Harmless Fun

Ariel was in the kitchen with Darcy. She was laughing as she helped make a batter for some pies that they were going to send to a benefit. Darcy had looked like she needed a hand and Ariel liked to cook. So if one person didn't need help she found another. It was fun baking with Darcy the past few hours. They had four bowls lined up and the middle island was covered in flour, broken egg shells and various utensils.

"You are a very messy cook Darcy." Ariel said mixing a pale mixture and tasting a bit of it.

"Fingers out of the batter!" Ariel rolled her eyes. "It doesn't matter, it will still taste great." In containers on the other counter were different pie fillings that they had also started.

"Where is the vanilla? This needs a bit more I think." Ariel asked as Darcy mixed a yellow batter with a wooden spoon.

"Over there." Darcy said without thinking and used the spoon to point. The sharp motion sent batter flying. It hit Ariel over the chest and over her lower jaw and cheek.

"Oh I'm sorry I didn't mean to do that." She said laughing and Ariel wiped it from her jaw.

"I'm sure, seeing that you are laughing at me." Ariel commented, turning to grab the vanilla, an evil glint came to her eyes. Darcy was still laughing and couldn't see what Ariel did as she reached into a blue mixture of berries and scooped a little into her hand.

"I'm not laughing at you, I'm laughing with you." Darcy corrected.

"Uh huh." Ariel said and quick as lightning turned and tossed the mix which splattered across Darcy's front and part of her forehead.

"Ariel!" She said shocked and Ariel was laughing. It was carefree and felt good. She didn't do that much but her smile made Darcy feel lighter. Like the room was suddenly a very warm and happy place to be. Darcy then took flour and tossed it at Ariel who tried to duck but it ended up dusting her hair and eyelashes.

"Truce, truce!" Darcy said as Ariel picked up a handful of pale batter and without even hesitating tossed it. Darcy had her hands out. She moved to the side to miss the large amount that flew at her. It hit her partially in the shoulder. Unfortunately someone else came around the corner and got half a face full of the pie crust mix. The two of them gave shocked sounds clearly not expecting him to be there.

"Well that was nice of you." Malachi said having received half a face full of the batter. It splattered up over his chest and across the left part of his face.

"I'm so sorry." Ariel said so glad that it was him and not her sister who had come around the corner. He wasn't likely to start screaming and hitting her. Or using her as a verbal punching bag.

"Is this how you normally cook Darcy?" He asked her wiping at the batter. Darcy was trying not to laugh.

"She started it." Darcy said pointing at her. "Hit me with blueberry mix. I think she is unstable." Ariel's jaw dropped.

"You liar!" Ariel shouted and the two of them were looking at her from across the island.

"You're right she might be." Ariel made a rather irritated face, but didn't really feel it.

"Fine. I don't care, you both deserved it then. In fact, I wish I'd used more." She said and before either could react, she made a whipping motion with the bowl she was holding. A large amount of batter flew at them and hit them across the chests. The thick goo running down their clothes and Darcy's apron. The two of them looked down completely stunned at her antics. Ariel just gave a smile from across the island.

"Looks like I win." The two of them were shocked at her behavior. She didn't normally do things like that. It took Malachi a whole two seconds to accept the silent challenge Ariel just gave.

"Uh, no." Malachi said a darker look to his gaze, but not an angry one. He recovered from the shock before Darcy did and grabbed the bowl before him. If she thought he was just going to stand here an not retaliate she was dead wrong.

"Wait, wait!" Darcy said taking the bowl. "Use this one, it's stickier." Ariel backed up a bit watching the two of them and their evil smiles.

"I think you should take that one. She might try retreating." Malachi said pointing to another bowl. Darcy just nodded and moved the opposite way that Malachi was. Ariel couldn't believe that the two of them would team up on her like this. Plus she didn't have anywhere to go as Darcy came around the counter. Ariel turned and darted for the end of the counter. Darcy surprised her a bit by cutting her off.

"You should have thought about it before you did it." Darcy chided and Ariel took a few steps back.

