odval just continued to smile like the obedient asshole he was. God, Pendergast hated his face. Twinkletown was notorious for always being "better" than Dreamland and subtly shoving their richness in the face of the kings, and now queen, of the realm. Even though Twinkletown was a duchy of Dreamland, this didn't seem to matter. And Bean was well aware of this, as was Odval, and they were both aware that Bean was trying to be a "good queen."
Which meant that he was fucking right and they she should fucking ride in the carriage and that was fucking stupid.
Bean groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Fine! Okay! I'll ride in the stupid carriage."
"Excellent decision, Your Maj- I mean, Bean. I'm sure the commoners you pass on the road and the residents of Twinkletown will be most impressed and awestruck to see you."
"Yeah, yeah, fine," Bean retorted, waving him off, before grumbling and heading over to the carriage. "Luci! Get your little, black ass in here!"
Bean was clearly annoyed as she ignored the help of the footman and climbed into the carriage to pout.
Luci looked at Pendergast and groaned.
"How I got roped into this road trip, I have no clue…" he muttered before hopping dwom from his Pendergast perch to climb into the carriage. "Well good morning to you too, Grumpy-pants! Can we stop and get fast food? I got the munchies like you wouldn't believe! Heh! You know me, I gotta wake and bake or else I am just a total disaster to deal with!"
Pendergast didn't question any of this and simply put on his helmet and turned to address the men.
"All right, men! Our destination is Twinkletown! Onward!"
The group of knights rode forward, followed by Bean's carriage, and then the remainder of knights took up the rear. A few of the townsfolk did in fact gather on the sides of the road as the entourage rode down the hill through town. Bean, still pouting, glared out of the carriage window as her citizens watched with mild interest. Their faces, many of which Bean recognized, helped to ease her pout and slowly she began to smile. Luci hopped up onto the window and began to wave, because of course he would. Bean, seeing this, followed suit and waved at her subjects. A few children saw their queen wave at them and excitedly waved back. All too soon, however, the carriage moved on and the knights and their queen (and Luci) left the town and headed into the Enchanted Forest.
Luci looked at Bean before hopping over to the opposite seat and curled up.
"This is going to be a long and boring ride. So I'm going to have a nap. Hope you brought a book!"
Bean scoffed and didn't even want to say that yes, she had books, a lot of them. Odval insisted that she pack them as soon as he heard that she would be travelling. They were packed within the compartment under her bench seat while the group's supplies were packed on the top of the carriage. Sighing, Bean stood up to retrieve a book because, why not?
"How do people ride in these things and not die from boredom?"
Grunting with exasperation, Bean settled in against the wall, her legs stretched out on the seat, and began to read.
The ride through the forest was uneventful, so was whatever came after, and the day dragged on. There had been much discussion that morning whether the group should ride through the night or not. Ultimately it was decided that the best course of action would be to stop at a lake that wasn't too far from Twinkletown. That way they could arrive at the Insane Asylum in the morning. Bean hesitantly agreed to this, but only if she could avoid having a rendezvous with the Duke of Twinkletown. Since the former duke's untimely demise at the tentacles of the giant one-eyed octopus (aka Slimey), the new Duke of Twinkletown was eager to meet the new Queen of Dreamland. This was evident by the series of letters that arrived at the castle since Bean's coronation. Fortunately Bean had managed to stave off the unwanted attention by arguing that they'd meet during her upcoming twentieth birthday celebration.
No. This journey to Twinkletown was strictly a personal affair, and it was going to be hard enough on Bean without some rich, pompous snob trying to win her favour.
Hours passed and the sky darkened. They had stopped briefly a couple hours ago for a quick snack, relieve themselves, and to water the horses. Now that it was dark, they'd soon be stopping and would eat properly before resting for the night. As much as Bean had wanted to nap along with Luci, she couldn't. She read or she stared out the window, but mostly she just thought a lot. She thought about her dad, about Elfo, about her mom and Hell… she thought about a lot of things. Her thoughts kept drifting from one thing to another, as did her eyes.
Curiousingly enough, they kept ending up on Pendergast.
It wasn't her fault, really… he was riding right beside the carriage, after all. It was Pendergast's fault.
That was something else Bean had been thinking about… how was she supposed to sleep that night? There had been an underlying reason why she had tried to argue to have them travel through the night. She needed- okay, well… maybe needed wasn't the best word, but having Pendergast next to her had certainly proved to allow her to have a nightmare-free sleep. She slept so well last night. She only woke up once, for no reason in particular, and there he was… next to her still, lightly asleep with his chin to his chest. Not the most comfortable position, but Pendergast wouldn't have dared to move lest he might wake Bean up. Still, seeing him had made her feel… safe, and she had passed right back out again.
