Baby Showers and Cheap Hotels

[ill-met.insanejournal.com]

Characters: Percival and Titania
Date/Time: Late evening, Saturday August 24th
Location: A cheap but clean chain hotel in KC
Rating: Likely to be G but there might be shades of PG.
Warnings: Not hardly.
Summary: A spur of the moment trip to KC for Lilith's baby shower and Percival left the travel arrangements up to Titania. Bad move, bro.


With a sigh that rang only with very much put-upon and playful exhaustion, Titania dropped her soft-sided carry-on bag onto one of the double beds in the hotel room. Then she straightened, grounded her hands at the small of her back, and arched with another little noise until she felt the muscles loosen. Even as she focused on her body's reactions, she let her grey gaze roam around the room.

It was passable, she decided. Generally inoffensive and apparently clean. Decorated in various shades of tan, it left her longing for color but the price was right. Something she had to pay attention to since she was determined to be doing the treating when it came to the room.

"So... Not too bad, huh?" She smiled at her would-be roommate for the weekend. "Am I still awesome?"

Comments

[piercethevale.insanejournal.com]

With a quick step, Percival reached the door first. "Oh no, allow me," he bowed slightly and opened it for Titania. "Ladies first, always."

[ill-met.insanejournal.com]

"I absolutely adore the way you think, Chance." Titania paused to touch gentle fingers to his cheek as she slipped past him. It was a gesture not lost on the bored hostess just within the door who, quite noticeably, looked less bored at their approach. The petite brunette smiled at her and held up one hand with two fingers extended. "Two, please."

The woman nodded, picked up two menus, and motioned them to follow her. Titania bit back a giggle and cast a bright-eyed look towards her companion. If he paid attention, he could not possibly miss the mischief there.

[piercethevale.insanejournal.com]

He was paying attention, and he grinned in return. Even the Fae Queen was impish and unpredictable, as most of her kind were. Even in mortal form. As far as he was concerned, that just made her a fun friend to have around. He knew she wouldn't cause him harm -- she was Seelie, after all.

The hostess directed them to a booth, and he slid into one faux-leather seat. "Man, am I hungry," he remarked as his stomach grumbled again. "I think I want a burger of some kind. How about you?"

[ill-met.insanejournal.com]

"I wish I could." Titania sighed in her best overwrought, overdramatic manner. Then she smiled for him to show it was all fun and games. "I'm getting a little sensitive to iron in my food," she admitted. "Just a little bit so I'm being careful." She eyed the menu thoughtfully before adding, "Like I didn't already have to think about what I eat all the time, ugh."

[piercethevale.insanejournal.com]

"Because of being an actress?" Percival asked. He was still mentally processing the iron thing -- though he figured it made sense since she already was sensitive to the touch of iron and steel. He remembered that much from their time in Faerie.

Opening his menu, he went immediately to the burgers. "It must be tough, having to watch what you eat like that."

[ill-met.insanejournal.com]

"A little but I don't notice it as much anymore. You get used to some things, I guess." She picked up her menu, opened it, and neatly lifted it so it would hide most of her face from him. Then she fluttered dark lashes expertly over the edge. "But I'll tell you a secret. I can never say no to soft-serve ice cream."

[piercethevale.insanejournal.com]

"I'll have to keep that in mind!" he laughed. "There's this place in the city I've heard of, down in the Village, that's supposed to be really good. Maybe I can take you there sometime."

Just then the waitress arrived at their table. "Can I get you folks anything to drink?" she asked, and Percival held out his hand to Titania with a nod, indicating that she should go first. Ladies first, after all.

[ill-met.insanejournal.com]

"Just a water with lemon, please." Titania turned the full charm of her smile on the poor woman and the waitress blinked back at her before looking down at her table finally and making a quick note.

Then she turned to Percival. "And you?"

[piercethevale.insanejournal.com]

"I'll have a Coke, please," he smiled at the waitress. As she went off to get their drinks, he turned back to Titania. "I want to thank you for finding the hotel, and for finding that airfare for me for that matter." He ducked his head sheepishly. "That was the first time I've ever been on an airplane. I have a feeling I'm going to be racking up frequent flyer miles from now on."

[ill-met.insanejournal.com]

"I think you're right." Titania shook her head but it was a good-natured gesture, lightened by her wry smile. "My dad gets frequent flyer miles through work but I should probably get my own card or something. Otherwise, he's probably going to start asking some really awkward questions." Folding her hands on the table in front of her, she gave a little shrug. "At least you and Nyx are nice and close and Henry's just down in PA."

[piercethevale.insanejournal.com]

Percival nodded. "You could always tell your dad you're flying for acting stuff, like roles." The waitress returned with their drinks and straws, and he took the paper off his and stuck it in his Coke, then grinned, "Yeah, at least you guys are only a roadtrip away."

