Athelstan Wilder (whereareyoulord) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2013-08-11 00:33:00 |
|
|||
Entry tags: | !complete, brother athelstan, navi |
Who: Athelstan and Navi
What: Athelstan asks for a job!
When: 8/10
Where: Navi's store
Rating: PG
Status: Complete!
Athelstan had recovered from his injuries, and he was still looking for a job. He thought he might go back to the garden center in Garden Grove; he remembered the lady who ran it, and if he recalled sufficiently, she was about to have a child, too. She might need the extra help. He showed up early one day, hoping she would still be working.
She was, even though it was just watering and singing to the plants. She couldn’t really pick anything up, if only because she couldn’t bend over. So she was humming to some daisies, gently stroking their petals. “You’re so pretty today, aren’t you? My sweet girls.”
Athelstan heard her talking, and couldn’t help but smile. He coughed loud enough to be heard, hoping she wouldn’t jump six feet. “Ma’am?” Hopefully she even remembered him; it had been a little while since they’d met.
Turning around when she heard the cough, she beamed. “Athelstan! You came back!” She walked over to hug him as gently as she could.
“Indeed.” Athelstan would have said more, but then he got a look at her belly and laughed. “Good gravy! You must be due very soon!” He hugged her very gingerly, smiling. “How are you, ma’am? I was surprised that you were even here.”
“Oh, they’re like my kids, how could I not come see them?” She ran her hands over her belly, chuckling to herself. “Yeah, I’m due September nineteenth, so only a month to go!”
“Goodness.” Athelstan blushed. “Your husband must be getting awfully nervous.” He would have been, had he been married to Navi. “I’m surprised he’s let you out of his sight. Not that you need watching, just ... I’m sure he worries.”
Navi laughed. “If by nervous you mean excited, then sure!” She and Pete had a non-traditional marriage; most married couples didn’t go to shoot aliens together. “I think he was nervous when we went to Vegas to help out recently, but that’s it.”
Athelstan blinked hard. “You ... during the battle? Or afterward?” He certainly hoped afterward, though working in what he assumed was a nuclear wasteland would have been dangerous enough.
“During.” Navi shrugged. “They needed help, and Pete and I have weapons. So we helped.” Navi had hung out the window while shooting a shotgun, and her baby had loved every minute of it. She hadn’t kicked once.
His eyes were bright and wide. “Good Lord. How in the world did you come out of it in one piece?” Even if she wasn’t with child, he was astonished that anyone had come out of that hole in the ground in one piece.
“Pete’s special and so am I.” She shrugged. “And if things had gotten dangerous, I’d have just gotten little and hidden in Pete’s hair.” She didn’t want to lose the baby, but she wanted to help people.
He’d almost forgotten that she could do that. Athelstan shook his head. “All I could do was pray for people’s safety, unfortunately. I actually got hurt during the beginning of all that madness.”
Navi’s eyes went wide. “What happened, where?” She noticed a faint scar and went on tiptoe, wings fluttering lightly as she touched it. “Oh, Athelstan, I’m so sorry.”
“It’s all right.” Athelstan smiled a little. “Eli - my, um. Girlfriend. She saved me. And I’m fit as a fiddle now.”
“You have a girlfriend?” Navi literally bounced up and down, hovering a little. “Tell me about her!”
He smiled wider, but he couldn’t help but blush. “Her name is Eli. She’s a little younger than I am. She is not very much shorter, but she ... you feel as though she’s very slight. But she’s strong, and lovely.”
“What do you like best about her?” Navi smiled, leaning back a little, taking his hand and putting it on her belly. “She’s kicking, I figured you’d want to feel.”
Athelstan froze for a second, but then he did feel the child kick, and he closed his eyes, blushing. “That’s ... amazing.” Rather humbling, in truth. The answer about Eli came in a few minutes. “Eli has the heart of a lion,” he finally replied. “She seems to have no fear.”
“It’s admirable. I think maybe that’s what I love about my husband, too.” Navi smiled, squeezing Athelstan’s hand. “But you’re so good, I hope she sees that in you.”
“I hope so, Miss Navi.” Athelstan smiled shyly. “She’s much stronger than me. I worry she’ll grow tired of waiting around.” He looked up at her sweetly. “I’m just trying to get through life, though. It’s part of the reason I came in here today, actually.”
“Goodness can be strong too, Athelstan. Don’t forget that. A lot of people don’t realize they’re strong until they have need of it.” She patted him on the cheek, then smiled. “What’s up?”
Athelstan smiled, looking down. “Well. I was wondering if you might still have any need of a helper ‘round this place. I saw you’d advertised, but I couldn’t come back due to my injuries. Have you filled the position?”
“Of course I still need help. And even if I had filled the position, I’d hire you anyway!” She hugged him again. “Family gets priority, sillyboots!”
“But I’m not family.” Athelstan looked confused. He didn’t ... wait, she was being metaphorical, wasn’t she.