Just as her eyes were beginning to droop, a few horses whinnied as the entourage reined in and the carriage came to a stop. Luci looked up from the game of solitaire he'd been playing and Bean stretched.
"Tch! Finally!" Luci scoffed and tossed the cards aside.
Bean approached the carriage door just as it opened and there was Pendergast, smiling, and offered her a helping hand to step out.
"We've arrived, Bean!" he proclaimed with his typical upbeat persona.
Bean returned his smile and in her typical-Bean-manner, ignored his hand and stepped out by herself. The other knights were already busy building up the camp, deciding who would go on watch first, and making a fire. The white-haired queen stretched again and sighed.
"Man! Riding in that thing sucks!" she exclaimed. "It's so boring!"
Pendergast chuckled.
"I am sorry that your transportation wasn't to your liking. If you'd like, once we're done with Twinkletown, you may ride my horse if you so wish."
Bean glanced at him and smiled wider.
"That's sweet of you, but it's fine. Just… one of those things, y'know? A small sacrifice to look the part."
Over the next hour tents were set up, a large meal was made, and the men and Bean ate their fill and had a pretty good time. At first it was a bit awkward and the knights were a bit rigid, but Bean reassured them that it was just her and that they could let loose and relax. That's when someone asked Pendergast to play his lute (which apparently he brought) and the whole gang started to sing while a couple flasks were passed around. Not enough liquor to get everyone boozed up, but enough that the majority of people had a good time. This was helped when Luci started selling his stash of Ditchweed to a few of the men too. Bean wasn't sure where or how he had stashed so much, but she allowed it regardless. Luci had engaged the lads in a few rounds of poker and he was using all the tricks in his Hellbook to rob them of everything they bet.
As much as Bean wanted to play, she just didn't have it in her. Instead, she got up from the fireside and excused herself to take a small stroll. Her knights watched her leave and while most went back to their shenanigans, Pendergast continued to look on where Bean had disappeared into the night. In truth, Bean didn't go too far, she said as much, and the voices and laughter of her knights were loud enough that they'd be hard to miss even in the dark. She walked until she found a decent sized rock to sit on and looked out at the picturesque view of the lake.
The night was clear and the moon was practically full, casting a wavering image of its silvery self upon the pristine surface of the lake. It was a fair sized body of water, nothing too remarkable about it, and Bean couldn't even remember it's name. A few shouts and hollers from the camp roused Bean's gaze and she watched as some of the men, who probably had a slight buzz from either the booze or bud, or both, started to head towards the lake for a late night dip. In the light she couldn't see who exactly was stripping down in the dark, but she could guess from their voices.
"Must be nice…" she mumbled before sighing.
"What must be?"
Bean jumped slightly at the sudden voice and looked over with a shock. Pendergast held up his hands and gave an apologetic smile.
"Forgive me for startling you, my lady! I simply came to check to see if you were all right. I was worried since you left rather abruptly and it's not safe for you to just go out on your own."
"Oh, yeah, sorry about that. I just wanted a little space."
Pendergast just smiled and bowed his head.
"I see! Then, I shall take my leave then-"
"Oh! Well… you can take a seat, I guess," Bean said quickly, before adding in a more casual tone. "I mean, if you want to, that is. I wouldn't mind."
The knight felt his heart skip a beat before he wordlessly came and sat on the ground next to her. As always, he was close but not too close, and the pair stared out at the lake together. After a minute or two, Pendergast looked aside at her and, after another moment of indecision, opened his mouth to ask.
"If I may, but… what did you mean before? Before I startled you, that is, you were saying something…"
"Oh, that," Bean replied, looking down at him briefly before looking back at the lake. "I was… just saying going for a swim sounds really nice right about now. But, you know… the Queen of Dreamland shouldn't be skinny dipping while out on a camping trip with a bunch of her knights, am I right?"
Pendergast's face suddenly burned and he was thankful for the dark. He cleared his throat and looked over at the few men splashing in the waters of the lake, disturbing the moon's image upon its surface.
"Yes, well… that would be rather inappropriate-"
"Totally! But, like, it sucks. When I was a princess I totally would have. I didn't care, or… well, I still don't care, like being naked and all, but being queen means that I shouldn't. It's just…"
Bena sighed and shrugged, setting her elbows upon her knees and heads on her hands, and was looking pretty glum. Pendergast's smile faded and his expression creased with concern as he waited for her to finish. When she didn't, he spoke up again.
"I'm going to assume that this is not just about swimming in the lake, is it?"
Bean frowned more and looked aside before shrugging again.
"Are you… worried about seeing your father tomorrow?"
The queen looked over to meet her knight's eye and revealed a bit more of her upset emotions.
"Yeah… I guess so. I know that he hasn't been gone for long, but I can't help but be worried that I don't know… that he'll be different."
"How so?"
