Theodore, a rebel at heart

Tavern.

Critic Arley, Critic-Ishire.

******************

"I shall pick your clothes for you from tomorrow" she announced abruptly as they resumed their walk making Theodore stop to look at her, not sure he caught on what she said

"What ?"

"May I pick your clothes for you everyday Lord Theodore" she muttered timidly

He frowned "Why are we switching to being formal?"

"Well I assumed you'd want to be addressed properly in public's eye" she looked around to support her assumption.

"No, Gooseberry you're my wife before a Lady to Critic Arley" he drew her closer, dipped his head and whispered "Also we're not supposed to expose our Identity Lydia" he scolded and she held back a pout.

Their walk became further leisurely, she didn't remember her hunger and he didn't understand the rush, so they took their time. The silence was natural and comfortable but she was curious.

"Why are you dressed so…" she trailed off

"Badly?" He completed 

She grimaced "I would not say badly, but unkept"

"To blend in" he shrugged and her eyes followed the movement to his bared neck

"So it's intentional?" She threw skeptically

"Yes"

"Thank goodness I was starting to think really…" she went silent and Theodore didn't push it.

"That must have been why you offered to dress me up" he nodded along with his faked observation 

She also faked a gasp for his choice of words, he had his own fair share of drama.

"I don't think that's what I said, Theodore" she sounded like she was scolding him

"But if you were bad at picking your clothes I had to intervene" she declared sternly.

"I would gladly let you do me however you please Gooseberry" he vowed.

Red coloured her cheeks as she unconsciously drew back her wrist but he held on tighter, he was never letting her hand slip.

"We're here" he whispered 

They had walked for a few more minutes, gazing at the small market before reaching 'here' and Lydia couldn't explain why her heart rate spiked a few beats faster.

What is this place?

"No, Gooseberry" he drew her closer "Do not, in this Empire, judge a book by its cover" he lectured but she stifled a snort.

Theodore just had to choose a tavern that looked like a slurpier version of his mansion with a glaring rectangular wood board with the word 'The Lunch house' stamped on the front with red paints!.

"Benefit of the doubts, you should have been told" she caught on the smile in his sentence and she visibly relaxed.

Maybe the inside would not be as sketchy as it looks on the outside.

She was proven wrong the minute they stepped inside, the noise that welcomed them made her heart stop, it was so deafening she lost her beats, but suddenly everyone went so quiet she frowned before realising they noticed their arrival, her heartbeat returned, four heartbeats later the brief silence ceased to reintroduce the choas, everyone returned to what they were doing, making her eyes widen as she breath through her mouth, her nose suddenly seem too tiny a way for oxygen intake.

Theodore stayed silent as he led them up a wooden stair that surprisingly didn't creak, it looked newly made, she still held on tighter to her husband for support. The upper floor was quieter and cleaner even, she didn't get a chance to ask questions after they sat when a loud voice pierced through the chaos with a question.

"What would you have? Young couples" a middle aged woman with muscles most men craved drew Lydia's attention until…

"Keep it down you're spitting on me" a smaller looking man sassed

"Oy get your wacky ass to work Bernard" the muscular woman who looks to be the server retorted as she walks up to the couples table, prompting Lydia's breath to rush for her throat.

"Meredith at your service" the woman introduced.

Lydia stared wide-eyed at the woman as she suddenly lost her words, why isn't Theodore talking ? She glanced at him and he simply stared at her amusement colouring his blue orbs.

"Use your words Milady" she spat. Lydia's spine straightened.

"Bun, milk… and honey" her reply, Theodore's amusement absorbed into curiosity

"That cannot be what you want to eat" he narrowed his eyes

"Oh but it is" she shrugged looking almost clueless 

"I respect your choice Gooseberry" his retort "but please let me choose our lunch, just this once" Lydia frowned slightly wondering what was wrong with her choice for lunch.

