Chapter 3 – Development, Relationship in Flashes
First Date:
"Sarah!"
As her name rang out across the small common area, Sarah glanced up from her book, smiled, and tucked it away in her purse as Brenden trotted up to her. Rising to meet him, she nodded her head in greeting. "Hello, Brenden."
"Hey!" he responded with his customary grin as he quickly looked her up and down. "You look great. Ready to go?"
"Absolutely, and thank you," she answered, and they left the building to get into his car. "So, you mentioned something about a movie after dinner last time. Is that what we're going to do?"
"I was planning on it," he answered easily. "I already called for the showtimes, and they've got a cartoon, a romantic comedy, and some horror movie all starting at about the same time. Any preferences?"
"Well, I'm not fond of horror," she admitted.
"That probably a good thing. If we saw that, I'd probably spend the entire movie screaming and trying to hide in your hair," he told her cheerfully.
Sarah snorted in amusement. "I usually like cartoons, but I think I'd rather watch the comedy tonight. Do you have any idea what it's called?"
"Sounds good to me," he agreed easily, "and I think it's called Dave, though I'm not sure what about. Maybe the President?"
"Huh. Well, hopefully, it will be good."
At the theatre, he paid for their tickets. Thankfully, Dave was an excellent movie, and Sarah greatly enjoyed both it and the ice creams they bought afterwards. The couple parted ways with a promise to get together sometime in the next couple of weeks, and once again, Sarah went home feeling like she was floating.
OoOoO
At the Zoo:
With their arms linked, Sarah and Brenden strolled casually among the families dotting the sidewalks. Since winter would be rearing its frosty head sooner rather than later, they had decided to take advantage of their class-free Friday morning to enjoy one of the last sunny days of the year, even if it was a tad nippy. Fortunately, aside from a few school buses of excited elementary students being herded in general directions (Sarah sympathized with the chaperones; she had enough trouble trying to get just Toby to go where he was supposed to), there were not very many patrons at the zoo this morning. Equally fortunate was that most were under five feet tall, so the young adults were easily able to peer over a sea of heads to look at any exhibit they wished.
Over the course of the morning, they managed to check out all of the major exhibits, and had a lively debate over the superiority of bears (her choice) versus the seals and sea lions (his choice). While she admitted that watching the sea lions be fed was a lot of fun, Sarah refused to accept defeat because polar bears ate them in the wild. Eventually, they agreed to disagree on this point, then decided that obviously, otters were superior over both because they were awesome, fun, and adorable.
Aside from this bit of silliness, the couple also checked out some of the smaller exhibits, like the reptile house and the penguinarium, and Sarah went into minor ecstasies over some of the early 20th century architecture and statues.
Finally, they entered their last stop of the day: the butterfly house. Luckily, they found a partially secluded corner that was empty of small children at that moment, because the butterflies adored Sarah. Over the course of five minutes, she became covered in at least a dozen of the living jewels. Her boyfriend watched in shock at first, then with a considering look, leaned slowly in towards her face.
Carefully, so as to not disturb the butterflies and making sure that she did not object, he closed the distance and kissed her softly on the lips. After a moment, he drew back with a dopey smile that undoubtedly matched her own. "No wonder all of the butterflies like you so much. You're as sweet as nectar!"
With wide eyes, she just stared at him for a moment, then burst out laughing, sending her new friends fluttering into the air in the process. "I cannot believe you just said something that cheesy."
OoOoO
Talking with Friends:
"So, he's treating you well?" Hoggle asked through her mirror as the others munched on the cookies she had passed over.
Sarah smiled and sighed happily. "Very much so. He's not perfect, of course, but he doesn't try to be, and he definitely treats me with respect."
"That's good," Hoggle agreed gruffly.
"That is most important, yes," Sir Didymus broke in, "but is the young man in question willing to fight for your honor? Does he know about the power that you hold, the secrets you have in your care? How you are more special than he could ever dream of?"
Used to the knight's dramatic outlook on life, Sarah shook her head. "He has no idea about magic, you guys, the Labyrinth, or the other goblins that come around. However, he became resigned to the fact that chaos would follow me wherever I go surprisingly quickly," she informed them, remembering the hot rod fiasco and the sugar bowl escapade with mingled horror and amusement. "Also, he doesn't have to fight for my honor these days, but I think he'd be willing if it ever came up, especially if it was all a joke."
Sir Didymus sniffed. "Well, I suppose that will have do. But does he at least understand how special you are?"
Smiling softly, she answered, "I think we're getting there. Oh! We're trying to set a time to meet each other's families, or at least Dad, Karen, and Toby in my case."
Ludo grunted approvingly while Hoggle nodded his acceptance. "Good luck with that."
OoOoO
Mother Knows Best:
"So~, I was talking to your father the other day, and he mentioned that you brought your young man home for dinner?" Linda pointedly asked her daughter over the phone.
Sarah laughed and plopped down on her bed. "Yes, I did, and it went really well! Dad seemed to like him, he got along with Toby, and Brenden said that he enjoyed himself; he also really liked the food, which made Karen happy."