"Well… I don't know," Bean replied, sitting up again to rub the sides of her arms. "I guess that I'm just hoping that he remembers me. His mind was not healthy when he left. I mean, man… he couldn't even speak."
Pendergast had heard what happened to King Zøg in detail from the men. Hearing the series of events hadn't helped his sense of guilt that he could have saved the king from everything if he hadn't let his guard down and been cut down by the Arch-Druidess. Everything could have been different if he hadn't left King Zøg's side… but, then again, he had and now was seated beside Bean.
So maybe he accepted how everything turned out, even if it meant that Zøg remained a victim. That still didn't mean that he was absolved of his guilt, however.
"Oh, I don't believe that that's possible," Pendergast said gently, causing Bean to look at him curiously. The man, realizing his mistake, hastily added, "Not remembering you, I mean! There's no way that the King Zøg that I know would forget about you. He's… a good man, and I recall that he often spoke of you fondly when we were gone to battle."
"Really?"
Bean sat up a bit straighter and her interest helped to ease some of her worry from her eyes.
"Absolutely!" Pendergast declared. "It seemed to us men that our king was always bringing up his "little girl", and it didn't take much to realize that it was you that he spoke so fondly of. You, and your mother, I suppose, and food… yes there was much talk about food, and how much he missed his bed, and alcohol too… but you were definitely amongst them! Even in the heat of battle, I'm sure that your father thought of you often, because of how much he missed you and that he knew that you were waiting for him to return."
Pendergast paused to chuckle before readjusting to better look up at Bean.
"You know, I recall how when we did return back to the castle, you were always right there waiting for him, and how large your smile got when you finally saw him. I remember this one time when you even pushed Derek aside into a mud puddle, just so you could get to your father first."
A small smile appeared on Bean's lips and she chuckled too.
"Oh, wow, you remember that? Jeez, I must've been like, what? Seven or eight? Derek was still a toddler and yeah, I totally pushed him into that puddle on purpose."
The man nodded and was still smiling at the memory.
"Ah, yes, I remember it well. In fact, I think that you were wearing a blue dress that day."
Bean looked over at him in surprise.
"You remember what I was wearing? Dude, that's a little creepy."
Pendergast held his hands up in defence.
"I only remember that because, well, you looked rather cute in it, and also that just so happened to be the day that I became a squire. I was thirteen."
"Huh," Bean muttered in thought, before turning back to look out at the now-calm lake.
It seemed that the men had finished their swimming and had returned to the fireside. None had come venturing to find their queen because, well given that Pendergast was with her, there wasn't any need to disturb the queen and her favourite knight. That, or Luci had already roped them all in to play poker.
"Thanks, Pendergast. For cheering me up, I mean."
"Of course," Pendergast replied, grinning up at her.
Bean smiled back before standing, but before the knight could move to stand himself, he watched his queen tuck her skirts behind her and come to sit on the ground next to him with her back against the rock. She wrapped her hands around her raised knees and looked out over the lake with a smile, seeing now tiny dots of floating lights as fairies and fireflies flew across the water. Pendergast looked at her for a moment longer before joining her in enjoying the lovely view.
It was a perfect quiet moment. The only thing that could make it better was if Pendergast could hold Bean's hand or be bold enough to pull off the old "yawn and stretch" trick. Or, of course, there was always the dream of giving her a sweet kiss in such a romantic moment.
"Hey, Pendergast?"
"Yes?" the knight replied, looking over at her.
"What's this lake called anyway?"
"Oh," he replied, looking back at the water. "It's, umm, called Foreshadow Lake, I believe."
"Huh," Bean commented, before turning her head to meet his eye. "I wonder why they call it that."
"I'm... not sure," Pendergast admitted softly, but frankly he was too busy admiring how lovely Bean looked in the moonlight to think about it.
Bean, on the other hand, secretly blushed at how endearingly he was looking at her. It was an expression very similar to how he looked in the Hell elevator… To hide her feelings from showing, she looked back out at the lake but she couldn't stop smiling now. Pendergast also looked at the shimmering waters and at that moment, the inch or so between them didn't seem like much of an issue.
In fact, it almost looked like Bean was leaning towards Pendergast a bit, but who can say?
A/N:
Hello everyone!
Woot! Look at me go! Usually I try to alternate between my two fics, but this one has just been too fun and I'm really into it. This is especially true in that I thought this chapter would take the scene to Twinkletown, but the problem about writing out the ideas that I've mapped out is that a small paragraph of an idea turns into 6,000+ words, so...
Yeah next chapter will be the true DOOZY! Lots happening, touching moments and action too? What sort of action... you'll just have to wait and find out ;3
I'm really excited to write it.
As always, I welcome all comments and critiques, just remember to be kind: this is a fan's labour of love.
Stay tuned and stay classy, folks!
~Sheik