The Perils of Being a Responsible Adult

[vicioussweetie]

After the unpleasantness in the Nexus, Jareth had made a very pretty apology that was as sincere as he could manage, if somewhat lacking in insight. Ali had accepted, of course, after explaining the difference between what he perceived as the problem and what had actually upset her; Jareth's efforts to understand had even won him an extremely

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[labyrinthking]

Jareth finds, upon waking, that he is quite alone--always a little disappointment, that, but it leaves open the possibility that Ali is off doing something that will end up delighting him again. With such hopes in mind, he summons the day's wardrobe, all white and dove-gray, and goes in search of his lady-lover. He will check first in the kitchen, he thinks, as it does tend to be one of her favorite haunts.

[vicioussweetie]

There are certainly signs Ali has been in the kitchen--dishes stacked too neatly in the sink to have been left by the goblins, and delightful smells coming from the oven. There is also a note on the table, asking any children or goblins who wander through to not open the oven, and to wash their hands before doing anything else. But she is no longer there by the time he arrives, although she remains nearby: some of the vines she'd planted in his garden what seems so very long ago are laden near to crushing themselves with bean pods, and she's out harvesting them.

[labyrinthking]

The oven receives a thoughtful look--it's so tempting to peek, after all. He decides to see if any of those aromas are scents he recognizes before continuing his search. The garden will be next, and there he'll be pleased to find her. "My darling," he purrs, "I trust you slept well?"

[vicioussweetie]

There's a cinnamony-vanilla perfume in the air that tends to mean something's being baked, and the heavy scent of meat roasting, and something fruity. Altogether, it promises another well-rounded meal for everyone involved. Ali is so particular about that sort of thing.

When he speaks, Ali turns to give him a smile and a kiss before answering. "Good morning." Well, not so much answer, as respond. Still, she hopes he doesn't notice. "I noticed there was quite a lot of leftover bread--did the children get a bit confused about who was supposed to buy it yesterday? I'm making bread pudding, so it's not going to waste, but we might need to start writing these things down for them until they can work it out for themselves."