If you were watching the pair it would look as though Sammie Gardner was following Delphinium Grubb into town, but it was truly the other way around. It had taken some skill and a considerable amount of time for her to cut, unseen, cross country to appear, innocently, on the road ahead of him but she had managed it. She made a show of noticing him before sticking her nose in the air and turning back to the dirt track.
Sammie jogged a bit to catch up with her and grinned as he glanced askance at the snooty face she was making. "Morning, Buzzard!"
Her eyes went wide. "Don't be acting so familiar with me, Sir." she huffed, and skipped a couple of steps ahead. "You will stay in your right place. Back there." she finished, and crossed her arms behind her neck, stretching.
Sammie moved the proper (never a word a child of the Gardner clan was quite fond of) distance away but mischievously placed himself directly behind her. He shoved his hands down deep into his pockets. "I'm going to pick up some ink for Uncle Frodo and Hope." He jingled his coins. "Maybe for myself, too. A bottle of gold or silver ink, a luxury, y'know. And a few other things. What are you going into town for, then?""
"Oh, just to look about the market." Del replied breezily, and Sammie smiled.
"Well, then, we could do that together, Madame. I have a couple more places to go after I pick up the ink."
Del narrowed her eyes a bit, and glared at him over her shoulder. "Well," she said, after a haughty pause. "If we must."
"Oh, we simply MUST." He declared and moved up beside her. Then he pulled her hair. It was moments like these that she wanted to kick him directly into the ditch or pull him close to her but she let it go with only a swat to his arm.
The market was a cheery place, filled with hobbits bustling about. Sammie and Del dodged a particularly large farmer who was leading his pig along and then stopped dead in their tracks as a cart loaded with carrots nearly ran them down.
"Why did we come here when it's so busy?" Del asked, exasperated. Sammie chuckled and darted to the side, looking from stall to stall until he came to the one that he needed.
"Here we are." he said and approached the girl behind the stall. She was their age, short with auburn hair pulled back, and pretty green eyes. She looked at Del who gazed evenly and unsmilingly back. The girl raised her eyebrows at that and turned to Sammie, smiling sweetly.
"What can I do for you?" the girl asked, batting her eyes at him while Del began a slow burn.
"Oh, I need to get this order filled, Peony." he replied, pulling out a scrap of paper. It was the wrong scrap, however, and he began to search his pockets. The girl turned back to Del and crossed her eyes. Del stuck out her tongue. Peony retaliated with a finger up her nose. Del thumbed her teeth at her. Sammie interrupted their pleasantries by finding the correct paper. He smoothed it and smiled lopsidedly as he handed it over.
Peony thanked him and peered at the list while Del wracked her brains for something TRULY awful to do. "Well, Sweetie, I can fill this if I can find the right boxes." She tilted her head to the side and smiled up at him. "Do you mind giving me an hour? I'm running the stall for my mum and I'm a bit backed up." She made sure Del was watching and then patted his cheek with her fingertips. Del cracked her knuckles, smiling like an insane cat. Peony smiled back, obviously fighting down the giggles.
Sammie blushed and nodded. "I don't mind at all. There's still a bit of shopping I need to do."
"Well, I'll count the moments 'til you return."
Sammie tipped an invisible hat to her, and she laughed, shaking her head, her eyes sparkling. Del picked up a potato from the next stall and took aim. Peony ducked down behind the stall but Sammie inadvertently saved her as he started back into the throng. Del put the tater down and stalked after him. She waited until they were out of sight of the stall before she said anything.
"Honestly, Sam Gardner, that was shameless."
Sammie blinked, and looked back over his shoulder. "What are you talking about, Buzzard?"
Del grabbed his shoulder and turned him around, light brown eyes glaring into deep blue. "That girl was flirting with you!"
Sammie's eyes went wide. "What? Never!"
Del shook him lightly. "You didn't notice? Now, Crow, that's even worse!" She was suddenly conflicted. Box Sammie's ears or Peony's?
"Oh, that's just her way." Sammie said, dismissively waving his hand. "Her mum does the same thing. They come from Waymeet and their shop there is really the best. You can't get a better price on such fine inks or parchments. It's still good business to be cheerful, I suppose."
Del's lips twitched into a smile. "She was still flirting with you, Crow. I think I should clip your wings."
Sammie snorted and rolled his eyes. "Really, Buzzard, I don't know what you're going on about."
"You are simply oblivious. To everything. But if you can't see it then I don't know why I should make a fuss about it." She sighed. She just might have to box Sammie for innocence, really.
Sammie blinked at her. "Honestly, I don't understand you sometimes. Let's go to the bakers and get some of those sweet rolls before we get finished with the shopping. How does that sound?"
Del relented and became the Grande Madame again. "Well. If we must. But, my precious time is dear to me, young sir."
"I know," Sammie grinned, "which is why you've been spending it with me." Del was momentarily surprised and looked sharply at him. Oh, don't tell her that Sammie wasn't as oblivious as he seemed? But he was smiling at her just as open and carefree as ever so she let it pass.
"Any more cheek from you, child, and I shall summon the shirrifs."
"Child? Honestly, Buzzard, I'm older than you by far." Sammie replied. "An entire month. Shall we go, m'lady?"
Del found that she was having trouble resisting him. As usual. "Oh, all right, but you'll have to get me something to drink, too, as is proper if you're paying court to me." She desperately hoped he wouldn't mention Aster at that and, to her relief, he didn't. "Don't you have manners, Crow?"
"Oh, I have a ton or so. Mum wouldn't let me out the door without them." He grinned broadly and reached for her hand, tugging her along in the direction of the bakers. They passed by the writing stall again and Del and Peony saluted each other with the utmost rudeness behind Sammie's back.
Ah, but he was holding her hand and Del's heart was warmed by the touch. However, she gritted her teeth to hold back a sigh. One day, she was certain, Crow the Oblivious Or Not was going to be the death of her.
~