John and Rose were sitting on a lovely garden terrace looking out over a hill as they sipped darjeeling from dainty china cups. Rose stared at John intently as he fiddled with his teaspoon nervously. The boy really showed that he was the youngest of the four, she thought with a smile, and it was adorable. Granted, he was only a few months younger than the others, but he still seemed a child sometimes, the way his youthful innocence shone through him. Dating was one of those places—he was giggly and awkward and obviously barely out of the "girls have cooties" stage even now.

Adorable.

He took a sip of his tea (mostly sugar, Rose had noted, though that was as likely a result of a childhood of sweets as actuall childish behavior) and then smiled his goofy grin.

"So, um…" he started, face a little red. Rose chuckled a little to herself, putting down her cup.

"Yes, John?" she asked, smiling sweetly.

"So…I was talking to Dave yesterday," John said, and Rose couldn't help the tiny frown on her lips. She loved her brother, was happy for all four's friendship, but…that blush combined with her knowledge of Dave's crush on John led her to wonder if his flushing was for her kin.

They'd be a cute couple.

That didn't mean she had to be happy about it.

"So, what did our lovely sunglassed friend have to say?" she asked calmly, ready to psychoanalyze anything he said.

"He was…um…asking about us," he said, ruddying further.

"Go on."

"Um…huh, well, you know how Dave is," he said, and his words started to pick up frantic speed. "You know, always going on with his terrible jokes about things…"

"You mean he was asking about our sex life." From John's stutters in response, she could tell she hit the nail on the head. "Pray tell. Why is it our companion's usual crassness is now alarming you? Typically it's not something you'd flush over so much."

"W-well, it's just that he didn't have reason to…uh…"

"Ask? Suspect? Privacy has never been something any of us were fond of, and it is a natural thing to expect in the context of a long-term romantic relationship between young adults." There was no doubt in her mind that Dave was likely up to something, but she had to admit it was an interesting topic of discussion. It wasn't that she had come to expect anything as of yet...their relationship could move slow; as immortals, they had all the time in the world, after all.
But sometimes, honestly? She couldn't help but wonder when John was going to grow up a bit. People his age didn't still go completely awkward with something as simple as a kiss after they had been with someone as long as John and Rose had been a couple.
Perhaps her brother had pointed this out in his eloquent manner.

Bravo.

"It just seems…weird, you know?" John stared into his teacup, swirling it around and watching the tiny fragments of leaves dance at the bottom. "I mean, you're my friend…well, girlfriend now, I guess…"
Rose raised an eyebrow inquisitively.

"You started with the primary statement of 'friend.' Is it possible that your feelings are regretfully of a platonic nature?" There was a little prick in her chest. That was not a conclusion she really wanted to accept.

"No! I really do like you," John said, grabbing her hands from across the table in earnest.

"Then why do you feel concerned with Dave's usual lines of questioning?"

"That's..." John bit his lip, cute bucked teeth pressing hard enough to make his lip go white. "Well, I guess..."

"It doesn't really matter. So. What did you tell him?" Rose said, smirking. The noises coming from John's mouth were now completely incoherent, and she shook her head. "I've never known you of all people to go so speechless, John. It's not a big deal, really. If it makes you feel any better, Dave enjoyed probing into my private life with my last girlfriend as well, and chances are had you entered into a relationship in the years since Sburb, he would have been interrogating you sooner as well."

"I...told him we were taking things slow?" John managed to squeak out, and Rose nodded, doing her best to hide her slight displeasure.

"Mm."

"Yeah, and he teased me about it and basically I told him to shut up and we started talking about videogames," John said, his voice starting to return to a normal tone and rythm. Good job, John, being so worked up over the little mention of sex.

Still, the fact that he had already changed the subject-after he himself was the one to bring it up-sounded suspicious.

Rose pushed her chair away from the table, grabbing her black squiddle bag and smiling at John plesantly.

"It's good to know that entire conversation worked out between you."

"Aww, are you leaving?" John asked, and she was pleased to hear the disappointment in his voice. Good, he should want her to stay.

"I'm afraid I have some official business I have to attend to back in my territory," she said, her eyes showing an immaculate impression of sincere apology. "There is an important figurehead I have to meet over a little matter of some property division between nations."

"Oh jeez. Politics. Ouch."

"The troubles of being crowned a demigod and patron of a small country," she chuckled, pulling up her orange hood. "Stay out of trouble dear."

John gave her a sly grin. "No more trouble than I usually dig myself into!"

A quick peck on the lips, and Rose was off, back towards her manor. She wasn't lying; she did have to call over an important figure to have a nice little discussion.

She had to know what Dave was up to.