"That's not fair there are two of you and one of me." Ariel shot back moving to reach for pie filling. If they were both going to dump stuff on her they would be sorry.

"Don't start something you can't finish." She heard Malachi say right behind her. Before she could turn an entire bowl of batter dumped over her head. Ariel wiped it from her face and eyes so that she could see. She turned taking the blueberry again and gave him an entire face full of it.

"Same to you." She commented coated in batter now, and him in thick blue and purple goop. Darcy was laughing rather hysterically. Ariel jumped back when he reached out for her. Ariel just laughed and moved out of his reach.

He was faster though the second time he reached for her. Ariel wasn't sure what he meant to do but she was pretty positive it wouldn't be nice. She grabbed a flour bag as his arm came around her midsection pulling her back. He reached around her with his free hand to stop the flour bag from being tossed back on him too.

"Let go Malachi." Ariel warned, but her laughter didn't help her case much.

"I let you go, you'll dump that shit all over me." He said, and fought her for control of the flour bag. The two of them ended up ripping the bag and it was Darcy who got a large dusting of the white stuff. They straightened laughing again.

"Well isn't this… quaint." They turned to look at Natasha who looked rather disgusted with the mess and them. Next to her Vento showed as well. Malachi let his arm slide away from Ariel, well wasn't she a kill joy?

"Well, it looks like you had a most excellent food fight in here. To bad I missed it." Vento said surprising them with the fact that he was smiling and found it funny. They all looked at him for a moment.

"What? I'm getting old, simply joys. You'll understand one day. I smelled baking and was hoping for a taste, but seeing you three have decided to wear the ingredients… Guess I'm eating out today."

"What's wrong with you?" Natasha asked looking at them but her glare was for Ariel more than the others. Ariel gave a shrug and a sigh. She didn't even respond to Natasha.

"I'll be right back, I'm going to clean up." She said and moved leaving the room. The laughter gone and the serious air back. Malachi was extremely annoyed then, he wasn't sure more with who. What did it matter what Natasha thought? It had been harmless fun, and what was Natasha's problem? She acted like they'd kill a child. Malachi grabbed a hand towel and wiped his face, and move toward Natasha.

"I need to talk to you." He said as his father moved over to talk to Darcy. Asking just why they had made such a huge mess in his kitchen.

"Why's that?" Natasha asked eyeing him and the goop on him. "And what are you two years old?"

"Four actually." He saw that Natasha did find that a bit humorous but on principle didn't laugh. Well he tried, they just didn't see eye to eye on some things.

"The social, you haven't said anything about it. I heard you talking to Marie the other day. You know that it is this coming weekend right?" He said to her managing to get most of the stuff off his face but he felt extremely sticky now.

"Oh, yeah." She kind of sighed. The way that she said it, he knew that she had forgotten.

"You know that this is for all those that run this planet. It's extremely important to be there. These are people that keep the money coming to your account. Some are coming from other worlds and it would be important to get their favor. You could get the money to purchase the rest of Senbi valley to the south. You could double your revenue with that." Which would be huge, and keep Alectro out for sure from trying to surround them on two sides.

"I don't know much about that stuff you know that. I leave it up to Ariel."

"Ariel isn't the name on the accounts. She isn't the stock holder." He said patiently. "You want to increase what you have don't you?" He said to her knowing that would get to her most of all. Plus she was marrying him and she damn well better come and show up. They needed to show the rest they were a couple. That this was happening.

"I do, but I've already planned on finalizing wedding plans with Marie for hers and mine. Plus our bachelorette party has been set up and invitations sent out."

"Then move it, this is important Natasha. If you aren't there you could lose some support from those that would want to talk with you. Besides, what about the fact that my wife to be didn't even come with me?" She lifted a hand but then lowered it. She'd moved to touch him but thought better of it with what he was covered in.

"Just take Ariel, she knows all the ins and outs and can talk to them better than I can. Just tell them I'm ill or something. You know that they will want to talk numbers and figures that I have no idea about. Ariel can do that for me."

