Popcorn

Date/Timing: 16 April 2010
Setting: Rianne & Val's home; Koffiefontein, South Africa
built up from the "Popcorn" scrap
.
Griet knocks on Pietr and Maarten's door.
Daf nudges her. “What's our story for Papa again?”
“Homework at Reneilwe's.”
“She's in on it?”
“Yep.” Knocks again.
Maarten, breathless, whips it open. “Sorry!” Steps aside. “Popcorn emergency.”
“Which means ...,” drawls Daf, slipping off her shoes.
“Iiiitty-bitty fire.”
“And you left Pietr to deal with it?!”
“It was mostly out!”
Griet rolls her eyes, marches past him to the kitchen.
Pietr, his back to her, levels the popcorn in two bowls while a thin cloud of smoke hovers just below the ceiling.
She walks—lifts her sopping socked foot with a growl—hops up beside Pietr.
He notices her, smiles broadly, offers a heaping bowl.
She accepts, kisses his nose.
He blushes.
“You know you can't use water on an oil fire, yea?”
Pietr grimaces. ::Now we do.::
“Silly boys.”
He sticks out his tongue, picks up the other bowl, and heads for the front room.
Daf already has Maarten squashed against one end of the sofa.
::Help!::
Pietr laughs.
“Let him /breathe, Sis.”
“He can't chatter so much if he can't.”
Pietr nudges her, tilts his head and shrugs, 'she has a point'.
“/Hey!” wheezes Maarten.
Pietr beams at him.
Maarten glowers.
“'sides, we need the room if you two are gonna fit.”
Griet shrugs helplessly, plops down next to Daf.
Pietr hands his to Daf, wiggles in on Griet's other side.
“Everybody ready?”
“Yep!” cheers Griet.
“—” squeaks Maarten.
Daf grins, presses 'play' on the remote.
The opening credits play.
Then the first scene.
Pietr pokes her arm. ::There's no words?::
Griet checks, frowns. “Turn on the captions.”
Daf pauses the show, pokes buttons.
- CAPTIONING UNAVAILABLE -
“Well, that sucks,” she huffs.
Griet turns to Pietr. ::Should we watch something else?::
::It's okay. I know you've wanted to see this for a while.:: He smiles reassurance. ::I'll play games.::
“Thanks, Dandelion.” Kisses his cheek.
Pietr thumbs up, grabs his DS from the side table, and starts /Black and White.
“He's going to play Pokémon and we can keep watching.”
“Cool.” Daf re-starts the playback.
Half a bowl of popcorn and and episode and a half later—
Griet freezes mid-wince, popcorn halfway to her mouth.
“I can't /believe he just did that,” cringes Maarten.
“I have no idea how he can with a straight face,” adds Dafne.
“That's why he's a professional,” declares Griet.
There's a soft brush against her fingertips, a teensy crunch from her beside her, and no popcorn in her grip.
She twists to face Pietr, pouts.
Pietr puts on his biggest, softest puppy-dog eyes and barely kisses her fingertips.
The corner of Griet's mouth turns up. ::That's the /last kiss you'll get tonight, you thief.::
He slouches lower into the cushions.
Maarten leans across her—
Daf squawks.
—pokes Pietr's thigh. 
Pietr attends.
“Was it worth it?”
Pietr huffs, crosses his arms, sinks even deeper into the couch. 
The rest of the popcorn and another two episodes slip by.
Pietr puts away his DS, edges closer.
Maarten laughs—
“That's so /sexist,” sulks Daf.
—sobers.
Pietr presses against her side.
“It's a sitcom, not feminist propaganda.”
“Why can't it be both?”
Pietr drapes his arm around her shoulders.
“Because we live in /reality.”
“Which would really benefit from some feminism.”
Pietr huffs.
“Can we just watch—”
“/No.”
“Not until we finish this.”
Pietr kisses her cheek.
Griet twists to face him, lips pressed very thin. ::Not now! I need to win this argument with Daf!:: Turns away. “Of /course it would benefit, but it'll /never happen!”
Pietr sighs.
“Well, it /should!”
Category:Ficlet
Category:Koffiefontein (setting)
Category:Griet
Category:Griet's POV
Category:Griet (ficlet)
Category:Dafne
Category:Dafne (ficlet)
Category:Isaac (mention)
Category:Reneilwe (mention)
Category:Maarten
Category:Maarten (ficlet)
Category:Pietr
Category:Pietr (ficlet)
Category:Ficlets with images