He sipped his drink. "I wonder why there are so many of us in New York," he mused.

[ill-met.insanejournal.com]

"Because it's a happening place?" She giggled and shrugged, toying with her straw and watching him. "I don't know, really. I'm not questioning it. It's way more convenient than if we were all scattered. Though I suppose it would be nice to have our group even closer. At least a little bit."

Titania wrinkled her nose then and laughed once more. "Though Himself can stay right the heck over in California for all I care and Her Majesty in Chicago is plenty close enough."

[piercethevale.insanejournal.com]

"I'd like to meet more of our group," Percival agreed. "I can't wait to meet Ogma tomorrow. He seems like a really cool guy."

Before he could ask her about Oberon and Mab, the waitress came back. "You folks ready to order?" she chirped.

"I'm ready." He nodded at Titania. "You ready? You can go first."

[ill-met.insanejournal.com]

"Alright, if you insist." Glancing down at her menu, Titania wrinkled her nose and picked the first thing that stood out. That was what she got for spending more time talking and focusing on her companion, she supposed. "The Greek salad, please, and a dish of the fruit salad."

[piercethevale.insanejournal.com]

"Alright." The waitress scribbled down the order and turned to Percival. "And for you?"

"I'll have the cheeseburger, medium please." Taking Titania's menu, he bundled it with his and handed them both back to the waitress. "Thank you."

As she left, he turned back to Titania. "Do you think you'll ever work things out with those two? Mab and Oberon, I mean."

[ill-met.insanejournal.com]

"Work things out?" she repeated and gave him a most-innocent look, all wide grey eyes and slightly parted lips. Then she pursed her mouth and dropped her gaze to study the table-top. With the perfect air of discomfort, she traced a dainty finger across the formica - lines and squiggles and stars. She worried her lower lip for an instant and then glanced up as she offered him a shrug.

She really was a fantastic little actress.

"I don't know. Mab and I worked well enough together when the children were taken but that was different. I was doing it for the kids, not for her. It was just easier to let her take charge... Like always. But her and Oberon..." Another small shrug. "They've both been very unkind to me."

[piercethevale.insanejournal.com]

His reaction told her just how good an actress she was. "Why would they be unkind to you?" he asked, brow furrowed into a frown. "You haven't done anything to either of them, have you? I don't understand."

[ill-met.insanejournal.com]

Titania gave another little shrug and set her folded hands on the table between them. "Mab never thought me good enough for her son," she ventured in a quiet voice, leaving out any details like subtle politics or her own background. "Then Oberon and I, well... You can love someone while hating them, I suppose. He had his own, let's say, dalliances and side projects."

[piercethevale.insanejournal.com]

Percival reached out and put his hand on top of hers. "That's just so wrong. I'm sorry he mistreated you like that. You're so sweet and pretty -- how could anyone not appreciate that?" He sat back and frowned again. "As for Mab, well, she must think an awful lot of Oberon if she thinks he's too good for you. Because he's obviously not."

[ill-met.insanejournal.com]

His words earned him a crooked, little smile and Titania turned her hands beneath Percival's so they were palm to palm. "Thank you," she murmured. "You're very sweet."

[piercethevale.insanejournal.com]

"I'm just telling the truth," Percival shrugged. "At least that's how it seems to me." He squeezed her hands and returned Titania's smile. "I appreciate you, for what that's worth. Like I said, you're the Queen I know. I'll always support you."

[ill-met.insanejournal.com]

Her smile grew until it lit her face like the sun rising and she squeezed his hand. Then, as if on impulse, she lifted his hand to her lips and brushed a butterfly-light kiss over his ring finger's knuckle. "Wonderful."

Before she could say anything else, the waitress returned with their dinners. Titania shot the woman a completely unrepentant grin. Then she released Percival's hands and sat back in her seat to clear the table. "Thank you," she said, ever so sweet.

[piercethevale.insanejournal.com]

The waitress blinked, then set the salad down in front of Titania. "You're welcome. And here's yours," she said as she placed the burger on Percival's side of the table. "Can I get you anything else? No? Enjoy." She then beat a hasty retreat.

Percival only half paid attention to her, though. His focus was on dinner. He picked up the burger and bit into it. "Mmmm," he hummed contentedly, then glanced up at Titania. "Oops. I'm sorry," he mumbled around his mouthful. "I didn't wait for you. That was very rude of me."

[ill-met.insanejournal.com]

Laughing, Titania shook her head as she picked up her fork. "No, it's okay. Never mind. I'm not going to pick on you about being a healthy guy who has a big appetite." She waved her fork at the plate in front of him and smiled. "That looks pretty good so I don't blame you."

[piercethevale.insanejournal.com]

Percival swallowed before he spoke. "It is," he nodded. "As hungry as I was, this tastes like the best hamburger ever." He looked at her salad and smiled a bit sheepishly. "I wish I could share it with you."