“Are so!” Navi pouted out her lower lip. “I say so, so you are.” She beeped him lightly on the nose. “Didn’t anyone tell you not to sass your elders?”
Athelstan had to grin. “With all due respect, you don’t look older than me.”
“How old are you?” She folded her arms. “And I’m going to be a mom, something something, sassing new mothers.”
“Twenty, ma’am.” Athelstan inclined his head down, in a gesture of exaggerated subservience. “I’m sorry, ma’am, I’ll never be rude again.”
“Twenty-five and careful, Pete’ll think you’re flirting with me in some weird Fifty Shades way. Of course, he’d be inclined to like you because you’re both English, and I think he misses home.” Navi smiled, motioning Athelstan to follow her. “Let’s do your paperwork now. When do you want to start?”
“As soon as possible, Miss Navi. I’d like the work, and with all due respect, there are some things that I’d guess you have difficulty doing.” Hopefully he didn’t sound obnoxious; he just meant that she was very pregnant.
“What, like bending over? I really miss bending over.” She only wished she were teasing. When they got to her office, which seemed more like a cozy sitting room, she put a kettle of water on and grabbed the paperwork she kept paperclipped together for new hires. “Do you want part time or full time work, Athelstan?”
“As much as you’ll have me for, so I suppose full time. I like helping. And I like being around plants. It’ll be a joy for me.” The money would be nice, obviously - maybe he could take Eli somewhere nice when he got his first pay cheque - but still.
“Oh, the plants like you, so they’ll be happy to have you. The daisies in particular, but they’re flirts. I’m convinced a fairy started the love me, love me not game in retribution for gossip,” she whispered conspiratorially.
“Do they like me?” Athelstan didn’t think she was teasing at all. “I’m pleased! I try to treat them well. I’ve managed to get a little patch of ivy growing on the wall of my block of flats.” He just enjoyed gardening and nature; it really was that simple.
“That’s why they like you. You treat them like another plant would.” Navi smiled at him as she handed him the papers and a pen. “It means a lot to them, I think.”
“Do I?” That tickled Athelstan, somehow. “I just try to be kind to them. All plants want is sun and food and a bit of companionship.”
“See? I get why they like you too.” She hugged him again before moving to pour them tea while he filled out his paperwork.
Athelstan took a few minutes to finish the papers, if only because he wanted everything perfect. “Thank you for the tea,” he said when Navi set a piping hot cup in front of him. “Has your husband gotten you onto that lovely trend, or did you always enjoy tea?”
“Little bit of both. I always liked it a little because of my grampa, but I drink it way more now to irritate Pete. He’s more of a coffee drinker.” Navi laughed, wrinkling her nose and giggling. “For us, arguing is like cuddling.”
Athelstan laughed. “I’ve never known anyone with a marriage like that, but it’s rather amusing that it does exist. I’m glad you two are so happy, Miss Navi.” He wondered if he and Eli might wind up like that. She did have a tongue in her head, but he rather liked it, to be honest.
“Oh, he punched a guy for touching my bottom on our first date. We’re scrappy.” Navi smiled, pointing at him and grinning. “You get all starry eyed when you talk about marriage.”
“Do I?” Athelstan blushed hard. “I mean, I can’t even contemplate that right now.” Just ... his parents never showed any love. They barely touched. He knew what he’d been taught, but human contact was so amazing. And married couples were the best.
“You can, but you’re not ready. You’ll get there someday, when you’re ready.” Navi squeezed his hand and then hugged him. “And I’ll do the flowers for your wedding.”
“Maybe someday.” Athelstan was still beet red. He could feel his skin roasting. “For now I’m just pleased to help you while you need an extra pair of hands.”
“Oh, even after. I’ll have a little one to deal with. I always meant to become more of an owner here and less of an employee. I’ll still come to sing to the little ones and manage things, but I’ll work here outright less.” She beamed at him, resisting the urge to pinch his cheeks.
“Then you’ll still need an extra pair of hands.” Athelstan smiled sweetly. She couldn’t argue the logic, could she?
“Exactly! That’s what I was saying, you’re gonna have a job here until you don’t want one anymore.” She smiled right back at him, fluttering her wings.
“You’re very kind to say so,” Athelstan told her. “I should bring Eli sometime after dusk. She has a condition where she can’t come out during the day,” he added, not wanting to divulge all of Eli’s business. “Still, she’d love it here.”
“I can keep it open late one day, or give you a key so you can bring her in late one night and be alooooone,” Navi beamed. “It’d be a fun date, huh?”
“Oh, I wouldn’t ask you to do that.” There would be more dusk during the wintertime. “We can just wait until it gets dark earlier. It’s your business, Miss Navi.”
“Athelstan. Family.” She looked at him. “I trust my judgement of people.”
“I’ll get better at trusting my judgment of you, ma’am.” Athelstan replied, grinning. This would work out just fine.