"I'm so glad to hear that, baby girl," Linda told her daughter in a slightly softened tone. "I've been wondering when you were going to find a man who was right for you. According to your father during our little gossip session, he definitely approves of Brenden and how you two seem to be taking your time in the relationship."
Practically glowing, the younger woman confirmed, "I'm still not positive that we're meant to spend the rest of lives together, but I'm getting more certain every day. I mean, we definitely have our disagreements – one of them was actually pretty nasty," she remembered with a wince, "but we've managed to work past, around, and through every problem so far."
"That's great, honey. What do you say we try and get together when my latest show is done, and I can meet him in person?"
"That would be great! Thanks, Mom! Did I mention that I'm meeting his parents and sisters next month?"
"No, you didn't, but that should be fun! Unfortunately, duty calls, so I have to run. Make sure you call me again soon, you hear?"
"Of course, Mom. Love you."
"I love you too, Sarah."
OoOoO
At the Fair:
It was settled. They were obviously the sweetest, loveliest, most perfect couple to walk the Earth.
Personally, Sarah had her doubts on the validity of that, but that was what their photo from the Tunnel of Love said, so Brenden insisted it must be true.
Aside from that, they also managed to ride on the Fireball, the Twister, and the Starship 2000 without a twinge of motion sickness, even after eating a hot dog and an elephant ear apiece. They also made sure to get all of the other rides they could manage, and in the end, Brenden professed his favorite of the tamer attractions to be the Fun House, while Sarah claimed that she appreciated the nostalgia of the burlap sack slides.
To herself, she silently admitted that she had enjoyed the photo booth the most, just for the chance to be privately silly with the man she was swiftly falling in love with.
OoOoO
Goblin Shenanigans:
Sarah opened her purse to find a tiny goblin grinning up at her. Blinking, she circumspectly wagged her finger at it, then held out a finger for her key. The goblin reached up, kissed her finger, and dropped the key in her hand before disappearing through the shadows. One look at the key proved that it was now neon orange. With a groan, she decided to ask Hoggle to negate the magic next time she got the chance, but in the meantime, she just unlocked the door.
OoOoO
A knock on the door broke Sarah from her string of blistering curses. "Come in!" she yelled before returning her attention to the problem at hand.
Brenden opened the door, looked her way, and stopped in astonishment. "Why are there a bunch of socks on the ceiling?"
"Don't ask," she growled, "but I should probably let you know that I'm not ready for our date."
"Fair enough," he accepted, still gazing up. "Would you like any help?"
Glancing up at her significantly taller and more muscular boyfriend, Sarah finally smiled – or more accurately, bared her teeth in an affectionate manner. "That would be fantastic."
Eventually, after a great deal of effort (naturally, the little heathens had used some sort of sticky magic that at least left no residue once they managed to pry off the items) and even more creative cursing, they were able to get down all fifty-one socks, three gloves, and a surprise pair of panties. They ended up just ordering a pizza, and after he left, Sarah put the fear of God into the local Goblins, which ensured peace for a whole week afterwards.
OoOoO
"Neat!" Sarah heard from her bathroom. When Brenden came out a minute later, he grinned and asked, "Where did you get those super-cool bars of soap?"
"Hang on," she said, popping in to see for herself. Lo and behold, where her plain bar of hand soap once stood, there was now a miniature statue of an exquisitely detailed teddy bear. Sniffing it, she confirmed that it was the same brand she usually used, so she just explained with a minimum of fibbing, "Just at the supermarket. A friend of mine occasionally carves soap, and I guess he left one here."
"Huh! Well, if he ever decides to sell them or something, let me know; that's pretty cool."
"It is, isn't it," Sarah agreed, wishing that all traces of goblins were so easily contained and explained.
OoOoO
"Sorry I'm late," Brenden gasped when she opened the door to find her utterly disheveled boyfriend leaning on the frame.
"What on Earth happened to you?!" she exclaimed, stepping aside to let him in so he could collapse on a chair.
"It's the darndest thing," he answered, "but before I left, it took me almost twenty minutes to find a matching pair of shoes, and there was a couple of times where I swear I found one shoe, turned around to find the other, and then it was gone when I turned back! When I finally managed to find two and put them on, I tripped three times getting out to my car, twice on the way up the stairs, and I faceplanted on one of the couches downstairs when my laces somehow got tangled together."
"Wow! That's quite the adventure you had!" Sarah exclaimed, hiding her irritation with the ease of years of acting. "How about you rest up while I finish putting on my makeup?"
"Sounds good to me," he told her with relief.
After a quick kiss, she walked into the tiny bathroom and tapped on the mirror. "Come out, come out, wherever you are," she singsonged softly.
After a moment, several goblins peered out at her, alternately snickering behind their hands and bowing. "I assume you all are responsible for Brenden's amazing run of luck?" she asked dryly. Pleased hisses and acrobatics confirmed it, and she scowled at them. "You were making absolutely sure that neither he nor anyone else would be hurt in the process, right?" The assent came after a pause this time and was much less enthusiastic. "In the future, ensure that you do; I will not be pleased if anyone is hurt because of your pranks. Additionally, I need you to release any magicks that his belongings are under and leave the both of us alone tonight." Grumbling, the goblins reluctantly gave their agreement. "Good, thank you."
