Naturally Freaky
Siobhan and Gallant
Gallant looked up from the book he was reading—a Stephen King; he had a gross obsession—to see his girlfriend Siobhan coming into their tent. He set his book and reading glasses aside and said, "Finally. I was beginning to worry about you."
Siobhan climbed into the sleeping bag with him. "I know; I could tell from the way you were devouring your book like it was the only thing that existed."
"Who am I kidding?" he laughed. "I don't need to worry about you." He pinched her nose and she laughed too. "You're a good girl, and you stay out of trouble."
"Indeed," Siobhan said. "And you're a bad boy, and you set things on fire. Which reminds me, I'd really like to know the methods behind all those crazy pyrotechnics at Willa's trapeze act."
"Magic," Gallant shrugged.
Siobhan gave that look again, and Gallant recognized it even more quickly than Darby, because all those years ago, the freak show had been what brought the two of them together. In her former job, Siobhan had seen it all, and no matter how weird, there was never any magic in it. "Really," she insisted. "It was so cool, like an optical illusion or something. How did you do it?"
He sighed deeply, then answered, "If I told you..."
"You'd have to kill me?" Siobhan guessed.
Gallant put an arm around her and pulled her closer. "How did you know?"
Snuggling up into his chest, she said, "Magic."
Siobhan climbed into the sleeping bag with him. "I know; I could tell from the way you were devouring your book like it was the only thing that existed."
"Who am I kidding?" he laughed. "I don't need to worry about you." He pinched her nose and she laughed too. "You're a good girl, and you stay out of trouble."
"Indeed," Siobhan said. "And you're a bad boy, and you set things on fire. Which reminds me, I'd really like to know the methods behind all those crazy pyrotechnics at Willa's trapeze act."
"Magic," Gallant shrugged.
Siobhan gave that look again, and Gallant recognized it even more quickly than Darby, because all those years ago, the freak show had been what brought the two of them together. In her former job, Siobhan had seen it all, and no matter how weird, there was never any magic in it. "Really," she insisted. "It was so cool, like an optical illusion or something. How did you do it?"
He sighed deeply, then answered, "If I told you..."
"You'd have to kill me?" Siobhan guessed.
Gallant put an arm around her and pulled her closer. "How did you know?"
Snuggling up into his chest, she said, "Magic."