"Ariel?" He said to her like she was crazy. "You want me to take Ariel to a social event." He stated for clarification. Yeah she might not be as introverted as when he first met her, but she was still extremely shy. If someone wanted to have overly long conversations with her… it was like him going clothes shopping for hours on end. It just didn't happen.

"She'll be fine and have you there to keep her in line. I know she's dreadful and not much fun, but I'll have a rep there and she can back up whatever you tell them for me not being there."

"Natasha, you not being there is really stupid. You are the owner, not Ariel." Natasha waved him off.

"Important people send stand-ins all the time." She gave him a charming smile that he didn't return. She leaned up and gave him a quick kiss on the lips but didn't touch anymore of him. He didn't return the kiss nor was he happy with her, not in the least.

"Okay? Are we good? You know that Ariel is the better choice." She said. Yes, Ariel was the better choice, because she knew and gave a fuck about her family holdings. Ariel's name should be on it and she should be part. If not all owner of their family holdings.

"I guess we have to be." He said rather darkly but Natasha smiled at him like it was a very good day and clapped her hands a bit. "Oh you made me so happy, it won't be bad I promise. Thanks babe, oh and I'll see you later for dinner and what not." She practically flounced past him.

Babe? He thought internally and cringed. He stood in the hall and pinched the bridge of his nose praying for patience. When he opened his eyes he found his father's ice blue gaze staring at him and no expression on it.

"She's not going?" He said in a flat tone.

"I'm assuming you heard the conversation."

"That is out of the question. Some might think it a slap in the face if she is not there. She is a Standish. She needs to meet those that support her family. She is acting a child." This time his father's voice grew darker.

"Well Ariel is going to have to play the part. It's her or nothing, and she is a Standish." Malachi said and as he thought about it. It didn't seem so bad to have her go. He liked her presence more than he did Natasha's at the moment.

"Yes she will. I'm sorry Malachi, I know that this isn't really what you want. But once that land to the south is purchased, and Alectro's been pushed back. We can talk about distancing. We have to be careful, many know how valuable this land is becoming because of us. They could back Alectro if he promises them more, and ships out more to other worlds."

"That would devastate us. Ninety percent of what we grow and produce keeps our two cities running and the rest of the land functioning. Not to mention people fed."

"I know, but the ten percent that we send out. We make a huge profit on. You know it, with that money alone we get enough to work more land and increase our yields." Malachi sighed, they needed the Standish to buy that land, because then it wouldn't really appear that Malachi and his father were moving against Alectro. After all, only a fool in their positions would get married without a prenup. Not that it wouldn't be looked at as hostile. It would just make sense for the Standish to buy the land as it was right against theirs and could be used in their fields and agriculture already.

"I'll be with Ariel. I'll make sure that she does what is needed and talks to the right people." Vento gave a head nod.

"I was surprised to hear her laughing earlier. That is what really drew me down here. Why I wasn't as pissed at the mess you made in the kitchen." It was a pretty massive mess. Second Malachi had not started that.

"Hey, I came around the corner and got a face full of batter. The two of them were already at it."

"Yes well, you are still covered in blueberries and smell like a pie."

"A good one?" Vento rolled his eyes as Malachi smiled. Vento lost and chuckled a bit.

"You're just jealous that you haven't been having as much fun in your old age."

"Perhaps. But I was glad to see Ariel having fun. Do go and talk to her, and make sure she knows what is at stake." Malachi just gave a nod and moved off to go and clean up. His mind was going over a few things, his mind drifted back to the kitchen though.

For a few seconds there it had felt rather good. Freeing to just enjoy what had been going on. There wasn't any other care in the world, just a playful game. Something that he hadn't had since he was a child and more serious matters had taken over.

Though he was an adult now. So his mind had noticed several other things too. Part of him decided that it wanted to now focus on Ariel. Focus on what she felt like when he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her back against him. Soft and feminine. Her laughter was enticing, she should laugh more often. It was soft and musical, he just sighed. How hopeless was he? He told himself to ignore it, and moved to take a shower still lost in his own thoughts. He didn't know why he told himself things like that when he knew he was going to fail at it.