"Warm milk, white rum, a big size of chopped pork and gherkins, also don't bring any honeys" he smiled 

Meredith clapped her hand towel on her shoulders "You got yourself a deal"

"Pork and gherkins?" Lydia asked after Meredith was out of earshot

Theodore nodded, his features showing from under his hood "Theirs are the best you shall ever get"

"Better than Hound's?" She teased with a small smile 

Theodore smiled back "Hound does not make pigs"

"That is interesting" she admitted 

"It is" he picked a tablecloth and draped it on her lap as he said 

"I know you're startled by the way she talks, but I just like the normalcy here" his whispered words reached her.

Lydia tried to keep her eyes from looking around but failed, the place was filled with fat, sweaty people, fist banging, laughs and dances, men and women alike, it's like the well crafted rules, etiquettes and tight hold of society expectations didn't exist here. It is admittedly nice yet dangerous.

So Theodore is a rebel at heart.

"You are lord Theodore" she shrugged

"That portrays as an insult Lydia I'm hurt" and she laughed out loud this time, he rarely mentions her name.

"I'm just not surprised an act of rebellion gives you normalcy" she clarified her eyes unintentionally glued to his lips 

"It's not rebellion" he stated as he place his cloth on his own lap

"I would however not want this people everywhere around town" he looked around the place himself and nodded 

"But it's alright that they created a small haven for themselves here" his gaze dropped to his wife's delicate face yet again

"Your lunch" the server announced as she dropped an enormous amount of pork on the table, alongside a plate of gherkins and some eggs, the rum was brought by a young boy alongside a warm tea Lydia didn't know if she'd need alongside the rum. Theodore had probably asked for it incase she didn't want rum, she thought 

"Thank you" she uttered, grateful to Meredith 

"I've never had rum" Lydia picked the cup of rum starred at it curiously before dropping it back down.

Theodore nodded at her confession "That does not surprise me, you're a Statham" 

"I know, we have more rules than the whole of Critic-Ishire does" she picked a knive "And mines even tripled" she stared at the table intently 

Theodore dropped a plate of already sliced pork for her with a colour on it, she smiled grateful, it looked so hot she had wondered how she'd slice it, her sigh proved her relief

"It smells nice" she admitted with a small nod, her hair bouncing.

"Oh it tastes nicer"

He took a strand of hair that keep falling to her face away from it so she could eat eliciting a whispered "Thank you" he simply focused on her face as she placed the fork of small sized pork into her mouth 

"McDonalds! It tastes divine" she exclaimed her eyes slightly wider than normal 

"Theodore knows"

She laughed heartily as they kept small talks amidst their food, Lydia has never felt any freer.

After awhile of eating, she got full and decided to try the rum only then and she was levelled

"It tastes… it has honey in it" she observed still taking measured sips, while Theodore simply watched her eyes full with something that made her stomach tingle 

"It tastes original" she complimented finally 

A breath of silence, he took his eyes off her and commented "Sugarcane"

"Sugarcane?" She raised

"Yeah that what it's made of"

"Oh yes, I heard, I love it" she picked up the cup again enjoying it

His eyes narrowed suspiciously "It has limits"

"I reckon " she sassed with a small laugh that melted his heart further.

A dozen minutes later, they stood up and left the lunch house with smiles and a full stomach, their smiles natural and beautiful not withstanding Theodore simply stared at her own smiles and keeps his in his orbs.

"It is freezing Theo and you're not wearing a scarf" Theodore still kept his hood on but his clothes were barely buttoned 

His smiling eyes met her concerned ones and he almost kissed her had he not noticed a few men ogling at her suspiciously, he knew it wasn't about the girl, it was about the coat, it was an open giveaway and he had to get her out of here before they decided to confirm the worth of the coat.

"I'm fine, Gooseberry" he tightened his hold on her so they continued their walk

Still concerned and unconvinced, she questioned "Are you sure?"

"You could keep me warm when we get home" he whispered.

"Alright" she smiled sheepishly as they held hands again, their walk to the carriage didn't take as long as it did for them to get to the lunch house.