Quickly slathering on some mascara and lipstick around the jeering (and occasionally helpful) crowd in the mirror, she finished and stepped out to give her boyfriend the once-over. "Ready to go?" she asked, noting the lack of tell-tale shimmers.
He heaved himself to his feet and bowed grandly in her direction. "So long as you are aware that I might fall on top of you, then yes, m'lady, your chariot awaits."
Sarah snorted. "I'll take my chances."
OoOoO
Sarah glared at the mirror with a strength that should have melted it. Fortunately, the mirror remained unharmed. Unfortunately, her reflection remained unchanged. Looking back at her was her face, her hair color, and the Goblin King's nonexistent hairstyle.
"If I find whoever did this," she hissed, "I will punt him into the wall. And if my hair is not completely back to normal by the time I wake up tomorrow morning, I will be feeding anyone I can find to the wolves." Grimly, she grabbed a brush and set to work.
As luck would have it, either the spell was designed to release when the hair was brushed or her threat was extremely effective, because her long, dark locks were back to normal by the time she was finished. Satisfied, she drew her hair into a high ponytail for good measure, then left for classes, grateful that this prank was fairly tame, if initially alarming.
Later, she discovered that while the spell in her hair was an easy fix, the glitter that had magically appeared in Brenden's hair overnight was a bit harder to fix. They ended up having to shampoo it five times before all of the glitter was gone, and the bedding needed three runs through a washer.
OoOoO
Cooking for Couples:
"I don't see why I have to learn how to cook," Brenden protested as his dearly beloved girlfriend manhandled him towards the kitchen. "I have a microwave, and if I use that, then I don't need to worry about accidentally poisoning anyone or setting the house on fire.
Sarah fixed him with a determined look. "Tell that to someone who doesn't know that you've set the microwave on fire. Regardless, everyone needs to know how to make basic foods, at least at the level of grilled cheese. After all, what if you get stuck babysitting? What will you feed the kids?"
"…Chicken nuggets and applesauce?"
"You're learning how to make grilled cheese and tomato soup, Brenden, and that's final. The applesauce isn't a bad idea though."
Sighing, Brenden gave in to the inevitable and trudged up to the stove. "Alright, alright. Operation: Destroy Sarah's Kitchen is a go."
Snorting, Sarah gave him a light shove. "Drama queen. Okay! First, let's get out the ingredients.
By the time the meal was done, Brenden's dire predictions had not come true, although he had burned both sandwiches and nearly overfilled the soup pan. When his girlfriend calmly announced them "edible" and began eating, he just groaned and accepted the fact that come hell or high water, he would be learning how to cook. At least as skills go, this one was pretty useful.
OoOoO
Proposal:
Brenden laughed as he pulled a protesting Sarah out of the brilliant sunshine and into the butterfly house. "Come on inside real quick! The sunlight will still be there in ten minutes, and I want to see you covered in butterflies again. I brought a camera this time."
Grumbling some more at being out of the beautiful, warm weather, Sarah nevertheless followed him into the lush gardens and the same secluded alcove. Once again, she was covered in a double-handful of the beautiful insects within minutes, and she watched in faux-resignation as her boyfriend beamed and starting reaching into his pockets. "Just stay there for another minute so I can get this out."
Much to her surprise, he pulled out something much smaller than a camera, then she froze in shock as he dropped to one knee. "Sarah Williams," he intoned solemnly, opening up the small box in his hands, "we have known each other for months now, and over that time, I have come to realize that you are funny, smart, beautiful, and amazing, as well as the only woman I have ever considered living the rest of my life with.
"Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"
Tears welled up in her eyes as she nodded frantically, sending the butterflies scattering in every direction. "Yes, yes, I will."
Carefully, he slid the ring on her finger and replaced the box in his pocket, then with a whoop, he flung himself at her in a hug and spun her around in a frantic circle as she laughed.
Moments later, the zoo employee appeared to scold them, but broke into smiling congratulations when he discovered the cause of the ruckus. As other patrons realized the occasion and began to cheer, he agreed to take their picture with the camera that Brenden really had brought with him.
In the picture, which had Sarah's silver diamond ring prominently displayed on her finger, they held hands while their faces flashed beaming smiles, and two identical butterflies perched delicately atop their heads.
OoOoO
Author's Notes D: Special thanks to my mom for the information of dating habits during the late 80s/early 90s. Dave is a fantastic movie that I highly recommend. Which zoo they're at is deliberately vague, but it's based off the Detroit Zoo (which rocks). The hot rod fiasco and sugar bowl escapade are both Noodle Incidents. The carnival rides are all ones that I remember seeing or going on myself pre-2004 in Michigan. I actually have had to carve soap. It's not bad, but not a hobby I enjoy.
There should have been an argument and make-up worked into this chapter, but I could not think of a scenario, and frankly, I didn't want to write one, so it just got a mention. Apologies about the timeline being unclear, but I imagine they got engaged after dating for about a year, then married 6-12 months after that. Also, Sarah probably wouldn't have had a bathroom or kitchen in her dorm, but I needed them for the plot.